197: Chapter 197 Blood-Eyed Wolf King

Old Zhao took the paper, lowered his head to glance at it, and frowned: "Blood-Eyed Wolf King. LV5. Strength approaching LV6."

Old Zhao placed the paper on the table, turned, and walked toward the center of the arena. After a few steps, he stopped without turning back:

"The Blood-Eyed Wolf King is not an ordinary LV5 Mist Beast."

"Its strength is close to LV6, and both its Speed and power are a cut above other Mist Beasts of the same level."

"Its claws can tear through steel plates, its bite force can crush rocks, and its blood-red eyes can induce hallucinations."

"Are you sure you want to choose it?"

Lin Shiyao did not hesitate: "I am sure."

Old Zhao nodded, said nothing more, walked to the edge of the arena, and pressed a button on the wall.

The iron grate on the other side of the arena slowly rose, revealing a pitch-black passage behind it.

Heavy footsteps echoed from within the passage, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly.

Lin Shiyao's gaze was firm; she had no way out. She needed this job and the high salary to pay for her mother's medical treatment.

Therefore, she could not retreat.

Inside the passage, that pair of blood-red eyes grew brighter and closer.

The Blood-Eyed Wolf King.

Its size was much larger than Lin Shiyao had imagined; it stood nearly two meters at the shoulder and was over four meters long, its body covered in dark gray fur that resembled a thick layer of armor.

Its limbs were thick and powerful, its claws digging deep into the concrete floor, leaving shallow claw marks with every step.

Its tail was thick and long, with a hardened bony structure at the tip, like a spiked iron ball.

But what was most terrifying were its eyes.

With vertical, blood-red pupils like a snake's, they held no emotion, no reason—only the instinctual killing intent of a beast.

The Blood-Eyed Wolf King walked out of the passage, stood at the edge of the arena, and looked down at Lin Shiyao.

Its nose twitched twice, catching the scent of blood on Lin Shiyao.

It was from the injury Lin Shiyao had sustained last night, which had not yet fully healed.

The Blood-Eyed Wolf King curled its lips, revealing two rows of sharp teeth, with bits of flesh from its last meal still stuck between them.

A stream of murky saliva dripped from between its teeth, hitting the ground with a sizzling, corrosive sound.

Old Zhao stood at the edge of the arena, his hand pressed against a red button on the wall.

"Once the test begins, there are only two outcomes."

"Either you kill it, or it kills you."

"There is no giving up, no stopping. Have you made up your mind?"

Lin Shiyao took a deep breath, clenched her trembling hands into fists, and dug her nails into her palms.

The pain steadied her hands, slowed her heartbeat, and cleared her mind significantly: "I have."

Old Zhao nodded and pressed the red button.

Iron grates descended from the walls surrounding the arena, sealing the entire space into a giant iron cage.

There was no way out, no exit—only her and it.

The Blood-Eyed Wolf King did not rush to pounce; it was very patient.

It circled Lin Shiyao, moving with a slow pace.

Its blood-red eyes remained fixed on Lin Shiyao, its pupils following her movements to capture every subtle action.

Lin Shiyao did not move; she stood in place, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, with her center of Gravity lowered.

This was not to attack, but to steady herself, like a tree rooted in a storm, refusing to be blown over.

Time passed.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

The Wolf King's patience was wearing thin; its pace quickened, and a low whimper emanated from its throat.

Its tail lashed behind it, the bony iron ball at the tip smashing into the ground and creating small pits in the concrete.

Lin Shiyao could feel it; the Wolf King was about to attack.

Lin Shiyao channeled her Mental Energy, raised her right hand from her side, spread her fingers, and aimed her palm at the Wolf King.

Gravity Domain deployed.

An invisible force radiated from her body, and within a five-meter radius centered on her, the Gravity tripled instantly.

Fine cracks appeared on the concrete floor.

But the Wolf King only sank slightly, its limbs bracing against the force.

The Wolf King's muscles trembled, its bones creaked, but it did not fall.

A flash of red light flickered in the Wolf King's blood-red eyes—it was anger, but also excitement.

The Blood-Eyed Wolf King lunged, its body darting left and right within the Gravity Domain, every change in direction making it difficult for Lin Shiyao's Gravity to lock onto it.

The Gravity Domain could cover an area, but it could not instantly change the distribution of Gravity within that area.

The Wolf King seized this weakness; it moved too fast, faster than Lin Shiyao's Mental Energy could keep up with.

The first claw.

The claw swiped from the right, accompanied by a whistling wind, aiming straight for Lin Shiyao's head.

Lin Shiyao leaned back, the claw slicing past her face, severing a few strands of hair that drifted into the air.

Her scalp felt cold; had she been a moment slower, it would have been her face that got sliced.

The second claw followed immediately.

From the left, faster and more vicious than the first.

Lin Shiyao had no time to dodge; she raised her right hand, spread her fingers, and concentrated the Gravity onto the claw.

The Wolf King's claw suddenly plunged downward just centimeters in front of her, smashing into the ground and creating a crater in the concrete.

Gravel splattered, hitting Lin Shiyao's face and leaving several small, bloody scratches.

Lin Shiyao knew she could not retreat.

If she retreated, she would keep retreating until there was nowhere left to go.

She raised her right hand, clenched her fingers into a fist, concentrated the Gravity onto it, and punched at the Wolf King's head.

Her fist glowed with a faint luster; that was Gravity compression, concentrating several times the normal Gravity onto her fist. The weight of this punch far exceeded her physical strength.

Her fist struck the Wolf King's skull with a dull, thunderous thud, like a hammer hitting rock.

Lin Shiyao felt the bones in her hand crack; intense pain shot from her fist, and her entire arm trembled.

But the Wolf King's head only tilted slightly, its blood-red eyes still fixed on Lin Shiyao, showing no pain—only anger.

The Wolf King's skull was harder than a steel plate; Lin Shiyao's fist simply could not break through.

The Wolf King jerked its head, slamming it into Lin Shiyao's chest.

Lin Shiyao's body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, landing heavily on the ground several meters away.

Her back hit the concrete with a dull thud, and she slid for a distance before coming to a stop.

A metallic, sweet taste surged up her throat.

The Gravity Domain vibrated violently from the impact, and her Mental Energy felt as if it had been stirred by something, causing unbearable pain.

The Wolf King stood up and shook its head; that punch had only left a bloodied lump on its head.

Blood seeped from the wound, streaming down its forehead and into its eyes, making them look even redder.

The Wolf King threw its head back and let out a long howl, the sound echoing in the iron cage and making Lin Shiyao's ears ring.

This was its war cry, a summons to its kind.

But it had forgotten that there were no others of its kind here; it was alone.

The Wolf King lunged.

This time, it did not test her; it used its full strength.