Thora's POV: After dinner, I went straight to my room and powered up my computer, ready to code. Back in the apocalypse, I'd dabbled in everything—computer skills, programming, and writing commands. I was way ahead of most so-called experts. This time, though, I needed to create an encryption system that Luke couldn't crack. That was no small feat. Writing a flawless system was a lot harder than just breaking into one. After typing out another set of commands, I paused for a breather and suddenly remembered the "Werewolf Battlefield Simulator" Felix had installed for me. I picked up my phone and opened the app. The loading screen's intro spelled it out clearly: this game simulated the terrain of the Astralis Empire and every neighboring werewolf empire, along with the power distribution of each pack. Besides, it also recreated pheromone clashes during real werewolf battles, wolf spirit skill combos, and even incorporated advanced weapon systems used by modern werewolves. Even every empire's famous tactical strategies were meticulously replicated. Playing it was a perfect way to study this world's factions and their war strategies—seemed like a time-saving, practical tool for me. Once I figured out the basics, Felix sent a team invite, and I accepted. For the past few days, if I wasn't at school, training, or working on the code, I was playing this game with Felix. We never lost a match when I was in the lineup. Soon, my ranking shot up into the top spots for Starlance City's youth group ... ...After several days of hard work, the encryption program was almost done. There were just a few details left to polish. When I stood to stretch, I felt how much stronger I'd gotten since I'd been reborn. It was time to buy better workout gear. I left my room. The villa was empty, so I stopped a passing maid. "Where is everyone?" She replied, "Ms. Thora, Mrs. Green and Ms. Hazel went out to shop for dresses." That's when I remembered the party Laurel had mentioned. Tomorrow, all the top packs in Starlance City would be at that event, and Norman would be back for it, too. It's the perfect chance for me to figure out the factions' power dynamics and where everyone stands. "Is Felix with them?" "Mr. Felix had class today." It was the weekend, so he must have gone to the special shooting lesson Norman arranged for him. In the modern werewolf world, heirs from military families get themselves trained in close combat and high-tech weapons alike. It appeared that Norman was serious about Felix's future and really did put in the effort to groom him. "I see." I headed down to the garage, found the white sports car Grandpa had given me, and drove to the nearest mall. After picking out new workout equipment, I swiped my card and headed out. Back in the car, I glanced at the card in my hand and made up my mind—I needed to visit Grandpa and my maternal grandfather soon. They were the only two people left who genuinely cared about the original Thora. With that thought in mind, I started the car and headed home. But as I turned a corner, I heard shouting. I didn't plan to get involved, but when I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Felix cornered by a group of adults, my foot hit the brake automatically. I got out and walked over, sizing up the five men. The ringleader—buzz cut, empty-handed—was moving in on Felix. The other four all had clubs in their hands, and they'd cut off any way for Felix to escape. "Tough guy, huh? You got away last time, but you won't be so lucky today!" The leader grabbed Felix by the collar, his tone nasty. Felix's eyes flashed with defiance. He balled his fists, golden wolf energy flaring as he landed a punch in the guy's gut. "Ah! You little brat! How dare you fight back!" The guy doubled over and barked at his crew, "Take him out!" Felix tried to slip past, but the four lackeys closed in with their clubs, swinging for his head. Even though Felix had awakened his wolf spirit and trained hard, he was still a kid. He couldn't take on five adult werewolves at once.He was quickly pushed back, and a club struck his arm, making him grit his teeth in pain. Just then, the closest attacker lifted his club, his dark wolf energy swirling around it as he swung for Felix's head. The blow would be deadly if it landed. I tapped into my power, eyes fixed on the club. "Huh? What the—?" The man froze, unable to budge the club no matter how hard he tried. He yanked again, but the bat suddenly swung the other way and smashed into his own forehead. He dropped to the ground like a broken toy, bleeding and dazed. "What's going on?" The rest of the group stepped back, spooked. Even Felix, clutching his head, looked around in confusion. "Five adults ganging up on one kid? That's classy of you." I finally stepped out of the shadows and walked toward them.