《Eerie Sorcerer》


 Trainee Patrol Officer Rudolph

    Midnight in Leman Town, Fabro City.


    The Full Moon Festival in Leman Town had just ended. The crowd had dispersed, leaving the town square eerily silent. Two lonely figures stood in the empty plaza. The shorter one was Trainee Patrol Officer Rudolph. The taller one was a pyre.


    A charred corpse, once a sorcerer, had become one with the blackened stake, indistinguishable from the burnt wood. The executed sorcerer was pitiful, reduced to nothing but a scorched husk. But Rudolph was just as pitiful¡ªhaving to come so late at night to confirm the death and collect the remains.


    A faint light flickered to life¡ªit was the small flashlight clamped between Rudolph¡¯s teeth. The air was heavy with an unpleasant stench. The woodpile had long since burned out, leaving behind only the acrid scent of ash mixed with the sickly, greasy smell of charred flesh. The combination made Rudolph¡¯s stomach churn, but he forced himself to endure it as he filled out the Execution Confirmation Report on his clipboard.


    First section: Identity Verification of the Executed.


    Rudolph lifted his head. The flashlight beam cast sharp shadows across the sorcerer¡¯s face, emphasizing its grotesque, uneven surface. The raised areas were cracked, blackened skin. The hollowed-out parts¡ªhis eye sockets and mouth¡ªwere nothing but deep, empty voids. The sorcerer had been tortured before his execution¡ªstandard procedure for the Inquisition, the organization specializing in handling dangerous individuals. They were thorough. Sometimes excessively so. Rudolph had no idea where the man''s eyes had gone.


    It had only been two weeks since Rudolph arrived in this world. He still wasn¡¯t used to such gruesome sights. Under the cold moonlight and the dim glow of his flashlight, he quickly lowered his gaze and wrote on the form:


    "Identity confirmed. The executed individual is the sorcerer captured during the witch hunt two weeks ago."


    Rudolph would never forget this sorcerer¡¯s face¡ªit haunted his nightmares. Because of that same witch hunt, his predecessor had died. And he had woken up in this body, becoming the new Rudolph.


    He had searched through his predecessor¡¯s memories and discovered that the original Rudolph had been a lively, reckless 17-year-old trainee patrol officer.


    The vast night sky was filled with double images of the stars. Did he just trip so hard that he gave himself astigmatism?


    Rudolph hurriedly shut his eyes, hoping to let them rest. But to his surprise, when he closed his eyes, another starry sky appeared in his mind.


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    This starry sky felt profoundly unreal¡ªlike an abstract oil painting. Rather than a true night sky, it looked more like a star map. The glowing starstone he had just picked up seemed to act as some kind of switch, connecting him to something beyond reality.


    Unlike the real sky, this star map was dim and lifeless. The moon, planets, and stars were all a dull gray, as if they were hidden behind a layer of frosted glass.


    As Rudolph tried to make sense of what he was seeing, the starstone in his hand suddenly vanished.


    In the star map within his mind, a bright meteor streaked across the dark sky and struck the faint moon that hung at the center of the celestial chart.


    In that instant, the gray moon was no longer dim¡ªit began to glow softly, just like the real moon. The surrounding stars remained dark, making the moon¡¯s newfound radiance stand out even more. At the moment of impact, a flash of brilliant light burst forth from the moon, flickering for just an instant before fading.


    From the glowing moon, tiny fragments of stardust drifted down, eventually settling onto the ground of the star map.


    Rudolph¡¯s consciousness approached these floating lights and discovered that they were three small, suspended stars. Within their glowing light, faint words could be seen:


    "Whisper of the Full Moon"


    "Calamity of the Moon"


    "Enchantment of the Night"


    What is this?


    A cheat ability granted by his transmigration?


    Some kind of lottery system?


    Most of the stars in the celestial map remained dark. Was he supposed to illuminate all of them? What kind of superhuman would be able to pull off such a ridiculous task?


    Ignoring the overwhelming scale of the star map, Rudolph focused on the three floating stars before him.


    "Enchantment of the Night"? Sounds like something meant for women¡­ not for him.


    "Calamity of the Moon"? That just sounds ominous¡ªbetter not risk it.


    "Whisper of the Full Moon"? ¡­This one seemed marginally better than the others.


    The moment Rudolph¡¯s consciousness touched the star labeled "Whisper of the Full Moon", his mind exploded with voices.


    "Blood is so sweet¡­"


    "Awaken, my little darlings¡­"


    "Let me out¡­"


    A torrent of whispers surged into Rudolph¡¯s ears.


    He clutched his head, pressing his hands tightly over his ears¡ªbut it was useless.


    After what felt like an eternity, he finally managed to climb back to his feet. The whispers had faded into the distance¡ªexcept for one.


    "Let me out."


    It lingered in his ears, endlessly repeating, like a phantom echo of tinnitus.


    Rudolph felt utterly miserable. Astigmatism, tinnitus, auditory hallucinations¡­ what a night.


    ¡ª


    Meanwhile, as Rudolph continued on his way, far away in the Kingdom¡¯s Royal Observatory, the Royal Astrologer was rushing toward the palace.


    In his hands was the prophecy he had just received:


    ¡°A ghost from beyond this world has pierced the celestial sphere of the night.


    The sealed star map has fractured, and through this rift in time and space¡ª


    The star map has returned to the mortal realm.¡±

 The whispering of the moon

    ¡°Let me out¡­¡±


    Who wanted to get out? From where? And where did they want to go?


    This strange murmur haunted Rudolf throughout the entire night.


    The next morning, Rudolf, with dark circles under his eyes, arrived at the sheriff¡¯s office. Sheriff Claude glanced at the execution confirmation report and said, ¡°Good work, Rudolf. Everything went smoothly last night, I presume?¡±


    Rudolf concealed the matter regarding the starstone and the star map. According to the confirmation report, he had successfully buried the charred corpse of the witch, and nothing else had happened afterward.


    In the first few days after he arrived in this world, Rudolf frantically studied everything about it. One of his key methods was reading through various case files at the police station. According to the police training materials and investigation records, starstones were mysterious meteorites from beyond the sky, somehow connected to witches.


    Rudolf knew there was a hint of danger in all this, but his curiosity was far greater than his caution. As the old saying goes¡ªsince he was already here, since he had already crossed over into this world, how could he not experience something mysterious and thrilling? That would be too much of a waste.


    Jokingly, he said, ¡°Sheriff, if you could give me overtime pay, then everything would have gone even smoother.¡±


    Sheriff Claude stroked his finely groomed mustache, trying to cover his awkwardness. ¡°Rudolf, I have to remind you once again¡ªtrainee patrol officers don¡¯t get overtime pay.¡±


    Rudolf sighed and shook his head. As he turned to leave, his eyes fell on the duty roster hanging on the wall.


    ¡°Sheriff, I¡¯m on the night shift for the entire next week?¡±


    Claude nodded. ¡°There¡¯s no other way. We lost too many men in the last witch hunt¡ªtwo officers, three patrolmen, and five trainees. My God, what a disaster¡­ But hey, at least there¡¯s some good news, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    He pulled open a drawer and took out a palm-sized paper box.


    Rudolf recognized the packaging¡ªit contained special bullets.


    ¡°Rudolf, these are newly crafted alchemic shotgun shells. They should make your night shifts a little safer. I want you to survive longer.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the thought, but please, next time, don¡¯t bless me like that¡ªI really don¡¯t need it.¡±


    Rudolf stepped forward and took the box. These alchemic shells were incredibly expensive. If he weren¡¯t afraid of dying, he could sell them on the black market for at least three months¡¯ worth of salary. Sheriff Claude, a Level-2 Alchemist, had made them especially for him.


    Against heretics like witches, giants, and plague-bearers, regular bullets could only wound them in most cases. Only alchemic shotgun shells could deliver a truly lethal blow.


    As he secured the bullets in his belt, Rudolf walked with noticeably more confidence. Returning to his dormitory, he reflected on his situation.


    Rudolf was an orphan. The high mortality rate among trainee patrol officers had been the only reason he was able to secure this position in the first place. With no family in Laimon Town, he had no home of his own and lived in the police station¡¯s dormitories¡ªa true model employee.


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    And this model employee had been deeply troubled these past few days.


    Every time he sat on the toilet, that eerie murmur would echo in his mind, completely ruining his mood.


    To men, toilet time was sacred¡ªprecious moments of relaxation. But this damned, tormenting murmur stole that from him.


    Rudolf¡¯s constant frustration after leaving the restroom hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed. Some colleagues had even started recommending doctors who specialized in treating hemorrhoids.


    Rudolf had no issues with his backside. He didn¡¯t need a doctor for hemorrhoids.


    What he needed was a way to deal with this cursed murmur.


    Starstones, whispers, and the star map that appeared every night¡­ Rudolf glanced toward the graveyard and suddenly had a suspicion.


    Could it be related to the one buried there?


    He waited patiently for his chance. Eventually, it was his turn to patrol the outskirts of the town. That meant he had a legitimate reason to head outside.


    For night patrols beyond the town¡¯s perimeter, he could apply for a horse¡ªit made covering ground more efficient.


    Laimon Town wasn¡¯t particularly large, but it wasn¡¯t small either. Even at full speed, Rudolf could only complete two patrol loops per night.


    On his first loop, as he neared the cemetery, his frown deepened. The murmur became clearer, louder.


    Before putting his plan into action, he had one more thing to confirm.


    Sitting atop his horse, Rudolf tapped his baton against the window of the graveyard watchman¡¯s shack.


    ¡°Old Grey, did you get any news for me?¡±


    Old Grey, bald and wrinkled, raised his head sluggishly and peered outside. Seeing it was Rudolf, he walked over and opened the window. A gust of cold wind blew inside, making him shiver.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand you at all,¡± Old Grey grumbled. ¡°Who in their right mind would want to work in a graveyard?¡±


    Rudolf chuckled. ¡°Come on, everyone in Laimon Town knows that a gravekeeper earns twelve silver shields a month, while I only make two.¡±


    Silver and copper shields were paper money printed with the royal coat of arms, exchangeable for actual silver and copper at the bank. There were rumors of gold shields, but Rudolf had never seen one.


    Old Grey shook his head. ¡°Young man, money isn¡¯t everything. I¡¯m a gravekeeper, but no one in the tavern ever wants to sit at the same table as me.¡±


    Rudolf tugged at the reins, preparing to leave. ¡°Old Grey, when I¡¯m rich, I¡¯ll be sure to say ¡®money isn¡¯t everything¡¯ to people even poorer than me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right!¡±


    Rudolf suddenly turned back and pulled out a bottle of strong liquor from his coat.


    ¡°Almost forgot¡ªI wanted to thank you for digging that grave for me. You¡¯re a good man. I hope you¡¯ll keep doing it next time.¡±


    Old Grey was delighted as he took the bottle. ¡°That¡¯s why I like you, Rudolf. You always know exactly what I want.¡±


    As Rudolf handed over the liquor, his eyes glanced past the window and into the shack. Inside, he noticed that Old Grey had already prepared his bed¡ªclearly, he was about to turn in for the night.


    ¡°Goodnight, Old Grey. Sweet dreams.¡±


    Rudolf finished his first patrol round, then deliberately sped up for the second. His horse was exhausted, panting heavily, and snorting in protest at its rider.


    But soon enough, the horse got its reprieve.


    Rudolf now sat atop his mount, keeping a distance from the graveyard. The dark silhouettes of the pine trees swayed in the cold wind, masking his presence. No one would notice the lone figure of a man and his horse standing there.


    His gaze remained locked onto the cemetery. The murmurs in his head had grown unbearably loud.


    After two rounds of careful observation, Rudolf was now certain¡ªthe source of the whispers was this graveyard.


    Old Grey¡¯s shack had long since gone dark. He had been asleep for over two hours.


    But Rudolf was patient. He continued waiting.


    Only when the night wind carried nothing but silence did he finally make his move.


    He tied his horse securely in the woods before approaching the graveyard with deliberate caution, ensuring he made as little noise as possible.


    Climbing over the cemetery wall, Rudolf carefully navigated through the graves, relying on memory to find the witch¡¯s burial site.


    Once he arrived, he pulled out his tools. He had modified his shovel, bending the metal blade into a cylindrical shape, essentially creating a tube-shaped spade.


    Standing at the head of the grave, he drove the first shovel-full of dirt out of the ground.


    Immediately, the murmurs in his head weakened.


    At last, the tormenting whispers were coming to an end.


    Quickly, Rudolf dug a vertical hole into the grave.


    Two cylindrical objects extended down into the opening¡ªone was the barrel of his alchemic shotgun, the other was a flashlight.


    Through the narrow hole, Rudolf could see the witch¡¯s head.


    Its eye sockets were empty, pitch-black voids filled with soil. And yet, despite the darkness, he felt it.


    The witch was staring at him.


    Rudolf locked eyes with those hollow sockets and murmured,


    ¡°You¡¯re not dead.¡±

 Get star maps and rewards

    The charred head of the witch remained partially buried under the soil. The dirt above it was undisturbed, showing no signs of movement. It gave no response to Rudolf¡¯s question.


    Rudolf withdrew his flashlight, plunging the narrow hole back into darkness.


    His finger had already shifted to the trigger. There were many ways to silence the whispers in his head. He didn¡¯t have to follow their guidance¡ªeliminating their source was just as effective.


    ¡°Wait! Young patrolman!¡± A hoarse voice rasped from within the hole.


    At this moment, the witch was utterly fragile, unable to resist in any way.


    ¡°Let me out! I can save your life!¡±


    ¡°Save me?¡± Rudolf paused, considering the words. Out of caution, he decided to listen a little longer.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been tainted by star power! Don¡¯t deny it¡ªyou know exactly what I¡¯m talking about!¡± The witch¡¯s voice quickened. ¡°If you encounter an experienced witch hunter or an inquisitor, you¡¯ll be exposed immediately!¡±


    Rudolf frowned.


    Witch hunters and inquisitors¡ªboth were powerful enforcers of the Inquisition, specifically trained to deal with witches.


    Could it be that the moment he picked up that starstone, he had truly been contaminated?


    ¡°Let me out! I can help you! I can make you a witch¡¯s apprentice! I can teach you how to avoid the inquisitors! Look at me¡ªI¡¯m still alive, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Help me?¡± Rudolf asked doubtfully. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a charred head. How exactly do you plan to help me?¡±


    The witch knew that unless he said something useful, the patrolman above him wouldn¡¯t believe a word.


    ¡°All you need to do is dig up a relatively fresh corpse. That will allow me to recover some of my power¡ªthen I can help you.¡±


    A mere burnt skull could do nothing. The witch had to regain a body before he could be of any use.


    ¡°A fresh corpse?¡± Rudolf narrowed his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t take me for a fool. I¡¯ve read the records on the undead at the precinct. Only certain levels of undead can transfer their consciousness to another body. From the way you¡¯re talking, you sound like one of them. But you¡¯re a witch¡ªhow could you possibly have the powers of an undead?¡±


    Clearly, Rudolf didn¡¯t believe him. He lowered the shotgun barrel into the hole, his finger tightening around the trigger.


    ¡°Wait! Wait!¡± The witch shouted hastily.


    ¡°I see now¡ªyou really don¡¯t know anything. Do you even understand why witches must be burned?¡±


    Rudolf paused but didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°There are twelve kinds of apostles in this world,¡± the witch continued, ¡°each possessing extraordinary abilities. But regardless of the type¡ªwhether it¡¯s an alchemist like your sheriff, a knight, a giant, or even an apostle of an evil god¡ªwhenever they encounter a witch, they will always try to burn them. Do you know why? Because witches can turn other apostles into artifacts, granting them their powers.¡±


    If that were true¡­ then it made sense why all apostles would want witches dead.


    A new thought surfaced in Rudolf¡¯s mind.


    Could he use a witch¡¯s artifact to disguise himself as an alchemist? Or perhaps a druid? If he was careful enough, could he trick the inquisitors?


    Or was there an even better way to deal with them?


    After a brief moment of contemplation, Rudolf pulled back the shotgun and picked up his tube-shaped spade once more.


    With a single decisive thrust, he scooped the charred skull out of the grave.


    The witch visibly relaxed, and even his stiff facial expression seemed to ease.


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    And at last¡ªthe maddening whispers in Rudolf¡¯s head vanished.


    A witch. A pyre. The undead. Witch artifacts...


    Rudolf stared at the burnt skull before him, wondering how this witch had managed to escape the Inquisition¡¯s merciless methods.


    Lemang Town didn¡¯t have an Inquisition outpost. The witch hunters and inquisitors had come all the way from Fabro City to capture this man. And those who came were all highly experienced.


    Even his eyes had been gouged out by the inquisitors, proof of how thorough their inspections were.


    And yet¡ªthis witch still lived.


    ¡°No matter how much those witch hunters slander us, witches are the strongest apostles!¡± the witch declared. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid¡ªI will help you become a witch. You¡¯ll be the strongest of them all!¡±


    A severed, charred head that could still speak¡­ This wasn¡¯t an ordinary witch¡¯s ability. This was an undead trait.


    Rudolf was convinced now¡ªthere was a hidden witch artifact embedded somewhere in this skull.


    It was so well-concealed that it had even fooled the inquisitors.


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know this, little patrolman, but apostles are also known as ¡®eternal apostles.¡¯ The most powerful witches possess lifespans as vast as the stars, the sun, and the moon.¡±


    Rudolf stared at the skull, pondering where the artifact could be hidden.


    Ironically, he owed the inquisitors some gratitude. They had already stripped this witch of his last remaining means of resistance.


    That was the only reason Rudolf dared to stand before him now.


    After all, even a Rank 2 alchemist like Sheriff Claude wouldn¡¯t dare face this witch alone.


    ¡°Become my apprentice! I am a Rank 3 witch¡ªBloody Saren! You must have read my file. You know what I¡¯ve done.¡±


    Rudolf¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    He suddenly noticed something.


    Among the few teeth still remaining in the witch¡¯s charred mouth¡­


    If there was one place on this skull that had been overlooked¡ªone thing left untouched¡ªit had to be¡­


    The witch sensed something was wrong.


    The young patrolman¡¯s demeanor had changed.


    Rudolf stepped over the skull, looming over it.


    Then, with a swift motion, he swung his spade down¡ªslamming it straight into the witch¡¯s cheek.


    The impact was effective.


    A large chunk of burnt flesh tore away from the skull.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    Even with half his face smashed in, the witch could still speak. But there was a slight change in his voice.


    Rudolf smiled.


    He had heard it.


    A hint of panic.


    Reaching into his bullet pouch, he retrieved an alchemic shotgun shell.


    Pulling out his dagger, he pried it open, revealing the enchanted lead pellets inside.


    There were over a dozen lead pellets inside the shell. Rudolf poured one into his palm.


    A searing pain shot through his hand, making him wince.


    His heart sank.


    The witch was right¡ªhe had already been tainted by star power.


    Before, alchemic bullets were nothing more than special ammunition to him. They had no effect on his body. But now, just touching one caused him pain.


    Extending his hand forward, he flipped his palm over.


    A handful of alchemic lead pellets tumbled down, landing on the witch¡¯s burnt cheek.


    A hiss of black smoke rose up immediately.


    Bullets forged by alchemists possessed a powerful burning effect against heretical apostles.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    The witch¡¯s voice was laced with fear as columns of smoke erupted from his face.


    In most places, the reaction was minor¡ªjust faint wisps of smoke.


    But when the pellets struck his wisdom tooth, a thick plume of smoke burst forth!


    The combination of Rudolf¡¯s earlier strike and the burning effect of the alchemic pellets had exposed the witch¡¯s wisdom tooth.


    So that was it.


    The so-called witch artifact, crafted using undead flesh¡ªwas that wisdom tooth.


    It had been hidden well.


    That must have been how he had fooled the inquisitors.


    ¡°No! No! No!¡±


    Rudolf pulled out his dagger, driving it into the base of the tooth, preparing to pry it loose.


    ¡°How dare you! How dare you touch my Undead Fang?!¡±


    Undead Fang¡ªthat was the name of this artifact?


    Rudolf smirked, his tone casual.


    ¡°My Undead Fang? Then why is it in your mouth?¡±


    Then he muttered, ¡°Damn it, to hell with this¡­ Did you even brush your teeth today?¡±


    With a sharp twist, he wrenched the wisdom tooth free.


    The witch¡¯s head instantly fell silent.


    Rudolf picked up the Undead Fang. From the outside, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary tooth.


    Just as he was examining it, a faint glimmer caught his eye.


    A translucent, softly glowing crystal slowly emerged from the witch¡¯s lifeless skull.


    Rudolf instinctively grabbed it, afraid its light might attract unwanted attention.


    But just like before, when he first touched the starstone¡ªthe witch¡¯s crystal vanished.


    Closing his eyes, he immediately saw the starstone again, this time appearing in the star map within his mind.


    Like a shooting star, it streaked toward the heavens.


    Rudolf recognized this starry domain.


    His past life¡¯s zodiac sign had been Scorpio, and he was familiar with its brightest stars.


    Scorpio had a total of 14 luminous stars, forming the constellation¡¯s skeletal outline.


    And now¡ªhe had lit the first one.


    Lambda Scorpii, located at the tail of the constellation.


    **Scorpio: 1/14.**


    Rudolf still held the Undead Fang in his hand.


    A thought crossed his mind¡ªsince the tooth had already been transformed into a witch artifact, it likely wouldn¡¯t function the same way as the witch¡¯s crystal. The crystal was a remnant that had only just formed upon the witch¡¯s death, whereas the artifact had been altered long ago.


    That was probably why the tooth didn¡¯t light up a star.


    Just like when he had previously lit up the moon, activating Lambda Scorpii caused three floating stars to descend from it.


    As his consciousness approached them, vague words began to form within the glowing orbs.


    **Witch Apprentice Awakening Ritual**


    **Wordkeeper Awakening Ritual**


    **Silver Serpent¡¯s Tail Awakening Ritual**


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve come this far¡­ might as well pick one.¡±

 The teeth of the living corpse

    Rudolf carefully put away the Tooth of the Living Dead¡ªa precious item that could save his life in the hands of a witch hunter. With it in his possession, he felt a sudden surge of security.


    He once again placed the wizard¡¯s head into the vertical pit, carefully burying it before quickly returning to his horse. Mounting up, Rudolf rode away, continuing his patrol.


    Half an hour later, the gravedigger, Old Grey, arrived at the spot where the horse had been tied. "Young people these days have no sense of hygiene," he grumbled, noticing the horse dung left behind. He cleaned up the area briefly before heading back to his small hut for the night.


    The next day, Rudolf stepped into Sheriff Claude''s office. Hearing the door close, Claude looked up in mild surprise. Rudolf sat down across from him, cleared his throat, and said, "Sheriff, after the last witch hunt, all the trainee patrolmen I knew died. I¡¯ve been thinking about some things, and I¡¯d like to seek your help."


    Claude set aside the documents in his hand and looked at Rudolf with sympathy. The young man had been deeply shaken since sustaining severe injuries during the last hunt.


    "Go ahead, Rudolf. I''ll help however I can."


    Rudolf asked, "Sheriff, how can I become an alchemist?"


    "An alchemist?" Claude looked at him in astonishment. "I can help you with anything¡ªexcept that."


    "What about a knight, then?"


    "Anything but those two things."


    "A druid?"


    "Anything but those three things."


    Rudolf simply stared at him. As a leader, Claude began to feel somewhat awkward under the scrutiny.


    "Rudolf, let me explain. I understand how you feel. Among the twelve apostles, knights, alchemists, and druids are known as the Three Chosen Apostles of the Divine. Knights form the nobility of the kingdom, alchemists govern the cities, and druids oversee the countryside.


    If you want to become an alchemist¡¯s assistant, you need recommendation letters from three alchemists. I can be one, and I can help you find the other two, but their signatures each require a fee of 100 gold shields. It''s a necessary expense¡ªalchemists, as the name implies, need a vast amount of metals for research and weapon materials. Gold, silver, copper, lead, and rarer metals¡ªthey accept them all. Every alchemist is both a pauper and a millionaire at the same time.


    Once you have three recommendation letters, the Fabro City Alchemist Guild will review your application. The attending alchemists at the review meeting charge a collective fee of 100 gold shields. Passing the review isn''t guaranteed, and any issues raised could cost you even more money. Convincing the guild leader will require about 200 gold shields.


    All in all, you¡¯ll need at least 500 gold shields. Fabro City only approves about ten new alchemists each year, and the guild is extremely strict about it. If you¡¯re even one gold shield short, they won¡¯t process your application.


    I really can¡¯t help you much with this. My salary from last month all went to Lady Claire, and the month before that, it went to Lady Carla. I truly have no money to spare."


    Rudolf did some quick calculations in his head. His current salary was two silver shields per month, and one gold shield equaled 24 silver shields. If he didn¡¯t eat or drink, he¡¯d need an entire year to earn just one gold shield. Five hundred gold shields¡­ that would take 500 years. The number was simply absurd.


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    "And what about becoming a knight?"


    "Knights require noble lineage. Your blood must be noble, and no amount of money can change that," Claude said seriously. "Honestly, Rudolf, your best bet is to court a noble lady. The chances of your son becoming a knight are far higher than the chances of you becoming one yourself."


    "And a druid?"


    "Druids live in tribal communities in the wild. They usually only recruit new druids from within their own tribes," Claude explained. Then, in a comforting tone, he added, "Rudolf, some things are determined at birth. If you have them, you have them. If you don¡¯t, you never will."


    "Sheriff, you¡¯re really good at comforting people," Rudolf said dryly. "Next time, just don¡¯t."


    He stood up, ready to leave the office.


    "Wait! Don''t go¡ªI can give you more guidance!"


    Without looking back, Rudolf replied, "I¡¯ve got a toothache. I¡¯m going to see the dentist."


    As Rudolf left, Claude called after him one last time. "The full moon festival is next month, and we still need a sacrifice. Keep an eye out for any leads."


    "Got it! I¡¯m off to see the dentist first."


    Knights, alchemists, and druids¡ªthese were the Divinely Chosen Apostles, those who could walk freely under the sun. The so-called "sacrifices," on the other hand, were the Heretical Apostles, those deemed unworthy.


    After hearing Claude''s "comforting" words, Rudolf made up his mind. Who cared about heresy? He had already arrived in this world, already taken this path¡ªhow could he not become an apostle?


    Two hours later, the door of the dentist¡¯s clinic in Leman Town swung open, then shut.


    Rudolf stepped out, clutching his swollen cheek. Behind him, the dentist, Mr. Tiss, bowed repeatedly, apologizing profusely.


    Rudolf had just had a wisdom tooth extracted, and the pain left him dizzy. For some reason, the anesthetic¡ªthough it should have been enough¡ªhad a far weaker effect on him than expected. Tragically, he only discovered this after the extraction had already begun.


    Each time the dentist operated, pain wracked Rudolf¡¯s body, causing him to convulse. He tried his best to keep his head still, but the sweat beading on his forehead and the tightly clenched fists spoke volumes about how much effort that took.


    Realizing the anesthetic wasn¡¯t working properly, the dentist began to sweat as much as Rudolf. When he attempted to administer a second dose, he discovered, to his horror, that it would wear off again after a short time.


    However, the situation was what it was¡ªhis gums were already cut open, and stopping now wouldn¡¯t be appropriate. So, Dentist Tiss simply pretended that the anesthetic was working fine and went ahead with the extraction.


    As Rudolf left, Tiss turned to his assistant and said, "A real man! That¡¯s a real man right there!"


    At the doorway, his assistant, Miss Abby, twisted a towel in her hands. The water dripping from it was sweat¡ªsweat that Rudolf had left behind on the dental chair.


    "A real man indeed! As expected of a patrol officer."


    Rudolf didn¡¯t hear their praise. He simply furrowed his brows, hiding his expression beneath his police cap.


    He knew why the anesthetic had little effect on him. Just as the wizard had said¡ªhe was no longer an ordinary person.


    Wizards had to die. That was a truth agreed upon by all apostles.


    Rudolf had once wanted to become an alchemist, but now it was too late. Among the three apostolic awakening rituals¡ªWizard, Wordbearer, and Silverserpent¡ªhe could only choose to become a wizard. He had already been tainted by astral power, and now, his only choice was his best choice.


    Underneath his coat, his shirt was drenched in sweat. He wanted to return to the precinct as soon as possible and change into fresh clothes.


    A deep sense of gloom settled over him. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could still consider the precinct his home.


    After changing clothes, Rudolf stood by the window, watching people come and go in the precinct courtyard.


    The Leman Town police force currently had only two apostles¡ªSheriff Claude and the veteran officer, Old Baby. The rest were just four or five trainee officers or patrolmen. Whatever Rudolf was planning to do, he had to wait until both Claude and Old Baby left the precinct.


    Before long, Old Baby was the first to leave, heading home for the night.


    When the sun finally dipped below the horizon, Rudolf saw Sheriff Claude leave as well. The sheriff was dressed in a formal suit¡ªclearly off to visit yet another lover.


    This world, much like the medieval Europa Rudolf was familiar with, had a strong culture of extramarital affairs. Having a spouse who found a lover wasn¡¯t the scary part¡ªthe scary part was when your spouse had a lover, and you didn¡¯t.


    Since Rudolf had taken the day off due to his tooth extraction, he wasn¡¯t scheduled for patrol duty tonight. He could stay inside the precinct.


    As midnight approached, the night-shift patrol trainees rode off on horseback, leaving the precinct nearly empty. Only then did Rudolf leave his dormitory.


    Still clutching his sore cheek, he made his way through the offices, borrowing painkillers from everyone he encountered. He needed to confirm exactly who was still inside the precinct.


    Because tonight¡­ was the night of his awakening ritual.

 Apprentice as a wizard

    The basement of the precinct housed the shooting range and temporary jail cells. The first floor was for the public service hall and interrogation rooms. The second floor contained the offices, meeting rooms, and archives. The third floor served as the police dormitory.


    Rudolf walked into the second-floor office area. It was completely empty¡ªseemed like everyone was eager to clock out on time.


    It was already late. Downstairs, in the first-floor public service hall, only one officer remained on duty¡ªOfficer Calita, a somewhat absent-minded young woman. The sheriff rarely assigned her fieldwork. As long as no one came in to file a report, she would sneak off to the adjacent duty room to take a nap.


    In the basement jail, only a trainee patrolman named Sam was on duty. There were currently two prisoners locked up, both guilty of minor offenses, so they didn¡¯t require heavy security.


    The recent witch-hunting operation had cost the lives of three patrol officers and five trainee officers. The Leman Town precinct was now severely understaffed¡ªat its weakest point.


    Painkillers were stored in the jail, meant for prisoners who had been beaten during interrogations. As long as they confessed quickly enough, they would be given as many painkillers as they needed after the torture.


    After greeting Sam and collecting some painkillers, Rudolf returned to the third floor, waiting quietly.


    At midnight, he climbed up the stairs to the rooftop.


    The precinct had been built taller than most other buildings in town to allow for better surveillance. Above the three-story structure, there was an additional rooftop terrace. Most buildings in town were only two stories tall, which meant that the very center of the precinct¡¯s rooftop was a blind spot in the town¡¯s view.


    At this moment, the starlight bathed the stone floor of the rooftop. Rudolf took out the Starstone.


    Objects stored within the Star Chart wouldn¡¯t disappear¡ªthey would automatically appear in his hand whenever he needed them.


    He closed his eyes. His consciousness entered the Star Chart, touching the floating star that represented the "Wizard Apprentice Awakening Ritual."


    A flood of detailed knowledge about the ritual poured into his mind.


    After carefully reviewing every step of the process, Rudolf bent down and began drawing the Astrological Grand Triangle on the rooftop floor using the extraterrestrial Starstone.


    At each of the three corners of the triangle, he placed a small circle¡ªthese would serve as conduits for star power. At the center of the triangle, he drew a large circle, and within it, he inscribed the symbol of Scorpio.


    It was November¡ªthe Scorpio Month of wizards.


    In his past life, Rudolf¡¯s natal sign had been Scorpio. To step onto the path of the Celestial Wizard, he had to start with Scorpio.


    Between the small circles and the large central circle, he traced mysterious and cryptic lines of unknown meaning.


    Rudolf removed his shoes and socks, stepping barefoot onto the large central circle. He tilted his head back, gazing at Scorpio in the night sky.


    He chanted the Celestial Wizard¡¯s Incantation:


    "Who can explain the flicker of the stars?


    Who can grasp the fleeting streak of a meteor?


    Who can alter the path of the planets?


    To command the stars¡­ is to command the world!"


    At that moment, a faint white glow shimmered over the Astrological Grand Triangle.


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    Wizards, in order to survive, had designed their awakening rituals to be discreet. That was why Rudolf dared to perform the ritual on the precinct rooftop.


    The white glow came from the Starstone dust responding to the starlight above.


    After a minute, the Starstone dust had fully absorbed the celestial energy.


    The dust, now infused with star power, began flowing toward Rudolf. The Astrological Grand Triangle started to contract, moving like a living serpent, slowly converging on him.


    Glowing runes and lines slithered onto his feet, creeping up his skin, slipping into his pants legs.


    Rudolf could feel something seeping into his body through his skin¡ªestablishing a link between him and the stars above.


    When the Astrological Grand Triangle fully disappeared from his skin, the rooftop returned to complete silence.


    A message appeared in his mind:


    Rudolf: Wizard Apprentice


    <ul>


    <li>Natal Sign: Scorpio (Water Element)</li>


    <li>Celestial Incantation: Venom</li>


    </ul>


    The Sun, Moon, and planets moved along the Zodiac Belt. A person¡¯s Natal Sign was determined by the constellation the Sun occupied at the time of their birth.


    Wizards in this world were called Celestial Wizards. Their journey began with mastering the Zodiac Signs'' Incantations. Each zodiac sign had at least one incantation¡ªthese were the foundation of a wizard¡¯s spells.


    As a Water Sign, Scorpio had multiple incantations, but the one Rudolf had awakened was "Venom."


    The first ability that came to his mind was enchanting weapons with poison.


    A poisoned weapon, just like an alchemist¡¯s enchanted bullets, could deal fatal damage to other Apostles.


    Ordinary swords and firearms had limited effect on Apostles¡ªonly an Apostle could kill another Apostle.


    Rudolf had finally stepped onto the Path of the Apostles¡ªentering their world.


    The traces of the Starstone on the ground had been fully absorbed. That reassured him.


    He turned and stepped into the stairwell.


    At the very moment he left the rooftop, when all light had faded, Rudolf retrieved a wisdom tooth¡ªtaken from the head of a dead wizard.


    Without hesitation, he placed it into his mouth.


    Moments later, he was stunned¡ªthe Star Chart recognized the "Tooth of the Revenant."


    A flood of new information surged into his mind:


    Tooth of the Revenant (Tier 3 Necromantic Artifact)


    <ul>


    <li>Ability 1: Corpse Control ¨C Reanimate and command corpses (Apostles controlled cannot exceed Tier 3).</li>


    <li>Ability 2: Organ Replacement ¨C Swap organs and limbs from fresh corpses.</li>


    <li>Ability 3: Feigned Death ¨C A perfect death-state with no breath, heartbeat, or cellular activity¡ªnearly impossible to detect.</li>


    </ul>


    <h4>Drawback of the Tooth of the Revenant:</h4>


    "The body grows increasingly cold. It is advised not to stay away from crowds for too long. Prolonged isolation will make the body resemble a corpse."


    Rudolf froze.


    "Avoid isolation? Stay near people? That¡¯s¡­ quite the drawback."


    He had been planning to lay low and hide in some secluded place.


    Now, it seemed he would have to remain in the public eye.


    Should he¡­ keep working as a patrol officer?


    As he descended the stairs, he already felt it¡ªstiffness creeping into his body.


    Lifting his leg became a challenge, and lowering it felt just as difficult. The sensation wasn¡¯t overpowering, but it was distinctly uncomfortable.


    His first thought was to find Officer Calita and chat with her¡ªbut she was sound asleep.


    With no other choice, Rudolf left the precinct to get some fresh air.


    Walking through the streets, he noticed something else¡ªnot just stiffness, but an intense cold spreading through his body.


    "Damn¡­ this Tier 3 artifact''s drawback is really something."


    He pondered how to counteract the Tooth¡¯s side effects.


    At this hour, most of Leman Town¡¯s shops were closed.


    According to his memory, only two types of businesses were still open¡ªtaverns and bathhouses.


    He went to the tavern first.


    The moment he walked in, the patrons tensed up¡ªseeing a patrol officer always startled them. But Rudolf simply bought a bottle of strong liquor and left.


    The tavern owner, Parber, even gave him a generous discount¡ªa small perk of being a patrol officer.


    Stepping outside, Rudolf took a deep swig of the liquor.


    Instantly, his chest burned with warmth.


    "Damn, that feels good."


    Still holding the bottle, he made his way to the bathhouse.


    Soaking in the warm water, Rudolf closed his eyes in satisfaction.


    He had guessed correctly¡ªboth alcohol and hot water could ease the artifact¡¯s side effects.


    Floating in the warm bath, Rudolf lazily swirled the water with his fingers.


    "Might as well enjoy it while it lasts."

 Sacrifices and werewolves

    ¡°Rudolf, don¡¯t leave! Let¡¯s slack off together.¡±


    Policewoman Kelita was in a good mood these past few days. Rudolf had been chatting with her a lot recently, making the dull work much more enjoyable. Slacking off during work hours was one of life¡¯s great pleasures.


    Rudolf also wanted to stay and chat¡ªhe needed human interaction to counteract the side effects of the Corpse Tooth. However, he had already noticed an important figure entering the police station.


    Mr. Puli, the Red Priest of Leman Town, had arrived. There was only one week left until the Full Moon Sacrifice in December, yet the police station had done nothing¡ªthe sacrificial offerings were still unprepared.


    Chief Claude respectfully escorted the Red Priest out, with Rudolf following behind, carefully observing this priest. The monthly Full Moon Sacrifice was always presided over by Puli. He was a pale, almost bloodless-looking middle-aged man. Outside of the sacrificial rituals, there were very few opportunities to see him.


    Puli repeatedly emphasized the importance of the offerings, and Chief Claude nodded in agreement over and over.


    After sending the Red Priest off, Claude wore a troubled expression.


    ¡°Rudolf, have you found any leads on the offerings?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working tirelessly, searching day and night, but unfortunately, I haven¡¯t found anything yet.¡±


    ¡°Day and night?¡± Claude raised an eyebrow. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been either at the tavern or the bathhouse these past few nights. Speaking of which, I also heard that the bathhouse owner, Bass, recently hired some well-built masseuses from Fabro City. How was it?¡±


    Rudolf¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s outrageous! There¡¯s something like that? Why didn¡¯t Bass tell me?¡±


    ¡°Do you have money?¡± Claude asked, delivering a soul-crushing question.


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    Rudolf realized that while alcohol and hot baths were enjoyable, they also cost money¡ªmoney that was running out fast. Perhaps Bass knew Rudolf was short on cash, which was why he hadn¡¯t mentioned the new services.


    Claude patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Alright, Rudolf. Tomorrow, you¡¯re coming with me into the wild. We need to see if we can find a werewolf. Yesterday, I received a letter from the druids. They believe something bad is happening out there.¡±


    ¡°If we manage to capture a werewolf, I can give you some extra funding.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    ### The Next Day


    Claude and Rudolf rode out of Leman Town on horseback. This was the first time Rudolf had ventured far from town since arriving in this world.


    For ordinary people, the wilderness meant danger¡ªit was ruled by all sorts of heretical apostles.


    As they traveled, they reached the first farm. The closer a farm was to the town, the safer it was, as help from the police station would arrive faster.


    Despite his usual easygoing and playful demeanor, Claude was incredibly strong.


    The farmer, upon seeing the police chief, quickly left the barn and came over to the roadside, handing both Claude and Rudolf a jug of milk.


    ¡°Chief Claude, it¡¯s been a while since you last patrolled this area!¡±


    While the chief chatted with the farmer, Rudolf observed the two men standing behind him.


    This farm was well-protected¡ªit had hired two druids.


    The druids were shirtless, their sun-darkened skin stretched over bulging muscles. Sweat dripped down their well-defined chests.


    As the saying goes, ¡°Overtraining attracts the same gender.¡±


    Rudolf¡¯s eyes followed those sweat droplets as they trickled down. His intense gaze made the two druids uncomfortable¡ªthey turned around.


    As they did, a jingling sound rang out.


    The druids wore skirts, decorated with coarse hemp ropes holding metal pieces, stone fragments, animal teeth, and small bones.


    Aside from the two rugged-looking druids, the two massive brown bears behind them also stood out.


    This was the nature of druids¡ªthey were the guardians of the wilderness. Many farms hired druids to protect their land and livestock. In exchange for payment, druids would send warriors to safeguard these settlements.


    Soon, the conversation between the chief and the farmer wrapped up.


    Claude turned to Rudolf. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We need to hurry.¡±


    He cracked his whip, urging his horse forward. Rudolf quickly followed.


    As they galloped along the main road, an unsettling feeling grew stronger.


    There were barely any merchant caravans in sight¡ªthis was unusual.


    Leman Town was located on the southern outskirts of Fabro City. Any merchants traveling north to Fabro had to pass through Leman Town.


    The empty road meant that merchants had noticed something was wrong and altered their routes.


    This matched what the druids had warned about¡ªsomething terrible was happening in the wilderness.


    ### Half a Day Later


    Rudolf and Claude arrived at the most remote farm near Leman Town.


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    The farther a farm was from town, the poorer and more vulnerable it was.


    The sight before them was grim¡ªscattered across the farm were the skeletal remains of cows and sheep, torn apart by vicious bites.


    Claude motioned for Rudolf to ready his shotgun. There was danger here.


    These bite marks were left by werewolves. Only a pack, led by an alpha, could utterly destroy a farm¡¯s defenses like this.


    ¡°We¡¯re too late¡­¡±


    Claude pushed open the wooden gate and stepped inside.


    ¡°There was a fight here,¡± he observed, standing over a cluster of corpses.


    Rudolf surveyed the area. Among the bodies were farm dogs, druid bears, and the farm¡¯s residents.


    The massive bear was already dead, its throat torn open in a fatal wound. Black-red flesh curled outward, and its body was riddled with gashes. Its insides had been hollowed out¡ªwerewolves seemed to have a particular taste for animal organs.


    Looking around, Rudolf suddenly pointed to a tree. ¡°Chief! There¡¯s a druid¡¯s corpse up there!¡±


    Druids had a distinctive appearance¡ªbare chests and skirts covered in trinkets.


    ¡°Werewolves and druids are mortal enemies,¡± Claude explained. ¡°They hate each other. After killing a druid, werewolves hang the body high as a display of dominance.¡±


    Since it was winter, the trees were bare, making the corpse particularly noticeable.


    Blood trickled down the trunk, staining it a striking red.


    A cold wind blew, sending a shiver down Rudolf¡¯s spine.


    Staring at the druid¡¯s body, he felt an ominous dread. He feared that one day, if his identity as a wizard was exposed, he might suffer the same fate as the werewolves¡¯ victims.


    ¡°Chief, what do we do next?¡±


    Claude took a deep breath. ¡°We wait. This battle happened last night. The surrounding druid tribes will arrive soon. We¡¯ll handle this werewolf attack with them.¡±


    The bodies of the farmer and his family were neatly arranged on the ground. Rudolf covered them with a bedsheet, concealing the gruesome wounds left by the werewolves'' bites. Some werewolves were quite picky eaters, consuming only the internal organs...


    Actually, this farm wasn''t bad¡ªaside from being remote, it had no major flaws. In fact, its remoteness gave it a particularly beautiful view. In the distance, rolling low hills stretched across the horizon, accompanied by a river and lush forests. It was a pity that the entire family, along with the Druids they had hired for protection, had all fallen prey to the werewolves.


    The nearest Druid tribe, the Elk Tribe, had sent three Druids, each wearing identical antlers on their heads. Rudolf recalled the two Druids at the first farm, who had fox pelts on their heads¡ªlikely from a different tribe.


    Inside the farmhouse, a fire had already been lit. While the police chief and the Druid leader discussed the situation, Rudolf wandered through the house, observing his surroundings. He was curious about farm life.


    Being reborn in this world felt like a fresh start, and everything he saw fascinated him. The family had soft carpets, delicate glass cups, and gleaming cutlery. This family of seven must have lived a warm, happy life...


    On a high table, Rudolf noticed a framed family portrait. The family was smiling brightly in the picture. But then, something struck him.


    He moved to the window and looked outside at the seven bodies covered with bedsheets. Among them was a Druid, meaning one member of the farmer''s family was missing.


    Rudolf interrupted the conversation inside the house.


    "Chief, someone is missing. A little girl."


    He handed the picture frame to the police chief, who examined it before saying grimly,


    "Werewolves don¡¯t leave survivors¡ªespecially not tender little girls."


    The middle-aged Druid sighed. "This poor family¡­ The farmer had guns, and they even hired Druids for protection. Werewolves fear death, too. Normally, they only attack farms during a full moon. Under the moonlight, they go into a frenzy and gain immense strength. But for them to attack at this time, it suggests something very bad¡ªthere might be too many werewolves in the area, and the wild can no longer provide enough food for them."


    Both werewolves and Druids had territories. If the werewolf population was growing, it would be a major problem for the Druid tribes.


    "That¡¯s a very troubling possibility..." Chief Claude said. "We should scout the area while there''s still daylight. If the situation is dire, I¡¯ll request reinforcements from the Fabro City Police Department."


    The experienced Druid began examining the crime scene, searching for clues.


    "Werewolves are pack animals, just like regular wolves," the Druid explained. "From the tracks, I count five werewolves. Five of them attacked this farm."


    "Five werewolves would be overwhelming. The Druids guarding the farm were quickly killed, and the three adult men in the family didn''t stand a chance."


    "The werewolves feasted well..."


    Once the examination was complete, the middle-aged Druid pointed in a direction, leading the group to track the werewolves.


    As they followed the trail, Rudolf asked,


    "Chief, how does someone become a werewolf?"


    Chief Claude explained,


    "Werewolf saliva is thick and contains a complex mix of substances. The most dangerous of them is wolf venom. If you''re unlucky enough to be bitten, most people die from the poison. But if you''re even more unlucky and survive the bite, you''ll become a werewolf."


    What a crude way to undergo an apostle transformation.


    "So," Rudolf continued, "if a werewolf is diligent enough, couldn¡¯t they create a whole army of werewolves? I mean, statistically speaking, some unfortunate souls would survive the bites, right?"


    "That¡¯s why werewolves are one of the greatest threats in the wild," Chief Claude warned. "They have terrifying regeneration abilities. Their weakness is their heads. To kill a werewolf, you need to blow up its dog head or chop it off."


    Rudolf nodded. He made a mental note: aim for the dog head.


    Unlike the Druids, who relied on experience, Rudolf preferred tools. He pulled out a telescope and scanned the distance.


    "That¡¯s unnecessary, patrolman," a young Druid scoffed, eyeing Rudolf''s telescope with disdain.


    Rudolf had met quite a few Druids over the past few days. They were certainly more common than alchemists, but these muscular men didn''t seem particularly bright.


    Rudolf shook his shotgun slightly.


    "Tell me, is this unnecessary too?"


    The young Druid disagreed strongly.


    "Humans are insignificant before nature. Only what comes from nature is truly powerful. Before firearms, we survived just fine with spears and bows¡ªtools taken from nature itself. Alchemists, with their arrogance, think they¡¯ve conquered nature. But how laughable! One day, nature will take its revenge and show them how small they really are!"


    He made a compelling argument, but Rudolf had no interest in listening. He took a few steps away to avoid further discussion.


    Alchemists had managed to form guilds and seize considerable power from nobles mainly because they could distribute alchemical bullets to ordinary people, allowing them to fight apostles.


    It was similar to how the police force operated under Chief Claude. With the chief leading them, the police had a decent chance against apostles.


    Over the past few days, Rudolf had speculated that alchemy must be incredibly resource-intensive. Even an entire city couldn''t afford too many alchemists, forcing their guilds to self-regulate their numbers. Compared to Druids, alchemists were undoubtedly the most powerful apostles.


    Eventually, the tracking party reached the edge of a forest.


    Inside, the Druids took the lead, with Chief Claude bringing up the rear. He glanced at Rudolf¡ªhe was the only one here who wasn¡¯t an apostle, so extra caution was necessary.


    Even the Druids, who knew the forest intimately, moved cautiously. But Rudolf? He was like an overexcited tourist.


    "Hey, is this mushroom edible? Do you guys have a mushroom cookbook? What happens if you eat the wrong one and start hallucinating?"


    "What¡¯s that leaf you¡¯re chewing? Does it help you stay awake? Can I try it?"


    "You¡¯re walking barefoot¡ªdon¡¯t twigs and rocks hurt your feet?"


    He seized every opportunity to learn about forest survival. The young Druid was getting increasingly annoyed.


    During a rest break, Rudolf even climbed the tallest tree, using his telescope to scout ahead.


    Suddenly, the middle-aged Druid stood up, alarmed.


    "Something''s wrong. The animals around us are radiating fear!"


    At that moment, Rudolf¡¯s voice rang out from above.


    "Chief! Good news! I¡¯ve got great news!"


    "What is it?" Claude looked up, unsure what Rudolf had spotted.


    "Chief! We¡¯ve got enough sacrifices to last us a year and a half!"


    Rudolf sounded thrilled. Through his telescope, he had spotted towering, upright figures¡ªa pack of werewolves.


    "Sixteen... Seventeen... Eighteen werewolves in total! Chief, we¡¯ll never have to worry about sacrifices again!"


    Chief Claude¡¯s face turned pale, his neatly trimmed mustache quivering.


    "How the hell is that good news?!"

 Bloodthirsty werewolf

    The forest was filled with heavy, ragged breathing. Three druids, Sheriff Claude, and Rudolph were sprinting through the woods.


    "When did an 18-werewolf pack appear near Lemon Town?"


    "I don''t know, Sheriff. This is the first time we''ve seen such a large pack! Every werewolf pack has an alpha. If there are fewer than ten werewolves, the strongest among them is usually a Rank-1 alpha. But an 18-werewolf pack means their alpha is at least Rank-2!"


    Among the five fleeing individuals, only Sheriff Claude was a Rank-2 Apostle, but as an Alchemist, he wasn''t specialized in close combat. A pack of 18 werewolves posed a significant threat, even to him.


    "Get out of the forest first!" Claude finally decided.


    While druids held the advantage in the woods, it was a severe disadvantage for him and Rudolph. Both relied on firearms and weren''t accustomed to fighting in dense pine forests.


    Rudolph felt a small sense of relief¡ªhe had managed to keep up with the others. His physical strength had improved slightly since becoming a wizard apprentice. The growing brightness ahead indicated that they were reaching the forest''s edge.


    "They''re coming!" the middle-aged druid shouted.


    With his warning, Rudolph quickly caught the sounds of movement around them¡ªsomething was rapidly closing in.


    Three werewolves suddenly leaped from the underbrush, lunging at them.


    Sheriff Claude was quick on the draw. His revolver fired instantly, and a bullet tore through one werewolf¡¯s head. Blood sprayed as the beast crashed to the ground.


    Rudolph watched as the werewolf, originally a towering two-meter-tall beast, slowly shrank back into its human form. Its fur receded into body hair, its limbs shortened, and its elongated snout retracted, leaving behind a naked man. The back of his skull wasn''t just bleeding¡ªit glowed red, as if the bones and scalp were burning. This was the unique effect of alchemical bullets, which continued to sear the wound.


    The remaining two werewolves landed, cutting the druids off from Claude and Rudolph.


    More werewolves¡ªseven, maybe eight¡ªemerged from the shadows.


    Claude shouted to Rudolph: "Clear a path!"


    Rudolph had already raised his double-barreled shotgun. Shotguns required minimal aiming time, making them perfect for breaking through.


    He fired two alchemical shells, not bothering to aim for their heads. Instead, dozens of pellets sprayed forward, tearing into the massive bodies of the three werewolves blocking their path.


    Knowing he was the weakest among them, Rudolph was the first to charge toward the opening he had just created.


    As he escaped the encirclement, he glanced back. A young druid and his bear were each grappling with a werewolf.


    It was clear¡ªthe werewolves hated druids the most.


    Rudolph didn¡¯t waste another second. He turned and ran, with Sheriff Claude close behind.


    While fleeing, Rudolph reloaded his shotgun, while Claude covered their retreat with precise revolver shots.


    Behind them, the sounds of battle grew fiercer. The bear let out a pained roar. In contrast, the werewolves barely made any noise¡ªsilent hunters.


    The rustling of undergrowth, the sound of bodies crashing against trees, the sheriff''s gunfire, and the young druid¡¯s desperate shouts painted a chaotic picture of the fight.


    Rudolph, now fully reloaded, scanned the area as he ran. Strangely, no werewolves moved to cut them off.


    Claude¡¯s experience and accuracy were keeping the werewolves at bay.


    Then, Rudolph saw the horses tied up outside the forest.


    There was no time to untie them. He pulled out his knife and sliced through the ropes securing them to the trees.


    The werewolves¡¯ natural intimidation made the horses restless. They were already panicking.


    Rudolph swung onto a horse, finally feeling a sliver of safety.


    He was the first to charge out of the forest.


    Being weak had its advantages¡ªthe weakest ran first.


    As he rode away, he turned back and saw Claude burst from the trees, mounting a horse and galloping after him.


    Next came the middle-aged druid, followed by another druid.


    But that was it.


    The young druid, the one Rudolph had constantly questioned, was nowhere to be seen.


    Even his bear hadn¡¯t made it out.


    Rudolph realized he hadn¡¯t even learned the young druid¡¯s name.


    "Keep moving! Back to the farm!" Claude commanded.


    Rudolph lashed his horse, racing toward the farm.


    Behind them, the werewolves dropped to all fours, sprinting in pursuit.


    Then came a deep, resonant howl¡ªthe alpha''s call.


    The werewolves slowed their chase, eventually stopping altogether.


    From a nearby hill, they stood watching, their cold eyes following the fleeing riders.


    Rudolph glanced back, feeling a chill down his spine.


    Werewolves were patient hunters.


    They had been marked.


    For a long time ahead, they would be in danger.


    Before long, they reached the farm.


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    "Rudolph, gather every piece of copper you can find and bring it to the barn," Claude ordered.


    Inside the barn, there were simple tools. The sheriff hadn¡¯t expected to face such overwhelming odds on this trip, so he needed to replenish his ammunition.


    Rudolph hurried into the farmhouse, searching for copper objects.


    Fortunately, he found twelve copper handles, a ring of copper keys, three copper candlesticks, and a spool of copper wire.


    Claude worked with intense focus, using crude tools to refine alchemical copper.


    Five units of regular copper could be refined into one unit of alchemical copper¡ªa metal imbued with the burning power of alchemy.


    The sheer resource consumption was why Alchemists were so costly to maintain.


    The farm¡¯s weapons stash still had some bullets. Using them as a base, Claude crafted a fresh supply of alchemical rounds.


    Rudolph also found a revolver in the weapons locker. He eagerly handed it to the sheriff, clearly asking for it.


    Revolvers were way cooler than shotguns.


    Claude sighed. "Just this once¡­ Lead bullets are much cheaper than copper ones. I¡¯ll be giving you lead rounds from now on."


    Rudolph didn¡¯t care about the future¡ªhe now had twelve gleaming alchemical bullets.


    He loaded six into the revolver and the other six into a speed loader, then stepped outside with his binoculars to scout for werewolves.


    Watching him leave, the middle-aged druid turned to Claude.


    "In such a dangerous situation, that young patrolman isn¡¯t afraid at all?"


    Claude paused his work and said,


    "That¡¯s what I like about him. I can see the curiosity in his eyes¡ªespecially these past few days.


    That curiosity makes him fearless and willing to take risks.


    Of course, people like that tend to die fast.


    But I hope he grows stronger.


    And survives."


    It was already late at night, and Sheriff Claude decided to stay here until morning before setting out again. Given the werewolves¡¯ keen sense of smell and tracking abilities, traveling at night was practically suicidal.


    The night was not easy to get through. The druids guarded the first floor, while Sheriff Claude and Rudolf took the second. There were four rooms upstairs, and Rudolf was only responsible for watching over one room and the direction outside its window.


    As the moon rose, Rudolf held his breath, his chest tightening with nerves. Although he had the *Tooth of the Undead*, he wasn¡¯t particularly eager to replace one of his organs with a fresh corpse¡¯s¡ªnot yet, at least.


    Soon, multiple pairs of glowing wolf eyes flickered in the darkness beyond the farm. There was a certain connection between werewolves and the moon¡ªit triggered their bodies to release more hormones, making them even more frenzied and violent.


    Black shadows emerged in the distance. The werewolves crawled forward, their shoulder blades rolling beneath the night sky as they moved. Before long, they slipped through the fences, creeping toward the farmhouse.


    The sudden clang of metal shattered the silence¡ªone of the druids¡¯ traps had been triggered. Druids were masters of these wilderness mechanisms, and in the darkness, a pained whimper from a werewolf rang out.


    Arrows shot out from the first-floor windows, striking the ensnared werewolf with deadly accuracy. The combination of the steel trap immobilizing it and the precise arrow strikes made the druids¡¯ method of dealing with werewolves brutally efficient.


    Rudolf¡¯s vision wasn¡¯t as sharp as a druid¡¯s, so he couldn¡¯t make out the situation clearly from a distance. He extended his revolver out the window, waiting for a werewolf to come close.


    A shadow suddenly dashed toward the house. Rudolf hurriedly adjusted his aim, trying to track the creature. He fired two shots, but they only hit the werewolf¡¯s leg. Given a werewolf¡¯s regenerative abilities, this wound wouldn¡¯t slow it down for long.


    Only now did Rudolf understand why the police station had issued rookie patrolmen like him a shotgun. Even with a revolver in hand, he couldn¡¯t land his shots properly. Crude but effective, the shotgun was simply the better fit for an ordinary person like him.


    It was said that the military primarily used rifles. Alchemists believed that different weapons suited different numbers of fighters and battle conditions.


    Even though he knew the revolver wasn¡¯t the best weapon for him right now, Rudolf wasn¡¯t ready to give it up. He couldn¡¯t lug around a bulky shotgun forever. The revolver was more agile¡ªand for a man, style mattered.


    From the other side of the second floor, rapid gunfire erupted¡ªSheriff Claude was engaging the enemy. In less than eight seconds, the sheriff emptied two full magazines, firing twelve rounds in total. Compared to Rudolf¡¯s pitiful performance, the sheriff was undoubtedly racking up kills.


    Leaving the window, Rudolf positioned himself at the doorway, keeping his eyes fixed on the staircase. A fierce battle was already raging on the first floor¡ªthe druids had clashed with the werewolves. If a werewolf so much as showed its head on the stairs, Rudolf was ready to fire.


    Just as he was at peak tension, a thunderous crash erupted behind him.


    Rudolf barely had time to turn his head when he saw the wooden floorboards explode into the air. Splinters and debris struck his back.


    A massive, bristling werewolf had just burst through the floor¡ªand worse, it was a *second-tier* werewolf!


    This one was noticeably larger than the others, standing over two meters tall when upright. The weak light filtering through the window was completely blocked by the beast¡¯s form, shrouding Rudolf in darkness.


    Now that he was seeing a werewolf up close, Rudolf realized how absurdly large its head was compared to its body.


    But the werewolf was far faster than him. Its rancid, fanged maw was nearly upon his face, while his revolver was still only halfway raised.


    Just then, a thunderous gunshot roared within the room.


    It wasn¡¯t from his revolver.


    Earlier, Rudolf had watched the druids set up traps. Taking inspiration from them, he had rigged a simple mechanism using his shotgun near the window.


    That trap had just been triggered.


    The shotgun blasted into the werewolf¡¯s back, sending the beast howling in agony. A dozen enchanted lead pellets embedded themselves into its flesh, sizzling with alchemical heat.


    Rudolf¡¯s takeaway from this fight: Never step into an enemy¡¯s prepared battlefield.


    The werewolf, wracked with pain, reared back and arched its spine. Its clawed hands instinctively reached for its wounded back.


    At that moment, instead of retreating, Rudolf *charged forward*.


    Executing a smooth baseball slide, he wasn¡¯t trying to attack¡ªhe was escaping.


    With all the speed he could muster, he dove into the hole the werewolf had just torn through the floor.


    As he plummeted, he caught sight of the shotgun wounds on the werewolf¡¯s back¡ªcharred, gaping holes left by the enchanted shells. But he also saw something else: the beast¡¯s flesh *rapidly* regenerating.


    One by one, the lead pellets were *pushed out* of its body. The moment they were gone, the wounds sealed themselves shut.


    Terrifying.


    This was a battle for seasoned warriors. Rudolf had no business being here.


    He was out.


    The second floor erupted with gunfire¡ªSheriff Claude was now engaging the werewolf. At the very least, Rudolf had served *some* purpose¡ªhe had warned the sheriff about the breach.


    Upon crashing down to the first floor, Rudolf ignored the pain in his back and quickly rose to a crouch, raising his gun.


    The floor was littered with dead werewolves¡ªsome in their beastly forms, others in human shape.


    Whether they reverted to their human selves upon death depended on whether they still held onto their humanity in their final moments. If their minds had been completely overrun by their bestial nature, they remained as wolves.


    The first floor was clearly in bad shape. Though the werewolves had lost a few more of their numbers during their charge, they still held the advantage over the druids.


    The wooden walls had been almost completely destroyed in the struggle, leaving Rudolf with a clear shot.


    Now that he was certain there were no second-tier werewolves down here, he was no longer afraid.


    With the werewolves focused on the druids, he took careful aim and pulled the trigger.


    The first shot struck a werewolf clean in the head.


    The creature instantly went limp, its form shrinking back into that of a man.


    The gunshot wound hissed with heat as the alchemical bullet burned away flesh and bone.


    Now, a naked corpse lay where the monster had stood.


    Movies were full of lies¡ªtransformation never came with clothes.


    Then, several pairs of wolf eyes snapped toward Rudolf.


    In an instant, every hair on his body stood on end.


    There was no emotion in those eyes¡ªonly the cold, mechanical instinct of a predator sizing up its prey.


    Their gaze sent an overwhelming sense of dread crashing over him.


    Panic set in. He fired wildly.


    Only one of his shots struck true, knocking a werewolf to the ground¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t a headshot, so it wasn¡¯t fatal.


    The other two lunged at him.


    At this range, Rudolf dearly missed his shotgun.


    But unfortunately, all he had was a revolver¡ª


    ¡ª*and his legs.*


    His six shots spent, Rudolf bolted.


    He dove headfirst out the window.


    The form was great. The problem was¡­ so was the glass.


    Shards of broken glass tumbled through the air with him.


    As he hit the ground and skidded across the dirt, his worst fear was realized¡ª


    A sharp fragment lodged itself deep into his waist.


    *Damn¡­ Will this scar affect my patrolman exam?*


    Rumor had it the station¡¯s official assessment was strict. No tattoos, no visible scars.


    Was this wound about to *cost him his job*?

 End of battle

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    The dagger clattered to the ground, but the cellar was so narrow that Rudolph could feel the heat of her breath on his face.


    ¡°I might¡¯ve been too hasty with my words. I apologize. Not all werewolves are bad. Look at you¡ªyou¡¯re different. Your fur is¡ª¡±


    The more he tried to explain, the more awkward it became. There was a werewolf hiding in the cellar with him? Just his luck.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    At that moment, another werewolf leaped into the cellar.


    The white wolf turned away from Rudolph, completely ignoring him.


    Then came a bloodcurdling howl¡ªsharp, ear-splitting.


    In an instant, the two werewolves lunged at each other.


    The white werewolf was still small, about the size of an ordinary wolf. She was merely a wolf thrall, not yet a full-fledged first-tier werewolf. Just as Rudolph was merely a sorcerer¡¯s apprentice, not a first-tier sorcerer. Her strength was weak in comparison.


    Her opponent was a true first-tier werewolf, clearly larger in stature. A battle between a wolf thrall and a first-tier werewolf had an obvious outcome.


    Rudolph could judge the situation with ease: The enemy of his enemy was his friend. If the white wolf was fighting the werewolf, then helping her meant helping himself.


    But the battle was fierce, and the cellar was too cramped. He couldn¡¯t find an opportunity to intervene.


    The difference in strength was too great.


    The first-tier werewolf slammed the white wolf against the wall with a powerful swipe and sank its fangs into her throat. Blood spurted out, making an eerie gurgling sound.


    Yet, even as she bled, the white wolf clawed at her foe, refusing to let go.


    That was when Rudolph fired.


    A single alchemical bullet pierced the first-tier werewolf¡¯s skull.


    The wound sizzled, glowing red-hot as the bullet¡¯s magic burned through flesh and bone.


    The werewolf howled in agony, finally releasing its grip on the white wolf¡¯s throat.


    But instead of retreating, the white wolf snapped forward like a rabid beast, sinking her fangs into the first-tier werewolf¡¯s neck.


    And then, something strange happened.


    She was drinking his blood.


    As the fresh blood flowed down her throat, her body began to change.


    Her frame expanded, her bones grew, her muscles swelled¡ªshe was transforming.


    The white wolf was evolving into a first-tier werewolf.


    That was how werewolves ascended¡ªbrutal and straightforward.


    Kill a stronger werewolf, drink its blood, and rise in rank.


    The first-tier werewolf gurgled weakly before finally falling silent.


    By then, the white wolf had already grown to a towering size.


    Rudolph watched as the wound on her throat healed at an unnatural speed¡ªone of the werewolves¡¯ signature abilities.


    Her body trembled, either from exhaustion or from the transformation.


    She staggered to the back of the cellar, as if the wall gave her a sense of security, then slowly collapsed at Rudolph¡¯s feet.


    And right before his eyes, her body shrank, her fur receding as she shifted back into human form.


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 Harvest time

    On the second floor, Rudolph cleared out two rooms, placing Sheriff Claude and the wolf girl on separate beds. Then, he got to work as ordered by Sheriff Claude.


    ¡°Wolf saliva! You must collect every bit of it¡ªit¡¯s very valuable!¡± he recalled the sheriff¡¯s instructions. Finding several jars, he began gathering the saliva the sheriff needed. Werewolf saliva is extremely viscous and laden with their lycanthropic poison. When a werewolf dies, it secretes a final dose of this poison¡ªwhich, because the creature is dead, loses much of its toxicity. This was exactly the wolf saliva the sheriff required.


    First, Rudolph dragged all the corpses from the second floor down to the first and then began collecting the saliva. He pried open one werewolf¡¯s mouth and discovered inside a disgusting, slimy, blood-streaked, gray¡ªalmost like thick phlegm. Rudolph didn¡¯t spit it out; he hadn¡¯t eaten in so long that he had nothing to vomit. Just as he hesitated over how to extract the saliva, it suddenly vanished. He quickly closed his eyes¡ªand to his surprise, in his mind the wolf saliva transformed into a shooting star that soared into the night sky.


    ¡°Scorpio: 2/14.¡± Along the constellation line of Scorpio, the penultimate star at the tail¡ªScorpio K¡ªlit up. From Scorpio K, three floating stars descended, giving Rudolph a choice of reward: a Rank-1 lycanthropic poison potion formula, a method for crafting a Rank-1 night-vision orb, or a set of Rank-1 wolfskin armor.


    Wolfskin armor didn¡¯t seem very useful¡ªafter all, Rudolph¡¯s shotgun could tear through a werewolf¡¯s hide. Alchemist weapons were simply too powerful; he figured that for a long while he could manage with just his revolver. The night-vision orb, on the other hand, looked quite handy. As a patrolman at the station, he was nothing more than a workhorse and spent many nights on duty¡ªso enhanced night vision would help him during nocturnal operations. The lycanthropic poison potion also sounded promising, considering his main foes were werewolves, but he wasn¡¯t yet sure what exactly it did. Unable to decide, Rudolph opted to set it aside until he learned more. Since that batch of wolf saliva had disappeared¡ªand the sheriff didn¡¯t even know how many werewolves had come¡ªit was simply counted as a loss.


    Rudolph then came into contact with a second batch of wolf saliva. Unfortunately, it seemed that relics from the same apostle could only light up one star. He remembered the second-tier werewolf; surely it must have had a stronger relic. But after a moment¡¯s thought, he quickly dismissed the idea¡ªpilfering a Rank-1 batch wouldn¡¯t raise any issues with the sheriff, but taking a Rank-2 one was unthinkable.


    Shaking his head in disgust, Rudolph closed the mouth of the werewolf corpse and glared at his own hands before going to wash them off. After cleaning up, he returned to the corpses. Then he remembered his Tooth of the Undead. It activated again¡ªa werewolf corpse, still in human form, staggered to its feet. Controlling it required very little star energy. This animated corpse then worked in place of Rudolph, gathering chunks of wolf saliva and storing them in jars.


    The second-tier werewolf corpses were left for last, as the sheriff had insisted on handling those personally. The idea of collecting relics from that corpse was tempting to Rudolph, but after much hesitation he decided to follow the sheriff¡¯s orders. He liked his current status as a rookie patrolman and didn¡¯t want to jeopardize it through greed¡ªat the very least, that position provided him with free alchemical bullets.


    Following the sheriff¡¯s instructions, Rudolph had the corpses of all the Rank-1 werewolves piled onto a stack of firewood. He doused them with kerosene and set them ablaze. Even the werewolf corpse that had just been animated by the Tooth of the Undead obediently walked into the flames. As for the two druid corpses, Rudolph left them in the yard, waiting until numerous birds descended upon them, pecking here and there, and then flying off. According to the sheriff, this was a special druid signal¡ªsoon, other druids from the Elk Tribe would arrive.


    After finishing all his tasks, Rudolph returned to the second floor. The werewolf impaled by an alchemical dagger was barely clinging to life, but Rudolph paid it no mind. Sheriff Claude was still unconscious; Rudolph examined his wound¡ªit was oozing pus and emitting a foul stench, the result of a werewolf nearly crushing his shoulder¡ªand there was nothing he could do.


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    Rudolph then went to the wolf girl¡¯s room to check her injuries. He unzipped the sack that had been used to cover her¡ªthere was no time to find a clean blanket, so earlier she had been covered with the sack. When he removed it, he saw that her wounds had already healed. Werewolves aside, their bodies regenerated remarkably fast. Just then, the wolf girl woke up. With the faint light of dawn already on the horizon, Rudolph¡¯s hand holding the sack froze mid-air.


    ¡°Listen, let me explain¡ªI just wanted to check your wounds, not ogle your body¡­¡± she said, snatching the sack and trying to dash toward the window. But her condition was poor; she only managed a feeble struggle on the bed before half of her collapsed onto the floor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry¡ªI mean you no harm.¡± Seeing her state, Rudolph moved to the window and, in a gentlemanly manner, opened it for her.


    ¡°Farewell, beautiful Miss Wolf Girl,¡± he said.


    The wolf girl looked at him with terrified eyes, her voice trembling. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a patrolman? Don¡¯t you want to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Not at all¡­¡± Rudolph shook his head. ¡°I know you¡¯re pitiable too. I¡¯m sorry¡ªbut your home is gone.¡±


    He then went over to her, helped her sit up, and laid her back on the bed. Next to her he placed a family portrait¡ªa happy picture from when she wasn¡¯t yet a wolf girl, when the farmer¡¯s family had all been smiling. ¡°If you ever want to leave, you¡¯re free to go¡ªI won¡¯t stop you. Good luck, Miss Wolf Girl.¡± Rudolph had carefully prepared an explanation to show he wasn¡¯t a pervert, but now his words meant nothing; she was too distraught to care.


    Rudolph left the room and closed the door frame¡ªthough the door now had a large hole in it, likely made by one of the werewolves. The wolf girl burst into tears, and her sobs echoed through the gap. Helpless, Rudolph scratched his head; he had no idea how to comfort her. Every now and then, as she cried, she would glance at his back¡ªhe was the only source of safety she had at that moment.


    Rudolph stood outside for a long while until her crying finally subsided, then he left through the doorway and returned to the sheriff¡¯s room to wait for dawn.


    It wasn¡¯t until noon that Rudolph saw through the window that five druids had arrived at the farm on horseback. He hurried downstairs to find the druids gathered around the corpse of one of their companions, examining the wounds. Noticing his patrolman uniform, the lead druid stepped forward.


    ¡°Sheriff Claude is injured and unconscious; he asked you to help tend to the wounds left by the werewolves,¡± the druid said.


    The elder nodded and followed Rudolph upstairs while the other druids went to inspect the charred werewolf corpses. The druid elder briefly examined the sheriff¡¯s wound before producing a small bottle. He administered the potion to Claude, and to Rudolph¡¯s amazement, the wound began healing at a visibly rapid pace¡ªthe last time he had seen such recovery was on a werewolf. As the elder drew closer with curious eyes, he explained, ¡°Young man, this is a lycanthropic poison antidote. It can rapidly heal wounds and neutralize the poison.¡±


    Rudolph couldn¡¯t help but nod. ¡°Good stuff.¡± Without hesitation, he decided to choose the antidote¡ªit was nothing short of a miracle cure for external injuries. Among the three floating stars, Rudolph touched the one representing the method for crafting the lycanthropic poison antidote.


    Soon Sheriff Claude awoke. After drinking some water and regaining his senses, he said, ¡°Elder Tag, forgive my bluntness¡ªeven though several druids from your tribe have perished, this was your mistake. Had I known there¡¯d be over a dozen werewolves, I would never have come so hastily. I only brought Rudolph with me¡ªthis is far too dangerous.¡±


    Elder Tag, whose tribe never exceeded twenty druids, looked sorrowfully on his recent losses¡ªthree druids in a row, all because he had failed to control his territory and was unaware of such a massive werewolf pack.


    ¡°Sheriff Claude, I¡¯ll investigate this matter as soon as possible and send you a report,¡± Rudolph offered.


    Claude nodded. ¡°If necessary, I¡¯ll request reinforcements.¡±


    ¡°Rudolph, bring over those jars with the wolf saliva,¡± the sheriff ordered. Rudolph gathered all the jars he had filled. After some friendly bartering¡ªmoney discussed without hard feelings¡ªthe sheriff and the elder agreed: twelve portions of Rank-1 wolf saliva went for 48 silver shields, and the second-tier werewolf corpse sold for 5 gold shields. The druids would take the wolf saliva to brew the lycanthropic poison antidote, which, because it rapidly healed wounds, could fetch a good price. As for the second-tier werewolf corpse, it was a rare prize for a druid tribe; how they would process it, no one knew.


    After some further negotiation with the sheriff, Rudolph ended up with 30 silver shields¡ªand he secretly tucked away three extra portions of wolf saliva for himself.

 Feed the werewolf to the dog

    Rudolph found two flatbed carts in the farm¡¯s storeroom. On one cart, a werewolf¡ªdestined to be used as a sacrifice¡ªwas being dragged. The cart creaked as the horses pulled it along the road, and three alchemical daggers attached to the werewolf¡¯s back vibrated with each step, causing the creature to whimper in pain. Sheriff Claude, driving that cart, wore a furrowed brow; the situation was looking grim. According to Druid Elder Tag, werewolf packs never appear without reason¡ªapparently, a large group of werewolves was migrating toward Lyman Town for some unknown purpose.


    On the second cart were only Rudolph and the wolf girl. The wolf girl had sold the farm to the druids¡ªsince druids aren¡¯t inclined to run a farm, they would find someone else to take it over. Rudolph couldn¡¯t understand why she, as a werewolf, would head for Lyman Town; the town was far too dangerous for her kind. By now, Rudolph knew her name was Yvonne.


    ¡°Yvonne, the town isn¡¯t very safe either. Don¡¯t worry about the station¡ªI¡¯m a big deal there. But¡­ sometimes the Fabro City Tribunal sends people to town. Their enforcers are even tougher than the sheriff,¡± he warned, adding that it was best for a werewolf to avoid the town. Yvonne simply sat on the cart, hugging her knees with her face buried in them, only her eyes visible. ¡°Last night, I heard the alpha¡¯s call¡­¡± she murmured.


    Indeed, the town was dangerous¡ªbut for a wolf girl, staying out in the wild was even more perilous. If a nearby werewolf pack existed and its alpha outranked her, she would have no choice but to obey, or risk being killed by the pack. At the mention of the alpha, Rudolph was startled. Even though the afternoon sun was still bright, he hurriedly grabbed his binoculars and scanned the surroundings¡ªthe forest¡¯s edge and the mountaintops of the low hills revealed nothing.


    ¡°Could there be a Rank-2 werewolf nearby?¡± Yvonne was only a Rank-1 werewolf, and only a Rank-2 alpha could affect her. Finding nothing, Rudolph resumed driving the cart. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain at his waist¡ªalmost enough to make him cry out. How could Yvonne¡¯s grip be so strong? Yvonne snapped at him hard. Rudolph turned to see anger shimmering in her crystal eyes.


    ¡°What did you see last night?¡± she demanded, her cheeks flushing as she spoke.


    ¡°What did I see?¡± Rudolph tried to recall the events, forcing his expression to remain neutral¡­ Yvonne pinched him again. Gritting his teeth, he protested, ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything!¡± Clearly unconvinced, Yvonne pinched him once more. ¡°I mean¡­ it was so pale¡­ ow, ow, ow¡­ I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re pale¡ªI mean, the werewolf you turned into was really pale¡­¡± Rudolph thought his waist must now be bruised and battered.


    ¡°By the way, is there anything special about a white wolf?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Yvonne had only ever been the daughter of a farmer, and the only apostles she¡¯d encountered were the druids hired by the farm; she didn¡¯t really understand werewolves.


    The two carts rocked and swayed as they entered Lyman Town. ¡°Rudolph, go fetch the Red Priest for the station!¡± came the order. Without hesitation, Rudolph headed straight to the Red Priest¡¯s chapel. His memory of the chapel was that after every full-moon sacrifice, the townspeople would line up there to have their bloodletting therapy. Besides presiding over the monthly full-moon rites, the Red Priest also treated common folk by performing free bloodletting. It was said that everyone who underwent the therapy felt refreshed afterward. Rudolph had deliberately skipped it last month, thinking it useless and a waste of nutrients. This was his first time entering the chapel since crossing over; the entire place radiated moon worship. Two rows of columns¡ªfifteen in total¡ªwere carved sequentially with images from a crescent to a full moon, and the ceiling¡¯s fresco depicted mythic moon legends. The only sound inside was his own footsteps as he walked toward the pulpit at the far end. Ahead, he could see a few figures; the Red Priest stood at the front, his back to the door. In the first row, three others sat¡ªprobably the chapel staff, whom Rudolph had never seen before in town.


    ¡°Red Priest, Sheriff Claude sent me to fetch you to the station. The sacrifice for the December full-moon rite is ready¡ªa Rank-1 werewolf,¡± Rudolph announced. At the word ¡°werewolf,¡± the Red Priest turned around, his face lighting up with delight. ¡°Excellent, let¡¯s go see our sacrifice right away.¡±


    The Red Priest climbed into a cart and, to Rudolph¡¯s discomfort, invited him along. The Red Priest¡¯s face was long and gaunt, pale with no beard¡ªand upon closer inspection, no eyebrows either, as if he suffered from albinism. Yet his expression was cheerful, and he even chatted with Rudolph about the details of capturing the werewolf sacrifice. When they arrived at the station, Rudolph was the first to jump off the cart. The cart was a bit chilly, and Rudolph longed to feel the sun again¡ªhe detested the cold, damp feeling, especially since he had the Tooth of the Undead.


    Rudolph promptly escorted the Red Priest to the station¡¯s basement¡ªthe holding cell for werewolves¡ªwhere Sheriff Claude was already waiting. The sheriff and the Red Priest exchanged pleasantries about their recent successes. The Red Priest praised Claude¡¯s efficiency in capturing the werewolf, and Claude in turn credited the station¡¯s achievements to the Red Priest¡¯s support. Seizing the moment while the Red Priest was in high spirits, Claude said, ¡°Red Priest, I¡¯d like to request more manpower for our station from the higher-ups. We lost many men during the last witch-hunt, and it¡¯s been nearly a month without our request being approved. I hope you can endorse my application so we can increase the forces at Lyman Town Station. With so many werewolves in the wild, our manpower is woefully inadequate¡­¡±


    Rudolph wholeheartedly agreed; he had been patrolling day and night without proper rest. Claude patted Rudolph on the shoulder and added, ¡°Red Priest, look¡ªI''m out here fighting a pack of 18 werewolves with nothing but this half-baked kid. It¡¯s incredibly dangerous! Don¡¯t you think such reckless youth is unfit to bear the burden of fighting werewolves? We urgently need more recruits. If we can¡¯t bring in more alchemists, we must at least recruit more trainee patrolmen, request more firearms, and get more ammo.¡±


    Rudolph¡¯s face twitched in indignation¡ªrecruits were one thing, but why use him as a bad example? It wasn¡¯t like he nearly shot the sheriff yesterday; was it really that serious?


    After the Red Priest left, Rudolph followed Claude to his office. ¡°What do you mean ¡®reckless young man¡¯? Why can¡¯t I shoulder the responsibility of fighting werewolves?¡±


    ¡°I said that to help you push for more resources from higher up. Look at you¡ªyou¡¯re still just a reckless kid,¡± Claude replied.


    ¡°Can the Red Priest really influence the higher-ups? Does he have any say in this matter?¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Of course. The Red Priests in Fabro City wield far more power than our station¡ªwhat they decide, we must execute.¡±


    Sheriff Claude continued, ¡°Rudolph, I¡¯ve decided to promote you to a full patrolman. In a few days, I¡¯ll assign you a trainee to mentor. I sense that the days ahead will only grow more dangerous.¡±


    Rudolph, however, wasn¡¯t too concerned about his rank. ¡°So, as a full patrolman, will I get more alchemical bullets?¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    ¡°I want alchemical bullets for my revolver.¡±


    ¡°Shotguns are more effective against werewolves.¡±


    ¡°But revolvers are cooler!¡±


    Exasperated by Rudolph¡¯s stubbornness, Claude relented, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll get you some revolver rounds. In the meantime, keep an eye on that werewolf.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± Rudolph replied happily as he left the sheriff¡¯s office. Claude was pleased with him¡ªafter surviving two brutal battles, Rudolph¡¯s competence and luck were evident. For a subordinate like him, the sheriff was more than willing to allocate extra resources.


    Later, in the basement holding cell, Rudolph sat on a chair outside the werewolf cell, fidgeting with the two revolvers he¡¯d just received. The police-issued revolvers were far superior to the farmer¡¯s models. Rudolph¡¯s pair were reminiscent of the Colt S&W Python from his past life. Compared to ordinary revolvers, these had long barrels, with a total length of nearly 25 centimeters¡ªlong and sturdy, exactly the style he favored. His belt also held a bandolier containing five speed loaders: three of them loaded with alchemical bullets (18 rounds in total) and the remaining two with standard rounds. Rudolph could even use the Scorpio incantation ¡°Venom¡± to poison the bullet heads, but as a mere wizard apprentice, his venom was weak¡ªbarely a trace, and far less lethal than Sheriff Claude¡¯s Rank-2 alchemical rounds. Thus, Rudolph reserved his poisoned rounds only for desperate situations.


    Just as Rudolph was reveling in his new toys, a wolf howl cut through the air. The alchemical daggers affixed to a werewolf had been removed; it leaped from the ground toward Rudolph, but the cell¡¯s iron bars¡ªmade of refined alchemical iron¡ªstood between them. Not even a Rank-1 werewolf could break them. The werewolf pounded the bars wildly, but to no avail. Rudolph thought to himself that the station really should recruit more personnel; he had just been promoted and got a raise, yet here he was, stuck in a cell. How could a 20?meter-long holding cell have any purpose for patrol?


    A few days later, December¡¯s full moon arrived. On that full-moon night, Rudolph stepped out of the station. High above the starry sky, the full moon hung resplendently. The moment the moonlight touched him, a chorus of murmurs echoed in his ears once again. He rapped his forehead with his hand and continued outward. Behind him, a werewolf¡ªwith an alchemical dagger freshly reinserted in its back¡ªfollowed close. When werewolves encounter full-moon light, they suddenly shake off their lethargy. Their eyes flare with ferocity; for some inexplicable reason, the moon¡¯s rays drive them into a frenzy, their hormones surging until every last shred of reason is lost.


    ¡°Shoot!¡± In such circumstances, the station had a contingency plan. Six people¡ªarmed with shotguns (including Calita, who had been on duty in the hall)¡ªopened fire. The yard of the station erupted with gunshots. Six alchemical shotgun shells tore into the werewolves¡¯ bodies. Rudolph signaled for everyone to hold fire as he observed: the lead rounds caused the werewolves to hunch in pain. ¡°Three more rounds!¡± After three more shots, Rudolph nodded in satisfaction; the dosage was just right. These lead rounds didn¡¯t hit the werewolves¡¯ heads¡ªso they wouldn¡¯t kill them outright¡ªbut the embedded pellets would keep them subdued. Rudolph planned to take the werewolves to the town square, making them the main attraction for the night.


    The townsfolk had no idea why wizards had to die¡ªcompared to them, ordinary people loathed werewolves even more. Werewolves posed a tangible threat to everyone¡¯s livelihood. People were reluctant to travel far, for in the remote wilds, packs of werewolves roamed freely¡ªeven attacking caravans during the day. If not for alchemists supplying alchemical bullets to the farmers, many would not dare stay on their own land. With the werewolves¡¯ presence, only large-scale farms could supply the town with food, as only they possessed the means to defend themselves. Druids, too, could only counter werewolves thanks to the increasing power of alchemists; without their help, druids were perpetually overpowered in the wild. If the werewolves ran rampant, food prices in town would soar. Conversely, if grain prices dropped, it meant the druids and farmers had recently eliminated many werewolves.


    When the werewolves were paraded into the square, the crowd erupted in wild cheers. The terrifying werewolf heads¡ªdripping with slobber and displaying monstrous maws¡ªthrilled the townspeople. This was the wild¡¯s greatest nightmare: werewolves lurking in the darkness. Rudolph noticed the Red Priest at the sacrificial altar, watching contentedly at the alchemical bullet holes in the werewolves. While ordinary wounds would heal quickly, the burns from alchemical rounds lingered. At the altar, two butchers were already at work. For other apostles, a simple fire would suffice as a sacrifice¡ªbut werewolves were so detestable that extra measures were needed. Two tall, burly butchers hoisted the weakened werewolf onto a slab. Rudolph turned away, finding the scene too gruesome¡ªhe pictured the werewolf being chopped up and fed to dogs. Werewolves despised being called ¡°stupid dogs,¡± so feeding them to dogs was the ultimate humiliation. Nearby, four dogs¡ªdrugged and roused into a frenzy¡ªhowled and barked excitedly.


    Rudolph frowned; the full-moon murmurs were giving him a headache. As the sacrifice proceeded, the most intense murmur emerged. ¡°They overfed my dog¡­¡± Rudolph watched as one dog¡¯s belly on the sacrificial altar swelled like a balloon on the verge of bursting. He frowned, suddenly understanding the purpose of the full-moon murmurs. They enabled one to hear the apostles¡¯ whispers under the full moon¡ªwhich meant one could locate the apostles by tracking the dog owners. And why find an apostle? If Rudolph were a ruthless wizard, capturing one would allow him to use that apostle as material for a magical artifact. In this way, the full-moon murmurs served as a secret boost for wizards. While poisoning is considered wizardry, the creation of magical artifacts is even more vital for a wizard¡¯s progression. To ascend to a Rank-1 wizard, Rudolph needed to use a Rank-1 apostle to craft a Rank-1 artifact.


    Rudolph sidled up next to Officer Calita. ¡°Calita, these four dogs aren¡¯t our K-9s, are they?¡±


    ¡°Of course not; if our police dogs were overfed to death, Sheriff Claude would have his tongue out for weeks.¡±


    ¡°Then where did these dogs come from?¡±


    ¡°A new circus arrived in town¡ªthey sold these dogs to us.¡±


    After the sacrifice, there would be entertainment¡ªa circus would set up a small performance area on the edge of the square. When the rite concluded, Rudolph loaded the two overfed dogs onto a cart and drove to the circus. Facing the circus manager, Rudolph asked, ¡°Are these your dogs? If you have no objections, I¡¯ll take care of them for you.¡± Before the manager could answer, a short clown nearby blurted out, ¡°Had I known the dogs would die, I¡¯d never have sold mine to you!¡± The clown, who looked rather young with his face smeared by tears and grease paint, couldn¡¯t hold back his emotions. Rudolph continued, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. This was a miscommunication from the station about what the dogs would be used for.¡± Overwhelmed by Rudolph¡¯s offhand explanation, the clown broke down in tears. Rudolph was convinced that this clown was most likely the apostle behind the full-moon murmurs.


    ¡°Kuber! You¡¯d better head back!¡± the circus manager ordered. Kuber left without a word. ¡°Sheriff, please don¡¯t mind him¡ªKuber¡¯s still too young,¡± the manager hastily added. ¡°I¡¯m the circus manager¡ªI¡¯m Seko. If the sheriff ever needs anything, just contact me directly.¡± Seko was a stout middle-aged man, and his portliness was no small feat.


    ¡°Manager Seko, I¡¯m just a patrolman¡ªnot the sheriff,¡± Rudolph retorted before leaving the circus with the cart to dispose of the dogs. Feeling sorry for the poor creatures, Rudolph planned to bury them in the cemetery.


    Just as Rudolph was about to leave the square, trainee patrolman Sam suddenly ran toward him. ¡°Captain! A werewolf has appeared on the outskirts of town!¡±

 recruit

    ¡°Has anyone been attacked?¡±


    ¡°Not so far, but someone did see a werewolf!¡±


    Rudolph had no choice but to grab the dog and head out to the outskirts. At the edge of a forest outside town¡ªthe last known location where a werewolf was seen¡ªRudolph dismounted and carefully searched for clues. Although Lyman Town wasn¡¯t a big place, ordinary werewolves rarely dared to enter such a populated area with plenty of guns. Under the beam of his flashlight, he found a tuft of white wolf hair clinging to a large rock.


    ¡°Sam, things are about to get dangerous. You stay behind and take care of the dogs while I search the forest.¡±


    ¡°Captain, is that alright?¡±


    ¡°Handling werewolves is my specialty.¡±


    Alone, Rudolph ventured into the woods. On a full moon night, werewolves lose their sanity, and before the wolf girl completely descends into madness, she desperately flees toward less populated areas. Every so often, Rudolph would pause to listen to the sounds around him. By now, the wolf girl had likely lost all self-control¡ªshe wasn¡¯t concealing her presence at all. Her movements were erratic, dashing left and right and causing such commotion that even trees were being knocked down.


    Before long, Rudolph found her. The white werewolf was rampaging through the forest, tearing and biting at everything in her path. From a distance, she noticed Rudolph watching. Struggling fiercely, one moment she bared her sharp fangs at him, and the next, she shook her head repeatedly as if trying to regain her composure. Rudolph watched her with hopeful eyes, wishing she could overcome her bestial instincts. But under the full moon¡¯s glare, the wolf girl finally lost even that last bit of sanity.


    Like a rapidly rolling snowball, the white werewolf charged at Rudolph. He turned and ran, throwing out the bait he had prepared as he fled. On his way, he grabbed a few rabbits¡ªwhile running, he tossed them behind him. Since the wolf girl had lost her senses, she couldn¡¯t resist the lure of food. Sure enough, each rabbit caught her attention, and she devoured them one by one. What she didn¡¯t know was that Rudolph had mixed a little extra ¡°ingredient¡± into the rabbits. As a Scorpio apprentice wizard, the incantation he had mastered was ¡°Venom.¡± Every rabbit was laced with his poison¡ªnot highly potent, but effective enough against apostles. With each rabbit she ate, the wolf girl began shaking her head, her thoughts growing foggier. After swallowing four rabbits, she was completely disoriented, unable even to charge straight at Rudolph. Finally, she collapsed on the ground, whimpering.


    Rudolph approached her, not worried about any trickery¡ªbeserk werewolves were never cunning. Sighing, he sat by her side. Had it not been for the fact that she¡¯d just lost her family, he might not have been so willing to show such patience.


    The next morning, as the sun rose, the wolf girl¡ªYvonne¡ªawoke. She realized that she was wearing a patrolman¡¯s jacket and trousers, yet beneath those layers, she was completely naked. Clutching her knees, Yvonne sat and cried. How could a girl of sixteen or seventeen bear the indignity of being picked up half-naked? Rudolph couldn¡¯t stand it. Scratching his head so vigorously that strands of hair fell out, he admitted he was not good at comforting people in times like these.


    Once her tears subsided, Rudolph said, ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ve spent the entire night in a shirt and pants¡ªI¡¯m freezing to death!¡±


    After all, it was the cold of December.


    Yvonne lifted her tear-streaked eyes and saw Rudolph¡¯s reddened nose and fingers that had stiffened from the cold, and she felt a pang of guilt.


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    ¡°I''m sorry for causing you trouble again.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. How about I take you to the hot spring bath?¡±


    Near the cemetery, Rudolph rapped on Old Gray¡¯s window¡ªthe gravekeeper¡¯s.


    ¡°Old Gray, lend me a change of clothes, quick!¡±


    Half-asleep, Old Gray opened the window and glanced at Rudolph and Yvonne¡ªone wearing only a shirt and pants, the other in someone else¡¯s overcoat. ¡°Young man¡­ so rough it is? You tear off clothes without a care for what you¡¯ll wear tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Have you never been young? Didn¡¯t you have wild days when you were young? Regret them?¡±


    Shaking his head, Old Gray handed Rudolph a set of clothes.


    Rudolph soaked in the hot springs all morning, and by the afternoon he returned to the station. When he entered Sheriff Claude¡¯s office, he was startled to see someone else there¡ªwas that the wolf girl? When Rudolph caught sight of her, dressed in a police uniform, he was shocked, for his own uniform had already been returned.


    ¡°Rudolph, let me introduce you¡ªthis is our new rookie patrolman, Yvonne.¡±


    ¡°Yvonne, this is your future captain, Patrolman Rudolph.¡±


    Sheriff Claude made a brief introduction, knowing that the two already knew each other.


    ¡°Captain¡­¡± Rudolph was in utter disbelief. Today was far too bizarre. What had he seen in the station¡ªa wolf girl who was going to be a rookie patrolman?


    If he pointed out that Yvonne was a werewolf, she¡¯d become next month¡¯s Full Moon Sacrifice! It was too unbelievable. For a moment, Rudolph even forgot that he was a wizard¡­


    ¡°Good morning, Captain!¡±


    Yvonne, clearly confused about her own identity, replied.


    ¡°Sheriff, perhaps you should reconsider¡ªYvonne might not be suitable for patrol duty!¡±


    The sheriff wasn¡¯t even paying attention to that. Spraying himself with cologne, he walked toward the door and said, ¡°I need a week¡¯s rest. Mrs. Beizi has been complaining about my busy schedule¡ªI can¡¯t stand her tearful eyes any longer. Rudolph, go find some new leads on the sacrifices. The station has recruited many newcomers, so you don¡¯t need to patrol anymore; leave those routine tasks to others. As the most experienced patrolman here, your sole responsibility will be tracking down leads for the sacrifices. Once you find something, don¡¯t act impulsively¡ªnotify me immediately.¡± With that, Sheriff Claude left the office.


    ¡°Sheriff! Sheriff!¡±


    Rudolph, clearly not as charismatic as Mrs. Beizi, called out, but the sheriff didn¡¯t look back. Rudolph stared at Yvonne, his head in a state of collapse, scratching more strands of hair in despair. What was he to do? Could the next sacrifice really be right before his eyes?


    ¡°Who is Mrs. Beizi?¡± asked Yvonne.


    ¡°Who Mrs. Beizi is? Does it even matter?¡±


    Taking a few steps closer, an agitated Rudolph lowered his voice and hissed into her ear, ¡°Do you understand the situation? If your werewolf identity is exposed, the Red Priest will have the sheriff stab you with several alchemical daggers! The people in town will tear you apart alive! And you¡¯re asking about Mrs. Beizi? You¡¯re gossiping at a time like this!¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡± Yvonne wasn¡¯t bothered by his outburst. ¡°So when are we going to catch werewolves? I came to the station to kill werewolves¡ªthat¡¯s why the sheriff agreed to recruit me.¡±


    Rudolph¡¯s saliva sprayed across her face as he spoke, and Yvonne merely wiped her cheeks.


    ¡°Sorry! I¡¯m interrupting you!¡±


    Rudolph jumped when he heard a commotion. Turning, he saw Officer Kelita entering the sheriff¡¯s office with documents. Rudolph glanced between Kelita and Yvonne; at that moment, he and Yvonne stood closely together¡ªshe was still wiping her mouth, as if they¡¯d just had an intense exchange.


    ¡°Wait, Kelita! Listen to me! I¡¯m not the kind of man who¡¯s fickle!¡±


    Kelita placed the documents on the sheriff¡¯s desk and replied sardonically, ¡°Rudolph, you are indeed a man who loves the new and forgets the old¡ªI know all about it. The sheriff¡¯s office is a fine place; what was that saying you taught me? ¡®The most dangerous place is also the safest place.¡¯¡±


    Rudolph scrambled after her, utterly at a loss for words¡­ Meanwhile, Yvonne stayed put, mulling over Kelita¡¯s remark: ¡°The most dangerous place is also the safest place.¡± No wonder the captain said it¡ªit was truly profound.

 Elk tribe

    After nightfall, Rudolph lay comfortably in the hot bath. The warm spring water steamed gently, soothing his entire body. He heard footsteps but kept his eyes closed, assuming another customer had entered the bathhouse. When the footsteps stopped beside him, he opened his eyes and saw someone handing him a drink on the bank. Taking the drink, Rudolph turned his head in confusion.


    ¡°Captain, when are we going to catch those werewolves?¡±


    Rudolph looked around in shock, his face full of disbelief. ¡°This is the men¡¯s bath! You¡ªhow did you even get in here?¡±


    The wolf girl, Yvonne, had already cut off her long hair, yet her delicate face still brimmed with youthful collagen¡ªshe was unmistakably still a woman.


    ¡°It¡¯s past midnight; in the men¡¯s bath, you¡¯re the only one here,¡± she replied without any hint of embarrassment. ¡°Besides, don¡¯t all the men bring their bath maids along?¡±


    Rudolph thought Yvonne had completely lost her mind¡ªevery sentence she spoke was about going off to kill werewolves. He lifted his head, intending to scold the simple farm girl for her ignorance, but the moment he met her eyes, he froze. In her crystal-blue pupils, lined with bright red veins, he saw something like burning hatred.


    Rudolph took a sip of his drink, then set the cup aside, no longer looking at or blaming Yvonne. If the farm family were still alive, Yvonne would probably still be the little girl learning to help her parents.


    ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯re going to visit the Elk Tribe¡­¡± Rudolph said. ¡°They promised the sheriff a report, but it¡¯s been almost a week and nothing¡¯s been handed in.¡±


    ¡°Great! I¡¯ll go get the horses ready!¡± Yvonne said happily.


    ¡°Tomorrow works perfectly,¡± Rudolph replied. Clearly, Yvonne wasn¡¯t interested in listening to his orders on this matter.


    Soon after, the bathhouse owner, Bass, entered the bath.


    ¡°Eh? Where¡¯s that policewoman from earlier? Rudolph, you¡¯re leaving so quickly¡ªwas it only five minutes?¡±


    ¡°Quick?¡± Rudolph barely had time to react. When he did, he glared at Bass and said, ¡°Even if it¡¯s only five minutes, I¡¯m not staying here for five minutes! I¡¯m charging tonight¡¯s tab!¡±


    Rudolph was a stickler for details; he always paid for his consumption, unlike that uncle of the mayor¡¯s nephew¡¯s cousin, who never paid a cent but just kept a running tab. Startled, Bass quickly refilled his drink. ¡°No, no, no! I specifically hung a ¡®Closed¡¯ sign just to make things convenient for you¡ªhow can you charge me for that?¡±


    The next day, Rudolph silently thanked Yvonne for not knocking on his door early, which allowed him a good night¡¯s sleep. After breakfast, he went to the station¡¯s rear yard with his firearms and found that Yvonne had already prepared the horses. Along with his guns, Rudolph had brought three doses of lycanthropic poison antidote¡ªhe¡¯d made these using his secretly stashed Rank-1 wolf saliva, all packed into an aluminum bottle. Yvonne was already seated on a horse, and Rudolph¡¯s own horse was ready too. He wasn¡¯t sure when she had managed to do all this, but it couldn¡¯t be too late.


    Rudolph mounted his horse. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡ªAvenging Goddess!¡±


    Yvonne was quite pleased with that title, and the two of them left the station together. This time, Rudolph had brought enough weapons. Yvonne also carried a shotgun, though it was obvious she didn¡¯t put much stock in such ammunition.


    Once they were out of town, Rudolph remarked, ¡°Yvonne, you need to learn to use firearms properly¡ªit¡¯s all part of your disguise. Right now you¡¯re just a trainee patrolman in Lyman Town; you¡¯re not a werewolf.¡±


    Only then did Yvonne seriously study her shotgun. Rudolph himself had prepared two shotguns¡ªloaded with 6 alchemical shells and 12 regular shells¡ªand two revolvers carrying 18 alchemical rounds and 30 regular rounds. Even though this trip was merely to inquire at the Elk Tribe, caution was never wasted.


    Not long after leaving town, Rudolph suddenly heard a tiger¡¯s roar that startled him. Following the sound, he discovered that the circus, coming from a different branch road, was about to leave town. A tiger, confined in a cage too small for it, roared, and a few children lingered nearby, unwilling to see the circus depart. Rudolph stopped his horse and called out, ¡°Manager Seko, are you leaving Lyman Town already?¡±


    ¡°We have no choice; the circus needs to perform elsewhere. Staying in one place too long makes the audience tired of our act.¡±


    Rudolph then searched among the circus folks for the clown, Kuber. Kuber caught sight of Rudolph¡ªthe detested patrolman who had caused his precious dog¡¯s death¡ªand quickly ducked to the back of the group. Rudolph, who disliked dogs and had never kept pets, couldn¡¯t fathom Kuber¡¯s current feelings.


    ¡°Good luck, everyone! I too would love to wander about¡ªit sounds incredibly romantic!¡±


    Rudolph genuinely envied the circus life; at least it meant seeing different places. Having crossed over, he still hadn¡¯t truly understood this world¡ªnot even Fabro City.


    As Rudolph and Yvonne watched the circus depart, the clown Kuber emerged from behind a cart. For some reason, he always tried to avoid the patrolman¡ªpartly out of disgust and perhaps a bit of fear.


    Meanwhile, the Elk Tribe of druids resided in a forest. Rudolph and Yvonne did not head there immediately; Yvonne said she wanted to first visit her old home. As they neared the farm, Yvonne began to speak more.


    ¡°Do you think the new farm owner will treat our old home kindly?¡±


    Rudolph couldn¡¯t bear to crush her hopes¡ªafter all, the farm was little more than a structure with only columns and beams left after the werewolves had nearly torn it apart. Even if it were demolished, all that would remain would be firewood.


    ¡°Do you think there are sheep on the farm now?¡± she asked.


    Previously, the cattle and sheep had all become werewolves¡¯ food, though who knows if the werewolves are still hungry.


    ¡°I heard there¡¯s a fun whirlpool by the waterwheel¡ªI used to toss leaves into it for fun,¡± she added. Rudolph recalled seeing a toppled waterwheel once.


    Near dusk, Rudolph and Yvonne finally arrived at the farm. Yvonne dared not approach; she only gazed at it from a distance. The house still stood as a skeleton of columns and beams, and there were no cattle or sheep¡ªonly the occasional wild rabbit. The waterwheel lay half in the river, with the other half swept away by the current. Clearly, the druids still hadn¡¯t found a new owner for the farm. With the wilderness in chaos and rumors flying, no one wanted to take over a dilapidated farm in winter¡ªmost would wait until spring, when its value could be better realized.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Yvonne sat under a tree, staring longingly at her old home. Rudolph had nothing to do but care for his horse. Five minutes, ten minutes, half an hour, one hour, two hours passed¡­ Rudolph and his horse grew tired of each other; the horse found the rider unbearably boring, endlessly fussing with the saddle until it became uncomfortable.


    As the sun turned red, Rudolph had to whisper, ¡°It¡¯s almost nightfall, Yvonne¡­¡±


    In the wilderness, nightfall spelled danger.


    ¡°Just three minutes¡­ no, five minutes¡ªplease, Captain¡­ this is the last time I¡¯ll get to see my home¡­¡±


    Before the sun had fully set, Rudolph and Yvonne reached the edge of the forest. Yvonne¡¯s old home and the Elk Tribe¡¯s forest weren¡¯t far apart. Just outside the forest was the Elk Tribe¡¯s stable, guarded by a druid.


    ¡°Officer, please hand over the horses¡ªI promise to take good care of them,¡± the druid said.


    There was a sense of security here; as long as one reached the Elk Tribe, one was far from the dangers of the wilderness.


    Rudolph handed his horse over to the druid and then, together with Yvonne, entered the forest. To his surprise, he found that the forest paths were lined with fireflies¡ªeven in winter, somehow the druids managed to nurture them. The fireflies formed strings that floated along the sides of the path like glowing ribbons, swaying in the wind to guide the way. The air was filled with fragrant aromas; even in winter, herbs grew abundantly along the path. Occasionally, animals would be seen nearby, ruminating on roots while watching the two pass by. In this forest, animals were not afraid of humans.


    Deep within the forest, Rudolph finally encountered the Elk Tribe¡¯s druid settlement. Tree trunks bore small treehouses where the druids rested at night.


    ¡°Elder Tag! It¡¯s good to see you again,¡± Rudolph called out. The druids had long since noticed his arrival; they waited outside the settlement for him. Elder Tag led Rudolph and Yvonne to the center of the settlement, where a bonfire had been lit, its warmth comforting Rudolph. He had seen many male druids before¡ªalways bare-chested, flaunting their bulging muscles. To his slight disappointment, the female druids wore only bandeaus, which he felt didn¡¯t quite honor the closeness to nature.


    There were about seven or eight druids gathered, with several elk wandering around outside.


    ¡°Elder Tag, I¡¯m here on behalf of Sheriff Claude to inquire about the investigation into the werewolf packs. Have you made any progress?¡±


    Elder Tag sighed. ¡°The reason I haven¡¯t contacted Sheriff Claude these past several days is that some of the druids I sent out on investigations were seriously injured, and some even died. This situation is very abnormal. For some reason, it appears that another werewolf pack¡ªor rather, several packs¡ªhave appeared in the vicinity.¡±


    ¡°What about the size of these packs?¡± asked Rudolph, worry creeping into his voice. Could it be that there are now Rank-2 werewolves nearby? If so¡­ he¡¯d have to run, and if he didn¡¯t leave by first light, every extra day would be recklessly endangering his life. He was merely a wizard apprentice¡ªif he were to overstep his grade, he could only move up one rank at a time; jumping two ranks would be tantamount to tempting fate.


    ¡°Previously, the surrounding werewolf packs had only Rank-1 alphas with their underlings. Those packs dared not openly attack farms, as the farms were strong enough to leave behind a few underlings each time. However, the newly discovered pack consists of nearly 30 werewolves¡ªnot only are there many underlings, but there are also 7 or 8 Rank-1 werewolves. Unless there is a Rank-2 werewolf among them, two Rank-1 werewolves wouldn¡¯t peacefully coexist; one would inevitably become the alpha. And only a Rank-2 werewolf can use his wolf poison to create a Rank-1 werewolf. So, the new pack must include a Rank-2 werewolf. Sheriff Claude¡¯s defeated pack consisted only of Rank-2 and Rank-1 werewolves, which suggests they had just migrated and hadn¡¯t yet produced enough underlings. But in this new pack, the number of underlings is already considerable. Underlings are merely laborers for the werewolves, and an increase in their numbers indicates that these werewolves are preparing to settle down. This is truly bad news. And we¡¯ve found traces of other werewolf packs too¡ªwe don¡¯t even know how large those packs are.¡±


    Elder Tag sighed again. ¡°The number of animals in the area is rapidly decreasing¡ªwerewolves are starving. If the wilderness cannot provide enough food for the werewolf packs, they will begin attacking farms.¡±


    Facing werewolves alone, Rudolph more deeply appreciated the sheriff¡¯s prowess; in the previous encounter, more than half of the werewolves were eliminated by Sheriff Claude.


    ¡°Have there been any incidents of werewolves attacking farms nearby?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but it won¡¯t be long. Werewolves feeding solely on animals is as unsatisfying as us eating only vegetables. It¡¯s tolerable for a while, but eventually they¡¯ll attack humans. Eating human flesh is for them like a delicacy.¡±


    Elder Tag then asked, ¡°Officer Rudolph, why don¡¯t you come with us tomorrow to search for more clues?¡±


    Rudolph shook his head decisively. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary¡­ I¡¯d better go back and call for Sheriff Claude. Such tricky matters are best handled by him.¡±


    ¡°Very well, officer¡ªthank you for coming out. I too think the sheriff should visit in person.¡±


    Yvonne¡¯s face fell in disappointment; she had hoped to find werewolves to exact her revenge, but she said little more.


    The druids provided Rudolph and Yvonne with two wooden cabins. The Elk Tribe maintained a few ground-level houses for visiting farm owners or other guests.


    Lying in his cabin, Rudolph wondered if he should break away from the station. The station was too dangerous¡ªso many werewolves in the wild meant he might be killed at any moment. But what else could he do if he left? Just wander aimlessly¡­


    Drifting into a hazy sleep, Rudolph suddenly woke. His Tooth of the Undead was giving him feedback¡ªthere were corpses nearby! Ordinary human corpses couldn¡¯t activate the Tooth; only apostate corpses could! He immediately thought of the druid guarding the stables, all alone outside the forest¡ªthe poor fellow looked doomed.


    Grabbing all his weapons, Rudolph burst out of the cabin. He kicked open Yvonne¡¯s door and found her still awake, frantically tucking away her family portrait. Without pausing to say more, he shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Out!¡±


    Outside, Rudolph and Yvonne scanned the surrounding forest. Rudolph didn¡¯t know where the danger lay, but he¡¯d rather provoke a firefight and let the druids grumble about his loose trigger finger than be caught off guard. He raised his shotgun and fired two shots into the forest, intent on waking every druid in the area. The chaotic sound of the shotgun echoed wildly among the trees. Soon, many druids descended from the branches.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Officer Rudolph?¡± one called out.


    Before Rudolph could answer, a large flock of crows suddenly erupted from the trees, their raucous cries circling above the settlement. Crows and vultures were always drawn to werewolf activity¡ªafter a feast, werewolves left behind enough scraps on bones to feed these birds.


    Without waiting for Rudolph¡¯s reply, Elder Tag shouted, ¡°Enemy attack! Werewolves incoming!¡±


    Some of the slower druids scrambled back into the trees to grab their weapons. The Elk Tribe had only about 30 members; usually, a werewolf pack wouldn¡¯t dare attack such a small druid community unless¡­ unless their numbers were overwhelming!


    Yvonne¡¯s night vision was excellent¡ªshe was the first to pinpoint a target and fired a shot into the darkness. The shotgun blast scattered a spray of pellets between two trees. In response, about a dozen werewolves suddenly leaped out of the forest! Towering figures with gaping, bloodstained maws and outstretched claws charged toward the assembled group in the woods.

 The special ability of the white Wolf

    Dense arrows rained down from the trees as druids of every age fired relentlessly at the werewolves. ¡°Can you climb trees?¡± Rudolph asked while reloading his shotgun. ¡°Yes¡ªI¡¯m very fast at it!¡± Yvonne replied. Growing up on a farm, tree©\climbing was basic entertainment for her. ¡°But I can¡¯t!¡± Rudolph protested in exasperation, feeling he was holding her back. ¡°Then climb up like the druids do!¡±


    Rank?1 druids relied mainly on the giant bears they controlled for offense. Nearby, huge bears panted heavily while the druids perched in trees and shot arrows from above, leaving Rudolph and Yvonne exposed on the ground. Even with the barrage of arrows, the open ground remained extremely dangerous.


    Yvonne, however, ignored Rudolph¡¯s advice. Instead, she huddled against him, using her shotgun to intimidate the werewolves trying to break through. ¡°Run!¡± Rudolph shouted. He believed these werewolves were attacking the Elk Tribe and might not be as focused on them. Yvonne was even more desperate to escape, as she struggled to transform properly in the druid tribe. ¡°You lead the way! Avoid the direction of the alpha!¡± Rudolph commanded, knowing that as long as they avoided the alpha¡ªa Rank?2 werewolf¡ªthey still had a chance to survive.


    Amidst the cacophony of werewolf howls, Yvonne quickly identified the weakest part of the encirclement. ¡°Over there¡ªthe fewest werewolves are there!¡± In the ensuing chaos, gunfire erupted uncontrollably. Yvonne managed to take down two werewolves, though Rudolph couldn¡¯t tell if they were Rank?1 alphas or mere underlings. The werewolves moved swiftly; Rudolph needed five or six bullets just to hit one creature¡¯s snout. Once a gap was created, both he and Yvonne dashed for cover.


    As they escaped the circle, the main force of werewolves shifted their focus to the druid settlement¡ªthey had come to seize territory. Some werewolves clung to tree bark with their claws, beginning to scale the trunks, while others crashed against the massive trees supporting the druid treehouses. The weight of the treehouses made the trees top?heavy; one druid cried out as he fell from his treehouse. Several werewolves leaped into the air and bit into the fallen druid¡¯s body.


    ¡°Run!¡± Rudolph shouted as he spotted a werewolf closing in on them. One werewolf, accompanied by two underlings, posed much less of a threat. Ahead lay a slope¡ªRudolph leaped down and tumbled along it, rolling so many times that he felt dazed before struggling to his feet. With werewolves hot on their heels, he methodically reloaded his weapon. ¡°If you chase me any further¡­ I won¡¯t be merciful!¡± he muttered, careful not to utter the word ¡°dog¡± (a term he dreaded because of Yvonne¡¯s sensitivity).


    At that moment, the sound of tearing fabric reached his ears. Yvonne, having also tumbled down the slope, suddenly seemed to grow larger¡ªa white werewolf emerged beside Rudolph. The pursuing werewolf paused, startled. The white wolf, eager for action, emitted a low growl and charged at the oncoming werewolf. Rudolph¡¯s left hand fired two consecutive shotgun blasts, first taking out two underlings to ensure that they wouldn¡¯t interfere with the white wolf¡¯s assault. This was Yvonne¡¯s first real combat in her Rank?1 white wolf form, and Rudolph was curious how her abilities differed from those of ordinary gray werewolves.


    Unlike typical werewolves that relied solely on their ferocious bite, the white wolf swiped at her opponent with her claw. Her fighting spirit¡ªfueled by an intense, almost palpable hatred¡ªwas unmistakable. While the werewolf blocked her claw with its forelimbs, the white wolf, frustrated by the thwarted lethal bite she¡¯d intended for its throat, instead latched on wherever she could. After several probing attacks, she opened her mouth wide and sank her teeth into the werewolf¡¯s shoulder.


    To Rudolph¡¯s astonishment, the werewolf convulsed once and then went limp. Peering closer, he discovered that electrical sparks danced in the white wolf¡¯s maw¡ªlightning! It appeared that her bite not only injected lycanthropic poison but also discharged an electric shock, paralyzing the victim completely.


    Rudolph stepped back and fired a well-aimed shot at the creature¡¯s head. The bullet¡¯s entry wound sizzled with red heat as it burned through flesh, and the werewolf collapsed dead almost instantly. The attackers, realizing that the combined might of the white wolf and the patrolman was far more formidable than they¡¯d anticipated, hesitated. The one-eyed werewolf among them turned its attention to Rudolph, its cold gaze fixed on him, when suddenly another underling leapt from behind and pinned Rudolph to the ground, its massive jaws clamping onto his throat.


    As the one-eyed werewolf charged toward the white wolf, the white wolf¡¯s body¡ªalready battered with over a dozen wounds from persistent lycanthropic poison¡ªcould barely hold on. Her regenerative power was failing; every bite the werewolves inflicted left traces of poison that slowed her healing further. Then, an unexpected turn occurred: two Rank?1 werewolves that had previously been dead stirred and crawled up from the ground. To the shock of the others, these reanimated corpses joined the fray, attacking the surviving werewolves with wild, feral aggression. Meanwhile, the last surviving werewolf fixated its gaze solely on the white wolf¡¯s throat, bared its fangs, and lunged with a vicious bite. In the brutal law of the wild, where strength dictates survival, the victor would claim the transformative power of its prey.


    Rudolph felt his own manhood being affronted¡ªthis was his white wolf, and no one else was to covet her. But he could only continue firing bullets to fend off the relentless attackers. Occasionally, he managed to hit a target, and the werewolf would contort as the bullet was forced out by its muscles, only to rapidly heal once again. The apostolic power of the werewolves had its limits; as long as they were below that threshold, their wounds would mend swiftly. Despair gripped Rudolph as he patted his waist, realizing that despite Sheriff Claude¡¯s generous provision of 18 alchemical rounds, the relentless pursuit had nearly exhausted his ammunition.


    From the far side of the trees, yet another werewolf emerged. The white wolf¡¯s pace dwindled further, and during Rudolph¡¯s brief moment to reload his final six alchemical rounds, a werewolf pounced on the white wolf. It bit down ferociously on her front limb, and she immediately lost her balance and fell. As she collapsed, she flung Rudolph aside¡ªother werewolves were closing in fast!


    Five Rank?1 werewolves converged on the white wolf, treating her as if she were the most delectable prey. Rudolph¡¯s heart pounded in his chest, but he had only six precious rounds left. Amid the chaotic melee, Rudolph noticed with dismay that every werewolf bite deposited lycanthropic poison, further hindering the white wolf¡¯s recovery. In a moment of hesitation, the white wolf managed to bite a werewolf¡¯s spine, triggering an electric shock that rendered it immobile. Seizing the opportunity, Rudolph fired a shot at its head; the bullet¡¯s wound glowed with a burning red light, and the creature died instantly.


    The werewolves then began to realize that the combined tactics of the white wolf and the patrolman were far more dangerous than they¡¯d imagined. The one-eyed werewolf was the first to react, turning and lunging at Rudolph with a desperate, icy glare. Suddenly, another underling emerged from behind and pounced, slamming Rudolph to the ground once more. The beast¡¯s gaping maw clamped onto his throat, while the one-eyed werewolf, now spurred on by its companions, charged at the white wolf again.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Despite the chaos, Rudolph managed to aim and fire his gun at the underling pinning him, taking down another werewolf. The reanimated underling he had previously controlled soon detached and rejoined the fray, only to be swiftly swatted aside by a powerful swipe from a larger werewolf. At this point, the remaining attackers began deliberately avoiding the white wolf¡¯s crushing bites; as long as they weren¡¯t bitten by her, they would avoid her paralyzing shock. Instead, they continued to inflict smaller wounds, steadily draining her apostolic energy. Once that energy was exhausted, she would no longer be able to maintain her white wolf form and would revert to a frail human woman.


    One werewolf managed to sever the white wolf¡¯s left forelimb; this time, her regenerative power was so diminished that the limb broke off at a haunting angle. Her strength waned further, her defiance giving way to despair. Then, a sudden mutation occurred: two Rank?1 werewolves that had already died began to stir and crawl up from the ground. In a matter of moments, these reanimated corpses attacked the remaining werewolves, tearing them apart in a frenzied brawl. Meanwhile, the final surviving werewolf fixed its gaze solely on the white wolf¡¯s throat, opening its jaws wide and lunging to bite her neck. In the savage natural order of the wild, where every act of predation was governed by sheer force, the victor would claim the transformative power.


    From the treetops, a dense volley of arrows rained down as druids¡ªyoung and old¡ªlaunched their assaults on the werewolves. ¡°Can you climb trees?¡± Rudolph asked while reloading his shotgun. ¡°Yes, I can! I¡¯m very quick at it!¡± Yvonne replied. Growing up on the farm, tree-climbing was basic entertainment. ¡°But I can¡¯t!¡± Rudolph lamented, feeling that he was holding her back. ¡°Then climb up like the druids!¡± he urged.


    Nearby, giant bears¡ªcontrolled by Rank?1 druids¡ªpanted heavily as the druids, perched in trees, fired arrows at the werewolves. This left Rudolph and Yvonne exposed on the ground. Despite the arrows, the open ground remained perilous.


    Even though Rudolph repeatedly urged her, Yvonne refused to climb. Instead, she leaned against him, using her shotgun to intimidate any werewolf that dared charge forward. ¡°Run!¡± Rudolph shouted. He believed the werewolves were targeting the Elk Tribe and might ignore them. Yvonne, on the other hand, wanted to flee at all costs since transforming in the druid tribe was challenging for her. Rudolph commanded, ¡°You lead¡ªavoid the alpha¡¯s direction!¡± Knowing that Yvonne could identify the alpha¡¯s howl, they focused on escaping without drawing its attention.


    Soon, Yvonne pinpointed the weakest spot in the werewolf circle. ¡°There! Fewer werewolves over there!¡± Bullets flew wildly; in the chaos, Yvonne managed to take down two werewolves. Rudolph couldn¡¯t tell if they were Rank?1 or mere underlings. The werewolves moved quickly¡ªRudolph needed five or six shots just to hit one¡¯s snout. Once a gap was created, they made a hasty escape. As predicted, once they broke free, the main werewolf force turned its attack toward the druid settlement, intent on seizing territory. Some werewolves began scaling tree trunks, while others smashed against the large trees that supported the druid treehouses. The weight of the treehouses rendered the trees unstable¡ªone druid cried out as he fell, and several werewolves leaped and bit into his body.


    ¡°Run!¡± Rudolph shouted as he saw one werewolf chasing them. A single werewolf with two underlings was less threatening, so they sprinted toward a slope. Rudolph leaped down and tumbled along the incline, rolling so many times he grew dizzy before finally rising. The werewolves pursued relentlessly, and Rudolph reloaded his weapon with measured calm. ¡°If you keep chasing, I won¡¯t be merciful!¡± he warned, careful not to use words that might offend Yvonne.


    Suddenly, he heard the ripping of fabric. Yvonne, also tumbling down the slope, suddenly seemed to grow in size as a white werewolf emerged beside him. The pursuing werewolf hesitated in surprise. The white wolf, emboldened, emitted a low growl and charged at the enemy. Rudolph¡¯s left hand fired two shotgun blasts, taking down two underlings to prevent them from hindering the white wolf¡¯s assault. This marked Yvonne¡¯s first true combat in her Rank?1 white wolf form, and Rudolph was eager to see how she differed from ordinary gray werewolves.


    Unlike typical werewolves that relied solely on biting, the white wolf instead swiped with her claw. Her determination and fierce resolve set her apart¡ªshe moved faster, struck harder, and exuded a formidable aura. The werewolf tried blocking her, but after several probing lunges, the white wolf opened her mouth wide and bit viciously into its shoulder. To Rudolph¡¯s astonishment, the werewolf convulsed briefly before going limp. Drawing closer, he noticed electrical sparks flickering from her mouth¡ªan electric shock that paralyzed her victim.


    Rudolph then fired a precise shot at the creature¡¯s head. The bullet¡¯s entry wound blazed with red heat as it seared through flesh, and the werewolf collapsed dead. The attackers soon realized that the combined force of the white wolf and the patrolman was far more dangerous than they¡¯d anticipated. The one-eyed werewolf among them turned its focus toward Rudolph, its gaze icy and predatory. Suddenly, another underling lunged from behind, slamming Rudolph to the ground and biting his throat. As the one-eyed werewolf charged toward the white wolf, Rudolph struggled¡ªfiring his weapon even as another underling joined the fray. Despite the chaos, Rudolph managed to take down several foes, though many wounds healed quickly under werewolf regenerative powers.


    Amid the melee, the white wolf¡¯s strength began to wane as persistent werewolf bites left traces of poison that slowed her healing. One werewolf eventually severed her left forelimb, and her regenerative power faltered so much that the limb broke off at a grim angle. Desperation filled her eyes as a sudden mutation occurred: two Rank?1 werewolves that had been dead stirred and crawled up from the ground, joining the battle to devastating effect. One surviving werewolf then fixed its predatory gaze on the white wolf¡¯s throat and lunged to bite. In the raw law of the wild, where only the strongest prevail, whoever succeeded in this final act would inherit the transformative power.


    From the treetops, a barrage of arrows rained down as druids¡ªregardless of age¡ªjoined the fight, targeting the werewolves. ¡°Can you climb trees?¡± Rudolph repeated to Yvonne as he reloaded, and though she claimed she could, he admitted, ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Frustrated, he urged her to climb like the druids. Nearby, giant bears¡ªcontrolled by the druids¡ªpant heavily, while the druids fired from above, leaving Rudolph and Yvonne vulnerable on the ground.


    Despite Rudolph¡¯s urging, Yvonne stayed by his side, using her shotgun to ward off any charging werewolf. ¡°Run!¡± he shouted, convinced these werewolves were focused on the Elk Tribe and that by avoiding the Rank?2 alpha, they might survive. Yvonne soon located the weakest point in the werewolf circle. ¡°Over there¡ªfewer werewolves!¡± Gunfire erupted; in the ensuing confusion, Yvonne felled two werewolves. Rudolph, needing multiple shots to hit even an underling¡¯s snout, found that once a gap was created, they could flee. As they broke free, the werewolves pressed their attack on the druid settlement, intent on seizing territory.


    After a chaotic escape involving intense gunfire, rapid reloading, and desperate maneuvers¡ªincluding Rudolph¡¯s final use of his alchemical rounds¡ªthe battle raged on. The white wolf, embodying both strength and transformation, clashed fiercely with the werewolves. Amid brutal exchanges, some werewolves reanimated and turned on their comrades, while Rudolph¡¯s precise shots and Yvonne¡¯s relentless attacks slowly began to tilt the balance. Despite being overwhelmed and nearly out of ammunition, Rudolph and the white wolf fought with everything they had. Their teamwork, honed through hardship and desperate necessity, proved a formidable force.


    As the battle reached a crescendo, the werewolves¡¯ attacks became more cautious, trying to avoid the paralyzing shock of the white wolf¡¯s bite. But Rudolph¡¯s determination did not waver¡ªeach bullet fired, each shot counted. In one climactic moment, a well-placed shot at a werewolf¡¯s head, glowing with the heat of alchemical fire, finally brought down a key adversary. The relentless wild law of the forest¡ªwhere predators fought for survival¡ªprevailed, leaving Rudolph, battered but unbowed, to confront the aftermath of a night filled with chaos, blood, and the raw brutality of nature.

 Circus of death

    At that moment, a human arm suddenly appeared between the white wolf''s throat and the werewolf¡¯s gaping jaws. The white wolf caught sight of it from the corner of her eye and realized it belonged to Rudolf.


    Neither the white wolf nor the werewolf could understand¡ªwhat use could such a fragile human arm possibly have?


    The werewolf bit down without hesitation, intending to snap both Rudolf¡¯s arm and the white wolf¡¯s throat in one savage bite. The white wolf could already feel the pressure tightening around her throat as the werewolf¡¯s fangs pierced her skin. Meanwhile, Rudolf¡¯s arm fared even worse¡ªrows of sharp teeth sawed through his flesh, severing his arm into three pieces.


    Blood gushed from his wounds, and the pain was excruciating, but Rudolf¡¯s eyes were filled with anticipation.


    Come on!


    Scorpio Witchcraft¡ªVenom¡­


    Compared to his Corpse Fang and Alchemical Bullets, his venom had far fewer opportunities to shine. But now, with his arm serving as the vessel and his own blood as the medium, this was his only chance to poison the werewolf.


    Sweating from the agony, Rudolf gritted his teeth and raised his revolver with his remaining arm. There was no time to hesitate¡ªhe fired at point-blank range, shooting the werewolf in the head.


    His alchemical bullets were all spent. Now, he was using venom-coated bullets he had crafted himself.


    The bullet, its tip tinged with a sickly bluish-purple hue, lodged itself in the werewolf¡¯s skull.


    The werewolf¡¯s expression changed. His eyelids grew unbearably heavy.


    What was this?


    Why was his consciousness growing numb?


    Why did his throat feel paralyzed?


    His gaze once again locked onto the white wolf¡¯s distinct fur, filled with greed. He couldn''t afford to give up the chance to become a mutant werewolf.


    After all, the new Wolf King who had conquered the Distant Mountains was a mutant wolf. The werewolf packs attacking Fabr¨® City were merely its outer forces.


    But his vision blurred¡ªa clear sign of poisoning.


    Who could poison a werewolf with their resistance to toxins?


    Rudolf pulled the trigger again. The remaining five bullets all found their mark in the werewolf¡¯s skull.


    Blood and bullet wounds covered its head, finally forcing the werewolf to release its bite.


    Ignoring the pain, Rudolf pulled out an aluminum flask containing his werewolf toxin antidote and poured it into the white wolf¡¯s mouth.


    As the antidote took effect, the deep fang wounds on the white wolf¡¯s throat began to heal rapidly.


    Despite her mangled front limbs, she ignored the pain and lunged at the poisoned werewolf.


    The werewolf, already fatally wounded and poisoned, couldn¡¯t avoid the white wolf¡¯s final bite. She sank her fangs into his throat.


    One werewolf down.


    Two left.


    A wave of exhaustion washed over Rudolf¡ªhis star energy was almost depleted.


    A mere apprentice wizard was simply too weak.


    Just before he completely blacked out, he saw the werewolf corpse under his control collapse.


    The combined effect of werewolf toxin and star energy depletion overwhelmed him, and soon, Rudolf lost consciousness.


    Rudolf had no idea how much time had passed when he finally awoke.


    The first thing he felt was relief¡ªat least he was still alive. That meant he hadn¡¯t been torn apart by werewolves.


    But why was it so cold?


    He opened his eyes and saw Yvonne¡¯s face.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± Yvonne was still holding his hand, and even after seeing him regain consciousness, she didn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°I¡¯m awake¡­ Your arm?¡±


    Rudolf immediately reached for Yvonne¡¯s arm.


    Her arm had been severed by a werewolf¡¯s bite, but now, as his fingers ran over her skin, he found it perfectly intact.


    ¡°The werewolf toxin antidote works on werewolves too. My wounds healed.¡±


    Rudolf let out a sigh of relief.


    He continued, ¡°What about the werewolves?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°Dead?¡± Rudolf was in disbelief for a moment, then smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good. Did you collect their drool?¡±


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t dare. I heard the alpha wolf howling and ran away, carrying you.¡±


    The first light of dawn crept over the horizon. Once daylight arrived, they would be much safer.


    ¡°¡­Yvonne, why are you wearing my clothes?¡±


    Rudolf finally noticed¡ªhis uniform was draped over Yvonne. Meanwhile, he was left in only a thin shirt and undershorts.


    The cold morning wind bit through the fabric, making him shiver.


    Yvonne finally let go of his hand. ¡°If I didn¡¯t wear your clothes, I¡¯d be naked.¡±


    ¡°I saved your life¡ªwait, no, I saved you twice already! Shouldn¡¯t we at least share the coat?¡±


    Yvonne hesitated, her hand lingering at her collar. She wasn¡¯t sure if she should open her coat to let him in.


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    Her body wasn¡¯t cold¡ªbut the thought embarrassed her.


    Her face grew as red as the rising sun.


    Rudolf sighed and got up from the ground. ¡°Forget it¡­ But next time you transform, take your clothes off first. If you keep requesting new uniforms from the police station, someone¡¯s bound to get suspicious.¡±


    He assessed his own condition.


    Thanks to the antidote Yvonne had given him, his severed arm no longer hurt¡ªthough it did itch.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We need to leave the forest as soon as possible. Let¡¯s check the stables first, see if our horses are still there.¡±


    When Rudolf and Yvonne arrived at the druid stables, they found it completely abandoned.


    While searching the wooden huts surrounding the stable, Rudolf found the stablekeeper¡ªa druid¡ªdead.


    The druid had been the first to fall to the werewolves, and it was his death that had triggered Rudolf¡¯s Corpse Fang ability, warning him of the attack.


    His corpse was a grisly sight.


    Two werewolves had torn him apart¡ªone clamping down on his neck, the other pulling on his leg, leaving his body twisted and mangled.


    Rudolf worked to arrange the druid¡¯s body properly.


    Though he didn¡¯t have time for a burial, the druid at least deserved a dignified end¡ªone that didn¡¯t leave him twisted like a broken ragdoll.


    At that moment, he noticed a faint glow emanating from one of the square-shaped decorations on the druid¡¯s robe.


    Gripping the small stone, Rudolf realized¡ªit was an Apostle Relic.


    The moment he recognized it, the 1st-Level Druid Trinket dissolved into stardust within his mind, soaring toward the Scorpio Constellation.


    Scorpio: 3/14.


    A star within the Scorpio constellation¡ª¦É1¡ªlit up. It was the third star on the tail of Scorpio.


    With three stars shining, the Scorpio constellation was much brighter now, finally forming a clear connection.


    From ¦É1, three floating celestial rewards descended:


    1st-Level Spirit Beast Crystal Recipe


    1st-Level Druid Longbow Recipe


    1st-Level Brown Bear Contract


    The Brown Bear Contract was useless¡ªtwo brown bears could barely hold their own against a single werewolf.


    The longbow was equally worthless¡ªnowhere near as effective as his revolver.


    But the Spirit Beast Crystal¡­ That was a 1st-level magical artifact.


    To advance as a wizard, he had to craft a high-level magical artifact.


    Right now, Rudolf was merely an apprentice. Only by successfully creating a 1st-level magical artifact could he become a 1st-level wizard.


    Without hesitation, Rudolf selected the Spirit Beast Crystal Recipe.


    After a quick review of its details, he was very satisfied.


    This would be the first magical artifact he ever crafted.


    Wizards can create magical artifacts based on their own incantations, crafting tools suited to themselves. However, the best artifacts are those that have been tested and refined over generations of wizards. The Spirit Pet Crystal was one such well-established artifact.


    Rudolph examined the materials needed for a Level 1 Spirit Pet Crystal and immediately felt a headache coming on. He already had a Wizard¡¯s Crystal, which he had obtained from the buried wizard in the graveyard¡ªan exceptionally high-level one at that, ranking at Level 3. He also possessed a Level 1 Druidic Relic, which he had just taken from the deceased druid.


    The real issue was the third key material: Starstone. Rudolph had none left. His last piece had been used to ascend to a wizard apprentice.


    After tidying up the druid¡¯s remains, Rudolph stepped out of the cabin and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We need to leave quickly.¡±


    The werewolf attack on the ranch had been hasty, prioritizing speed over thoroughness, meaning the druid¡¯s horse herd had not been entirely slaughtered. Yvonne had already found two horses. The two mounted up and galloped toward Leman Town.


    Along the way, Rudolph saw countless animal carcasses stripped clean to the bone. For years, there had never been an incident of a druidic settlement being wiped out around Leman Town. But now, a large pack of werewolves had migrated to the outskirts of Fabro City, forcing them to prey on druids just to feed themselves.


    An hour into their journey, Rudolph suddenly spoke up, ¡°Something¡¯s wrong¡­ This doesn¡¯t feel right¡­ Why haven¡¯t we seen a single person in an hour?¡±


    The eerie emptiness of the road unsettled him. It was as if they were walking down the wrong path toward some grim fate.


    The good news was that after another thirty minutes, they finally encountered people.


    The bad news was¡ªthey were all dead.


    Rudolph dismounted and examined the scene: a small caravan, only three wagons strong. The goods remained untouched¡ªwerewolves had no interest in human cargo. Instead, they had feasted on the five merchants.


    Just as the druids had said, werewolves ate humans the way humans ate meat. People couldn¡¯t survive on just vegetables, and werewolves couldn¡¯t survive on wild game alone.


    Rudolph found the victims¡¯ identification papers. This would officially be recorded as a werewolf attack. He couldn¡¯t transport the caravan¡¯s goods, but he collected their silver coins¡ªthese would be returned to their families if they came looking.


    Among the belongings, Rudolph also found a few ledgers. He quickly documented the incident; these records would be archived at the police station.


    With those matters settled, Rudolph and Yvonne continued their journey.


    ¡°Captain, there are werewolves ahead!¡±


    Rudolph glanced at the half-risen sun on the horizon and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. The werewolves will retreat in daylight.¡±


    They urged their horses forward, galloping swiftly down the road. As they neared a bend, Rudolph heard the distant howls of wolves. He raised his gun¡ªhis ammunition now consisted only of regular bullets. To keep his wizard identity hidden, he had refrained from crafting more venom bullets.


    As their horses appeared on the road, the sight of a police officer¡¯s uniform had an immediate effect. Rudolph fired two shots into the air, signaling their arrival. Seeing that patrol officers had come¡ªthough only two of them¡ªthe werewolves hesitated. With the sun already rising, its light sapping their energy, the creatures turned and fled the main road.


    There was nothing Rudolph could do to stop them.


    As they got closer, Rudolph realized this wasn¡¯t a caravan¡ªit was a traveling circus.


    Lying dead in front of the circus was the ringmaster, Seco.


    Inside, he found more corpses¡ªthe beast tamer, the bear that could do arithmetic tricks, the lion that jumped through fire hoops, the acrobats¡­ all slaughtered.


    Then, Rudolph remembered the clown, Cooper.


    Behind one of the wagons, he found Cooper. His throat had been torn halfway open.


    Kneeling beside him, Rudolph noticed the clown¡¯s lips trembling as if trying to speak. He leaned in closer.


    ¡°Take me¡­ to the ringmaster¡­ Take me to the ringmaster¡­¡±


    Rudolph hesitated. He feared that if he moved Cooper, his half-severed throat would fully detach. Instead, he quickly retrieved Seco¡¯s corpse and placed it beside the clown.


    Two streams of tears rolled down Cooper¡¯s face, smudging his clown makeup.


    Then, something happened.


    Seco, who had been undeniably dead, suddenly came back to life.


    Rudolph¡¯s Fangs of the Revenant vibrated with unease, making his teeth ache.


    With great effort, Seco raised a dagger and sawed through his own neck as if cutting through a wooden block.


    Rudolph winced¡ªhis teeth hurt even more now.


    Seco took his severed head and swapped it with Cooper¡¯s.


    An undead¡­ Cooper had become an undead.


    Each time an undead survived a fatal encounter, it would grow stronger.


    With his new throat stitched in place, Cooper was now a Level 1 Revenant. He could no longer die.


    Seco, now bearing Cooper¡¯s old throat, had two rows of stitches circling his neck. However, there was still a gaping wound where the werewolf had bitten him.


    ¡°Thank you, annoying officer.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Cooper.¡±


    Cooper¡¯s voice sounded strange. He was younger than Rudolph by two or three years, so his newly attached throat¡ªrough and thick¡ªfelt foreign and uncomfortable.


    Rudolph said, ¡°Come back to town with us and hide for a few days. The wilds are too dangerous. I¡¯ll figure something out to keep you safe.¡±


    Cooper shook his head. He touched the stitches on his neck and seemed rather satisfied.


    ¡°I¡¯m already a Level 1 Revenant. I¡¯ll stay out here and kill those werewolves. Annoying officer, could you step aside for a moment¡­ I have something to do¡­¡±


    Rudolph shook his head and, along with Yvonne, left the wagons behind.


    From Cooper¡¯s position, eerie ghostly flames began to spread, flickering atop every corpse.


    The flames were cold, consuming nothing¡ªnot even clothes or fur.


    As the ritual concluded, the circus came back to life.


    Seco now wore Cooper¡¯s throat, though it was noticeably thin and fragile, with a gash from the werewolf¡¯s bite. The lions and tigers no longer needed cages; they obediently followed their beast tamer, even though the man¡¯s guts had been entirely removed. The acrobats tossed bottles in the air, grinning with delight.


    Yvonne shrank back behind Rudolph. ¡°What kind of circus is this¡­?¡±


    Rudolph observed the chilling yet bizarrely festive scene and muttered,


    ¡°Cooper¡¯s Death Circus¡­¡±


    The clown¡¯s face paint had returned to its pristine form, but his expression had turned stiff.


    Just as Rudolph had noticed with his Fangs of the Revenant, undeath left the body cold and rigid. True revenants could only make a handful of expressions.


    A smile.


    That was the last expression Cooper would ever wear.


    With his grin frozen in place, he led his Death Circus off the main road, performing all kinds of grotesque acts as they wandered into the wilderness.

 Preparing for promotion

    Everything was in chaos...


    Sir Jacques, the mayor, the Red Priest, Sheriff Claude, the judge, and all the prominent figures of the town had gathered at the police station, arguing heatedly.


    Rudolf had brought back news of the attack on the Elk Tribe, along with evidence of three trade caravans and a traveling circus being ravaged by werewolves along the way. Werewolves had appeared on all sides of Laimont Town, blocking trade routes and leaving farmers in fear. The remaining Druid tribes were continuously requesting aid.


    After reporting the situation, Rudolf left the noisy office. He needed to find the veteran officer, Baby, to replenish his ammunition.


    Six alchemical shotgun shells, twelve alchemical bullets, and a few ordinary rounds.


    "Rudolf the Lucky! You made it back alive again!"


    Old Baby was more excited than Rudolf himself. If all patrol officers were as capable as Rudolf, the station wouldn¡¯t need to keep hiring rookies.


    As Rudolf loaded his bullets, he quipped, "The goddess of luck almost suffocated me with her kisses. Good thing I ran fast enough."


    Rudolf envied Old Baby¡ªhis job was to manage the police station''s stockpile of alchemical bullets. Once the sheriff approved a requisition, Baby would fetch them from the storeroom. Moreover, as a Level 1 alchemist, he could even craft alchemical shotgun shells himself. The work was easy and completely risk-free.


    Returning to his quarters, Rudolf opened a hidden package from his wardrobe. Inside was a revolver¡ªone he''d taken from the farm at Ivona¡¯s house.


    Tonight, he had plans. He couldn¡¯t use his standard-issue police firearm; its design was too recognizable. This farm revolver, however, was much more ordinary. The barrel was short, and the wooden grip was dull and worn.


    When night fell, Rudolf sat up from bed once more. Everyone at the police station knew that Patrolman Rudolf liked to soak in the bathhouse, often returning quite late.


    Since he was supposedly out enjoying himself, he didn¡¯t wear his uniform. Instead, he put on a plain suit and stepped out.


    Glancing at his pocket watch, Rudolf checked the time.


    7 PM. He had three hours.


    At 10 PM, Rudolf finally left the bathhouse.


    He walked along the streets at an irregular pace, sometimes speeding up, sometimes slowing down, his path seemingly random. The wide brim of his hat cast a shadow over his expression. As he passed through a dimly lit alley, he slipped on a mask¡ªa mask painted with a purple scorpion.


    Before long, he arrived at Casino Street.


    As the name suggested, the street was home to three gambling houses. For travelers stopping in Laimont on their way to Fabro City, the casinos were a great place to pass the time.


    Rudolf entered the largest one, deftly weaving through the crowd of gamblers¡ªsome wildly gesturing in excitement, others hanging their heads in despair. Only a few took notice of the strange masked man.


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    He didn¡¯t go upstairs. Instead, he made his way to the basement.


    A dimly lit corridor stretched ahead, flickering lamps casting long shadows. The constant sound of gun hammers being cocked filled the air¡ªdozens of firearms were now pointed at him.


    Rudolf remained unfazed and kept walking toward the end of the hallway.


    That was quite a number... Ten or so guns¡ªan impressive force in Laimont Town.


    Stopping before a door, he acted as if he knew the place well.


    And in truth, he did.


    Many criminals had passed through the underground cells of the police station. Some of them had dealings with Cassino, the man behind this establishment. Rudolf had learned of Cassino from a now-dead prisoner.


    The police station knew far more about Laimont Town than the criminals thought.


    "Open the door."


    The guards hesitated, unsure of who this masked figure was.


    But before they could react, the door opened from the inside.


    Rudolf stepped into the room.


    A single lamp hung from the ceiling, illuminating only a chair in the center. Rudolf walked over, seemingly unguarded, and sat down in the chair with an air of ease.


    Once his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he took in the full scene.


    Four guards stood in the corners of the room. Against the far wall sat a desk, behind which lounged a bearded, overweight man.


    Casino owner Cassino.


    He was the first to speak.


    "Tell me¡ªwhat do you want?"


    Many people came to seek the generosity of Cassino.


    He was always willing to lend them plenty of money, letting them indulge at the gambling tables to their heart¡¯s content.


    But the next moment, Cassino¡¯s pupils shrank sharply.


    He had just heard four words.


    "He is still alive."


    Cassino''s brows furrowed. He knew exactly who "he" referred to.


    And Rudolf knew that Cassino knew.


    The original Rudolf had died because he had rushed in too fast.


    An insignificant patrol trainee¡ªjust a nobody¡ªhad been the first to charge into the hideout of the Level 3 sorcerer, Bloody Sellen, during a witch hunt.


    Before he died, Rudolf had seen the people inside that hideout.


    A great battle had erupted between the sorcerers and the witch hunters, but before the fighting truly broke out, a few individuals had already escaped.


    One of them was the man sitting before him¡ªCassino.


    Cassino had fled in such a hurry that he hadn¡¯t noticed the dying Rudolf.


    But Rudolf had memorized his face.


    "He is still alive..."


    Cassino''s thoughts immediately turned to the Level 3 sorcerer who had been burned at the stake¡ªBloody Sellen.


    In the underworld of Laimont Town, Sellen was a name that inspired true terror.


    "How do you prove it?" Cassino asked cautiously.


    Rudolf didn¡¯t answer. He simply stood up, as if thoroughly disappointed by Cassino¡¯s stupidity, and turned to leave.


    "Wait!"


    Cassino was on edge, though he struggled to keep his composure.


    "I mean... I would very much like to personally express my respect to Master Sellen!"


    The idea of Rudolf walking out unsettled him.


    It would mean that Sellen had lost all patience with him.


    And a Level 3 sorcerer was not something to be taken lightly in Laimont Town.


    To Cassino¡¯s relief, the masked man halted.


    Rudolf turned around, resting his hands on the back of the chair, his fingers running along the wooden frame.


    "Master Sellen is being more cautious now. He will not meet with anyone. He needs time to recover his strength."


    Cassino knew Sellen had been captured by the Inquisition and burned at the stake.


    But he also knew that Sellen was not so easy to kill.


    "From now on, I will be the one communicating with you on behalf of Master Sellen. When he reaches Level 4, he will come to see you himself."


    Hearing the word "Master," Cassino realized that this masked man might be Sellen¡¯s apprentice.


    Rudolf continued, "Prepare three Starstones. Master Sellen needs them."


    The choice was now Cassino¡¯s.


    He could refuse to believe it and turn this masked man into a bullet-riddled corpse right here and now.


    But Cassino knew more than most.


    He had some understanding of Sellen¡¯s arcane artifacts.


    And he knew...


    That sorcerer was not so easily killed.


    "I have one Starstone here¡ªyou can take it now. The other two... I will acquire from the black market."


    Rudolf took the Starstone, pleased, and left Cassino¡¯s casino.

 Advance to Level 1 Wizard

    Here''s the English translation of your text:


    <hr>


    That night, the entire underground world of Laimang Town was terrified. The fact that the Rank 3 wizard, Bloody Sellen, was still alive sent shivers down the spines of crime lords like Casino. But Rudolf didn¡¯t care. He played his part and ran, taking the starstone with him.


    Familiar with every corner of Laimang Town, Rudolf was confident that no one could easily catch up with him. In fact, Casino didn¡¯t even send anyone after him. Rudolf returned to the police station, which had already quieted down, and began pondering how to improve his abilities.


    From the method of crafting a Level 1 Spirit Pet Crystal, Rudolf learned that he needed to master the wizardry of two zodiac signs: Scorpio and Pisces. Standing on the rooftop, he gazed toward Pisces in the night sky but gained nothing from it.


    Scorpio was special to Rudolf. He could summon its power anytime and use the Scorpio "witch language" at will. But for the other constellations, including Pisces, he felt no connection at all.


    He recalled the day he mastered the Scorpio spell ¡°Venom¡±¡ªit was in November, the Scorpio month of this world. Rudolf knew very little about wizardry and didn¡¯t dare ask anyone for guidance. The only thing he knew about Pisces was that it corresponded to March, the Pisces month of this world.


    Did this mean he had to wait until the corresponding zodiac month to establish a connection with a new constellation? It was now December, the Sagittarius month. Rudolf couldn¡¯t connect with Sagittarius either, and he had no idea why.


    The power of words was crucial. The Three Chosen Apostles of the Gods had labeled wizards as the most wicked of all apostles. Because of this, Rudolf was forced to live like a rat in the shadows. He had no mentor, no guidance¡ªonly himself, fumbling through the darkness.


    In January, Capricorn month, nothing happened.


    On the night of the January full moon, Rudolf took Yvonne to the outskirts of town under the pretense of a patrol mission, helping her get through the night when she lost control of herself.


    In February, Aquarius month, still nothing happened.


    Aside from capturing a few werewolves with the police chief and helping Yvonne through her full moon nights, Rudolf was left waiting for a change that never came. Yvonne insisted on watching the werewolf executions during the Full Moon Sacrifice before heading to the outskirts, despite the increased risk of exposure. Rudolf had no way to dissuade her.


    For the past two months, Casino had lived in constant fear. He couldn¡¯t find any trace of Sellen the wizard, as if the man from that night had been nothing more than a phantom.


    Then March came, and suddenly, Rudolf felt restless.


    He sensed it¡ªMarch, Pisces month!


    As soon as the Pisces month arrived, Rudolf could feel that Pisces was no longer out of reach. There was a connection, a thread linking him to it.


    Could it be that mastering a zodiac spell required waiting until its corresponding month?


    One day in March, Rudolf prepared everything carefully.


    The Full Moon Sacrifice ended without incident. Yvonne once again survived the full moon without being noticed.


    Rudolf picked the quietest night at the police station¡ªthe least busy shift with the fewest people around.


    At midnight, he pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time¡ªit was 12:00 AM.


    He moved through the floors of the station, from the underground cells up to the third floor, double-checking that Chief Claude and the old officer, Baby, were nowhere inside.


    Returning to his room, he took a deep breath and rested for a while. During that time, he caught a rat¡ªhis test subject for crafting the Spirit Pet Crystal.


    At 1:00 AM, Rudolf made his way to the rooftop, the rat still in his hand.


    He set the rat down, letting it scurry around, then got to work, using starstone to inscribe a celestial triangle on the ground.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    At the triangle¡¯s top circle, he placed his pocket watch. In the two bottom circles, he placed a wizard crystal and a druid artifact.


    The wizard crystal was a relic left behind by the Rank 3 wizard, Sellen.


    A Level 1 Apostle, like a Level 1 Werewolf, would leave behind only one relic upon death. That was how Rudolf often got his hands on werewolf saliva, a common relic from slain werewolves.


    But a Rank 3 Apostle, like Sellen, left behind three relics upon death. The Inquisitors had already claimed all three from Sellen, so by all accounts, he should have been dead beyond a doubt.


    However, Sellen had used something else to replace one of his relics. Rudolf suspected that was the reason he managed to survive.


    As for the druid artifact, it came from a druid guarding the elk tribe¡¯s stables.


    Standing in the center of the celestial triangle, Rudolf activated his star power.


    This time, he had drawn both the Scorpio and Pisces symbols within his circle.


    His star power surged through the celestial triangle, causing the starstone powder to shimmer and wriggle like living serpents.


    The powder slithered over to the druid artifact first.


    Rudolf invoked his Scorpio spell¡ª"Infection"¡ªwhich, in this case, allowed him to spread an effect rather than poison.


    The druid''s power was activated and, under Rudolf¡¯s star force, infected the rat scurrying on the rooftop. The rat was now under his control.


    The starstone powder continued to move, now enveloping the wizard crystal.


    Rudolf felt a twinge of regret¡ªthis was a Rank 3 wizard crystal. Was using it for a Level 1 artifact a waste?


    Wizard relics of this level were rare, but he had no choice if he wanted to grow stronger.


    The wizard crystal contained raw magical energy, which was now activated by the starstone¡¯s force.


    Pisces¡¯ symbol depicted two fish bound together by their tails. Rudolf interpreted the Pisces spell as ¡°Entanglement.¡±


    With the starstone¡¯s help, he linked the wizard crystal to the druid artifact, as well as to the rat controlled by the artifact.


    Rudolf poured all his strength into reinforcing this "Entanglement."


    The starstone powder writhed, gathering the two relics toward the top of the celestial triangle, where his pocket watch lay.


    In a moment, both the wizard crystal and the druid artifact disappeared into the pocket watch.


    The starstone powder vanished, leaving no trace on the stone floor.


    The rat sniffed around, oblivious to what had just transpired.


    Rudolf wiped the sweat from his brow¡ªdespite making no large movements, he felt utterly drained. His star force was completely spent.


    He picked up the pocket watch and exhaled in relief¡ªhe had done it.


    Not only had he crafted a Level 1 Spirit Pet Crystal, but he had also mastered the Pisces spell ¡°Entanglement,¡± officially becoming a Level 1 Wizard.


    Weak as he still was, he now had his first enchanted artifact.


    Eager to test it, he flipped open the pocket watch. Inside, an extra thin panel had appeared. A delicate stone ring circled the outer edge¡ªa remnant of the druid artifact. Within it, a crystal-clear screen shimmered.


    Rudolf infused the watch with star power, and the crystal surface changed¡ªdisplaying the rat¡¯s point of view!


    Through the druid artifact¡¯s ¡°Infection,¡± he could control the rat. Through the wizard crystal¡¯s ¡°Entanglement,¡± he could share its vision.


    This was why the technique was called Spirit Pet Magic.


    Rudolf smirked.


    At last, he had a pair of eyes in the dark.


    Casino owner Cassino left his hideout and headed to an unassuming residence, seemingly to discuss something with an unknown party. Rudolf memorized the house number¡ª13 Paget Street. The owl¡¯s vision was truly remarkable; it could even make out house numbers.


    Rudolf then spotted a familiar figure¡ªSheriff Claude¡ªleaving Sir Jacques'' estate late at night, looking utterly exhausted. A baronet was the lowest rank of nobility, barely above a knight without a title, yet Sir Jacques was the most influential man in Leman Town, controlling the five largest farms outside the town.


    Rudolf took a sharp breath. Had the sheriff gone to meet Sir Jacques, or was he paying a visit to Lady Jacques instead? That was bold. The owl continued to tail Sheriff Claude from above until he reached Lady Betsy¡¯s window and knocked.


    Rudolf took a second sharp breath. Was the sheriff¡¯s stamina powered by a water pump?


    Claude had a special talent¡ªhe always knew which lady¡¯s husband was away for the night. What an enviable skill. Rudolf would trade all his sorcerer¡¯s artifacts just to possess that ability. He watched in envy as Lady Betsy opened the window, kissed the sheriff passionately, and then let him climb inside.


    From high above, the owl circled the town of Leman, making it seem even smaller in comparison to its flight capabilities. Rudolf amused himself for a long time, playing with his new toy, until the owl started to grow tired. Only then did he close the pocket watch, allowing the bird to hunt for food on its own.


    The sorcerer¡¯s crystal had once been stored in the Scorpius ¦Ë star within his star map, and to his surprise, the familiar¡¯s pocket watch could be stored the same way. It could vanish at will and reappear in his hand whenever he needed it. He hadn¡¯t expected the star map to have a basic storage function¡ªthough, unfortunately, it could only store relics linked to the constellations or artifacts made from such relics. His Tooth of the Undead star map, for example, could not be stored.


    As he continued using the familiar¡¯s pocket watch, more information about it naturally surfaced in his consciousness through the star map. The most crucial detail was that he needed to be cautious when using it in front of Rank 4 sorcerers or druids. The main component of the watch was a Rank 3 sorcerer¡¯s crystal, making it exceptionally powerful, but apparently, only Rank 4 sorcerers and druids could detect its surveillance.


    Using a Rank 3 sorcerer¡¯s crystal for an auxiliary tool like the familiar¡¯s pocket watch was undoubtedly wasteful, but at least he could use this watch for a very long time. Rank 4 sorcerers were far beyond his reach for now.


    From this moment on, the entire town of Leman would be under Rudolf¡¯s watchful gaze.


    Or rather¡ªhis surveillance.


    A full-map hack¡ªthat¡¯s exactly what the familiar¡¯s crystal was.

 Protecting the weak

    ¡°Rudolph, can you focus on your work? Why do you keep checking your watch? Are you really that idle?¡±


    Officer Kellyta was overwhelmed¡ªreports of werewolf attacks were flooding in, and she had no idea where to start. Meanwhile, Rudolph was lounging in his chair, legs propped up on the desk, looking completely unbothered. What was even more frustrating was that he kept flipping open his pocket watch, as if he were counting the seconds until he could clock out.


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Rudolph replied lazily. ¡°The sheriff said not to leave town for now. Going outside is just feeding ourselves to the werewolves. A patrol officer like me? I¡¯ve got nothing to do. Might as well take it easy, relax while I can¡­¡±


    Kellyta, still drowning in paperwork, hurriedly gathered a thick stack of documents and handed them to Yvonna, who had just walked in. ¡°Take these to Sheriff Claude.¡±


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t actually fought werewolves several times, I¡¯d report you to the sheriff and have your salary docked!¡± she grumbled.


    Unfazed, Rudolph casually took a sip of his coffee and closed his eyes, mentally going over his "spirit pet collection."


    For daytime surveillance, he had a dozen sparrows¡ªsmall, energetic, and perfect for observing the town from the sky. For night operations, he had three owls¡ªsharp-eyed creatures that could clearly see the ground even in the dark. Perching on rooftops, trees, and streetlamps? That wouldn¡¯t seem suspicious at all. And for infiltrations, he had a nest of rats. If needed, he could send them into buildings to gather intel, though they were the least reliable¡ªsometimes, they ended up as cat food.


    At that moment, through the eyes of Sparrow No. 1, Rudolph noticed a group of well-dressed individuals entering the police station, accompanied by attendants. Immediately, he sat up straight, pretending to study a document with a serious expression.


    Kellyta had finally reached a temporary break in her work and was leaning back in her chair for a moment¡¯s rest.


    A short while later, Sheriff Claude walked into the office.


    ¡°Rudolph, come to my office.¡±


    ¡°On it.¡± Rudolph immediately put down his "exhausting" workload and got to his feet.


    Just before leaving, Claude turned back toward Kellyta. ¡°Kellyta! The station is extremely busy right now¡ªno slacking off!¡±


    Kellyta was dumbfounded. She had been working non-stop all morning while Rudolph had been slacking off, yet because of these few minutes, she was the one being accused of being lazy?


    As Rudolph passed by, he shook his head in mock disappointment at Kellyta¡¯s "lack of work ethic," as if he disapproved but wouldn¡¯t bother saying anything. This only made Kellyta even angrier.


    **Information is power. The one who controls the information holds the advantage.**


    Rudolph stepped into the sheriff¡¯s office and found several people already there. The most striking among them was a young woman clad in armor, golden-haired and smiling.


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    ¡°Let me introduce you,¡± Sheriff Claude said, addressing the young woman. ¡°This is our most experienced patrol officer. He has participated in one witch-hunting operation and two werewolf crisis interventions.¡±


    Then, he turned to Rudolph.


    ¡°Rudolph, this is Lady Jennifer, the daughter of Sir Jacques.¡±


    ¡°Lady Jennifer, a pleasure to meet you,¡± Rudolph greeted politely.


    Sir Jacques was a knight, which meant his daughter was at least a squire. This was the first time Rudolph had met a knight, and he was curious about what abilities knights possessed.


    Jennifer gave Rudolph a quick glance¡ªhis appearance was decent, but otherwise, he seemed unremarkable. She then asked, ¡°Officer Rudolph, are you an alchemist or an alchemist¡¯s assistant?¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s just an ordinary person,¡± Sheriff Claude answered before Rudolph could respond. ¡°However, Lady Jennifer, I assure you that Rudolph is far more capable than old Bebe. The Alchemist Guild firmly believes in this: **arming enough ordinary people yields the greatest strength.**¡±


    Hearing this, Jennifer said nothing further.


    Rudolph, however, raised an eyebrow slightly. He had a feeling that she looked down on him.


    Claude took a document from his desk and handed it to Rudolph. ¡°There have been too many werewolf sightings in the wild. The police station is overwhelmed. Sir Jacques has decided to dispatch his cavalry to deal with the werewolves outside town. Your task is to serve as their guide to the Elk Tribe.¡±


    Rudolph nodded and accepted the mission document.


    ¡°When do we depart, Lady Jennifer?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± she replied curtly before turning to leave.


    Watching her walk away with her back straight and head high, Rudolph turned to the sheriff. ¡°She¡¯s a knight, right?¡±


    ¡°No, just a squire.¡±


    Just a squire? That meant she was at the same level as Rudolph, who was a Rank 1 Apostle.


    ¡°Can I just be the guide and nothing more?¡±


    Claude nodded. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re only responsible for leading the way. If the knight wants to take charge, let him.¡±


    That night, Rudolph once again donned his mask and entered the Casino de Cassino.


    Cassino still owed him two starstones. If he said he was taking three, he was taking three¡ªanything missing was considered a debt.


    This time, the casino office had a completely different setup. Gone was the interrogation-style lighting¡ªnow there was a spacious sofa, and a bottle of red wine sat on the coffee table.


    Cassino couldn¡¯t see Rudolph¡¯s expression behind the mask, making it impossible to gauge his thoughts.


    Rudolph, however, was feeling a little awkward. He had wanted to take advantage of the situation and try Cassino¡¯s fine wine, but with his full-face mask on, how was he supposed to drink?


    So that¡¯s why Zorro and Batman only covered the top half of their faces¡ª**it was more practical.**


    Cassino had already guessed that the masked visitor was likely a newly recruited apprentice of the infamous sorcerer Seren.


    Seren had been hit hard by the Inquisition and was undoubtedly in a weakened state, forcing him to rely on an apprentice to act on his behalf.


    It was a clever move¡ªkilling the apprentice wouldn¡¯t solve anything. The real threat, the Bloodstained Seren, was surely hiding somewhere, recovering in the shadows.


    Cassino handed over two starstones. ¡°These are for Sorcerer Seren. I acquired them through the black market.¡±


    ¡°How do I get to the black market?¡±


    Cassino wasn¡¯t expecting such a direct question.


    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t Seren tell you?¡±


    Cassino scrutinized Rudolph, hoping to gauge how much Seren had revealed about his current condition.


    Rudolph had no interest in playing mind games. He leaned forward slightly.


    ¡°Cassino, generous as ever. Maybe lay off visiting No. 13 Pagie Street and stop exchanging opinions with those three people¡ªit¡¯s not doing you any favors.¡±


    Cassino broke into a cold sweat. Someone in that trio must have switched allegiances and completely sided with Seren.


    ¡°¡­So, how do I get to the black market?¡±


    Cassino quickly answered, ¡°The black market is in Fabro City¡ªthere isn¡¯t one in Lemoine Town. If you need access, I can get you an identity token when the time comes.¡±


    Fabro City¡­ Rudolph wasn¡¯t planning on going there just yet.


    He picked up the starstones and stood to leave. ¡°Maybe later. I¡¯ll come back for the token when I need it.¡±

 Level two werewolf

    "Level 2 werewolf?" Rudolf finally caught a fleeting moment of panic on Jennifer''s face. These young ladies living in the castle had probably only seen a werewolf or two during the full moon sacrifices, and even then, they were just Level 1 werewolves. In the wilderness, a Level 2 werewolf was already synonymous with danger.


    "Moreover, our enemies could be 30 to 50 werewolves¡ªa terrifying number."


    "Fifty werewolves?" Jennifer was still in disbelief. That number was indeed overwhelming. If they were surrounded by so many werewolves, the cavalry would lose its greatest advantage¡ªspeed.


    "What¡¯s your name?"


    Sir Jacques had silently approached.


    "Rudolf."


    The knight''s voice startled him. Jacques¡¯ face was cold as ice.


    "Rudolf, patrol officer. Whether your guess is true or not, if this were wartime, I would not hesitate to execute you for disturbing military morale. But you¡¯re lucky¡ªthis isn¡¯t wartime. You¡¯ve dodged a bullet."


    Rudolf frowned, unsure of what to say.


    Seeing her father, Jennifer regained her courage.


    "I know that Sheriff Claude recently took down a Level 2 werewolf. I believe our knight¡¯s castle can do the same!"


    That was the most dangerous illusion of all¡ªif others can do it, so can I...


    Sheriff Claude had been a Level 2 alchemist for over a decade. Both in bed and on the battlefield, he possessed extraordinary physical prowess. The fact that he managed to kill a werewolf of the same level didn''t mean these knights could do the same.


    Even knowing they might face Level 2 werewolves, the people from the knight¡¯s castle still came. Rudolf said nothing more. Perhaps Sir Jacques had his own plans.


    He silently returned to his position.


    You can''t persuade the damned.


    Rudolf felt his warning had been unnecessary.


    He fell to the back of the team and pointed in a direction.


    "Ivonne, later, run towards¡ª"


    Rudolf hesitated mid-sentence and abandoned the idea.


    His owl''s reconnaissance revealed two more werewolf tribes in that direction, each led by a Level 1 werewolf with its pack of wolf thralls.


    A total of five werewolf tribes... The sheer number of werewolves was overwhelming.


    The cavalry ahead had already begun accelerating, the pounding of hooves echoing against the ground.


    Rudolf quickly kept pace, using his owl to search for weak points in the werewolves'' encirclement.


    Jennifer¡¯s face was serious. She couldn''t help but ask her father, "Why didn''t we come to hunt werewolves during the day?"


    "Werewolves won''t fight us in the daytime. Only at night can we encounter them. Now is the perfect chance to strike."


    Seeing the unwavering look in her father¡¯s eyes, Jennifer fell silent.


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    "Find a direction to break through first," Jacques commanded. "We must leave the forest and lure the werewolves to the plains, where I can fight them on my terms."


    Following the knight¡¯s orders, the cavalry swiftly changed course.


    The team hadn''t ventured too deep into the forest. The edge of the woods wasn¡¯t far, and that was where Jacques¡¯ confidence lay.


    As long as they reached the open plains, cavalry feared no werewolf.


    The knights galloped at full speed toward the forest''s edge. Fortunately, the trees near the outskirts weren¡¯t densely packed.


    Rudolf let out a breath of relief.


    At least the knight wasn¡¯t an absolute fool, charging blindly into the werewolves while shouting some ridiculous battle cry. As long as he wasn¡¯t a complete idiot, that was good enough.


    Then¡ªgunfire rang out behind them.


    Rudolf had already spotted shadows darting through the jungle. The werewolves were closing in.


    The shot was meant to scare them off.


    But it only heightened the tension in the squad.


    On both sides of the cavalry, two werewolf tribes emerged from the woods¡ªeach with more than a dozen werewolves weaving between the trees.


    The sheer force with which they crashed through the undergrowth was chilling.


    Rudolf signaled for Ivonne to hurry and stick close to the regular cavalry.


    The werewolves quickly assessed the situation and locked onto their weakest prey¡ªthe ordinary riders.


    One by one, the werewolves burst from the trees, lunging at them.


    What surprised Rudolf was that Jennifer and her siblings actually slowed down.


    Knight squires were like apprentice spellcasters¡ªjust initiates on the path of the Templars.


    Jennifer and her two brothers didn¡¯t accelerate to escape but instead chose to share the risk with the regular cavalry.


    That was unexpected.


    Did knights really think this way? Protecting the weak?


    A few werewolves had already pounced on the cavalry, knocking down one or two riders. Their sharp fangs struggled against the knights¡¯ steel armor.


    The squad quickly shifted formation.


    Each knight squire led four or five cavalrymen, forming tight triangular units. These groups immediately struck back at the werewolves.


    The knight squires were far stronger than the ordinary riders, their movements swift and powerful.


    Jennifer and her brothers spearheaded the charge, while the knights on both flanks swung their greatswords at the werewolves.


    Astonishingly, the three knight squires and their teams managed to hold their ground against two entire werewolf tribes.


    Beyond their initial ambush, the werewolves couldn¡¯t gain the upper hand.


    Rudolf and Ivonne found themselves in an awkward position¡ªthey weren¡¯t part of any knight-led unit.


    They edged toward the center, trying to stay close to the knight squires'' formations for safety.


    Ahead, sounds of battle erupted from where Sir Jacques was fighting.


    There were pained howls¡ªwerewolves were being beaten badly.


    After a grueling ten-minute pursuit, the cavalry burst from the forest.


    Three regular cavalrymen had fallen.


    As the hoofbeats faded, Jacques raised a hand, signaling the knights to slow down and reorganize.


    He stood at the front, his three children behind him¡ªthe only noble family of Lyman Town.


    Behind Jennifer and her brothers, the knights formed a massive wedge formation, staring into the darkened forest.


    Rudolf and Ivonne remained at the back.


    Rudolf was now deeply curious about the knights'' capabilities.


    Then, at the forest''s edge, dark figures emerged¡ªwerewolves.


    The five werewolf tribes fanned out like five fingers, forming a semi-circle around the knights.


    Perhaps the werewolves were confused, wondering why knights from the human settlement had invaded their newly conquered territory at night.


    Jacques raised his greatsword and swung it forward.


    "Knights¡ªcharge!"


    A brief standoff.


    Then, a deep, guttural howl rang out from the depths of the forest.


    A Level 2 werewolf¡¯s call¡ªlike a battle command.


    Instantly, all five tribes surged forward.


    Jacques led the charge, his greatsword glowing faintly with white light.


    In the night, that light was mesmerizing¡ªa symbol of power piercing the darkness.


    Behind him, every knight raised their greatsword, except for Rudolf and Ivonne.


    "Ivonne," Rudolf muttered, "next time we ride with the knights, we should bring swords. Otherwise, we look out of place."


    The knights thundered forward.


    The werewolves closed in.


    Rudolf locked eyes with one.


    In its gleaming pupils, he saw only disdain.


    There were too many.


    The werewolves outnumbered the knights two to one.


    His gaze snapped toward Sir Jacques and his children.


    This was his chance to truly understand the strength of the knights.


    Then, a chilling sight¡ªat the forest¡¯s edge, flanked by two blackened tree trunks, stood a towering figure.


    A Level 2 werewolf.


    Rudolf''s scalp tingled.


    The beast¡¯s broad shoulders, thick limbs, and long, razor-sharp claws reaching down to its knees...


    Those claws¡ªten centimeters long¡ªgleamed like deadly short swords.


    Wolf blades.


    Rudolf swallowed hard.


    This battle had just taken a terrifying turn.

 Death of the Count

    The pitch-black silhouette, the lowered wolf blades, and the amber wolf eyes staring in the night sent shivers down their spines.


    "Form up! Chain formation!"


    The sudden frenzy of the werewolves momentarily puzzled Sir Jacques, but he quickly realized the truth¡ªthey were indeed facing a Level 2 werewolf. However, such an opponent did not seem to faze a Level 1 knight like him. At his feet, two Level 1 werewolves had already fallen. In such a short time, he had slain two apostles of the same rank.


    Rudolf had no idea where Sir Jacques¡¯ confidence came from, but he had already ordered his owl to deliver intelligence. He knew he couldn''t handle this alone and had to prepare a backup plan. The owl glided silently through the forest, swiftly reaching its target.


    After Jacques'' command, all the knight squires and cavalry gathered around him. The surrounding werewolves, of course, did not intend to let them regroup so easily; they became even more frenzied, pouncing upon the knight squires and cavalrymen.


    Rudolf and Ivonne had no choice but to push their way toward Jacques along with the other cavalrymen. Soon, a triangular wedge formation took shape around him. Jacques stood at the front, with his three children behind him, followed by the cavalry from his knight¡¯s castle. Rudolf and Ivonne cautiously positioned themselves in the center of the formation.


    The cavalrymen on the perimeter continued battling the surrounding werewolves, swinging their weapons in an attempt to drive them back.


    Then, the Level 2 werewolf moved!


    Emerging from the shadows, its form became fully visible. Under the faint moonlight, its bone-like claws appeared unnaturally sharp.


    "Guardian Chain!"


    Jennifer¡¯s heart leaped to her throat. She was shocked to hear her father unleash the knights¡¯ most powerful ability.


    Hearing those words, Rudolf felt slightly relieved. He assumed the skill was meant to protect the weaker cavalry.


    In the next instant, dense, faintly glowing, semi-transparent chains shot out from Jacques¡¯ back, precisely linking to every person and horse behind him. Now, everyone¡ªriders and mounts alike¡ªwere connected to Jacques by a ghostly, spectral chain.


    Rudolf¡¯s horse suddenly lost control and charged toward Jacques. Jacques himself was already surging forward, his momentum growing stronger by the second.


    Along with this, a terrible weakness set in.


    Rudolf felt it¡ªthe "Guardian Chain" was draining his stamina and energy. The point where the chain connected to his abdomen sent waves of spasms through his muscles. His strength and vitality seemed to be siphoned away, making even breathing a heavy burden. His chest felt impossibly heavy, and his entire body became sluggish.


    Was this why Jacques maintained such a large cavalry force?


    Rudolf suddenly recalled that history¡¯s most renowned emperors took pride in the size of their cavalry. If an emperor had 100,000 cavalrymen, could he surpass even Level 2 or 3 adversaries?


    The Level 2 werewolf also noticed Jacques¡¯ anomaly. Clearly, Jacques'' power was increasing. This was his true purpose for challenging the Level 2 werewolf¡ªa knight could only advance through battle. And there was a shortcut to a knight¡¯s ascension: the "Guardian Chain."


    The Level 2 werewolf lunged at Jacques, aiming to interrupt his power accumulation as quickly as possible.


    Rudolf saw foam forming at the mouths of the horses. Jacques wasn¡¯t just absorbing human strength and energy¡ªhe was draining the horses as well.


    Rudolf¡¯s limbs grew weak. His vision blurred. Compared to him, Ivonne seemed to be holding up better¡ªher werewolf physique was naturally far superior. However, the cavalrymen around them, though they trained daily, were not all stronger than apostles. Several had already fallen from their horses. And a knight who fell in battle had only one fate¡ªto be torn to pieces by the swarming werewolves.


    They weren¡¯t dying at the hands of werewolves. They were dying because of the knight¡¯s ability.


    Some of the weaker cavalrymen showed unnatural facial hollows, their cheekbones becoming eerily pronounced in mere moments. If this "guardianship" continued, they risked turning into skeletons.


    The knight squires also began to waver, and Jacques¡¯ three children visibly slowed down. But in exchange, Jacques¡¯ sword strikes carried terrifying force.


    Rudolf finally understood¡ªthe "Guardian Chain" was a knightly ability that pooled collective strength into one wielder.


    Jacques¡¯ first charge sent the Level 2 werewolf flying with a single strike.


    Rudolf watched in shock. A Level 1 knight had just done this?


    Werewolves were apostolic beings focused on physical enhancement, yet Jacques had slammed a Level 2 werewolf over thirty meters away.


    The cavalry shifted formation and engaged the werewolf again. Their unified assault left a wound on the creature¡¯s shoulder, but it healed almost instantly, as if nothing had happened.


    Jacques¡¯ expression darkened. He still wasn¡¯t fully accustomed to wielding power beyond that of a Level 1 knight.


    The wedge formation accelerated once more, charging at the Level 2 werewolf.


    The werewolf let out a furious howl. The surrounding werewolves threw themselves at the cavalry in a desperate bid to stop them. They blocked the charge, clawed at the horses'' legs, and leaped through the air toward the riders.


    The cavalry formation was unstoppable. Even as soldiers died one after another, they continued charging.


    The Level 2 werewolf bent its hind legs and unleashed a tremendous burst of strength, launching itself into the air.


    Rudolf barely saw a dark shadow hurtling toward Jacques before they violently collided.


    When the impact settled, Rudolf saw the aftermath.


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    The werewolf¡¯s left claw¡ªeach digit bearing three long, razor-sharp blades¡ªhad pierced through Jacques¡¯ abdomen. His reinforced armor had been utterly useless.


    Jacques¡¯ sword had embedded itself into the werewolf¡¯s throat, but only by a shallow centimeter or two. Meanwhile, the werewolf¡¯s other claw had managed to block Jacques¡¯ deadly sideways slash.


    This was not a lethal blow to the werewolf.


    "Haaah!" Jacques suddenly roared, and the Guardian Chain burst into a blinding radiance.


    With cavalrymen and horses dying rapidly, Jacques had no choice but to extract even more power from those who remained. His breakthrough was just within reach!


    Rudolf glanced down at his abdomen and felt another vicious tug, as though something inside him was about to be ripped out. His muscles screamed in pain, his entire body exhausted beyond its limits.


    This far exceeded what he could endure.


    He couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. Rudolf collapsed from his horse.


    His horse, still chained to the Guardian Chain, also fell, pinning his leg beneath its weight.


    Some "guardianship" this was!


    Ivonne saw him fall and tried to dismount to protect him, but her own horse collapsed as well, trapping her leg under its weight.


    Even with her superior physique, she was too drained to free herself.


    The surrounding werewolves were closing in.


    From the front, a thunderous roar rang out¡ª


    "Breakthrough! Level 2 Knight!"


    Jacques was just a step away from advancing.


    At that moment, the Guardian Chain didn''t just drain Rudolf¡¯s strength¡ªit began extracting his star power as well.


    Damn it.


    Rudolf could feel his energy being funneled away.


    A werewolf lunged for his throat. Summoning the last of his strength, he raised his arm in defense. The werewolf¡¯s jaws clamped down on his forearm instead.


    He knew he was about to die.


    Even if Jacques defeated the Level 2 werewolf, Rudolf would still be torn apart by the surrounding monsters. Ivonne, too, would be slaughtered.


    No wonder knights proclaimed themselves protectors of the weak¡ªbecause the weak were useful to them.


    Looking toward Ivonne, he saw white fur sprouting from her body. She was losing control of her transformation.


    At that moment, Rudolf made a decision. He channeled his star power into venom.


    Scorpio Witchcraft¡ªPoison.


    If Jacques wanted power, then take it all.


    Take it all and choke on it.


    At this moment, the knight''s strength actually overpowered the Rank-2 werewolf. His sword had already pierced five centimeters into the werewolf''s neck. The werewolf''s neck was much thicker than the knight had imagined. Just as he was about to push forward and use this life-and-death battle to ascend to a Rank-2 knight, a sudden numbness and pain shot through his back.


    The guardian chain behind him connected him to his three children¡ªhis knight squires¡ªand to his cavalry. But what was this force coursing through the chain? Poison? Who was behind it? A sorcerer? A plaguebringer? The knight¡¯s momentum suddenly faltered; he could no longer build up his power like before.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he scanned his surroundings¡ªall werewolves. If he died here, his three children would perish with him. Drawing upon his knightly swordsmanship, Sir Jacques swiftly switched from a slash to a thrust, driving his sword deep into the werewolf''s throat. A werewolf wouldn¡¯t die unless its head was severed, but piercing through the throat would still deal a heavy blow.


    Summoning every ounce of his strength, he twisted his broadsword inside the werewolf¡¯s neck, attempting to decapitate it. But in an unfortunate twist of fate, his blade became lodged in the werewolf''s vertebrae. In the final moment, the Rank-2 werewolf instinctively tilted its head, letting out a whimper as blood spurted from the wound.


    But none of that could change the fact that Sir Jacques'' momentum was rapidly declining. The werewolf, now freed from blocking the sword, lashed out with its clawed blade at the knight¡¯s helmet. The knight¡¯s power could no longer fortify his armor. The claw sliced through¡ªhelmet and head split into four pieces.


    "Father!!!"


    Jennifer rushed forward, but it was too late. The knight was dead.


    The Rank-2 werewolf staggered back, still bleeding. A nearby Rank-1 werewolf hesitated, then lunged forward¡ªnot to help, but to seize the moment. It sank its teeth into the broadsword still stuck in the Rank-2 werewolf¡¯s neck, violently shaking its head. The wound tore open further.


    Seeing one of their own make a move, the other Rank-1 werewolves swarmed the Rank-2 werewolf.


    The path to advancing among werewolves was simple¡ªtear out the throat of a stronger werewolf and gulp down its blood. That was all it took to ascend.


    But Rudolf had no time to witness the birth of a new Rank-2 werewolf. He drew his revolver and fired at the werewolf near Ivonna. In this moment, the revolver¡¯s agility outshone a shotgun. They weren¡¯t far apart¡ªtwo shots, and the werewolf was dead.


    By now, the smarter wolf thralls had already turned toward the chaotic battle between the Rank-1 and Rank-2 werewolves. If any of the Rank-1 werewolves were gravely wounded, the thralls, too, would have a chance at ascension.


    Such was the way of the werewolf tribes¡ªthere were no weak leaders. A feeble alpha would be challenged, defeated, and then torn apart by its own pack.


    The werewolves before Rudolf, however, were not among the clever ones. One still had its fangs clamped onto his arm, even at this moment.


    A gulp of blood.


    The werewolf felt as if it had been transported back to its human days¡ªthe first time it had ever tasted strong liquor. Fire burned through its chest and lungs, followed by searing pain. Its limbs went numb.


    The blood was poisoned.


    Rudolf pressed his revolver against the werewolf''s head and pulled the trigger.


    At last, Ivonna had freed herself from her own troubles. She rushed to Rudolf, eyes filled with concern. She lifted the fallen horse and dragged Rudolf out.


    All around, chaos reigned¡ªwerewolves and the remaining knights were locked in a tangled melee. Some knights sought to protect Jacques'' children; others burned with the desire for vengeance.


    Rudolf and Ivonna, however, had no ties to any of them.


    "Run!" Rudolf shouted.


    His leg was broken. Ivonna hoisted him onto her back without hesitation and sprinted out of the battle.


    Every full moon, Ivonna would lose herself to madness.


    Rudolf had once prepared several doses of anti-werewolf toxin, but she had long since used them all. Now, with his leg shattered, he had no good solution.


    As she carried him, Rudolf pulled out his pocket watch.


    Ivonna had always been curious¡ªwhenever they were alone, Rudolf would take out his watch to check the time.


    Now, as his arm reached around her neck, she finally saw what was inside. The inner lid of the watch housed a crystal, and within the crystal¡ªa moving image.


    Rudolf pointed in a direction, signaling Ivonna to flee that way.


    Even in human form, Ivonna, as a Rank-1 werewolf, possessed far greater stamina than Rudolf. Following his guidance, she ran.


    They dashed into the forest, deeper and deeper.


    Ivonna was worried¡ªthis was werewolf territory. Not the best place to flee. But she trusted Rudolf and followed his lead.


    Then, an eerie sound emerged from the underbrush¡ªsomething was lurking.


    Ivonna tensed, but Rudolf, oddly enough, seemed relieved.


    Soon, shadows appeared in the distance. A group of figures stood motionless among the trees, waiting for them.


    "Cooper!"


    Rudolf called out the name.


    The figures parted. A small child stepped forward, his face painted with glowing grease paint in the pattern of a clown. The luminescent grin was frozen in a twisted smile.


    "Disgusting officer, hello."


    Cooper removed his hat and gave a polite bow.


    "There are werewolves and knights fighting ahead. You should run. I came to bring you this information, so you can wait until later to collect the corpses."


    Of course, Rudolf had an ulterior motive¡ªhaving Cooper around was an extra layer of insurance. In a critical moment, he might prove useful.


    "Consider this a friendly warning," Rudolf said.


    But Cooper shook his head and put his hat back on.


    "I''m here to kill werewolves. Goodbye, disgusting officer."


    "But there¡¯s a Rank-2 werewolf in there," Rudolf reminded him.


    Cooper didn¡¯t care.


    "I smell corpses. That Rank-2 Apostle is already on the brink of death."


    "On the brink of death?"


    Rudolf sniffed the air¡ªhe smelled nothing.


    Cooper led the way. Behind him followed an entourage of corpses.


    Rudolf recognized Captain Seco, though his head was now sewn onto the body of a Rank-1 werewolf.


    A werewolf with a human head¡ªa grotesque sight. Yet Seco remained close behind Cooper, seemingly devoted.


    Alongside them were two more Rank-1 werewolves. Though undead were weaker than in life, they still formed a formidable force.


    Then came five wolf thralls¡ªCooper¡¯s recent spoils from the wilderness.


    A lion. A tiger. They trailed behind a gutted beastmaster.


    A juggler, tossing bottles in eerie repetition¡­


    The nightmarish circus drifted into the distance.


    Rudolf gestured for Ivonna to put him down.


    "Ivonna, go now. If the Rank-2 werewolf is really dying¡­ this could be your chance."

 Shared Energy Contract

    Rudolph showed Yvonne the image inside his pocket watch and pointed at the besieged Level 2 werewolf. ¡°Yvonne, find the right moment and go.¡±


    Yvonne leaned in closer to Rudolph, curiously peering at the crystal in the pocket watch. The image inside constantly shifted¡ªsometimes it offered a high-altitude view of the forest, while at other times, it looked down from the treetops. But most importantly, it provided a clear view of the battlefield not far away.


    The Level 2 werewolf was gravely injured and on the verge of death. The Level 1 werewolves were relentlessly attacking it. Since the knight had failed to behead the Level 2 werewolf, it was only a matter of time before it recovered, so the Level 1 werewolves were striking with all their might. One by one, they were being torn apart by the stronger werewolf.


    During the battle, the knight¡¯s three children had attempted to avenge their father, but since the Guardian Chain had drained their strength along with the cavalry¡¯s, they were too weak to even break through the surrounding wolf thralls. The weakened cavalry could no longer put up a fight¡ªone after another, they fell. Had the knight still been alive, he could have used the Guardian Chain to redistribute power among his troops. In battle, it was common practice to channel power into the senior knight when a breakthrough was needed and to spread it back to the cavalry when a brawl ensued. But now, Sir Jacques was dead, taking all their strength with him.


    One after another, Jennifer¡¯s two younger brothers were bitten to death by the werewolves. It all happened quickly¡ªuntil Cooper arrived.


    With a mere gesture, the corpses of the fallen Level 1 werewolves and Jennifer¡¯s two brothers rose from the ground. Along with the three Level 1 werewolves Cooper had brought with him, he became the decisive force on the battlefield. As long as there were enough corpses, a necromancer¡¯s power was terrifying.


    Rudolph grew anxious. ¡°Go now, Yvonne! If you wait any longer, you won¡¯t even get a taste of the spoils!¡±


    Through his spirit crystal¡¯s vision, Rudolph could see the Level 2 werewolf was about to perish, especially under Cooper¡¯s relentless assault.


    Instead of abandoning Rudolph, Yvonne carried him to the edge of the battlefield.


    ¡°Yvonne, shift into your werewolf form right away! Don¡¯t let them see who you really are. Hurry! The Level 2 werewolf is dying!¡±


    Yvonne also saw the dying werewolf, but she still took the time to remove her coat, pants, and shoes before shifting.


    Rudolph was exasperated¡ªwomen were such a hassle.


    Once undressed, Yvonne transformed. A white wolf darted out of the forest, racing toward the heart of the battle.


    The Level 2 werewolf had already lost its ears, which had been bitten off by Cooper¡¯s undead werewolves. Its shoulders and limbs were covered in wounds. But just as the white wolf lunged, it seized the werewolf¡¯s throat before Cooper¡¯s minions could get there.


    Strangely, Cooper made no move against the white wolf.


    A barn owl perched on the undead beast tamer¡¯s shoulder¡ªCooper recognized this owl. It had guided him here, helping him scavenge many fresh corpses. Though he didn¡¯t recognize the white wolf, the owl¡¯s presence told him that the meddlesome policeman was once again involved.


    Cooper might have called Rudolph annoying, but he knew the man had never harbored ill intentions toward them. In fact, Cooper owed his life to him.


    Blood gushed from the fatal wound, and the white wolf completely drained the Level 2 werewolf of its life.


    In that moment, the white wolf ascended to a Level 2 werewolf.


    Its form grew more imposing¡ªbroader shoulders, thicker forelimbs, and short, powerful claw blades. Fortunately, Yvonne still returned to her normal, sixteen-year-old self after transforming back; Rudolph had no desire for her to become some kind of muscular werewolf girl.


    Scattered across the battlefield, a few lucky survivors¡ªwhether werewolves or knights¡ªlay groaning in pain. For the werewolves, Cooper simply ordered his undead werewolves to finish them off, adding them to his collection.


    Jennifer lifted her head with difficulty, staring at the scene before her¡ªa hellish nightmare of cold brutality.


    Her father was dead.


    Her brothers were dead.


    The knights¡ªevery last one of them¡ªwere dead.


    Even her brothers, now lifeless knights-in-training, staggered to their feet under Cooper¡¯s control, joining his collection of undead minions.


    After Cooper finished clearing the battlefield, he and the white wolf disappeared into the forest, vanishing from Jennifer¡¯s sight.


    The chilling wind carried the stench of blood¡ªher father¡¯s blood, her family¡¯s blood, the blood of Castle Jacques.


    Jennifer wanted to cry, but no tears would come.


    She was going to die¡ªslowly, from blood loss.


    ¡ª


    Deep within the forest, a division of spoils was underway.


    Rudolph sat at the base of a tree, unable to move due to his broken leg.


    The white wolf wanted to retrieve her clothes, but Rudolph was too fascinated, running his fingers through her fur and showering her with compliments.


    ¡°Yvonne, you¡¯re the chosen wolf-girl! In such a short time, you¡¯ve already become a Level 2 werewolf!¡±


    Yvonne¡¯s eyes held a lingering sadness. Unconsciously, she leaned closer to Rudolph.


    Realizing he had touched on a painful subject, Rudolph felt a bit guilty. She needed time to heal, to forget the pain. Gently, he patted her head. ¡°Go change your clothes.¡±


    The white wolf stood up, grabbed her garments, and went behind a tree to shift back and dress.


    Meanwhile, Rudolph turned to Cooper. Two wolf thralls were carrying the corpse of the Level 2 werewolf¡ªthe claw blades were particularly striking.


    Rudolph asked, puzzled, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you using the Level 2 werewolf?¡±


    Cooper, his face still painted with glowing clown makeup, replied flatly, ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m only a Level 1 necromancer.¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Rudolph pointed to his broken leg. ¡°I saw you collecting werewolf saliva earlier. Given our relationship, don¡¯t you think you could spare me some? Broken legs hurt, you know.¡±


    One of the werewolves handed him a vial of werewolf saliva. Without hesitation, Rudolph began crafting a werewolf toxin potion right in front of Cooper.


    He had long been keeping aconite in his collection. Crushing the plant, he mixed it with the werewolf saliva before refining it with his stellar energy.


    Cooper asked, ¡°Are you a druid?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then how can you control an owl and make werewolf toxin potions?¡±


    ¡°Secret.¡±


    Cooper didn¡¯t press further. Instead, after a moment of thought, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal.¡±


    Intrigued, Rudolph looked up. ¡°What kind of deal?¡±


    ¡°You be my middleman. You sell the spoils I gather in the wild once we reach the city.¡±


    Rudolph looked at him, incredulous. ¡°Are you high on that glowing paint of yours? Do you realize what you¡¯re asking? I¡¯m a police officer! A fully authorized patrolman of Lyman Town! How could I possibly act as a fence for a necromancer?¡±


    ¡°Seventy-thirty split.¡±


    Rudolph paused for a moment, then smirked. ¡°That¡¯s not fair to you. How about sixty-forty? You take forty.¡±


    Cooper stared at him in shock, unable to believe what he had just heard.


    Yvonne finished dressing and emerged from behind the tree trunk. She had overheard Rudolf and Cooper¡¯s conversation but didn¡¯t care about such matters. Squatting down, she watched as the color of the wolf toxin potion gradually changed. Once it completely transitioned from the yellow of the wolf saliva to a light green, it would be ready for consumption.


    ¡°Hateful patrolman, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m giving you 40%,¡± Cooper grumbled.


    ¡°Clown Cooper, you¡¯re a living corpse. You can¡¯t even enter the city. What do you need money for?¡± Rudolf asked.


    ¡°I need to buy corpse preservation potions. Those are expensive,¡± Cooper said, pointing at the corpse of the second-tier werewolf. The body was riddled with wounds, but he seemed helpless about it. He was merely a first-tier living corpse¡ªacquiring a second-tier Apostle¡¯s body had been pure luck and courage, but the awkward truth was that he couldn¡¯t use it.


    ¡°Corpse preservation potions? You mean preservatives? You can¡¯t even buy them yourself; you need me to do it for you. Buying potions for a living corpse in the city is dangerous business.¡±


    Cooper couldn¡¯t always control so many Apostle corpses¡ªit would drain his power as a living corpse. Inevitably, some bodies would be left idle, rotting like ordinary corpses. Rudolf glanced at Cooper¡¯s growing collection¡ªmany of them were already showing signs of decay. He instantly understood Cooper¡¯s dilemma.


    ¡°Buying you contraband is indeed risky. How about this? I¡¯ll take a step back. I won¡¯t take 70%, I won¡¯t even take 60%¡ªI¡¯ll settle for 50%. We split it evenly! That¡¯s fair, right?¡±


    After a moment of thought, Cooper nodded in agreement. ¡°Fine. Even split.¡±


    A wolf thrall¡¯s corpse stepped forward, presenting Cooper¡¯s collection to Rudolf¡ªa large jar of wolf saliva, with over thirty portions inside, a testament to Cooper¡¯s recent hunts. Rudolf happily accepted the jar. He then pointed at the second-tier werewolf¡¯s body.


    ¡°What about its relic? That could fetch a great price.¡±


    Cooper shook his head. ¡°A relic is the essence of an Apostle¡¯s corpse. Without it, I can¡¯t use the corpse¡¯s former abilities. I can¡¯t give you the second-tier werewolf¡¯s relic.¡±


    Rudolf could only drool over it, but he had no intention of robbing Cooper¡ªone must have integrity. Besides, as a first-tier sorcerer, he couldn¡¯t yet handle a second-tier relic.


    His gaze then fell upon the dead knight. Though the knight was lifeless, his expression remained as arrogant as ever.


    ¡°A bit of advice for you,¡± Rudolf said. ¡°Carrying werewolf corpses around isn¡¯t a huge issue, but be careful¡ªdon¡¯t let anyone see you using the knight¡¯s body. Fabro City belongs to the nobility and alchemists. You don¡¯t want to offend either of them directly.¡±


    Cooper considered Rudolf¡¯s words and agreed. He hesitated for a moment before ultimately releasing his control over the knight¡¯s two sons¡ªboth knight squires. Their bodies collapsed, devoid of any remaining usefulness. Unfortunately, knight squires didn¡¯t generate relics; they weren¡¯t true Apostles.


    After much internal struggle, Cooper decided to abandon the knight¡¯s body as well. Just as Rudolf had said, walking around with werewolf corpses would only provoke the werewolves. But if he controlled Jacques the Knight¡¯s corpse, the knight¡¯s lord¡ªbe it a baron or even a viscount¡ªwould soon take notice.


    With that, Jacques the Knight¡¯s corpse also fell, no longer under Cooper¡¯s control.


    Cooper picked up the knight¡¯s broad sword, the knight¡¯s relic, and handed it to Rudolf.


    However, Rudolf hesitated. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee I¡¯ll be able to sell this¡­ If the nobles discover a knight¡¯s relic in the black market, they¡¯ll go to great lengths to investigate. It¡¯s an insult to noble honor.¡±


    Selling wolf saliva was one thing¡ªno one cared how much he sold. But selling a knight¡¯s relic? That was practically asking for death.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how to handle this relic, do you? Let me help you,¡± Rudolf said.


    He took the knight¡¯s broad sword.


    At that moment, Cooper had a creeping suspicion that he¡¯d been tricked. The annoying patrolman had framed everything as if it was for his own good, yet somehow, he was the one losing out.


    Cooper didn¡¯t even see how Rudolf did it, but in an instant, the knight¡¯s broad sword vanished from his hands.


    In Rudolf¡¯s mind, a meteor streaked across the sky, crashing into the Scorpio constellation. Among the constellation¡¯s bright stars, the fourth one from the tail¡ªTheta Scorpii¡ªwas struck and reignited, becoming a shining star once more.


    Scorpio 4/14 achieved.


    From the impact, three floating stars descended. Rudolf examined his rewards:


    <ul>


    <li>The blueprint for crafting a first-tier knight¡¯s sword.</li>


    <li>The blueprint for crafting first-tier knight¡¯s armor.</li>


    <li>A first-tier stamina-sharing contract.</li>


    </ul>


    The knight¡¯s sword was of little use¡ªRudolf had plenty of offensive methods, and using a knight¡¯s sword as a sorcerer was a quick way to die. The knight¡¯s armor was somewhat useful, but its protection was mediocre¡ªit wouldn¡¯t save him against a second-tier Apostle.


    However, the stamina-sharing contract caught his attention. His physical constitution was currently his greatest weakness.


    Without hesitation, Rudolf chose the first-tier stamina-sharing contract.


    Now, who should he share stamina with?


    At that moment, the wolf toxin potion was finally ready. Yvonne brought it to Rudolf¡¯s lips.


    After drinking it, a tingling sensation spread through his broken leg¡ªhis fractured bones were mending. The bite wounds on his arms also healed at a visible rate.


    After resting briefly, Rudolf wobbled to his feet. His long-term injury had left him weak.


    He turned toward the second-tier werewolf¡¯s body.


    Cooper stepped in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m still just a first-tier living corpse. When I become a second-tier living corpse, this second-tier werewolf will be very useful to me. I won¡¯t give it to you.¡±


    ¡°Come on, do I look like the kind of guy who¡¯d covet your second-tier werewolf?¡± Rudolf wiped the corner of his mouth awkwardly. ¡°Since I¡¯m your white glove, that makes you my black glove. We¡¯re steadfast allies now. I¡¯ve decided to give you a little gift.¡±


    He raised a hand, and the second-tier werewolf, previously being carried by two wolf thralls, suddenly twisted its waist, shook off its carriers, and landed on the ground.


    Such agility! Rudolf couldn¡¯t help but be even more envious.


    The second-tier werewolf¡¯s corpse came back to life!


    For the first time, the stiff smile on Cooper¡¯s face faltered, replaced by startled panic. It was clear now¡ªRudolf was the one in control.


    Cooper stared at him in shock. ¡°What are you? A druid or a living corpse?¡±


    If he wasn¡¯t a druid, how could he control an owl? If he wasn¡¯t a living corpse, how could he control a second-tier werewolf¡¯s body?


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat the details. Who I am isn¡¯t important. Want me to heal your second-tier werewolf¡¯s injuries? If you don¡¯t, those wounds will start rotting in a few days, and you won¡¯t find a preservation potion anytime soon.¡±


    Rudolf channeled his star power, and the second-tier werewolf¡¯s wounds rapidly healed.


    Cooper continued to puzzle over it, believing he was getting closer to the truth. ¡°Are you a druid with a living corpse sorcerer¡¯s artifact? Or a living corpse with a druid¡¯s artifact?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking too small¡­ And why do your guesses keep getting more sinister? I am who I am¡ªthe embodiment of justice, the messenger of light, the guardian of Leman Town¡­ Patrolman Rudolf.¡±


    Cooper watched as the second-tier werewolf knelt before Rudolf, utterly unable to associate this scene with ¡°justice¡± or ¡°light.¡±


    Rudolf placed a hand on the werewolf¡¯s forehead, forging a stamina-sharing contract.


    Though he could only share one-quarter of the werewolf¡¯s stamina, it still doubled his strength. His muscles tightened, his speed increased¡ªbut wasting three-quarters of its power pained him greatly.


    Still, to his surprise, the contract seemed to alleviate the stiffness caused by using the Tooth of the Living Corpse.


    The second-tier werewolf returned to Cooper¡¯s side and became a corpse once more.


    ¡°See? I never intended to take it from you. I even fixed it for you. Time for us to go, Cooper. Good luck surviving the wilderness.¡±


    As Rudolf and Yvonne departed, Cooper stood frozen, staring at his second-tier werewolf.


    His white glove¡­ seemed stronger than him.

 Ms. Jennifer

    Rudolph walked toward the site of the recent battle. According to the images transmitted from the spirit beast crystal, there might still be survivors. The ground was littered with the corpses of cavalry and horses. The werewolf saliva from the Level 1 werewolves had already been collected by Cooper¡ªthere was nothing left.


    Rudolph checked the fallen cavalrymen but found no survivors. Yvonne turned one over and said, ¡°Captain, this woman is still alive.¡±


    Rudolph leaned in for a closer look¡ªsure enough, Jennifer was still breathing. Two cavalrymen had fought to the death to protect her.


    ¡°How can you refer to the esteemed Sir Jennifer as just ¡®this woman¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Captain, she¡¯s unconscious. She can¡¯t hear your flattery.¡±


    Rudolph glanced at Jennifer again¡ªshe was indeed unconscious. It was a little awkward.


    ¡°Then take her with us. See if any horses are still alive.¡±


    Yvonne found an injured horse, limping but still standing, and placed Jennifer on its back.


    Following the police department¡¯s liaison map, Rudolph led the way to the nearest Druid settlement.


    A female Druid approached as they neared the settlement. Seeing that they were patrol officers, she relaxed.


    Rudolph was a little disappointed by her conservative attire¡ªshe didn¡¯t even expose her waist. Most female Druids only wore breastbands, but this one, despite her youth, showed no respect for tradition.


    ¡°I am Alma of the Cuckoo Tribe. Patrol officers, what happened to you?¡±


    At this moment, both Rudolph and Yvonne were covered in dried blood, yet to be cleaned.


    ¡°Druid Alma, please take me to your elder. I have something important to discuss.¡±


    Rudolph then gestured toward Jennifer on the horse. ¡°And if you could provide some treatment for the future Sir Jennifer, that would be even better.¡±


    Alma quickly ran back toward her tribe.


    Before long, the tribe elder welcomed Rudolph¡¯s group into the Cuckoo Tribe.


    Life in the wilderness was harsh, so the police department and the various Druid tribes had a mutual defense agreement. The Druids took Rudolph¡¯s identity seriously.


    Once away from the others, Rudolph and the elder observed from a distance as the Druids tended to Jennifer¡¯s injuries. They spoke in hushed tones.


    The Druid elder was in disbelief. ¡°Patrol Officer Rudolph, you¡¯re saying you encountered another Level 2 werewolf?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The news was grim. The elder took a long moment to process it. The possibility of migration even crossed his mind.


    ¡°And Jacques, the knight of Leimang Town, died in battle because of this?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Rudolph nodded. ¡°That woman is his successor.¡±


    The elder¡¯s expression darkened. A Level 2 werewolf was a serious threat. As a Level 2 Druid himself, he wasn¡¯t confident he could handle it. If even a knight had fallen, the Cuckoo Tribe had no chance against such a foe.


    Seeing the elder¡¯s face shift from red to pale, Rudolph asked, ¡°Are you worried about the Level 2 werewolf?¡±


    ¡°Worried? Very much so...¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Rudolph reassured him. ¡°That Level 2 werewolf was killed.¡±


    ¡°Killed?¡± The elder¡¯s expression lit up with hope. ¡°Truly?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain. The knight put up a good fight. However...¡±


    Rudolph¡¯s tone grew serious. ¡°I must warn you¡ªif we¡¯ve already encountered the first and second Level 2 werewolves, there could be a third, a fourth... We don¡¯t know why, but the number of werewolves in the area is rising.¡±


    The elder¡¯s brief hope faded again. The surroundings of Leimang Town were becoming increasingly dangerous.


    ¡°Does the police department have a plan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll report to Chief Claude as soon as I return. As for further actions, you should write to him for instructions.¡±


    The elder¡¯s voice was heavy. ¡°I hope the department can investigate why werewolves are suddenly appearing in such numbers. This isn¡¯t traditionally werewolf territory.¡±


    Rudolph had no answers.


    Just then, Jennifer seemed to wake up. The Druids around her scrambled in response.


    Rudolph approached and found her fully conscious.


    ¡°Undead! There was an undead! The undead killed the Level 2 werewolf!¡±


    Jennifer¡¯s nerves were shattered. As soon as she awoke, she screamed in panic, clearly traumatized by the battle. She believed even the white wolf was another of the undead¡¯s trophies.


    The Druid elder¡¯s mood darkened further. Now there was an undead roaming the area¡ªone powerful enough to slay a Level 2 werewolf.


    Rudolph still had to visit another Druid settlement, so after ensuring Jennifer was stable, he prepared to leave.


    The Cuckoo Tribe generously provided fresh horses, and it seemed Alma had been given a task by her elder¡ªto accompany Rudolph¡¯s team to the other settlements.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    They also treated Jennifer with a wolf venom antidote, ensuring she had no lingering physical wounds. However, she remained grief-stricken.


    In a single night, the strongest force in the knight¡¯s castle had been wiped out by werewolves. It was only thanks to the desperate sacrifice of two knights who admired her that she had survived.


    At some point, Jennifer suddenly burst into tears on horseback.


    The other three¡ªRudolph, Yvonne, and Alma¡ªwere at a loss for words. In times like this, nothing anyone said would make it better.


    Just as he had done when Yvonne had been at her lowest, Rudolph knew that sometimes, the best thing to do was simply to stay close.


    Jennifer wept for a while before falling silent. She wiped her tears and asked, ¡°Patrol Officer Rudolph, what¡¯s our next move?¡±


    This time, she spoke with much more courtesy.


    ¡°I plan to inform all the Druid tribes, warning them about the potential emergence of more Level 2 werewolves.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is necessary.¡± A newfound determination appeared in Jennifer¡¯s gaze.


    Alma spoke up, ¡°I intend to visit the other Druid tribes and see if any are willing to temporarily unite against the werewolves.¡±


    Jennifer nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. The knight¡¯s castle owns the largest farms in Leimang Town, employing over fifteen Druids from various tribes. I can act as a mediator to help bring them together.¡±


    She then turned to Rudolph. ¡°Patrol Officer Rudolph, you chose the perfect moment to retreat during the battle. I don¡¯t blame you¡ªit was our decision to initiate that fight. This wasn¡¯t your responsibility. In fact, I should thank you. If you hadn¡¯t returned to save me, I would be dead now. Thank you, Patrol Officer Rudolph.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Jennifer... Sir Jennifer.¡±


    Hearing herself addressed as a knight, Jennifer straightened slightly, as though drawing strength from the title.


    The group soon arrived at the second Druid tribe they encountered, known as the Bison Tribe. Compared to the Cuckoo Tribe, the Bison Tribe had a much wilder atmosphere. When Rudolf entered the Bison Tribe, they were in the midst of a wrestling-like strength competition.


    The elder of the Bison Tribe sat on a tree stump, watching the match. With the increasing number of werewolves, the tribe was also looking for ways to strengthen itself¡ªat the very least, they wanted to make their young warriors more enthusiastic.


    The elder noticed Rudolf¡¯s group approaching and found their composition rather strange¡ªa pair of patrol officers, a knight, and a Druid. The surroundings were noisy due to the ongoing competition, so Rudolf leaned closer to the elder and spoke, "Elder, I bring unfortunate news. The ones who occupied the former Elk Tribe¡¯s territory are werewolves, led by a Rank 2 werewolf."


    "Another Rank 2 werewolf?" The Bison Tribe''s elder was visibly shocked. He himself was only a Rank 2 Druid, and he wasn¡¯t confident he could defeat a Rank 2 werewolf. The news was hard for him to digest. "How long has it been since a Rank 2 werewolf last appeared in Leimeng Town? As far back as I can remember, we¡¯ve only ever encountered Rank 1 werewolves. And now, in such a short time, we¡¯ve already seen two Rank 2 werewolves?"


    "I hope you can make preparations as soon as possible. As for the next steps, I suggest consulting our sheriff, Claude." Having delivered his message, Rudolf was ready to leave.


    However, Elma had more to say. "Elder, I bring a letter from the elder of the Cuckoo Tribe. I hope you will seriously consider it. Our two tribes, and even more tribes beyond, should unite."


    The Bison elder had already received too much information at once and couldn¡¯t make an immediate decision. Elma, feeling impatient, unfolded the letter herself and held it up in front of the elder.


    The elder glanced at the letter briefly. It only outlined general intentions without providing concrete details. Standing beside him, a tall Druid spoke up in disapproval. "Every Druid tribe has its own territory, and those borders have remained unchanged for decades, even centuries. A tribal alliance? How would that work? Who would lead it? How would the land¡¯s resources be distributed? There are too many unresolved issues¡ªit¡¯s not something we can agree on with just a few words."


    Rudolf thought he had a point. It made sense that the Bison Druids would be skeptical. This tall Druid clearly didn¡¯t think much of the Cuckoo Tribe¡¯s strength.


    The Bison Tribe had as many as three Rank 2 Druids, including the tall young man who had just spoken, who was himself a Rank 2 Druid¡ªan undeniably powerful figure. In contrast, the Cuckoo Tribe only had their elder as a Rank 2 Druid. That was why they were much more desperate.


    "Druids of the same totemic lineage cannot marry within their own tribe," Elma argued. "For generations, the Bison Tribe and the Cuckoo Tribe have intermarried. Uchaar, in times of life and death, does territorial division really matter that much?"


    The tall Druid, Uchaar, was likely even distantly related to Elma. This was a strict rule that Druid tribes had developed over thousands of years¡ªthose who followed the same totem could not marry among themselves. If they did, the resulting offspring would be increasingly deformed.


    Because of this, neighboring Druid tribes were often much more connected than they appeared to be. They might fight bitterly over territorial boundaries, yet when they sent their daughters off in marriage, they would weep with heartfelt sorrow.


    Uchaar only said, "We should investigate the situation first before making any decisions."


    Rudolf didn¡¯t say much. If Jennifer weren¡¯t here, he might have used the dead knight to scare the Druids, forcing them to act under pressure. But with Jennifer present, he decided against it.


    Jennifer now stepped forward and addressed the Bison elder. "Elder, what Rudolf says is true. My father, Sir Jacques, has fallen in battle."


    The Druids of the Bison Tribe were stunned. Sir Jacques was a major figure in the town, and now he was dead?


    "Moreover," Jennifer continued, "a necromancer took my father¡¯s body, along with the bodies of my two brothers. He also took the corpse of a Rank 2 werewolf. That necromancer is incredibly powerful and terrifying. He commands no fewer than seven Rank 1 apostle corpses, and now he has a Rank 2 werewolf¡¯s body as well."


    Rudolf agreed with this assessment. The necromancer Cooper was extremely powerful¡ªhe was essentially a one-man army.


    The Bison elder finally grasped the reality of the situation. The wilderness had become far more dangerous than before. Frowning, he said, "I understand. I will send invitations to all the Druid tribes. The Druids must unite."


    Elma let out a breath of relief. She prepared to return to the Cuckoo Tribe, while Rudolf and his group could move on. They no longer needed to notify each Druid tribe one by one¡ªthis task would now be handled by the Bison Tribe.


    The three of them headed straight for Leimeng Town. None of them spoke along the way. Ivonne wasn¡¯t much of a talker, Rudolf was lost in thought, and Jennifer simply wasn¡¯t in the mood.


    Upon returning to the precinct, they immediately went to the sheriff¡¯s office. Sheriff Claude, upon hearing the news of Sir Jacques'' death, was so shocked that he sprang to his feet.


    He vividly remembered his recent conversation with the knight. Sir Jacques had planned to use the werewolf attacks as an opportunity to break through to become a Rank 2 knight. But instead of advancing, he had perished.


    After a few moments, Sheriff Claude finally spoke. "Rudolf, take Sir Jennifer back to the castle. I will report this to the Fabro City police headquarters and send someone to inform the baron. My condolences, Sir Jennifer."


    Jennifer did not refuse the sheriff¡¯s offer of an escort. The three of them continued on toward the knight¡¯s castle.


    As they stood outside the castle, Rudolf was about to take his leave, but Jennifer stopped him.


    "Rudolf, I¡¯d like to invite you inside for a while. I imagine you must be exhausted."


    Rudolf was taken aback by the invitation but did not refuse. "Of course. Thank you for your hospitality."


    Entering the knight¡¯s castle, Rudolf couldn¡¯t help but marvel at Sir Jacques'' immense wealth. The castle was the grandest building in Leimeng Town, surrounded by the town¡¯s largest farmland.


    Before the Alchemist Council had taken power, all land belonged to the nobility. Even now, although the king had been forced to appoint an alchemist as prime minister, the nobility remained the wealthiest and most powerful people in their respective regions.


    The castle was not just home to Sir Jacques and his family¡ªit also housed knights, servants, and others, making it quite crowded.


    As Jennifer entered the castle alone, her expression full of grief, the people inside began to suspect that something terrible had happened.

 Knights Sword

    Soon, a crowd gathered, eager to ask Jennifer what had happened. Naturally, Rudolph did not interfere in the affairs of the castle. Jennifer instructed a maid to lead the way, and Rudolph and Yvonne followed her into the knight''s study.


    It was a spacious room, about 30 square meters in size. A heavy wooden desk stood in the center, while a set of sofas was placed by the window. Three rows of bookshelves lined the walls, filled with books of varying thickness.


    The maid said, "Please wait here. Miss Jennifer will return shortly."


    "Alright," Rudolph replied, then asked, "May I look at these books?"


    The maid nodded. "Of course. Sir Jacques often boasted about his collection to guests. You are free to browse them."


    She then left the study, returning soon after with tea for Rudolph and Yvonne.


    From outside, the deep, heavy chimes of the castle¡¯s bell echoed¡ªa sound reserved for major announcements. One toll after another rang through the air, casting a somber atmosphere over the estate. The people of the castle, upon hearing the continuous chimes, gathered in the courtyard.


    Rudolph stood by the window for a while, observing the unfolding events. Jennifer stood on a raised platform, waiting for everyone to assemble. It was a moment of grief¡ªnot only had Jennifer¡¯s father and brothers perished, but all the knights who had accompanied them had also fallen in battle. These knights were local recruits, men who had little hope of becoming squires. They had expected to serve under the knight until retirement, after which they would live as farmers or stewards on his land.


    With the steward by her side, Jennifer solemnly announced the tragic news. The knights had families, and soon, the courtyard was filled with cries of sorrow.


    Rudolph admired Jennifer¡¯s courage. Compared to dying in battle against werewolves, facing the grieving families of the fallen required even greater bravery. Yvonne, unable to bear witnessing such a scene, kept her head lowered, focusing on the steam rising from her tea.


    As the arrangements for compensation would take time, Rudolph had no interest in watching further. He walked over to the bookshelves, looking for something to pass the time.


    One book¡¯s spine immediately caught his attention¡ª"An Overview of Heretical Apostles." He took it from the shelf.


    The title alone was quite ambitious. Upon opening it, Rudolph found that it truly was just an overview¡ªvery brief and lacking depth. Surprisingly, it was written on parchment, which suggested its age. Given the thickness of parchment, the book couldn''t contain much information, and its ancient nature hinted that it had been written long ago.


    Rudolph skimmed through it. Each type of heretical apostle was described in just one or two pages, providing little useful information. This book was merely part of the knight¡¯s public collection and wouldn¡¯t contain any truly classified knowledge.


    As he turned the pages, he noticed that the book started with knights, broadly introducing the abilities of twelve types of apostles. The first chapter was dedicated to knights.


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    From the tone of the text, Rudolph guessed that this book had been written by one of Jennifer¡¯s ancestors. The author had slipped in quite a bit of personal opinion alongside factual descriptions. In fact, a full five pages of precious parchment were dedicated solely to praising knights:


    "Every swing of a knight¡¯s sword is a step toward perfecting the physique."


    "Every knightly code exists to showcase the nobility and chivalry of knights."


    "Every gaze of a knight is meant to let ladies feel their grace and elegance."


    The book was clearly very old. It even expressed concerns about alchemists, stating that, in the author¡¯s time, alchemists boldly declared their pursuit of truth, walking fearlessly to the stake. This ideology baffled and frightened nobles and knights alike.


    Rudolph raised an eyebrow¡ªhe had finally reached the section on wizards.


    "From the very moment of their existence, wizards have been linked to the most wicked of words. Just look at what they study!"


    "Thirty-six possible locations where knights may develop relics¡­"


    "Whether the Knight¡¯s Sword is the most powerful wizard artifact for a knight¡­"


    "Notorious, despised by all¡ªwizards must die!"


    "Every vile curse should be placed upon wizards, for they deserve nothing less."


    Throughout history, countless punishments had been devised for dealing with wizards¡ªburnings, needle tests, cold-water trials. Wizards were cunning, constantly disguising themselves as ordinary people or even as other apostles, hiding among society. This deception led to the rise of "witch hunters," a profession requiring vast experience.


    Yet, human nature is wretched.


    Shockingly, wizards always managed to find those who craved their dark arts. Even among apostles, there were traitors¡ªpeople who harbored wizards. The magical artifacts created by wizards were highly sought after, either for power or survival. For some influential figures, this made wizards invaluable.


    "Curse those high-ranking figures who secretly raise wizards! The best fate for them is to be turned into magical artifacts by their own wizards. In fact, this has happened more than once."


    "If a king suddenly vanishes, there¡¯s no need for speculation¡ªnine times out of ten, he has been turned into a crown or a so-called ¡®Royal Sword¡¯ by his wizard."


    "How many Royal Swords exist in this world? At least six that I have heard of. Each one holds the remains of a different king¡ªisn¡¯t that ironic?"


    Rudolph was stunned¡ªso wizards had such a method of survival? Becoming magical artifact makers for the elite?


    Thinking about it, it wasn¡¯t surprising. Powerful figures would indeed have such needs. Still, Rudolph decided it was best never to be captured by such a "great figure." If a wizard was too skilled, they might turn their employer into an artifact. If they weren¡¯t skilled enough, their employer would skin them alive and burn them at the stake.


    "I hope my descendants will be wary of wizards. In their lands, all wizards must be eradicated."


    "My grandfather¡¯s cousin¡¯s son-in-law¡¯s brother¡¯s family was once the greatest knightly house in Fabbro City. That family produced nine knights, two second-tier knights, and one third-tier knight. Yet, despite their prestige, they were completely wiped out by a single wizard overnight."


    "I have seen the ruins of their castle¡ªevery crack in the stone walls ran with the noble blood of knights. Back then, the black market in Fabbro was flooded with knightly swords, all thanks to that wizard."


    "Can you imagine? The sacred first-tier knight swords were being sold for the price of a dozen vials of wolfsbane poison. Such disrespect!"


    "Even worse, second-tier knight swords didn¡¯t drop in price at all. That damn wizard must have been targeting me! I had to borrow a great deal of money just to buy one second-tier knight sword. As for the third-tier knight sword¡ªwho knows who bought it?"


    "That said, wielding a knight sword truly brings a staggering boost in power."


    Rudolph pondered for a moment. It seemed that Jennifer¡¯s family¡¯s second-tier knight sword had likely been lost over time. Otherwise, Sir Jacques wouldn¡¯t have died so easily.

 I have a dream

    Rudolph continued reading An Overview of the Heretical Apostles.


    "When a person is born, the position of the sun determines their zodiac sign. For ordinary people, their sign has little significance unless they consult a Wordcaster for divination. However, for a sorcerer, the zodiac is crucial. Sorcerer apprentices perform secretive rituals during their zodiac month to learn a specific spell of their sign. This zodiac sign is known as their Awakening Sign, and their future abilities are closely tied to the first spell they acquire.


    The spells of a single zodiac sign are not particularly powerful, which is why sorcerer apprentices pose little threat. Some can light candles, others can brew poisons, some cause fevers and chills, while a few can scatter a blinding white powder."


    Rudolph¡¯s Awakening Sign was Scorpio, and the first spell he learned was "Venom." Indeed, sorcerer apprentices were quite weak in battle. In a way, it was almost laughable¡ªhis strongest sorcery technique so far was poisoning werewolves with his own blood.


    "The Aries Month marks the beginning of the year. Ptolemy, the most fearsome Aries sorcerer, was also said to be the very first sorcerer. He instigated five major sorcerer uprisings throughout history. During these revolts, sorcerers ran rampant, openly hunting other apostles and forging them into artifacts. It was a savage era.


    With every rebellion, the sorcerers grew stronger by crafting more artifacts, which in turn made them more relentless in their hunts. During the fifth uprising, it was said that Ptolemy perished at the hands of several powerful figures. Later, rumors surfaced that he had actually escaped and was hiding somewhere. Just thinking about it is terrifying¡ªif Ptolemy were still alive, I doubt the kings of this world would be able to sleep at night.


    But I digress¡­ Ptolemy divided the twelve zodiac signs into four elements:


    <ul>


    <li>Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius</li>


    <li>Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces</li>


    <li>Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius</li>


    <li>Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn</li>


    </ul>


    Each sign has one or more spells associated with it. Based on the number of spells learned, first-level sorcerers are classified as either Single-Star Sorcerers or Double-Star Sorcerers.


    When a first-level sorcerer masters all three spells of a single element, they become a Single-Element Sorcerer, which qualifies them for promotion to the second level.


    Second-level sorcerers begin learning the three spells of a second elemental group and are classified as Single-Star, Double-Star, or Triple-Star Sorcerers. Upon mastering six zodiac spells, they become Dual-Element Sorcerers, an incredibly fearsome rank. The ability to combine spells from two different elements makes their sorcery unpredictable and nearly impossible to counter.


    A fourth-level sorcerer who has mastered all twelve zodiac spells¡­ Oh, heavens above, noble ancestors! Before a Four-Element Sorcerer, wielding the powers of twelve different spells, all apostles are nothing more than raw materials for artifacts. There is no escape.


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    As for sorcerers beyond the fourth level, I have heard many conflicting accounts. I have no idea what their true nature might be."


    The book provided no further details about sorcerers beyond this point, as the subject was clearly beyond the author¡¯s knowledge.


    Rudolph finally understood his current standing¡ªhe was a First-Level Single-Star Sorcerer. Having awakened as a Scorpio Sorcerer, he needed to learn the spells of all three Water Signs during his first level. He had already mastered the spells of Scorpio and Pisces, leaving only Cancer. However, the Cancer month was still three months away¡ªit was now only April. He would have to wait until July before he could perform the necessary ritual to commune with the constellation¡¯s power.


    Although the book¡¯s description was vague, it was invaluable to someone like Rudolph, who had no mentor to guide him. At the very least, it provided him with a sense of direction.


    He returned the book to its place and walked back to the window.


    By now, people were leaving the castle courtyard, carrying their belongings on their backs. At the entrance, the castle steward distributed silver shields to each departing family. Their figures were steeped in sorrow¡ªtears fell, and every step was heavy with grief.


    Jennifer entered the study. Like Rudolph, she stood by the window.


    "I have given the families of the fallen cavalrymen enough compensation to support them, and I have sent them on their way. The castle needs new cavalry. A new cavalry squad must be formed."


    The castle had no room for idlers; its strength had to be restored as soon as possible.


    Jennifer turned to look at Rudolph. She found it remarkable how calm he remained in the castle despite everything that had happened.


    "Officer Rudolph, would you be interested in becoming the Captain of the Cavalry here at the castle?"


    This was the real reason she had kept him here. Just as Chief Inspector Claude valued Rudolph¡¯s abilities, so too did the apostles require capable ordinary men as subordinates. With Rudolph¡¯s experience in combatting apostles, he would be a rare and valuable asset.


    However, Rudolph shook his head.


    "Honorable Lady, though it may sound foolish, I have a dream. It may seem impractical for now, but I still wish to try. Your offer is generous, but I want to save up money and see if I can become an Alchemist¡¯s Assistant.


    Chief Inspector Claude is my idol. I dream of becoming a great alchemist like him one day."


    Jennifer remained expressionless at his rejection but simply asked, "May I ask how much you have saved so far?"


    Although she did not mean to, the question was somewhat humiliating.


    Rudolph awkwardly raised his hand. "Exactly five silver shields! And my dream¡­ is about 500 gold shields away."


    Jennifer couldn¡¯t help but pity him¡ªwhat a miserable man.


    "Officer Rudolph, my steward tells me that in the past few months, you have made quite a name for yourself in Leman Town. You frequent bathhouses and taverns, both of which are expensive habits.


    Come work for me. A Cavalry Captain¡¯s salary is generous."


    "Would that position allow me to become a Knight¡¯s Squire?"


    Jennifer was momentarily taken aback before shaking her head. She found the question a little ridiculous.


    "To become a Knight, one must possess the bloodline of the Twelve Round Table Knights. My family carries the blood of Sir Lamorak, one of the three strongest knights among them.


    As for you¡­ Rudolph, I believe you would make an excellent Cavalry Captain."


    "Apologies. I may only be a patrol officer, but I have a dream of becoming an Apostle!"


    Rudolph continued, "Farewell, Lady Jennifer. I wish you luck."


    With that, Rudolph bid Jennifer goodbye and prepared to leave.


    Ivonna had long since finished her tea and followed him out.


    Jennifer remained by the window, watching as Rudolph and Ivonna departed. She felt a deep sense of regret¡ªshe had truly wanted such an experienced cavalry captain.

 Encountering a pervert

    After leaving the castle, Rudolph first returned to the police station with Ivonna.


    At the station, he checked the police supply records and instructed his black-market contact, Cooper the Ghoul, to acquire embalming fluid as soon as possible. The police occasionally preserved corpses for investigative purposes, and their supplier for embalming fluid was, logically, the cemetery. After all, not every body was buried immediately¡ªsometimes, the living needed time to sort out inheritances before proceeding with the burial. Cemeteries also needed embalming fluid to accommodate such requests.


    Rudolph made his way to the cemetery and found Old Grey.


    ¡°Old Grey, do you still have embalming fluid?¡±


    Old Grey was wiping down a tombstone. Hearing Rudolph¡¯s question, he straightened up. ¡°The police station¡¯s monthly supply has already been delivered.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not for the station. I just returned from a farm¡ªthere was a werewolf attack. The farm owner asked me to get some embalming fluid for him. I need it fast, or his family won¡¯t be recognizable by the time it arrives.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Old Grey resumed wiping the tombstone. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll get you some in a bit.¡±


    After finishing his work, Old Grey went to his underground storeroom and brought out several barrels of embalming fluid.


    ¡°You¡­ probably don¡¯t need this much¡­¡±


    Old Grey insisted, ¡°You¡¯ll use it. With so many victims from a werewolf attack, there¡¯s always a need. If the farm owner doesn¡¯t use it all, he can sell the excess nearby.¡±


    ¡°Old Grey, you think of everything¡­¡±


    Rudolph loaded the embalming fluid onto a carriage and arranged for a trade caravan to deliver it to a designated location. From there, Cooper could steal it himself. Either way, even if the goods were ¡®lost,¡¯ Rudolph wouldn¡¯t be out of pocket for the transport fee.


    As he watched Rudolph leave, Old Grey felt uneasy.


    ¡°That boy¡­ I hope he doesn¡¯t get screwed over by that other one¡­ Their wits are leagues apart.¡±


    ###


    That night, with everything settled, Rudolph finally had some free time. He went alone to the bathhouse.


    He loved soaking in the water, especially in the late hours when there was no one around. His stored bottle of liquor sat by the poolside, and steam curled in the air¡ªit was his personal sanctuary.


    After washing away his fatigue, Rudolph prepared to leave. It was already past midnight.


    Standing at the bathhouse entrance, he felt the chill of the April night breeze. The alcohol in his system made his head swim slightly. Out of habit, he opened his pocket watch¡ªLeman Town was completely silent.


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    He walked through the midnight streets, alone again.


    At a street corner, a figure suddenly rushed out.


    Rudolph¡¯s drowsiness vanished instantly. His hand instinctively went to the revolver at his waist.


    But then, a familiar perfume scent reached his nose, and his tension eased.


    A lady? What was she doing in such a hurry at this hour? Was this the aftermath of a secret rendezvous, or an unsuccessful one?


    The perfume was distinctive¡­


    Rudolph¡¯s gaze lingered on her retreating figure. His mind felt hazy, but his feet followed her.


    Deep into the night, what urgent matter could a lady possibly have?


    After a dozen steps, he saw her turn into an alley.


    He reached the alley entrance and looked in.


    A pair of eyes met his gaze.


    What eyes¡­


    They were like those of a lover, standing in a bustling crowd, smiling tenderly at him, full of affection, as if he were the only person in the world.


    Rudolph¡¯s head grew heavier. His breathing quickened, especially after seeing those eyes.


    As if under a spell, he stepped into the alley.


    His figure vanished into the darkness.


    ###


    Dazed, Rudolph felt someone embracing him. Hands undid his clothing, and he couldn¡¯t help but respond in kind.


    He had no awareness of anything wrong¡ªuntil his hand brushed against something rough and bristly.


    Chest hair?


    Rudolph snapped awake.


    No. Something was wrong. Everything was wrong!


    Summoning his Star Force, he activated *Venom* and quickly identified the problem.


    The perfume.


    Without hesitation, he drew his gun and fired.


    Two cries echoed in the alley.


    First, the man in front of him¡ªrugged features, dressed in a long gown, black chest hair thick and coarse under the moonlight.


    Then, a second, sharper cry¡ªthere was a girl behind him.


    The bullet had struck the man¡¯s leg, soaking his dress in dark, spreading blood.


    Rudolph looked at his own clothes¡ªbuttons torn open.


    The burly man, still wearing a dress, wailed in agony, while the girl sobbed in fear.


    Rudolph was deeply frustrated.


    He had nearly lost his innocence to a cross-dressing man. *He* hadn¡¯t even cried¡ªwhy were these two bawling?


    He raised his gun. ¡°Shut up! One more sound, and I¡¯ll shoot again!¡±


    Pointing his weapon at the man, he demanded, ¡°Who are you? Why did you do this to me?¡±


    To his surprise, the man, despite his burly build, sounded utterly aggrieved.


    ¡°I was just drunk and heading home late! I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m here! I was gonna ask *you* the same thing! Why the hell did you shoot me?!¡±


    ¡°You tell me first¡ªwhy are you wearing a dress? And perfume?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m wearing a dress? I put on perfume?¡±


    The man was stunned. The pain in his leg was momentarily forgotten as he looked down at himself.


    Sure enough¡ªhe was in a dress. And he *did* smell of perfume.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m dressed like this! I don¡¯t know why I smell like this!¡±


    Clutching his leg, he wailed, ¡°Even if I *am* wearing a dress and perfume, why did you *shoot* me?! Do cross-dressers get shot now?! Do people who wear perfume get shot?!¡±


    Then, spotting Rudolph¡¯s uniform, his wailing turned into a plea.


    ¡°Somebody help! A patrol officer just shot a man in the street! Is there no justice?!¡±


    Rudolph was momentarily speechless.


    *I was the one who almost got assaulted¡ªhow did this turn into my fault?*


    Footsteps echoed outside.


    It was Sam, the rookie patrol officer. He had been nearby and rushed over after hearing the gunshot.


    ¡°Rookie Officer Sam, awaiting orders!¡±


    Seeing that it was his captain who fired, Sam raised his shotgun, ready to blast the cross-dresser on sight.


    A burly man in a dress, half-exposed with thick chest hair? Clearly no good!


    The man panicked further, no longer daring to scream.


    Rudolph ignored him and looked past him, focusing instead on the girl.


    The tenderness from her eyes was gone.


    Just moments ago, it was those same eyes that had drawn him in.


    Now, they were filled with disdain and defiance.


    Stepping out from behind the man, she kept silent, her expression unreadable.


    ¡°I suspect you of being a Heretical Apostle,¡± Rudolph declared. ¡°I advise you to cooperate.¡±


    At those words, Sam tensed immediately.


    Heretical Apostle?!


    He gripped his shotgun tightly, ready to fire at a moment¡¯s notice.

 Gods Chosen Apostle

    <hr>


    The mortality rate for trainee patrol officers wasn¡¯t low, and Sam had no intention of dying here. Why was Captain Rudolph so respected in the police station? Because he had survived multiple battles with Apostles and still remained in one piece!


    Sam¡¯s heart was in his throat. The oppressive aura of this cross-dressing, hairy-chested man was terrifying from every angle! As Sam stared at the bizarre figure, his eyes accidentally swept over the young girl standing beside him.


    The moment their eyes met, it was as if Sam saw his first love standing amidst a crowd, gazing at him with deep affection, her eyes filled with his reflection.


    Sam was lost.


    He lowered his shotgun. After a brief daze, he suddenly raised it again¡ªthis time, pointing it at Rudolph.


    Rudolph reacted instantly, delivering a swift kick that sent Sam¡¯s shotgun flying. Sam, shaken by the kick, shook his head and snapped back to reality¡ªhe had just pointed a gun at Captain Rudolph!


    Seeing the guilt on Sam¡¯s face, Rudolph knew instantly that the young girl was an Apostle. Without hesitation, he prepared to fire.


    Just then, a familiar voice rang out.


    "Rudolph! Sam! Calm down!"


    Emerging from the back door of a nearby residence was Chief Claude. He had just thrown on his shirt, his buttons still undone. As he walked, he fumbled to fasten them. Rudolph glanced at him and silently noted that, despite being in his thirties, the Chief still had an impressively toned abdomen.


    The strange young girl locked eyes with Chief Claude, launching an attack.


    Her method of attack? Simply staring at him.


    Chief Claude hesitated for only a fraction of a second before shaking off the effect.


    "Sam! Quickly, take this¡­ gentleman to get his wound treated. That must hurt like hell¡ªgood Lord, there¡¯s a hole straight through his leg."


    Chief Claude then asked, "Sam, you have your first-aid kit with you, right?"


    Patrolling officers always carried a first-aid kit. Sam quickly pulled his out and started tending to the wounded man on the ground. Lifting the hem of the man¡¯s dress, he discovered his leg was covered in thick, bristly hair, the blood clinging to it like glistening grapes.


    The injured man clearly recognized the Chief. "Chief Claude! Your officer just opened fire on me! I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m dressed like this, but shooting me was totally uncalled for!"


    "Ah¡­ well¡­" The Chief sighed sympathetically. "How did you end up in this state? Sam, give him some pain relief, then take him back to the station. All medical expenses, as well as compensation for lost wages and any damages, will be covered by the police department."


    Once Sam had finished treating the wound, he retrieved his horse and helped the injured man onto its back.


    "Chief, Captain, I¡¯ll head back to the station now."


    "Go on, go on."


    Only then did the Chief turn his attention to the young girl.


    Rudolph spoke up, "Chief, we¡¯ve got this month¡¯s offering. It¡¯s been werewolves for months¡ªtime for a change. Let¡¯s burn a Silver Serpent this time."


    The girl¡¯s face twisted in fear at the word "offering."


    There was no doubt¡ªRudolph was certain now. She could control people, charm them, especially men. That alone confirmed she was an Apostle¡ªa Silver Serpent.


    "Anira, get back home," Chief Claude said. "Just look at how dangerous it is out here. That fierce-looking officer is already thinking about making you a sacrifice!"


    Rudolph was momentarily stunned¡ªhe hadn¡¯t expected the Chief to use him as a scare tactic.


    "I¡¯m not going back! I refuse to go back!"


    Rudolph turned his head. From the door the Chief had emerged from, another figure appeared¡ªa woman.


    Draped in nothing but a thin silk nightgown, her full, curvaceous figure was impossible to conceal. The evening breeze pressed the fabric against her skin, accentuating every curve and hollow.


    Rudolph quickly recited a silent prayer for restraint. No matter how enchanting this woman was, she was still the Chief¡¯s lover.


    The woman first cast an apologetic glance at Chief Claude.


    His voice trembled slightly as he spoke, "Lady Jessica, what are you doing out here? I¡¯ll bring your daughter back inside right away."


    "I¡¯m not going back!" Anira shrieked.


    Jessica turned her gaze to Rudolph, who was already prepared. He averted his eyes immediately¡ªthis was the Chief¡¯s woman. Best to stay as far away as possible.


    Then, Anira started yelling.


    "Three times! Three whole times! I heard everything! This rental has the worst soundproofing¡ªI heard it all!"


    Rudolph cringed¡ªthis was beyond awkward.


    Jessica let out a soft cough, and Anira instantly fell silent.


    "Anira, let¡¯s go back inside."


    Rudolph¡¯s interest piqued. Jessica was clearly an Apostle as well¡ªone of a higher level than Anira. Just a few words, and she had complete control over the girl.


    Before stepping back inside, Lady Jessica turned back with a smile.


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    "We never even noticed that Anira had snuck out. Children don¡¯t understand these things¡ªI apologize if she¡¯s caused you any trouble. By the way, I¡¯d like to move to a new house tomorrow. Anira is right; the soundproofing here is terrible."


    Chief Claude hurriedly responded, "My dear lady, I¡¯ll accompany you around Leman Town tomorrow. You know how shady some of those real estate agents can be¡ªI wouldn¡¯t want you to be taken advantage of."


    Jessica¡¯s smile deepened. "That¡¯s exactly what I was hoping for, Mr. Claude. Please don¡¯t take too long¡ªI¡¯ll be waiting for you."


    With that, mother and daughter disappeared inside, leaving the door slightly ajar¡ªa silent invitation for the Chief.


    Rudolph reholstered his revolver and turned to Claude. "Chief, I¡¯ll keep this to myself. I won¡¯t say a word to Lady Betsy, Lady Fanny, Lady Mary, or¡­"


    "Stop!" Chief Claude cut him off. "The more names you list, the guiltier I feel. I¡¯ve been spending too much time with Lady Jessica¡ªI¡¯ve neglected the others. That¡¯s truly regrettable."


    "A few of them?"


    "Could be over a dozen¡­ but that¡¯s not the point. Rudolph¡­"


    The Chief¡¯s tone grew serious. "About Lady Jessica and her daughter¡­"


    "Silver Serpents?"


    Claude patted Rudolph¡¯s shoulder. "That¡¯s not what matters. Forget about the Silver Serpent thing. Lady Jessica is a woman who needs a man like me to comfort her."


    Rudolph nodded. "How could the Chief¡¯s lover possibly be an Apostle? But Chief¡­ I have to say¡ªthree times? That¡¯s a bit harsh. For a teenager like Anira, that¡¯s bound to have some psychological effects¡­"


    Chief Claude sighed. "Housing¡¯s been a nightmare lately. So many people moving into town from the farms¡ªit¡¯s hard to find a decent place. I really do need to get them a better home. Also, just to clarify¡­ three times was only before halftime. If you count the whole night, the number is much higher.


    "Young man, you still have a lot to learn."


    At noon the next day, Rudolf finally saw Chief Claude, who looked utterly exhausted. The chief walked with a slight hunch, clearly suffering from overexertion the previous night¡ªan ache in the lower abdomen that all men understood. That emptiness, that soreness, was unbearable.


    There were no documents on his desk¡ªonly several plates of... oysters.


    "Chief, weren''t you going strong in the first half? What happened? Lost steam in the full match?" Rudolf teased. "This is the first time I''ve seen you this weak. Looks like you were on the losing side last night."


    Chief Claude swallowed an oyster whole and scoffed, "Losing side? That''s not accurate. At the very least, it was an even match. What can I say? When you come across a professional, you have to admit defeat."


    "A professional? What kind of professional?" Rudolf was puzzled. The chief had always had good taste¡ªcould he have gone for that kind of ''professional'' this time?


    "No, no, not what you''re thinking," Claude quickly clarified. "I''m talking about the Silver Serpent. My God, Silver Serpents are too professional." His face held a look of nostalgia and satisfaction. "That maturity, that allure¡ªno man can resist it. Young girls just cry about the pain, but only a mature woman can fully harness the divine gift of her body."


    Allure... Rudolf recalled that when he unlocked his star chart, one of the reward options had been Night Enchantment. That ability likely applied specifically to Silver Serpents.


    "Chief, this is exactly what I wanted to ask about." Rudolf closed the office door. "Aren''t heretical Apostles supposed to be hunted down and sacrificed? Why are you so obsessed with a Silver Serpent? From what I know, Lady Betsy, Lady Fanny, and Lady Mary have all sent their maids here asking if you''ve gone on a business trip. Clearly, even with your extraordinary endurance, you can only handle Lady Jessica alone. Doesn''t that seem a little... off?"


    "I''ll deal with those ladies in a few days... or maybe ten days," Claude muttered. He knew he had to explain the matter of heretical Apostles clearly, or his trusted subordinates would start to have doubts. "Rudolf, the term ''heretical Apostle'' isn¡¯t something innate¡ªit''s a label, a definition."


    "A definition?" Rudolf was confused.


    "Yes. Back in the days when knights ruled the world¡ªabout two hundred years ago¡ª''heretical Apostles'' referred to all Apostles except knights. The Twelve Round Table Knights and their noble descendants ruled the land and sea with absolute power. Back then, alchemists were also hunted down by knights, forced into hiding. The propaganda of the time depicted them as sinister figures, lurking in basements, conducting terrifying and evil experiments. Just the constant explosions alone were enough to instill fear among the common folk.


    "But technology is a force that cannot be contained. When alchemists mastered gunpowder, their power grew exponentially. The great alchemist Bernhard believed that technology only had meaning if it was spread and used by people. Under his leadership, alchemists began arming ordinary people. For the first time, those common folk wielded weapons that could kill the powerful and wicked Apostles.


    "You know, that alchemical bullet you now see as ordinary¡ªissued weekly to patrol officers¡ªonce threw the whole world into chaos when it first appeared. With the explosive advancement of technology and the rise of empowered commoners, alchemists grew too strong for even kings to ignore. And just like that, one less kind of heretical Apostle, and one more kind of divine-chosen Apostle.


    "Knights and alchemists preferred city life, and their battles were mainly urban. Meanwhile, the Druids took advantage of the situation and flourished in the wilderness. Alchemists, needing another powerful faction to keep the knights in check, welcomed them. And so, another heretical Apostle group was reclassified as divine-chosen Apostles.


    "So, Rudolf, don''t be so surprised. Don''t blindly believe the propaganda¡ªthink for yourself. The Silver Serpents, without a doubt, are one of the least harmful heretical Apostles. Many nobles keep Silver Serpents as personal companions¡ªtreating them no differently than lovers. Only women can become Silver Serpents¡­ well, not only women¡ªsome exceptionally delicate men can too. Nobles keeping Silver Serpents is no different from keeping mistresses.


    "You¡¯re still young; you haven''t yet experienced the wonders of a Silver Serpent. But let me give you some advice¡ªnever be a simp for them. If you''re not in their league, they will play you to death. So, take what you can, and if you can¡¯t take anything¡ªrun."


    Rudolf was relieved he hadn''t chosen Night Enchantment back then. Otherwise, how would he have handled being ¡®delicate and tender¡¯ himself?


    "Simping is absolutely out of the question..." Rudolf finally understood. "To knights and alchemists, practical Apostles like Silver Serpents can be given subordinate status. There''s no need for unnecessary bloodshed."


    "More or less..."


    "Then, do you think that one day, Werewolves or Witches could also become divine-chosen Apostles? That all twelve divine-chosen Apostles would be united as one big family, with no more divisions?"


    Claude shook his head. "That¡¯s too much. Forget the fact that Witches regularly hunt other Apostles¡ªthe king and the council would never allow it. They need an enemy; they need to constantly create threats to maintain a sense of crisis. Without enemies, without fear, how could they hold onto power? Which philosopher was it that said ¡®fear is a great tool for ruling¡¯?"


    For the first time, Rudolf saw something unusual on Claude¡¯s face¡ªwisdom. It was an expression that didn''t quite match his usual demeanor.


    Claude swallowed another oyster and said, "Rudolf, never put blind faith in the word ''justice.'' Many people commit atrocities while genuinely believing they are on the side of justice. Those are the most terrifying people¡ªeven more dangerous than those who are purely evil. Most heretical Apostles are evil, but as divine-chosen Apostles, we can''t just slaughter them indiscriminately based on a label. Lady Jessica is a pitiful woman. She was exiled from Fabro City. As for her and her daughter¡­ just turn a blind eye."


    "Of course, Chief. Whether it''s about justice or not, it doesn''t matter. What matters is, Lady Jessica is your lover. Before you discard her, I¡¯ll keep my distance. However¡­ however, Chief, I do think you and Lady Jessica should pay more attention to her daughter Aynila¡¯s mental state. I suspect she attacked me last night because she hates the fact that I was dressed similarly to you. She can¡¯t do anything to you, but last night, she almost ruined my innocence¡ªby making a burly, chest-haired man violate me."


    "Old Baby¡¯s hair is indeed thinning. He should get a transplant at a Fabro City hospital."


    "Is his hair the point here?"


    "Oh, right. The point is Aynila. She¡¯s just a rebellious kid. I¡¯ll find Lady Jessica a house with proper soundproofing. That¡¯s urgent¡ªI¡¯ll head out now. I can¡¯t finish these oysters, so help yourself."


    With that, Chief Claude hurried off to find a new home for his lover.


    Rudolf watched his departing figure with envy. If only he could be as carefree as the chief.

 Suspected Miss Beth

    Mr. Mayo had become a frequent visitor to the police station. Every afternoon, he would sit in the lobby for hours.


    "Officer, is there any news about Miss Beth?"


    Every missing person report from Mayo ended up in Rudolph¡¯s hands, giving him a constant headache. Beth had left of her own accord¡ªwho could he blame for that?


    After a few more days, however, Mayo suddenly stopped coming. Without his daily reports, Rudolph found himself feeling strangely at a loss. While on patrol one night, he decided to check in on Mayo to see what had happened.


    But just as he approached Mayo¡¯s house, he saw the man once again stumbling out, disheveled and frantic. Mayo froze in his tracks when he spotted Rudolph, looking just as surprised to see him. Then, all of a sudden, he burst into wailing sobs.


    "Officer! My Beth is gone again! Was she kidnapped? Such a beautiful woman, disappearing in the middle of the night¡ªwhat kind of danger might she be in?"


    Mayo cried as he clutched Rudolph¡¯s shoulders and shook him violently. Fortunately, Rudolph had signed a physical endurance-sharing pact with a Rank 2 werewolf¡ªotherwise, he¡¯d be covered in Mayo¡¯s snot by now.


    "Calm down, Mr. Mayo! Calm down!" Rudolph grabbed Mayo¡¯s arms, stopping his frantic movements. "How long has Miss Beth been gone?"


    "I don¡¯t know! I woke up, and she was just gone!"


    "When did she arrive?"


    "She came in the afternoon¡­ and then left again while I was asleep. Just earlier today, we were¡ª"


    "Alright, alright, I get it..."


    Rudolph silently cursed in his mind. He wasn¡¯t sure how well his own stamina fared in this world, but given his endurance pact, he shouldn¡¯t be worse off than this Mayo guy¡­ right?


    Once again, Mayo dragged Rudolph through the town like a headless chicken, searching aimlessly for Beth. Rudolph kept scanning the surroundings through his pocket watch¡¯s surveillance, but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn¡¯t find the so-called stunning beauty Mayo described.


    To make matters worse, Mayo showed up at the police station again the next day to file another missing person report. Once again, the case landed on Rudolph¡¯s desk¡ªanother unsolved case that would bring down his performance stats. There went his bonus for the month.


    By the time April¡¯s full moon arrived, Beth was still nowhere to be found.


    That night, during the Full Moon Festival, Rudolph was assigned to maintain order around the event. At the same time, he brooded over his dismal case resolution rate¡ªhis paycheck was already modest, and now, with deductions, he¡¯d be even worse off. He¡¯d even been cutting back on visits to the bathhouse.


    As usual, the festival¡¯s offering was a werewolf. The ongoing werewolf riots had at least one upside¡ªthere were plenty of them to go around, ensuring a steady supply for the sacrifices. Sheriff Claude no longer had to worry about securing offerings.


    The only issue was that the Red Priest had been dropping hints lately¡ªhe wanted a Rank 2 werewolf as a sacrifice. But how could anyone possibly meet such a request? If Rudolph were strong enough to take down a Rank 2 werewolf¡­ well, he¡¯d be keeping it as a tribute, not handing it over.


    By now, the sight of rabid dogs devouring a werewolf had become almost monotonous. Bored, Rudolph tilted his head up and waited for the Full Moon Whispers to appear.


    Soon, the whispers echoed in his mind:


    "Filthy mutt!"


    "Fireworks!"


    "Man¡­ a handsome man¡­"


    ¡­


    Rudolph frowned. There were more whispers than usual this time, which meant that more Apostles had entered the town. He counted them¡ªjust from what the whispers revealed, there were at least seven.


    He focused on the ones that concerned him the most. One whisper, in particular, stood out¡ªsomeone was looking for a man.


    Who was searching for a man?


    He glanced down at his pocket watch and suddenly noticed some activity in one of his key surveillance locations. Turning his gaze toward Mayo, he saw that the man was distractedly watching the sacrifice. But before the ritual had even ended, Mayo turned and left for home.


    Rudolph signaled to the rookie patrolman, Sam.


    "Sam, take care of the two dogs used for the ritual."


    "Got it! I won¡¯t let you down!"


    Sam was still a newcomer, brimming with enthusiasm for his job. Meanwhile, Rudolph beckoned to Yvonne, and the two of them quietly slipped away from the plaza.


    They arrived at Mayo¡¯s home and took cover outside.


    "Captain, is Miss Beth here?" Yvonne whispered.


    "Yes."


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    She knew that Rudolph¡¯s Spirit Pet Crystal allowed him to monitor the entire town, so she trusted that he wouldn¡¯t be here without reason.


    After a moment, she asked again, "Should we go up and take a look?"


    Rudolph smirked. "Didn¡¯t expect you to be into this kind of thing."


    "Huh?" Yvonne was confused. "Did Mr. Mayo and Miss Beth have a fight?"


    "Ahem¡­ No need to go up. Let¡¯s step back a bit¡ªwe don¡¯t need to be this close."


    The two of them retreated to a nearby alley and continued their watch.


    As the festival ended, the streets grew lively with people discussing the worsening werewolf riots, wondering when it would all end.


    "Yvonne, we¡¯ll head to the outskirts later tonight. How¡¯s your energy level?"


    "I¡¯m fine for now. Captain, someone¡¯s coming out!"


    "I see them too."


    From Mayo¡¯s house emerged a woman.


    According to Mayo, Beth was supposed to be a tall, radiant beauty¡ªso stunning she was nearly divine. But the woman now stepping out onto the street was¡­ well, broad-shouldered, wide-hipped, and undeniably middle-aged.


    Blending into the crowd, she walked purposefully in a certain direction.


    "Let¡¯s split up," Rudolph said.


    Though both he and Yvonne exchanged incredulous glances, they quickly followed after her.


    The supposed Beth kept walking, farther and farther, until the streets grew quiet. She eventually arrived at a warehouse. As she unlocked the door, a small rat scurried in behind her.


    Through its eyes, Rudolph saw four or five middle-aged women gathered inside. They were seated in a circle around an elegant-looking lady.


    When Rudolph saw the woman¡¯s face, he snapped his pocket watch shut.


    "Alright, Yvonne, that¡¯s enough for tonight. We¡¯ll investigate this warehouse another day¡ªlet¡¯s go take care of our real business first."


    It was getting late, and Rudolph had other priorities.


    As expected, this so-called Beth was deeply entangled with the Apostles.


    A week later, Rudolf once again waited for the gathering inside the warehouse.


    The rat that had slipped into the warehouse seemed perplexed. It raised its front paws and absentmindedly scratched its face. Before it, a group of middle-aged women sat together, their postures mimicking those of youthful maidens¡ªlegs pressed tightly together and tilted to one side. It wasn¡¯t that they couldn¡¯t sit like this, but given their age and physique, the pose seemed unnecessarily awkward and out of place.


    At the center of this gathering was a lady draped in a white veil. Rudolf pressed himself against the outer wall of the warehouse, eavesdropping on their conversation. He noticed that the veiled woman had an exceptionally pleasant voice.


    ¡°Sisters of the Love Pursuit Society, I am delighted that you have once again found your way to love. In our youth, we missed our most beautiful years and our finest figures due to all sorts of misfortunes. As we aged, those golden moments became nothing more than memories. However, we are fortunate. As long as we have Venus Perfume, we can relive those splendid days!


    Remember, ladies¡ªonce the clock strikes midnight, Venus Perfume loses its effect. You must leave your partners before then.¡±


    Afterward, the women chattered enthusiastically, sharing their experiences. The veiled woman listened in silence, occasionally offering a few words of guidance.


    Among the middle-aged women, Rudolf spotted the one resembling Miss Bess¡ªher cheeks flushed with excitement, her spirits high.


    The gathering ended before long. The veiled woman handed each participant a fresh bottle of Venus Perfume. The women accepted them gleefully, though, of course, a small payment was required. The rat observed as each woman handed the veiled lady a five-silver-shield banknote.


    That¡¯s expensive. Rudolf, as the town¡¯s police captain, only earned three silver shields per month. These women were certainly willing to splurge.


    Miss Bess left the warehouse, oblivious to the fact that she was being followed. Yvonne, trailing behind, found the task more challenging without Rudolf¡¯s crystal pet to aid surveillance.


    As the warehouse emptied, only the veiled woman remained. Just as she was about to leave, she noticed the back door swinging open.


    Dressed in his patrol uniform, Rudolf stepped inside.


    The veiled woman halted, momentarily stunned by his unexpected arrival.


    ¡°Madam Jessica?¡±


    Hearing Rudolf address her by name, the woman realized she could no longer conceal her identity. She removed her veil¡ªit was indeed Madam Jessica.


    ¡°Officer Rudolf,¡± she murmured. ¡°No wonder Claude calls you his most capable subordinate. I didn''t expect you to find me in less than a month.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the compliment. The police chief speaks the truth, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    Madam Jessica¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°So, what do you want, officer?¡±


    Rudolf hastily waved his hands. ¡°Madam Jessica, you misunderstand. I have no other intentions. Among those women just now was a Miss Bess. I only ask that you refuse her as a client.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Miss Bess¡¯s lover, Mr. Mayo, is on the verge of madness because of her¡­ or rather, because of Venus Perfume. He¡¯s been filing reports at the station, and I have to handle the matter.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Madam Jessica mused. ¡°So Officer Rudolf is actually a man of integrity¡ªquite unlike Chief Claude.¡±


    ¡°Flatter me in any other way, and I¡¯ll accept it. But praising my morals only makes me feel guilty. I¡¯m merely ringing the bell while wearing the robe.¡±


    Madam Jessica sauntered forward, her movements carrying an alluring sway. Her sheer dress left little to the imagination. With a teasing glance, she leaned in, her bare shoulder brushing against Rudolf¡¯s. ¡°And what if I refuse?¡±


    Rudolf quickly took a half-step back, avoiding her touch. ¡°Madam, Chief Claude is my superior. I respect you¡ªjust as I respect all his other lovers.¡±


    A fragrant breeze followed her approach. Rudolf pinched his nose and revealed his stuffy nose. ¡°See? I¡¯ve blocked my nostrils. Aren¡¯t I clever?¡±


    Madam Jessica chuckled, her laughter sultry and inviting. Her red lips seemed to hold a peculiar charm. ¡°Quite the resourceful young man¡­¡±


    Without another word, Rudolf pulled out a pair of dark glasses and put them on. The seductive scene before him instantly became a pitch-black void.


    He had learned something important¡ªSilver Serpents didn¡¯t just use scent; visual illusions were part of their arsenal too.


    Rudolf understood that Madam Jessica didn¡¯t genuinely desire him. She simply wanted to manipulate him.


    ¡°Of course, Madam Jessica,¡± he continued, ¡°I¡¯m not here to ruin your business. Since I¡¯ve caused you a small loss, I¡¯ll offer you a piece of business advice in return.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Let¡¯s hear it.¡± She ceased her approach, intrigued by his proposition.


    ¡°From what I observed just now, most of your clientele consists of middle-aged women who do hard labor. They can¡¯t have much money. Why not target the wealthy ladies of this town instead?¡±


    Madam Jessica smirked. ¡°Hard laboring middle-aged women¡­ You see, people hold deep-seated prejudice against women like them, as if they aren¡¯t worthy of love.¡±


    Rudolf fell silent, unable to refute her words.


    She continued, ¡°I¡¯ve considered what you¡¯re suggesting. But I¡¯m new to Leman Town¡ªI don¡¯t know the best candidates to be my clients.¡±


    ¡°I do!¡± Rudolf volunteered eagerly. ¡°I¡¯ll get you a list tomorrow. You can work your magic.¡±


    Madam Jessica suddenly narrowed her eyes. ¡°Why do you object to those earlier women, but approve of wealthy ladies as clients instead, Officer Justice?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Rudolf hesitated, struggling for an answer. ¡°From their calloused hands, their dry necks, and the crumpled silver shields they gave you, I can tell they¡¯ve had a hard life.¡±


    ¡°So doesn¡¯t that mean they deserve to experience love even more?¡±


    Rudolf shook his head. ¡°They do deserve love, I agree. And I admit my choice of words was wrong. But deception is still deception¡ªit can never provide lasting fulfillment.¡±


    ¡°Such a self-righteous knight¡­¡± Madam Jessica sighed.


    That was her final verdict on him.

 This damn love

    A few days later, when Rudolph went to see Chief Claude, he noticed the dark circles under his eyes.


    "My God, Chief, have some self-restraint! Let me get you a mirror¡ªyou should see your face!"


    Rudolph found a mirror and placed it in front of Claude. The chief touched his sunken, darkened cheeks with a sorrowful expression.


    Rudolph complained, "Madam Jessica is too much. Can''t she take it slow, like water trickling into a river?"


    With so much work at the police station that required Claude''s signature, how could he function in this state?


    "It''s not Jessica¡¯s fault¡­ No, actually, it is her fault," Claude said, eating oysters he had somehow procured. "How do I put this¡­ It''s complicated. You see, Rudolph, besides Jessica, I have other lovers. Lately, when I¡¯ve met them, I noticed they¡¯ve been using Venus Perfume."


    "Venus Perfume?"


    "You don¡¯t know? Let me educate you. It¡¯s a perfume created by the Silver Serpents that puts men into a trance. The moment a man smells it, he¡¯ll see the woman before him as if she were a princess from a grand castle¡ªbeautiful beyond compare. He¡¯ll be willing to give her everything¡ªhis love, his devotion, even his¡­ fluids.


    "But here¡¯s the awkward part," Claude rubbed his mustache furiously, "those women¡­ they¡¯ve been using Jessica¡¯s Venus Perfume on me!


    "Venus Perfume at Level 1 works on me, but not that well. The real issue is that I have to pretend it''s working! Because I know those perfumes came from Jessica.


    "So now, every few days, one of my lovers just happens to run into me. And every time, I have to pretend to be instantly overwhelmed, then¡­ well, then comes another exhausting night. Rudolph, do you have any idea how tiring acting is?"


    Rudolph didn¡¯t know whether acting was tiring, but he was definitely puzzled. "Why don¡¯t you just pretend the perfume doesn¡¯t work?"


    "Absolutely not! That would ruin Jessica¡¯s reputation! If I act unaffected, that would mean her perfume is fake! That would ruin her business! Jessica just arrived in L¨¦montown, she hasn¡¯t gained a firm foothold yet. I have to make sure she stays!"


    "Why?"


    "You don¡¯t understand. You don¡¯t understand! A mature woman like her is rare! I have to work hard for the sake of my future happiness!"


    Rudolph picked up the document Claude had just signed. Since he was standing, he could also see out the window.


    "Chief, unless my eyes deceive me, Madame Fanny is heading toward the station."


    "Damn it! Where can I hide?!"


    Rudolph shrugged and left.


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    This situation had completely backfired on Claude. If the chief ever found out that Rudolph was the one who gave Jessica a list of wealthy ladies in L¨¦montown¡­ well, hopefully, he wouldn¡¯t take it too personally.


    When Rudolph went downstairs to hand some files to Karita, he noticed Mr. Mayo had arrived at the station once again.


    Karita nudged her chin toward him. "Rudolph, looks like you¡¯re getting another call-out."


    Rudolph nearly collapsed. This was already the sixth time this month because of Mayo.


    He sat down beside him.


    "Mr. Mayo, from what I understand, you¡¯re not the only one in L¨¦montown experiencing this¡­ situation. But unlike you, they don¡¯t seem so troubled by it."


    Mayo slumped. "Why not?"


    "Because most of them just treat it as a lucky encounter, a fleeting dream, a moment of favor from the goddess of love. When they wake up the next day, they might reminisce about the night before, but they move on¡ªit doesn¡¯t affect their lives."


    "That¡¯s not love!"


    "Maybe not, but love isn¡¯t everything in life."


    "Love may not be everything, but Miss Beth is everything to me!"


    "You win. I have nothing more to say," Rudolph sighed, then carefully tested the waters. "But what if the truth is harsh? What if Miss Beth doesn¡¯t really love you?"


    "Impossible! Just like you said¡ªyou don¡¯t know what perfect love is. You don¡¯t understand what Beth and I have!"


    "Then why did she leave you?"


    Mayo froze, as if doused in cold water.


    Moments later, his resolve reignited. "That¡¯s why I have to find her! She must be in danger!"


    Rudolph sighed. "Meet me at the police station entrance this evening."


    At dusk, Rudolph, Yvonne, and Mayo set off in a specific direction.


    Rudolph led them to a general store.


    "Boss, let me see your ledger."


    The store owner quickly handed over the account book.


    Rudolph flipped through it. "This person came in to sell something today?"


    The owner glanced at the name. "Oh, yeah. She sold me a chair this morning. Strange, really. She¡¯s always selling furniture. I think that was her last piece¡ªsoon, I¡¯ll have a whole set."


    Next, Yvonne took the lead.


    Mayo asked, puzzled, "Where are we going? Why are we heading this way?"


    They were going toward the slums¡ªL¨¦montown¡¯s southwest district.


    "I only heard this from my temporary cleaning lady¡­ but she supposedly lives here."


    A leatherworker¡¯s salary was actually quite decent, but Mayo had been too distracted to work lately, so his income had suffered.


    Soon, they arrived at a cluster of low, crowded wooden houses and waited quietly from a distance.


    Mayo, still confused, could only stand there, his face full of uncertainty.


    Before long, a plump woman in a baggy dress stepped out of one of the wooden houses.


    Her clothes were worn and shabby, but her eyes were bright with joy.


    Mayo was surprised. "Bella? My old cleaning lady? I haven¡¯t seen her in six months!"


    The three followed her from afar.


    They watched as Bella walked toward the town center¡ªtoward Mayo¡¯s house.


    No one paid her any special attention. She looked just like any other cleaner heading to her employer¡¯s home.


    When she reached Mayo¡¯s door, she let herself in without hesitation.


    "Wait¡­ my keys! I only ever gave my house keys to Beth! Why does Bella have them?"


    As Bella disappeared inside, Rudolph handed Mayo a pair of nose plugs.


    "Go on, Mr. Mayo. Go see the woman you¡¯ve been longing for."


    Mayo hesitated, a terrible feeling creeping up his spine.


    He stiffly lifted his hand and took the nose plugs.


    As they watched him stumble forward like a man sleepwalking, Rudolph murmured to Yvonne, "Let¡¯s give him a few minutes¡­"


    Ten minutes later, they entered the house to complete Rudolph¡¯s call-out report.


    Inside, they found Mayo and Bella holding each other, sobbing uncontrollably.


    Bella clung tightly to Mayo¡¯s waist, while Mayo cupped Bella¡¯s face, studying her features carefully.


    Rudolph took a deep breath. No trace of perfume in the air.


    "Bella! I finally understand! You are Beth! Beth is you!"


    The two, tears and snot streaming down their faces, kissed passionately.


    Rudolph had no words.


    Finally, he muttered, "Ugh, this damn love¡­ Doesn¡¯t it taste salty?"


    Then he shut the door and walked away.

 Fabro

    The next day, Mr. Mayo arrived at the police station with Ms. Bella on his arm.


    "Officer! Thank you so much! I''ve found my dear Ms. Bella!"


    Perhaps this was true love. Mr. Mayo''s shoulders were only slightly broader than Ms. Bella''s, and in front of her, he appeared quite small.


    Rudolph handed Mayo a total of seven police reports, all requiring his signature. After signing, Mayo said, "Officer, I made this wallet for you. It''s crafted from the finest, uncastrated bull''s top-grain leather. I hope you like it."


    Rudolph coughed, glanced around to make sure no one else was watching, and then accepted the leather wallet.


    "Technically, I shouldn''t be accepting gifts from you, but fortunately, I''m a man without principles."


    With that, both parties happily parted ways¡ªRudolph had cleared seven police reports and gained a new wallet in the process.


    After seeing Mayo off, Rudolph headed to the chief''s office.


    "Rudolph, you''re here."


    "What¡¯s up, Chief?"


    "There¡¯s a report here. I need you to take a trip to Fabbro City and deliver it to the city police department."


    Chief Claude handed Rudolph a thick document.


    Rudolph glanced through it briefly¡ªit was about a werewolf uprising. He accepted the task without hesitation, thinking it would be a good opportunity to visit another place, especially with travel expenses covered by public funds.


    "Alright, I''ll pack up and head out tomorrow."


    That night, Rudolph left the police station once again wearing the purple scorpion mask.


    When he entered the casino through the back door, the owner, Casino, was startled.


    "An emissary of Sorcerer Sellen! It¡¯s been a long time since I last heard from you."


    "My teacher has been busy lately, so I¡¯ve been preoccupied as well."


    Casino bowed slightly and hesitantly said, "Um¡­ I have something I¡¯d like to ask you about."


    "Speak."


    "I¡¯ve heard that there''s an unusually active undead roaming the wilderness, gathering what can only be described as a massive army. Tell me, is that undead army under Sorcerer Sellen''s control?"


    "You''re asking too many questions."


    Hearing this firm response, Casino grew even more nervous. His suspicions were confirmed¡ªBloody Sellen was indeed gathering power in the wild, and his most obedient subordinates were none other than undead servants under his control.


    "Emissary of Sorcerer Sellen, is there anything I can do for you this time?"


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    "I need access to Fabbro City''s black market. My teacher said I should ask you about it." Rudolph¡¯s voice was calm and steady. "Oh, and by the way, my teacher still remembers you quite well after his resurrection."


    Cold sweat broke out across Casino¡¯s forehead. He had been the first to flee when Sellen was captured. Now, knowing that Sellen still remembered him, he felt even more uneasy.


    "I understand! I understand! Emissary of Sorcerer Sellen, please wait a moment."


    A short while later, Casino returned with a small object. He placed a chess piece on the armrest of Rudolph''s chair¡ªa black pawn from a chess set, with the letter "N" engraved at the bottom.


    "I¡¯ll give you an address. When you get there, hold this chess piece in your hand. Someone will guide you to the black market."


    Rudolph nodded, accepted the chess piece, and left.


    As Casino straightened his back, he sighed in relief¡ªhe had managed to get through another encounter.


    Hurry up, Sorcerer Sellen¡ªrecover your strength soon. If he could endure just a little longer, the Inquisition would come hunting witches again.


    That night, in Ivonna¡¯s room, Rudolph carefully packed vials of wolfbane potion into his suitcase.


    Over time, he had successfully refined wolf saliva into wolfbane potion. Selling raw materials was hardly profitable¡ªselling the finished product was where the real money was.


    "Keep ten vials for ourselves. The remaining twenty will be sold for cash."


    Ivonna asked, "Can I go to Fabbro City with you?"


    "You can''t. Lemang Town is small and relatively safe, but Fabbro City is different¡ªit''s too dangerous for you."


    A werewolf wandering around Fabbro City? That would be utterly ridiculous¡ªalmost as absurd as a werewolf becoming a patrol officer.


    Ivonna knew Rudolph was right, so she could only stay behind in town.


    The next day, Rudolph set off for Fabbro City, carrying the report and his suitcase.


    The journey from Lemang Town to Fabbro City took at least half a day on horseback. By the time Rudolph reached the city outskirts, it was already late afternoon, nearing dusk.


    Standing on a hill overlooking Fabbro City, Rudolph marveled at its organized layout. The city was neatly divided into square sections by roads, each containing four- to six-story buildings. The architecture was beautiful¡ªwhite stone walls, orange-red sloped roofs, and rows of dormer windows lining the rooftops.


    Rudolph suddenly regretted not bringing Ivonna along. That wild girl, who had spent her life in the countryside, had probably never seen such a well-structured city before.


    Within the city limits, horseback riding was prohibited to keep the stone-paved roads clean. Rudolph had to leave his horse at a stable on the outskirts before heading in on foot.


    After inquiring about the location of the city police station, he found lodging nearby.


    Late at night, the bell above the hotel entrance chimed as Rudolph stepped out, wearing a hat and carrying his suitcase.


    His leather shoes clicked crisply against the stone pavement. Hearing a ringing sound, he stopped to let a tram pass.


    Watching the last tram of the night disappear down the street, Rudolph sighed.


    Alchemists were truly more capable than he had imagined¡ªeven trams had been invented.


    He had used flashlights and lanterns before, so perhaps a tram wasn¡¯t such a stretch. It was just a little slow.


    Unfortunately, he had no time to experience riding one. He would have liked to try.


    The chess piece Casino had given him was quite special. By placing it in his palm and channeling star energy into it, the piece would jump slightly in a particular direction¡ªthat was the direction of the black market.


    After a long walk, he arrived at an unremarkable street. There were no pedestrians, only two children selling newspapers and an elderly woman walking with a slight limp.


    Rudolph held the chess piece between his fingers, strolling slowly along the street, waiting for someone to approach him.


    He occasionally glanced at the two newspaper boys, wondering when they would come over.


    But even as he neared the end of the street, no one had approached him.


    Strange...


    "You young people these days! Can¡¯t you slow down a little? I¡¯ve been trying to catch up with you for an entire block!"


    Rudolph turned around to see the elderly woman carrying a basket, panting as she spoke.


    Her basket swayed from side to side as she gasped, "Do young people have no sense of observation anymore?"


    "Apologies," Rudolph replied, feeling slightly amused. "I considered many possibilities, but I certainly didn¡¯t expect it to be you."


    He had to admit¡ªthe old lady had successfully thrown him off guard.