Back at the house, where he spent most

  of his time, Sebastian was sat cross-legged on a small mat in the center

  of the training platform.

  The courtyard had become the default place on the

  property for all his training and cultivation. Although there was a

  training room in the basement, he preferred the courtyard, even in the

  pouring rain or the blistering cold of a blizzard. He considered it

  mental training.

  The house in Celder had now been his home for over a

  decade. That was longer than he had lived in his apartment back home.

  Every day, for the past 10 years, he had made sure to cultivate in

  addition to his training with the sword.

  Trouble was, the essence available in Celder was pitiful

  compared to what he experienced within the Silvervale Woodlands, weaker even than that of luxendorf. Not to

  mention that the [Core Formation] stage was far, more demanding that the

  previous stages. Back then, even in areas with similar essence

  densities, he could gain a couple levels in a month. Now, he had only

  gained an estimated 6 levels in a decade.

  That's not to say he hadn't improved. With the progress he'd made in his swordsmanship and Techniques, he had grown to new heights. Those heights weren't reflected on level shown on his System Status, though. Sebastian was now at a point where the [System] estimated

  that he was the same level as Silas had been. And that Dolan had been

  when they entered the woodlands, before his Major Accomplishment

  tribulation. Level 49.

  What’s gonna happen when I cross

  that threshold? Do I prepare for level 50? Will I even get a tribulation

  the same way as others do since I don’t progress the same way? The

  manual never mentions tribulations, so I guess I won’t know until I get

  there. I’m definitely going to be leveling up as a mercenary, so it’s only a

  matter of time.

  Speaking of… I haven’t learned much

  about the Wandering Wolves Corps specifically, except for a few mentions

  of their captain and various feats. There doesn’t seem to be any sort

  of standard when it comes to these mercenary companies, they just do

  whatever jobs they feel like accepting.

  If what Oren said is true, then the

  Wandering Wolves Corps prefer hunting monsters or fighting criminals

  over the kind of dark stuff some of the more greedy companies do. At

  this point, there isn’t much of anything I wouldn’t do to get stronger,

  but I also need to ensure I have the time and freedom to cultivate. I

  doubt I’d get much of that if I go to those companies that have no lines

  they won’t cross.

  The months before the Wandering Wolves Corps arrived were

  spent training—both himself and the students at the school, cleaning

  the house, and preparing to leave Celder.

  When the time finally came, Sebastian locked up and left

  the house behind him. A bulletin board in the town square pointed him to

  Trevalyan Theater. It was an amphitheater by the Valya river, which ran

  along the south of Celder. He had walked past it before but never

  caught any of the regular shows there.

  It made sense to host the recruitment there since it

  could fit thousands. The Wandering Wolf Corps didn’t accept just anyone,

  regardless of how desperate they were for new recruits, so they held

  trials for applicants to prove themselves.

  When Sebastian arrived, he registered

  his application to a man and a woman who sat by a small table set up on

  the street. The table was strategically placed to cordon off the area

  above the outdoor amphitheater that looked like it was carved out of a

  single massive piece of stone.

  The Trevalyan Theater was sunk into the ground and the

  tiered seats circled the stage made of travertine tiles at the bottom.

  The back of the circle was open, revealing the serene backdrop of the

  Valya river that carried with it the earthy scent of of the riverside

  gardens farther upstream. Contrasting the calm of the flowing river was

  the cacophony of excited applicants murmuring amongst themselves with

  the occasional burst of laughter in anticipation of the trial.

  Although there was an impressive turn out, most seats

  were empty. The amphitheater seated thousands while the number of

  applicants numbered in the hundreds. There were people of all ages—young

  men and women who thought this was their ticket to power, fame, and

  fortune as well as elders who sought to finally answer a lifelong call

  to adventure before it was too late.

  As Sebastian stood at the top of the amphitheater, a soft cough and a light tap on his shoulder called his attention behind him.

  “Ahem, Mr. Moore.”

  Sebastian turned around. He nearly gasped at Safi, geared

  up in leather armor with a sword by her side. Her hair was still in the

  same ponytail she had kept since she joined the school.

  “Safi, what are you doing here? Surely you’re not trying

  out? You’re good but you’re only level 15,” Sebastian said with sincere

  concern.

  Safi grinned. “Not anymore! My parents splurged on a few experience elixirs, so you’re now looking at a level 20 swordsman.” Her back straightened with pride.

  His eyes widened, he knew from experience just how

  expensive elixirs were, even if the price would be somewhat more affordable given her lower level. “That’s quite the investment.” He paused to consider how to

  handle the situation. As worried as he was about her well-being, he also

  knew that coddling her wouldn’t help her in the long term. Not to

  mention that he knew how capable she was. He took a deep breath and

  chose to leave the role of over-protective teacher behind. “Well, if

  you’re sure about this, then I suppose I can only offer my support.”

  She nodded confidently. “Yeah, I’m sure. I heard from Master that you were

  leaving to join the corps, so I decided to do the same.” Her face flushed

  red and she raised her hands. “Uh— Not to follow you, of course.”

  Sebastian smiled. “Of course.”

  “But I was inspired. I trained so hard for so long, and

  I’m never gonna have any real use of my Sword Skills here in town. But

  out there, as a mercenary, I can do—and see—so much more.”

  “Well said, kid!” a voice called out. They turned their

  heads to see Gawen approach. “That’s exactly what I was thinking. I want

  to travel the world and fight my way to the top!”

  The former student, who graduated a few years ahead of

  Safi, had filled out his tall frame with muscles since Sebastian saw him

  last. He now looked like a proper warrior, especially in his leather

  cuirass.

  “Gawen!” Safi called out and gave him a big hug.

  “Gawen,” Sebastian said as he nodded. “Good to see you,

  been a while. I’ll give you the same treatment I gave Safi. If you’re

  trying out, I hope you’ve been leveling since you graduated. Being a

  mercenary isn’t gonna be a vacation after all. Did you get experience

  elixirs as well?”

  “Of course, I—“ Gawen suddenly turned to look at Safi.

  “You chugged down experience elixirs, plural! Damn, I don’t have that

  kind of money. I’ve spent the last couple of years hunting random weak

  monsters in the dark woods, leveled up to 21 through good old fashioned

  hard work.”

  Their reunion was interrupted by a loud voice that cut straight through the noise of the crowd.

  “Attention! My name is Enric Sellar, Vice Captain of the

  White Fang Division of the Wandering Wolves Corps.” The vice captain was

  just north of middle-aged, but not yet old. Sebastian couldn’t decide

  if the man’s mustache made him look younger or older than he actually

  was. He wore a set of light armor. It was scuffed and scarred which made

  it evident to any and all that he was a true warrior. “I’m glad to see

  so many hopeful applicants, you’ve made the best decision of your life

  by applying to become a wandering wolf. Not all of you will make it—in

  fact most will probably fail—but those that do will prove themselves

  worthy here today. The trial will be quite simple. Lieutenant Aran Lluch

  here,” he pointed to a tall and slender man by the edge of the stage,

  “will spar with each and every one of you, and we will judge your

  performance to determine if you’re worthy of joining us.”

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  The crowd murmured as they realized they had to fight a

  lieutenant. Vice Captain Sellar raised his hand to silence the

  applicants.

  “Worry not,” he continued. “You do not need to win. So

  long as you impress us with your performance, you will pass the test.

  That said, we are not easily impressed. So make sure you give it your

  all. Now then, when you registered you were given a number; when your

  number is called, step onto the stage. Lieutenant Lluch, the stage is

  yours,” he said with a nod before taking a seat on the front row, to the

  side, along with a few other members of the company.

  Lieutenant Lluch was slender but strong. While he wasn’t

  built like some bodybuilder, the moment he took off his jacket, his

  sleeveless black shirt revealed the toned arms of someone who obviously

  put a great deal of effort in his training. His muscles weren’t for

  show, either. They were trained for a purpose. That purpose wasn’t pure

  power, though. Wielding the bo staff didn’t require raw strength so much

  as it required agility, dexterity, and accuracy.

  “Alright then, let’s begin with number 1,” the lieutenant called out.

  An eager young man stepped up. He carried a wood cutting

  axe and tried to put on a brave face. The slight, nervous tremor in his

  knees, however, was plain to see for anyone with decent senses.

  As soon as the lieutenant called out, “Begin!”, the young

  man dashed toward him and swung his axe like he was splitting firewood.

  The lieutenant parried the falling axe and spun his staff around to

  smack the applicant across the side of the face, in one fell swoop. It

  knocked him out instantly.

  The crowd was stunned.

  The sounds of the first

  applicant’s shoes scraping across the tiles as he was dragged off stage echoed as loud as thunder

  in their minds, especially in contrast to the silence that took hold of the amphitheater.

  “Next, number 2,” Lieutenant Lluch casually said.

  One by one, the applicants stepped up to

  be tested. Most were beaten as badly and as easily as the first, but a

  select few put on a display good enough to pass the trial. Those who

  failed were asked to leave, immediately. If they were still conscious, that was.

  The theater became more and more deserted as the trials went on.

  Sebastian was number 247.

  By the time his turn came around there weren’t many left.

  Out of almost 250 applicants by that point only 23 had passed. The

  mercenaries had warned everybody that their standards were high, but

  nobody had expected them to be quite so difficult to impress. They held

  true to their words, though. None of the successful applicants had

  actually defeated the lieutenant, but each of them demonstrated enough

  to impress the wandering wolves who judged the trials.

  “Number 247!” the lieutenant called out.

  Sebastian had lost interest quickly, after only a few

  dozen fights. None of them were at a level that was relevant for him and

  there was only so much of the lieutenant’s true power the weaker

  applicants could bring out. With his number called, he finally perked

  up. He sauntered over to the stairs that ran down the seats of the

  amphitheater and made his way to the stage.

  Lieutenant Lluch’s eyes narrowed as he watched Sebastian

  approach. The heightened senses of his high level combined with the

  experience of a veteran mercenary told him that he finally faced a

  strong opponent. The vice captain on the front row had a member of the

  corps whisper in his ears and his gaze turned serious when he looked at

  Sebastian.

  Sebastian put his bag down on the side of the stage,

  grabbed a wooden sword from the rack, and took his place opposite the

  lieutenant.

  “Ready when you are.”

  The lieutenant looked over to the vice captain who gave

  him a quick nod. He turned back to face Sebastian and got into a true

  stance for the first time since the trials began. Sebastian did the

  same. He held his wooden sword firmly, yet gently, and settled into a

  simple stance.

  They observed each other for a few moments.

  Everyone who was left in the amphitheater noticed the

  tension and the general murmuring that had been going for most of the

  trials settled down as everyone turned their focus on the stage.

  For this fight, it was the vice captain who called out, “Begin!”

  Woosh

  Sebastian dodged the tip of lieutenant’s staff that was

  thrust toward his face like a bullet by tilting his head to the side,

  the wood just barely missed his ear. He stepped up and slashed.

  The lieutenant pivoted his staff by circling his back hand to parry the slash, and in one fluid motion launched a second thrust.

  Sebastian’s eyes widened, and he reacted instantly to grab the staff just inches from his face with his free hand.

  This wasn’t the lieutenant's first time having someone grab the staff. He knew exactly how to deal with it. He yanked the staff back and used his knee to push it down.

  It put Sebastian’s hand in an awkward angle and forced him to let go, but he used the momentum for another swing.

  The lieutenant in turn used the momentum from freeing his

  staff to dive to the ground, rolling back as the sword sliced the air

  overhead.

  The opportunity wasn’t missed, Sebastian used his

  footwork imbued with the [Fleeting Cloud Step] Technique to dash behind

  his opponent.

  The silent movement made the lieutenant completely lose

  track of Sebastian. When he landed in a crouch and looked up, Sebastian

  had simply vanished. It was only because of his vast experience that he

  instantly bounced up to his feet and spun around to strike at his back,

  where he suspected Sebastian had gone.

  Thud

  He was right.

  Sebastian stood behind his opponent but blocked the

  staff—that was swung with enough force to shatter a tree trunk—with only

  his bare forearm.

  The lieutenant couldn’t believe his eyes, but the

  vibrations that spread through the staff and propagated up his arm made it clear that it was real. It was like he had struck a block of metal rather

  than an arm of flesh and bone. The shock made him unable to react when

  Sebastian swiftly placed the tip of his wooden sword at the lieutenant’s

  throat.

  “I yield,” Lieutenant Lluch said.

  Throughout the entire fight, the people

  who remained in the amphitheater watched in a stunned silence. When

  Sebastian defeated the lieutenant, a wild cheer broke out.

  Nobody expected any of the applicants to win, none of

  the others who had passed even really came close. In a town like Celder

  there were only a handful of people who could rival a lieutenant of a

  famous mercenary company. A teacher of a sword school would certainly be

  one of them, but Sebastian wasn’t officially a teacher and few outside

  the school even knew who he was.

  Vice Captain Sellar walked up and shook Sebastian’s hand. “Congratulations! I think it’s safe to say that you pass.”

  He guided Sebastian over to the others who passed the

  test and signaled Lieutenant Lluch to continue the trials for the 50-odd

  applicants who remained. Sebastian sat down and looked at his forearm.

  As far as proper tests go, I’d say

  that was a roaring success for the [Stone Skin] Technique. I never

  really got a chance to try it for real with Oren due to his Sword Skills not being the most appropriate for it. But it's definitely great for these blunt force attacks.

  My Techniques do attract too much attention compared to Skills, though. Neither [Stone Skin] or

  [Shattering Strike] gave me any linked System Skills that I could use to

  explain them, either. I thought the reason I didn’t get one for the

  [Cloud Shadow Slash] was because I learned it as a part of my

  swordsmanship but maybe there’s more to it.

  Soon, it was Safi’s turn.

  When her number was called, she walked down to the stage.

  She made eye contact with Sebastian who gave her an encouraging smile

  and a nod.

  The fight was likely the most difficult one of her life

  thus far. Neither Sebastian nor Oren pushed her quite so far during

  training as they mostly focused on guiding her and teaching her to

  overcome her weaknesses.

  Lieutenant Lluch did nothing of the sort.

  He wasn’t petty or disrespectful, he simply treated her

  as a fighter and didn’t hold back much. Although, he didn’t actually go

  all out, or even close to it. He pushed her from the get go, forced her

  to defend. Sebastian’s flexible fighting styles he had used when

  sparring with her in the past certainly helped because she held on, even

  against an opponent double her level.

  Before he put an end to the spar, the lieutenant even

  gave her a few opportunities to attack. She missed a few windows but

  took enough not to disappoint.

  They finished the spar after a few minutes with Lieutenant Lluch knocking her down by swiping her feet out from under her.

  At first, she nearly teared up when she fell down and

  realized that she lost. She was certain that she failed. It wasn’t until

  Sebastian called out to her that she noticed the lieutenant’s

  outreached his hand to help her up with a smile and a simple,

  “Congratulations,” that she understood that she did in fact pass.

  A few minutes—and a few more rejected applicants—later, it was Gawen’s turn.

  His fight was more straightforward. As soon as they began

  the spar, he ran up and went on the offensive. Naturally, the

  lieutenant easily defended against the assault. Sebastian tried to gauge

  the other mercenaries’ evaluation of the eager fighter during the spar.

  It was obvious that they weren’t too impressed with his gung ho

  attitude.

  Fortunately, that changed when Lieutenant Lluch got tired

  of being chased around by the young man and turned the tides on him.

  They saw that there was more to him that just a decent attack. He could

  handle unexpected changes and managed to display a pretty good defense,

  as well. Best of all, he showed them that he could make good decisions

  when he saw through some feints of a fighter more than double his level and

  actually responded with feints of his own.

  He too passed.

  When the trials were over, Vice Captain Sellar took to the stage again.

  “Congratulation everyone! You should be proud of

  yourselves. At first there were over 300 who thought they could show us

  that they had what it takes to join us. Only the 29 of you who sit

  before me succeeded. Today, you become wandering wolves!”

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