Published at 27th of December 2025 7:33 am

Chapter 1655: The Respected Man (Part 2)

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Those from Steve’s camp were a mixed group , a blend of Werewolves shaped by different paths and different kinds of hardship. Some had been with Steve from the very beginning, from the early days when he was still running rescue missions and pulling people out of the hands of bandits, slavers, corrupted knights, and worse. Others had joined later, saved after years of suffering, finally freed and given a home where they could breathe without fear.

And then there were those like the four men standing in front of Jack now , younger recruits who had joined Steve after everything had already been built. They had never seen the earliest days of struggle or witnessed the bond between Steve, Jack, and their packs in the past. They had never met Jack himself.

But the moment they faced him , the towering wall of muscle, the worn but unbroken posture, the overwhelming pressure that radiated from him , they knew exactly who he was.

Every Werewolf did.

The story of the Hero of Bronzeland had spread to every corner of the kingdom. And despite the separation between the packs, despite the different ideologies and loyalties, there was one thing not even time could erase:

Respect.

Even if they could never walk under his leadership, Jack’s strength and history were undeniable. He was someone young Werewolves whispered about with admiration and awe.

And now... that living legend was glaring at them with an expression that could crush mountains.

His voice when he spoke had been amplified with Qi, deep and commanding, powerful enough that the forest itself responded. Birds burst from the trees, fleeing from the shockwave. Leaves rattled. Animals scattered.

Even Steve, back at his camp, jerked his head up the moment the sound rolled over the mountains.

“Something’s going on...” Steve muttered, already pushing to his feet. “I hope it’s not something serious.”

But he knew better than to assume that.

Meanwhile, on the forest floor, the four Werewolves who had been chasing Lilly felt their courage disappear entirely. They had outnumbered their opponents before, and yet they still stood no chance against Lupus’s strength. But now?

Facing Jack?

They wouldn’t dare move a muscle.

Jack’s eyes burned with a rare, frightening fury as he stepped forward.

“I heard what you said from afar,” Jack growled. “You tried to attack my family?”

His presence alone made their throats tighten. Words, excuses , anything , should have come out, but their mouths refused to work. Their bodies stiffened. Their instincts screamed that one wrong sentence could result in their deaths.

Lilly saw it. She saw the tension in Jack’s jaw, the coiled anger in his posture, and even more than that... she saw how quickly this situation could spiral.

“Jack,” Lilly said softly, tugging on his arm. “It was just a misunderstanding.”

He turned to her. She looked pale, shaken, with marks around her wrists and forearms showing exactly how she had been forced down and restrained earlier.

“Please... let’s just go home.”

Jack stared at the four Werewolves a long moment , long enough that the air itself felt as though it might snap. He recognized the scent of their pack. He knew they belonged to Steve. And part of him wanted to question them, demand answers, punish them for daring to lay a hand on her.

But then he looked at Lilly again , at her fear, her exhaustion, the silent plea in her eyes.

He exhaled sharply through his nose.

Without a word, Jack scooped Lilly into his arms. His protective instincts surged. She tucked her head against him, clinging to his shirt like an anchor.

Then, he turned to Lupus.

“Young one,” Jack said, “let’s head back.”

“Young one...?” Lupus blinked. He had been called many things before , cocky, reckless, loud, annoying , but never young one. Then again, compared to Jack’s age, experience, and sheer presence... it made sense.

Jack leapt away into the darkness without hesitation, Lupus close behind. The three vanished into the forest, leaving the four Werewolves standing motionless.

For several seconds the group remained silent.

Then one of them finally bent down and reached toward the body.

“Come on,” he murmured. “Let’s bring our brother back to camp.”

They lifted the lifeless figure with solemn care, and as they turned, they were startled to see Steve standing there , already waiting, two older members of his pack behind him.

“Steve, you’re here...” one of the younger Werewolves stammered.

“What happened?” Steve asked, voice low.

“We’re not completely sure,” the Werewolf explained anxiously. “When we came to investigate, we found his body like this... cut up. And there was a woman standing over him.”

He swallowed.

“She smelled just like the others , like the creatures that keep attacking us. And she had red eyes. We tried to chase her down to get answers, but then Lupus , our Lupus , jumped in and started protecting her. Then the others arrived, and we thought we could still bring her in, but then Jack showed up.”

The moment Steve heard the voice earlier, he had already guessed who was involved.

“Jack was protecting the woman,” the Werewolf continued. “He took her and Lupus and left. We... we don’t understand what’s going on. Steve... do you think Jack’s pack is behind this? Are they sending those monsters at us? Trying to start a war?”

Steve didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he bent down, lifting the dead body of his pack member over his shoulder. Blood soaked into his clothes, but he didn’t flinch. He didn’t care about being dirty. That would wash away.

But the consequences of this moment would not.

“No,” Steve finally said, voice steady. “I don’t believe Jack’s pack is doing this.”

He closed his eyes briefly.

“But I do believe someone is meddling in all of this. Someone trying to force our packs to fight.”

The forest felt colder.

“The problem,” Steve continued, “is that it might already be too late to reason with the other side. We should prepare for the worst.”

The Werewolves exchanged uneasy glances.

Meanwhile...

As Lupus traveled back with Jack and Lilly, he couldn’t ignore the quiet, intrusive voice poking at the back of his mind. A voice that sounded dangerously similar to Kai’s smug tone.

‘What I did... did it change something in the past? If I hadn’t stepped in, would Lilly have been killed? Did I mess up the flow of everything? I’m worried I might have fucked up somewhere.’

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