Chapter 248: Retrieving Talia Hale's ClawsNew7 hours ago
Jacob wrapped Cora, Derek, and Isaac in his telekinesis and teleported the four of them straight into Deaton's animal clinic.
The clinic was quiet, bathed in the soft glow of the afternoon sun filtering through the front windows. The familiar, sterile scent of antiseptic mixed with animal fur hung thick in the air. In the back, a few dogs barked softly in their kennels, while a tabby cat lounged on the reception counter, tracking their sudden appearance with lazy, unbothered eyes.
Deaton emerged from the back room, a clipboard in hand. He had that calm, knowing expression on his face—the kind that suggested he always knew more than he was letting on.
"Ah," Deaton said, his voice smooth and measured. "Jacob, Derek, Isaac... and..." He stopped, his eyes drifting to the unfamiliar girl standing beside them.
Derek said, "She's my sister, Cora."
Deaton's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Really? I thought... well, I am glad to see you survived." He turned his full attention back to Derek, setting the clipboard down. "What can I do for you?"
"We need to know about my mother's claws," Derek said.
Deaton didn't look surprised at all. Instead, he simply nodded, as if he had been anticipating this exact conversation for years.
"The claws of Talia," Deaton said softly. "I wondered when you would finally ask about them."
Cora stepped forward, her voice tight. "Do you have them?"
Deaton shook his head. "Not anymore."
Derek's eyes narrowed. "Who took them?"
Deaton sat down on a stool, his voice carrying that familiar, quiet gravity. "Talia's claws were in my possession for a time. I salvaged them myself, as they were the only part of her body left intact after the fire. Because Talia was one of the most powerful Alphas in the world, her claws held immense supernatural energy. I specifically crafted a jar out of wood from the Nemeton to act as a safe container for them. But they were stolen from me—by the Calaveras."
Derek frowned, his jaw tightening. "The Calaveras? The hunter family in Mexico?"
Deaton nodded grimly.
Isaac asked, "But why would hunters want a werewolf's claws?"
"To a traditional family of hunters like the Calaveras, holding the physical remains of one of the most respected Alphas is the ultimate trophy," Deaton explained. "But more importantly, they understand the true weight of the power those claws carry. In our world, an Alpha's claws, especially a powerful one's, are more than just a vessel for memories. The Calaveras knew what they were capable of. And the claws can also be sold to witches and wizards to be ground down for potent potions."
Cora panicked. "What? Potions? Do you think the Calaveras already sold them?"
"I don't think so," Deaton reassured her, shaking his head. "Araya is a traditionalist. She wouldn't sell a prize like that so easily."
"Do you know where the Calaveras are right now?" Derek asked.
"I know they operate out of a nightclub in northern Mexico," Deaton said. "Though the club itself is just a front for their heavily secured family compound."
Jacob spoke up. "Well, now that I know the claws are in the hands of that old woman, it doesn't matter where she's hiding. I can find her easily. Let's go."
Deaton stood up, his expression turning deeply serious. "Jacob, I don't know exactly what you are, and I know you possess incredible strength, but I must warn you—the Calaveras are dangerous. They have been hunting supernatural creatures for generations. They will not give up the claws without a fight."
Jacob just smiled, completely unfazed. "Thanks for the heads-up, Doc. But they're no threat to me. And honestly, I think Araya is too smart to try fighting me."
He took out Jack Sparrow's compass and thought of finding Araya Calavera. The needle spun wildly for a few seconds before stopping, pointing firmly south.
Jacob focused his energy, lifting his hand and swiping it through the air. With a sharp rip, a swirling, dark blue spatial portal tore open in the middle of the room.
"Let's go," Jacob said, stepping toward the vortex. "And try not to touch the edges of the portal."
Cora followed him.
Derek and Isaac exchanged wary glances before quickly following them through the rift. Deaton was left standing alone in the quiet clinic, watching the blue light flicker and vanish as the portal snapped shut behind them.
The druid stared at the empty space for a long moment, utterly bewildered. "Just what kind of creature is that kid?"
---
Mexico
Since Jacob had never been to the Calavera compound, his portal didn't take them directly there. They had to teleport two more times, following the compass, before they arrived.
Once they saw the compound, Jacob teleported them directly inside the nightclub.
Since it was the middle of the day, the club was dead silent and completely empty. Stools and chairs were neatly stacked on top of the tables, the dance floor was freshly swept, and the bar was entirely unattended.
Their sudden, uninvited arrival didn't go unnoticed for long.
Within seconds, the heavy doors to the backroom burst open. A dozen armed men flooded the floor—hunters dressed in dark, rugged clothing, their assault rifles and firearms already drawn. They quickly fanned out, surrounding Jacob and his group with cold, calculated precision, their fingers resting taut against the triggers.
One of them, a burly hunter with a jagged scar cutting across his face, stepped forward. "Who are you, gringos?!" he demanded, his voice echoing in the empty club.
"I really don't have time to waste on you idiots," Jacob sighed.
Then he unleashed his Conqueror's Haki.
An invisible, crushing shockwave of pure willpower erupted from his body, rippling through the air like a localized tidal wave. The effect was instantaneous. The hunters gasped. Their eyes rolled back. Their weapons clattered to the floor, and one by one, the men collapsed like ragdolls, completely unconscious before their bodies even hit the ground.
Within three seconds, the entire strike team lay sprawled across the floor, completely unconscious.
Except for one.
Jacob had intentionally spared a single, younger hunter who was standing near the back exit. The young man was trembling violently, his knees knocking together as he stared at his fallen comrades in absolute horror.
Jacob calmly pulled a chair out from a nearby table, turned it around, and sat down. He locked his eyes onto the terrified survivor.
"You," Jacob said, his voice terrifyingly calm. "Go call your boss."
The young hunter didn't need to be told twice. He scrambled backward, tripping over his own feet and nearly falling multiple times before flinging open the back door and disappearing into the compound.
---
Fifteen Minutes Later
The back door opened once more, and Araya Calavera walked into the club. Standing at her side was her son, Severo, followed by a dozen heavily armed hunters who looked highly alert.
Araya stopped a few meters away from where Jacob sat.
"I know you, child," Araya said. "You were at the Argent house. The one with the strange powers."
Jacob leaned back in his chair. "I told you we would meet again."
Araya's jaw tightened, her gaze hardening. "Why are you here?"
"You have something that doesn't belong to you," Jacob said, his voice was calm. "My mother-in-law's claws. It would be best for everyone if you hand them over peacefully. Otherwise, I really don't mind ripping the location of Talia's claws straight out of your mind before turning this entire compound into a slaughterhouse."
Severo's face flushed with rage. He instantly snapped his gun up, aiming it directly at Jacob's head. "Do you think you can come into our home and threaten us, kid?!"
At his movement, the rest of the hunters instantly raised their weapons, taking aim at Jacob, Derek, Cora, and Isaac.
Jacob didn't even blink. Completely ignoring Severo and the wall of gun barrels pointed at him, he kept his eyes locked calmly on Araya. "You have two choices here, old woman: peace or death. Choose wisely."
Araya's eyes swept slowly over the dozen unconscious hunters across the floor, then shifted to Derek and Cora, before she finally raised her hand in a strict, authoritative gesture. "Lower your weapons," she commanded.
Severo hesitated, but slowly brought his gun down, glaring daggers at Jacob.
Araya looked back at the boy in the chair. "What did you do to my men?"
"They're just sleeping," Jacob said calmly. "Now hurry up. Make a choice."
Araya stared at him, her mind racing. She knew Jacob could teleport, and although she lacked absolute proof that he was the one responsible for wiping out the powerful Zima and Laurent families, her gut told her he was the architect of their destruction. Araya was many things—ruthless, strict, and uncompromising—but she was not stupid. She knew when she was completely outmatched.
She let out a slow, controlled sigh. "Fine."
Turning slightly, she gave Severo a small, firm nod.
Severo opened his mouth to argue, but one glare from his mother silenced him. He turned and disappeared into the depths of the compound. Minutes later, he returned, carrying a wooden chest. The chest was lined with mountain ash and bound with iron.
He placed the chest in front of Araya.
Araya looked at Jacob, her expression grim. "Take it. The claws are inside."
Jacob didn't even stand up. He simply flicked his wrist, channeling a sudden blast of his telekinesis.
The reinforced wooden box violently exploded. The Mountain Ash inside scattered harmlessly into the air, and the wooden jar containing Talia's claws flew smoothly across the room, landing perfectly in Jacob's waiting hand.
Araya, Severo, and the rest of the hunters could only watch in absolute, paralyzed shock.
Jacob opened the jar. He looked at the dark claws resting inside for a brief moment before a system interface suddenly materialized in front of his eyes.
[Quest: Retrieve Talia Hale's Claws — SUCCESSFUL
Do you wish to sign in, Host?]
'Yes,' Jacob answered the system mentally.
[Quest Sign-in Successful. Rewards Obtained:
1️⃣ Scroll of Soul Transference: Features two distinct circular platforms. The left platform holds the source container where a soul is currently stored (gem, vial, jar, or enchanted object). The right platform holds the destination container or a viable, empty body. Once both are placed, the scroll activates automatically. The soul is safely extracted and transferred into the new vessel over the course of one minute. The process cannot be interrupted. (Single-use item).
⚠️ Limitation: Cannot extract souls from living beings. The destination vessel must be entirely empty and capable of holding a soul.
2️⃣ The Killing Curse (Harry Potter - Avada Kedavra): The most infamous curse in the wizarding world. Emits a flash of blinding green light that causes instantaneous death with zero physical damage.
⚠️ Limitation: Requires immense magical power and genuine intent to kill. Only works on targets with weak mental resistance; individuals with strong willpower or specific magical protections can survive. Can be blocked by energy barriers, psychic barriers, and elemental barriers.
3️⃣ Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (2012 Edition)]
Jacob scanned the rewards quickly, a small smirk playing on his lips. 'Nice.'
He dismissed the system window, closed the jar, and stood up. He cast a cool, parting glance at the matriarch of the hunter family. "Goodbye, old woman. For your own sake, let's hope our paths never cross again."
Without waiting for a reply, Jacob wrapped Derek, Cora, and Isaac in his telekinesis and teleported them back to Derek's loft.
Araya stared blankly at the empty space where the four of them had been standing just seconds prior. A long, heavy sigh escaped her lips. She turned to her son, her voice sounding older than usual. "Severo... wake the men up. And pass the order down—none of our people are to set foot in Beacon Hills ever again."
---
Derek's Loft
The group materialized instantly in the center of the spacious, industrial loft.
Derek and Cora stood in silence, their eyes entirely locked onto the wooden jar held securely in Jacob's hands.
Derek broke the quiet first, turning his gaze toward his sister. "You still haven't told me why you were so excited about finding mother's claws."
Cora's voice trembled with barely contained emotion. "You know how strong Alphas can store not only memories inside their claws, but they can even store their soul in them and technically live there for a while?"
Derek nodded slowly. "Yes. That's exactly why I wanted them. I wanted to speak with Mother and ask her for guidance."
"Jacob can do more than let you talk to her, Derek," Cora said, a bright spark of hope igniting in her eyes. "He can help Mother take a physical form. She could be with us again—really be with us."
Derek snapped his head toward Jacob, his jaw dropping in sheer disbelief. "Seriously? Is that even possible?"
Jacob gave a firm, reassuring nod. "Yes."
Cora stepped closer to Jacob, her hands clenching at her sides as she tried to keep her voice steady. "Is she... is she actually still alive in there?"
"Give me a moment," Jacob murmured.
He closed his eyes, mentally reaching into his subconscious to contact his system. 'Nex, what do you think? Is Talia still alive inside these claws?'
Nex was silent for a brief second before her voice resonated in his mind.
[Yes. She is alive. I can feel her soul inside the claws. And her soul is strong, which means we can help her without fear of her dying.]
Jacob opened his eyes and smiled gently at Cora. "She's alive."
Cora's hands flew to her mouth as a sob escaped her throat. Tears streamed freely down her face, a wave of pure relief washing over her. Even Derek's stoic expression fractured. His jaw tightened forcefully, but his eyes grew visibly bright and wet.
"How... how are you going to help her?" Derek asked.
"I just acquired a method to transfer a soul out of a container and into a physical vessel," Jacob explained, setting the jar down on the table. "But the destination body has to be entirely empty—no lingering soul, no active consciousness. A blank slate. The best option for her would be a wolf."
Derek frowned thoughtfully. "Will any ordinary wolf work?"
Jacob nodded. "Technically, yes. But I can't exactly give my mother-in-law a basic, run-of-the-mill timber wolf body, can I? If we're doing this, we should find a supernatural wolf. It would be way better than a normal animal."
"Yes," Cora agreed eagerly, wiping her tears away. "If we can find a supernatural wolf, it would be perfect. But how do we even locate something like that? Where do we look?"
"Finding it is the easy part," Jacob said with a grin. "But first, we need to know exactly what we're looking for."
He disappeared and went back to Serendell, then came back with Cogman.
Cogman looked around the loft. He gave a polite, elegant bow toward Cora. "Good afternoon, my lady." He then turned his attention to Jacob. "What can I do for you, sir?"
Jacob quickly brought Cogman up to speed on Talia's situation, then said, "I need you to tell me about supernatural wolves from the bestiary that aren't human shapeshifters. Purely canine creatures with supernatural abilities. The stronger they are, the better."
"Understood, sir. Give me just a moment," Cogman replied.
Cogman closed his eyes and focused on reading the bestiary stored in his mind. After a brief pause, his eyes snapped open.
"I believe I have discovered precisely what you require, sir," Cogman announced. "It is known as the Amarok. It is a legendary, massive supernatural wolf that stalks those foolish enough to hunt in the deep wilderness alone at night. In ancient lore, they are revered as symbols of both absolute danger and ecological balance. They possess terrifying physical strength, near-human intelligence, and act as fierce guardians of the wild."
Jacob tilted his head. "Are those the only pure wolves mentioned in the Bestiary?"
"yes," Cogman replied smoothly. "The Bestiary mentions a few others, but purely as myths believed to have gone extinct thousands of years ago. The most notable among those ancient legends being Fenrir."
Jacob smiled, his mind made up. "An Amarok it is, then."
He took Cora in his arms and took out Jack Sparrow's compass. Focusing his thoughts entirely on locating a living Amarok, he watched the needle spin erratically before it snapped to a halt, pointing firmly in a precise direction.
"Found one," Jacob said, looking back at Derek and Isaac with a sharp grin. "See you guys in a bit."
Before anyone could say a word, space warped around Jacob and Cora, and they vanished from the loft in a blink of an eye.