The Invincible Full-Moon System Chapter 1896: Stopping the Crimson Tide (2)

A piercing howl pierced the air.

Its echoes stretched for leagues, a desperate summons for kindred spirits, for those of the same blood. It sought the nocturnal beasts capable of comprehending the primal mind driving these blood-red wolves.

Far in the distance, a colossal werewolf, standing fifteen feet tall, shifted its gaze from the crackling bonfire and looked skyward.

A howl reached his ears, faint yet discernible.

Ever since the conflict with the Clarentium Empire erupted, he had been awaiting his summons to battle. Yet, the command never materialized. The war, it seemed, had veered onto a path far removed from his current post.

At last, the call had arrived.

It was the summons of Princess Selene, a declaration of war.

But woven within that cry was a message, an urgent plea that stirred something primal within him.

Aooouuu—!

A answering howl tore from his throat.

Unlike the Princess's ethereal cry, his was a guttural, resonant roar that traveled even farther. Like a chain reaction, more and more howls erupted from the distance. Every Alpha Prime acknowledged the summons.

"What does she say?" Another werewolf, nearly matching the first's imposing stature, inquired. "Is it the Clarentium Empire?"

Though he too had heard the howl, this werewolf could not decipher its intricate message.

It was encoded in a specialized frequency, comprehensible only to the Alpha Primes.

"It's a distress signal from the princess," the Alpha Prime rumbled, baring his formidable fangs with a thrill of anticipation. He could sense it, a palpable scent in the air – a conflict dwarper than almost any he had previously faced. And he yearned for it. "Fetch the totems. This promises to be a glorious bloodletting."

A sinister chuckle vibrated in his chest as the Mark of the Dark Moon King materialized.

Miles away.

On the precipice of a towering stone spire, another Alpha Prime surveyed his Betas leading their charges with resolute determination. A pale-yellow luminescence pulsed from his forehead – the Hunter Moon King Mark – casting an ethereal glow upon the tips of his fur.

"Who is it?" A Luna inquired, standing beside him. "Whom do we face?"

"That..." the Alpha Prime gestured towards the Blood Moon hanging in the heavens. "A new epoch dawns."

Across vast distances, countless legions of werewolves, marshaled by their Alpha Primes, surged through the expansive world, answering their princess's urgent call. Under the crimson light of the Blood Moon, their physical prowess surged noticeably.

Despite the immense distances, their advance towards their princess's location was swift.

From a vantage point above, these converging werewolves resembled a seething mass of ants.

Gradually, inexorably, the scattered legions coalesced into a single, formidable horde numbering in the tens of thousands. It was a breathtaking convergence of power, sufficient to instill terror in any force across the globe. Indeed, few races possessed the might to withstand such a surge.

And still, the tide of reinforcements had not yet crested.

"Prince Alaric!"

A werewolf burst into a dimly lit chamber, confronting Prince Alaric, who sat enveloped in shadow.

Prince Alaric had spent the agonizing wait steeling himself for the grim news of his sister's demise. As the werewolf finally breached the doorway, his heart had already hardened like tempered steel. He was prepared. Selene was lost. She had refused to surrender, ultimately falling victim to Empress Evelynn's forces. He would not falter.

However, the werewolf bore not that devastating tidings.

"It's a distress call from Princess Selene," he announced with palpable urgency. "She's employing the King Howl!"

"She is desperate. She requests our aid. Instruct the Alpha Primes to stand down."

"No, she isn't summoning the Alpha Primes to contend with the Clarentium Empire. She calls us to battle the Blood Moon itself!"

"What...?" Prince Alaric flinched, taken aback by the revelation. Princess Selene was a staunch adherent to traditional virtues, more so than many others. Such a request seemed uncharacteristic. Yet, there was no motive for falsehood in this dire moment. "Convene everyone and direct them to answer the summons."

Like a man possessed, Prince Alaric dashed outside, landing atop a rooftop.

"Your Highness, what are your intentions?!"

"I am investigating the situation. Assemble all forces and follow my trail!"

...

The summons had been issued.

Princess Selene cast a backward glance at the approaching horde of crimson figures, her eyes narrowing. 'I have called them all. It all began because I refused to yield to the Clarentium Empire, and now, I am summoning allies to fight the very force I opposed.'

A pang resonated within her chest.

Not out of remorse, but from the grim certainty that many among them were destined for sacrifice.

Her refusal to surrender had been largely driven by emotion.

Yet, upon sober reflection, the Silverstar Pack embodied the fundamental essence of the werewolf race.

Most of them did not outwardly identify as werewolves, but they undeniably possessed inherent werewolf characteristics.

Princess Selene discerned it in their combat prowess, the way they carried themselves—and now, their defiance against the Lunirich Gods. Werewolves would never submit to servitude. This was the unyielding principle ingrained in them by the Origin.

Even during the Ancient Humans’ era, the count of slave werewolves was remarkably low.

Many among them would choose death over enslavement.

In the current age, Princess Selene vowed to herself that such a historical tragedy would not recur.

However, an unforeseen force now emerged with the same intention of enslaving them.

Initially, she suspected the Clarentium Empire, particularly with its Emperor being of mixed human heritage. But her assumption proved incorrect; the true threat came from the Lunirich Gods, who sought to subjugate her people.

She finally grasped the wisdom behind Prince Alaric’s decision to forge an alliance with the Clarentium Empire.

Aligning with the empire was not an act of submission.

No member of the Silverstar Pack had ever demanded such a thing from them.

Instead, it was a strategic investment intended for a brighter future.

Witnessing the prosperity of various races—Elves, Orcs, Dwarves, and other mid-tier Supernatural beings—under the Clarentium Empire’s banner, she knew that any sacrifices she and the Scarlet Banes Kingdom endured to defend the empire's capital would be repaid manifold by the Royal Black Prince.

Despite the perilous circumstances, a significant opportunity presented itself.

She had personally witnessed Rex accomplish what many deemed impossible.

She saw him vanquish the Lunirich God of the Yule Moon with her own eyes.

What was different now? Nothing. Princess Selene, too, found her current situation seemingly insurmountable.

Yet, she understood that this was Rex’s domain.

It was time to embrace the risk.

ROAR—!

Princess Selene’s gaze snapped sideways, her eyes widening in alarm.

She felt the very air vibrate intensely with an unknown energy, alien to any Supernatural race. Order Beasts. Several colossal creatures materialized in the distance, their roars echoing like thunder. It appeared the seismic tremors had roused them from their slumber.

In the heat of the moment, she had momentarily forgotten that this was still the Second Breath period.

Beasts reigned supreme as the kings of this world.

And now, these kings had turned their attention toward the encroaching crimson horde.

Swoosh—!

Princess Selene managed to gain several miles of distance from the horde and executed a soaring leap. Ahead lay a vast, desolate plain, which she deemed an ideal location to create a stalling terrain against the relentless crimson tide.

She had signaled for reinforcements, but their arrival would require time.

This was precisely what she was trying to achieve.

With practiced skill, the Honey Moon King Mark upon her forehead flared, instantly channeling every ounce of its kingly energy. She focused this power into her claws, which began to emit a golden luminescence, thrumming with a raw force that seemed to strain against their very form.

‘It’s insufficient.’ Princess Selene clenched her teeth. ‘It’s nowhere near enough, and time is running out!’

Princess Selene intended to carve a massive trench, stretching at least a mile long.

Under normal circumstances, before the Second Breath, she could have accomplished this feat unaided. However, the heightened energy levels of the world now impacted not only the fauna but also the very fabric of nature, including flora and the earth itself.

Breaking a mere boulder now demanded double the energy expenditure compared to before. Princess Selene possessed the capacity to gather enough kingly energy to create the trench, but with the horde rapidly advancing, there was simply no time for such an endeavor.

Yet, her efforts were not entirely solitary. In her intense focus on devising a blockade against the horde, she had overlooked the presence of two powerful Shamans positioned directly behind her.

“Your Highness!” Miriam materialized in the air, assisting with her levitation. “What is your plan?!”

Against the howling wind, her voice was strained.

“Infuse my claws with moonlight energy, immediately!” Princess Selene commanded back.

Miriam and Sintra exchanged a knowing glance before swiftly initiating their own spellcasting.

A compact, spherical platform materialized beneath Princess Selene, radiating a bright light that surged potent energy into her. Subsequently, ancient, luminous glyphs appeared along Princess Selene’s spine, channeling an even greater influx of power.

The sensation was almost overwhelming.

Even for the Princess of the Honey Moon, renowned for her exceptional speed and energy reserves, this power surge was immense.

However, it should suffice for the task at hand.

“RAARGH!!”

Boom—!

Like a celestial projectile, Princess Selene descended with immense force, plunging her claws deep into the earth.

Her concentrated kingly energy, amplified by the Shamans' power, shot into the ground from her claws like brilliant laser beams, penetrating at least half a mile deep. “Moon Ability, Nectar Splash!”

Rumble—!

At her vocal command, the golden beams unleashed a violent discharge of energy.

The surrounding earth fractured and liquefied, melting away to the incredible depths reached by the beams. Before the ground completely dissolved and threatened to pull her down, Princess Selene sprinted forward, her claws carving a straight line through the yielding earth. Mid-stride, a searing pain shot through her claws as they grazed the hardened subterranean surface.

Employing another Moon Ability from within her mind, she transmuted her very blood into the precious nectar of the Honey Moon.

Her regenerative capabilities surged, allowing her to press onward.

From their vantage point above, Miriam and Sintra observed the colossal chasm that had been carved—stretching half a mile deep, a tenth of a mile wide, and a full mile in length. Princess Selene halted at the opposite end, her skin RIPPING apart, showering the surroundings with her blood.

The immense expenditure of energy and its concentration into laser beams had taken a significant toll on her.

Despite the debilitating exhaustion that wracked her body, she knew she could not falter now.

Enduring the searing pain, Princess Selene galloped to the far side of the newly formed trench and positioned herself at its center. Gazing forward, she saw the relentless horde of crimson wolves rapidly closing in. With only about a minute to spare, she still had two crucial tasks remaining.

Princess Selene commenced the formation of a luminous sphere with her hands, just before her solar plexus.

Her King Mark flowed out, causing her to bleed as she funneled increasing amounts of kingly energy into the ball, slowly shaping it into a peculiar, fruit-like object. "Your Highness—have you lost your mind?!" Miriam cried out in sheer terror. "If you push your King Mark any further, you will perish! Your body simply cannot withstand the strain!"

"Then assist me!" Princess Selene commanded, her voice a furious roar as she refused to look away.

"Help you? How can we possibly help?! That Moon Ability can only function by consuming your kingly energy!"

"Suppress my Inner Fang!"

"No!" Miriam bellowed, her refusal immediate and absolute. She was aghast that Princess Selene would even contemplate such a perilous request. "If I suppress your Inner Fang, there is an exceedingly high probability it will shatter, especially with the Blood Moon looming above! You will be forever consumed by unbridled rage!"

The Great Luna had bestowed upon werewolves the Inner Fang as a divine blessing, a means to manage their inherent anger.

Furthermore, the Inner Fang served to temper the rage, rendering it manageable.

Should anything befall this internal mechanism, the raw, untamed fury of the Full Moon would inundate the werewolf.

This would plunge them back into the brutal Era of Might.

Only the Origin had possessed the ability to survive and flourish without an Inner Fang. Countless individuals had attempted to emulate him throughout history. Millennia had elapsed, yet none had even come close to achieving such a feat. For Princess Selene to propose this course of action was tantamount to asking Miriam to end her life.

"Simply place your trust in me," Princess Selene finally turned her gaze towards Miriam, her voice laced with desperate conviction. "I am capable of this..."

"Princess..." Miriam clenched her jaw, her internal struggle evident, before finally relenting with a nod. "I shall do it!"