CHAPTER 197: [197] SHOWTIME

Morning frost crunched beneath Xavier’s boots as the group pressed westward through the thickening pine forest. They’d broken camp at dawn, eating a cold breakfast in relative silence before loading their supplies onto their horses. The tension from last night’s conversations hung over them like a fog.

Xavier rode at the front, checking the rough map Torval had given them. The resonance compass hung from his belt, its needle swinging periodically but never settling long enough to give them a clear direction. Nolan was out there somewhere, but still too far to pinpoint.

"The forest is getting denser," Xavier observed. "We might need to find another route soon."

No one responded. Calypso rode beside him, her midnight armor absorbing the weak sunlight filtering through the pine boughs. Margaret followed, her expression pensive as she cataloged herbs they passed. Behind her, Ashley maintained a deliberate distance, her golden fractures pulsing softly beneath her skin. Naomi brought up the rear, her eyes constantly scanning the trees around them.

The morning silence had suited Xavier fine. It gave him time to think about his newly enhanced abilities. His Essentia status showed his buffer at 300/300 now, upgraded from the previous 250. The techniques list had expanded too, with "Showtime" and "Violet Finale" added beneath his standard moves.

What did they do? How did they work? Calypso had explained that Showtime was a taunt mechanic, drawing enemy attention and increasing his meter generation when successful. Violet Finale was apparently some kind of ultimate technique, though even Calypso seemed unsure of its exact effects.

He’d have to test them eventually. Preferably in a controlled setting.

Xavier’s horse suddenly stopped, ears flicking forward. The other horses grew restless too, stamping and snorting.

"Something’s wrong," Xavier said, reaching for his twin daggers.

Ashley’s head snapped up. "Movement. Three o’clock."

"Nine o’clock too," Naomi added, drawing her own weapon.

Margaret gripped her staff tighter. "Wolves?"

"Not ordinary ones," Calypso whispered, her hands already glowing with pink-gold energy.

Xavier spotted them then – white shapes moving through the trees, larger than natural wolves. Their bodies seemed formed from packed snow, their eyes glinting like black ice. They moved in perfect, eerie silence.

"Frostfang Wolves," Xavier said. "I’ve heard stories from the traders."

"Are they dangerous?" Margaret asked.

"They hunt in packs and prefer easy targets," Xavier replied, slipping off his horse. "Travelers, wounded animals. They’re not apex predators."

"How many?" Naomi had already dismounted, moving to secure the horses to a nearby tree.

Xavier counted the shapes moving between the trees. "Eight... no, twelve."

"They’re circling us," Ashley observed. Her voice had that new, distant quality that still unsettled Xavier. "Unusual behavior for a minor predator."

The wolves made no sound as they formed a perimeter around the group. Their bodies appeared solid yet somehow insubstantial, like snow packed around shadow. Black ice fangs gleamed in the filtered light.

Xavier glanced at his companions. The tension from last night still lingered. Maybe this was an opportunity. A controlled threat – nothing they couldn’t handle – but enough to break the ice. Enough to test his new abilities.

"I’ve got this," he announced, stepping forward before anyone could object.

"Xavier, what are you—" Calypso began.

But he was already moving into position, twirling his daggers theatrically. A warm energy pulsed through him, different from his usual meter build. This was... playful? The system interface blinked before his eyes: \[SHOWTIME AVAILABLE\].

Why not? These were just glorified snow dogs.

"Come on, puppies!" Xavier called, striking a pose that felt both ridiculous and strangely natural. "The main course is over here!"

Pink energy sparked from his body, forming a brief aura that pulsed outward. The wolves immediately snapped their attention toward him, ice-eyes fixing on him with single-minded focus.

All twelve of them.

Oh. Shit.

The first wolf lunged, faster than Xavier had anticipated. He barely dodged, feeling the rush of cold air as the beast passed him. Two more sprang forward from different angles.

Xavier blocked one with a dagger, its body cold and dense against his blade. The second caught his arm, teeth scraping against his armor but not penetrating.

"Need some help?" Naomi called, her voice laced with amusement.

"I’m fine!" Xavier insisted, spinning to face three more wolves advancing on him.

He wasn’t fine. The taunt had worked perfectly – too perfectly. Every single wolf was focused exclusively on him, ignoring his companions entirely. His interface showed his meter filling rapidly – \[TAUNT BONUS ACTIVE\] – but that wouldn’t help if he became wolf kibble.

Xavier attempted a Counter Strike against the next attacker, but his timing was off. His body didn’t respond the way he expected, his movements faster than he was used to. The wolf slipped past his guard, jaws clamping down on his leg.

The enchanted armor held, but the impact still hurt. Xavier kicked the beast away, only to face two more. His combat instincts, honed over decades, felt suddenly unreliable. It was like learning to drive a sports car after years with a sedan – the increased power and response time threw off his timing.

"Xavier!" Margaret called. "Your left!"

He turned a second too late. A wolf slammed into his side, sending him stumbling backward. He regained his footing just as another leapt toward his throat.

Xavier raised his dagger, knowing he wouldn’t block in time.

A flash of purple intercepted the wolf, Naomi’s blade slicing cleanly through its snowy form. Simultaneously, a golden light blazed on his right as Ashley stepped in, her hand extended. A wolf that had been circling behind Xavier suddenly dispersed into glittering snow.

They’d moved in perfect synchronization, without a word exchanged.

"Having fun?" Naomi asked, her back now pressed against his.

"I had them right where I wanted them," Xavier muttered.

"Sure you did." Ashley positioned herself on his other side, forming a triangle. Her golden fractures pulsed with steady light. "Your new abilities require calibration."

The remaining wolves circled more cautiously now, wary of the newcomers.

"Let me help," Calypso said, stepping forward. Pink-gold cards materialized between her fingers. "Queen of Hearts."

She flicked the card toward Xavier. It dissolved into light that washed over him. Instantly, his perception sharpened. The wolves seemed to move more slowly, or rather, his ability to track them improved.

"Enhanced perception," Calypso explained. "For about three minutes."

"Handy trick," Xavier said, adjusting his stance.

With renewed focus, Xavier could see the patterns in the wolves’ movements. They were coordinated, but predictable. He began timing his strikes better, his Counter Strikes landing more consistently. His meter climbed: 120/300, 175/300, 220/300.

Naomi moved like a shadow beside him, her dagger finding weak points with surgical precision. Ashley didn’t fight so much as simply unmake her opponents, her golden light disrupting whatever magic held the wolves together.

Margaret stayed with the horses, but occasionally called out warnings or directions. Calypso remained still, observing rather than participating.

As the pack thinned, Xavier found his rhythm. Counter Strike, Perfect Dodge, Basic Combo – his techniques flowed more naturally now, his body adjusting to its enhanced capabilities. His meter reached 290/300.

"Almost there," he muttered.

The last three wolves bunched together, then split apart to attack from different angles. Xavier timed his movement, sidestepping the first, blocking the second with a dagger, and preparing to counter the third.

His meter hit 300/300.

\[FEVER MODE ACTIVATED\]

Pink-purple energy erupted around him, his eyes glowing with power. Time seemed to stretch as his perception heightened even further. The wolf approaching him might as well have been moving through molasses.

Xavier moved with supernatural speed, his daggers striking in a perfect five-hit combination that shredded the wolf into harmless snow. He spun, taking down the second wolf with equal ease.

The third wolf, seeing its companions fall, turned to flee.

"Oh no you don’t," Xavier said, his voice echoing with power. "VIOLET FINALE!"

He didn’t consciously know what the technique would do, but his body moved on instinct. His daggers traced violet lines in the air as he executed a complex pattern. Energy built with each movement until, with the final strike, it released in a concentrated beam that struck the fleeing wolf.

The creature exploded into crystalline fragments that hung suspended in the air for a moment before dissolving into nothing.

The forest fell silent.

Xavier stood in the aftermath, breathing heavily. The excess energy dissipated, his eyes returning to normal. His meter reset to 0/300.

"That was..." he began.

"Reckless," Ashley finished.

"Unnecessary," Calypso added.

"Impressive," Naomi admitted, though her tone suggested she wasn’t entirely happy about it.

Margaret approached from where she’d been guarding the horses. "Everyone alright?"

Xavier sheathed his daggers, trying not to look as embarrassed as he felt. "Fine. Just testing the new abilities."

"By using yourself as bait?" Calypso asked, her arms crossed.

Xavier couldn’t argue with that. He’d underestimated both the effectiveness of the taunt and his own unfamiliarity with his enhanced abilities. If Naomi and Ashley hadn’t stepped in when they did...

"Thank you," he said quietly. "Both of you."

Ashley nodded once, her expression unreadable. Naomi just shrugged, but the corner of her mouth twitched upward.

"The horses are spooked," Margaret reported. "We should keep moving before more predators show up."

"Agreed," Xavier said, grateful for the change of subject. "We’ve got a lot of ground to cover."

As they mounted up, Calypso pulled her horse alongside Xavier’s. "That ability," she said softly. "Violet Finale. It wasn’t supposed to manifest yet."

"What do you mean?"

"Your soul bond system usually requires multiple deep connections to unlock the higher techniques. You should need at least three bonds at 60% or higher."

Xavier frowned. "But I only have one. You."

"Exactly." Calypso glanced meaningfully at Ashley and Naomi, who rode ahead of them. "Something’s changed in the system. I don’t know if it’s because of what happened in Hearthome, or because of Ashley’s transformation, or something else entirely."

"Is that bad?"

"Not necessarily. But it means we’re in uncharted territory." She watched him carefully. "Your abilities are evolving faster than expected. That could be dangerous if you can’t control them."

Xavier thought about how he’d almost been overwhelmed by what should have been a minor threat. "I’ll be more careful next time."

"See that you are." Calypso’s tone softened. "I didn’t save you from death just to watch you get eaten by snow puppies."

"That would be pretty embarrassing."