Chapter 12: The Surprise.

Layla watched as the man with a sinister smile approached her step by step. All the wolf fur on her body stood on end, alert.

This was a strong opponent.

Not as capable as Bridget, but compared to most of the werewolves in this tribe, his abilities were significantly superior.

Why did this man harbor hostility towards her?

That was a question Layla desperately wanted to ask.

Considering abilities or power, no one would bother to pick a fight with an animal that couldn't fight back.

Why then, from one person to another, did everyone want to kill her? Could it be that this Northern tribe was so starved that they craved the meat of a scrawny wolf cub???

Layla truly did not understand the thinking of these Northern barbarians!

However, the man did not give Layla much time to think as he grinned and raised the hammer in his hand.

Boom!!!

Layla tensed and dodged far away, not wanting to be killed so carelessly. She used all her strength to turn and run in the opposite direction.

But a surprise found her once more. A werewolf swung a stick at her just as Layla reached the bushes. She quickly dodged to the side, causing her small body to lose balance and crash into a nearby tree.

As she struggled to stand up, she heard voices talking.

"You can't even kill a mere animal, how useless!"

The one who spoke those words was the man who had lost his knife and who had just tripped her. Now Layla could confirm that this damn man had intentionally thrown the knife towards her.

"If you're so capable, go kill it yourself! Useless yourself and you criticize others!", the werewolf holding the hammer grumbled. Clearly, being a strong warrior in the tribe and being called useless was a great insult in his glorious history.

Layla silently listened to their conversation, and while they were distracted, she quickly slipped into the nearby bushes and quietly moved away from the dangerous area.

"Damn it! Idiot! That wretched creature has escaped!!!". The man with the stick looked at the place where Layla had just been, angry that he no longer saw the little wolf.

The man holding the hammer didn't care much, he coldly said:"So what? Our only goal was to drive that wretched creature away just to annoy its owner, anyway.”

Those were the last words Layla heard.

Annoy some bastard?

The only one she had any connection with in this tribe was Bridget, the one who claimed to be her master. Could it be… this was his enemy?

What a joke!

A group of strong, healthy werewolves playing such petty tricks?

If you have a grudge against Bridget, go challenge him yourself! A group of werewolves ganging up to attack the pet of an enemy, don’t you feel ashamed???

Unconsciously, Layla had inadvertently accepted her connection with Bridget.

Of course, in such a critical moment, Layla was not yet aware of the change in her thinking. Right now, all she wanted was to quickly leave this dangerous area!

In her haste, Layla did not notice that the path she was running on was becoming increasingly gloomy, and her body was getting hotter.

That was a sign.

...

Bridget, filled with excitement, was fighting with his subordinates. Sensing something, he frowned and looked towards where his temperamental pet was. But the large trees obscured everything, making it impossible for him to see anything.

"Leader!!! Be careful!!!”

The scream of his subordinate echoed at the same time as Bridget dodged to the side.

"Argh!!!"

Bridget frowned slightly. He glanced down at the scratch on his thigh. He had been too careless.

Being distracted during battle is a warrior's greatest taboo.

Fortunately, it was only a minor wound. Bridget's face became serious, the fleeting worry instantly disappearing. He needed to focus on dealing with the monster because... behind him were many of his subordinates. If his mistake resulted in a loss to his group, his fault would not be small!

...

Layla opened her eyes.

She found herself leaning against a tree trunk.

The memory of fleeing flashed through her mind once more. It turned out that as she ran deeper into the forest, she noticed something unusual.

It was too quiet around.

The vegetation carried a gloomy aura.

All the leaves and flowers were uniformly black.

She had heard about it.

The Dark Forest.

The burial ground of werewolves. A den for the fiercest monsters... That's what was recorded about this forest.

She knew she didn't have the ability to explore this place, so the thought of retreating was the first thing that came to mind when she realized where she was. But as Layla wanted to leave, a dizzy spell hit her.

Only then did she notice something abnormal about her body.

Her entire body was burning hot, her heart beating wildly as if about to burst. Her nails, where her tongue was cut, the spot where her tail was chopped were all in extreme pain.

When Layla was on the verge of losing consciousness and slipping into a coma, she thought:

Maybe this is the end.

The image of the man with golden eyes, silver hair, his smirk and his nonchalant demeanor was the last thing she thought of.

Then she plunged into a deep darkness.

She thought she had been taken by the Grim Reaper.

Surprisingly, she woke up alive. Layla sighed in silent relief. Suddenly, she looked at the hand holding her face.

It was a human hand.

Five slender, fair fingers.

Her nails were beautifully manicured, clearly visible before Layla’s eyes.

Her claws had regenerated!

Layla stood up straight, her feet pressing against the ground and her perspective shifting made her realize…

She had recovered, she had transformed back!

She quickly ran to a small pond nearby. Flickering sunlight filtered through the gaps in the dark canopy, reflecting on the water's surface. Her beautiful reflection was clear in her eyes.

A young woman with long black hair flowing down her pale shoulders. Her deep blue eyes, as clear as the sky, hid a familiar sharpness. Her lush red lips seemed to whisper a seductive invitation.

This was her, Layla of the West.

But she was even more beautiful now than when she was in the West. Could it be because Bridget had taken good care of her? She wouldn’t admit that, no way!!!

She didn't know why she had recovered so quickly. But it meant… the time to return to her tribe for revenge was getting shorter. Her beautiful blue eyes narrowed, a dangerous and wrathful look clearly visible in the reflection.

She had always been afraid to think about revenge. Because she knew, if her body hadn't recovered, going back would mean becoming food for those traitors.

She needed to recover. Not only that, she had to become much stronger than before. Because… her enemies were not just one, but potentially the entire Western tribe, if they strictly followed Leon's orders.

Layla struggled to restrain her ecstatic joy. She needed to be absolutely calm, because this time, if she got injured, she might not be lucky enough to survive again!

She stood up, closed her eyes, and inhaled the fragrance of the dense forest, wanting to enjoy this moment of relaxation a bit longer… before she started her battle.

As her sky-blue eyes opened…

A man appeared in her sight!

Layla: !!!

How on earth was the man who claimed to be her master here???