Shield Fort of the Great Wall. Oracle Tower.

The Great Wall’s war council chamber was spacious and bright, with soft daylight streaming through tall arched windows, slanting across the heavy oak table at its center. Three banners hung on the stone walls: the Vigil Banner of the Great Wall Legion, emblazoned with a howling wolf against a crescent moon; the Ten Swords Unity Banner of the Golden Knights, its crossed blades glowing with faint holy light; and the Mandala Flower Banner of the Witch Coven, its crimson petals swirling in an enchanted pattern. The flags fluttered gently in the cool breeze drifting through the hall.

Shana sat at one corner of the main table, watching divine beings in varied attire file into the chamber. Some took seats at the oak table, others settled on carved wooden chairs around it; some bowed their heads in quiet thought, others whispered animatedly to companions. She spotted her coven sisters—Sister Yun, Xu’er, and Little Chestnut—sitting on the outer chairs, huddled together in secret conversation.

What are they gossiping about? Shana was curious, eager to dart over and join them, but a sense of duty kept her rooted. Today, the main table was reserved for the Great Wall’s leaders, and she was the official representative of the Witch Coven.

I just took down a werewolf, earned my first demon-hunting merit. Is this meeting to celebrate me? Shana’s heart fluttered with anticipation. She told herself firmly: Don’t act too proud later. But she couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from lifting into a barely suppressed smile.

“You did well.” An aged voice came from behind. Shana turned quickly to see an old man with snow-white hair and beard, clutching a thick stack of leather-bound books under his arm. Scholar Old Ray! She knew he was the Great Wall Legion’s revered “brain trust,” a repository of every secret and strategy in the fortress. She stood up at once.

“Lord Ray, hello.”

“Just call me Old Ray—no stuffy formalities on the Great Wall.” The old man smiled and held up a gnarled finger. “Heard this is your first werewolf takedown, right?”

“You mean the Wolf Seductress? Yes, it’s my first.”

“Wonderful! You got your first kill at such a young age. I didn’t even set eyes on my first werewolf until I was thirty, heh…” Old Ray patted her shoulder and gently pressed her back into her seat. “Truly a genius magic maiden from Mandala Palace! Keep it up—one kill leads to two, then three. The Great Wall’s defense will depend on young folks like you soon enough.” The scholar shuffled to the center of the table, where a black-clad soldier immediately pulled out a chair for him.

“Old Ray, can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.” He lowered himself into the chair with the soldier’s help.

“I’ve always wondered—does a scholar count as a divine being?”

Old Ray blinked in surprise. “Hmm?”

“Scholars are definitely divine beings.”

Shana recognized the warm voice: Fito! Then she saw his well-worn silver round shield, covered in scratch marks from countless battles. Guard Fito leaned one hand on the table and smiled at her: “Usually divine beings are warriors or mages, but a scholar with profound knowledge has strength no less than theirs. Those who master medicine, accounting, military strategy, mysticism, history… they’re called the ‘Knights of the Mind.’”

I already know that, but scholars don’t wield magic. Can they really be divine beings? Shana didn’t agree with his reasoning and was about to argue when Old Ray laughed: “Heh, opinions vary on that. I just wield a pen here, tend to books and potions. Whether I’m a divine being or not doesn’t stop me from serving everyone.”

“Old Ray is too humble—he doesn’t care for titles.” Fito added, “But scholars are real divine beings. They’re the ones who make muskets, after all.”

Shana fell silent. She’d never seen a musket, but she’d heard tales of their devastating power—equal to a witch’s poison. She didn’t deny scholars’ knowledge was impressive, but she still believed magic was the ultimate force in the world. A scholar who couldn’t cast spells couldn’t be a true divine being.

“Fine.” She didn’t want to waste time arguing with Fito—whatever you say. Right now, she had a more important mission: admiring handsome guys. The Great Wall was cold and dull, nothing like the sunlit South Island. The only perk was the eye-candy warriors—must stare as much as possible!

“Brother Fito, sit next to me.” Shana thought his eyes were beautiful, soft and deep, like they could hold the entire blue sea of her home island.

“I have a fixed seat.” Fito smiled gently.

He rejected me. Shana’s heart sank.

“But since Sister Na insists, I can’t refuse.” Fito pulled out the wooden chair beside her and sat down.

Shana’s heart bloomed with joy, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She couldn’t contain herself and winked at her sisters behind her: See that? I got him! All three sisters looked shocked and envious.

Just as Shana was feeling smug, Fito asked: “Where are the other sisters in your coven?”

They’re still sleeping—we usually sleep until noon. “The others are in their rooms brewing magic potions.” Shana coughed, trying to sound serious: Just look at me, why care about others? She patted Fito’s silver shield hard: “Do you know why we’re having this meeting?”

Fito said: “We just took down the Wolf Seductress. Today should be to commend that achievement.”

“It’s just one wolf—do we need such a big fuss?” Shana glanced around at the people filing in. She sounded nonchalant, but her mind was screaming: Of course we do! It’s the first wolf taken down by this genius magic maiden!

Fito replied: “Werewolves have plagued us for half a year, and we’ve never found an effective way to counter them. Taking down one at last isn’t a permanent solution, but it’s a huge morale boost. A victory like that deserves celebration!”

Just then, someone stepped between Fito and Shana.

“This is just a temporary small win. That Wolf Seductress only killed Hannibal—she wasn’t the one who killed Peter, Shu, and Karmon. So this game isn’t over yet…”

Shana recognized the man: Lone San Yuan, the Great Wall’s legendary “Sharpshooter.” They’d met at the welcome banquet, and she remembered he spoke at a dizzying pace.

“But the Witch took down a wolf as soon as she arrived—at least it lifted the good camp’s spirits!” Fito was clearly defending her, which warmed her heart.

“She found a wolf, but that wolf was also brought by her.”

A loud, crisp voice boomed from the chamber entrance. A tall, straight-backed female knight walked in. Her tan leather boots tapped against the stone floor, making a string of sharp, powerful sounds. She marched straight to the seat opposite Shana, her piercing gaze locked firmly on the young witch.