The wolves fell one after another, their bodies ripped apart in minutes.
Craaaackle...
A sharp sound tore through the night. Sparks crawled across the giant wolf's body, its fur bristling as arcs of electricity danced wildly over its frame. Its eyes, glowing with lightning, locked on Aron with unbridled murder and burning hatred.
Aron stood amidst the scattered corpses of the minions, his gun still warm in his hand. He hadn't stopped firing, but his gaze never once strayed from the alpha.
Boom!
The air exploded. The wolf vanished from atop the bus with a sonic boom so loud it shook the ground. To Aron's eyes, it wasn't a wolf anymore, it was lightning itself, a streak of light tearing across the night.
The lesser wolves had already scattered, sensing the coming clash. Aron, calm as ever, had long deactivated the car weapon system. He stood alone, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Another boom split the air.
The wolf reappeared, no, slammed, just a meter in front of him. One instant it was a hundred meters away, the next it was colliding headfirst into something invisible. Its snout mashed flat against the unseen barrier, electricity sputtering across its mangled features.
thunderclap roared.
Aron had activated the dome. The translucent sphere of force snapped into existence, encasing him in its perfect curve. The alpha wolf crashed into it like a beast ramming into wall.
Aron didn't even flinch.
The moment of impact had barely passed when he let the dome vanish. His fist shot forward in the same motion, his body twisting back slightly before unleashing the blow. The wolf, still suspended mid-air from the rebound, hadn't even regained its balance.
Crack!
The punch landed square on its face. Bone breaking. Blood sprayed. Fangs flying in the air. The force of the blow launched the wolf backward, its body whistling through the air like a cannonball before smashing into the overturned bus it had leapt from.
Boom... Crash!
The bus groaned under the impact.
A line of text shimmered across Aron's vision:
[Claimable Talent Detected: Thunder Control]
The wolves that had parted to give way for their alpha froze. Whimpers escaped their throats. Then, as if struck by some invisible fear, they all turned and bolted, tails tucked. Moments ago, they had charged without care for death, but now, at the sight of their alpha beaten down in one strike, they fled as if Aron himself was the true monster.
Aron raised an eyebrow. "Huh…"
He had killed so many of them before, cutting them down by the dozens, yet none had hesitated then.
He stood there baffled, watching their shadows vanish.
Then his gaze returned to the dented bus, watching the alpha stir inside the dent its body had carved into the metal. His lips quirked again.
(The dome ability really is too good.)
The dome had saved his life more times than he could count. But it wasn't without flaws. Nothing could pierce inside, true.. but neither could anything leave. It was perfect for defense, useless for offense unless timed with precision. And worse, if his body wasn't grounded, the dome itself became a ball, flung about with him trapped inside. The water monster battle had taught him that much. The memory of being tossed helplessly around like a ragdoll was anything but pleasant.
Another flicker of text:
[Claimable Talent Detected: Thunder Manipulation]
Aron spent 500 exp to claim the talent, his energy rising by another 100.
[Thunder Manipulation - Bend thunder to your will. Its form and power are limited only by imagination. Energy cost scales with intensity and creativity of use.]
A grin tugged at his face.
(Finally, an offensive talent.)
He clenched his fist, feeling a spark race along his arm. After all this time, copying talents from zombies had mostly given him passive boosts. This was only the second monster he'd seen with something elemental. The pattern was kinda similar, but the thrill of power drowned out the thought.
The alpha wolf staggered free of the bus wreckage. Its once-pristine fur was drenched in blood, its regal bearing reduced to a pitiful mess. Aron watched, amused, as it limped out, struggling to keep its frame steady.
"With all that arrogance earlier… was that really all you had?"
He didn't care if the wolf understood him or not. Its earlier intelligent gaze had been interesting, but now, seeing it reduced to this… it was almost boring. He wanted entertainment, something worth his time.
The wolf lifted its head. For the briefest moment, fear flickered in its eyes. But hatred smothered it just as quickly. The crackle of thunder rose again, arcs of light snaking over its broken body.
It didn't charge this time. Instead, the lightning grew wilder, surging like a storm about to break. The chaotic glow wrapped tighter and tighter until sparks whipped across the ground.
Aron stood still not planning to stop whatever it was doing, smiling faintly, as if he were watching a child throw a tantrum. His calmness only seemed to enrage the beast further.
Craaaackle!
The wolf opened its maw. All the lightning gathered, funneling into a single point at the back of its throat. Sparks folded inward, compressing into a sphere so dense it burned white-blue, tearing the air around it.
Crackle.. BOOM!
The orb launched forward.
The wolf sagged, drained, but its eyes burned with savage triumph. The thunderball streaked toward Aron, fast enough to blur the night sky itself.
The ground trembled as if reality would rip apart.
But Aron didn't move. He didn't activate the dome.
Instead, his body lit with arcs of electricity, crackling along his arms and chest.
The thunderball closed the distance...
At the last moment, Aron raised his hand. His frame turned with a smooth, effortless motion, and the thunderball that had been meant to end him was redirected.
Whooosh...
In one clean sweep, he swung it back toward the wolf, the blazing sphere flying faster than before.
The alpha wolf froze, its eyes wide. Horror replaced its earlier triumph as it saw its own attack being hurled straight back at it.
In that instant, it wasn't looking at prey.
It was staring into a mirror..
and seeing its own death...
****
Shameless Author:
Ermm… brothers and sisters, one of you said my writing feels a little rushed, and I should slow down and add more description. (ಥ﹏ಥ)
Now this humble author doesn't know if this style is okay… or if I should shamelessly crawl back to my old fast-paced writing. (≧▽≦)
What do you all think? Should I keep going like this or switch back? runs away before bricks start flying 🏃💨