Advancing to "Werewolf"

Raphael paused when he heard Susie's voice in the carriage. "Miss Sharron?"

"Yes," Susie said. "Miss Audrey said that once you killed Bevin, I could share more information with you."

She paused before continuing, "Miss Sharron might sound unfamiliar, but you should know Maric, whom you just mentioned, right?"

Raphael blinked, then took a cigarette from his metal cigarette case before realization dawned. "The Temperance Faction!"

Susie said, "That's right. This time, Miss Audrey's friend has brought in people from the Temperance Faction to help. Miss Sharron and Maric will both take part in the operation.

"According to Audrey's friend, with Miss Sharron involved, everything is certain to be resolved smoothly."

Raphael nodded, guessing that Miss Sharron was probably a Sequence 5.

After chatting a little more, Susie said goodbye and left.

Alone in the carriage, Raphael smoked as he considered the operation.

There were risks, but they were acceptable.

Especially after witnessing Miss Susie's abilities, Raphael felt a little more confident about the coming battle.

With that in mind, Raphael decided to advance to "Werewolf" that very night.

The coming battle would involve at least Sequence 6 powers. After advancing to Sequence 7, he would at least be able to protect himself.

Since he had already obtained the "Werewolf" characteristic, Raphael planned to hide to one side and watch the battle as soon as the Temperance Faction made its move.

Raphael finished his cigarette and patted the gun in his hands. He could prepare a few extra magazines. A burst from a submachine gun could have some effect even against a Sequence 6 "Zombie," at least holding the opponent back for a moment.

With thoughts churning in his head, Raphael returned to the Mafia's headquarters, changed out of his bloodstained clothes, and immediately burned them. Only then did he leave under his subordinates' gazes and return home.

His home was not far from the Mafia's headquarters. It was a fairly clean apartment with a bedroom, a living room, and a private bathroom.

Raphael tossed his coat onto the sofa and poured a glass of wine. "Congratulations on obtaining the 'Werewolf' characteristic. Cheers."

Then he smiled and said in a different tone, "Cheers, my friend!"

Raphael drained the wine in one gulp and sat on the sofa for a while, alternating between smiles and a blank expression.

Ever since becoming a "Lunatic," he had found that he actually enjoyed this feeling of madness. He also felt that, even after advancing, he could use this slightly deranged state to conceal his true thoughts and intentions.

Only after another glass of wine did he rise, open the wardrobe, and pull out the drawer inside.

It held the supplementary ingredients for the "Werewolf" Potion. As it happened, he had obtained the "Werewolf" Potion formula from Bevin, as a reward for expanding the Mafia's influence.

Raphael had never expected to obtain the "Werewolf" Beyonder characteristic from Bevin as well.

Supplementary ingredients at the Sequence 7 level were relatively easy to acquire. Three could be bought cheaply at an herbal shop, while Raphael had purchased the remaining one for sixty pounds at a Beyonder gathering.

After steadying himself, Raphael carefully weighed the supplementary ingredients and added them to a beaker. Then he took out the deep black characteristic, which had several spikes.

The spikes were soft rather than sharp, but the characteristic as a whole gave off a somewhat dangerous feeling.

Finally, Raphael dropped the characteristic into the beaker. The supplementary ingredients immediately began to churn, soon forming a mass of thick brown liquid.

He held up the beaker and frowned. "Why are all the Potions of this Pathway so disgusting? They're like the vile concoctions those old women in the East Borough cook."

Many elderly people in the East Borough ate whatever they could scavenge here or steal there, throwing it all together into a pot to boil.

Raphael had seen it a few times, and the sight had left a deep impression.

Holding his breath, Raphael tipped his head back and drank every drop of the Potion.

Clang!

The beaker fell to the floor and shattered. A vicious curse seemed to ring in Raphael's ears. He clutched his head, his face contorted in pain, as his eyes instantly turned brown, with a small, round black spot in the center of each!

They were a wolf's eyes!

Then Raphael felt his mouth lengthen as fangs sprouted one after another.

A layer of short gray fur grew all over his body as he grew taller, and his nails rapidly lengthened.

Within seconds, Raphael had transformed completely into a werewolf.

His eyes were now filled with madness and bloodlust. Beastly growls rumbled from his mouth, and he had lost all reason.

Raphael struggled against the beast's vicious, murderous urges that had surfaced in his mind. Because he had thoroughly digested his previous Potion, his reason soon gained the upper hand.

After more than half a minute of fierce struggle, Raphael regained his senses, panting. He saw that the sofa and coffee table before him were badly damaged, while deep claw marks covered the walls.

Clearly, the living room furniture had suffered while he was out of his mind.

Fortunately, Raphael had recovered his reason quickly enough that he had not burst through the door and been seen by anyone.

The neighbors all knew that the Mafia boss lived here. Even if they heard sounds of fighting, none would dare come out to ask about it.

Taking a deep breath, Raphael closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, they had returned to those of an ordinary human.

Next, Raphael's face gradually returned to normal, followed by his body, and the short gray fur vanished.

Within a few breaths, only Raphael remained, standing stark naked in the living room.

He smiled. "I'll have to wear looser clothes."

Otherwise, he would end up bare-assed after every transformation.

Raphael was just about to fetch a dressing gown from the wardrobe when a voice suddenly spoke in his mind. "Very good. You've advanced to Sequence 7 so quickly."

The voice came from the White Jade Bead, whose image now appeared of its own accord in Raphael's mind.

Raphael was not surprised. During his previous advancements, he had been able to converse briefly with the Jade Pearl.

Raphael grinned. "What surprise can you bring me with this advancement?"

"Sequence 7 marks a qualitative change, so naturally, the help I can offer is different from before," the Jade Pearl said. "From now on, you won't need to worry about Potion formulas for your advancements."

Raphael froze for a moment, then smiled. "Now that's a fucking surprise. Do you have the Potion formulas for the entire Pathway?"