Although the Werewolves were outclassed individually, they had the advantage in numbers and were skilled at coordination. At the initial clash, quite a few were knocked down by the direwolves.
However, except for two who were too late to be saved and had their throats torn out, and one who had his head crushed by a knight's flail, the rest managed to hold on despite their injuries.
Soon, the battle turned into a chaotic melee.
Although the Direwolf Knights stopped their charge, their strength hadn't diminished. The synergy between the riders and their mounts was impressive. With the knights occupying the high ground, they held their own even when outnumbered two to one.
Each swing of a flail could dent the armor of a Werewolves.
Both sides were armored, so actual casualties were relatively low.
Many knights were knocked off their wolves, but continued to battle the Werewolves evenly. The direwolves, lacking armor, were the true weak link—several were taken down by the Werewolves.
Watching from above, Guo Wenbin felt thankful for the blacksmith profession card and iron mine card his mother had given him.
Without armor, even a minor blow from a flail or a direwolf pounce could've cost him 20–30 of his followers just to hold the line.
But now, he'd only lost fewer than ten.
Bang!
A helmet split clean in half, exposing a mess of blood and brain inside.
That was the fourth Direwolf Knight personally slain by the Werewolves chieftain.
Although the fight remained intense, Instructor Xiao Jianghai had already shifted his attention to another student's divine domain.
> "This Werewolves chieftain... if trained properly, he has the potential to become a hero unit."
He had already grasped the basic structure of Guo Wenbin's forces.
> "Rumors say Zhou Wei's father is the God of Kobolds. Looks like it's true—how else would his domain already have twenty kobold warlocks?"
"Starting with elite-level elves as your initial followers... that's bold. Let's see... Zhuo Yiyi, surname Zhuo. Could she be a descendant of the Zhuo family, the ruling elven gods? If so, then she might be the top student this year. Still, raising a Tier-3 race this early is reckless."
"Zhang San's elite minotaurs are solid, just too few in number."
"Wang Qiang's little Murloc are still too weak, though there are a ton of them."
While Xiao Jianghai was silently evaluating each student, Guo Wenbin watched as the Werewolves chieftain smashed in the last direwolf's skull, ending the battle.
Then, the Werewolves gathered the twenty direwolf and knight corpses into a pile. Under the chieftain's leadership, they began a sacrificial ritual.
> "Creator of the world..."
"Lord of Creation and Law..."
"Supreme God of the Hunt and Fortune..."
"Only under Your gaze do we find the courage to resist evil's invasion."
"Now, we humbly offer these spoils of war. Please continue to bless us."
As the prayers ended, the corpses of the wolves and knights ignited in golden flames and slowly vanished into the air.
---
[You have performed a Sacrificial Ritual.]
[You received 5 strands of Divine Power. Choose one or more of the following rewards:]
50 sets of iron weapons (1 strand)
Skill: Beast Companion (2 strands)
Skill: Mighty Blow (2 strands)
Skill: Wolf Rearing (1 strand)
Feat: Wolf Taming (4 strands)
Feat: Master Riding (5 strands)
Unit: 10 Direwolf Knights (5 strands)
Divine Domain Expansion (1 strand = +1 hectare of domain)
Faith Value: +3209
A glowing panel appeared before Guo Wenbin.
He showed no surprise. Every school test worked this way—students earned divine power, which could be exchanged for troops or abilities. If they successfully defended their domain, the divine power remained as a reward.
If they failed, they got nothing—or if the cost was too high in casualties, the gain might not be worth it.
Guo Wenbin didn't make a choice right away. Instead, he exited his domain.
---
Back in the classroom, Instructor Xiao Jianghai stood on the podium and addressed the students:
> "Overall, today's exam was a success. You've all proven why you were placed in Class One."
"As per school rules, everyone who passed the test may choose a Tier-1 consumable card."
The room lit up with smiles. Guo Wenbin was no exception.
In this world, domain cards were extremely hard to use. They required divine power to be perfectly converted—since every divine domain had its own unique rules.
Only the Pantheon Alliance possessed the ability to produce such cards. To become a deity, one had to go through a formal god-training school.
> "Of course, according to policy, the top 10 students can select a loadable card, while the bottom 20 can only select consumable ones."
"Now, I'll announce the test rankings. Wang Hai, 30th place…"
As names were called out, some students cheered, others frowned.
In the early stages of divine evolution, every advantage mattered. The school always focused resources on the elite.
Low-ranking students got weaker cards, and consumables disappeared after use. But loadable cards could provide permanent bonuses.
By the next test, top students would have an even bigger advantage from these early rewards.
Students from wealthy families could supplement their resources. Those without support were now falling behind.
> "Fifth place: Wang Qiang
Fourth place: Zhang San
Third place: Guo Wenbin
Second place: Zhou Wei
First place: Zhuo Yiyi"
> "Whoa! The top student is a girl!"
"Teacher, I object! Why is she ranked first?"
While Guo Wenbin tried to spot Zhuo Yiyi in the crowd, a thin, sneaky-looking boy jumped up, full of disbelief.
> "My followers wiped out 100 elite Tier-2 serpentmen in two waves, without a single casualty! Why am I not ranked first?"
> "Damn, 100 Tier-2 serpentmen? My test only had 20 elite minotaurs!"
"Impressive. Some of us did well despite our limitations. Others did well because the test was too easy for them."
"Now I'm really curious why Zhuo Yiyi took first place."