Demon Wolf

“Disciple Hillman.” Eleanor entered the vast cavern through a secret entrance and headed straight towards her target.

She focused on the young man, noting the evaluating look concealed in his sharp gaze. He’s sizing me up as an opponent?

Eleanor Dreadingham scoffed at the surreal notion. A male, a junior, less than one-third her age considered resisting her. Even more absurdly, her gut told her he could put up a fight, possibly injure her before she slapped him dead.

Despite the notion’s absurdity, she trusted her instincts. She lacked talent, but she had seen ample action, and that experience had kept her alive so far.

“Your results are marvelous, disciple Hillman.” Eleanor struggled to not call Wolf a young man. “I wish to offer you an opportunity.”

She left the statement hanging, then read Wolf’s displeasure at the theatrics as he made a conscious effort to keep his brows from furrowing.. A direct man? How novel. They usually play coy.

Before Wolf asked his natural question, Eleanor answered, seeking to improve his attitude. “The chance to become a real core disciple. Earth Pavilion has two types of core disciples, legacy disciples of various elders, and un-mentored core disciples. Both groups have the same benefits, but elders pay the former out of their own pocket, while Earth Pavilion stipends the latter. But to become a true core disciple, you must pass one more trial.”

Elder Dreadingham studied Wolf’s face and found his features appealing; however, his eyes were off-putting, as was the discipline with which he kept his expression neutral.

“What you have just passed is a basic combat aptitude test. Without it, Earth Pavilion wouldn’t send you onto our battlefields and into mortal danger zones, such as secluded worlds. The core disciple test I wish you to take carries no risk; it is also an illusion.”

While she was certain Wolf, a savage from the wastes, disdained trials through illusions, Eleanor caught no outward cues of his disposition. She ignored the passing disciple heading towards the stairs reserved for inner disciples and continued.

“According to Earth Pavilion’s rules, I can’t reveal the contents of the trial, but I can tell you its general format. It is endless, and what we judge is your ability to endure as long as possible. Are you interested in taking the test?”

Eleanor imagined Wolf’s mind racing, sniffing for benefits, guessing at the trial’s difficulty.

I wonder whether he knows how screwed he is because of his Glorious Tyrant realm? Was he idiotically ambitious or clueless?

Before Eleanor could further entertain the thought, Wolf nodded. “I am interested, elder.”

Never doubted it. “Come. Follow me, disciple Hillman.”

Eleanor spun on her heel and used a movement art to climb the inner disciples’ stairs.

Inwardly, Wolf frowned at the display of supernatural speed and flickering motion. Is she trying to cow me into obedience?

Well, she succeeded. He obediently followed the elder. Back home, I could snuff her out before she drew near; however, given my current state, I’m afraid I’m not her match. And I sense no ill will from her. It’s unlikely she intends to harm me.

“One in two hundred inner disciples is qualified to take the core disciple trial,” Eleanor explained as they ascended the well-lit stairway. “However, less than one in a hundred pass the trial. Core disciples’ status is below inner elders, meaning if you pass the trial you can even boss the outer elders around.”

Such blatant carrot and stick; it’s obvious you guys rarely handle mature, adult applicants. Despite thinking that, a certain facet of elder Dread’s statement drew Wolf’s interest. “Does that mean I get library access like an elder?”

“More or less,” Eleanor replied after a brief silence. “Just like disciples, elders must pay contribution points to use most Earth Pavilion facilities, library included. While expensive, perusing our library is more than worth it. Earth Pavilion has many esoteric tomes, more than any other sect in Boreo; and we can order more from our mother monastery, but you would have to wait a year or two before the texts arrive…”

She’s like Roger. You give her two words and she advertises the hells out of it. Eleanor kept promoting rare knowledge and skills housed in Earth Pavilion’s library, as well as different access levels depending on one’s contribution points and realm.

Finally, they reached a landing. To the left, stairs continued ascending into the unknown, while to the right stood a closed wooden door.

Eleanor approached the knob-less entrance. She waved her hand before a scarlet Spell Formation engraved into the door’s dark-brown frame.

The entrance clicked open, revealing yet another bright tunnel.

After several dozen steps, Wolf and Eleanor turned right, entering a comfortable room filled with thick woolen sitting mats and knee-high tables. Wolf was surprised to find three Earth Pavilion’s elders drinking tea and chatting. The women seemed just as surprised. When they processed Eleanor’s appearance, they scampered to their feet, their relaxed expressions growing constipated.

She’s not an ordinary elder. Did she come here for me? Were my results that outstanding? Is that good or bad? Wolf resisted the urge to scratch his chin and observed the room, noticing seven doors on the far wall.

“At ease.” Eleanor waved her hand. “How’s the first candidate doing?”

“Reporting to elder, she has already failed the trial, and we sent her on her way.” A petite woman reported while half-bowing.

Eleanor shrugged, her expression unchanged. Wolf guessed she had expected such a development.

“You may choose your door. Regardless of your choice, the trial will be the same.” She sat down, not sparing Wolf a glance.

Wolf noted her indifference and acted immediately. Since his decision did not matter, that meant there was no reason for making decisions. Wolf walked straight towards the closest door. Behind him, he heard shuffling, clicking of porcelain, and the bubbling noise of those idle elders pouring tea for elder Dread.

He opened the glossy blue surface and entered a claustrophobic whitewashed space smaller than Mandy’s walk-in closet. The moment the door closed, Wolf sensed mental pressure. He suppressed the urge to resist and allowed his vision to darken.

The next moment, Wolf regained his eyesight. The white wall half a meter away had disappeared, replaced by a grassy plain. Wolf sniffed the air and waved his hand.

I can hear my motion, feel the wind and smell trampled grass. This illusion is three grades better than the one for inner disciples trial.

Wolf awakened his senses and the leaves twirling in the wind slowed down to a crawl, nearly freezing midair. An instant later, after confirming he could awaken his senses, he stopped wasting anima and examined his surroundings. 

Behind him stood a battalion of soldiers with black letters floating above their heads. Further behind the warriors dressed in Earth Pavilion deep-brown garbs, lay a fort.

Qi Gathering seventh stage; Qi Gathering seventh stage; Qi Gathering eighth stage…

Wolf awakened his senses again, reading through the warriors’ descriptions before focusing on the wall of text above the fortification.

This is a defensive battle simulation? I lose once I die, all three thousand soldiers die, or Monster Beasts overwhelm the fortification. Most soldiers are at the seventh stage of Qi Gathering, ten percent are at the eighth stage and one percent is at the ninth stage. I have five minutes to prepare, the soldiers obey my verbal commands without question.

Wolf focused on the nearest soldier and got more detailed information.

They have a bow, a spear and a sword. A hundred arrows, but arrows shot from inside the fortification don’t count towards that total? Didn’t they make the optimal use of soldiers way too obvious?

Hmm, that’s useful. Soldiers have three modes of attack with estimated power and Qi consumption, as well as their passive and active Qi recovery rates.

Wolf took a moment to run simulations using several viable troop distributions and found the melee line with only himself and the ninth stage automatons too thin. In the end, he decided on having the seventh stage warriors act as archers from inside the fort, while eighth and ninth stage ones would act as a meat shield.

Wolf barked out the orders, then whispered, “Stop.”

The soldiers froze in place and he nodded, confirming the soldiers responded to loud commands just as well as the muttered ones.

“Resume your orders,” he mouthed without producing sound, but the soldiers remained unresponsive.

He mumbled the line again and the army of three thousand moved as one.

Their movements are excellent. There’s no way three thousand people running in such compact formation wouldn’t collide or at least push and shove, but these girls are moving like automatons.

Wolf observed and had another idea.

“Close your eyes.” He did not know whether the soldiers obeyed, but their run remained unchanged.

“You, turn around.” Wolf chose a soldier, without visibly singling her out, but she ignored him. However, once he pointed at her, she spun without fail, running backwards with her eyelids closed.

It seems the soldiers’ appearances are just for show, and the illusion is keeping track of them in some other way, but this unnatural ability is useful…