Werewolf

"The beasts of the earth cried that they needed no god, and so God left His place."

"Endless light descended. The starry sky, the bright moon, and the blazing sun appeared in the heavens at once."

"The beasts wailed beneath the light, begging God to return to His place."

"Only after the radiance had cleansed the earth did God return. He shed tears for the dead beasts, nourishing the land and restoring life to the soil."

"Those tears were mercy." —Divine Word: Age of Desolation

Adam closed the book in his hands and didn't continue reading. He knew perfectly well what came next. He had only read the book for its illustrations.

Limited by printing capabilities, the illustrations in copies of the missionary text Divine Word varied from region to region despite having the same content. They were generally drawn by the finest local artists.

Thus, one could roughly gauge the local standard of painting through this book.

Given the Boku Family's circumstances, they couldn't afford a single book. This one had been lent to him yesterday by the priest named Fula. Fula thought highly of him and believed that, if Adam attended the Theological Academy for a time, he could become a priest.

Adam tactfully declined, saying that he was nowhere near able to afford the tuition. Though Priest Fula found it regrettable, he still lent him the book.

Adam seemed to recall an unpleasant experience and couldn't help rubbing his temples.

He currently felt an extreme lack of security. With his identity, in a **** nation like the Holy Sound Kingdom, it was as though he could smell death at any moment.

He desperately needed strength. Yet for some reason, Adam understood this world's power system far less than he understood theology. At the very least, he had mastered several rituals in theology that possessed extraordinary power, rituals he could use to disguise and conceal himself.

Therefore, Adam's current extraordinary abilities amounted only to the powerful physique granted by his Werewolf transformation. It was enough to bully ordinary bandits, but if he encountered other extraordinary beings, the outcome likely wouldn't be pleasant.

"So I still need to be careful tonight. Baron Mansla definitely possesses extraordinary abilities." Adam recalled some information he had learned before.

Though he didn't understand the system of extraordinary powers, he knew other information quite well.

As long as one was a noble, one would certainly possess extraordinary abilities. A noble who failed to acquire extraordinary abilities was either a fake, or had "impure blood." Such nobles would soon be stripped of their titles and reduced to commoners.

Since Baron Mansla had established a considerable foundation in Roya City, he naturally possessed extraordinary power.

"I heard that nobles' extraordinary powers are related to Heraldic Crests?" In Adam's original world, nobles also had the so-called study of heraldry. A crest was not merely an emblem, but also a record of genealogy, reputation, and achievements. In this world, however, crests were also power.

Yet the power of a Heraldic Crest required the corresponding bloodline to cultivate it, so Adam hadn't given it much thought.

As the sky darkened, Adam greeted Yalis and Mary, rubbed Lina's little head, then returned to the attic where he slept.

After taking off his outer clothes and lying on the bed until the sounds downstairs gradually stopped, Adam silently pushed open the attic skylight. He carefully listened to the sounds around him, and only began transforming after confirming there was nothing unusual.

Moonlight spilled in through the skylight, illuminating Adam's face.

His skin wasn't particularly fair, and his gaunt face gave off an air of steadfastness. His black bangs partially concealed a scar beneath his eye resembling a < symbol. His dark pupils became dim crimson beast eyes with the next blink.

Every muscle and bone in his body moved, especially his face. His muzzle lengthened, fangs grew savage one by one, his ears sharpened and stood erect, and his black hair turned white during the process.

Within only a few breaths, a huge upright wolf covered in white fur appeared in the attic.

The sensation of transforming into a Werewolf was exceedingly strange, and Adam found it difficult to describe in detail.

This time, however, Adam felt somewhat more restless. It was a restlessness originating from his bloodline. He figured his bloodline was nearing maturity, though he had no idea what would happen afterward.

Adam bent over to avoid striking the ceiling and making a sound. After transforming, his height had gone from one and a half meters to one point eight meters.

After listening once more, Adam silently leaped out of the attic. He jumped from the roof, concealed himself in the shadows beneath the moonlight, and swiftly headed toward his destination.

A Werewolf's transformation ability originated from the bloodline. That bloodline was not merely blood, nor was it entirely what Adam had understood as genes in his previous life. It contained something even more mysterious.

Unfortunately, Adam didn't know how to tap into the power of his bloodline. Instead, he was far more familiar with how to conceal its abnormalities.

The instant he landed, Adam's long nails sprang out, allowing him to grip the ground tightly. His robust body shifted from extreme motion to utter stillness in an instant. He hid himself in the shadows, and even his breathing seemed to stop.

Transformed Adam differed from his usual self. Though he retained a degree of rationality in his transformed state, his personality and manner of thinking changed to a certain extent.

If he had to compare it, it was like the difference between being sober and drunk.

In human form, Adam was cautious and enjoyed thinking. Whatever he did, he liked to make detailed and thorough plans. But in Werewolf form, Adam was more like a predator.

Contrary to people's fixed impression of Werewolves, Adam was cold, cunning, and decisive in his Werewolf state, possessing powerful and keen predatory instincts.

Two people carrying oil lamps passed along the nearby street, yet neither noticed Adam concealed in the shadows. With a single pounce, he could break either of their necks before they even had a chance to cast divine arts.

"Are we finally going to catch that evil thing?"

"Yeah. Hurry up. Don't let it get away."

The two wore priests' robes, so they were clearly priests of the Church. Their conversation made it easy to tell that they had found another evil creature.

Adam silently waited for them to walk away and had no further thoughts on the matter. He only hoped their next destination wouldn't be the Boku Family.

His body flashed past the street corner, and Adam was already over the courtyard wall.

The two fierce dogs in the courtyard didn't bark wildly upon seeing Adam. Instead, they wagged their tails and ran over with great affection.

This could be considered Adam's personal talent. After several scouting trips and several encounters through the courtyard wall, the dogs had become very familiar with him and were willing to be close to him.

After patting their heads and making the two dogs go back and lie down, Adam silently climbed up the wall covered in ivy. His sharp claws embedded firmly in the wall, and with the ivy there, he didn't have to worry too much about leaving traces that people would notice.

From the second-floor window, Adam observed the situation inside. His nose twitched twice as he picked up different scents.

In his Werewolf state, Adam's sense of smell became sharper. Though he didn't usually enjoy using this ability, the environments in most places in this world were simply too unpleasant. Some especially excessive places could even be called Poison Fog Districts.

"They haven't put out the lights yet?" Seeing the brightly lit interior, he observed further. He had no intention of contacting the baron today.

After arriving here, he simply crouched quietly by the window, smelling the various scents while listening in silence.

Information was extremely important. The clues reflected in minute details could allow him to take greater initiative in later contact.

After three in the morning, once he had confirmed that everyone in the manor was asleep, Adam silently entered the house. He left only after making a round through it, then took another route back near the Boku Family home.

Only after confirming there was nothing unusual around him did he return through the skylight. He could vaguely hear some commotion in the distance, but it had nothing to do with him.

After getting up in the morning, Adam went to the well for some water, intending to clean himself. His overly sensitive sense of smell had made him somewhat of a clean freak.

As he carried the bucket past a street corner, he saw that the platform there had already been piled high with firewood. It seemed that person hadn't managed to escape last night. Later on, perhaps they could hold a bonfire party.