The howl rose above the battlefield.
Not wild.
Not frenzied.
Commanding.
The Alpha Lycan.
The sound rolled across the mountain range, heavy with authority, vibrating through blood and bone alike. The wolves and Lycans that heard it reacted instantly, movements shifting, stances changing, eyes sharpening.
They understood.
Bruce didn't know exactly what the Alpha communicated, but he felt the change immediately.
The air thickened.
Mana surged violently from every direction.
Each beast's aura flared, expanding outward, growing denser, heavier, more oppressive. Power flooded their bodies in visible waves, muscles bulging, eyes burning brighter than before.
Bruce's expression darkened.
"…Damn."
He could feel it clearly now.
"They're all using their cores."
The pressure multiplied instantly.
---
The beasts weren't just stronger. They were burning their very foundations for power.
This wasn't a temporary burst.
This wasn't desperation.
This was a full escalation.
