Originally, if Zhang Guangmu had simply developed things according to his personal preferences, he would definitely have preferred to pour all his resources into raising Flame Wolf Bai Yue into the true Flame Wolf King among kings.
He could have taken the genius Beast Taming Flow route, sweeping across all directions, ruling the Eight Directions, and brutally crushing everything in his path. Just imagining it felt exhilarating!
But the problem was...
The world of "Wolf Fortress" did not revolve around Zhang Guangmu.
Director Sun had an extremely mature Production Team. Many possible loopholes had already been firmly sealed off in advance.
Zhang Guangmu soon discovered that Flame Wolf Bai Yue belonged to the type that had reached its peak the moment it debuted. It had not been given any growth attributes, and its upper limit had been completely locked. No matter how much effort he put in, he could not bring about a qualitative change in its combat power.
However...
As long as one's thinking did not decline, there were always more solutions than difficulties!
Zhang Guangmu began to seek another path.
He would climb the Flame Wolf Bionic Technology Tree!
It sounded like an impressive term, but putting it into practice was not merely a mental task. It was also physically demanding.
The world-building of "Wolf Fortress" was quite detailed, but the Production Team's energy, finances, and manpower were scattered across every aspect. To ensure everything was covered, they could not possibly spend all of it on documents and books.
So...
Zhang Guangmu searched the entire Wolf Fortress and found only thirty-seven original books.
For a reader like him, who had the habit of reading and could maintain his concentration for long periods, that many books were enough to keep him busy for just over half a month.
For the rest of the time, Zhang Guangmu combined theory with practice, constantly conducting various experiments and gradually turning the knowledge in the books into reality, transforming it into his own combat power and foundation.
During that period, the Plot Protagonist Lin Xuan had already begun to stand out. He was gradually making a name for himself and had even rallied a group of people around him, forming his own faction.
In the process, Li Xiaoxiao, who had been assigned the identity of Free Wolf Rider, had also infiltrated the Protagonist Group.
And Zhang Guangmu...
He flexed the ten fingers wearing his Full Finger Gloves, then touched the strange "water pouch" hanging at his waist.
After keeping his head down and developing himself until now, he believed he had accumulated enough initial capital to flip the table and Tear Script!
The Little white light orbs floating around Zhang Guangmu began to tremble excitedly.
"The first-generation human combat equipment has been fully developed! Combat preparations are complete! Unit 01 · Tian Guang can deploy at any time!"
"The age of the Flame Wolf's supremacy is about to become a thing of the past! Next comes the Human Rise Era!"
"I don't really understand, but I'm deeply shaken."
"What don't you understand? Other Wolf Riders are basically saying, 'Go, Pikachu!' But when it comes to Zhang Guangmu, it becomes, 'Pikachu, go with me!' Do you understand now?"
"Easy to understand! The boss is awesome!"
"It's great having someone who feels like a class representative. I don't even need to use my brain anymore."
"Zhang Guangmu! Temporary God! voice cracking"
"So we're going to the Fort Master to accept the mission to assassinate Lin Xuan later? Holy crap! This Plot Protagonist is so unlucky. If he runs into the dishonorable Mu Zai, he's going to break down completely!"
The black-clad man wearing the Wolf Bone Mask seemed not to be the same person from the Water Prison Trial. He did not ask what the oddly shaped Animal Skin Water Bag and gloves on Zhang Guangmu were for. He merely carried out his duty of leading the way in silence.
Led by the masked man, Zhang Guangmu and Flame Wolf Bai Yue passed through streets and alleys and climbed dozens of flights of stairs before finally arriving at the Fort Master's residence.
The place was spacious and bright, grand and imposing, with an excellent view and abundant light. From here, one could look down upon the entire Wolf Fortress!
Only after standing there did Zhang Guangmu finally catch sight of Wolf Fortress in its entirety.
"Damn, it really is a super-large fortress!"
As he was marveling inwardly, Zhang Guangmu suddenly felt a wave of heat sweep past his ear. A rich, smoky fragrance rushed toward him.
Following the scent, he looked over and saw a middle-aged man in a Crimson Robe staring intently at him.
The man wore Black Battle Boots and a Jade Belt, with a Wolf Bone Crown atop his head and a long, handsome beard on his chin. Though he was older, he was still a genuinely handsome middle-aged man.
Who else could he be but Wolf Fortress Lord Lin Yan?
Two black-clad masked men followed beside Lin Yan. His own bearing was domineering and forceful, and his eyes were so radiant that people dared not meet his gaze.
Zhang Guangmu, however, had no sense of tact at all. Like a clueless youth with zero emotional intelligence, he unabashedly examined Lin Yan and the Flame Wolf beside him—a wolf with blazing-red fur all over its body, a ring of golden fur around its neck, and a cold gaze that made it seem like the king of wolves.
No, there was no "seemed like" about it. Strictly speaking, this was a genuine Wolf King.
"Now that is handsome!"
Zhang Guangmu's eyes lit up. He then turned his head toward Flame Wolf Bai Yue beside him. "The one opposite us looks like it's a whole size bigger than you... Can you take it?"
A small cluster of flames slipped between Bai Yue's teeth, while a cold glint shimmered in its wolf eyes.
Zhang Guangmu nodded slightly, his eyes lighting up. "I think I understand!"
"Even though you can't beat it, you still have the courage to go toe-to-toe with it?"
"Impressive, my Bai Yue!"
His voice was not loud, but there were only a few people present, and everyone was standing fairly close. Naturally, they could all hear him.
The two black-clad men wearing Wolf Bone Masks immediately shouted angrily.
"How dare you! You're merely a newly promoted Wolf Rider, yet you don't know the immensity of heaven and earth and dare to show disrespect to the Fort Master!"
"Arrogant fool! Get on your knees right now! I think you're tired of living!"
Seeing Zhang Guangmu's performance, Lin Yan, who had originally regarded him merely as a disposable pawn, became somewhat interested.
The Fort Master waved his hand, signaling the two guards on either side to be quiet. Then he looked at Zhang Guangmu with interest. "Tian Guang..."
"That is a name with quite a bit of charm."
"At first, I thought you had merely chosen it by coincidence and did not know its meaning."
"Later, I heard that you liked reading. In that case, it should not have been a coincidence."
Lin Yan smiled meaningfully, and an oppressive aura radiated from his entire body.
Unfortunately, his mastery of conversational rhythm and atmosphere was useless against Zhang Guangmu. Not only was Zhang Guangmu unflustered, he even began commenting on Lin Yan's appearance with a cheeky grin. "The Fort Master really is handsome! You must have been quite the beautiful man when you were young!"
Lin Yan looked somewhat awkward at those words. He stroked the beard on his chin but did not dwell on the matter.
His gaze sharpened as he fixed his eyes on Zhang Guangmu and got straight to the point. "After raising soldiers for a thousand days, one uses them for a moment."
"I have a mission to give you now."
"If you can complete it successfully..."
"Promoting you to the Flame Wolf Guard would not be out of the question."
The Flame Wolf Guard were the black-clad men qualified to wear Wolf Bone Masks. They held extremely high positions within Wolf Fortress and were the Fort Master's trusted aides, ranking even above ordinary Wolf Riders.
No matter how unruly a Wolf Rider was, upon seeing a Flame Wolf Guard, they had to behave respectfully and dare not offend them.
After speaking, Lin Yan gave a slight wave of his hand.
The masked man who had originally stood to his left immediately stepped forward twice and slammed a scroll into Zhang Guangmu's hands.
Zhang Guangmu appeared unconcerned by the man's rough attitude. He calmly crushed the sealing wax on the scroll, opened it, and quickly scanned its contents.
A moment later, he rolled the scroll back up. "I understand the mission."
"However..."
"I refuse."
The expression on Lin Yan's face froze.
The Wolf Riders who emerged from the Water Prison Trial were all potential confidants and direct subordinates of the Fort Master. There had never been a precedent of one rebelling against him.
From Zhang Guangmu's earlier reactions, Lin Yan had seen that he was somewhat rebellious. But he genuinely had not expected this brat to dare refuse him outright!
Could reading have addled his brain?
"You still have one chance to reconsider."
Lin Yan narrowed his eyes slightly. His handsome beard stirred without any wind, revealing a trace of powerful authority. "I rarely give people a second chance."
"You should know what happens to those who defy the Fort Master."
"If not for your young age, you would already be a corpse."
The Golden-Necked Flame Wolf beside Lin Yan was highly intelligent. It seemed to sense its master's emotions and immediately lowered its body, baring its teeth at Zhang Guangmu as dazzling, scorching flames flickered in its mouth.
An irritating smell resembling Sulfur gradually spread through the air.
Ignoring Lin Yan's anger and displeasure, Zhang Guangmu spoke to himself like an outsider. "I can understand why you want me to kill Red Carbon."
"After all, as Young Fortress Lord Lin Xuan's other half, Red Carbon has displayed the Wolf King's Demeanor recently. It has won several conflicts with Wolf Riders by overwhelming margins, and its potential for future growth is enormous."
"I can understand that, having sensed the threat, you want to kill Lin Xuan's Flame Wolf in advance to consolidate your position."
"But..."
"Even a tiger will not eat its cub. Lin Xuan is your biological son, yet you're asking me to kill him..."
Zhang Guangmu looked into Lin Yan's eyes and said seriously, "As an orphan, I've always yearned for something called 'family affection.'"
"Your cold-blooded ruthlessness has shattered my fantasy."
"I'm very unhappy, so I refuse to carry out this mission."
Hearing this, many of the viewers thrown into the scene by the director could not help commenting.
"Holy crap! This guy is so brave!"
"That reasoning is perfectly sound, but is Wolf Fortress a place where people care about reason?"
"I don't really understand it, but it feels like this guy is courting death. This is going to be good!"
"Front-row seats! Sunflower seeds, peanuts, and mineral water for sale!"
"The logic is airtight and flawless. But, young man, are you tired of living? How dare you speak to the Fort Master like that?"
"Could one of the experts who turned off immersion mode tell us? Was this choice the Actor's own will, or was it guided by the script?"
"It wasn't guided by the script! This guy is genuinely ferocious!"
"The Protagonist Group is still in the stage of enduring oppression and biding their time, yet he's already directly confronting the final boss!"
"Courageous, but unfortunately too brainless! He feels like some low-intelligence Extra, useful only for highlighting the Big Villain's power and cruelty."
"A classic case of an impressive flurry of moves, followed by a record of zero wins and five losses."
Amid the chattering discussions of the viewers, a few White Balls that had remained silent all this time suddenly began to speak.
"What the hell do you people know? You're all worthless, doing nothing but babbling nonsense! Brother Mu may always give people the impression that he's carefree and irreverent, but he definitely isn't the kind of person who doesn't value his life! Since he dares to do this, he naturally has something to rely on!"
"Those of you who didn't lock your perspective onto Mu Zai earlier have no idea what you missed!"
"Wolf Fortress, prepare to welcome your new king!"
"Beneath the wheels of history, all reactionaries are paper tigers! If you want to kill Brother Mu, Lin Yan isn't qualified!"
These viewers, who called themselves Shou Mu Ren and Tian Guang fans, displayed a mysterious faith in Zhang Guangmu.
They firmly believed that Zhang Guangmu, an Extra who originally had barely any screen time, could defeat Wolf Fortress Lord Lin Yan and the two Flame Wolf Guards.
Before you continue