Chapter 116: Harvest

Chapter 116: The Harvest

Boom!

Li Wei hadn’t flown far with the mortally wounded ant king.

The ant king was simply too heavy.

His remaining magical power was nearly depleted, and after carrying the creature beyond Leina’s line of sight,

Li Wei quickly searched for a place to land.

“Shadow Servant, can you take control of the ant king now?”

The golden anteater shook its head.

Li Wei wasn’t surprised. The ant king’s level was far too high—beyond the Shadow Servant’s range of influence.

Perhaps, while the ant king lay grievously injured, temporary control might be possible.

But once its wounds began to heal, reclaiming dominance over its own body would be effortless.

Seeing this, Li Wei said flatly, “Kill it.”

The golden anteater stepped forward, lashing out with its long tongue, piercing the ant king’s wound and injecting super-acid into its body.

The ant king’s internal organs dissolved under the corrosive liquid.

Its massive frame convulsed violently, thrashing in agony.

Ten minutes later, the light faded from its eyes. Its head slumped lifelessly—the ant king was dead.

Li Wei exhaled, murmuring, “Truly terrifying vitality…”

It had taken the Shadow Servant’s super-acid to hollow out the ant king’s body almost entirely before death finally came.

Had the ant king still been connected to its swarm,

even crippling it would not have been enough to ensure its demise.

Slurp… slurp… slurp…

The golden anteater sucked up the liquefied remains of the ant king’s innards. Its body trembled violently.

Red metallic scales sprouted across its hide.

The golden anteater had evolved.

Li Wei glanced at it. “Shadow Servant, can you still maintain control?”

The beast trembled, yet nodded.

Satisfied, Li Wei turned away, his gaze settling on the ant king’s discarded carapace.

These shells, if delivered to a blacksmith, could forge at least a third-tier suit of armor.

Li Wei knew better than anyone how formidable the ant king’s defenses were.

Armor forged from this shell would be impervious to most third-tier warriors.

Undoubtedly, this was a treasure.

“Hmm? Where’s the magic core?”

After searching a moment, Li Wei found a brownish magic core beneath the ant king’s skull.

“A third-tier earth-elemental magic core.”

A smile tugged at his lips. This would fetch a hefty price—perhaps even more than the shell itself.

Yet as he looked at the massive carapace, a headache returned.

It was too large. Impractical to carry.

The ant king stood over two meters tall, nearly six meters long.

The remaining shell stretched three to four meters.

One could easily lift it and use it as a shield.

Alone, Li Wei couldn’t possibly haul all of it away.

“If only I had a spatial ring,” he mused.

With no choice, he ordered the Shadow Servant to dig a hiding spot, burying the shell for now.

He’d retrieve it later when opportunity allowed.

Now, he needed to return quickly—clear his name.

“Let’s go.”

After concealing the ant king’s remains, Li Wei returned to camp with the golden anteater.

On its body, patches of metallic scales had turned crimson—

their defensive strength visibly enhanced.

Li Wei sensed the beast had leveled up.

Even its speed had increased noticeably.

Back at camp, Li Wei paused, stunned by the scene before him.

The iron-eating ants were trapped inside, huddled and motionless.

Outside the camp, piles of fresh *Xianzhi* grass had been stacked high.

*Xianzhi*—the name Li Wei had learned from Gu Ze upon meeting him.

Earlier, the golden anteater had scattered a patch of vegetation, blocking the ants’ advance.

Someone had noticed.

Later, someone recognized it as *Xianzhi* grass.

And so, they gathered armfuls, constructing a barrier that penned the ants in.

“This really work?” Li Wei asked skeptically. “The ants merely dislike the scent of *Xianzhi*. That doesn’t mean it can truly stop them.”

“It’s just buying time,” Gu Ze replied. “Reinforcements are coming from Maple City.”

“I heard Archmage Allen himself is coming,” Luo Ta added.

Li Wei’s eyes widened. “Archmage? Allen became an archmage?”

Gu Ze shot him a curious glance. “Do you know Allen?”

Li Wei’s heart skipped. Nearly slipped up.

“Ahem… I’ve heard of him. Never met,” he said hastily.

“The chief instructor of Maple City’s Mage Training Corps—his fame precedes him. Even I’ve heard the name.”

Gu Ze studied him a moment, then nodded, suspicion fading.

“Likely true. I heard Master Allen secluded himself recently to break through to the fourth tier. Now that he’s coming to assist… probably means he succeeded.”

Li Wei nodded, indicating he understood.

In his heart, he thought:

“If Allen comes, he might see through my illusion technique—better hide for now.”

Li Wei made an excuse and left the camp,

retreating outside.

Just as he stepped beyond the military gate, he saw Leina limping back.

Instinctively, he reached out to help support her.

His hand lifted—then he remembered his current identity, and quickly let it fall.

“Need help?” Li Wei asked.

Leina shook her head. “No, thank you.”

Li Wei watched her pass by, then suddenly asked, “Why did you deliberately lure the ant king away earlier?”

“You could’ve escaped easily. Was risking so much for others really worth it?”

Leina halted, glancing at him with mild confusion.

Then she straightened her posture and said, word by word: “Protecting comrades is a knight’s duty.”

Hearing this, Li Wei felt a pang of familiarity.

Leina had once said these very words to him before.

*Protecting comrades is a knight’s duty.*

Yet in true peril, not everyone could uphold such a vow.

But Leina lived by it without fail—

her words matched her actions, always.

Li Wei gazed at her, as if beholding the radiant glow of her character.

Perhaps this was chivalry itself.

Leina was a knight by nature.

Looking at Li Wei, Leina suddenly felt an odd sense of recognition.

She frowned slightly. “Do we know each other?”

“No,” Li Wei shook his head.

“Hello, nice to meet you. I’m Timo, a summoner wandering the world.”

Leina nodded. “I’m Leina.”

“Welcome to Maple City.”

Li Wei smiled. “Go get treated first. I have something to attend to.”

He turned and walked away.

Leina watched his retreating figure, a strange sense of familiarity rising within her.

What was this feeling?

Even she couldn’t understand it.

Why did Timo’s back seem so familiar?

As Leina saw Li Wei’s silhouette vanish into the woods, she turned and reentered the camp.

Several soldiers hurried over to guard her; she waved them off.

Her mind lingered on the mysterious mage.

She decided to ask her master about him later.

Li Wei hid among the trees.

At noon, he sat beneath a tree eating dried rations.

Just as he uncorked his waterskin for a sip, a familiar figure appeared nearby.

His heart sank.

Why couldn’t he escape this encounter?

It was Allen, arriving from Maple City to offer aid.

Originally, dealing with the ant king didn’t require a grand mage—

a third-rank mage would suffice.

But Allen had just ascended in power and wanted to test his strength, so he volunteered.

He didn’t yet know the ant king had already been dealt with.

Spotting someone sitting in the woods, Allen slowed his pace, growing cautious.

Instinctively, he swept his spiritual energy outward, probing and sensing.

(End of Chapter)