Wolf Phobia, Wolf Rider

Thud! Thud!

Water splashed in all directions!

Hou Zhengbeng, who had originally been twisting his body frantically like a loach, gradually weakened in his struggles.

A moment later, Hou Zhengbeng stopped moving and drooped his head limply. Zhang Guangmu could not even hear him breathing anymore.

Hou Zhengbeng looked as though he had died.

Zhang Guangmu, however, remained calm, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He maintained his position, exerting all his strength as he held his opponent down and continued choking him, without the slightest carelessness. Instead, it gave the impression that he was brutally making sure his opponent was dead.

Half a minute passed before a violent gurgling sound suddenly came from Hou Zhengbeng's throat.

His originally limp body abruptly erupted with strength, almost breaking free of Zhang Guangmu's restraint.

"Die! Just die!"

Hou Zhengbeng's desperate struggling even won him a moment to catch his breath and speak. "I'll kill you! Once I pass the Water Prison Trial, I can become a Wolf Rider and rise above the rest!"

"I want to kill you... You... Why... are you resisting?!"

Blood vessels filled Hou Zhengbeng's eyes. As he struggled frantically, he spat out fragmented threats. "Just! Go! Die obediently!"

Anyone with eyes could sense that intense will to survive and obsession.

However...

If sheer willpower could reverse the tides, Zhang Guangmu would not have needed to train so hard.

After all, before he obtained the usable ability points from the Book of Acting, his Acting Skill 1 and Imperial Body Forging Technique 1 had both been earned through diligent training.

Imperial Body Forging Technique 1 was not particularly powerful, but when the physical abilities of the two characters were not far apart, it could easily crush someone like Hou Zhengbeng, who was only at Imperial Body Forging Technique 0.

The cunning fox had not escaped the hunter's slaughter.

In the end, Zhang Guangmu had outmaneuvered him and locked down Hou Zhengbeng once more after his stamina had been depleted.

"..."

Facing Hou Zhengbeng, who looked possessed by madness, Zhang Guangmu remained expressionless and silent, merely exerting his strength with ferocity.

Sensing the icy killing intent radiating from Zhang Guangmu, unwillingness and viciousness flickered in Hou Zhengbeng's eyes. He twisted his body wildly, wishing he could strip Zhang Guangmu's flesh from his bones and drown him in the Water Prison on the spot.

The hatred had appeared abruptly, yet it was powerful enough. Even while looking only at Hou Zhengbeng's profile, Zhang Guangmu could sense that twisted resentment and savagery.

Filming of Wolf Fortress had only just begun. He had not even seen the protagonist or the Big Villain. If he fell here and got killed off, that would be laughable.

If Hou Zhengbeng really killed him, he would definitely fail to secure a spot among this year's supernovas. He would also have to endure Li Xiaoxiao, Chu Fan, and the others mocking him in the group chat.

So Zhang Guangmu tightened his hold even further.

Time flowed by, second after second.

Hou Zhengbeng's resistance grew weaker and weaker, like prey struggling on the verge of death. At first, he could still kick up a little spray, but later, all his struggles became feeble.

Only after confirming that Hou Zhengbeng had completely stopped breathing and that no pulse could be felt in his neck did Zhang Guangmu release him and push his limp corpse into the water.

Thud!

Under the orange candlelight, the surface of the Water Prison shimmered.

Seeing this scene, the cluster of White Balls floating in the Water Prison began trembling one after another.

"Holy crap! That's brutal! He killed someone just because they disagreed! I suggest going straight to a psychiatrist!"

"I suggest fast-forwarding directly to him being thrown in prison! It feels like self-defense, but that method was way too freaking terrifying!"

"If this happened in the Real World, wouldn't a conviction for excessive self-defense be completely justified?"

"Anyone looking for reality in a Subconscious Film must have something wrong with their head. Is there a Flame Wolf in the Real World? No, right?"

"Speaking of which, did Hou Zhengbeng finally get punished by evil with evil?"

"How could the little Joker's viciousness compare with the Big Villain's presence and elegance? This round is a crushing difference in status—a suppression by sequence!"

"I actually felt a little sorry for Hou Zhengbeng, but when I thought of all the unlucky people he had harmed, I suddenly felt a little schadenfreude."

"I've long since grown tired of upright and righteous characters! This new kid is truly a landslide!"

"He's ruthless and doesn't talk much. When he says he'll do it, he does it! He's totally my type!"

"Quick! I want this newcomer's information within three minutes!"

"This guy's name is Zhang Guangmu. Wolf Fortress is the second production he's taken on, so... are you going to become a Shou Mu Ren too?"

"Sure, sure! A gravekeeper... even his fans' name sounds so sinister. You can tell he's a big shot planning to develop toward the evil faction! No more nonsense! Just for this scene, I'm freaking becoming a fan!"

"I thought Benzi Ge was already strange enough, but there will always be someone stranger. Sorry, brothers! I've decided to support this newcomer!"

"Hou Zhengbeng is the future King of Villains! Death to the traitor!"

And so...

Zhang Guangmu saw two White Balls floating in the Water Prison begin fighting each other.

Unfortunately, audience mode did not include a pain sensation.

The two White Balls traded insults for a long while without determining a victor. In the end, they could only angrily shout things like "We're no longer brothers!" and "I'm breaking off our friendship!" before separating and continuing to follow the story.

Zhang Guangmu was practically laughing his head off inside.

Fortunately, he had raised his Acting Skill to 2.

Otherwise, he would probably have broken character by now.

After all, the circumstances this time were different from those in the Endless Food Bag. Zhang Guangmu had not been tortured either. If matters had developed to that extent, it would have been difficult to justify things logically, and some clever viewers might have keenly noticed the flaws.

With the support of Acting Skill 2, Zhang Guangmu showed not the slightest flaw on his face. He could even maintain his previous emotions and transition seamlessly.

He lowered his head and looked down at the corpse half-floating in the water, his lips pressed together and his face cold.

"An uninteresting weakling."

Tap, tap, tap...

The sound of hard boot soles striking the ground rang out.

Zhang Guangmu followed the sound and saw a black-clad figure wearing a Wolf Bone Mask walking toward him.

Before long, the Wolf Bone Mask wearer arrived beside Zhang Guangmu. With practiced ease, he used a key to unlock the Water Prison's door and said coldly, "Congratulations on passing the Water Prison Trial and becoming the only Wolf Rider among this batch."

The man was cold and emotionless, seemingly accustomed to the cruelty of the Chaotic World. He could not even be bothered to spare another glance at the corpse floating in the Water Prison. He merely scrutinized Zhang Guangmu's expression from top to bottom, seemingly hoping to find a trace of fear, weakness, or lingering terror after the killing.

Unfortunately...

Zhang Guangmu showed none of the emotions he expected. Instead, he looked like a young master out on a picnic, examining the man with open curiosity.

The masked man was somewhat annoyed. "What are you looking at?"

Zhang Guangmu did not answer immediately. He merely pushed open the cell door, stepped out, and planted his feet on the dry ground while stretching his body.

After warming himself up, he tilted his head and said with a cheeky grin, "The mask is for hiding your identity, right?"

"Your bone mask is full of holes. Other than looking cool, it's completely useless."

"Once I get out, I'll draw you a pig's-head mask. I guarantee it'll be more useful than the one you're wearing now!"

The masked man subconsciously touched the Wolf Bone Mask on his face. Imagining what Zhang Guangmu had promised, he could not help shuddering.

The youths who could participate in the Water Prison Trial were all war orphans adopted by the Fort Master.

These youths had lived, trained, and grown up together since childhood. Even someone who had never experienced it could feel the bonds and ties between them.

Yet just now, Zhang Guangmu had personally killed a companion who was in the same situation as him. Even if he had been forced to fight back and was morally justified, the guilt would not be reduced in the slightest.

The masked man believed that Zhang Guangmu might have become mentally unstable and somewhat deranged because he had harmed his companion.

It would be better not to provoke someone like that until his mind returned to normal.

"Let's go!"

The masked man had originally wanted to show off in front of Zhang Guangmu. After realizing this, however, he grew wary, and everything suddenly became pointless. He therefore said concisely, "You should go meet your 'other half.'"

Above Wolf Fortress.

From his god's-eye viewpoint, Director Sun controlled the entire situation while surrounded by a group of Little Black Balls. Naturally, he received news of the "sudden development" immediately.

"Hm? Hou Zhengbeng attacked Zhang Guangmu? Considering his subconscious, that's perfectly normal."

Director Sun was not flustered in the slightest. Instead, he said with a smile, "Hou Zhengbeng is a standard criminal sequence. If he suddenly became honest and law-abiding, then I'd be worried."

As he spoke, an assistant incarnated as a Little Black Ball reminded him, "Hou Zhengbeng has already been killed. Zhang Guangmu only needed two moves to kill him."

Only then did Director Sun finally take an interest. "He's dead? Good! Very good!"

"A story without conflict has no selling point. A film without a selling point has no commercial value!"

If not for the Empire's Super AI intervening and forcibly assigning the roles, Director Sun would not have been particularly willing to let Hou Zhengbeng join his production.

Although no expression could be seen on Director Sun's face, which had transformed into a Golden Little Lightball, his tone conveyed the feeling that "everything was under control." "I knew it. If Zhang Guangmu and Hou Zhengbeng were thrown together, there would definitely be contradictions and conflict."

"Now it seems that Zhang Guangmu is somewhat useful. His personal combat ability isn't weak, right? That means I judged correctly. He really does have the potential to develop along the Assassin or Death Warrior sequence."

"A cold heart, decent skills, and a self-destructive tendency—these three pieces of his personality puzzle can indeed form the subconscious of the Death Warrior sequence."

At this point, Director Sun shook his head and changed the subject. "Whether it's Zhang Guangmu or Hou Zhengbeng, I don't care who wins or loses."

"The new Wolf Rider from the Water Prison Trial is ultimately just an insignificant minor character in this production. His upper limit is already fixed, and he can't affect the Main Plot in any way."

"The direction of Wolf Fortress's plot will ultimately depend on Yang Chi and Zhu Nanhua. Keep an eye on them! Prepare the Script Hints! Don't let them stray from the plot, understand?"

Two chapters today, 6,300 words. Hehe...

Thanks to Life Is More Than Just Getting By for the 1,500-point tip~

Thanks to Long Haomiao for the 200-point tip~

Thanks to Fishing Rod Can Attend Class for the 100-point tip~

Thanks to Where Is My Dried Fish for the 100-point tip~

Thanks to Little Qiang Rises for the 100-point tip~

Thanks for the support!

See you tomorrow, everyone!