Shadow Nine was stunned by Thor's achievements. Although he didn't know exactly what had happened, his instincts told him that Thor must be an exceptionally powerful individual. In his shock, Shadow Nine even lost track of time, staring blankly at the monitor as Thor received the tier nine Battle Soldiers badge and left the Combat Power Test room. Even Blaze Morrow on the ground twitched his eyelids and made a faint grunt, showing signs of waking up.
"What exactly happened!" Shadow Nine snapped back to reality, slapped Blaze Morrow on the forehead, causing him to pass out again. "Calm down, calm down, I'm too old for this," he muttered to himself. But the truth was, Shadow Nine had never seen anything like this before!
He tossed the three unconscious bodies onto chairs, and a swirling black mist enveloped them. Shadow Nine slightly altered their memories. In the memories of Blaze Morrow and the others, the genius had attempted the tier two Battle Soldiers test and had been disastrously defeated. Even in defeat, however, he had left a commendable impression, and Blaze Morrow particularly admired this mage skilled in wind element magic.
Shadow Nine nodded to himself, "That's enough alteration of their memories; any more might actually turn them into idiots." After doing all this, the black mist receded, and Shadow Nine disappeared from the spot, everything returning to normal as if a paused movie had been played.
Blaze Morrow, Bob, and Sam simultaneously opened their eyes, unaware of any abnormalities. Bob spoke with a hint of regret, "It's a pity he failed. He was so close to passing the Neural Response Test." Sam nodded in agreement, supporting the Director's statement. Only Blaze Morrow, rubbing his forehead, remained silent, his brow furrowed.
Bob noticed his discomfort and turned to ask, "Blaze, say something, will you?" Blaze Morrow, puzzled, spoke up, "Why does my head hurt so much, as if someone hit me?" "Cough, cough, I can't keep this from you any longer, Blaze, I'm not pretending anymore, I'm laying it all out, I'm actually a Battle Lord!" Bob said earnestly, "I not only slapped your forehead but even used a forbidden spell to alter your memory!"
To this absurd claim, Blaze Morrow had a very simple response: "Get lost! I'd rather believe Thor is my son-in-law than believe your nonsense!" After this brief comedic interlude, the three resumed discussing the talented mage they had encountered earlier.
Not long after, Blaze Morrow suddenly stood up, his eyes glued to the monitor screen, unable to contain his excitement, "Here she comes!" On the monitor, a beautiful woman had just entered the Combat Power Test room to challenge the tier one Battle Soldiers. "Who's coming?" "My granddaughter, Bob, watch carefully what happens next!" Blaze Morrow instructed, "And please, keep it a secret that my granddaughter has awakened an S-tier talent!"
Bob: ...This old man is getting shameless! He's clearly bragging, he's emphasized it countless times! In the monitoring room, the three's attention was once again focused on the video feed.
...
Meanwhile, after finishing the Combat Power Test, Mike, holding his freshly earned tier nine Battle Soldiers badge, returned to Wolf's Den. Compared to a few hours earlier, there were noticeably more people in Wolf's Den. Mike checked the time; nearly five hours had passed. It was now 4:59 AM.
Everyone initially goes to the Tower of Truth to level up and attempt challenges from midnight to 6 AM. Afterward, they return to the Core City of Truth to resupply and take care of other matters. Mike had planned his schedule similarly.
As he entered Wolf's Den, a very burly man blocked his path. The expressionless Maxen Stoneheart stared at Mike, his feelings complex, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words. Previously, he had applied for [Guardian Shadow] protection for the other party, but the application was ruthlessly rejected. At that moment, Maxen Stoneheart was shocked.
After the shock, Maxen Stoneheart quickly realized what he was dealing with! If he couldn't guess the other party's identity now, he might as well hang himself with spaghetti! There was only one answer—Thor!!
Seeing Maxen Stoneheart's posture, Mike also understood what had happened. With Maxen Stoneheart's status, he most likely knew that the Lone Wolf in front of him was Thor! Of course, Maxen Stoneheart only recognized the Thor from inside the Tower of Truth. He knew nothing about Thor's real identity being Mike. As long as that remained a secret, Mike was safe.
"What are you looking at?" Mike suddenly blurted out, nearly scaring Maxen Stoneheart out of his wits. "Please... cough, cough, come inside!" Following the same procedure as last time, Mike followed Maxen Stoneheart deeper into Wolf's Den. "Sit down,let's have a good talk." Maxen Stoneheart proactively moved a chair for Mike and then sat opposite him. "Is the list verified for authenticity?" "100% confirmed." Maxen Stoneheart felt awkward; the man sitting in front of him was the legendary Thor. Did such a legendary figure need to give him a fake list? Moreover, anything related to Thor wasn't just under Maxen Stoneheart's watch. At least one [Shadow] level Battle Lord, and possibly even higher-ups, were keeping an eye on Thor. For example, the supreme being, Morpheus!
"Is my bounty confirmed then?" Mike brought up the topic, and Maxen Stoneheart's face stiffened, he stammered, "That... will have to wait until the capture operation is complete to determine the final value, it might take a bit longer." "Understood, understood." Mike was just making casual conversation. He wasn't short on money at the moment, and the things he lacked couldn't be bought with money. Based on his previous interactions with supreme being Ares, he could tell that the human race's powerhouses were very united. They had made many efforts and arrangements for the continuation of their species. Thus, Mike had ample trust in Maxen Stoneheart and Wolf's Den.
Their awkward chat came to an abrupt end, and the air was filled with discomfort. Maxen Stoneheart really didn't know what to say to Thor. Maxen Stoneheart only knew that the person in front of him was Thor. And the person knew that Maxen Stoneheart knew he was Thor. Maxen Stoneheart knew that the person knew that he knew...
"Have you eaten?" Maxen Stoneheart finally blurted out after a long pause. "Haven't eaten, why do you ask, are you inviting me?" Maxen Stoneheart: ... Just a few hours ago, he had told the other party to eat whatever he liked. Looking back, it seemed he was the clown! Maxen Stoneheart had reasons to believe that even if he died, Thor wouldn't!
"I'm inviting! Just report my name at the front desk of Wolf's Den." With that, the topic of trying to get closer came to an end, and Maxen Stoneheart became serious, "The list you submitted is being taken very seriously, and the capture operation has already started covertly. I'll also have a mission to carry out soon." As he spoke, Maxen Stoneheart's Lone Wolf badge vibrated slightly, clearly something urgent was coming up. He glanced at the information inside the badge, stood up, and walked towards the door. Stopping at the doorway, he turned back to look at Mike, "Also..."
"Be careful." He said these words with unusual earnestness. "Even with SSS-tier talent, you're not invincible and still at risk of falling. Once a person dies... that's it." Mike vehemently denied, "Who said I'm SSS-tier? Don't talk nonsense, or I might sue you for defamation!" "Right, right, you're not," Maxen Stoneheart chuckled and shook his head as he left the office.
After Maxen Stoneheart left, Mike didn't stay long either and walked out. Sitting in a corner of Wolf's Den, he browsed through the mission panel and checked his current entitlements. Mike was now a tier nine Battle Soldier, a golden Lone Wolf, equivalent to the treatment level of a tier two Battle General. He could receive a monthly stipend of $200,000, had the right not to respond to emergencies below level six, and could move freely during emergencies below level four. If injured during official missions, his medical expenses would be fully covered. If disabled, he could be transferred to the [Planetary Defense Council] with a lifetime treatment of a tier two Battle General, among other benefits. Clearly, the Defense Headquarters did not skimp on the treatment of its members. Additionally, Mike could purchase items from Wolf's Den at a 9.5% discount.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and a beautiful woman wearing a Lone Wolf mask entered Wolf's Den. "Another newcomer!" Even without the Eye of Truth, Mike recognized her identity at a glance. "Jessica, she actually passed the tier one Battle Soldiers test? "
Interesting.
Mike raised his glass, his voice automatically altered by the Lone Wolf mask to prevent others from recognizing his identity. "To welcome the newcomer, I'll cover everyone's expenses!" Mike declared generously. Wolf's Den instantly turned into a sea of joy, and Jessica, experiencing such a welcome ceremony for the first time, was somewhat overwhelmed. But it wouldn't take long for her to perfectly integrate into this place and even fall in love with it. A robot brought the bill to Mike, "Sir, this is your bill for this session, totaling $2,899,980 after the discount." $2,899,980, nearly 3000 gold coins, Mike didn't mind spending it at all. Was he the type to be stingy? Not at all! With a grand gesture, Mike confidently declared, "Put it on Maxen Stoneheart's tab!"
"Another round of drinks, please! And still, put it on his tab."