Even with that sickly lady nearby, Raphael had no intention of backing down when faced with another Werewolf.
On a full moon night, though he still retained enough rationality, the thrill of combat and slaughter drove him to answer the call of desire. He charged straight at that Werewolf!
At that moment, the sickly lady sitting up in the tree shook her head, saying, "That one isn't Jonathan either."
By then, the battle between the two Werewolves had already erupted...
Raphael appeared to be heading straight for his opponent, but just as the two closed in on each other, he executed Wolf Shadow Nine Steps and abruptly flashed to the side, evading the other Werewolf's attack.
*Thud!*
The Werewolf's claws slammed into a tree trunk, leaving his entire back exposed to Raphael.
Using the footwork of Wolf Shadow Nine Steps, Raphael spun sharply back. His five fingers straightened, the sharp claws plunging into the opponent's back like five narrow and razor-sharp daggers.
"Aahhwoo–!"
The Werewolf let out a pained howl and lunged forward, tearing free from Raphael's grasp.
Raphael had only pierced the opponent's heart but hadn't yet driven deep enough to deal a fatal wound.
The injury to the back did not make the Werewolf flee. Instead, it enraged him, and he pounced at Raphael once more. This time, however, the Werewolf was on guard.
As they closed in and Raphael once again flashed to the side, the Werewolf immediately swung his claws to change the direction of his attack.
But this time, Raphael didn't dodge. Instead, the five fingers of both hands straightened, his wolf claws stabbing toward the other's chest.
They were extremely close. The Werewolf had no time to dodge or block, only managing to raise one arm in a feeble attempt to parry...
*Pfft* *Squelch*
One of Raphael's claws pierced the opponent's arm, and the other pierced his chest.
The moment the strikes landed, Raphael did not linger. He immediately leaped backward, putting as much distance between them as possible.
This was the right move, because in the very next instant, the Werewolf thrust his head forward and bit down. Thanks to Raphael's timely retreat, the Werewolf's jaws snapped down on empty air.
Then, seizing the brief window as the opponent's head was pulling back but hadn't yet fully retracted, Raphael swiped his claws across the Werewolf's face, gouging out one of his eyeballs.
"Aahhwoo!!!"
The Werewolf let out a wail of agony and immediately began to flee. Even though the full moon made him bloodthirsty and murderous, robbing him of much of his sanity, he still knew to run for his life when in mortal danger.
But there was no way Raphael was going to let him escape now. He pursued closely, first slashing the back of the opponent's neck, then striking his lower back.
Yet whenever the Werewolf turned his head to fight desperately, Raphael would evade with agile footwork.
Soon, Raphael found the opportunity for a killing blow...
First, he used his claws to slice open the opponent's throat. Then, seizing the Werewolf's head, he wrenched it backward with the full force of his body.
*Crack!*
The sound of snapping bone rang out.
Amid the Werewolf's whimpering howls, Raphael used both hands to cleanly twist the head off.
*Squelch!*
The blood gushing from the opponent's neck made Raphael thrill with exhilaration, and inwardly he felt a surge of delight. The power of the Wolf Fang Technique far exceeded his imagination...
The difference was like taking an exam: the dead Werewolf had to solve the problems on his own, while Raphael had cheat-sheet he could simply copy from.
However, this was Raphael's first time using the Wolf Fang Technique against an actual opponent, and he was not yet proficient. Killing that Unwinged Angel before hardly counted as a real fight.
If he had been skilled enough, his first strike would have caught the Werewolf by surprise, piercing his heart and gravely wounding him in a single blow.
At this thought, Raphael's gaze suddenly turned solemn. He looked to the side and saw the sickly-looking lady gracefully leaping from the tree she'd been sitting on to a tree next to him.
The Werewolf's Beyonder characteristic was already beginning to precipitate. Raphael stared coldly at her, having no intention of abandoning his spoils of battle...
The lady revealed a somewhat frail smile, then spoke, "How about we make a deal?"
"Grrr..." Raphael let out a growl at her.
"Alright, you can drop the act." The lady said, "I don't know what method you used to keep yourself calm on the night of the full moon, but I need your help to save my brother, Jonathan. He's also a Werewolf, and was lured away by the wolf howls just now. If you agree to help, I can offer you fair compensation. How about the potion formula for Zombie?"
Raphael had already noticed earlier that she had no living person's aura about her. Combined with her current frail state and the restraint implicit in her eyes... he surmised that she must be a Zombie.
On the night of the full moon, a Zombie's curse is a craving for warm human blood and fresh flesh. If this desire goes unfulfilled, they become terribly frail.
If she indulged herself and slaughtered humans, she would teeter on the edge of losing control. But other party had chosen to restrain herself on the night of the full moon, which meant she was, in all likelihood, a member of the Temperance Faction.
As far as Raphael was concerned, whether she belonged to the Temperance Faction or the Indulgence Faction made no difference. Inwardly, he was rapidly calculating whether he could take down this weakened Zombie and claim her Beyonder characteristic.
After a second or two of deliberation, he answered in a hoarse voice, "I already have the potion formula."
In the end, he decided against making a move. He wasn't confident of success, and if he attacked but failed to kill her, a grudge would be formed.
Raphael did not fear a single Zombie, but the elusive Sharron and Maric had left a deep impression on him.
Even if they couldn't confirm Raphael was the one who acted, the battle process itself would obviously carry some danger. He noticed that this lady remained extremely composed after watching him kill another Werewolf just now, so he reasoned she might well possess some powerful Sealed Artifact or mystical item.
His answer made the lady pause briefly, but then she continued, "How about a Sealed Artifact, then? It corresponds to Sequence 8 of the Planter Pathway. It can grant you the abilities of an experienced surgeon. For a Werewolf prone to injury, it would be very practical."
"Fine." Raphael's heart stirred. He then asked, "What do I need to do to help?"
"My brother wears a silver necklace around his neck." The lady said immediately, "Find him for me, and drive him back to my side." She then added, "I must warn you, someone has laid a trap here. It was their wolf howls that drew Jonathan away just now. In this dark forest, there is at least one Sequence 5, one Sequence 6, and several Werewolves. They are all hunting for me and Jonathan."
"The Indulgence Faction?" Raphael asked, taken aback.
A flicker of surprise passed through the lady's eyes, "Yes..."
She and Jonathan had been betrayed. By the time they learned that the Indulgence Faction had set a trap here, the crimson full moon had already risen, and it was far too late for them to flee...
Raphael picked up the Werewolf Beyonder characteristic that had finished precipitating by his feet and said, "I will do my best to help you find your person– I mean wolf-brother."
With that, he swiftly departed.
To him, this deal was not something he took particularly to heart. His plan was still to hunt one more Werewolf, then quickly return to the valley and hide.
Raphael ran for another dozen or so minutes when he suddenly heard a howl of anguish.
He immediately slowed down, leaped into a tree, and crept toward the source of the howl.
Under the crimson moonlight, he saw a tall figure with a pair of goat horns on its head, and from its back extended a pair of enormous bat-like wings.
It was a Devil!
Raphael thought to himself: 'This forest is certainly lively tonight!'