Oh, Come on

I walked toward the werewolf, its body battered and barely clinging to life. Despite everything, its breathing was steady—proof of its remarkable regenerative abilities. You'd think it would be cool to have such a power, but in this case? It was just prolonging the inevitable.

According to all the tropes in fiction, werewolves were notoriously hard to kill. Silver weapons, holy water—classic stuff. My claws? They got the job done, but every wound I inflicted healed almost immediately once the beast transformed. Now, though, after beating it into something resembling an overripe fruit, I could tell even its regeneration had hit a wall.

"Man, you're tough," I muttered, crouching beside it. "But you shouldn't skipped leg day if you planned on eating someone else's." I eyed the mangled remains of its last meal and grimaced. My stomach churned just looking at it.

As I debated what to do, the Book of Guidance floated up from my side and flipped open dramatically, glowing as though it had a flair for theatrics.

[The Host can use his skill Devour to kill and absorb the abilities of the target.]

"Oh yeah, right. I have that. I totally forgot with everything going on," I muttered, crouching down, my gaze fixed on the terrified werewolf.

Placing a clawed hand on the werewolf's chest, I whispered, "Devour."

Black tendrils slithered out of my palm, forming a grotesque, jaw-like structure that latched onto the werewolf. The beast stopped trembling, its pain replaced by eerie stillness as flesh and soul dissolved into nothingness. It wasn't pretty, but it worked.

Then, it hit me. Literally.

An itch spread across my entire body, and before I could react, my fur started to thicken, hardening like steel needles. My muscles swelled, bones cracked and shifted, and my senses sharpened to an almost painful degree.

"Ah, crap." I winced as my already-large body grew even taller. My mane stretched down my back, and my claws gleamed like polished steel. My torn clothes fluttered uselessly to the ground.

And then, the rage hit.

"Awooo!"

The howl tore out of me before I could stop it. Raw, primal power coursed through me, bloodthirsty and untamed. For a moment, I was just the beast. No Adam, no sense, just a snarling, instinct-driven creature.

It took a deep breath—okay, maybe a few— and a hard look at the moon. What once seemed like a regular moon now radiated a strange power, making my thoughts more bloodthirsty and violent. Still, the influence wasn't enough to make me completely lose control.

"Great. Now I'm the world's angriest teddy bear."

The Book of Guidance floated up again, clearly unimpressed by my attempts at humor.

[ Adam Overland Frost ]

[ Age: 18 ]

[ Title: Cursed Prince ]

[ Race: Human/Cursed Beast/Werewolf ]

[ Bloodline: Frost/Half-Blood Werewolf ]

[ Bloodline Abilities: Winter Magic, Regeneration, Infectious Bite ]

[ Abilities: Lycanthropy (Semi-Unlocked), Winter Sand (Mutated), Devour ]

[ Story Collection: Coco, Beauty and the Beast ]

"Half-blood huh? Intriguing. I even got its regeneration and infectious bite. What a bargain," I muttered, glancing at my shredded clothes. "Too bad they don't come with free tailoring services."

I let out a sigh, settling by the campfire. My new powers felt incredible, but the reality of this world was starting to sink in. Werewolves, curses, and enchanted books? What else was lurking out here? I stared at the charred remains of the werewolf's victim and clenched my fists.

"Ugh." I scrambled to a nearby tree and hurled up whatever was left in my stomach. Prince's memories or not, my past life as a regular guy wasn't going to let me walk off seeing something like that.

After pulling myself together, I started walking. Riding my summoned horse felt... wrong after that gruesome scene. Besides, my gut still wasn't ready for any kind of motion.

20 minutes later, a faint light appeared through the trees. As I got closer, it became clear—a small, wooden cabin.

"Finally, civilization," I muttered. "Or, you know, a nice serial killer hideout. Fifty-fifty odds."

Stopping just short of the door, I focused. Slowly, my bulk shrank, claws retracted, and fur receded, leaving me in human form. White hair, pale skin, and blue eyes—I probably looked like a ghost, but at least I wouldn't scare anyone to death.

"The skill lycanthropy is still not full unlock so I can only transform in this state for 8 hours.. how troublesome"

The limitations of my Lycanthropy skill are, honestly, a pain in the tail—pun fully intended. It's like having a Tesla, but it only works for a few hours before you're stuck waiting for it to recharge. Sure, I can shift back to being human, but only for a limited time. After that? Beast mode is mandatory.

I still remember the first time I managed to transform back into my human form. The relief was unreal—finally, no fur, claws, or hulking beast vibes. I could see my own face again! And the best part? The sheer shock on the servants' faces when they saw me strolling through the castle halls like nothing had happened. Their jaws practically hit the floor.

For a moment, I felt like I'd cheated the curse. Like, "Hey, maybe this is my way out!" But nope. Turns out, it's more of a temporary loophole than a full-blown solution. The clock's always ticking when I'm human. It's a bittersweet victory, really. Sure, I get a few hours of normalcy, but then it's right back to being the furry menace everyone's afraid of.

"Man," I muttered to myself, shaking my head. "It's like life gave me the ultimate shape-shifting perk, but with a cruel, limited-time offer."

Shaking my head to clear the thought, I pulled on a blue hooded sweater and stepped up to the door. With a deep breath, I raised my hand and knocked.

Knock! Knock!

"Ruby?" A soft, feminine voice called out from within.

"Uh, no," I replied after a pause. "Just a lost traveler looking for shelter. Mind if I come in?"

"A traveller?"

'I felt like I was pulling the same move as that enchantress—asking for a place to stay in exchange for something. But hey, I've got a few coins on me, so... meh.'

After a moment, the door creaked open, revealing an elderly woman with warm amber eyes and a welcoming smile.

"Come on in, young man," she said kindly.

As I stepped into the cozy cabin, the warmth from the fireplace eased the chill in my bones.

But something felt... off. I glanced at the Book of Guidance as it vibrated in my hand. The text that appeared made my stomach drop.

[Agathe Silverleaf]

[ Age: ??? ]

[ Title: The Enchantress, Sorceress, The Empathic Fairy, Shapeshifter ]

[ Race: Fairy ]

[ Bloodline: ??? ]

[ Abilities: ??? ]

[ Note: This Enchantress cursed a prince of some kingdom and is waiting for the future outcome. ]

I froze.

"Oh, come on,"