Published at 2nd of January 2026 7:34 am

Chapter 1665: The Second Duel

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The result of the fight made it look as though Kai had won with ease, but the truth of the matter was far different. From the outside, it seemed like Steeler had barely put up a fight, yet Kai himself knew that if even a single moment had gone wrong, the outcome could have been completely different.

Being restricted by the system meant that Kai couldn’t rely on overwhelming strength or raw power. Every movement he made had to be precise, deliberate, and calculated. There was no room for reckless attacks or wasted energy. The fight only appeared easy because of a few very specific advantages he had going into it.

The first was simple familiarity.

Kai had trained alongside Steeler before. He had watched him spar countless times, observed his habits, and learned how he fought when he thought no one was paying attention. Steeler relied heavily on speed and direct charges, trusting that his explosive movements would overwhelm his opponent before they could react. Against most Werewolves, that tactic worked. Against someone seeing it for the first time, it was terrifying.

But Kai had already seen it all.

Those fast charges, dangerous as they were, had patterns. The angle of Steeler’s shoulders, the way his knees bent before launching forward, the slight pause before each burst of speed. If Kai had faced him without that knowledge, he knew there was a real chance he would have been hit, maybe even taken out early.

The second reason the fight had gone his way was technique.

Rather than matching strength against strength, Kai had relied on control. He hadn’t tried to overpower Steeler. Instead, he had used leverage, positioning, and timing. The chokehold he applied wasn’t flashy or brutal, but it was effective. It didn’t matter how strong Steeler was if oxygen couldn’t reach his brain.

Technique over power.

As Steeler lay unconscious on the ground, the reactions from both packs were immediate and intense.

Jack’s pack stared in disbelief.

They had sparred with Kai before. Many of them had beaten him in training matches, and more than a few had dismissed him as someone competent but unremarkable. Seeing Steeler, a Werewolf most of them struggled against, lose like this shattered that image completely.

On Steve’s side, cheers erupted.

Kai stepped back, breathing steadily, refusing to let the tension show on his face. Inside, however, his thoughts were racing.

‘It’s still hard to say,’ he admitted to himself. ‘If I fought head-on... if I relied on Qi alone... would I really be able to win?’

That question lingered.

The Werewolves in Jack’s pack had trained with Qi for far longer than any of them. They understood its flow, its limits, and how to reinforce their bodies instinctively. Kai’s control was refined, but experience mattered. A direct clash of power might not end the same way.

Now it was time for the next fight.

Kai stepped back toward Steve’s side, and without hesitation, all eyes turned to Gary.

Gary stood there silently, his expression unreadable.

Unlike Kai, Gary hadn’t been studying the others during training. He hadn’t memorized attack patterns or habits. He fought more on instinct, on feeling, and on raw emotion. That made him dangerous, but it also made this situation complicated.

‘If I want to win this fight,’ Gary thought, ‘then I can’t rely on brute force.’

He could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on him. Every instinct screamed at him to fight seriously, to win decisively, but another part of him hesitated.

‘Should I even win?’

That question haunted him as he stepped forward.

If all three of them won their matches, Steve’s pack would technically be victorious. But would that truly end the conflict? Or would it only deepen the resentment between the two packs? Especially considering that the winners would be those who had once stood beside Jack.

Gary didn’t want bloodshed. He didn’t want to humiliate Jack’s pack or ignite something even worse.

As he moved forward, a hand suddenly grabbed his arm.

Steve leaned in close, his voice low enough that only Gary could hear.

“I think it might be best for you to lose this one.”

Gary’s eyes widened slightly.

Lose?

He didn’t mind throwing a fight if it meant preventing something worse, but Steve’s words raised more questions than answers. Why would losing help? If the duel was meant to prevent war, wouldn’t winning decisively be the better option?

Before Gary could ask, Steve released him and stepped back.

The signal had already been given.

Across from Gary, his opponent stepped forward.

Claw.

The moment Claw transformed, Gary felt the difference. His build was larger, stockier, and far more imposing than Steeler’s. Thick muscle mass stretched beneath fur-covered skin, and his fingers elongated, nails sharpening into curved weapons that glinted faintly in the light.

This wasn’t a speed-based fighter.

This was raw power.

‘Protector... Vanguard... something like that,’ Gary thought. ‘Definitely built to break through defenses.’

Gary hadn’t brought a weapon with him. He had assumed the duel would be fought barehanded, a matter of honor between Werewolves. Against Claw’s reach and claws, that decision immediately felt questionable.

The fight began without warning.

Claw surged forward, his arm swinging wide with brutal force. The reach alone was enough to put Gary on the defensive. He raised his arm just in time, blocking the strike and preventing Claw’s claws from reaching his face.

But it was a mistake.

The moment Gary focused on the first arm, Claw’s other hand shot forward. His elongated nails pierced straight into Gary’s stomach, tearing through flesh. Pain exploded through his body as blood soaked into Claw’s claws.

Gary staggered back, teeth clenched.

“So you’re the traitor,” Claw growled. “You know what I hate more than anything?”

Gary didn’t answer.

“Those who betray us.”

Claw stepped forward again, eyes burning with fury.

“I’m going to make sure you die in this fight.”

The pain throbbed through Gary’s core, but he forced himself to remain standing. He could feel eyes on him from both packs, the tension thick enough to suffocate.

‘If I don’t fight seriously,’ Gary thought, ‘this could turn ugly fast.’

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