James Carter didn’t know the exact situation, but after listening to a few people’s conversations and observing the subtle expressions on everyone’s faces, he more or less figured out what was going on.

Just as he thought: “Grace Smith really isn’t very likable…”

Except for sycophants or close relatives, probably no one would like someone with such a cold personality.

However, Grace Smith’s strengths were just as prominent.

Facing the berserk wolf demon, Grace Smith was drenched in sweat and looked a bit disheveled, but her eyes were clear and resolute, filled with determination and fighting spirit.

Very few people can remain so calm in the face of a life-and-death crisis. What’s more, Grace Smith was only seventeen.

James Carter found himself admiring Grace Smith a bit more. This apostle, though hard to get close to, was an outstanding warrior.

It was just that Grace Smith’s current condition was quite dire. Several muscles all over her body were twitching uncontrollably, clearly showing extreme exhaustion.

By convention, it would be best to wait until Grace Smith was truly desperate before stepping in to help. But James Carter disdained such tactics.

There was no need to play such petty tricks with an apostle.

“I’ll help you.”

James Carter didn’t reveal himself; Grace Smith only heard his voice. This brought a look of surprise to Grace Smith’s face.

Everyone in the observation room had sharp eyes, and they all noticed the change in Grace Smith’s expression.

Helen White grew even more worried, Brian Clark looked smug, while the white-haired old woman Anna Green gave a silent, sinister smile.

A group of young reserve hunters couldn’t help but whisper among themselves.

“Grace Smith is scared!”

“She’s done for, she’s dead for sure…”

“She always acts so cold, but when death comes, she’s scared out of her wits just like anyone else!”

The young reserve hunters were all a bit annoyed by Grace Smith’s aloofness, so most of them were mocking her at this moment.

At that moment, the wolf demon suddenly moved.

Its two-and-a-half-meter-tall body lunged forward, both long claws swiping left and right at Grace Smith.

The wolf demon’s arms were especially long, and its claws were as sharp as blades. As they closed in from both sides, Grace Smith was completely enveloped.

A faint golden light flickered deep in Grace Smith’s eyes. Suddenly, she felt power surging through her entire body, so strong it seemed to radiate from her very pores.

The source star deep in her brow also flared brightly, and the other three source stars in her body lit up as well, sweeping away all her exhaustion.

Stimulated by the lively source energy, she reestablished a stable connection with her source armor.

In an instant, Grace Smith broke through her previous limits and reached an unprecedented peak.

Now, she felt she could send this berserk wolf demon flying with a single punch.

Still, out of caution, she chose to use her pair of short blades to block the opponent’s claws.

Many in the observation room shook their heads. With such a huge difference in strength, what Grace Smith was doing seemed like suicide.

When the wolf demon’s claws came down, both Grace Smith and her blades would be torn to pieces.

To everyone’s surprise, Grace Smith twisted her blades as she blocked, not only catching the wolf demon’s claws but also causing it to stumble forward.

The wolf demon was also greatly surprised; it hadn’t expected Grace Smith to be so strong and couldn’t react in time.

Seizing the opportunity, Grace Smith advanced and spun around, her newfound strength giving her explosive power. In a flash, she was behind the wolf demon.

Her twin blades stabbed repeatedly, snowy flashes of steel sinking into the wolf demon’s back.

The wolf demon howled in pain and turned around, but Grace Smith had already darted back. The wolf demon’s back was crisscrossed with cuts from the short blades, chunks of diamond-shaped flesh falling away, exposing its torn organs.

Blood gushed out like a spring.

Everyone in the observation room was shocked—Grace Smith actually turned the tables?!

But the wolf demon was unwilling to die just like that. In its berserk state, its vitality was astonishing. Roaring furiously, it charged at Grace Smith for one last desperate attack.

Grace Smith flicked her wrists, and the two short blades turned into cold flashes, piercing straight into the wolf demon’s eyes, sinking to the hilt.

The wolf demon’s huge body staggered a couple of steps, then suddenly collapsed to the ground, completely lifeless.

The crowd in the observation room fell silent as well.

Chapter 12: Hunter Association

Grace Smith was only a first-rank, four-star source master. Even with her source armor, she was still at a significant disadvantage compared to the wolf demon.

No one had much faith in her before this hunter trial.

It was only because Grace Smith insisted on participating, and Brian Clark and Anna Green wanted to use the opportunity to get rid of Grace Smith, that this public trial was arranged.

On the trial field, Grace Smith stood quietly in front of the wolf demon’s corpse, her gaze deep and thoughtful.

In fact, she was waiting for that Taiyi teacher to speak.

To her disappointment, it seemed the Taiyi teacher had already left.

Recalling everything that had just happened, Grace Smith still felt as if she were in a dream.

When she was in grave danger, Taiyi had directly bestowed her with power, helping her pass the trial with ease.

The sudden surge of strength felt strangely familiar, and she wielded it with perfect ease.

Even after defeating her enemy, the power still remained within her, steady and stable, as if it were her own.

This filled Grace Smith with confidence. Her gaze swept over those in the observation room—she was sure she could defeat the white-haired Anna Green and the vice president Brian Clark in just a few moves.

But reason told her that acting now would be the worst choice.