Demon Wolf

Stella’s skin crawled at the death god’s decree. That’s no empty threat, she realized. It’s a statement of an inevitable future.

On a profound level, she understood betraying Wolf equaled suicide, or worse. The gelid blaze in his emotionless glare burned her soul, and Stella knew one thing beyond doubt.

Someone betrayed him; someone close.

In the corner of her eye, she noticed Rondel shivering as the maddening pressure of the resentful dead gripped him.

She took a moment to realize her head was frantically bobbing, agreeing to everything, hoping to preserve the rotten brain, which had devised the crazy idea of coming here and begging for a job.

Should I give up? she wondered for a moment, but her life’s experience surged, propelling her.

He’s just a man. He’s a youth, six stages and a major realm beneath me. He’s serious. He’ll kill me if I break my faith. Then another thought appeared in her mind. I’m stranded. He’s my only way forward.

Stella kneeled. “I swear to serve and aid you to the best of my ability, as long as you respect my dignity and don’t endanger me without my consent. Should I violate this vow, may my soul shatter, and may the Judge deny my reincarnation.”

Stella panted. She focused on sweat beading and rolling down her bowed brow, when a pair of dull thuds in near sync sounded behind her. Rondel and Jakob repeated her venomous oath, their voices shaking.

Did I stutter like them? But before she reached a conclusion, Wolf spoke.

“Get up. There’s no need for such formality.” The demon who carried the terminal indignation of tens of thousands disappeared, replaced by a smiling, handsome man.

Is he bipolar? The remnants of dyings’ hatred which saturated Wolf’s aura vanished, leaving behind an enchanting youngster, an exotic beauty who could send any woman’s heart racing.

“Tell me about the way Earth Pavilion treats its disciples.” Wolf turned around and continued ascending towards his living quarters.

Stella swallowed a lump and got up. Her hands trembled and she did not examine her companions, hoping they had the decency to return the favor.

“Outer disciples are willing slaves,” Stella started after a moment of silence, and began climbing after Wolf. “They remain here for denser World Energy and access to lesser Qi crystals. They work for decades until finally reaching the half-step Tendon Strengthening realm when they become outer elders, which is a fancy name for more capable, albeit old, willing slaves, who manage other laborers. Most of them never reach Tendon Strengthening before dying of old age. Hells, most outer disciples never reach the late stages of Blood Saturating.”

Wolf nodded, and after a moment, Stella continued. “Inner disciples have it better and worse at the same time. By better, I mean we have a realistic chance of advancing to Tendon Strengthening and entering our mother Earth Monastery. It’s worse because roughly fifty percent die on missions, then half the survivors never reach Tendon Strengthening in time. You need exceptional talent, or an inner elder’s backing to make it before hitting thirty. However, such favors come with great attachments. I was unwilling to ruin myself like that for short-term benefits.”

“Wait,” Wolf interrupted her when he realized Stella was not planning to explain something he found odd. “What kind of lethal missions do you have? I thought there were no wars, since this domain is under the Glorious Tyrant’s rule.”

“Wars among regular folk are rare, and kept in check by each nation’s protector. But sometimes, a nation’s protector dies without a new one replacing them. When that happens, neighboring countries carve the territory, fighting each other while battling native troops. Even then, genocides and exterminations are rare. Also, when a kingdom grows too big and influential, its managing empire demands the royal family to divide into two branches. Those branches split the territory amongst sister rulers, forming new dynasties.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad?” Wolf tapped his lip, preferring this type of governance to the chaos back home. “In which conflicts do Earth Pavilion’s disciples die then?”

“Sects are exempt from these clashes. To cultivate is to risk your life. Various forces compete for resources and they do so through disciples, since the core strength of every sect needs to stay on guard against the unorthodox factions. If two righteous forces bleed each other enough, unorthodox bastards might finish them both in one fell swoop and usurp their territories…”

Stella continued explaining various little games Earth Pavilion played using its disciples as chips and pieces. Wolf learned about the righteous and the unorthodox sects. The latter were wicked and fought against the established order until they claimed enough land to settle. Then they started upholding the same values as the righteous faction, which are the holiness of other people’s lives, property and hard-earned wealth.

While Wolf considered such philosophy’s morality and why “righteous” sects allowed such behavior, his group reached the top.

Atop, cloned gardens with identical, spacious two-story buildings populated the plateau. From up close, Wolf found he disliked the architecture. Too few windows. They made the mansions look impressive from afar, but they are just embellished caves.

Since the manors were identical, Wolf picked the closest one to the right.

You can never go wrong choosing right, he recalled his father’s lame pun and smirked, refraining from shaking his head. I wonder when I will grow strong enough to help you reenter reincarnation? The first step is gathering enough power to open a path home. Tearing a void between the worlds seems like a leap in the right direction.

Wolf sighed through the nose and pushed open his temporary abode’s massive door. Despite its size and the heavy wood it consisted of, the door opened without a sound at Wolf’s lightest touch.

Numerous brightstones illuminated the giant foyer with the soft light captured during the day. The stone hall was inlaid with a smart combination of wood and white marble, with an elegant, curved staircase leading up to the next level. The antechamber alone was forty square meters, with six ornate doors leading into unknown chambers at the ground floor.

I expected this place would look cavernous, like the chambers for disciple tests. The stylish interior surprised Wolf, but a moment later he formed a conjecture. Is this a promise of luxury and riches to come? Soul refining is a path of discipline, sacrifice, and struggle for power. I doubt this world’s cultivation is any different. Why distract those already treading a perilous path?

Wolf glanced back and confirmed Stella, Rondel, and Jakob followed. He led the way and opened the closest door on the right. Behind it, a brightly lit staircase spiraled downward.

Wolf hesitated for a moment, before taking the stairs, descending into the basement. He expected a mundane cellar for food and wine, but found a small room meticulously scribed with Spell Formations.

The moment Wolf entered the seal’s ring, he sensed World Energy grow several times denser. It’s not just dense, it feels heavy, like the earth.

Just as he moved to examine the runes making up the Spell Formation, Stella gasped behind his back.

“This is a Qi gathering formation!” Wolf turned around and she covered her mouth with her hand, her wide eyes and panicked features saying, ‘I’m such a goose.’

“Is there something wrong?” Wolf asked, and Stella shook her head.

“Nothing. Inner disciples also have access to these. They are in the gymnasiums and the Earth Pavilion charges them one contribution point per hour; but core disciples have them in their estate for free.”

Well, it’s bloody useless to me right now. I shouldn’t advance my realm before entering the secluded world. Wolf glanced at his three newly gained attendants.

“You can use it for now. Jakob has priority until we leave for the secluded world. It would be best if you could reach the ninth stage before we depart, Jake. Elder Dreadingham explained some things about the secluded world we’re going to. Everyone will first enter seclusion to condense a Qi core and Qi vessels; then, only after they advance to the Blood Saturating realm, will the disciples of various sects begin the real exploration and search for treasures.”

Jakob nodded, excited he would get this treasure all for himself. Wolf noted Stella’s and Rondel’s equally excited expressions before he returned to examining the Spell Formation.

I don’t understand half of these runes, we have nothing similar back home. I can infer the general purpose; these nodes around glyphs signifying earth probably draw the earth energy from this sigil here, but the rest seem more like conduits, transferring power from elsewhere.

Wolf stopped and stared at a suspicious circular formation, but after a few moments shrugged.

Understanding local Spell Formations and how they operate is secondary now. I must learn how to create Qi vessels and a Qi core and learn the techniques Elder Dreadingham wishes to transmit.

“Alright. Jake, you can stay here until we leave. Do you have a technique to condense Qi vessels?” Jakob nodded and went to the center of Spell Formation while Wolf led Stella and Rondel away, undisguised yearning on their faces.