My attributes are increasing infinitely Chapter 466: Vampire vs Werewolf

Ethan and James proceeded towards the city's central area. The mayor's home was situated in the main district, a location James had gone to on numerous occasions in the past, but never carrying such a foreboding intention.

While they advanced, Ethan's sharpened senses picked up on something that caused him to hesitate inwardly. A subtle odor wafted in the breeze, weak yet impossible to ignore. It was an aroma he knew from the alternate realm he'd explored, belonging to a species that suddenly seemed highly pertinent to their ongoing probe.

Werewolf, the term echoed distinctly in his thoughts.

"Paranormal beings are indeed residing here. That suggests other species could have settled in this realm too." Ethan pondered silently.

He shot a quick look at James, yet his partner kept moving ahead without any sign of noticing, totally ignorant to what Ethan's advanced detection had uncovered.

Ethan's mind and internal systems operated at a superior level compared to anyone else here, which is why he could detect the fragrance from afar while James stayed clueless.

"Could the mayor be responsible for the killings?" Ethan inquired, shattering the quiet that had grown between them.

James pondered the query thoughtfully. "It's possible, but maybe he employed some savage beasts to perform the assaults, right?"

Ethan smirked faintly. "Imagine if he were a beast in his own right?"

James stopped abruptly, his footwear grinding on the cobblestone path. That abrupt halt revealed just how profoundly Ethan's statement had struck him.

"What exactly are you implying?" James spun around to look at him, his face changing from interest to worry.

Ethan kept strolling forward at a leisurely speed. "What if additional intelligent species dwell on this world with humanity? Ones capable of altering their forms to mix among us unnoticed."

James matched his stride once more, but his steps now carried reluctance. "Do you really think so? My family's records hold ideas about such matters, but they've stayed as mere ideas. Never has solid proof emerged to back them up."

"Maybe we'll uncover that proof when we reach the mayor," Ethan responded. "How intriguing would that be?"

They had scarcely traversed another street when Ethan spotted a cluster of individuals dashing by, all heading the same way with clear intent. His heightened awareness instantly recognized them as a group of werewolves rushing off with pressing resolve.

"Let's trail them," Ethan suggested, swiftly adjusting direction to pursue the crowd.

James trailed along without hesitation, though his gaze flickered repeatedly towards the hurrying forms. "Who might those folks be? What's prompting their rush?"

"You'll discover it shortly," Ethan answered softly. "Simply stay silent and watch."

As they chased the pack along the twisting roads, the werewolves conversed quietly, their voices reaching Ethan's keen hearing.

"Why is a vampire lord showing up to see our chief at this moment?" one inquired, his tone filled with real bewilderment.

Another replied with matching doubt. "I haven't a clue. But this is apparently that lord's domain, and our chief has stirred up trouble over the last year. Could that explain the arrival? After all, humans act as the blood supply for vampires."

Ethan grinned inwardly. This truly mirrored the timeless rivalry between vampires and werewolves, a tension he'd seen in the realms he'd traversed. They were perpetual foes, vying for land and supplies with humans trapped between them. In this specific realm, though, humanity had advanced to a point where both hidden races had to lurk in secrecy.

Before long, they reached a grand estate that loomed over the nearby terrain. The structure lay entirely shrouded in shadow, without a hint of illumination from its numerous panes. No sentries guarded the entrance, no staff bustled in the yard. The whole property exuded a chilling void.

"The mayor sure excels at fostering an enigmatic vibe," James murmured. "Now I'm even more eager to uncover his secrets. Let's enter and reveal them."

Ethan laid a cautionary hand on his shoulder. "Hold on. We'll get spotted right away if we go straight in. Better to hunt for a rear door."

They had only started moving around to the back when an entity dropped from above. The new moon offered zero glow, blanketing the sky in total obscurity, but Ethan's sight cut through the gloom without effort. A figure resembling a human, with enormous bat wings tucked to its sides, touched down noiselessly on the roof.

James noticed the motion too, albeit as a dim outline against the stars. "Ethan, did you catch that? Was that a winged person? Is this some unfamiliar invention?"

"We're heading in," Ethan stated firmly.

He deployed his mental field, allowing it to sweep across the estate like a hidden surge. His awareness brushed against thirteen werewolves dispersed inside the structure and a single vampire positioned in what seemed the primary chamber. The vampire boasted about seven tons of bodily power, notable against a ninth-level force expert who could handle five tons, yet negligible beside Ethan's vast prowess.

Through a gentle push of intent, Ethan knocked out everyone except the vampire and the werewolf head.

"James, stay put here," Ethan directed. "If something nears, strike without restraint. Don't pull punches."

Before James could reply, Ethan vanished into the darkness encircling the estate.

---

Within the central chamber, candlelight wavered in the gloom, their glows projecting shifting silhouettes on the surfaces. Two figures faced off, their stances stiff with strain.

The striking male with blood-red eyes initiated the exchange, his tone laced with the icy command of someone used to total submission. "I allowed you one year in this city. That time is over. Depart at once."

The mayor, a stout figure with shrewd gaze, showed no sign of backing down from the order. "This area matters to me too. Martial experts have overrun my original homeland. Why not let me remain? I'll guarantee your followers stay protected from the werewolf groups prowling these paths."

A fierce aura burst from the vampire's form, a blast that bent the candle fires and made them flare chaotically. "Are you daring to warn a vampire lord?" he queried evenly.

The werewolf opposite him plainly couldn't rival that might, but he held steady. "I meant no warning. I only point out there's no strong cause to drive me away. I'll limit my hunts, confining them to acceptable levels."

"Our talk is finished." The vampire stood up, his wings spreading out behind. "This domain is mine. I tolerated your presence this long solely because you helped secure that object. But the deal is done, and so is your stay."

The mayor's stare sharpened, shedding all false politeness. "You've given me no choice."

From his coat, he drew a syringe brimming with inky fluid and jabbed it into his skin before the vampire could move.

The vampire detected the peril instantly, leaping to his full stature as his fangs grew and his face morphed into a fiercer aspect.

Yet the mayor was already shifting. His frame swelled, skeleton snapping and reshaping, sinews swelling under taut hide. In mere moments, a ten-foot werewolf towered in the mayor's former spot, its coat a deep black rather than the usual silver.

"Alpha blood injection?" The vampire's complexion drained, true dread flashing in his scarlet gaze.

The werewolf gave no answer. Its thoughts had plunged into wild mania, logic overwhelmed by wrath and might. A thunderous bellow burst from its maw as it hurled itself towards the vampire.

Enormous paws seized the vampire's neck, hoisting him off the floor with ease. The vampire fought back, raking at the vise-like hold, but the werewolf's force had surged impossibly. As demise loomed near, the vampire initiated his change.

His form grew to equal the werewolf's ten-foot size, visage warping into a hellish horror. Bat wings unfurled broadly while teeth sharpened and talons protruded. The colossal pair collided, trading strike after ruinous strike.

Even after the vampire's shift, the werewolf kept dominating. Every hit forced the vampire retreating, every bellow shook the estate's base to its core.