Published at 28th of January 2026 6:23 am

Chapter 1700 The Sacrifice of Life Energy

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Bluebird knew he needed to act fast. Every second he spent hesitating on one section of the wall was another second where a knight elsewhere was likely being torn apart. Although there was absolutely no pleasure for him in killing the werewolves.

A life was a life, and there was simply no easy way to subdue these beasts in their current state. They were too fast, too strong, and too driven by the moon’s madness to be contained by mere ropes or words.

He was ready to head to the far side of the western walls, where the signals from the mages were most frantic, but there was still one issue that remained close to him, a responsibility he took more seriously than his own life.

“Bluebird!” Lilly called out, her voice barely rising above the clash of steel and the distant sounds of the festival. “Is there anything you want me to do? Since you brought me along to the front lines, do you want me to head back to the inner sanctum for safety, or should I stay here with the knights?”

Originally, Bluebird’s orders were to stay at the castle, and the primary reason for that was to look after Lilly. According to Jack, there was a very high probability that they would come after her if things went wrong during the full moon.

Jack trusted Bluebird more than anyone else in the kingdom with the safety of his family. However, Bluebird was a warrior at heart, and he had decided that if the situation became dire, he could not sit idly by while his men died. When he saw the magical flares signaling a breach, he felt there was no choice but to move, and that meant taking Lilly with him.

“You stay with me, and you stay close,” Bluebird answered, his eyes never leaving the shadows beyond the wall. “The safest place for you right now will be right by my side. I can protect you here better than if you're hidden in a room I can't see. You can keep up with my pace, right?”

Lilly nodded in firm agreement, her face set in a mask of determination. As soon as she gave her word, Bluebird was on the move. He sprinted across the stone walkway of the wall, his movements precise and efficient. The knights who were still standing and able to fight weren't far behind, following their leader into the next fray.

They soon reached a section where the werewolves had gathered in a frenzy. Bluebird didn't slow down. As a werewolf swung down its massive, furred claw, he moved with the grace of a seasoned duelist, blocking the strike with the flat of his blade. Using the momentum, he drove his fist into the creature's gut, following up with a brutal strike from the back of his sword’s hilt directly to the werewolf's temple. The beast hit the ground, dazed.

Without a moment’s waste, he stabbed his sword into the back of the werewolf's head, ending it instantly before pulling the blade free and pivoting toward the next attacker. To Bluebird, these werewolves were a lot easier to deal with than opponents like Unzoku, whom they had fought in the past.

But that didn't mean the werewolves were easy targets for anyone else; it was simply that Bluebird was at a level of skill where he could read their primal movements. He knew he couldn't falter for even a heartbeat, as any mistake meant risking Lilly’s life or the lives of his men.

As they continued to carve a path across the wall, Bluebird made quick work of the monsters. There were some he struggled with a bit more, those who clearly retained some of their martial instincts even in beast form, but Bluebird’s mastery of his weapon was simply on another level.

Once the immediate section of the wall was finally cleared and safe, Bluebird thought he could take a breather for a second to wipe the sweat from his brow. That was when Lilly, who was standing a few paces back, felt her nose twitch.

“That smell...” Lilly mumbled, her eyes widening as she looked up toward the architecture of the castle itself. “At the spire above! Look out!”

High above, a werewolf was clinging to one of the corner bell spires, hidden in the dark gothic carvings. It leapt down toward Bluebird’s exposed back. Because of Lilly’s warning at the exact right moment, Bluebird was able to react. He kicked off the ground, spinning mid-air, and thrusted his sword upward. The blade went straight into the open mouth of the descending werewolf.

The creature's heavy, lifeless body still crashed into Bluebird, the sheer momentum sending him thudding onto the floor with the werewolf on top of him. The knights quickly rushed to his aid, pulling the carcass off their leader. They realized immediately that it was already dead; Bluebird’s strike had been perfect.

“I’m alright, guys, don’t worry,” Bluebird said with a strained smile as he stood up and dusted off his cloak. He looked at Lilly. “Thanks to the missus' warning. I guess bringing you around is more helpful than I thought it would be.”

Although it was meant to be a compliment, and Lilly knew he was being sincere, she still felt a little sick to her stomach. The reason she had known exactly where the werewolf was hiding wasn't due to keen eyesight; it was because her own body had begun to change.

Her senses were sharpening in a way that felt wrong and unnatural. She looked toward the ground, wondering what Jack and the others were going through in the darkness below. She wished she could help them, but a part of her felt that her very existence and the curse she carried was only making things worse for him.

Deep in the underground cavern, Jack was struggling. He was struggling greatly with the mental toll of seeing his fellow allies die. He watched as they consumed each other, driven by a hunger they couldn't control.

Seeing this, Jack’s heart broke. He wanted to help no matter the cost, but his body was a hollow shell, void of all energy because of his fast. He prayed for the power to help them, and in that moment of pure desperation, his body answered. No matter how weak a person was, there was still an energy within, a hidden reserve that could be tapped into if the will was strong enough.

That energy was Qi. However, when the body is empty of food and stamina, digging deep into Qi links it to one specific source: Life Energy.

Driven by his overwhelming desire to save his pack, Jack’s mind forced his body to use this forbidden fuel. This type of Qi, which literally burned away the user’s life force to provide power, surged through him. His body began to transform instantly.

The issue was that this was a catastrophic mistake on Jack’s part. His noble will to help had supplied his body with the raw energy it needed to finish the change. The moment the transformation was complete, the surge of power broke him free from his chains.

But the Jack who stood there now wasn't the man who wanted to save his friends. His mind had been completely and utterly taken over by the bloodlust of the curse. The savior he wanted to be had been replaced by a monster.

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