Chapter 108: Subduing

Chapter 108: Subjugation

Creak, creak, creak!

The golden anteater devoured iron-eating ants with great, crunching bites.

Li Wei estimated its approximate level by its size—second rank, beginner stage.

Seeing this, a thought stirred in his mind: he could have the Shadow Acolyte take control of the beast as a new summon.

The golden anteater’s natural dominance over iron-eating ants

would prove invaluable in exploring the caverns ahead and searching for mithril ore.

Whispering softly, Li Wei said, “Shadow Acolyte, prepare for battle.”

Silently, the Shadow Acolyte crept closer.

The golden anteater ceased eating, turning its head left and right, sensing a faint trace of danger.

Suddenly, from the darkness, several shadowy tendrils shot forth, coiling around the beast’s body and pinning it in place.

“Rrroar!”

The golden anteater roared, thrashing violently, striving to break free of the shadowy grasp.

Li Wei felt the tendrils rapidly fraying under the strain.

He quickened his movements.

The Shadow Acolyte lunged forward.

“Shadow Claw!”

A flash of black light.

Sparks exploded across the beast’s hide.

Struck by shadow-elemental force, three deep, bloody gashes split open upon its body.

Injured and enraged, the golden anteater now fixed all its attention on the Shadow Acolyte.

Whoosh!

A crimson streak lashed out—the beast’s tongue, moving at astonishing speed, struck true.

Boom! Crack!

The Shadow Acolyte was sent flying backward over ten meters, crashing into the cavern wall.

Its invisible armor shattered another layer.

Li Wei realized then—the golden anteater before him had reached second rank, intermediate stage.

Whoosh!

A flicker of flame ignited, spreading swiftly through the dim cavern, casting light upon the shadows.

At last, Li Wei saw the creature in full.

The golden anteater was armored in bright yellow metallic scales, with patches of coarse, bristling hair at its joints.

Its snout stretched nearly a meter long.

Its eyes were hidden beneath thick fur, seemingly never opened.

Sensing the threat of the fireball, the beast whirled around, its tongue snapping toward Li Wei like a whip cleaving the air.

Whoosh!

The Shadow Acolyte rushed in, intercepting the strike—only to be flung aside once more.

In Li Wei’s hand, the fireball had turned orange.

He hurled it forward.

The golden anteater’s tongue moved with uncanny agility, dancing through the air, leaving afterimages in its wake.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

It sought to shatter the fireball mid-flight.

But Li Wei willed it otherwise—the fireball veered upward.

“Telekinesis!”

Boom!

A massive boulder glowed blue, shifting sideways to slam into the beast, disrupting its attack.

Whoosh!

Seizing the moment, the fireball dove down.

At the critical instant, the golden anteater opened its maw and spat a stream of green, corrosive slime.

Psssh!

The fireball burned through the viscous fluid, filling the cavern with a stench so foul it choked the air.

Boom!

Struck mid-flight, the fireball detonated prematurely.

Shockwaves rippled outward; the cavern trembled.

Li Wei glanced up warily—he feared the ceiling might collapse.

“Cough! Cough! Cough!”

“Toxic!”

He staggered back, retreating from the cavern.

“Shadow Acolyte—you go!”

The Shadow Acolyte charged into the poison-filled dark.

Whoosh! Boom! Crack!

Fierce sounds of combat echoed within—then, gradually, fell silent.

Shhh… shhh… shhh…

Footsteps approached.

From the depths of darkness, the golden anteater emerged, stepping slowly out of the cavern, drawing near to Li Wei.

Seeing it made no move to attack, Li Wei knew—the Shadow Acolyte had seized control.

“Shadow Acolyte,” he called.

The golden anteater nodded.

A smile spread across his face. “Success.”

He examined the beast’s wounds—a gaping, charred crater along its flank, blackened and raw, where most of the metallic scales had been blasted away.

Though the fireball hadn’t struck directly, its explosive force had dealt severe damage nonetheless.

In the following battle, Shadow Servant seized the moment of his weakness to strike, successfully taking control.

Li Wei opened his cloak and poured a vial of healing potion onto the golden anteater’s wound.

Finding one insufficient, he emptied three more bottles before the beast’s injuries slowly began to close.

These small healing vials were spoils from the last skirmish—

not a single drop wasted on the golden anteater.

After waiting over ten minutes, the creature’s wounds had mostly healed.

Under Shadow Servant’s command, the golden anteater devoured scraps of metal and iron-eating ants, regrowing its metallic scales.

These scales were crucial armor against the relentless iron-munching swarm.

Clack, clack, clack!

As the beast fed, Li Wei examined the two fallen men.

All metal on their bodies had been stripped clean by the golden anteater.

Only non-metallic remnants remained.

Earlier, he’d noticed the knight’s large pack abandoned on the ground.

Li Wei unfastened it and found inside a bundle of pungent plant leaves and twigs.

“Hmm? What is this?”

He picked up a sprig and walked toward the golden anteater.

“Shadow Servant, catch me an iron-eating ant.”

A slender tongue flicked forward, dropping a wounded ant at his feet.

Li Wei tossed the leaf beside it.

The ant immediately dragged its injured body away in panic.

“I see… This plant repels them?”

“But what kind of plant is it?”

He plucked several leaves and tucked them into his pocket, then ordered Shadow Servant to carry the large pack—just in case.

“Let’s go. See what lies deeper inside.”

With Shadow Servant guiding the golden anteater ahead, they advanced along the trail of iron-eating ants.

Swish, swish, swish!

One step, one meal.

Metallic scales sprouted rapidly across the beast’s body.

The golden anteater possessed three abilities: metallic scales, a resilient tongue, and super-acidic saliva.

With these, it stood as a formidable force among beasts of its rank.

Moving forward, the number of iron-eating ants increased steadily.

Behind them, the path was riddled with holes gnawed by the swarm—uneven, treacherous.

One misstep, and a man would fall face-first into ruin.

Thud, thud, thud!

Faint sounds of combat echoed from ahead.

Li Wei’s heart stirred—surely they were nearing the cavern’s depths.

Last night, resting at camp, he’d listened to idle chatter and pieced together the underground mine’s history.

Long ago, orc slaves were ordered to dig new shafts.

Digging ever deeper, they uncovered vast hollow chambers—

all abandoned tunnels left behind after iron-eating ants consumed every trace of argentstone.

Eventually, the orcs stumbled upon a colossal cavern beneath the earth.

Inside lay immense deposits of argentstone—and countless iron-eating ants.

The surviving orcs fled in terror, carrying out a single stone.

Upon examination, it proved to be mithril ore—rare, precious, priceless.

Now, approaching the very cavern where the orcs first encountered the swarm meant nearing the source of mithril.

Li Wei stood at the threshold.

The golden anteater led the way, clearing the path. Li Wei followed closely behind.

The noise from the cave ahead grew louder.

Suddenly, light flooded the space. Li Wei stepped onto a ledge five or six meters above the ground.

Below stretched a vast expanse of silvery-white argentstone.

Argentstone was not solid—but a liquid metal.

Yet it was no mercury.

It was a complex natural alloy, inherently toxic.

Often used in traps, some magical snares could even vaporize argentstone into silent, deadly fumes, killing intruders without a sound.

Many nobles and high lords, upon death, had rivers of argentstone channeled around their tombs—silent guardians of the grave.

(End of Chapter)