Wild Wolf

Inside a small mountain range outside Hancheng.

A massive base was hidden deep beneath the mountain, with only a single passageway providing access from the outside world.

At this moment, in a small room within that base, Yang Chen was sitting on a sofa, feeling bored. He sprawled out across it, looking quite comfortable.

The room was large, nearly the size of Yang Chen's own home. In front of the sofa sat a crystal-like coffee table, upon which were placed bottles of drinks and a pile of fruit.

It was quite enticing.

However, Yang Chen's somewhat tattered clothes looked rather out of place here.

Yang Chen lay comfortably on the sofa, casually picking up a bottle of drink with one hand while holding a large piece of fruit in the other, taking bite after bite.

His mouth was soon covered in juice.

Once Yang Chen had eaten and drunk his fill, he lay back slowly. Feeling the softness of the sofa, he even felt like taking a nap right there.

Even his own small bed wasn't as comfortable as this sofa.

This was the first time Yang Chen had sat in such a luxurious environment.

"They're here!"

Yang Chen, lying on the sofa, shifted his body slightly and sat up, his eyes turning toward the door.

Tap, tap, tap!

The crisp sound of leather boots striking the floor rang out. The footsteps were steady; one could tell just from the sound that this person was extraordinary!

Then, the door opened.

A middle-aged man with a square face, dressed in a dark green military uniform, walked in. His expression was full of authority, as if he possessed no flaws at all.

Every movement he made exuded an aura of cold, lethal intent.

It was not hard to see that this man had definitely experienced slaughter!

Moreover, the number of times he had killed was so high it was hard to count!

Although Yang Chen did not feel a shred of threat from the man, the man's killing intent still made Yang Chen feel somewhat uncomfortable.

After all, although Yang Chen possessed great strength, he had never killed a single person.

He was just like a novice.

Unknowingly, Yang Chen's momentum weakened by a notch!

The officer sat down calmly across from Yang Chen and spoke.

"I am the supreme commander of Hancheng Number 98, codenamed Wild Wolf, an A-Class esper!"

Wild Wolf quickly introduced himself, then stared fixedly at Yang Chen, as if he wanted to see right through him.

Yang Chen smiled without saying a word.

Although Wild Wolf kept watching him, Yang Chen was not afraid in the slightest. Since he felt no threat from Wild Wolf, it meant the opponent was no match for him, so there was nothing to fear!

Wild Wolf frowned slightly. Logically, most people would feel uncomfortable under his gaze, but this young man before him showed no change at all—he even smiled?

One had to know that he came from a military background and had experienced many battles between espers; the killing intent he radiated was enough to shatter the spirit of a D-Class esper.

Even a C-Class esper would be significantly affected!

Yet, for some reason, he couldn't see through this young man!

There were only a few explanations: either this young man had a significant background and had undergone specialized training, or he was a spy—otherwise, he couldn't have achieved such composure. As for the third possibility...

His strength was above his own!

But if he were a spy, how could he have walked right into the trap and entered the heart of Number 98?

Furthermore, Yang Chen's background had already been investigated; he was an orphan raised in an orphanage who had been picking up trash just a few days ago. How could he seem like a completely different person now?

He had been reborn.

For a moment, even someone as experienced as Wild Wolf was a bit confused.

But he didn't lose his composure.

"I have heard your request, but there are only a few Grandmasters in all of Huaxia, and there is only one in the entire Jiangnan region. It is very difficult for you to meet a Grandmaster!"

Wild Wolf slowly withdrew his gaze and said indifferently.

Yang Chen's heart stirred slightly, and a faint curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"What are the conditions?"

The other party only said it was difficult, not that it was impossible, which meant there was still room for negotiation, or perhaps a way!

But there were definitely conditions.

"Meeting a Grandmaster is difficult even for me to arrange. Only those at the S-Class level have the opportunity to have close contact with a Grandmaster."

Wild Wolf shook his head and said.

Even he found Yang Chen's request difficult to fulfill.

Don't let his position as the commander of Hancheng fool you; Hancheng was merely a small city in the grand scheme of Huaxia. There were hundreds of cities like Hancheng in the country. If he had the authority to arrange such meetings, the Grandmasters of Huaxia would be worked to death!

"I can introduce you to the General Manager of Number 98 in Jiangnan, but I must see your strength first! Otherwise, even if I provide the introduction, you might not be able to convince that person to recommend you to a Grandmaster!"

Wild Wolf paused, then looked at Yang Chen, his eyes gleaming.

He was acting on the words of his subordinate.

To easily subdue a well-trained D-Class esper from Number 98 while the target was completely off-guard was a feat even a C-Class esper could not achieve.

Based on his own observations, this young man clearly possessed significant strength, perhaps even rivaling his own.

It had been a long time since Wild Wolf had sparred with an esper of his own caliber, and his hands were itching. While testing Yang Chen's strength was the true objective, satisfying his craving for a fight was equally real.

Yang Chen shifted slightly, then sprawled back onto the sofa and laughed.

"Isn't it just that you want to see my strength? Did you really have to be so roundabout? Since you want to see it, then come on!"

Wild Wolf had the motive of testing Yang Chen's strength, but did Yang Chen not also have the desire to test his own?

Although the system panel listed his strength as that of a Grandmaster, whether he truly matched the Grandmaster-level strength found on Earth remained to be seen.

Now that he had an A-Class esper to serve as a sparring partner, he had the perfect test subject.

Yang Chen also happened to want to see exactly what kind of strength the espers within Number 98—an organization that could cover the sky with one hand in Huaxia—truly possessed.

Wild Wolf glanced at Yang Chen's posture, his brows knitting slightly.

As a soldier, he did not care much for Yang Chen's demeanor; it was simply too undisciplined.

However, since the other party was not a member of Number 98, nor his own subordinate, he found it difficult to say anything.

"Let's go. This place isn't suitable for a fight."

Wild Wolf stood up and walked straight out.

Seeing this, Yang Chen stood up as well and followed behind him.

Along the way, several members of Number 98 looked at Yang Chen with faint expressions of surprise.

Yang Chen's attire was truly rare within the halls of Number 98.

Before long, Wild Wolf led Yang Chen to a massive combat arena.

The arena was vast, spanning several hundred square meters—it was perhaps even larger than a football field.

Inside, various espers were busy sparring with one another.

Bizarre abilities manifested throughout the arena, leaving Yang Chen dazzled.

Some had flames erupting from their hands, while others conjured pillars of ice; the sheer variety of abilities was a real eye-opener for him.

Wait!

Yang Chen froze for a moment. What was his own ability?

For a second, a strange look crossed his eyes.

Could it be that he didn't have an ability?

Aside from his formidable physical body, he didn't seem to have anything else, did he?

Was he some kind of fake esper?

Yang Chen shook his head, suppressing the thought, though his heart was filled with doubt.

Could one even cultivate without an ability?

Carrying this thought, Yang Chen arrived in the center of the arena with Wild Wolf.

Upon seeing Wild Wolf, the other espers ceased their training, offered a military salute, and then looked at Yang Chen with a hint of confusion.

Yang Chen was already accustomed to such gazes and felt no awkwardness.

Wild Wolf waved his hand, signaling them to leave, then turned to face Yang Chen, his voice heavy.

"If you can hold out against me for ten minutes, I will introduce you to the Jiangnan General Manager. If you cannot, then stay in Number 98 and wait until your rank is higher before I consider an introduction. How about that?"

Although Wild Wolf knew from his subordinate that the young man before him was extraordinary, he still felt that Yang Chen was, at most, B-Class.

After all, for someone of Yang Chen's age to reach A-Class was simply a fantasy. The Spiritual Energy Recovery hadn't been happening for long; those A-Class, S-Class, and even Grandmaster-level powerhouses were all individuals who had begun their cultivation during the Age of Dharma Decline, only to leap into the ranks of top-tier experts once the tide of Spiritual Energy Recovery arrived.

For a young person to become such an existence was clearly extremely difficult.

Yang Chen raised an eyebrow, revealing his white teeth, and laughed.

"And what if I defeat you?"

Wild Wolf was stunned; he clearly hadn't considered that possibility. After all, in Hancheng, he had never met an opponent!

Even among A-Class espers, he was ranked near the top!

And this kid before him was actually thinking about defeating him?

Wild Wolf laughed, his laughter echoing loudly.

"Hahahaha!"

"If you can defeat me, then what does it matter if I give you the position of General Manager of Hancheng?"

To be continued!