Chapter 35: Chapter 35: The Name Sealed by Magic
Inside the secret chamber, Wolf One, now in its feral form, altered its combat strategy. It no longer engaged the Blind Nun head-on but began circling her instead.
But this wasn't mere circling.
In the confined space of the chamber, Wolf One leapt with uncanny agility, moving along walls and even the ceiling, its massive frame causing minor quakes with every impact.
The Blind Nun struggled to keep up. Each leap from Wolf One brought an opportunity to strike, and it found openings with relentless precision.
Judging from Wolf One's performance, Su Nan concluded that a super werewolf could go toe-to-toe with a Storm Knight—and possibly emerge victorious.
The AI chimed in: "Energy Shell reverse engineering progress: 89%. Please continue testing the environment and this energy being."
Su Nan complied, alternating between the werewolf's beastly and humanoid forms, using the Blind Nun as a test subject.
"Energy Shell reverse engineering progress: 98%. Critical phase underway—do not terminate the subject yet."
Su Nan restrained Wolf One's instinct to deal a killing blow.
The Blind Nun, meanwhile, began to understand that Su Nan's objective wasn't simply to kill her or banish her back to her world.
But this realization only fueled her rage and confusion.
Why hadn't he destroyed the body she possessed? Without it, she could only remain as a weakened spirit and would be unable to invade Su Nan's territory further.
Her fury grew. She had descended to the human world to feast on blood and exert her dominion. Yet here she was, a pawn in Su Nan's experiments, unable to grasp her current weakness.
"Human, how dare you!" the Blind Nun snarled, frustrated by the frailty of the human vessel she inhabited. Maintaining even her current stats, which rivaled those of a seasoned Storm Knight Squire, was a significant feat given the host's limits.
What truly puzzled her, however, was Su Nan's source of power.
The ancient werewolves should have been extinct for centuries, eradicated from this world along with the sorcerers who created them. Even if some remnant of their species remained, none should have been capable of producing a creature as powerful as the beast before her.
The werewolf's claws, harder than steel, tore through her protective shell and injected her host's body with venom, a toxin so potent that even her energy shell struggled to neutralize it.
And the sorcerer controlling the beast clearly had a purpose.
Why was he prolonging this fight instead of eliminating her?
Desperate to escape, the Blind Nun turned and bolted for the chamber's exit, aiming to flee deeper into Su Nan's lands.
But Su Nan wasn't about to let her go.
Wolf One slammed her back into the chamber with a single swipe, its claws raking across her energy shield.
"Who are you, really?" she hissed, recovering from the blow. "This land's magical lineage was severed long ago. The scraps of knowledge remaining shouldn't have produced power like yours. Are you not of this world?"
She paused, then narrowed her eyeless gaze. "Ah, of course. You're not from this land. You've deceived me."
"But it won't matter. You have no idea what kind of world you're meddling with, nor the beings that dwell within it."
Initially, Su Nan had no interest in conversing with her. But the mention of worlds and entities piqued his curiosity.
"Then tell me," Su Nan said, his tone calm. "What world are you from?"
He knew from his studies and encounters that there were countless energy worlds, each with unique properties. The aggressive nature of this particular world intrigued him.
The Blind Nun floated into the air, her host's feet dangling lifelessly. "I am a servant of the King Without Eyes. I am—"
And then she stopped.
In his castle tower, Su Nan, who had been listening through his link with Wolf One, raised an eyebrow.
The Blind Nun had realized something.
The name of her world was sealed by a powerful force, likely the work of ancient sorcerers or the church. Anyone who learned the name would be exposed to its corruptive energies, inevitably descending into madness and servitude to her world.
Even their names carried energy. To know them was to absorb their essence.
She had intended to exploit this fact against Su Nan. But the seal prevented her from uttering it.
Before she could ponder further, Wolf One's claw plunged into her chest, shattering her host's heart.
The Blind Nun's eyeless face contorted in shock.
Su Nan had suddenly ended the fight.
"Energy Shell analysis complete," the AI reported. "You may now terminate the subject."
Through Wolf One, Su Nan delivered his parting words.
"Remember this: My permission is required before you touch any of my subjects. The lands of the Peter Barony will never welcome you or your kind."
The Blind Nun screamed in fury as her host's body collapsed. Her true form, a twisted, spectral being cloaked in shadow, emerged, reaching desperately toward Wolf One.
But chains of burning light erupted from the ground, binding her.
The laws of the material plane rejected her presence.
As the chains pulled her back into the energy world, an unexpected phenomenon occurred.
The souls of most cultists who had been sacrificed were expelled from the mirrors, floating freely within the chamber.
It was as if the failed summoning ritual demanded balance. The energy world reclaimed the Blind Nun, but the cultists' souls were returned to the material world.
Su Nan observed through Wolf One.
"Interesting," he murmured.
He commanded the AI to record every detail. These cultists' souls, now separated from their bodies, might serve as valuable research material.
As for the Blind Nun's threats of vengeance, Su Nan dismissed them with a smirk. If she returned, she would only provide him with more opportunities for study.
Surveying the chamber, Su Nan prepared to personally collect the freed souls and continue his experiments.
Through Wolf One, he issued his final command: "Stand by."
The first field test of the super werewolf had been a resounding success. With the data collected from the encounter, Su Nan kne
w he was one step closer to unraveling the secrets of energy worlds—and claiming their power for himself.