Wolf reached the Eleventh Order Demonic Converter on the fourth day of his expedition. Along the way, he easily evaded Demonic Beasts. He only preyed upon several Ninth and one Tenth Order ones. Only their Monster Cores perked his interest, the rest he considered a waste of time.

Wolf’s fussiness disappeared once he’d reached his first target. No longer thinking about conserving time, he decided to eradicate all monsters surrounding Demonic Converters. His approach was slow, but safe.

Man, it’s easier when you have a map and general information about your enemy’s abilities.

It is. Silver answered Wolf’s thought. However, I’m not a man, Master.

I wasn’t talking to you, Wolf thought at Silver. I was thinking.

You should learn to think quietly, Master. I know you’re not talking to me when evaluating breasts and planning your next move, or how to spend your money. But I hear loads of thoughts which sound like bragging or invitations to converse. It’s confusing.

Sorry Silver. I’ll try to figure out how to do it. But how do you think without forming words? Wolf frowned. This process still eluded him.

I don’t know, Master? I think for myself and speak when I want you to hear me, Silver answered Wolf’s musing yet again.

I didn’t ask… Wolf took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind. Never mind. Just give me some time. Besides, shouldn’t you be sleeping twenty hours a day?

I do sleep twenty hours a day. Silver replied after Wolf failed in his sorry excuse for an attempt.

Fine; Silver, I’m going to plan now. If I accidentally think something that sounds like the beginning of a conversation, I’m not initiating smalltalk. I’ll play with you during my break. You can sleep now. Wolf explained everything clearly, while suppressing the faint frustration he felt.

Alright, Master. Don’t feel angry because of me. Silver said, mimicking Anna’s pouting. The egg was more proficient at appearing pathetic than Wolf’s friend. I’ll go sleep in the corner. A dark corner.

Wolf chortled at Silver’s antics, then focused on what lay ahead, going through what he read about his enemy.

We assume Demonic Converters absorb vitality from a vast region, which is why they are far removed from each other. The higher their Order, the greater their territory.

Demonic Converters fed on Demonic Beasts’ Internal Energy and stored excess Internal Energy and vitality in their fruit. This, along with Demonic Converter’s soul manipulation skills, made their black apples alluring to Monster Beasts.

It’s best to clear out the surroundings. Books don’t mention it, but even if a Demonic Converter can draw back energy from their apples, there’s bound to be conversion loss. The remaining problems after purging the surrounding monsters are the roots and corpse manipulation skills.

After settling on a plan, Wolf started systematically eradicating Demonic Beasts in a five kilometer radius. Three days later, he cleared the area.

You know, Master, you could’ve wrapped this up much faster. Silver didn’t really complain, nor did she ask a proper question. In fact, she gave Wolf the impression that she was thinking aloud.

He smiled. You’re doing it too.

However, the egg shook its front part.

Just teasing. Silver giggled, imitating Barbara’s cheery tone. But I would like to know why you didn’t slaughter these pitiful creatures during one of my naps.

I’m trying to be cautious. Also, if the Demonic Converter at the center can absorb vital energy from the dead in a large area, it’s better if it converted at least a part of these Demonic Beasts into its fruit before I get there.

We. Silver corrected.

Yes, we, of course. Wolf smiled once more. Somebody has to eat the Soul Force of Monster Cores I refine.

I’m a growing young lady! Silver harrumphed, and Wolf wondered whether she was impersonating Anna or Barbara.

Neither! I am Master’s Silver. The egg snorted, then ignored Wolf’s plans and prodding.

Seeing that Silver had no intention of interrupting him further, Wolf headed to face the only Demonic Beast he detected with his awakened senses.

Wolf held Book in his hand. His Internal Energy reserve was full, and he had armed himself with an array of protective spells. The young True-Namer stepped into the glade overflowing with confidence.

He scanned the clearing, seeing it matched what he’d read in the books. Instead of hard-packed soil releasing a bloody odor, this Demonic Converter loomed over a lush green valley.

The ominous feeling of a lower Order Demonic Converter’s glade disappeared, replaced by a natural and peaceful environment.

The idyllic scene didn’t fool Wolf. The tree’s pressure was much stronger, and the damn thing tried to muddle his mind as soon as he stepped into the clearing.

‘Your petty tricks don’t work on me.’ Wolf almost said the words, then realized something. He should be more humble. Mandy told him that dozens of times. And since he considered saying such trashy lines, that meant this Demonic Converter did influence his mind, if only a bit.

Sure enough, Shield Mind sent alarm bells echoing in his mind, even though the tree’s crown above him was perfectly still.

It can use Subtle Spells? No. These aren’t spells. But this one does use its ability more subtly than the smaller ones. This wasn’t in the books. Wolf wasn’t certain whether it was because nobody noticed it, which was unlikely, or because nobody thought it important enough to commit to paper. But even this appeared too sloppy for a gathering of True-Namers.

I’ll definitely add this ability to its bestiary entry. Even if nobody thinks it’s important, it’s an accurate observation of a high Order Demonic Beast.

All these thoughts flashed through Wolf’s mind before he even laid his eyes on the Demonic Converter’s bulk. The tree was twice the size of its offshoots. Its crown was a hundred meters in diameter, as was the clearing in its shade. The trunk didn’t quite reach twice the offshoot’s height, but it was thrice as thick.

Wolf wanted to wait for the tree to drop its apples. That way, all Demonic Beasts within range would come for the feast and die before Wolf attacked the tree, minimizing its healing. However, he couldn’t wait that long. Demonic Converter would dispel Wolf’s enchantments one by one if he gave it enough time.

With circumstances forcing him into action, Wolf sent a surge of Internal Energy into his legs and dashed towards the enemy. His move was a trigger for a flurry of actions. The young True-Namer awakened his senses and started casting a Subtle Scapegoat. He expected that the demonic plant would try to strip away his enchantments right from the start.

He was correct. Demonic Converter’s branches shook and its leaves rustled as the monster sought to interfere with Wolf’s magic. At the same time, with snaps inaudible to regular manlings, thousands of black apples detached from their branches, dropping towards the ground like a hail of stones.

As the black hail fell, the earth beneath Wolf’s feet bulged and fine tendrils shot out of it in slow motion. The stench of rot, previously obscured by the layer of grass, assailed Wolf’s nostrils. However, he didn’t bat an eye.

Wolf slashed Book at the seething mass of tendrils. He already knew what stirred under his feet and why bones didn’t litter the surface. Eleventh Order Demonic Converters could freely move their roots, save for their main radicle.

The roots move the fastest when shooting forward, their sideways motion is slow, while the speed at which they retreat is somewhere in between. Wolf recalled the relevant information as Book slashed through the thread-like tendrils. These are too weak and too thin. It’s trying to entangle me. Probably until it mobilizes larger, stronger roots. These are used to keep the soil loose, not fight enemies.

Acting swiftly means denying Demonic Converter the time it needs to prepare for battle. This Demonic Beast is used to fighting other beasts; meaning it expects me to be dumb enough to attack these discardable roots instead of going in for the kill.

Wolf’s gaze darted up. I have two more seconds before those apple’s hit the ground. After that, I have at least three minutes to fight it before its Demonic Beast reinforcements arrive, maybe more. I didn’t see those cheetah chimeras this deep in the Demon Forest. They don’t seem like pack animals, and Seventh and Eighth Demonic Beasts move around in groups in this region.

Deep down, Wolf knew he wouldn't easily reach the Demonic Converter. But in those two seconds before the black apples fell, he ought to reach its last line of defense.

Twenty meters in front of Wolf, the ground bulged and formed a small mound. Earth cascaded down a bulky form to reveal a muddy carapace as big as a hippo.

Everything is going according to plan. Wolf smiled with satisfaction and Silver rolled her eyes inside her shell.