Demon Wolf

Fourteen hours after Wolf slew the giant mantis, he and Jakob exited the jungle. The Monster Beasts Wolf fought along the way grew trickier and more traitorous than he had expected. They pushed his perception, reaction speed, attacks, mobility, reflexes… Wolf realized his enemies were oddly beatable, and apart from the Steelhorn Rhinoceros, none of them had defenses worth mentioning.

Their attacks, however, were terrifying. Wolf replaced three ruined shirts along the way, while his last pair of tattered pants, caked with blood, barely kept him modest. Fighting nine Monster Beasts, he suffered eight grievous wounds and used eight healing potions, skimping on healing pills he considered higher quality. The only Monster Beast who failed to draw his blood was the lumbering rhino, which seemed to have been placed to take a beating from Wolf before fleeing.

Unlike his barely decent companion, Jakob did not have a speck of dust marring him. His eyes sparkled, filled with admiration towards his idol. He was so entranced by his hero, he did not notice Wolf’s lewd attire and lack of propriety.

Leading the grinning boy into the clearing, Wolf stepped onto trimmed grass, a wave of sunlight washing over him. He furrowed his brows and glanced back, sensing several people had stopped observing him.

We reached the goal. A gray rocky mountain dominated the world before him. Mists danced around its slopes, obscuring everything above the first three dozen meters. Wolf lowered his gaze, noting a set of chiseled hundred-meter wide stairs cleft into the steep slope, before focusing on a ring of ten-meter-tall stone arcs which lined a gigantic plaza before him.

Wolf strode forward, brimming with confidence. He kept his back rod straight, acting oblivious of the patches of dry blood flaking off his body. Finally, he caught a familiar face at the square’s center. Leena sat cross-legged on a mat at the base of the colossal steps, waiting for hopeful applicants.

The announcement said there were only sixteen spots left? Where is everyone?

“Congratulations, you are the first to arrive.” Leena opened her eyes and stood up, answering Wolf’s unasked question the instant he and Jakob set foot onto the paved square.

He took a moment to process the information while Jakob stopped in his tracks.

One, two…

“Pardon me, proctor—”

“Senior Apprentice Sister,” Leena corrected Wolf.

“Pardon me, Senior Apprentice Sister, there was an announcement about eighty-four people passing the trial not twenty minutes ago—”

“Attention all hopeful disciples,” a familiar voice interrupted Wolf, spreading throughout Earth Pavilion’s domain. “There are now fourteen openings. Good luck to you all.”

Wolf resisted the urge to point at the sky and say, ‘that.’ Leena, however, caught his look while she approached.

“That is also a part of the trial. You will see later,” she answered the unasked question, then continued with her duty. “Please hand over your communication devices. Leaking information through our jamming Spell Formations is impossible, but rules need to be observed. You may not use any form of long distance communication until you become Earth Pavilion’s official disciples.”

Should I take out a farvoice? What if they don’t use the same type of communication devices we use back home? I would reveal myself.

While Wolf racked his brain, Jakob obediently took out a slim rectangle made of white jade. Taking the slick object, Leena glanced at Wolf, but he shook his head.

“I don’t own such fancy items.” He pointed at Jakob’s palm-sized jade.

Leena gave him a longer look, but finally nodded. “If you spread the details of the trial, you face summary executed. I’m not joking.”

Leena took out a desk and writing utensils, ignoring Wolf’s curt nod much like he ignored yet another death threat.

“Name?” She eyed Jakob, dipping her brush in ink.

“Jakob Silentear.”

“Age?”

“Fourteen.”

“Stage and realm?”

“Eighth stage of Qi Gathering.”

Wolf learned Jakob’s basic information and resisted cringing when he heard the one question he hoped nobody would ask.

“Place of birth?”

That’s a tough one. I can’t lie, so what’s a good thing to say? I come from outside Boreo, and I was born in an insignificant hamlet called Muddy River? No, technically, I was born outside the hamlet, so I can say in the wilds…

While Wolf pondered, Jakob wrapped up his introduction, and Leena focused on him.

“Name?”

“Wolf Hillman.”

“Age?”

“Twenty.” Leena paused and looked at him for a long moment before writing it down.

“Realm and stage?”

“I don’t know exactly. I believe it’s peak of Qi Gathering?” Leena stopped writing again.

“How can you not know your exact realm? There’s no point lying. We’ll test you, regardless.”

“I really can’t say for sure. Sorry.” Wolf shrugged, showing no hint of apology on his face.

Leena grumbled and wrote, ‘Doesn’t know.’

“Place of birth?” She held back a snarky, ‘You know that, right?’

“Wilderness outside Boreo’s border. I came here from the Forsaken Wastes,” Wolf lied the only way he could, by mixing misleading truths.

Leena paused yet again, meeting Wolf’s gaze with a ‘that explains everything’ look.

“Now, please describe how you got here and how you passed the trials.” She directed the question at Jakob, who smiled wretchedly.

“It was like this…” Jakob told the truth. He crossed the lake by being prepared, and he traversed the jungle by following Wolf, hardly ever fighting. The youth kept his narrative short and humble.

Leena jotted down everything as Jakob spoke, using a series of unknown symbols, which Wolf took for a native shorthand.

Finally, when Jakob finished, there was silence. Wolf waited for Leena to ask him to describe his version of events, but the question never came.

“Congratulations. You are candidates one and two. Please sit. You must wait within the marshaling square until the initiation test concludes.” She sent them away, further confusing Wolf.

Did she trust Jakob because I didn’t refute him? Does she have a way of determining truth? It makes sense; they had observers. Or, maybe, they ask for an account once per group? Wolf followed Leena’s direction and went to the side to sit while Jakob followed a step behind him.

“Want some chicken?” Wolf asked as he sat down.

He summoned a heatingstone, a skillet and ingredients to prepare breaded poultry.

“Yes please, Big Brother.” Jakob paused and bit his lip. “Um, I think you might need to change your clothes and take a bath. A quick one. Don’t worry, I won’t peak.”

He’s right. But I’m so hungry. “Thanks for the reminder.” Wolf pursed his lips, then stored everything, and instead of fresh fried chicken, he chewed on a cold chunk of cooked crab while scrubbing himself in the tub.

Maybe I should gather blood before it splashes me? But that means I must waste Anima to awaken my senses, then waste even more to gather all the spraying droplets. Given my circumstances, it’s better to take a bath. Gods, I miss home.

While Wolf bathed, fried and shared a meal with Jakob, the slot counter trickled down until it reached one. Despite the official account of ninety-nine hopefuls passing the trial, Wolf and Jakob remained alone.

“… There is now only one opening. Good luck to our final successful applicant.” Not ten minutes after those words echoed throughout Earth Pavilion’s domain, three elves ran out of the forest.

“I’m first,” they shouted, and Leena opened her eyes.

“Quiet! Hand over all communication devices. All of you.” She then focused on the foremost elf while Wolf noted the domineering change in her words and bearing. “You first. Name?”

Following her lead, the runner-ups gave up their white jades, grimacing in dejection. They had missed their chance by moments.

The winner proudly shared her information when Leena turned towards the second one in line. “You next. Name?”

The girls blinked in confusion.

“Your name. We haven’t got all day.” Leena’s voice grew harsh as she rolled her eyes, but Wolf noticed her lips twitch in amusement.

So, it’s a con. But what’s their game? To see who doesn’t give up? That seems too simple. Wolf remained silent and observed.

While the elven girls left their personal information and described what they experienced during the trial, a group of rowdy dwarves trotted into the clearing.

“I’m first!”

“Nay! I’m first!”

“Nay…”

The seven short hairballs pushed and shoved until another woman wearing robes similar to Leena’s walked down the stairs. “Order! Form a line and hand over all communication devices. I’ll take your details.”

Groups and solitary applicants trickled in. Those who came alone sighed in relief, while those coming in groups shouted, shoved and cursed, but still kept the violence to a minimum. Whenever things seemed to get out of hand a new trial administrator descended and brought order, while another started patrolling, collecting white jades.

Finally, in this controlled chaos, a young woman covered in blood emerged from the forest. The cloth of her blood-splattered robe hung loose, ripped from shoulder to breast, but the flesh beneath was pink and healthy.

“I made it!” She laughed, but one proctor barked ‘quiet’, sealing her lips. The girl looked around, found the shortest queue and took her place at its end, waiting patiently.

Wolf took note of her. Other than him, she’s the first trial taker who suffered a wound. A blade left that slash.