The Oldest Dream of Eternal Night
Chapter 50: King of the Jungle 2

Chapter 50: King of the Jungle 2

Yuki, serious, sliced his palm with a blade, his blood dripping, corrosive. "We’re not criminals. We eliminate monsters." Kaiser stared, uncomfortable, but nodded.

Ben suddenly stopped, his ears lengthening, picking up sounds. "Fight," he growled, his voice guttural. "Over there."

They sprinted, their footsteps echoing in the forest. The growls and clashes grew clearer.

When they burst into the clearing, the sight hit them hard. Hugo, his torso striped with deep gashes, his clothes in tatters and soaked with blood, stood against nine Betas. A tenth lay on the ground, throat slit, limbs twisted at impossible angles, too mutilated to rise.

Ben, eyes wide, shouted, "Are you stupid? Ten werewolves alone?"

Hugo, face covered in sweat and blood, dodged a claw that nearly tore his cheek. With a fluid motion, he spun and delivered a devastating uppercut to a Beta’s chin. The blow cracked the opponent’s cervical vertebrae, and it collapsed like a rag doll. "Long story," he growled between ragged breaths, his torn shirt clinging to his skin, soaked with sweat and blood.

Yuki needed no orders. She leaped onto a low branch, took a step, and landed silently behind a distracted Beta. Before it could react, her sharp blade sliced the air, opening its throat with a precise movement. The wound instantly blackened, acrid smoke rising as the flesh necrotized, preventing the werewolf’s natural regeneration.

Ben, in turn, unleashed his vampiric nature. His muscles tensed, his claws lengthened, gleaming like blades forged in darkness. He moved in a series of swift, almost invisible strikes, slashing three Betas in one pass. The first had its jugular cleanly severed, the second’s belly split open, entrails spilling onto the ground, and the third fell, its spine severed by a sharp claw.

Kaiser, pupils dilated from the L-dopa, gripped his dagger with clumsy but effective determination. He lunged at a wounded Beta, stabbing it repeatedly in the chest. The first strikes were chaotic, but the last pierced its heart, sending the werewolf crashing to the ground with a final gurgle.

Six Betas remained. The fight seemed to balance, but Hugo, exhausted, wavered. His breath was short, his movements less precise. A deep gash striped his flank, and his left arm hung limply, possibly dislocated.

Alan, still standing back, arms crossed, sneered. "You’re finished, Hugo."

Then a deep growl, far deeper than the Betas’, shook the ground beneath them. The trees cracked, leaves trembled, and a massive shadow emerged from the darkness.

Its golden eyes glowed like embers, its black fur bristling with anger. Each step made the ground vibrate, its claws digging into the earth.

Hugo, at the end of his strength, painfully raised his head and muttered, his voice raspy: "Shit... a Löwen."

The beast rose, dominating the clearing, and roared.

The clearing vibrated with tension, the air thick with the scent of blood and sweat. Hugo, shirt in tatters, gasped, his golden eyes flashing. Ben, Yuki, and Kaiser, freshly arrived, fought fiercely, but the situation was turning dire. The Betas, galvanized by an unseen force, struck harder, faster.

The massive figure emerged from the shadows, its golden eyes blazing like embers. Half-man, half-lion, a Löwen. Its black mane shimmered, its claws, long as daggers, scraped the ground. Its muscular torso exuded raw power. It advanced, its heavy steps crushing dead leaves, and grabbed Ben by the collar like a toy. With a backhand, it slammed him into the ground, the crack echoing through the clearing.

"Fuck, a Löwen?" Yuki shouted, his poisoned blade raised, ready to leap.

Hugo, wiping blood from his lip, growled, "No, it’s Jay. A fucking Löwen."

Jay roared again, a primal sound that made the Betas tremble. Their growls intensified, their movements becoming more precise, as if drawing strength from him. Hugo realized in a flash why these traitors had attacked him. The king of the jungle was here, and he was boosting their confidence.

"You’re finished, Hugo," Jay rumbled, his voice like thunder. "You thought you could run? You’re nothing, and I’m the king of the jungle."

Hugo clenched his fists, his muscles bulging, black veins pulsing on his arms. "Those dogs? I don’t want them. And you’re just a loud cat."

Jay chuckled, his fangs glinting. "Let’s see who’s loud." He lunged, his claws aimed at Hugo’s throat.

Hugo narrowly dodged, the claws grazing his cheek. He countered, his fist slamming into Jay’s flank. The Löwen growled but took the hit without flinching, retaliating with a backhand that sent Hugo flying into a tree. The bark exploded under the impact, splinters flying. Hugo collapsed, breath knocked out, sharp pain radiating from his chest. A deep gash bled, his shirt soaked in red.

"Hugo!" Ben shouted, rising, his vampiric claws extended. He charged Jay, aiming for his throat, but the Löwen swatted him away with a paw, sending him crashing into a rock. Ben groaned, dazed, blood trickling from his forehead.

Yuki, perched on a branch, called, "Focus, Ben! We’ll handle the Betas!" He leaped, landing behind a Beta, and plunged his blade into its back. Yuki’s corrosive blood smoked, the wound necrotizing, preventing regeneration. The Beta howled, collapsing in convulsions. Yuki dodged a claw, but another Beta slashed his arm, making him grimace.

Kaiser, doped on L-dopa, fought nearby. He wasn’t a Wunder, like Ben or Yuki, but his reflexes, boosted by the pills, kept him alive. Kaiser stabbed a Beta’s flank and rolled to avoid a claw. "Fuck, this isn’t a video game!" he cursed, his heart pounding. He struck again, the Beta collapsing after a precise throat strike. Kaiser gasped, drenched in sweat, but another Beta attacked, knocking him to the ground. A claw struck, grazing his face.

"Kaiser, move!" Yuki shouted, slicing another Beta. He whirled, his blades glinting, but the Betas were too many, and they were regenerating.

A bolt whizzed past his shoulder. Kaiser, on the ground, growled, "I’m going to die, and you watch?" Ben, regaining consciousness, slashed at a Beta, his vampiric claws slicing into his torso. Ben’s speed was supernatural, a deadly shadow, but a Beta slammed into him, pinning him against a tree. "You’re fast, vampire," the wolf growled, "but not fast enough."

Ben countered, his claws digging into the Beta’s arm, causing the Beta to howl.