Ch-5 Werewolf!

Swish!

The moment he stepped out of the space-time gate, Ryan's vision darkened.

Tall trees, dark and humid air, and an endless expanse of primitive jungle surrounded him.

He looked up; dark clouds covered the sky, with faint starlight peeking through gaps in the branches.

Ryan relaxed slightly.

Thankfully, this wasn't the post-apocalyptic wasteland he'd feared, nor was it a high-dimensional world with gods and demons lurking everywhere.

But of course there could still be dangers. Best to remain cautious.

"Nothing but trees. Which way should I go?" he muttered, rubbing his chin.

Suddenly, he spotted a fire not too far ahead. Fire meant people.

"Since I don't know this place, I'd better find a native to talk to."

Touching the shotgun at his side, Ryan felt somewhat reassured. He walked toward the fire.

After a few minutes, a campfire came into view. A figure sat beside it, head bowed, eating.

"A person? Who is it?" Ryan sighed in relief. Since he seemed human, he could try to communicate, even if it meant using gestures and body language.

"Hello, friend. I'm a lost traveler. May I ask for directions?"

Ryan approached the campfire, but when he was within twenty paces, he stopped suddenly.

A strong smell of blood filled his nostrils, and he finally saw what the person was eating - a human thigh.

The figure looked up, as if aware of the noise. Dark, pupil-less eyes stared at him, and a face covered in thick hair looked more like a beast than a man.

Damn it!

Ryan cursed inwardly and turned to run without hesitation.

Behind him, the creature dropped the leg it was eating and charged after him at an alarming speed.

In a few breaths, the creature closed the gap to within ten paces.

"You bastard! You think I'm afraid of you?" Seeing no way to escape, Ryan gritted his teeth, turned and fired his revolver in one swift motion.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Six shots in quick succession, each hitting its mark. The blood-covered creature screamed, but continued to charge with ferocious determination.

With no time to reload, Ryan braced himself for hand-to-hand combat.

With a powerful blow, he struck the creature in the face, breaking its nose. Grabbing its arms, he used a grappling technique to slam it to the ground.

The creature struggled, but couldn't break free of his hold.

"So you're not as tough as you look," Ryan muttered as he saw the creature with holes all over its body.

It was fast and resilient, sure, but not stronger than him.

Just then, a ray of moonlight broke through the clouds and illuminated the creature. In an instant, it let out a painful whimper, and something incredible happened.

Under the moonlight, its hair began to grow visibly, and the bullet wounds began to heal rapidly. His face lengthened and his teeth turned into sharp fangs.

Within moments, the once-hairy creature had transformed into a full-fledged werewolf.

"Awooo!" The werewolf howled, its body swelling with strength as it struggled violently.

Its power had at least doubled, and Ryan could no longer hold it down.

"So you can transform, huh? Well, that doesn't change anything. Who fights fair in this day and age?"

Ryan let go and stepped back. Freed, the werewolf sprang to his feet and lunged at him, only to be met by the twin barrels of a shotgun.

Ryan calmly pulled the double-barreled shotgun from his personal space and aimed it at the shocked werewolf.

"Times have changed, my friend."

The werewolf's pupils quivered. Though it didn't know what this weapon was, its instincts sensed danger.

The werewolf turned to flee, but Ryan remained calm.

"You think you can come and go as you please? This isn't your backyard."

At this distance, at this angle, all creatures are equal before the shotgun blast. Werewolf or not, even gods would fall at this range.

Ryan pulled the trigger.

"Goodbye!"

Bang! The shotgun roared, its power amplified at such close range. Pellets burst from the barrel, tearing through half of the werewolf's body.

Ryan looked down at the now immobile werewolf, his expression calm and collected.

This is the power of technology.

All fear comes from insufficient firepower.

Gods? How many divisions do they have?