The Wyndhams had been cornered by the werewolves.
They fought with everything they had. Every possible exit had been blocked as more werewolves kept appearing, sealing off every opening and slowing down their advance.
However, all of that was interrupted by a single bolt of lightning that suddenly descended on the spot they were standing.
Bang!
It was only one bolt of lightning.
Yet the moment it struck the ground, it remained there instead of disappearing.
Then, from that single strike, several streams of lightning branched out like tentacles.
They rushed toward everyone.
Fast.
Far too fast.
There was no running from it.
Each lightning tendril struck a person, causing their bodies to light up violently. Then, from those bodies, more streams of lightning burst out in several directions.
The entire Wyndham group froze.
Their bodies shook uncontrollably under the violent current.
Even Alex was caught in it.
His muscles locked up.
His teeth clenched tightly.
His entire body trembled from the electrocution.
The werewolves were not spared either.
Every one of them was struck by the lightning.
Their bodies convulsed as blue arcs danced wildly over their fur.
Growls turned into painful cries.
Alex could barely keep himself standing.
Then his legs gave out.
He collapsed onto his knees.
One after another, the others dropped as well.
All around them, humans and beasts alike were brought down by the terrifying lightning.
Meanwhile, Isla and Lennox couldn't feel any pain.
Unlike the others, they weren't feeling the shock itself.
But they couldn't move either.
'What is going on?' Isla thought in panic.
'My body won't move.'
Then, suddenly, the lightning went out.
The main source of the other lightning streams disappeared, and the countless branches vanished with it.
More of the standing werewolves dropped to the ground.
Their bodies twitched, but they were unable to move.
The same could be said for the Wyndhams.
Alex held his chest as he breathed heavily.
Air rushed in and out of his lungs.
'I didn't have my reflection effect on, and this happened.'
'It felt like I was being shocked to death,' Alex thought.
He slowly raised his head.
His eyes went to the source of everything.
Standing in front of him was a young man.
The man had his back turned toward him, but Alex could already picture his face in his mind.
The man's head was completely bald.
Intricate blue tattoos covered his body.
They stretched across his skin, ran over his shiny bald head, and continued down his face in complicated patterns.
The young man was large.
Bulky.
Not fat.
His body was packed with well-defined muscles.
He stood there silently.
Yet just looking at his broad back made it clear.
The terrifying lightning that had brought down both the Wyndhams and the werewolves had come from him.
As Alex looked at the man, he could tell all of that just from how defined the person's back was.
The newcomer wore a white, shiny skirt-like garment, while his upper body was completely bare.
However, despite his height and size, what made the newcomer truly deadly and intimidating was what he carried.
Resting on his shoulder and held with a single hand was a massive hammer.
It was huge.
Its head was larger than a human head, almost the size of five heads stacked together.
At first glance, it looked like it had been carved out of solid concrete.
But the runes and intricate patterns glowing blue across its surface made it clear that it was a crafted beast weapon.
The sight alone made everyone shudder.
Meanwhile, the young man rested the giant hammer on his shoulder casually.
His back remained turned toward the Wyndhams.
His attention was fixed entirely on the werewolves.
Some of the beasts were beginning to get back up.
Others were still dizzy, their bodies shaking from the electrocution.
"You annoying things won't give up, would you?" the young man said.
His voice was deep.
Heavy.
Like distant thunder rumbling through the sky.
The hammer suddenly lit up with lightning.
Blue currents crackled across its surface.
Some of the standing werewolves noticed it.
The moment they did, they immediately turned and ran.
"I thought as much," the newcomer said.
Just then, amidst the growls and snarls of the werewolves that were beginning to recover, the newcomer heard movement behind him.
He slowly turned around.
Now, he was facing the Wyndhams.
His eyes first landed on Lennox and Isla.
After the lightning electrocution, the two had regained their mobility.
However, neither of them moved.
Something inside them was screaming not to.
Then there was Alex.
Slowly, he planted one foot firmly on the ground and pushed himself up.
The rest of the Wyndhams were still conscious.
They hadn't been knocked out.
But their bodies were still numb from the electrocution, and they were struggling to regain control.
"You..." the newcomer muttered.
"It seems the lightning did little to nothing to you three."
Now that the man had turned around, the dread the Wyndhams felt only grew worse.
The blue tattoos covering his face made him look intimidating enough.
But there was something else.
On his forehead were two bumps.
They rose above the skin, larger than pimples and impossible to miss.
It almost looked as if horns were beginning to grow from his head.
The sight alone made the others tense.
The man raised his free hand and rubbed his jaw thoughtfully.
His massive hammer still rested on his shoulder.
Blue lightning crackled softly around it.
"Maybe I have gotten rusty," he said aloud.
"Or maybe you three are stronger than I expected."
He looked between Alex, Isla, and Lennox.
His eyes lingered on them with interest.
Not hostility.
Curiosity.
Meanwhile, behind him, more werewolves were getting back to their feet.
Some growled.
Some staggered.
But none dared to rush forward.
Not with the giant standing there.
Not with that hammer resting on his shoulder.
And certainly not with lightning still dancing around it.
--4
Meanwhile, by now, Alex had managed to force himself back onto his feet.
He fought against the numbness still running through his body.
His muscles trembled.
His legs felt heavy.
Yet he stood.
'All those excruciating training sessions with the Dragon Roar faction seem to be paying off,' he thought.
Meanwhile, the newcomer removed his hand from his jaw and looked at the others with greater interest.
"My name is Prayzen Raikovar, a strong member of the Storm Faction!" he declared suddenly.
As he spoke, a smile appeared on his face.
"Hope you took note of that. I am not just a Storm Faction member, but a member of the Raikovar Clan," Prayzen Raikovar said proudly.
"We know who the Raikovars are," a voice replied.
It was Clifford.
Just like Lennox and Isla, Clifford possessed a ring that protected him from the pain everyone else was suffering after the electrocution.
Clifford wasn't sure, but he had an idea of who this person might be.
Not the man himself.
But the clan behind him.
"And we understand the power your clan possesses," Clifford said.
"Oh, you do?" Prayzen replied.
"Then tell me, what do you know about my clan?" he asked.
"They are the ruling clan of the Storm Faction," Gavalich answered.
"And they are also the clan that the divine being Jovisrax comes from," Clifford added.
He slowly rose to his feet.
His legs shook slightly as he stood.
"But you understand that we are no longer in the clan-versus-clan stage anymore. We don't need to fight," Gavalich said.
Prayzen smiled.
The smile alone sent chills through the Wyndhams.
"Who said that just because we are in stage two, we no longer have to fight each other?" Prayzen asked.
His voice boomed like thunder.
There was no visible power gathering.
No lightning.
Nothing.
Yet the Wyndhams suddenly felt suffocated.
Their bodies became heavy.
"But it isn't necessary. We need to focus on surviving the tournament, reaching the higher stage, and winning this tournament," Clifford argued.
"Hahaha!" Prayzen burst out laughing.
"You think two or more clans can win this tournament?" he asked.
"You are wrong."
"At the end of the day, only one clan will remain standing and claim the prize."
"And I have already decided that your clan, whatever you call yourselves, won't make it beyond this level."
As he spoke, the runes engraved on his hammer lit up.
Lightning crackled around it like a field of energy.
The air itself trembled.
Then, without warning, Prayzen swung the hammer forward slightly and pointed it toward the nearest person.
His target was Alex.
Boom!
A series of lightning bolts burst out from the hammer.
They crossed the distance instantly.
Alex didn't even have time to react.
The lightning struck him squarely before he could do anything.