Chapter 88: L.W.

The atmosphere inside the dining hall had become suffocating.

Five smiling imposters sat around the table.

Wolf sat among them.

The food remained untouched.

Gene and Selene kept their expressions calm despite Athena continuously flashing warning messages across Gene’s vision.

Everything felt wrong.

The air.

The smiles.

The food.

The silence.

It felt like sitting inside the mouth of a predator waiting for its prey to stop paying attention.

Then the front door opened.

Everyone looked up.

The guard from earlier stepped inside.

The same broad-shouldered man who had secretly passed Selene the warning note.

He closed the door behind him.

The fake B.B. members turned toward him.

The guard ignored them.

Instead, he walked directly toward Gene and Selene.

His boots echoed across the wooden floor.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Then he stopped beside their chairs.

He bowed politely.

“Sir.”

He looked at Gene.

“Miss.”

He looked at Selene.

Then his expression became serious.

“I need both of you to move away from the table.”

The room went silent.

Gene immediately stood.

Selene followed.

Neither asked questions.

The fake members continued smiling.

Watching.

Waiting.

The guard clasped his hands together.

“Can you move back a tiny bit more please.”

Gene grabbed Selene’s hand.

The two backed away several feet.

The moment they did, the guard smiled. 

“Perfect.”

Then he took a deep breath.

A very deep breath.

Gene frowned.

The man’s chest rapidly expanded.

Then expanded more.

Then more.

His midsection grotesquely bulged outward.

His ribs visibly stretched beneath his shirt.

The fake B.B. members finally stopped smiling.

The first hint of concern appeared on their faces.

The guards buttons started popping free as the fabric from his shirt was stretched to the max.

Far more air than a normal human could possibly contain.

Gene slowly realized what was about to happen.

“Ah… could it be...”

The guard leaned his head forward as he opened his mouth.

BOOOOOOOOOM!

The blast hit like a cannon.

The dining table shattered instantly.

Plates exploded.

Food vaporized.

Chairs became deadly projectiles.

The entire front wall of the inn burst outward.

Wooden beams snapped like twigs.

Glass shattered.

The five imposters were launched through the building.

The creatures smashed through windows.

Walls.

Furniture.

Then crashed into the building across the street.

The entire town hall shook from the impact.

Silence followed.

Dust drifted through the air.

Gene blinked.

Selene blinked.

The guard coughed a few times and patted his chest.

Gene stared.

“What.”

The guard loosened his collar.

“Never seen a sneeze that powerful before.”

Outside came a crunching noise.

Everyone turned.

The fake B.B. members were somehow standing again.

Or trying to.

One creature’s neck had been completely shattered. 

Its head angled backwards and upside down between its shoulder blades.

Another had both arms twisted completely off.

The third’s spine bent at impossible angles.

Bones protruded from flesh.

Limbs dangled uselessly.

Yet they still stood.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

And they all lacked blood.

The creatures turned toward the inn.

Their smiles were gone.

Their eyes were black.

Completely black.

No pupils.

No whites.

Nothing.

Just endless darkness.

Gene felt a chill run down his spine.

One of the creatures’ jaws unhinged.

Its mouth stretched almost to its waist.

Rows upon rows of teeth unfolded inside.

The others began changing too.

Their skin rippled.

Cracked.

Shifted.

Like something inside wanted out.

The guard sighed.

“Right on schedule.”

He reached behind the counter.

Pulled out a woven basket.

And casually tossed it outside.

The basket landed near the approaching creatures.

One tilted its head.

Confused.

Then the basket exploded.

BOOOOOOM!

Fire engulfed the street.

The shockwave shattered nearby windows.

The creatures were launched backward.

Pieces of burning flesh rained from the sky.

One foot landed beside a horse trough.

Another creature’s head bounced down the street.

Gene stared.

“…You keep explosive baskets around?”

“Only for our extra special guests.”

The guard turned.

His expression became serious.

“Follow me.”

The tone left no room for argument.

The three hurried toward a side hallway.

The building shook.

Something huge slammed into the front wall.

Wood splintered.

One of the creatures was already trying to crawl back inside.

The guard cursed.

He kicked open a side door.

Cool night air flooded in.

The trio rushed into a narrow alley.

Behind them came an awful sound.

Wet.

Crunching.

Like bones being forced back into place.

The creatures were regenerating.

Gene didn’t like that.

Not one bit.

The guard led them deeper into the town.

The streets appeared empty.

Too empty.

Nobody looked out windows.

Nobody opened doors.

Nobody came to investigate.

As if the townspeople already knew exactly what was happening.

Another explosion echoed behind them.

The fake creatures had finally broken out of  the inn.

The guard kept moving.

Then something strange happened.

He began growing.

Gene noticed it first.

The man’s shoulders widened.

His muscles bulged.

The seams of his shirt stretched.

The guard sighed.

“Ugh”

He unbuttoned the rest of his shirt. 

“I was hoping to avoid this.”

His neck cracked.

Then cracked again.

His hair rapidly lengthened.

Dark fur erupted from his skin.

Bones shifted beneath flesh.

His hands expanded.

Fingers became claws.

His jaw pushed forward.

Teeth lengthened into fangs.

Gene watched the transformation in fascination.

Selene watched in fascination.

The guard transformed in seconds.

By the end, a massive werewolf stood before them.

Nearly eight feet tall.

Broad shoulders.

Dark fur.

Golden eyes.

Massive claws.

The creature rolled its neck.

Several vertebrae audibly popped.

“That feels sooo much better.”

Gene blinked.

Then blinked again.

Then pointed.

“Wait.”

The werewolf looked down.

“What?”

Gene pointed harder.

“Are you the Big Bad Wolf?”

The werewolf immediately burst out laughing.

A booming laugh echoed through the alley.

“No.”

He wiped a tear from one eye.

“No no no. Of course not.”

He shook his head lost in thought.

“That was my father.”

Gene froze.

The werewolf grinned.

He pointed toward himself.

“I go by L.W.”

Gene slowly smiled.

The werewolf’s grin widened.

Gene pointed.

“Please tell me that stands for Lil’ Wolf.”

The werewolf looked away.

Selene immediately started laughing.

L.W. rubbed the back of his neck.

“…Maybe.”

Gene doubled over.

“Oh my god.”

“It sounded much cool when I was younger.”

“It does not.”

“It absolutely did.”

“It really doesn’t.”

Selene had to lean against a wall.

She was laughing too hard.

L.W. sighed.

“I regret telling you.”

The werewolf pointed a claw and pouted.

“We can discuss my terrible childhood decisions later.”

His expression hardened.

“We need to move.”

The humor immediately vanished.

Gene nodded.

Behind them came a roar.

The town shook.

Several buildings collapsed.

One of the fake creatures had become much larger.

Much angrier.

And much less human.

L.W. sniffed the air.

His ears flattened.

“Wonderful.”

“What?”

“They’re calling friends.”

Gene’s smile vanished.

“Friends?”

L.W. nodded.

“Lots of friends.”

The trio immediately started moving.

They left the town through a hidden gate built into the rear wall.

The moment they crossed beyond the settlement, Gene looked back.

The town no longer seemed normal.

The illusion had broken.

Buildings twisted unnaturally.

Windows appeared where none should exist.

Doors hung open revealing a thick darkness.

Black figures moved along rooftops.

Watching.

Waiting.

Hunting.

The entire settlement looked infected.

Like a wound festering inside the Dreamseer world.

Selene shivered.

“This is not good.”

L.W. agreed.

“Not good at all.”

They entered the forest once more.

The werewolf moved quickly.

Despite his massive size, he barely made a sound.

Gene and Selene struggled to keep pace.

After nearly thirty minutes of running, they finally slowed.

L.W. held up a claw.

“Stop running “

Everyone froze.

Gene immediately looked around.

Nothing.

No enemies.

No monsters.

No sounds.

Then he noticed lights.

Tiny lights.

Moving through the trees.

Several figures emerged from the darkness.

A woman carrying a sniper rifle.

A giant armored pig with a battle axe.

A scarecrow holding a shotgun.

A woman in a red cloak.

And a massive black bear wearing an old military jacket.

The newcomers immediately surrounded them.

Gene noticed something interesting.

The bear stepped forward.

The creature was enormous.

Nearly ten feet tall.

Covered in scars.

One eye missing.

Its remaining eye examined Gene carefully.

Then Selene.

Then once seeing L.W., Finally it nodded.

“Well looks like you and the travelers made it.”

L.W. relaxed.

Gene immediately understood.

These weren’t enemies.

These were the people they had been trying to reach.

The real resistance.

The real survivors.

The giant bear looked toward Gene.

“You the Horror Summoner?”

Gene nodded.

The bear extended a massive paw.

Gene shook it.

The paw was bigger than his head.

The bear smiled.

“Good to meet you, the names Baby.”

Its voice rumbled like distant thunder.

“Since things are about to get much worse, we will answer all questions once we get back to headquarters.”

Gene exchanged a glance with Selene.

Far behind them, somewhere inside the corrupted town, an inhuman howl split the night.

The bear looked toward the sound.

Its expression darkened.

“They found our scent.”

L.W. sighed.

“Of course they did.”

The bear turned back toward Gene.

“Welcome to the B.B. Revolution .”

Then he drew a rifle  from his belt.

“Now let’s see if we survive the night.”