Demon Wolf

The crater before Marie looked like a giant had pulverized the land with a maul. The apocalyptic pit, the lukewarm mist, and the hushed sobs made her skin crawl.

She banished the paralyzing fear of the unknown destructive force and squinted, focusing her eyes on the vapor before her, but failing to see the pit’s other side. Based on Marie’s observation, the hole’s diameter stood at twenty-two meters wide.

“Only five died in this explosion?” Incredulous, Marie double checked with Francine, whose randomly chosen direction had led her straight towards the center of the devastation.

Even though the blast’s low casualty count puzzled Marie, the short blonde nodded. “We’re not sure what they used. Whatever it was, it looks like it burst from within the ground, charring those at the center and sending fifty-seven apprentice sisters flying like rag dolls.”

“And our losses?” Marie asked the battle fanatic, who had nothing but weapons and cultivation on her mind.

“Five died in the explosion. One hundred and fifty-three blind beyond the least healing pill’s recovery ability. Jadine was among the injured. She’s loaded and tried a lesser grade pill she bought as a lifesaving measure. It didn’t change a thing, she’s still as blind as a bat.” The petite woman harrumphed, the gesture and haughty tone almost comical when paired with her physique. “They should’ve circulated their Qi and screened themselves the moment they sensed something off. I bet they wouldn’t have gone blind that way.”

You circulated your Qi the whole time, and that blast still blinded you, you dumb bitch. Marie, however, lacked the mental capacity to argue moot points. “Broken spines, severed limbs, any other injuries pills can’t solve?”

“Gertrude Camie smashed headfirst into a tree. She broke her neck and died on the spot. If she had protected herself with Qi, we probably could’ve saved her…”

Francine listed five more unlucky disciples who had suffered debilitating injuries, which proper defense might have mitigated. Marie ignored Francine’s comments and counted the total manpower at her disposal.

Seven hundred and twenty dead, one hundred and sixty disabled. Combined with our previous losses we’re down to less than seventeen hundred able-bodied women. What do I do with the cripples? Leave them behind with some guards? I can’t spare five hundred people, and any less, the enemy would annihilate.

Marie bit her lip and frowned despite herself.

I can’t bring them with us either, they would drag us down. We need to be mobile and keep on the move. The enemy obviously took hours to prepare this attack. The easiest counter is not to stay in one place and to move in random directions, heading generally towards the center.

Marie’s nostrils flared as she considered her choices. She smelled the sickening scent of roast, but failed to find the proper course of action. The obvious solution is to leave the useless people behind, and let the Monster Beasts eat them, but morale would plummet if I leave them defenseless. Wait! Defenseless! That’s it! They need defenses!

Marie was about to open her mouth and order Francine when she realized she had significantly more competent women around.

“Josephine, please gather the apprentice sisters with Spell Formation scribing experience. We need to prepare some defenses for the wounded.” My tongue is quicker than my mind, again. 

Marie immediately understood she had made a mistake, yet Josephine had already moved, and belaying orders caused unrest, which was the last thing Marie wanted.

We can’t leave them in this clearing. This place is too conspicuous, and dumping them here would make it too easy for others to find them.

***

Wolf observed the Brilliant Gate’s disciples from the treetops the best he could, by listening to their conversations. The fog lingered up high, ensnared by the jungle’s canopy. It obscured his eyes, but Wolf’s ears remained mostly unaffected.

They have wounded. Ones which pills can’t cure.

“Probably massive nerve damage. Back home, only regeneration potions could heal missing bones and heavy neural trauma. It’s a shame I couldn’t get recipes for those, they would’ve sold like hot bread in the slums.”

“Follow me,” a familiar voice, uttering words in perfect diction, echoed down below. “We’re heading towards Corpsewood’s center. Our enemy intends to lay ambushes and plans to resort to cheap tricks against us, but we won’t tolerate such a loathsome strategy. We will move as a large group, exterminating Monster Beasts and anyone else who dares obstruct our path.”

Several dozen cheers followed the brief speech, nowhere nearly as many as there were Brilliant Gate’s people.

They plan to bring their wounded deeper into the danger zone? That’s just insane. Are they planning to feed them to the Monster Beasts?

Wolf wondered for a moment, but Marie did not appear that cruel in his memories; she was a bored, sharp-tongued scholar, albeit somewhat jealous of her senior apprentice sister.

I guess I’ll follow them. I should assassinate Marie, store her body into my holdingring and, if she had Corpsewood’s map on her, I can leave these terrified guys alone. The Ruler’s Way states that ‘beheading the general beheads the army’.

“It’s too risky.”

Depends on how she leads the others. If she’s at the forefront, I might even snatch her alive. If she’s at the center, things will become tougher, but I can attack from the above.

“It’s still too risky.”

They haven’t looked up once in all this time I’ve been observing them. You can tell they’ve never fought against aerial opponents.

“It’s still too risky. I took a pointless risk to kill a dozen more as the screams quieted down and the mist cleared. Why take stupid chances? What did I get out of it?”

With a disgruntled snort, Wolf refrained from action and followed the Brilliant Gate’s group, which shuffled thirty meters below. As the fog cleared, the agitated women grew visible. Their frequent head-turning and wary, catlike movements betrayed their anxiety.

Then, after a mere half an hour’s walk, Marie called for them to make camp. “We shall split into three new groups. Standard split. Surnamed A through H are group one, I to P are group two, the rest are group three. Clear the surrounding bushes and then assemble in groups so I can even them out. Group three should’ve been the one resting and they can rest during this break…”

Wolf watched Marie issue orders with proficiency befitting an experienced leader or a high order Seeker. Brilliant Gate’s disciples, whom Wolf considered brigands of Boreo’s cultivation world, cleared the forest with surprising discipline. They completed their task in five minutes and assembled per command.

Marie spent ten minutes redistributing people between groups, declaring new squad leaders and issuing orders. Older disciples herded fifty-three women while others drew a large, complex Spell Formation around them.

As they worked, Wolf awakened his senses and recognized the runes for location, antipathy, menace, shadow, and concealment.

“They work out of habit. They are now scribing a Spell Formation which allows the concealed people to see outside, despite them being blind.”

While Wolf noted the wasted effort, he chalked it off to those disciples learning only the complex seal and its runes, not the principle behind it.

Time passed, and Wolf used the break. He ate several handfuls of Sprinting Peacock nuggets to sate his annoying hunger and drank two mouthfuls of earthy wine until the emerging headache disappeared.

The group rested for two hours before moving, leaving fifty apprentice sisters behind.

It’s not a bad solution. Wolf found no obvious exploits with this setup.

“At best, I could slaughter the blind and harass the main force, but they may prepare countermeasures; maybe even trap me. I don’t really care what happens with the survivors, as long as they don’t pose a threat.”

Wolf followed the gathering for half an hour, staying above Marie, still looking for an opportunity to snatch her. Suddenly, the bushes rustled and a pack of twelve Gale Wolves lunged towards Marie and her bodyguards.

The slender beasts moved as quick as a storm, jumping at the eldest disciples guarding the leader. The women did not flinch. They drew their weapons, each slaying a wolf with indifferent expressions.

They have decent combat experience. Gale Wolves’ realm is a stage or two above theirs, yet they are compensating for the lack of Qi through skill, tactics, and weapon quality. Gale Wolves, however, are seeing manlings for the first time. They probably took them for herd animals because of the group’s size.

Wolf watched like a hawk from above, waiting for a crack to appear in the defense line, but Marie did not panic.

“Don’t pursue!” Marie ordered as the Gale Wolves fled.

The Monster Beasts lacked intelligence, but seeing three of their number die without inflicting damage to the toothless, clawless creatures, they retreated howling and growling.

“We’re taking a break here. You know your rotations and duties.” Marie continued, then turned towards Josephine. “Apprentice Sister Josephine, do you mind skinning the Monster Beasts and collecting their nubs?”

As Josephine moved, Wolf frowned. You’re resting again?