Renegade's Dominion

That bear was far more than just a bear. Ty understood that much now.

His plan to use his Unique Skill, Out of Body Experience, to possess the beast and destroy it from within had failed spectacularly. That strategy had crumbled, leaving nothing but the harsh reality that he would have to find another way fast, if he wanted to save Kaiden and the goblins.

"What—what should I do?!"

Precious moments were slipping away. Out there, Kaiden was risking his life, holding back a monster that was stronger, faster, and far more dangerous than anything they had faced. The goblins were in the thick of it too, fighting for every breath they could steal. And here was Tyberius, hesitating.

Call it thinking. Call it recalibrating for better options. No matter the label, the truth was far less flattering. Being a coward equals being a coward.

And yes, he was afraid. He had every reason to be. He had nearly lost his soul not long ago. If he wasn't cautious now, if he simply threw himself into the fight without thinking, he might very well be exactly what the crueler voices in his mind accused him of being: the fool that doesn't belong to this warring era is what he is.

But could he really just stand here, paralyzed? Could caution be the only thing left for him to cling to? No. Not exactly.

Tyberius' wolf form was no ordinary wolf. It was elder-blooded, stronger even than Kaiden's alpha strength. If the two of them fought side-by-side, their combined might could tip the balance, maybe even turn this hopeless clash into a victory.

There was no point in sitting here debating. The idea had struck, and he was going to see it through, no matter the cost.

This world was a brutal, merciless place, filled with dangers beyond imagining. If he couldn't survive this trial, how could he ever hope to overcome the greater horrors that surely lay ahead? Survival, raw and unyielding, was his ultimate goal. And sometimes, to survive, you have to be willing to venture straight into the lion's den.

Survival is undeniably his primary goal in this world. For that very goal, battling the Bear was a necessary cause, if only for the experience that would be obtained in the heat of battle. He did lack in terms of combat, so what better was to brush that up than the opportunity provided to him now?!

That saying did connote that experience was the best teacher you could get. This is Ty getting one up close and personal.

Just like the other saying goes: success cannot be achieved if failure is never once experienced!

"We are going out there, Braham," Ty growled, already letting his body shift. Bones restructured, fur bristled along his spine, and his form expanded into that of the towering, silver-gray elder wolf.

For survival. For the sake of his own life and theirs, he stepped boldly into the wild.

---

Kaiden was having more than just a rough time. He had already unleashed every ace in his arsenal, and so far, every attempt had ended in disappointment.

Biting. Clawing. Even slamming his entire weight into the bear, driving it hard enough to rattle the trees. None of it mattered. The monster simply shook it off, weaving around his strikes as though they were meaningless. Any wounds Kaiden managed to inflict seemed to fade before they could matter.

He was running out of breath, his chest rising and falling in heavy bursts. But running away? Impossible. If he turned his back, the goblins would be slaughtered in moments. He might be fast enough to escape the bear, but they were not. They would barely make it ten paces before those massive claws tore through them.

Kaiden couldn't let that come to be.

He had sworn an oath. The lord he served, Tyberius had promised protection to the goblin kind. To flee now would be nothing less than breaking that promise. It would be treachery to the Elder he had pledged his loyalty to.

Even if it meant his death, Kaiden would never betray that vow. His loyalty was a living, breathing thing, deeply rooted in his very bones.

So he pressed forward. Again and again. It didn't matter how many times the bear repelled him. It didn't matter that every attack felt increasingly futile. He would keep going until his body gave out, until he was drawing his final breath.

He surged toward the bear, paws pounding the earth. At the last moment, mere inches from impact, he veered sharply to the right. The move was sudden, unpredictable. It threw the bear off for a split second, just long enough for Kaiden to slam his full weight into its left leg.

The bear staggered. Its great bulk tilted sideways. For an instant, Kaiden thought he had done it, that he had brought down the mountain of muscle.

But then, impossibly, the creature caught itself. Its other leg shot backward, digging deep into the soil to regain balance. It planted its weight firmly and, with terrifying speed, lashed out with its right claw.

The strike landed before Kaiden could react. Agonizing fire ripped through his side as those claws tore into him.

A choked growl escaped his throat as he stumbled back, dragging himself just outside the bear's reach. He glanced down, blood was staining his fur. It wasn't gushing, but the sight was enough to churn his stomach.

Pain throbbed through him, each movement sending a fresh wave through his ribs. His body was reaching its limits. His muscles screamed in protest, a deep ache radiating from every joint.

This wasn't working. Charging over and over would only get him killed. He needed a new approach, something different, before the damage piled too high and his body failed him completely.

But before he could think of what that might be—

A shadow leapt over him.

A massive wolf, basking in a dignified, powerful, and all too familiar presence landed in front of him, paws tearing into the ground as it sprinted toward the bear.

Tyberius had arrived.