Glen was naturally capable of suppressing this restlessness. He nonchalantly lowered his head and directed his gaze towards the peculiar apparatus.

Upon doing so, Glen was instantly filled with astonishment.

The moonlight, resembling a spotlight, cast a column of light that shone directly upon the apparatus.

Filaments, like floating ribbons, coiled around it. Despite the apparatus not being aesthetically pleasing, the sight was indescribably beautiful.

Glen then turned his eyes towards the woman, on the verge of asking a question, when the woman placed a finger to her lips, gesturing for him to be silent.

The light penetrated the hood, and he caught sight of a pair of vermilion lips, as fiery as flames, exuding an alluring charm.

The way those lips formed the shushing gesture was enough to quicken any man's heartbeat; they were simply too seductive!

Glen merely swallowed the question that had risen to his lips. He surmised why the woman was dressed in such a manner.

He dared not fathom what kind of bewitching beauty might lie beneath that tattered black robe.

Glen focused his attention on the apparatus and waited in silence.

Under the illumination of the moonlight, the apparatus emitted a faint, unobtrusive light that flickered rhythmically, and this persisted.

Glen considered himself to be quite patient, yet over three hours had elapsed, and there was still no end in sight.

Out of boredom, he decided to take out a book to while away the time.

Another hour or so passed, and Glen, who was reading by the moonlight, suddenly noticed a dimming before his eyes.

He looked up and saw that the spotlight - like beam of moonlight shining on the peculiar apparatus had vanished.

He then glanced at the sky and realized that the moon had been obscured by clouds. Presumably, they would have to wait for the moon to emerge again to continue. So, he lowered his head, closed the book, and prepared to take a brief nap.

But the woman suddenly spoke, "That's done."

"Ah?" Glen opened his eyes in surprise. "Aren't we waiting for the moon to come out and resume?"

The woman crouched down and adjusted the apparatus, saying, "This process cannot be interrupted. If it is, it signifies the end."

Glen nodded, deeming it appropriate to pose questions to the woman now. So, he said, "Did you come here specifically to collect this so - called moonlight magic power?"

"Sort of," the woman replied equivocally.

"Is this place special, then?"

"Not particularly."

"Then why did you have to come here to do this?"

"Because it's necessary."

Glen rubbed his temples, feeling that conversing with this woman was rather tiresome, despite her pleasant voice.

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"Well, you carry on. I'm leaving." As Glen didn't sense any malice from the woman, he decided to return to the deer - drawn cart, take a short nap, and continue his journey the next day.

However, he had scarcely taken a few steps when an intense longing, originating from the very depths of his soul, permeated every pore of his body.

Glen spun around abruptly and saw the woman in the black robe retrieving a spherical stone from the apparatus. The stone fit neatly in her hand and emitted a faint glow of moonlight.

It was this spherical stone that was exuding that overwhelmingly powerful longing.

Every cell in Glen's body was compelling him to obtain that object at all costs.

The woman turned her head, waved the stone in her hand, and asked in a provocative voice, "Do you desire it?"

He desired it desperately!… Glen exclaimed in his heart, yet what emerged from his lips was, "No, I don't."

With that, Glen turned around and walked away. The object clearly seemed suspicious, and his rationality told him it was best to refrain from touching it, even though his soul and body were protesting.

The woman remained rooted to the spot, like a statue. The expression beneath her hood was one of sheer shock.

She couldn't believe that she had miscalculated.

The stone in her hand should have exerted a fatal attraction on werewolves. Even if the one before her was a special werewolf, he should not have been able to resist this temptation.

Uttering a refusal should have been nigh impossible.

Yet, not only had he refused, but he had smoothly turned around and even walked away!

By sensing the changes in the magic power in the air, she was certain that the stone had taken effect.

That meant the werewolf had resisted the temptation through sheer willpower.

It was simply inconceivable!

She remained stunned for a long time until Glen was on the verge of crossing the hillock. Then, she put away the stone, cast a spell, and drew Glen back to her side.

Glen stared at the suddenly altered scene in a daze. He had been so engrossed in resisting the desire that his reaction was somewhat sluggish.

He furrowed his brows and looked at the mysterious woman before him. "What are you attempting to do?"

The woman let out a soft chuckle. "You're truly extraordinary, more fascinating than anyone I've ever encountered. Perhaps you're destined to achieve great feats."

These bewildering words only made Glen want to roll his eyes.

Then, he heard the woman say, "Do you wish to know what that stone is?"

"What is it?" Glen asked, playing along.

"It's a fragment of the moon, the sole object capable of condensing the magic power of the moonlight," the woman explained.

She walked over to her satchel, sat down, took out a cup from which steam was rising, brought it to her hood, and took a delicate sip before continuing, "Legend has it that the creator of werewolves was enamored with the Moon Goddess. Thus, wolves or werewolves are innately drawn to the moon. It's said that even the most ferocious werewolf can regain their self - control under the illumination of pure moonlight magic power. An intriguing tale, isn't it?"

After hearing this, Glen understood why he had reacted so peculiarly earlier.

Simultaneously, he became more vigilant towards the woman before him. Since she could discern his werewolf identity, she must be quite extraordinary. It was highly likely that her presence here was not a coincidence but rather that she had been waiting for him deliberately.

"But you..." The woman's pitch - black hood swiveled, as if she were looking at Glen, revealing a hint of the outline of her chin. "But you, young man, you've truly exceeded my expectations. To resist that kind of desire requires an astonishing amount of self - control. Perhaps this is why... no, only you are worthy of possessing that power and opportunity."

That power and opportunity? Could she know something? About me... Glen pondered the woman's words in his mind while maintaining an attentive demeanor on the surface.

"I think you've guessed it. I'm here specifically to await you, and the moonstone was prepared expressly for you, free of charge. Now..."

The woman took out the faintly glowing moonstone once more. "Tell me, do you still desire it?"

Glen turned his head aside and replied in the same tone as before, "No, I don't."

Are you kidding? The things that come for free are often the costliest!… This was his thought.

Glen waited for a long while, but there was no response. So, he stole a sidelong glance.

To his surprise, the woman was already standing before him, looking down at him in a strange manner.

Perhaps due to some magic she had cast, the area beneath the hood was so dark that even Glen's night - vision ability could not penetrate it; he could only see from the nose down.

But at this moment, none of that mattered because a drop of saliva was on the verge of dripping onto his face!

"What are you up to?!" Glen exclaimed, quickly stepping back and demanding an answer.

The woman seemed to come to her senses, reaching out to wipe away the saliva that had almost dropped. "I'm truly sorry. I couldn't help myself. You're simply too alluring..."

Damn! What kind of lewd remarks are these?!… Glen regarded her with a look of disbelief.