Storm Wolf: Tranquil waters - 13. Chapter 3 - Bread and Circuses 3.3

Dots began to appear on the projected map, grouped in clusters of five, distributed evenly across the slopes surrounding the basin. These represented the seven factions, each marked in their respective colors. Briefly, a live feed focused on one of the teams' leaders--Piqsirpoq, whose icy eyes scanned left and right, issuing commands with calm authority.

From the information given earlier, I knew that the preliminary round was a free-for-all points competition. Within a limited time, teams scored points by capturing zones, seizing targets, or incapacitating enemy teams. The scores and captured zones from the first day would carry over, making an early advantage crucial for future rounds.

"As expected, Snow's team moved towards the central area without wasting a moment, aiming to secure the resources there. Is this a display of confidence in their combat skills, or merely an extension of Snow's pride?"

I figured it was both, fitting Piqsirpoq's character well. Yet, it was likely a calculated decision rather than a rash move.

Each faction had its own areas of expertise. Nyx handled history, politics, and law; Gray dealt with biology and medicine; Ash focused on planetary environments and physics; and Snow's domain was the art of war and combat. That's why, most of the time, the title of "Empire's Premier Swordsman" belonged to a Snow, with only occasional exceptions from other factions. Other canines across the Empire's history held the title less than ten times.

Thus, Piqsirpoq wasn't worried about increased skirmishes in the central area; he probably welcomed it. Securing better equipment from the central zones would boost their chances of successfully pursuing and defeating enemy teams in the expansive terrain. Without such an advantage, relying on a strategy of incapacitating opponents would be challenging given the dispersed starting positions.

"Other teams are efficiently searching for nearby equipment and beginning to secure their initial zones, while Snow has already opened several crates... Jackpot! Look at their excitement--boys and their toys!"

Two Snow I didn't recognize each slung a newly assembled rifle over their shoulders and started distributing batteries. Piqsirpoq strapped a longsword to his waist--his typical style. The other two Snow members were crouched nearby, though I couldn't see what they were doing.

"Most teams have secured their starting zones, putting everyone ahead of Snow, who has only gathered a few resource points so far. All teams are moving to their next targets... Wait, am I seeing this right?"

A murmur of excitement spread through the broadcast room, a buzzing hum of whispers.

"Nyx's team is spreading out! Even though capturing the outer zones isn't too challenging, Nyx must be confident... Oh, it's 'the cloak'! Nyx's team just found 'the cloak'!"

Three black dots on the map turned semi-transparent, moving swiftly in different directions. Curious, I pulled out my terminal, connected to the internal network, and zoomed in on Nyx's semi-transparent team members.

Black wolves ran, hoods up, cloaks billowing behind them, shifting colors and patterns to blend with their surroundings. I tapped the equipment info, revealing the cloak's details: electronic signal shielding and optical camouflage.

"Bold move! But even with stealth capabilities, spreading the team is risky, not to mention capturing zones reveals their location. Will Nyx's high-risk strategy pay off?"
The closest two teams to Nyx started closing in, shortening the distance, likely aiming to pick off the scattered black wolves.

"Do you know him?" I asked two black wolves beside me, pointing to the terminal and zooming in on Nyx leader's profile.

"Olethros?" Aether shook his head slightly. "Not really."

The young wolf seemed too engrossed in the broadcast to respond to me.

"The second stage of zone captures is complete! Nyx's strategy worked, giving them a temporary lead!"

The arena map filled with more black zones than the second-place team by four. But seeing Nyx's positions, Flash and Wood's teams quickly moved towards the nearest black zones.

"Direct conflict in the Selection rarely happens this early, usually not until zone saturation. It seems Nyx's new strategy is provoking different responses. Will they manage... What?"

The remaining two black dots also turned semi-transparent. Flash and Wood's teams hesitated briefly.

"Five cloaks! What's happening? Did Nyx really find five cloaks? Is that even fair?"

I replayed the timeline, focusing on the Nyx team. I noticed that while one member was busy solving the capture puzzle, the others swiftly searched the nearby equipment crates, just like most teams. The difference was that the black wolves ran farther, checked more crates, and didn't spend time assembling weapons. Instead, they took single-piece auxiliary equipment, giving them more chances to inspect more crates and gather what they needed.

Even though they could disappear from the radar, true invisibility with optical camouflage was still very difficult. Splitting up was still a disadvantage for the Nyx team, and obviously, both Flash and Wood knew this.

"Oh," Aether muttered, understanding dawning on his face. "Olethros has led them into a trap."

"A trap?" I rewound the timeline and checked the Nyx members' equipment list but found nothing resembling trap-making materials or tools.

"Not that kind." He gestured toward Flash's team. "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link."

The semi-transparent black dots remained still, with a few pale yellow dots passing close by Olethros without noticing him.

As I zoomed in, I caught the moment Olethros jumped from a tree, pinning the rear-most, isolated Flash member to the ground, face down.

"Beautiful takedown! One of Flash's members is unconscious, adding significantly to Nyx's score. But is exposing their leader to enemy attacks worth it?"

The commotion behind alerted the blond wolves, who turned to attack the retreating black wolf. Two threw what looked like snares. The black wolf glanced back and dodged smoothly, leaping to the side. But as he landed, a plasma shot hit him, sending Olethros rolling on the ground, dry yellow leaves swirling into the air.

"Oh, that must hurt! The Nyx leader is still conscious, but can he move?"

A Flash member approached Olethros cautiously, aware the black wolf wasn't knocked out.

Suddenly, Olethros, who had been lying on the ground, raised a hand and threw something at the nearest enemy, who dodged quickly. Another Flash member, however, got tangled in a smoldering cloak, swearing as he tried to free himself.

Olethros seized the opportunity, nimbly getting up and moving swiftly between cover, escaping Flash's attack range.

"It seems the cloak absorbed some of the plasma damage. Olethros is still mobile! Now, Nyx has pulled away, and Flash seems intent on chasing them. But as the saying goes--while the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole waits behind!"

A burst of plasma fire forced four Flash members to seek cover, abandoning the chase, prompting cheers in the broadcast room as black-furred arms waved in the air.

Wood's team approached from another direction. Despite having long-cooldown plasma rifles, three members carried rifles, giving them a firepower advantage. Flash's leader shot at Wood's nearest member, forcing them into cover, then issued orders to the rest.

"This is a trap forcing them to fight each other," Aether explained. "With one member down and inferior equipment, Flash can be annihilated by Wood if they choose."

The black wolf synced his terminal with mine, manipulating the interface and highlighting the semi-transparent black dots retreating to a farther distance.

"Even with superior firepower, Wood can't avoid losses in a direct confrontation." Aether pointed to Olethros' dot. "Olethros is still nearby, but they don't know the other Nyx members are capturing more zones. Any decision to attack or retreat must consider third-party interference."

I nodded, understanding the tactical situation. Clearly, strategy was part of history too.

"Flash and Wood are in a stalemate, with Nyx applying constant pressure from the side! A brilliant setup that will surely boost Olethros' reputation! But let's hear from Master Thanatos!"

A frame appeared in the lower-left corner of the screen, showing a sharp-eyed black wolf.

"This is a typical Spartacus game," he explained, drawing lines on the arena map. "Flash and Wood are like two gladiators of unequal strength." Thanatos circled the two teams. The camera showed Wood advancing while Flash tried to retreat, occasionally exchanging plasma fire. "The stronger gladiator will undoubtedly win, but the survivor will remain a slave to the Romans." Thanatos squinted slightly.

"Master Historian often mentions this game model," Aether added, shrugging. "The only chance for gladiators to win is to recognize the true enemy is Rome and cooperate to rebel. But the risk of the first to lay down arms is too high, so the equilibrium is the Romans continuing to enjoy the gladiators killing each other, with rebellion never occurring, especially since Rome holds an information advantage."

I nodded, pondering the situation. I didn't understand all the technical terms Aether used, but I grasped the current scenario--for Flash and Wood, the best outcome would be to stop fighting and attack Nyx. But Wood didn't know where Nyx was or their combat capabilities, and they couldn't resist the temptation of eliminating Flash. As for Flash, being under attack made cooperation with Wood impossible.

I was witnessing a highly condensed, simplified reenactment of history. Somehow, it made me feel a bit sad.

"But Nyx isn't entirely safe in this scenario either." Thanatos smiled, pointing at other teams. "The Celts, Gauls, and Germans are still active."

Gray, Ash, and Mottle each captured a new zone. Gray and Ash, because nearby enemy teams were engaged in their own standoffs, also started splitting members to increase their capture speed.

Nyx's lead was shrinking. I saw Olethros frown momentarily, but he remained low behind cover, not taking further action.

"More interestingly," Thanatos laughed, showing his white fangs. "The Huns arrived four centuries early."

The central zone of the arena turned white as Snow's score surged to first place. The room of white wolves erupted in cheers, even a few howls.

"What a shock! Although it's just the first-generation Deep Blue, and a draw would still count as a victory, solving the central area's puzzle in such a short time definitely set a tournament record!

"It seems chess is a form of warfare," I remarked. Aether nodded, scratching his chin.

The camera focused on Piqsirpoq, whose icy eyes glanced at us sharply, his fur and ears swaying in the wind.

As biased as it might sound, honestly, he looked quite handsome.

"Snow's leader looks a lot like you," Momus said with a smile.

"Oh..." I tried to minimize the hesitation in my voice. "Piqsirpoq is my brother."

"So cool!" Momus said happily, elbowing Aether, who just grunted in response. "I wish I had a brother that cool."

Aether's expression didn't change, but I caught the moment his body stiffened. I was familiar with that feeling of knowing you weren't needed.

"Why not? Aether is cool too." I said, feeling my mouth curl up. "I'm sure Piqsirpoq doesn't even know what the Spartacus dilemma is."

I glanced at Aether. His expression remained unchanged, but I was sure his ears perked up slightly. The young wolf also made a skeptical sound, glancing at Aether, but Momus's wagging tail revealed his true feelings.

I refocused on the broadcast, keeping up with the latest developments.

I wasn't saying this out of pity, was I? I truly believed Aether was cool too. And compared to Piqsirpoq, Aether was definitely a more competent brother. Besides, so what if it was out of pity? My smile widened, and my tail tip wagged gently.

The broadcast's lower-left frame showed Qana repeatedly waving off the camera, not wanting to be disturbed.

"Bold tactics, Skrynia has always demonstrated impressive chess skills." Qana finally gave up resisting, crossing his arms and evaluating. "The central zone puzzle had some luck involved, but Snow's team made excellent decisions, capitalizing on favorable opportunities." He examined Snow's equipment info. "This is a fully equipped tactical team. With their abilities, eliminating other poorly equipped teams will be easy. Even if all factions unite against Snow, it will only delay the inevitable."

Qana's prediction caused murmurs in the room, many wolves whispering to each other. The sword master wouldn't make such a conclusion lightly; it seemed the situation had reached a critical point.

I replayed the timeline, and while Skrynia played chess with Deep Blue, the others cleared out the central zone's equipment crates.

"The key question now is whether Snow intends to further solidify their lead, setting a more stable foundation for the coming days, or quickly eliminate other teams to prevent them from surviving and creating variables." A new frame appeared, and a light blond wolf, clearly displeased with his team's bottom ranking, spoke in a low voice.

Who knows, maybe he was just like Qana, annoyed by constant interruptions.

"Or perhaps," Thanatos spoke again, clearly enjoying the commentary on the Selection process unlike the other two masters, "the remaining factions will decide to unite against Snow, willing to fight even without any chance of victory?"

"I tend to believe they will act more rationally," a female brown wolf joined the conversation. "While there's still a chance, they should divide the remaining areas and try to snatch limited resources from weaker opponents. Dog eat dog... or in this case, wolf eat wolf."

"These moments are always thrilling and exciting, right, Master Willow?" Thanatos enthusiastically asked. "What kind of surprises will the young ones bring us, revealing new possibilities?"

"Not at all," Willow pushed her glasses and replied succinctly, making Thanatos laugh again.

"But look, Wood's team has stopped attacking Flash." Thanatos pointed out the arena's edge activities, causing Willow to click his tongue. "Oh, they're negotiating, good job!" Thanatos even clapped his hands and laughed, while the light blond wolf raised an eyebrow, looking less anxious.

"...a waste of teaching." Willow muttered something inaudible, but it made Thanatos laugh even harder.

I rewound the timeline to after Snow occupied the central area. Nyx decided to stop hiding and took over four more areas from slopes to plains. This change clearly made the brown wolves uneasy, leading Wood's leader to halt their attack.

"Claiming to cooperate while taking advantage of the chaos." The light blond wolf grumbled and glanced sideways, where I guessed Thanatos was sitting.

"Hey, Master Lux, that's not very gracious." Thanatos smiled cunningly.

"If Flash's team were leading, I could be gracious too." Lux crossed his arms and leaned back, making Thanatos laugh again, while Willow just pursed her lips and said nothing.

"I might sound odd saying this," Qana still tried to fend off the camera, making his screen shake, "but let me remind all masters that we are accountable to the Senate."

After Qana spoke, Thanatos shook his head but still had a smug smile, while Lux's face turned even grimmer. Willow rolled her eyes and shook his head, clearly feeling exasperated. As for Qana, he finally managed to achieve his goal in some way, causing his designated window on screen to be engulfed in darkness.

It seemed the interaction among the masters was a highlight of the Selection process, with the broadcasting wolves not wanting to miss any juicy details. Soon, Qana's image reappeared on screen, and I noticed his hand gripping the sword hilt tightly, veins bulging, indicating he used a lot of willpower to keep the sword sheathed.

"I heard they used to be very close," Aether suddenly said, catching me off guard.

"What?" I perked up my ears, turning to Aether.

"Qana Snow and Willow Wood," he murmured. "Qana almost requested to transfer to Wood's base, a hot topic at the time." Aether glanced at me and continued slowly. "The Empire's Premier Swordsman and a renowned interstellar econometrician. It wasn't just their factions; the whole Senate was abuzz."

"But..." I knew some members from different factions temporarily lived in non-native bases due to work or assignment. But Aether's tone made it sound like Qana planned to... leave Snow. "Aren't they from different factions?" I always thought this was forbidden.

"It used to be common, but now it seems only Nyx remembers." Aether fell silent for a while. "Actually, it wasn't long ago, just about ten or twenty years."

He gestured at the diverse wolves in the broadcast room.

"Different factions preserve the most suitable assets according to their genotypes." Aether tapped his temple. "Efficient logic and memory from neural synaptic networks," he glanced at me, "high-density myelin and unique metabolism granting nerve reflexes and physical qualities," the black wolf pointed at a mottled wolf in front of us. "Mottle's absolute pitch, color sensitivity, and relatively high synesthesia frequency, enabling them to explore the world in ways others can't comprehend." Aether's tone grew detached, his gaze distant.

I scanned the broadcast room, observing the various wolves with different fur and eye colors. This was something all wolves were constantly reminded of from birth--the reason we are who we are.

"But what about those who can't meet these expectations?" Aether lowered his gaze, looking at Momus. The little wolf was happily laughing, baring white teeth, and wagging his tail vigorously, focused on the projection screen, oblivious to his brother's gaze. "Previously, wolves from different factions commonly left their birthplace to develop in suitable fields--even outside the Senate's reach--without losing the faction's support." Aether turned back, yellow eyes on the ground, ears drooping. "Until... that incident happened."

I knew exactly what he was talking about. Suddenly, my tail tip started to itch, even though I knew it was just an illusion--I had just plucked out the new gray hairs yesterday.

"Sorry..." I squeezed the words through clenched teeth, ears flat against my head.
It felt like falling, eternally, endlessly, and emptily into the darkness.

No one would hear me, no one would see me, no one... could catch me.

My existence was a mistake, embodying all abnormalities, unable to belong anywhere, because I was an outlier. How many problems could have been avoided if I had never been born? Wolves unsuited to their factions could move freely, Piqsirpoq wouldn't have lost his father, and even the mother I never met would probably have been better off. A mutt... isn't that what I am? A mutt, just...

"Why apologize?" Aether said.

"What?" Deep in my thoughts, I didn't immediately grasp what he meant.

Why apologize?" The black wolf slowed his speech, repeating, his white fangs showing slightly as he enunciated each word, yellow eyes still on the projection screen. "Is it your fault?"

The fall stopped. Not landing on solid ground, but something caught me in the endless darkness. At the bottom of the abyss, there was a faint light. Weak and flickering, as if it might disappear at any moment, but undeniably there.

Was this my fault?

No one should ever apologize for their innate traits--any of them.

This isn't my fault.

Understanding this simple truth, I leaned back, allowing myself to relax.

It was just that simple.

The remaining time passed with occasional gasps and cheers from the surrounding wolves, responding to the commentator's excited tone. Even when Piqsirpoq's face appeared again as the focus of the screen, I didn't pay much attention.

Now, something more important occupied my thoughts.

Through blurred vision, I saw myself more clearly.

At the other end of the corridor, Qana and Willow walked side by side, a white and a brown wolf chatting about something.

Qana's usual dark cloak moved slightly with his steps, occasionally revealing the metallic hilt of his sword, reflecting the light projected from above.

Willow, on the other hand, wore a formal gray and white suit, tailored to fit her well. Her height was almost at Qana's shoulder level, which was tall for a female wolf. She had a habit of pushing her glasses up and blinking her green eyes.

I could swear that I had never seen such a near-smile on the sword master's face before, and I noticed his gently swaying white tail and the almost protective body language. It seemed to confirm something.

I glanced at Aether, who responded with a knowing look, making me smile.

"Sword Master." After bidding Willow farewell at the previous corridor, Qana walked toward us. I lowered my gaze and ears, greeting him in a submissive tone, and Aether did the same.

"Richter." Qana seemed to just notice the black wolf. "Your... friend?" He raised an eyebrow, asking curiously.

"Yes, Master..." I was about to introduce them when I suddenly saw a black shadow flash by my side.

"You're real!" Momus shrieked as he lunged at Qana.

The sword master hadn't anticipated an attack from a pup, his face full of surprise, ears standing straight up, but he sidestepped in time. However, Momus seemed to take Qana's reaction as some kind of encouragement or challenge and attacked again.

"Thank you..." Aether said softly. "For doing all this for Momus."

"Oh, it's nothing. We wolves who... 'can't meet the pack's expectations' should stick together." I replied quietly. "And I mean it, I think you're way cooler than Piqsirpoq." I turned to Aether, giving him a smile. The black wolf's pupils immediately dilated, ears perked up, showing a hint of blush.

Oh, so it's the smile?

I would definitely deny that the reason I was smiling more was because I felt proud. But who cares, I think I deserve some compliments now and then. We stared at each other for a moment until the Momus' shriek, accompanied by Qana's roar, drew our attention again.

"I'm scared..." Aether muttered, looking down at the ground. "Sooner or later, I won't be able to continue looking after Momus." He took a deep breath and looked at the wolf cub clinging to Qana's leg. "For a wolf without the Senate's protection, the Canine Empire is a very, very dangerous place."

"I understand." I tried to make my tone sound more determined. "I probably won't be living in the Senate either. If it weren't for Master Faurik finding me an internship at Oceanus Procellarum University, I wouldn't know what to do with my future..."

After some effort, Qana finally grabbed Momus by the scruff, lifting him up. But, as usual, the over-energetic wolf cub, with seemingly limitless energy, continued to thrash his limbs and tail wildly.

We watched the somewhat intense battle in silence, feeling the fear of the future lingering in the air, gripping us tightly. Both the certain and uncertain pressures were equally depressing.

Suddenly, a thought struck me--perhaps, wolves who "can't meet the pack's expectations" could stand together more firmly.

"I think I can also help ask around." I said softly, not wanting to sound too confident to avoid greater disappointment if things didn't work out. "I believe Oceanus Procellarum University would welcome wolves from the Nyx faction."

But Momus might need... more self-control than now? I thought as I watched the panting sword master and the energetic wolf cub.

"The Lunar, huh?" Aether said thoughtfully. "I think it would be a great opportunity. I'll talk to Momus about it."

Qana finally gave up resisting, looking resigned as he started drawing something on Momus' terminal with his finger. Probably an autograph, I guessed. If Momus could maintain this level of persistence academically, I believed Oceanus Procellarum University's gate wouldn't stop him. Nor would any other gate in the world.

"Thank you..." Aether said again, his gaze dropping to the ground, shifting his limbs and tail, perhaps trying to find a more comfortable position.

"It's nothing." I said sincerely. "I just want to do something for... others." I scratched my ear, trying to clearly express my thoughts. "I'm very lucky to have people willing to help me, even as an outcast from the faction. As for those less fortunate, I think I can at least offer my help within my abilities."

The wolf cub, with a victorious posture, came towards us, his black tail high and swaying slowly from side to side, followed by the exhausted sword master.

I think I found the answer to the dilemma between maned wolves and big cats.

A way for everyone to coexist... must exist. No matter how difficult, it's not an excuse not to try. The world is harsh, but it doesn't have to be. The world can be kind, depending on how much we care.

Psychics are supposed to create miracles, accomplishing the impossible, aren't they?

Just now, I had a preliminary guess about why psychics exist. I couldn't yet articulate it clearly or use logic to defend my vague feelings. But perhaps, nurturing this newly sprouted idea, given time, a towering tree could eventually shade the once barren land.