Published at 13th of May 2026 6:10 am

Chapter 1840: Still Growing

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It was a surreal experience for Gary to receive the system messages in this state. Usually, he was fully conscious, eyes wide and heart pounding as the translucent screens flickered into existence before him. Now, he was viewing them in a vast, silent void of his own mind. He could hear the echo of his own thoughts, yet he was grounded by the realization that his physical body was currently a dead weight on the outside, unresponsive and drained.

'The system… what a strange, fickle thing,' Gary mused, his internal voice sounding small in the darkness. 'I honestly thought you had given up on me. I thought my body had reached its absolute maximum potential, its cap. But after going through that hell with Unzoku, I guess I deserve something for surviving. I just hope this isn't the part where the system finally tells me that the cost was too high and I'm actually dead.'

Despite his exhaustion, a flicker of anticipation stirred within him. He wondered what the rewards could possibly be. Since he hadn't actually consumed Unzoku's body, a gruesome act that usually triggered the most significant jumps in power, a raw increase in physical stats seemed unlikely. The system had become more of a chronicler lately, an observer that delivered messages rather than a direct source of growth.

The first screens finally flickered into his mental view, and the words they carried made his spirit soar.

[Reward: You are no longer affected by the Werewolf Curse]

[All Werewolves in existence will no longer turn on the night of the Full Moon]

[The Vow is no longer in place]

Reading the text felt like a physical weight being lifted off Gary's chest. Ever since his journey to the past, he had understood the dark, tethered connection they all shared with Unzoku. To see that the curse was broken and the involuntary transformations were over was a relief beyond words. But it also raised a chilling question: Did this mean Unzoku was truly, irrevocably dead? It was hard to believe, especially after the strange, red-misted disappearance he had witnessed in those final moments.

The next screen, however, gave him pause.

[The Pack Rules will no longer apply]

'Wait a second… this isn't a reward,' Gary thought, his brow furrowing in the dark. 'Isn't this more of a consequence? With Unzoku gone, the mystical hierarchy is shattered. While I don't have to worry about my friends losing their minds on the full moon anymore, now I have to be incredibly careful of everyone's individual actions. There's no longer a supernatural system keeping them in check.'

The trade-off seemed worth it, though. As long as every member of the pack understood the gravity of being a werewolf in a world where Altereds were fading and the secret, ancient society of Vampires remained a constant threat, they could survive. They would have to learn to live with their humanity again.

The system wasn't finished yet.

[The power of the Dragon within you has been ignited, and a higher rate of synchronization has occurred]

[You have gained one more use of the special form]

[2/5 Dragon Ash Lycan Forms available]

'Oh, another use…' Gary noted. 'It's good to have a backup in case something crawls out of the shadows. With Unzoku out of the picture, I was hoping the fighting was over, but if he or whatever took him ever comes back, I'm glad I still have this trump card.'

[You have combated with a large amount of Celestial Energy]

[Resistance to Celestial Energy has increased]

[You are growing]

'I am growing? What does that even mean?' Gary wondered. 'I know I'm getting older, but the system made it very clear that I had capped out in almost every category. I suppose if I had eaten someone like Unzoku, something major might have happened. Man, listen to me… look at how easily I'm talking about eating people now. Although, if anyone deserved to be consumed by his own creation, it was him.'

He pondered the word "growing" as his consciousness began to drift toward the light. Could he actually surpass his current peak? Growing into what? He felt a deep, soul-shaking tiredness, a sense that the system was subtly hinting that his journey was far from over.

The thoughts began to linger and fade as Gary felt his eyelids finally fluttering open. The mental screens dissolved into a blur of light, replaced by the sight of a clean, white ceiling above him. He slowly turned his head to the side, taking in a large floor-to-ceiling window. The sun was out, bathing the room in warmth, and in the distance, he could see the familiar green canopy of the forest.

"Wait… am I in the Howlers' Manor? Am I back in Slough?" Gary croaked, his voice sounding like sandpaper.

At the sound of his voice, he felt a sudden movement near his arm. He turned his head further and saw a head of grey hair lifting up from the side of the bed.

"Gary… Gary, you're finally awake!"

"Xin…" Gary whispered, a small smile touching his lips. "How long have you been sitting there? And just so you know, you have a bit of drool on your chin."

Gary reached out with a shaky hand to wipe it away, but Xin quickly swatted his hand away, her face flushing.

"Ahh, don't do that!" she complained, though her eyes were shining with relief.

"It's not a problem," Gary teased weakly. "It's not like we haven't shared saliva before."

"You are such a weirdo sometimes, you know that?" Xin said, her blush deepening into a bright red. "But I'm just… I'm so glad you're finally awake."

They shared a quiet, meaningful smile. Gary tried to shift his weight but realized his body was nowhere near fully recovered. He could feel the dull ache in his muscles, and he noticed an IV drip taped to the back of his hand, snaking up to a bag of clear fluid.

"How long have I been out?" Gary asked.

"About a week," Xin answered softly. "Your body was in total shock. It needed a massive amount of nutrients to repair the damage, which is why we had to keep you on the drip."

"An entire week!" Gary sat up slightly, a spike of panic hitting his chest. "Is everything okay? Is Unzoku gone? What happened to the others? Are the Howlers safe?"

"Everything has been fine, Gary," Xin said, reaching out to steady him. "No one has attacked, the Howlers are safe, and there haven't been any issues regarding Unzoku."

Gary let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief. He let his head sink back into the pillow, but then he replayed Xin's words.

"Wait, you said there were no issues with Unzoku. Does that mean there are issues somewhere else?"

Xin bit her lip, her expression turning hesitant. "Well… it's just that Blackjack is here. He's been waiting for you downstairs for two days."

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