As the light peered through my eyelids, I opened my eyes and yawned loudly as I got up from my bed. Ugh... I almost overdid my hunt yesterday. If it wasn't for my mind being temporarily freed from [Mind Link] for a while, I would have ended up with too many [Horned Rabbits], [Stout Boars], and [Wild Boars] again. Either way, I managed to get back to the village before nightfall and turned in my carcasses at the village hall before going to bed. Once the full moon is over, I might have enough [Lapi] to afford new equipment beyond what Mellie and Fenrir offered me.

  But as soon I got onto my feet, I noticed I was a bit drowsy than before. I'm growling more than usual and I had a sudden urge to bare my teeth and snarl at everything. Plus, my stomach is growling even more as I resist the urge to rush out and follow the scent of raw meat downstairs. Damn... If this is what the [Mind Link's] embarrassing interpretation of an angry werewolf, then I don't know what does.

  I won't go anywhere with my instincts flaring up before tonight. I sat back down on my bed and while I resisted them for a while, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

  "You really are impatient, aren't you?" I muttered. Before I knew it, I heard whimpering noises in my head. "I get it. Tonight's the full moon and you're aching to get out. I know how you feel. I'm also antsy about it, but we won't go anywhere if you keep growling in my head."

  [Grrr...]

  Well, I can't blame him... As the moon drew closer, I could hear my inner wolf outside of my meditation sessions. Fenrir said it's normal if I continue to communicate with him. But in some cases, he kinda annoyed me at the worst times. But that doesn't mean I hate him for it. Rather, it helped me understand him little by little along with the effects of my skill.

  "Don't worry. It won't be long until tonight. Just give me time to prepare and I'll permit you to go wild wherever you want. As long you don't stray off from the village, of course."

  [Bark!]

  I took another deep breath as his growls in my head grew quiet. It won't be long until the fated full moon, so I should enjoy the last days of being a normal [Insignis], I think.

  -----

  After breakfast with Fenrir and Claw, I go out for a walk to stretch my legs. When I looked around, I noticed that the huts and buildings seemed to be barricaded with wooden planks by the villagers. Now that I think about it, I'm not the only one who will be affected by the full moon tonight. What will happen to them while we're transformed into werewolves? Judging by their calm, yet cautious looks while working on the barricades, I have a feeling they might have worked on a solution for a while now.

  [Mr. Lowry?]

  I turn around and see several guards standing right in front of me. "Uh, yeah. Are you here because of Fenrir?"

  [Yes. He ordered us to escort you to the village hall for tonight. He will tell you more about your temporary isolation.]

  So this is what he told me earlier. I would be offended by this. But knowing the uncertainties of my first transformation and years of experience in the lore, I understand their methods.

  "Alright, take me to him."

  I silently followed the guards without any further questions. When I did, I noticed some villagers and trainees stopped what they were doing and watched me. This is a bit awkward since this is like me being escorted to the death penalty or something. But then, some of them started to speak.

  [Hey, don't stray off tonight, kid!]

  [Have fun! But don't let your wolf overhunt!]

  [Be careful, Lowry!]

  [Hope you keep yourself in check during the full moon, young man!]

  Well, that's a surprise. But I appreciate their encouragement. If anything, at least they're aware and share their concerns about me. They helped me so much during my stay here and I want to pay them back beyond with only potions. But for now, it's time to meet up with Fenrir as a village leader once more.

  At the village hall, I'm now sitting on a small sofa in front of his wooden desk. Despite the name, the village hall office in question was nothing more than a 1-story building, which was still impressive considering it was made of clay and concrete in the middle of the forest. The same can be said with the interior with four simple plant decorations. It reminds me of the offices back in real life. Although, I would have been a bit comfortable if it wasn't for the guards surrounding Fenrir's office.

  [I hope you aren't too comfortable with the number of guards in the hall right now.]

  I sheepishly chuckled. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't."

  [Right... Then let's cut to the chase, shall we?] Fenrir clears his throat. [To ensure the safety of the villagers from themselves during the full moon, they must barricade their homes and store their breakable objects beforehand. The usual protocol as my ancestors described.]

  "Protocol"? That sounds like a politician from the modern world would say. Then again, this game is called after all...

  [However, for the marked, we have a different protocol regarding their first transformations. As you already know from your past lessons, most of the marked's first full transformations into [Lycanthropes'] half-wolf forms tend to cause the host to temporarily lose their human minds during the duration of the full moon. Not only that, full moon transformations are often forced upon any unprepared [Lycans]. Normally, transformations can be delayed, but cannot be resisted. But for an inexperienced host like you, you lack enough experience to control it.]

  I see. So once I transform, I can't stop it until the process is completed. I have to keep that in mind.

  [Of course, that would mean they wouldn't recognize [Lycans] and other [Races] as friends or foes. To prevent any damages caused by their first transformations, you will be temporarily exiled to an isolated open area of the for the duration of the full moon. However, you will be observed by other guards to ensure your safety. I apologize for the rough treatment my men will give you tonight. But I assure you that they already connected with their Inner Wolves and will make sure to transport you back once the full moon night ends.]

  I shook my head. "No need to apologize. I understand what you're doing is for the sake of myself and the village. You have justified reasons to keep that protocol so you can keep it safe from inexperienced [Lycan]. Besides, my only concern days before tonight is how the hell am I going to avoid breaking stuff while I'm in wolf form."

  [At least you're the type to think things ahead.]

  Both of us chuckled at this. He was right about one thing. I tend to overthink these kinds of tropes after all.

  "But what about the villagers? I don't know if barricading their homes isn't enough. You said it yourself the full moon transformations are forced."

  [I only choose the right people to observe you after all. In fact, Lawrence volunteered to help out with the guard duty tonight. Which leaves me and the high guards to control the chaos happening in the village. So leave the feral ones to the professionals here.]

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  I hope so... I can't imagine what the old villagers would act as feral werewolves.

  [Now then, all that's left is to surrender your valuable equipment and weapon to me for tonight. There's a chance your wolf side might leave it behind, so it's better to be safe than sorry.]

  I open my inventory and comply with his orders. "About that, my dagger kinda broke from my practice hunt from a few days, so..." I sheepishly chuckle while handing him the [Wool Bandage].

  [Right... Let's leave it at that. And keep your old clothes for the rest of the day. I doubt you have any more use to them after the full moon.]

  He's right. I don't know how realistic will this game's version of a werewolf be. But if I can recall from all of the movies and shows I watched with Bryan in the past, then there's a chance my body will outgrow my clothes tonight. Honestly, it doesn't make any sense if it happens since any clothes and armor I purchased will simply adjust to my size automatically. On the other hand, I haven't changed out from my starter equipment since I started playing this game. The only reason why I kept them is my current [Lapi] budget. I would have earned enough for new equipment at the armory from my stands and hunts if it wasn't for Savior and his guild's stupid "tax rates". If I don't pay them, I would end up becoming monster bait or being a training dummy in PVP arenas.

  But I'm not the same cowardly wallflower anymore. As soon as the blue sky turns dark, the coward known as "Lowry" will be gone forever.

  [Meanwhile at ...]

  In an abandoned building located in the alleyway, a red-haired man in leather armor was staring at the other players organizing their inventories and changing equipment. Just then, another man in the same leather armor approached him and saluted. "The frontline is ready for action, sir!"

  "Good. Tell the backline and navigators to step on it unless they don't want to get left behind," the leader ordered. "The sooner, the better!"

  "Yes, sir!"

  But as the man left, another wearing bronze armor stepped up and asked, "Are you sure we have to go back to the so soon, Sein? I thought Save said..."

  But the leader turned to him and said, "I got a PM from the guild leader." He opened his menu and true to his words, he pulled out a private message that was labeled [From: ]. "Thanks to that support traitor sabotaging our last [Dungeon Run], we lost our powerful weapons and equipment from the penalty. We're only here to scout out the lower floors while he and the other guild members try to farm new equipment to replace the lost ones. Besides, with our new navigators and supports replacing that dumbass after he took his know-it-all brains, all we need to do is to have them run around and memorize the layouts of the rooms while dealing with some nasty traps and monsters along the way."

  "Speaking of which, what about the support traitor?" The man wearing the leather armor asked. "We haven't seen him in and out of lately."

  "Let's worry about that deadbeat once the scouting is done. Besides, I doubt he will be showing his face in [Isekai] any time soon. The last time I saw him is with two werewolves, so he must be pissing himself after being penalized by them."

  "R-Right..."

  The man in bronze armor punched a wall and screamed in frustration.

  "Dammit! If it wasn't for that navigator brat siding over that [Treasure Room] over us, none of this would have happened!"

  Sein groaned and rolled his eyes. "Don't be a whiney baby, Club. I told you he was back with those werewolf monsters. Once we find him after he respawns back in , we will make sure he will regret backstabbing us and sabotage our [Hidden Quest]." He grinned as he watched the players standing up one by one after their preparations. "That's what Savior would have wanted after all."

  God, I feel like crap...

  I was fine this morning thanks to my daily check-in with my inner wolf. But as morning turned into afternoon, I started to feel ill. Only it's much worse than my [Weakness Sickness]. Fenrir made the right call putting me on house arrest for a few hours. I couldn't think straight and I was behaving like a wolf even more. Luckily, the effects went away when I tried meditating to calm the wolf and hang out for a bit. I also went to [Sleep Mode] for about 20 minutes for a bathroom break, so it's more of a mental illusion than a life-threatening sickness caused by a game. If it was, then that's a company lawsuit waiting to happen.

  Eventually, we arrived at what seemed to be an abandoned campsite that was ravaged by monsters. Yet it was surrounded by wooden fences and rocks surrounding it with no scratches or signs of conflict. It's as if they were placed more recently after the attack. I knew I had to be in exile during the full moon. However, I am relieved that I won't be alone since I will be guarded by NPC village guards led by Lawrence to ensure I won't stray off too far from the site during my transformation.

  "This is your last stop for tonight. After this, you will have to endure your first full moon for the rest of the night. I wish we could have given you better accommodation. But I doubt you can sleep tonight and you might rip the sleeping bag apart as a wolf anyway," Lawrence explained. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay on your own, kid?"

  I respond with a nod and smile. "I have been a coward for so long because of my bullies and my past. A transformation event isn't enough to scare me out of the game. I'm going to power through it and our bet."

  [A bet?]

  [Did Lawrence make a bit with a Marked?]

  Whoops... I feel like I made a slight misunderstanding... I can tell from Lawrence's face turning red upon hearing it.

  "I-It's not what it looks like!"

  Yeah, time to take another responsibility from my stupid big mouth. Again.

  "I agree. We're just making a simple bet if I can endure it without screaming!" I excused myself while flashing a forced grin as much as I could.

  [Well, not everyone can get it through without screaming. Ask this guy. He's been telling us to call the healer during his first full moon,] one of the guards snarked while pointing at another.

  [Hey! At least I'm not the one who was crying for his mommy!]

  [That was supposed to be a secret, you dummy!]

  I sheepishly chuckle at the NPCs' tomfoolery. For some minor flat NPCs, they do have a lot of personality.

  "Alright, enough, you two! If you keep that up, you'll be on trash duty tomorrow."

  [Gah! Anything but that!]

  [We'll be on our assigned positions, sir! But please, don't tell that to the leader! Our noses can't take it!]

  I don't know whether Lawrence is joking or serious. Still, they are friendlier than the other guards who escorted me to the village hall. I watch them leave us alone in the campsite as they hop into the bushes and the woods.

  "And I should follow my own order immediately." Lawrence then turned to me next. "From here, it's all cutscene. You may try to use [Sleep Mode] during the whole thing, but I recommend staying for the whole full moon. Trust me. You may find more benefits in experiencing the whole thing than skipping it."

  "More benefits on experiencing the whole thing than skipping"? I'm a bit iffy about that warning. But I rather risk for the reward than play it safe. If I want to escape from my cowardly self, I need to start taking risks.

  "I understand. Thanks for a great hint, Lawrence."

  He saluted me with a smile. "No problemo. Just don't overdo yourself while you're in wolf mode, okay? After the full moon, we'll take you back to the village for safety. Good night, kid."

  He then left the campsite while I was waving goodbye to him for now. With that, I'm all alone without any equipment or items in my inventory. No one to talk to but myself. I shouldn't complain too much about it considering the casualties if I stay back in the village for a few more hours. Either way, all I need to do next is to wait for the full moon to reveal itself behind the dark clouds in the sky and pray that I won't scream my head out.

  Ugh... I rubbed the temples of my forehead from the rising migraine. My body suddenly feels a bit chilly, too. As if I'm coming down with a terrible fever. I can't move any further even if I want to. All I can do is look around the campsite to see where I can rest for a few more hours. There's a small pond near the ruined tent, so I decided to sit on the rock and take some time to appreciate the starry sky above me. At least I get to stare at the stars just like the time as a child. I missed those days and while it's not enough to replace the real thing, I'm just happy with what I got.

  Yeah... Staring at the night sky in awe, embracing the cool breeze of the night, and waiting to howl at the moon. God, what am I thinking? Then again, does it matter now? I can hear the wolves howling nearby and I'm getting antsy just thinking of joining them. I was so entranced that I didn't bother to check at that notification popping up beside me.