Chapter 138: The Trials of Xyl (Part-3)

Remembering the incident occurred just a while ago, Lin Fang took a deep breath. Instead of responding to the aggression with similar aggression, he looked up calmly, one hand still caressing the golden-furred wolf’s head.

“My bad. I didn’t mean to offend you guys.” He smiled lightly. “And don’t worry… I didn’t use any charm or power on them. These little pups just… smelled their mom on me, I guess.”

The woman frowned, folding her arms. “Mom?”

Lin Fang glanced between them before saying casually, “They came from our store.”

Both of them blinked in confusion. “Your store?” they said in unison.

“Yeah,” Lin Fang replied with a light chuckle. “We’re the only ones on the continent who sell Direwolf eggs. Judging by their sizes, they’re about three months old, right?”

The couple’s eyes widened — that was exactly right.

He continued, “So tell me, did you buy them directly from the store, or through a broker named Shang Wei?”

At the mention of the name, the couple exchanged a shocked glance.

“You know Shang Wei?” the man asked slowly, his suspicion melting into surprise.

Lin Fang smiled knowingly and stood up, brushing the dust from his knees. “Because,” he said simply, “he is the only one I sold in bulk amounts. You can say he is an acquaintance and the middleman of our store in other cities.” After a pause, he added, “Anyway, I’m Lin Fang, from Huaxi City, Northern Yan.”

The man nodded with a grin. “Ah, I see. You are a friend of Shang Wei, huh? I’m sorry for reacting that way earlier. I was just too surprised that our soul-bound companions acted that way toward you. I’m Wang Jie, by the way, and this is my girlfriend, Anne Fei. We’re both from Peking City.”

Lin Fang offered a polite nod to Anne Fei as well. “Nice to meet you both.”

Anne didn’t wipe off her frown yet. She asked. “Earlier, you said, they smell their mom on you… You mean…”

With a light smile, Lin Fang nodded and added a smooth, harmless lie. “I was once contracted to the Direwolf Queen for several years. I suppose these little ones can still smell her scent on me — that’s why they acted friendly.”

At that, both Wang Jie and Anne Fei blinked in surprise.

The man’s eyes widened slightly, impressed. “You were contracted to a Direwolf Queen? That’s incredible… no wonder they reacted like that.”

Anne Fei, however, still wasn’t impressed. She crossed her arms and tilted her head with a skeptical look. “Oh, really? Then where is this so-called Direwolf Queen of yours?” She glanced around, scanning the area as if expecting the mighty beast to appear.

Lin Fang smiled faintly, unfazed by her sharp tone. “She’s currently on lease at a breeding facility,” he said casually.

That made Anne Fei’s expression twist instantly into disgust. “You leased your own companion for breeding?” she asked, her voice dripping with disdain. “Seriously? Using your bonded monster like some kind of livestock? Don’t you feel bad for her?”

Wang Jie shot her a warning glance, but before he could speak, Lin Fang’s calm demeanor turned faintly cold as he shrugged. “Coming from people who push their companions into life-threatening battles and let them get cut, burned, and mauled for profit or pride… You calling me heartless sounds kind of stupid, don’t you think?”

Anne Fei froze, her lips parting but no words coming out.

Lin Fang took a small step forward, his gaze sharp but not hostile. “If you’re a jerk, then be a jerk. Don’t act like a saint while doing bad deeds.”

As his words struck like a clean blade, Anne’s frown deepened further. “You—” She turned to her boyfriend and nudged him. “Babe, you’re not going to say anything?”

Wang Jie looked awkward, scratching the back of his neck. “I… I mean, he kinda has a point, Fei.”

Anne Fei glared at him, clearly annoyed.

Lin Fang let out a quiet sigh and lifted a hand in a gesture of truce. “Sorry if you felt offended,” he said, his tone polite again. “It seems we got off on the wrong foot, and we aren’t remotely acquainted enough for me to give my reasoning either. I’ll just mind my own business before it gets worse.”

Lin Fang began walking away without another glance at the couple or listening to what they had to say. He had no intention of dragging the matter further — not over a petty argument.

Behind him, Anne Fei clenched her teeth, her face twisted with indignation. “That arrogant bastard…” she began, taking a step forward.

But Wang Jie quickly caught her by the arm, his grip firm. “Don’t,” he warned in a low voice. “It’s not wise to make unnecessary enemies over a few words.”

Anne glared at him, but Wang Jie continued, “Can’t you sense it? His mana reserves were higher than both of ours combined. We don’t know who he really is or whether he told us the truth. What if he charms our Blaze and Luna (the Direwolves) and hurts them? They might be strong physically, but still little pups. Picking a fight with someone like that is bad for us, later on.”

Anne bit her lip, but after a moment of tense silence, she sighed and withdrew her arm. Lin Fang, unaware or simply unconcerned, kept walking.

Almost ninety minutes later, in Camp 2’s busy cafeteria, Lin Fang sat in a corner, quietly eating, his mind half-occupied with the upcoming trial and half on the store, more on the mythril ores he gave to Zhi Yan. Of course, he trusts her, but as Zhi Yan told him that with another 100-150 million investment, he can earn more than 500 million from those ores, he had that bit of restlessness in his heart, like what if she betrays him. Even for Zhi Yan, 500 million is still like 10% of her wealth. If that happens, Lin Fang is sure that he would never be able to recover from such betrayal.

Just then, fortunately for him, a loud horn blared across the camp, echoing through every corridor and tent like an alarm. His senses came back to reality.

BWWOOOOOOOM!

Lin Fang glanced at the clock on the wall and murmured to himself, “Exactly six p.m. Right on time…”

He calmly placed his half-eaten meal aside, wiped his hands, and stood up. Within minutes, the entire camp was in motion — hunters rushing out with their gear, some nervous, others excited.

By the time Lin Fang reached the main training grounds, more than forty hunters had gathered, each accompanied by their monster companions. The air buzzed with anticipation, and the low growls or roars of restless beasts filled the surroundings due to their proximity to one another.

At the front stood a familiar figure to Lin Fang and others — Feng Xiu, the commanding officer of the trial, holding a megaphone in one hand and a tablet in the other. All forty-two people gathered here participated in the Hunter examination conducted by Feng Xiu, went through three trials, and are now participating in the final trial.

“Alright!” Feng Xiu’s amplified voice cut through the noise, commanding everyone’s attention. “Anyone who hasn’t reported by now — consider yourself disqualified!”

Feng Xiu continued. “Now, listen up! In a few minutes, you’ll all be transported into the wilderness. But before that…

He paced slowly before them, his gaze sharp. “First of all, let’s talk about protection zones.”

A murmur went through the hunters — that was the one thing everyone was concerned about.

“There are two types of protection available inside the wilderness.

One: Safehouses.” Feng Xiu raised a small metallic key into the air for everyone to see. The keys you received during registration will unlock these safehouses. Each one is built with reinforced steel walls, strong enough to withstand even a Lord-Tier monster’s attacks. Use them wisely — they might be the only thing between you and death.”

He then continued, his tone turning more serious. “Two: Safezones. There are three safe zones in total — guarded by our military personnel. Each safezone includes a medical ward, supply store, and cafeteria — basically, small fortified bases. Basically, once you are in a safe zone, your life will fall under our responsibility and we will ensure it at all costs.”

A few hunters looked relieved. Feng Xiu’s next words, however, quickly wiped that feeling away. “But remember — once you’re inside a safezone, all fighting is forbidden.” His gaze swept over the crowd as he added. “Anyone caught brawling or attacking inside will be instantly disqualified. No exceptions.”

The murmurs died down again, and silence returned.

“Next,” Feng Xiu continued, “let’s talk about the danger zones.”

At that, the crowd collectively tensed.

“There are four of them in total,” Feng Xiu said, his expression grim. “Each of these areas is marked on the maps you will find on the maps available here. If you haven’t bought any maps yet, go and purchase one from the store before entering the wilderness. Of course, even if you lost the map, you can still find the danger zone warning signs everywhere in the perimeter of those danger zones. I stress that you all stay away from them, unless you are accompanying veterans of Camp 3. Three of those are ruled by King-Tier region bosses.”

Then he lifted another finger. “And the fourth danzer zone…” he paused, letting the tension build, “is ruled by the Emperor-Tier beast, the sovereign of this entire mountain range — Kong. And this… is absolutely considered a forbidden zone.”

A chill passed through the hunters. How strong is an Emperor Tier monster? It was on top of all Class-1 beings, capable of razing down towns if they got loose.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep