On the other side of the room, the other four guards panicked and jumped up, knocking their table over in the process.  

"What the hell!" another beastling exclaimed in surprise while pulling a large hammer from his back. "How did he get out?! Is he a technus?!" 

"Never mind how he got out!" a human cried out in panic while drawing a sword from his side. "I want to know where the fuck his collar went! You do realize this guy has all his cores at the fifth rank, right?!" 

Before the remaining two guards could offer their opinion, a furious Kane stepped out of his cage and immediately targeted the guard who banged against his cage and was now struggling to get back up on his feet. "D— Don't get closer!" he frantically exclaimed. 

But Kane ignored him. With a blood thirsty grin, he closed the distance, grabbed the man by his neck, and hoisted him upwards, until he was dangling in the air. "Unfortunately, I don't have time to make you hurt," he growled, before quickly snapping the bandit's neck. 

The beastling only had a second-ranked blood core. Thus, his body's defences crumbled before Kane's fifth-rank blood core, boosted by his volfar blood. 

Meanwhile, the other four guards were still in the process of responding to his escape, let alone the killing of their fellow guard. The first two guards who spoke earlier looked at the dead guard's body, and fear began to fill their hearts. 

In contrast to the first two, the other two guards seemed be a little more confident. "Dammit, calm down you idiots! He's just one man!" A second beastling roared while pulling a spear from his back.  

"Right!" the fourth nodded, and actually seemed a little excited. Apparently uncaring for their dead colleague. 

This guard was a human woman, who unsheathed two long swords, and pointed one of them at the approaching Kane. "Stop right there! You may be strong, but you're outnumbered, naked, and without a weapon! Plus, your escape is already on camera, more of us will come soon!" 

But he didn't stop. Rage and urgency bubbled up inside him, and it was activating instincts that were new to him, yet strangely comfortable. Bloodlust seeped into his eyes, and he felt the desire to rip these people limb from limb to instil them with a fear that would seep into their very bones.  

He grinned menacingly, his heart pounding with a primal fury that he could barely control, "No weapon, you say? You may be right, but who needs a weapon when..."  

At this point, his grin morphed into something far more terrifying. His eyes turned red, pitch-black fur grew all over his body, his limbs elongated, devastating claws replaced his nails, and his back gained a slight hunch.  

"I. Am. The weapon!" he roared, charging the last few feet between him and the guards. 

Instantly, fear overtook his opponents, and they froze. It was clearly the first time they had ever seen a volfar transform, but that wasn't all, Kane's eyes shone with a dreadful crimson, and the guards felt their fear rising to disproportionate levels. 

Before they could shake off that fear, Kane had already reached them, and sunk his claws into the spear-wielder's chest. 

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Finally, the others reacted. 

"What the fuck!" 

"Holy shit, Kade is dead!" 

"Attack you idiots!" 

Instantly, three sword and a large hammer came flying at him, but they were attacks thrown in panic while they tried to distance themselves from the rampaging volfar. 

Kane's entire body suddenly became covered in a squirming shadow. It looked like the technique he used back in Riftshade to cover his hand in shadows, but now covering his entire body. 

The shadowy substance blended seamlessly with his pitch-black fur, truly turning him into a creature of nightmares, while also strengthening his defences.  

He sidestepped the hammer with agile grace, feeling the rush of air as it whooshed past him. The swords clanged against his fur, the impact sending vibrations through his transformed body, but failing to even phase him. 

Lunging forward, he swiped his clawed hands at the hammer wielder and tore out of his throat. The hammer-wielder gurgled and sank to the floor.  

With the beastlings now dead, Kane turned his attention to the sword-wielding humans, who both seemed to be pissing themselves in fear.  

Their bodies were shaking, and their eyes were wide. Energy moved around their bodies as they tried to use their techniques and elements, but their shaken minds found it impossible. 

Surprisingly, Kane found himself revelling in their dread. He even felt their emotions making him stronger. For a moment, he paused as he let that feeling fill him, but then his discipline reared its head, and he stamped it down.  

He already knew where that feeling was coming from, and he refused to let it overwhelm him. 

He charged at the remaining two guards, and they immediately broke ranks. They tried to run towards what appeared to be an open door, but before they could reach it, the door suddenly slammed shut. 

"What?!" the woman yelled in surprise and dread. 

"N— No! No no no!" the man screamed as panic and fear started taking over completely. He ran up to the door and started banging on it. "Let us out! In the name of the gods, let us out!" 

But the door didn't open again, and the explanation for that soon echoed in Kane's head, "I've already started taking control of this place. The encryption of its mainframe is quite advanced, but the systems are severely degraded." 

"Good job, Ella," Kane grinned menacingly as he reached the male guard, grabbed his head, and smashed it against the door, cracking it like an egg. 

Besides him, the female guard had sunk to her knees and simply looked at him like he was the devil reincarnate, her body immobile, and her mouth opening and closing as if wanting to say something. 

Fear had gripped her heart and immobilized her body. 

But Kane didn't kill this one. Instead, he used his large, clawed hands to grab her by the throat and slam her against the door, before slowly moving his transformed, volfar muzzle, filled with fangs, close to her face. His lips curled up as he snarled at her but didn't say anything. 

"I—I—I—" she stuttered fearfully, her brown eyes staring into the endless abyss of crimson dread that was Kane's gaze. 

Then, he suddenly opened his maw wide, and roared in the woman's face. But rather than a normal roar, this one was infused with power. The sound rolled over her head and reverberated in her mind, until finally, her eyes rolled up into her head and she fainted. 

Kane pulled back, and tossed the woman to the floor, grinning slightly. "'Echo of Terror', huh?" he chuckled softly. "I like it." 

This was a skill from the Crescent Moon Manual, that he'd decided to test out. It spread fear to anyone who heard it, and even had a chance to overwhelm the opponent if they were already afraid.  

Technically, he didn't have to roar for it, as he could simply infuse his vocal cords with the skill, but it was the most natural application. 

With all the guards dead or incapacitated, he quickly tried to contact his partner, "Luna? How's it going over there?" 

He waited for a response. One second… two… 

But when none came, he frowned. He could feel his messages were reaching her, she just wasn't responding for some reason.