Chapter 58: Steel Knight

The chief commander's office is on the third floor.

Lei En follows Bo Luo Ke into a spacious room whose décor is plain; besides a few sets of wooden tables and chairs, the dominant feature is several rows of large bookshelves tucked into the corner, packed with books, making the whole office resemble a small library.

A man whose age is indiscernible sits behind the large desk.

His face is resolute, his head covered with short silver hair, and he wears white heavy armor; even while seated his robust build is evident, and the armor must weigh at least three hundred pounds.

However, his gaze is deep and carries a hint of scholarly elegance; he looks like a scholar, cradling a book in his hands, with several stacks of books on the desk, as if he were studying.

On the way over, Lei En heard Bo Luo Ke introduce that the chief commander of the Demon Extermination Squad is a senior Steel Knight named Da Wen La He.

A Steel Knight is an advanced class of Iron Guard, possessing steel-like Willpower and body, with astonishingly high defense.

Besides Da Wen La He, there are other people in the office, all Transcendents who appear to be members of the Demon Extermination Squad.

A few people look toward the doorway, their gazes landing on the two newcomers.

Da Wen La He sees Lei En's stature, his eyes brighten, a warm smile spreads across his face, and he says, "Bo Luo Ke, this young man is Lei En, right?"

"Yes, Chief Commander," Bo Luo Ke replies.

He introduces the people in the office to Lei En, saying, "Lei En, this is our Chief Commander Da Wen La He." Then he points to a handsome young man beside Da Wen La He and says, "This is De Li Si, captain of the Second Team, and Bi Fu Li, captain of the Fourth Team."

Bi Fu Li is a middle‑aged woman of ordinary looks but gentle temperament; she wears a robe of spellcraft, clearly a Wizard.

"Chief Commander, Captain De Li Si, Captain Bi Fu Li."

Lei En greets the three Demon Extermination Squad leaders one by one, while quietly using his Soul Eye to scan them.

Undoubtedly, Da Wen La He is the strongest among everyone present: a ninth‑level Steel Knight whose soul contains seven Elements, all physical—either boosting bodily strength, enhancing defense, or accelerating stamina recovery—just one step shy of Legend.

The combination of these physical Elements makes Da Wen La He like an iron turtle impervious to blades, leaving enemies with nowhere to strike.

De Li Si is a fourth‑level fire‑element Demon Swordmaster, while Bi Fu Li is a fifth‑level Elementalist.

By the color of their souls, Lei En discerns each of the three's attitude toward him.

Da Wen La He is in a good mood, holding a slight expectation for him; Bi Fu Li remains calm, neither pleased nor angry; only De Li Si, whose soul suddenly shifted to deep teal with a few streaks of red when he saw Lei En, indicating disgust and malice.

"Whoa, this guy has hostility toward me."

Lei En silently becomes wary, not knowing where he offended this Demon Extermination Squad captain.

Da Wen La He stands, his towering figure nearly blocking the glass window behind him; as he moves, the floor creaks, and his heavy armor clanks, like a moving fortress.

He walks over, curiously scrutinizing Lei En, especially his skin, his eyes full of astonishment as if he had uncovered something remarkable.

"Lei En, are you an Iron Guard?" Da Wen La He asks.

Bo Luo Ke had mentioned this in his earlier report; he was surprised by Lei En's formidable strength but did not ponder further nor ask formally.

He knows Lei En only recently became a Transcendent, and from his physical changes it is evident he is an Iron Guard.

Lei En hesitates, about to deny.

De Li Si, full of vigor, laughs and says, "Chief Commander, this time you misread—Lei En is a Wizard."

"Wizard?"

Da Wen La He and Bo Luo Ke both wear stunned expressions, and even the indifferent Bi Fu Li is greatly surprised,

she never expected that this robust young man was, like herself, a Wizard.

Bo Luo Ke, incredulous, can't help asking, "Lei En, are you a Wizard?"

"Yes, I am a Combat Wizard."

Lei En answers truthfully, glancing at De Li Si; this captain of evidently good background, revealing his Transcendent vocation early, surely harbors ill intent.

De Li Si must have met him before and known he was a Wizard; there can be only one reason.

Lei En has a good memory; he recalls that at the Violet House's trade fair, De Li Si's figure seemed present, though Viola never introduced him in person.

At that time, many people were displeased with him, and De Li Si was one of them.

"So he's a rival in love."

Lei En instantly realizes why De Li Si showed hostility at first sight; this is just the beginning, and more trouble will follow.

Hearing Lei En's words, Bo Luo Ke looks bewildered; Iron Guard and Wizard, what a huge difference!

Da Wen La He laughs, "I told you, you young man are odd—look like an Iron Guard, body solid, yet you give me the vibe of a spellcaster; turns out you're a Combat Wizard."

He exclaims, "Combat Wizards are a rare profession; even we Longshande can hardly find any. Lei En, you obtaining the World Tree Seed is already remarkable."

"Chief Commander, you are truly erudite," Lei En promptly compliments.

Most people may have never heard of Combat Wizards; even Wizards know little of the combat school, yet this Steel Knight knows about the World Tree Seed—so many books were not read in vain, his knowledge is vast.

"You needn't flatter me."

Da Wen La He pats Lei En's shoulder, then shakes his head with a hint of disappointment, "What a pity. If you were an Iron Guard I could give you a few pointers, but as a Wizard I have no right to say anything."

He returns to the desk and sits, his soul's color reverting to white, clearly less enthusiastic than before.

Beside him, De Li Si's mouth lifts slightly, hinting at a touch of smugness.

Lei En instantly understands why De Li Si highlighted his vocation.

Da Wen La He, as a Steel Knight advanced from Iron Guard, favors other Iron Guards; if one pretends to be an Iron Guard, the relationship with Da Wen La He could be drawn closer.

Since he's not an Iron Guard, it will be handled strictly by protocol.

Da Wen La He says, "Bi Fu Li, conduct a Faith Screening on Lei En; if there are no issues, let him join Bo Luo Ke's squad to fill the vacancy."

Before Bi Fu Li can respond, De Li Si interjects, "Chief Commander, isn't this too hasty?"

"Our Demon Extermination Squad isn't open to just anyone; one must have a certain strength and pass our test," he says, glancing at Lei En with an arrogant expression.

"Captain De Li Si, what do you mean?"

Bo Luo Ke immediately becomes displeased, his voice low, "I already reported to the Chief Commander earlier: Lei En, in last night's battle, killed at least two vampires and over a dozen blood servants. With that strength, further testing is unnecessary."

De Li Si snorts, "You didn't see it with your own eyes, and I heard Lei En was operating alongside a legendary demon hunter; only that legendary elder knows whether he contributed."

"If you have that legendary demon hunter testify at the Public Security Bureau, I won't waste another word."

De Li Si folds his arms across his chest, as if he has Bo Luo Ke cornered.

Bo Luo Ke took a deep breath, suppressing his anger; for such a trivial matter, how could Master Luo Jie possibly come to the Security Bureau in person? He was puzzled—normally he had no quarrel with De Lis, so why did he suddenly turn against him today?

"Chief, sir?" Bo Luo Ke looked at Da Wen La He, hoping he would make the final decision.

Da Wen La He considered for a few seconds, then nodded and said, "De Lis makes a point; we cannot break the rules."

"Chief..." Bo Luo Ke grew a bit anxious.

"Bo Luo Ke, you need not say more," Da Wen La He said, sitting there, his expression turning stern. "You know the duties of our Demon Extermination Squad; letting someone join without testing, if they lack strength, will only lead to needless death."

He looked at Lei En and said calmly, "If Lei En has the strength, he will naturally pass the test; if his strength is insufficient, denying him entry into the Demon Extermination Squad is also taking responsibility for him."

Bo Luo Ke still wanted to argue, but Da Wen La He raised his hand to stop him.

"Go summon the squad's Ha Geluofu and have him spar with Lei En for a trial."

Da Wen La He made the arrangement, and before Bo Luo Ke could answer, De Lis leapt forward, saying, "Chief, why not let me test Lei En's strength? I haven't faced a battle Wizard yet, and I'm itching for a fight."

His words essentially declared that he would not get along with Lei En.

Da Wen La He showed a doubtful expression, his gaze flicking between Lei En and De Lis a few times, then, irritated, said, "De Lis, you must know your limits."

De Lis is a Mid-stage Demon Swordmaster, while Lei En has only recently become a Transcendent; the gap in strength between them is so great that if they clash, Lei En will certainly suffer greatly—perhaps not killed on the spot, but a brutal mauling and severe injury are inevitable.

Bo Luo Ke could no longer contain his fury; his hand rested on the Soul Gun at his waist as he glared angrily at De Lis.

De Lis simply spread his hands and said candidly, "Chief, I have no other intention; I truly just want to spar with the rare battle Wizard for fun."

He turned his head toward Lei En, moved closer in a direction unseen by the others, his eyes full of provocation and contempt, yet he smiled and said, "Lei En, you won't back down, will you? Rest assured, I will hold back and not wound you."

"Lei En, don't act rashly."

Bo Luo Ke shouted, "De Lis, if you have any issue, bring it to me!"

Lei En's expression remained calm.

In fact, after sensing De Lis's hostility toward him, he already thought of leaving.

Obviously, De Lis holds a high position in the Demon Extermination Squad—at least above Bo Luo Ke—and Chief Da Wen La He values him greatly; if one joins the squad, De Lis would inevitably set hidden traps or even stab from behind later.

He only needs the squad's name; he doesn't truly intend to make a name for himself within it.

With De Lis here, future trouble is bound to be plenty.

Lei En originally intended to take his leave, but upon hearing De Lis's request, he no longer wanted to go.

A fourth‑grade Demon Swordmaster is indeed formidable, though he lacks the massive speed advantage of a Swift Wind Demon Swordmaster; his sword technique simply has slightly stronger power, not making the chance nonexistent.

Lei En had long seen through De Lis's Soul Element, and sneered coldly in his mind.

He said calmly, "Then I look forward to Captain De Lis's guidance."