Ye Bai left the Combat Power Test Area and, in a secluded corner where no one was watching, took out the Lone Wolf Medal, transforming it into a mask that he placed over his face.
The mask had a blue base, with the character "1" inscribed in the lower left corner, indicating Ye Bai's strength as a first-tier Warrior.
Once he donned the mask, his attire also changed abruptly into a loose-fitting, dark combat suit.
With this transformation, even acquaintances would find it difficult to recognize Ye Bai by his appearance.
As Ye Bai headed towards the "Task Reception Area," numerous gazes followed him.
"Look, it's one of the Lone Wolves!"
"Impressive, he doesn't seem very old. He must have just passed the Warrior Test recently, right?"
"To dare to walk the path of a Lone Wolf, that's gutsy! Someday, I'll become a Lone Wolf too!"
"....."
These people whispered among themselves, fearing that Ye Bai might overhear their conversation.
Lone Wolves were among the most formidable Warriors!
Precisely because of the minimal external constraints, Lone Wolves acted with more intensity, sometimes even ruthlessly!
No one wanted to offend a Lone Wolf, even if he was currently just a first-tier Warrior!
"Is this the place, the Wolf's Den?"
Ye Bai glanced at the name of the task reception area and smiled slightly, "Interesting."
Entering the Wolf's Den, the interior was vastly different from the outside.
The Wolf's Den resembled a rundown bar, with a European classical decor, dim lighting, slow music, and tables and chairs scattered haphazardly. Patrons gathered in small groups, forming their own circles.
The bar was located at the center of the Wolf's Den, with four large screens hanging above, rotating through the available tasks.
As Ye Bai stepped into the Wolf's Den, someone in the corner suddenly shouted.
"A newcomer has arrived."
Instantly, Ye Bai became the center of attention in the Wolf's Den. A handsome young man raised a bottle,
"This round's on me!"
"The tab for this round is on Young Master Zhao!"
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
Soon, a robotic bartender delivered a small bottle of beer to everyone, including Ye Bai.
Raising his bottle, Ye Bai nodded slightly towards Young Master Zhao, then tilted his head back and drank it all in one go.
The refreshing beer slid down his throat, reaching deep into his soul, prompting a satisfied sigh.
"Quite bold!"
"Kid, I like you. Come find me in the Imperial Capital for a drink!"
After a few lively exchanges, the bar returned to its previous calm.
The Wolf's Den was a gathering place for Lone Wolves, a self-formed clique.
Those who chose the path of a Lone Wolf always held a certain respect for their peers!
Among the three paths for Warriors, the Lone Wolf path had the highest casualty rate!
After all, whether it was the Legion or the Mercenary Corps, they had official backing, providing ample medical support and a higher safety margin.
Of course, while Lone Wolves paid the highest casualty rate, they also had the most terrifying success rate!
Those who chose to become Lone Wolves advanced in strength far faster than their peers!
This was one of the charms of being a Lone Wolf!
Placing the empty bottle on the table, Ye Bai looked up at the large screen, where numerous tasks were displayed.
The highest and most prominent one read:
"Capture the Fourth Demonic Sect's Cult Leader!"
"Provide valuable information, reward: 10-100 million Gold Coins!"
"Capture the Fourth Demonic Sect's Cult Leader alive, reward: one SSS Rank weapon of the same level, 10 War God merits!"
"Provide the corpse of the Fourth Demonic Sect's Cult Leader and confirm death, reward: one SSS Rank equipment of the same level, 2 War God merits!"
"......"
Besides the Cult Leader of the Fourth Demonic Sect, there were also bounty tasks related to the deputy leaders and core members.
However, most of these tasks were far beyond Ye Bai's current capabilities.
The weakest were at the Battle King-level!
Encountering them on the battlefield, a mere glare from them could spell Ye Bai's doom!
"Let's see which tasks are suitable for me."
Ye Bai's gaze moved downwards as he searched through the tasks available for a first-tier Warrior.
...
Combat Power Test Hall,
In the corridor outside the director's office.
A bald manager paced back and forth, his expression conflicted, clearly in the midst of an intense internal struggle.
"To tell or not to tell... that is the question...."
If he chose to conceal it, pretending nothing happened.
Should the truth come out, and it was revealed that a mysterious genius had slipped through his fingers, the consequences would be dire for the bald manager!
Reporting this matter to his superiors, the bald manager indeed had faults, but there was still room for redemption. Given his willingness to confess, he might receive a lighter punishment!
Finally,
The bald manager mustered the courage, raised his slightly trembling hand, and knocked on the director's office door.
"Come in."
Creak—
Like a student caught in wrongdoing, the bald manager entered with his head lowered, hesitantly recounting everything that had happened earlier.
From the new employee setting the wrong difficulty mode, the gathering of disgruntled geniuses causing trouble, to secretly deleting the footage to cover up the incident.
He left nothing out in front of the director.
The director was a retired Battle King, with strong connections to various Legion Commanders. Both in strength and network, he was someone the manager had to look up to.
Trying to play tricks in front of the director was akin to courting death!
After listening to the bald manager's report, the director, contrary to expectations, did not fly into a rage. Instead, he pointed to the sofa,
"Why are you standing? Sit down and talk."
"Y-Yes!"
The bald manager nodded quickly, only daring to perch on the edge of the sofa, his back straightened, his burgeoning belly resting on his legs, making him look particularly comical.
The director picked up the teapot, sipped some tea, and said unhurriedly,
"Coming to report to me shows that you're at least smart. If you dared to hide something like this, you'd be better off digging rocks in the Abyssal Plane."
"I was momentarily foolish to delete the footage, I deserve to be punished!"
The bald manager said, frustrated with himself, "Director, if we go to the tech department now to recover the footage, it should still be possible!"
"Recover the footage? Who said anything about recovering the footage?"
The director's words left the bald manager dumbfounded.
Without recovering the footage, how would they identify the mysterious genius?
Someone with the comprehensive qualities of a first-tier Warrior, yet able to pass the third-tier Warrior's nerve response test.
If that's not a genius, what is?!
The bald manager sat dumbly on the sofa, eyes vacant, feeling like he could only babble incoherently.
"This time, you've only seen the first layer, but not the third."
The director put down the teapot,
"You did well to delete the footage. Not only should the test footage be deleted, but also the footage from when they entered the test hall. Keep a backup to report to the higher-ups, and delete the rest!"
"Huh?"
The bald manager was completely puzzled, feeling his intelligence was insufficient.
"Why, why is that?"
"My old leader, stop keeping me in suspense, just tell me!"
Hi everyone, if you like this novel and want to read more in advance, please support me on PawRead.
Discord:https://discord.com/invite/ua2A852bws