Chapter 12: Assessment
"You're here senior"
Zhan Kong greeted the fifty year old man with a bit of reverence on his face. The man had long hair and a moustache all greying due to age. He was dressed plainly and looked a bit nicely dressed than any old man one would find in a City.
But his eyes held a flicker of brilliance and his demeanor was anything but ordinary.
"Of course Xiao Ying, I have to evaluate this talent myself. You know I have devoted myself to this element".
"Senior, it's Zhan Kong now so please address me like that in public"
The old man nodded.
"You said he managed to awaken a second element. How did that happen"
"According to Cao Guang he drank an ancient given to him by a senior. He was advised that the potion would bring out the potential of one's soul. Our current theory is that he awakened his intermediate element in advance".
"You didn't ask any further?" said old man pondering.
"No" stated Zhan Kong.
Cao Guang had so far not revealed old man Ying's identity but Zhan Kong would not pressure him to either way.
"Even I may not be able to figure out potion. Since it's used up only someone dedicated themselves to magical experimentation maybe able to figure it out. Leave the matter.
I heard you are going to cull the wolves up a little".
The time had come for the number of wolves to culled. More wolves from the Nanshan mountains had fled down South and army had given up the orders. The last month reconnaissance and small scale conflicts has already started.
"Yes, I will lead them out myself".
"Good I'll follow you guys and observe myself, don't worry I am only taking a single disciple" said the old man calming Zhan Kong.
"Wouldn't make a difference. It would be better if senior could guide them all. My situation does not leave me with a lot of free time. Neither do I have the cultivation for it. " stated Zhan Kong plainly.
He had realised these facts long ago and moved on. He brought up and raised three geniuses now maybe it was time to hand them over to his seniors and focus on his cultivation a bit more he felt he could reach the second tier with his tertiary element as well.
The old man merely nodded again. He wasn't familiar with Zhan Kong and didn't feel it was suitable to advise him about life at this point.
'It would have been easier to advise you about cultivation' thought the old.
"Your secondary element is Wind and tertiary is Light right. I'll guide till your troops get ready"
--
Zhan Kong was a Colonel in the army and led a troop seven hundred in number. This was because, not only was mages rare among the public but also Bo City was a small place.
Of the seven hundred not all were battle mages. Only about four hundred of his troops were battle mages and of them two hundred were moving for the extermination mission in squads ranging up to 25 in size led by at least a lieutenant.
For this mission many mages were promoted in ranks. For example Sergeant Zhang was acting as Lieutenant for the mission as Bo City's military base lacked numbers.
Every squad had atleast an intermediate mage and that alone was stretch for Bo City's military. The commanders squad did not have any intermediate mages as he alone was enough. What he needed was other soldiers to cover up his elements.
Cao Guang, Gao Xuan and Song Xia were naturally put into this group by Zhan Kong. This squad was also the one going to be trudging the farthest into the mountains.
"... All of the squads Set off" ordered Zhan Kong.
In a squad especially in the military, regardless of strength individuals had handle roles. Song Xia was a scout, Gao Xuan was a defensive mage and Cao Guang was an offensive mage. They had to learn to the division of labour and working in a much larger group.
Zhan Kong's squad did not stop to fight any of the beasts they found until they were fifty kilometres away from the base. Zhan even briefly flirted with the idea of going straight to the wolves den exterminating everything owing to the fact that a certain senior would be following them.
But most Commanders of the wolves could not be killed on a whim here. They were almost all descendants of the Monarch. The military had to consider the consequences of their actions.
If a Commander rank wolf led an invasion things would be different. These wolves either looking for resources or culling their own numbers to avoid cannibalism and they could be slain freely.
"Any groups nearby?" whispered Zhan Kong to Song Xia.
"A group of four, hundred metres to the left."
Zhan Kong gave the order for his troops to engage. Three Ice magicians cast Ice Spread: Freeze. The spell froze their immediate vicinity and spread towards the wolves.
Fire mage cast their offensive spell and Light and Earth elements cooperated with the Ice mages to herd the wolves together.
The Ice slowly froze the wolves as they were struck by a couple of fire bursts. The couldn't take a step out as Earth mages kept the ground moving shifting backwards holding them in place.
Cao Guang cast his spell and Fenrir picked out the least frozen wolf on the right side as to alleviate the burden on Fire mages. There were only two of them. As time went on the Fire mage stopped casting his spells and recovered as all three wolves frozen still. A single knock would kill them.
The fourth wolf was slain by Fenrir alone.
Zhan Kong silently evaluated his squad's limits. It had five ice mages, two fire mages, seven earth mages, four light and five water mages along with a Summoner and a sound Maga.
Zhan Kong had adjusted his squad for maximum killing efficiency. He took out the wind mages as Sound mage was more effective at the same level.
' If Fenrir keeps one busy, this group can take seven wolves Max'
" Moving on" said Zhan Kong as soon as Cao collected another Soul Remnant taking his tally to five.
The squad continued to eliminate a total of twenty more wolves, but Cao Guang only gained a single soul Remnant more as he ran out energy to keep his pal here.
The squad was resting up when Song Xia felt her hair was standing on end.
"Defensive mages on guard, support mages help everyone retreat" shouted Zhan Kong before Song Xia could even open her mouth.
As soon Zhan Kong's order was heard a giant wolf about 40 metres in size swooped from above. A fierce gale preceded the wolf's arrival. As if a servant announcing the master's arrival.
Darkwing Wolf. Commander level.
Everyone thought. The Wolf had yet reach yet the wind provoked by it pushed the mages back. The Water Barriers set up by the squad was squashed by it. The Earth mages barely managed to shift everyone back before the wolf arrived.
"Retreat" shouted Zhan Kong again as he stood his ground. He could have run away if he wanted but he wasn't such a person, nor was the wolf strong enough to make him feel despair.
Commander level wolves only left horde of magic wolves if ordered by their Ruler. Zhan Kong was a bit puzzled the army information did not point out one group moving in Bo City's direction. The army data could be wrong of course. That would be a grave error on their part.
If such a wolf were to attack Bo City, slaying it would be strenuous but that was ignoring the dozens of warriors and hundreds of servant class wolves that would follow it.
Zhan Kong examined the wolf again. A lesser Commander not too weak not too strong. He could slay it easily if he had his Lieutenants nearby. Yet what confused Zhan Kong was the lack of minions following it and the obvious injuries on it.
'Did it attack another base and fail , I could kill it. It is far from the city so better here than there'
Because only his Fire element could kill this thing. It was the only at the third tier and with a Soul grade seed. His Light and Wind elements were at the second tier but only had spirit grade seeds or none at all.
"Sky Flame Funeral : Thousand Flames Apocalyptic Flower"
Zhan Kong cast his magic at the wolf before it could land. Zhan Kong wanted to kill the wolf before it could hurt his squad, regardless he knew a certain person would look after them.
He wanted to hunt the wolf for its loot and a possibility of a breakthrough.
To improve one's cultivation or combat prowess there was no better option. A giant flower of fire manifested in the air as it broke down into a thousand petals and attacked the wolf some hitting and the others missing.
Zhan Kong already cast a Wings of Wind on himself when the wolf roared at him and launched a hurricane at him. Since the start of the fight Zhan Kong was making a conscious effort to shift the fight to another place. The wolf's howl had enfused the hurricane with magic as it looked to cleave the little human.