Chapter 27 - 26. Trapped

A deadly countdown ticked off before Eden's eyes. For an instant, the werewolf had lost all ability to think. His eyes were fixed on the numbers which were inexorably decreasing with each passing second. The male omega would read the same lines over and over again that followed the stats of his completely white-minded fated mate.

[Stats are blocked. The subject has been cursed.

Current debuff: Shifting to werewolf form and wolf form is impossible. Time before death 87 days 19 hours 33 seconds.]

What was that? Time before death? Cursed? Shifting is impossible? This can't be real? But what if it was? Was his mate really cursed? Was he going to die? He felt like a stab in his heart and something crashed inside his stomach. Just the idea of losing him was unbearable. He didn't understand what was going on. How could it all be real?

As the omega was lost in thought, the panel changed and additional information popped up as if to answer his questions.

[Stats are blocked.

The subject has reached the limits allowed by his condition. Werewolf race's abilities cannot be used without a counter-effect.

List of counter-effects:

HP: -1 every 10 seconds

Bloodlust: +3 every 10 seconds.

"What does it mean ?" Eden finally asked aloud to the will-o'-the-wisp who was still in front of him.

"The Fated Mate is cursed. The bond with The Chosen One is impossible until the curse is lifted. "

"I can read! I want you to explain! What do you mean by cursed? Who did such a thing? And how do you remove the curse? " Anger took hold of Eden.

Just as he finished his sentence, the screen changed again and the young man read the message that had just appeared.

[Quest 'Bonded by Fate' available.

Test your connection to your Fated mate and lift the curse 'Blood of the Witch'. Requirements: Level 100 Rewards: Curse lifted - Special skill x 2]

"A quest? If I am successful, that curse or whatever will be lifted and Glen will be out of harm's way? "

The voice echoed through the room as the will-o'-the-wisp continued to emit its soft blue light. Eden turned his head towards the luminous form and the dashboard disappeared from his eyesight.

"If the Chosen One succeeds the quest, the curse will be broken and the Fated mate will be freed from his death."

"All right! And what should I do? "

"You must defeat the foe who stained the blood of the Witch and free the Heir."

"OK. And how do I do that? Does this enemy have a name? Better yet, an address? If so, can you tell me, so I can sort things out quickly and get back into my pack and my man? "

"When the Chosen One is ready, the foe will come to you. Any hesitation will mean death for the Chosen One and his fated mate. "

"Why do I have the impression that this is going to be even more complicated than it looks?" Eden muttered in a bad mood at the vague answer.

The holographic dashboard appeared in sight of the omega, who let out a sigh as he read the message.

[Accept the quest? YES / NO]

"Like I had a choice." He replied, not bothering to hide his annoyance. He selected his answer and a ringtone rang. The will-o'-the-wisp magically evaporated and the message on the screen changed once again.

[Start training]

The sentence written in white letters flashed before Eden's eyes and the young man stared at it with a raised eyebrow before turning off the screen. Training? No, he needed to come back to his mate. He had to warn him of what was going to happen and think about what they were going to be able to do while they waited for the enemy to reveal themselves. The panel he had dismissed reappeared the next second.

What is it? Does the system tell him that he needs to work out to succeed in his quest? Why would he need training? His stats were more than respectable. As if to answer his question the quest page appeared and Eden noticed an element he hadn't seen the first time. [Requirement: Level 100.]

He needed to reach level 100 to access the quest. The werewolf checked his level on his stats page and a wave of despair washed over him. He switched to look at his mate's information and saw that the counter had already lost six minutes. That's right. Now was not the time to waste. If it took training to save his mate, he would do it. They couldn't ignore this threat. He turned off the screen again and waited to leave the room.

As the omega wondered if all fated mates had this kind of ordeal, he noticed he still hadn't budged. He looked at the screen, which again showed the message, suggesting that he workout.

"No. Log out." The werewolf uttered in a clear voice.

Nothing happened again and the same message was before his eyes.

"Log out!" Eden repeated in a louder voice and finally, the message changed.

[It is not possible to exit the system once the quest has been accepted. Start training.]

He frowned and stifled the panic that wanted to take hold of him. Was the system telling him he couldn't exit until he hit level 100? It's impossible, right? He must have misunderstood. He looked around. Outside of the screen that diffused its pale light, there was absolutely nothing but void and darkness. His heart ached at the thought that his alpha was dying and he decided to comply with the message. He tried to remember how he got into the system.

The first time was after being unconscious after his heats, and the second time was after losing consciousness after his mate rejected him. Either way, he came here after losing consciousness. Was that the key? He had to lose consciousness to get to that place, so he had to regain consciousness to leave it? Never mind. He was going to practice while waiting to regain consciousness! But how to do it?

He looked around wondering how to increase his level when he felt a strange sensation in his body. As if his whole body was suddenly sucked into something, he landed in a place that reminded him of the forest in the Bloodhood's domain. He looked around carefully and changed his mind. The forest surrounding his pack is less dense and the climate also seems more humid and much warmer. The conditions were borderline bearable. Training in a place like this wasn't going to be fun.

He was pondering what he was going to be able to do in practice when he saw the werewolves appear as a draw and stared at him threateningly.

He barely had time to deliberate when growls and howls rose near him and all over the forest.

"Don't tell me this is the training?" Eden muttered, shifting.

He was surrounded by three werewolves and it only took a second for him to guess from the pheromones that there was an alpha among them. The golden-fur omega stared at his opponents one after the other and the screen appeared before his eyes.

[Use your speed to outrun your opponents. Return to the safety point before the end of the countdown.]

"Are you serious?"

He had barely had time to protest when a huge growl ripped through the calm of the forest. A werewolf with dirty brown fur was staring at him with an evil eye. He glanced at the sharp teeth and his body acted before he even thought. The omega had left its location and entered the forest. The three werewolves on his tail were running, slaloming between the trees to catch up with him. He was running without knowing where he was going, his senses sharp to pick up any noise or scent that indicated the enemy's position.

There was no path and the terrain was uneven and rough. His footsteps crunched each time they alighted on the dead leaves that covered the slightly slippery ground from the humidity. Eden looked up and saw one of the werewolves chasing him jump up and land on the tree just in front of him. The young man braked suddenly and changed direction. He slid lightly on the moss mat and turned his head. The jaw that had closed just inches from his face seemed to be in slow motion.

He continued on his way, quickening his run looking around for a passage that would allow him to put some distance between himself and his pursuers. He then heard a howl used to transmit a position and gritted his teeth before accelerating again. His eyes scanned the space around him when he spotted a yellow marking that clashed with the unspoiled appearance of the forest. Right. The purpose of this hellish training was to outrun his opponents.

The system wanted that when he reached the safety point. Eden walked towards the mark and began to look for the next clue without slowing down his race. But that was without counting the newcomers. Five, if his ears weren't playing tricks on him. Damn! Why was it so hard? One in front, one to the southwest, and the other three to his left. Their position seemed a little strange. Why cut him off this path?

The omega followed his instincts and abruptly changed course again. He turned to his left. He was now running straight for the three werewolves who were arriving as reinforcements. His other pursuers had already adjusted to his new course and he was now surrounded.

The three enemies arrived towards him, one ahead with the two others in withdrawal. He waited for the right timing and plunged to the ground between the two werewolves on the right side. The mixture of damp soil and leaves helped him slide and Eden quickly rose to its feet to resume his flight. He now had eight dominants chasing him.

The golden werewolf picked up the pace and then spotted a new yellow marking on a tree's trunk. His instinct hadn't deceived him. He headed straight for the mark, his eyes scanning the surroundings incessantly as his speed searched for another landmark.

Behind him, he heard more growls and snarls. The number of his pursuers had increased. Alone against a dozen of dominants, the sub didn't stand a chance. He kept moving forward, dodging trees and obstacles when a side impact cut him off and knocked him to the ground.

The omega flew several meters and landed on a tree. The broken trunk leaned dangerously above him. Stunned, Eden shook his head to dispel the dizziness and winced when he felt the pain in his ribs. Five werewolves blocked his way. He was thinking of a trick to escape when he saw two new yellow markings just behind them a short distance from each other.

He peered away in their extension then redirected his attention to the five opponents who were advancing step by step. He heard the footsteps of others who blocked his retreat path.

The screen appeared in front of his eyes and he quickly read the displayed message.

[Strategy: Use the terrain to your advantage and reach the point of safety.]

He looked around and noticed light blue circles that materialized what seemed to be the stage points of a trajectory to escape the ambush closing in on him. Without hesitation, Eden ran towards the first circle which was on the werewolf which approached him, the mouth turned up in a grunt which let his sharp teeth appear. He leaned on and jumped on his opponent.

The grey furry dominant, surprised, had no time to react when Eden's claws planted on either side of his shoulders. He helped himself to the werewolf's body and leaped to the second mark on a log next to it.

Eden followed the circles one by one in the forest and, quickly, the shape of a hut appeared between two trees. His goal!

He quickened his pace. Behind him, the growls increased but the omega continued straight ahead. His muscles ached, but he strengthened his whole body. He came to a glade where a tiny wooden shelter was nestled.

The omega cursed in his head when he saw several werewolves coming in from all sides to prevent him from reaching the cabin. All the circles had vanished apart from a huge one right over the door of the wooden construction.

Eden's jaw clenched and the teen accelerated, throwing his last strength into the final sprint. He barely dodged his enemies by slipping between two of them. Without slowing down, he crashed the door open before rolling onto the floor. Immediately a ringing echoed in his head. He opened his eyes and noticed he was back in the dark room. The holographic screen opened before his eyes.

[Congratulations! You have reached the goal.

Rewards: All stats increased.

Strength: +5

Speed: +15

Agility: +10

Intelligence: +5

Level: +1.]