Chapter 40

Lycans and werewolves are often confused for one another, but there are significant differences between them, one of which is their size. Zee and Xain stared at Mar in shock as he completed his transformation, his leather armor barely containing his fully transformed body covered in gray fur. Claws protruded from his fingers, replacing his nails, while a wolfish muzzle emerged on his face, and predatory yellow eyes fixated on them. While both the hybrid form of werewolves and lycans increase in size compared to their human form, werewolves are considerably larger than lycans in hybrid form. Additionally, werewolves develop digitigrade legs, while lycans retain their normal human ones. Werewolves also have bigger eyes, longer claws, and larger torsos, while lycans mostly keep the body proportions of their human form.

*First a vampire, and now a werewolf? What's with our luck?* Xain pondered silently. *Do we stand a chance against a werewolf? Can we even hurt him?* Zee wondered, her gaze drifting toward her dagger lodged in a nearby tree.

Suddenly, they heard Mar speak, "Be proud of yourselves. This is only the third time I've ever used this form in a fight," stunning both Xain and Zee. Another unique aspect of lycans is that, unlike many werewolves, all lycans retain their intellect even in their hybrid form.

"Zee, what should we do now?" Xain whispered, feeling completely out of his depth. Zee, equally uncertain, struggled to formulate a plan. Creatures like werewolves or lycans weren't exactly something someone encountered every day, and they were at a loss for how to proceed.

Mar pointed his mace towards Zee's dagger and commanded, "Pick it up," confusing both Zee and Xain. Sensing their bewilderment, Mar elaborated, "I do not wish to fight someone who's not at their best." Honor is another thing you have to note about werewolves and lycans; both of them are pretty honorable, or at least the vast majority of them are.

Zee went over and ripped her dagger out of the tree, never letting her eyes off Mar even for a second. Meanwhile, Xain just picked up another branch and a handful of dirt as Mar got ready, holding his mace up high. Zee once again stood by Xain's side as they both gave each other a nod, ready to fight Mar as best they could. With a snarl from Mar, they charged each other once more.

Mar initiated the attack with a powerful swing of his mace directly at Xain. Anticipating the move, Xain swiftly raised his right armored forearm to block the swing. The force of the swing sent Xain hurtling into a tree. However, Mar found his eyes stinging as Xain, in that split second, had thrown the dirt in his left hand into Mar's eyes. Hindered by the irritation, Mar was unable to react as Zee capitalized on the opportunity, stabbing her dagger deep into his right leg.

Unlike when Mar was in human form, the dagger now penetrated deeply, prompting a howl of pain from him. In retaliation, Mar attempted to claw Zee with his left claws, but she skillfully dodged the attack while extracting her dagger from his leg. Zee couldn't help but notice a significant decrease in Mar's speed compared to his human form. *That's weird; he's slower than before,* she thought, cautiously backing away from Mar.

Here's an interesting fact about werewolves and lycans: even if they can use magic in their human form, most of them can't employ magic in their hybrid form. Only a rare few can do so, and even then, it's usually limited to less complex magic and enhancements.

Mar growled ferociously as he charged at Zee, swinging his mace wildly in an attempt to smash her head. Zee reacted swiftly, ducking under the blow, but Mar followed up by trying to claw her face with his left claws. Without hesitation, Zee stabbed Mar in the hand with her dagger. In response, Mar clenched his fist around the dagger, wrenching it from Zee's hand while simultaneously swinging his mace toward her face.

Zee leaned back to evade the swing, simultaneously delivering a powerful kick to Mar's stomach, which sent him staggering backward with a grunt of pain. *This is much easier to deal with,* Zee thought as she rose to her feet, still unarmed as her dagger remained lodged in Mar's hand. Mar, however, bit down on the handle of Zee's dagger before tearing it out of his hand.

You might wonder: if werewolves or lycans can use magic in their human form, why would they transform into their hybrid form when it cuts them off from using magic or severely limits it? Well, there's one very good reason. Zee's eyes widened in surprise as she observed steam emanating from the areas where Mar had been stabbed, watching in astonishment as the wounds rapidly healed. In their hybrid form, werewolves, and especially lycans, heal significantly faster.

Mar threw Zee's dagger on the ground in front of her and waited for her to pick it up. Meanwhile, Xain came running from behind Mar. Sensing his presence, Mar turned around just in time for Xain to hurl a handful of dirt at his face. The dirt found its way into Mar's mouth, nostrils, and eyes, causing him to cough and his eyes to sting.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Xain swung a tree branch upward, striking Mar squarely in the jaw. The branch snapped upon impact, but Mar's head jerked backward from the force of the blow. Seizing the opportunity, Xain dropped down and stabbed Mar in the foot with the broken branch. Mar howled in agony as Xain's attack found its mark.

Mar let out another howl of pain before swinging his mace down in an attempt to smash Xain's head. Xain raised his left armored forearm to block the swing while keeping his right hand firmly on the broken branch. The force of the mace drove Xain into the ground, but he maintained his grip on the broken branch, driving it deeper into Mar's foot in the process, fully penetrating it through the bottom.

Mar growled in both pain and, for the first time, anger as he tried to stab Xain with his left claws. However, before he could make contact, Zee grabbed his elbow and stabbed him in the armpit with her dagger, causing significant damage to the joint between the shoulder and the arm. Zee swiftly pulled the dagger out, causing even more damage before Mar could react.

To add insult to injury, Xain reeled his fist back and threw a punch directly aimed at Mar's crotch, the impact leaving Mar doubled over and nearly retching. "Healing yourself won't fix that!" Xain taunted as he and Zee quickly distanced themselves from the wounded lycan.

Despite their efforts, Xain and Zee watched in frustration as steam emanated from Mar's body, indicating his rapid healing. "Good goddess, how long is this going to go on for? I'm so freaking tired!" Xain exclaimed, his frustration evident. Mar, without saying a word, turned to them and let out a growl before charging towards Zee, his mace and claws ready for attack.

Zee prepared to counter with her dagger, but right before Mar reached her, Grace suddenly appeared in her place, surprising both Xain and Mar. In the confusion, Grace executed a swift roundhouse kick to Mar's face, sending him hurtling into a nearby tree.