Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Sand Wolf Warrior

Lila’s POV

The night wind of the Desert Sea scraped across my cheeks like a knife. I tightened the jacket around me, which still held Jasper’s body heat and the faint scent of tobacco. Before me, the sand dunes rose and fell like waves under the moonlight, a frozen, golden ocean. The burly man who called himself a member of the Sand Sea Tribe walked ahead, his steps heavy and slow, each one sinking deep into the soft sand.

“Wait,” I couldn’t help but say, my voice a little hoarse. “Could you tell us your name?”

The burly man stopped and glanced back at me. His deep-set eyes were exceptionally bright in the moonlight, holding a wild, rugged quality. He seemed to consider it for a moment before answering in a deep, rumbling voice, “A name… I only have one. I am called… Kael.”

“Kael?” I repeated the simple yet powerful syllable. “No last name?”

Kael shook his head, a flash of confusion in his eyes, as if he didn’t understand why a second name was necessary. “The people of the tribe all have only one name. I am Kael. I am a warrior.”

I glanced back at Jasper. From his slightly furrowed brow, I could tell he also found this tribe’s customs strange. In this werewolf world that emphasizes bloodlines and families, having no surname and only a single name seemed very primitive, even cut off from the rest of the world.

“Lead the way, Kael.” I nodded at him. “Thank you for taking us to your tribe.”

Kael turned and continued onward. This time, however, I noticed something odd about his gait. His steps seemed steady, but his path was subtly and unintentionally veering off course.

“Something’s wrong,” Jasper suddenly whispered in my ear, his voice as cold as ice. “He’s leading us in circles.”

My heart went cold. I looked at Kael’s back again. Sure enough, using the moonlight and my vague memory of the terrain, I realized we had been circling a giant sand dune the whole time, not getting any closer to the “tribe” he had mentioned.

“Kael!” Jasper’s voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable authority. “Stop. Where exactly are you trying to take us?”

Kael’s body stiffened, but he didn’t stop. Instead, he quickened his pace, trying to rush into the shadow of a dark sand dune ahead.

“Trying to run?” Jasper sneered. His figure flashed like a bolt of black lightning, and in an instant, he was blocking Kael’s path.

“Get out of my way!” Kael let out a low roar, a fierce glint in his eyes. He raised his scimitar and swung it viciously at Jasper.

Jasper didn’t even draw his weapon. He simply sidestepped and easily grabbed Kael’s wrist. With a twist of his hand, CLANG, the scimitar fell to the ground. Immediately after, Jasper kicked the back of Kael’s knee, slamming him forcefully onto the sand.

“COUGH…” Kael coughed up a mouthful of sand, his eyes full of shock and anger. He struggled to get up, but Jasper’s foot pressed on his back like a mountain.

“I told you, no more tricks,” Jasper said, looking down at him, a dangerous light glinting in his golden eyes. “My patience is limited.”

“Who… Who are you?” Kael lifted his head and looked at Jasper in terror. “Why is your aura… so strong?”

“You’re not qualified to know who I am,” Jasper said coldly. “Now, take us to the tribe. Immediately.”

Kael gritted his teeth, seeming to be in the midst of a fierce internal struggle. Suddenly, he let out a strange roar and his body began to tremble violently. Then, an astonishing scene unfolded—

His body began to twist and contort, his bones letting out loud CRACKING sounds, and thick, grayish-brown fur rapidly sprouted from his skin. In the blink of an eye, the tall, burly human man had transformed into a massive wolf radiating a primal aura!

This wolf was as large as a calf, its fangs gleaming coldly in the moonlight, a low growl rumbling in its throat. It violently shook its head, breaking free from Jasper’s hold, then arched its back, taking an attack stance as it stared us down.

“A werewolf?” I covered my mouth in surprise. Although I had long considered that werewolf packs could exist anywhere in the world, seeing Kael transform with my own eyes still sent a jolt of shock through me.

Jasper’s expression, however, turned unusually grim. He moved to stand in front of me and said in a low voice, “Lila, get back. This is… the transformed state of a primal werewolf, more berserk than a common one.”

“Kael, stop!” I shouted. “We’re not your enemies!”

However, the transformed Kael seemed to have lost all reason. He let out a low roar, kicked off with his hind legs, and lunged straight for Jasper, a foul wind accompanying his charge!

Jasper sighed, his gaze instantly sharpening. He didn’t half-transform like Kael, but instead chose to completely unleash his power.

’If you want to play, then I’ll play along.’

The next second, a powerful, suffocating pressure erupted from Jasper. The surrounding grains of sand actually began to tremble slightly from this aura.

Jasper closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his golden irises had become vertical wolf pupils! His body began to expand, his muscle definition becoming more exaggerated. Short, silver-gray fur rapidly covered his skin, his hands turned into sharp black claws, and a powerful-looking wolf’s tail even sprouted from his back.

But he didn’t completely transform into a giant wolf. Instead, he maintained a combat form somewhere between man and wolf, one that exuded immense pressure—this was the “Complete Humanoid Beast Form,” something only a Wolf King could master.

“ROAR—!”

Jasper let out a deep roar. The sound wasn’t loud, but it carried a soul-deep, intimidating power.

Kael, who had been charging forward menacingly, froze in place the moment he saw Jasper’s form, and especially after feeling that terrifying pressure. The ferocity in his wolf eyes vanished instantly, replaced by incredulous shock and… profound fear.

He instinctively tucked his tail between his legs, his body trembling uncontrollably. With a THUD, he even fell to his fore-knees on the sand, assuming a posture of submission.

“This… This is…” Kael whimpered, his eyes filled with awe and terror. “The Wolf King… bloodline… aura…”

Jasper slowly walked up to Kael and looked down on him, his voice deep and majestic. “Now, do you still think I’m an intruder?”

Kael shakily transformed back into his human form. Although he still looked like the same burly man, the way he now looked at Jasper was filled with reverence, and he no longer dared to show the slightest disrespect.

Kael lowered his head, not daring to look Jasper in the eye. “I… I didn’t know… An outside Wolf King, I…”

Jasper snorted coldly as his fur slowly receded and he returned to his human form. He adjusted his collar, his gaze still stern. “Get up. Explain why you were leading us in circles. If I’m not satisfied with your answer, I don’t mind leaving you here to feed the vultures.”

“I… I wasn’t actually trying to harm you,” Kael said, wringing his hands and stammering. “I was afraid…”

“Afraid of what?” Jasper raised an eyebrow.

“You’re so powerful, and our tribe…” Kael looked up, a hint of pleading in his eyes. “Our tribe is very vulnerable right now. I was worried you might…”

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