After anonymously registering as [Lone Wolf], a document appeared on the large screen detailing the benefits Mike was entitled to enjoy.
“Monthly stipend of $30,000, equivalent to 30 gold coins, to be collected every second Thursday of the month at [Combat Power Test Zone]…”
For the average person, 30 gold coins is no small sum.
However, compared to the speed at which Mike acquires resources, 30 gold coins seem trivial.
Starting from yesterday, after completing the novice instance, he was rewarded with 100,000 gold coins, spent 80,000 on [Force of Nature], leaving a balance of 20,000.
Reporting Jacob earned him a bounty of 30,000 gold coins, and he spent 7,000 on [Windstride Slash].
Mike now has 43,000 gold coins left, equivalent to $43 million.
“The official stipend for a Tier One Battle Soldier is $15,000, along with other benefits.
Due to the anonymity of Lone Wolf, other benefits are inaccessible, so it’s reasonable that the monthly stipend is an additional $15,000.”
Earning an easy $30,000 a month, Mike could collect $360,000 in federal subsidies a year without doing anything else—such is the privilege of becoming a Battle Soldier!
“Battle Soldiers tests must be retaken every five years, and if there are upgrades within those five years, the review period is recalculated.”
Mike scanned the document’s clauses; there wasn’t much that needed his attention.
Naturally, the constraints on [Lone Wolf] are the weakest, so there aren’t many rules to bind Mike.
“Lone Wolf can accept missions at the Combat Power Test Zone and receive corresponding rewards upon completion.”
“Once activated, the Lone Wolf badge can transform into a Lone Wolf mask, concealing one’s true face. Any attempt to peer behind the Lone Wolf mask is considered a provocation…”
At this point, Mike looked down at his Lone Wolf badge.
[Can block the prying eyes of creatures below level 200]
Level 200 is the dividing line of Battle General strength.
As a Tier One Battle Soldier, as long as he doesn’t draw too much attention, it’s unlikely to catch the eye of a Battle General.
“This will suffice for now.”
Mike pocketed the Lone Wolf badge, memorized the document’s content, and left the room. As he stepped out, he ran into James and others who seemed to have just completed their tests.
James’s face was ashen, looking particularly grim, like a pair of moldy underwear.
[Neural Response Test couldn’t last 3 seconds, huh, a 3-second man!]
James didn’t notice Mike as a group of people were furiously looking for the staff to settle
scores.
“What’s going on, did they mess up the difficulty of the Combat Power Test?”
A Thief shouted, “Exactly! I only lasted a minute before I got eliminated, how is that possible?”
Hearing this, Mike gave him a surprised look.
A minute?
A minute for a third-tier Battle Soldier? That’s incredible!
Unfortunately, Mike was disappointed.
A note appeared above the Thief’s head:
[He only lasted 6 seconds!]
“Impressive, impressive, turning 6 seconds into a minute, he really knows how to talk tough. Just wonder how he performs in bed.”
[His record in bed is 3.1415926 seconds!]
Mike nodded, reflecting inwardly.
High emotional intelligence: Time always flies when you’re with someone you like.
Low emotional intelligence: Just not my day today.
Clearly, there was a problem with everyone’s Combat Power Test.
It was supposed to be a test for first-tier Battle Soldiers, but the difficulty was cranked up to third-tier!
Mike was okay, he gritted his teeth and got through it, even dodging 98% of the attacks and scoring highly.
James and the others couldn’t handle it.
These so-called geniuses, even if they couldn’t pass the first level, thought they could at least do it with some dignity.
But they only lasted a very short time and looked utterly disheveled!
The huge disparity was too much for them to accept, and they clamored for an explanation.
Soon, a balding, slightly overweight middle-aged man rushed over from the main hall, his forehead sweaty and his expression anxious. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
“Sorry, everyone, so sorry!”
He saw James and his group, knowing today was going to be a big trouble!
Among them, there were quite a few descendants of Battle Chiefs!
“Most people took a leave today for the Tower of Truth, and you see what happened here. A new employee accidentally set it to a third-tier Battle Soldiers test, I’m really sorry…”
The balding manager explained a few words, and the faces of James and his group softened.
They really just wanted an explanation; with their status, they had no need to bother with such trivialities.
“Messed up? How can such a serious mistake happen with the Battle Soldiers test!” An archer deliberately scowled and reprimanded.
“Right, right, you are right,” the balding manager nodded and bowed, endlessly flattering.
James and his crew cooled off, seeing his slick demeanor, realizing that punching him
wouldn’t make any sense.
“Alright, let’s just pretend nothing happened here. I won’t report this mishap,” the leader of the young group said, his tone rebellious and carefree.
“But this video…”
The balding manager quickly caught on. These geniuses, who had come all excited to participate in the Battle Soldiers test, ended up with dismal results. If the video got out, their reputations would be ruined, a stain on their lives!
James and his friends were causing a scene because their goal was to delete the video, to destroy the embarrassing evidence!
The balding manager quickly caught on and went along with it, “I’m really sorry, we were short-staffed today, got too busy, and forgot to turn on the cameras over here!”
Saying this, the balding manager pulled out a tablet, tapped a few times, and deleted the Battle Soldiers test footage completely.
“Heh, smart move,” James and his group finally backed off, willing to leave.
Mike, who had witnessed this whole drama, didn’t say much, but he understood the hints given by the Eye of Truth before the test began. Mike didn’t like the arrogance of these so- called geniuses, nor did he look down on the manager’s slick ways.
The geniuses’ arrogance stemmed from their belief that they had the right to be arrogant- heritage, talent, connections… they all had more than their peers, making it hard not to be
haughty.
And the manager’s slickness was more about the hardships and difficulties of life. Resolving a work mishap like this was a decent save.
All this had nothing to do with Mike, and nobody paid him any attention. He was like an invisible man, walking out of the testing room and heading to the Lone Wolf mission dispatch area to see if there were any tasks worth taking on.
After James and his group left, the balding manager heaved a sigh of relief and wiped the
sweat from his forehead.
“These little punks, they scared the hell out of me.”
As mentioned before, if there were issues with the Battle Soldiers test, it would be a major
work blunder!
At best, a fine; at worst, sent to the Abyssal Plane to mine stones!
“Thankfully, it was just a false alarm.”
The balding manager picked up the tablet and glanced at the previous test data.
“Total tested 126 people, 125 failed, 1 succeeded, rating: SS…”
“They all failed.”
The manager put down the tablet, then suddenly froze, as if struck by lightning.
Did he miss something?
He quickly lifted the tablet again, eyes wide in disbelief, even rubbing his eyes repeatedly.
“Am I seeing this right?”
“A tier three Battle Soldiers’ Neural Response Test, and someone actually passed!”
“And with an SS rating!”
“Who is this powerhouse? Quick, check the video!”
The balding manager stood frozen, struck by a bolt from the blue.
The video… he had just… deleted it…
….
Mike appeared in the Combat Power Test Zone, in a corner unnoticed, pulling out his Lone Wolf badge which transformed into a mask and secured it on his face.
The lower left corner of the mask bore the character [1], indicating Mike’s strength: tier one
Battle Soldiers.
Once the mask was on, Mike’s attire also changed dramatically into a loose-fitting combat suit. This disguise made it difficult for even acquaintances to recognize him.
As Mike headed towards the mission dispatch area, many eyes turned towards him.
“Look, it’s a Lone Wolf!”
“He seems pretty young, must have recently passed the Battle Soldiers test, right?”
“Daring to take the Lone Wolf path, that’s gutsy! I wanna be a Lone Wolf too someday!”
11
“…..
The onlookers whispered among themselves, careful not to be overheard by Mike. Lone Wolves were among the most formidable of all Battle Soldiers!
Due to the minimal external constraints, Lone Wolves often employed more intense, even
brutal methods in their actions.
No one wanted to offend a Lone Wolf, even if he was just a tier one Battle Soldiers!
“This must be the place, the Wolf’s Den?”
Mike looked at the name of the mission dispatch area and smiled slightly, “Interesting.”
Stepping into the Wolf’s Den, the interior was starkly different from the outside world. The Wolf’s Den resembled a business-slumping bar, with European classical decor, dim lighting, soft music, and tables and chairs haphazardly arranged. Guests formed small groups, each huddled in their own circles.
The bar was in the center of the Wolf’s Den, with four large screens hanging above, cycling through the available missions.
As Mike entered, someone in a corner suddenly shouted, “Newcomer alert.”
Instantly, Mike became the focal point of everyone in the Den, a handsome man lifting his bottle, “This round’s on me!”
“This round’s expenses are covered by Mr. Jhon!”
Soon, a robotic bartender delivered a small bottle of beer to everyone, Mike included.
Lifting his bottle, Mike nodded slightly to Jhon, then tilted his head back and drank it down in
one go.
The ice-cold beer flowed down his throat to the depths of his soul, eliciting a refreshing
moan.
“Quite the generous gesture!”
“Kid, I like you. Come drink with me in Washington D.C. sometime!”