"This round's expenses are on Mr. Jhon!" A deep voice echoed through Wolf's Den, sparking another round of cheers from the crowd.
"Mr. Jhon?" Mike was puzzled; his name wasn't John. Could it be that Maxen Stoneheart's real name was John? Mike recalled that during his first visit to Wolf's Den, someone had also called for "Mr. Jhon" to pick up the tab.
At that moment, a beautiful woman with a graceful demeanor approached Mike. Wearing a silver-white Lone Wolf mask that obscured her face, her voice was particularly pleasant, "Sir, is this your first time buying drinks for everyone?"
"In Wolf's Den, no matter who is paying, we always say it's on Mr. Jhon. After all, the original intent of the Lone Wolf is to provide everyone with a concealed identity; we can't ask for any identity-related information from our guests."
"Oh, I see." Mike nodded, finding the explanation reasonable. Perhaps there was never a Mr. Jhon, or perhaps everyone is Mr. Jhon.
The woman spoke again, "Everyone here calls me Nyx Valoria. May I ask, how should I address you?"
Mike responded casually, "You can call me Yasuo."
Nyx Valoria glanced back at the front desk and softly said, "Put tonight's expenses on my account for Yasuo." Then, turning to Mike with a light laugh, she added, "I hope you enjoy your time at Wolf's Den."
It was clear she thought highly of Mike, wanting to make a good impression—after all, Mike's current status was that of a [Tier Nine Battle Soldier · Golden Lone Wolf]. With a bit more strength, he could become a Battle General. A Lone Wolf's Battle General typically has 30%-40% more combat power than an ordinary Battle General, and some formidable ones can even fight across tiers!
And since Mike had become a Golden Lone Wolf during his time as a Battle Soldier, his potential was certainly not limited to just being a Battle General. There was a high probability he could achieve the rank of Battle Chief. It was no wonder Nyx Valoria was willing to invest in him early.
"Now that Thor has emerged, we are all living in exciting times. This drink is to you, may you soon become a Battle General," Nyx Valoria said, raising her cocktail and downing it in one gulp.
After finishing her drink and her speech, Nyx Valoria nodded slightly to Mike and walked away.
"Nyx Valoria, did you just meet a handsome guy you like?" teased a lady bartender with a mischievous smile.
"It's nothing, I just find a Tier Nine Battle Soldier a bit unfamiliar. He also knows Maxen Stoneheart, perhaps he's a prodigy from some Battle Lord family out on a training expedition," Nyx casually remarked. "It's a pity he wasn't in the same batch as Thor. He missed out on the benefits this time."
"Ah, is that so?" Her words drew puzzled looks from a few others at the bar, clearly unfamiliar with the situation.
"Yes, the previous three instances of supreme power have all confirmed one truth: the students in the same batch as a supreme being gain the most benefits! He's already a Tier Nine Battle Soldier, must be at least 20 years old, he must have already been to a top university, two years earlier than Thor."
With that, Nyx Valoria dismissed the matter as trivial. Even if Mike became a Battle Chief, to Nyx Valoria, it was just a minor detail. Her own family had more than one Battle Lord and even connections to a supreme being, so her perspective was naturally quite high.
...
"It's almost six in the morning," Mike stretched lazily, choosing to exit the Tower of Truth. There were no suitable missions for him in Wolf's Den. Moreover, with the threat from the fourth demon cult leader looming, he couldn't focus on other tasks. The demon cult leader had threatened to kill Mike, which was no small matter. A slight misstep could lead to a tragic end for him.
After leaving the Tower of Truth, Mike opened the curtains, letting the weak sunlight filter into the room, casting a long shadow at his feet. He looked down at his shadow, "Senior, what are you having for breakfast?" Silence, no response. "Even if you skip breakfast, coming out for a chat would be nice." The shadow remained motionless.
Mike resorted to his trump card, "That supreme being told me every Lone Wolf is protected by a Guardian Shadow, Shadow Nine sir, stop hiding." Hearing the words 'supreme being', Mike's shadow began to distort, and a cloud of black mist rose up, eventually revealing an elderly figure shrouded in shadows.
"Heh heh heh..." The figure's first words sent a chill down Mike's spine. What a villainous laugh!
When the figure first arrivedbeside Mike, he was already aware of Shadow Nine's presence. When Mike chose the Lone Wolf faction, the Eye of Truth had informed him of the existence of [Guardian Shadow]. Every Lone Wolf is accompanied by a [Guardian Shadow] to protect their growth on Earth and provide them with a safe space.
Mike hadn't expected that [Guardian Shadow] would assign him a Battle Lord-level protector! The encounter in the Combat Power Test room was likely with this elderly predecessor. Shadow Nine stopped laughing and spoke seriously, "A supreme being would never speak to you like that, kid. You're still too green."
[Guardian Shadow] was founded by the supreme being Morpheus. The three supreme beings do not interfere with each other. No one would discuss these matters with Mike.
"Indeed, I tricked you, my apologies," Mike admitted frankly. He just wanted to have a chat with Shadow Nine, particularly about his personal safety. "You know, there's a Battle Lord who wants to kill me."
"Yes," Shadow Nine acknowledged.
"Could you go and kill the fourth demon cult leader first?" Mike always believed in striking first. If he had to fight someone, he'd prefer to run them over with a steamroller the day before to ensure victory.
Shadow Nine's response was straightforward, "No. To kill Terenas Bloodscribe, we first need to find him. The demon gods have concealed his whereabouts."
With his assassination plan thwarted, Mike asked for another favor, "Then, could you bring a few more people to protect me?"
Shadow Nine shook his head again, "No, with the emergence of [Thor], the demon gods of the Abyssal Plane have gone mad. The human race is stretched thin across the board; we simply can't spare more hands."
"The most important thing is, if we pull out another Battle Lord, the enemy will have a Battle Lord freed up to target you."
Shadow Nine's reasoning was sound, and Mike couldn't argue. The higher-level struggles were like a tug-of-war, each side holding steady, waiting for an unexpected factor to break the deadlock.
Still not giving up, Mike suggested, "What if I pack up and move in with a supreme being?"
"Supreme beings are always in the most dangerous places. Even Battle Lords risk falling there; going there would be suicide for you."
"I understand now, maintaining the status quo is in my best interest."
Shadow Nine nodded, "Now that I've shown myself, I'll speak a bit more to give you a clearer picture. Inside Guardian Shadow, we have strict rules about when to intervene. For enemies below the peak Battle Chief level, I won't make a move; you'll have to handle them yourself."
"Thanks for the heads-up, but for some reason, I feel even less safe after hearing you say that," Mike admitted. He could handle ambushing a Battle Chief-level opponent, but he wasn't yet capable of facing one in direct combat.
"One last question, if Terenas Bloodscribe shows up, are you confident you can defeat him?"
This was Mike's most pressing concern. Being targeted by a Battle Lord was no small matter.
"I could kill him with one strike," Shadow Nine declared confidently, leaving a powerful statement before his figure once again turned into a mist and sank into the shadows on the ground.
In reality, Shadow Nine wasn't with Mike 24/7; he spent more time patrolling around Mike, assessing the strength of everyone nearby to prevent any threats before they could arise. If a Battle Lord got close, even if Shadow Nine could kill him instantly, the aftermath of the fight could still cause Mike severe harm.
"With this level of protection, it seems I don't need to worry about Terenas Bloodscribe's threat for now, but there are still many challenges I must face on my own," Mike mused, rubbing his temples. For enemies below the peak Battle Chief level, he would still need to rely on himself.
Buzz—buzz— Mike's Trade Secret Realm pass vibrated with incoming messages.
"Blaze Morrow? Oh right, I promised him I'd appraise his granddaughter's equipment."
With that thought, Mike pulled out his pass, activated the Tower of Truth mark, and entered the Trade Secret Realm.
"Jessica, the big shot is here!" Blaze Morrow had been waiting and immediately greeted him upon seeing the lightning elements. "Master, this is my granddaughter Jessica."
Turning to his granddaughter, Blaze Morrow instructed, "Call him Fourth Bro."
Jessica nodded, her voice clear, "Hello, Fourth Bro."
Mike: ....These relationships are getting too complicated.