"Did... did it work?" Luke inexplicably felt nervous. He held his breath, looking at Shane.
Shane shook his head with a complicated expression.
This was sloppy!
Just from this result, it couldn't be proven that the Evil Sealing Method theory was a failure. Whether due to the order of operations or the strength of the power, there was a huge possibility that the Evil Sealing Method's primary target was the Alpha's venom.
To truly verify the theory, he'd need to find a werewolf who only had the bloodline and no other external forces acting on them.
Fortunately, it wasn't a total loss. By a stroke of luck, it proved that the Evil Sealing Methodcould seal Alpha venom. By extension, it should also be able to seal other similar supernatural forces.
Like, vampires?
If used on someone bitten by a vampire before they turned, it should be able to stop the transformation.
"Failed, huh... I knew it was impossible." Luke looked dejected.
As a werewolf who was turned later in life, he knew exactly how painful becoming one was.
Life, habits, identity, worldview—everything changed because of it.
He had really hoped Shane would succeed.
"I wouldn't say failed. At least it proved it can seal Alpha venom. The Evil Sealing Method can likely only seal one type of power at a time. If there's a healthy werewolf available, I think it's still worth another try."
Shane thought for a moment and added, "It would be even better if there was a subject who had just been infected with werewolf venom but hadn't fully turned yet. Even if I can't turn a werewolf back into a human, I might be able to stop a human from becoming a werewolf."
"Really?"
Luke perked up.
"The probability of success is extremely high. Alpha venom and regular werewolf venom should have similar properties. If the Evil Sealing Method can seal Alpha venom, it should be able to seal regular venom too."
"Leave it to me. If this succeeds, it will save many people's lives." Luke took the responsibility upon himself, sighing solemnly to Shane.
"Told you this guy was a good person," Shane said to Olivia with a smile.
Olivia replied, "You're a good person too."
"I just wanted to verify my theory. My starting point wasn't to help others. Lifting a finger to help is fine, but sacrificing myself for others is impossible." Shane considered himself not a bad person at best, with his own moral code and bottom line.
"You two should leave first. It's best not to come here for a while. Call if you need anything," Luke warned.
The result of the Alpha challenge was still unknown. Regardless of whether Theo was dead or alive, the other werewolves definitely wouldn't let Shane off the hook when they returned.
The werewolves might prioritize internal affairs first, but that didn't mean they'd let an enemy go.
Shane nodded and said to Olivia, "Let's find another place to eat. I lost so much blood; I need to replenish it."
Olivia grabbed their things and prepared to leave with Shane.
At the door, Shane seemed to remember something and turned back to ask Luke, "By the way, do you know a restaurant called the Williamsburg Diner?"
Luke thought for a moment and shook his head. "Doesn't ring a bell. Why?"
"Look it up for me. It should be near the Williamsburg Bridge." Shane waved his hand, pushed open the door, and left with Olivia.
Leaving the Jade Wolf without incident, Shane took Olivia to a high-end restaurant with a good reputation. Olivia, who had been clamoring about hunger earlier, had lost all interest in food after the events at the Jade Wolf. Although she ate plenty, her attention wasn't on the meal at all.
"This was a real eye-opener. So that's what werewolves are like. That Alpha, Theo, really got screwed by you. And the other werewolves—incited to rebellion by just a few words."
"There are many branches of werewolves. This pack is actually decent; they just follow the pack's creed. I know of a werewolf pack that was domesticated by vampires because they became addicted to vampire blood. They turned into simple-minded beasts with brawn but no brains. Their creed is that a successful challenger must not only kill the former Alpha but also eat his corpse."
Olivia looked at the steak in front of her and instantly lost her appetite. She asked with some concern, "Will we be in trouble?"
"Not for a while."
Shane reassured her, "For the next few days, we'll just enjoy looking around and see if we can find a house we like. Once there's news, we'll leave New York for Pennsylvania to see a demon."
"What news?"
"You'll know when the time comes."
Chatting while eating, the meal took about an hour. Leaving the restaurant, they had no mood for shopping and went straight back to the hotel to rest.
For convenience, Shane took Olivia to a dealership the next day to pick up a car.
An SUV.
Ford Explorer.
Shane wasn't impressed. The price was too cheap—less than fifty thousand dollars all-in.
Did my lack of spending give you the illusion that I'm going bankrupt? Fifty thousand dollars is only 500 points. Not even enough for one ten-draw.
Olivia argued her case eloquently: First, she liked the car, and she was the driver, not Shane. Second, given Shane's style, this car would probably be abandoned somewhere soon anyway. Finally, the rear seats and trunk had plenty of space, allowing Shane more room to buy, buy, buy along the way.
Good use of flanking tactics. Shane compromised.
Over the next few days, they drove that car through almost every street and alley in Brooklyn.
Besides shopping, enjoying life, and experiencing the city's charm, Shane didn't forget business. He successively contacted several real estate agencies and individual brokers, eyeing a few decent properties. He was just waiting for more money to accumulate in his account to buy them all at once.
For the past few days, he had two shadow clones active almost 24/7. His current chakra could sustain two clones for about five hours. When the clones ran out of chakra, his own chakra would have recovered about 70-80%, allowing him to summon them again. Rinse and repeat.
Ding.
Just as Shane and Olivia walked out of a luxury store, his phone beeped.
It was a text from Luke containing the address of the Williamsburg Diner that Shane had asked him to investigate a few days ago.
"Let's go here." Shane handed the phone to Olivia, the corners of his mouth curling up in anticipation.
The Williamsburg Diner—now that was a restaurant full of joy!
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