Chapter 118: A Sheep among Wolves

Chapter 118: The Lamb Among Wolves

Alan asked Leina about the mysterious mage.

“What spell did he use to severely wound the Ant King?”

Leina replied, “I’m not quite sure—seemed like a fire-based spell.”

“When it struck the Ant King, there was a tremendous explosion. The site should still be intact.”

A flicker passed through Alan’s eyes. “Take me there.”

Leina nodded. “Alright, just a moment.”

A short while later, Leina emerged riding a fresh warhorse.

She looked at Alan and asked, “Will you ride, Archmage Alan?”

He shook his head. “No need.”

“Let’s go. I can keep up.”

Seeing this, Leina spurred her horse toward the blast site.

After running a while, she glanced back.

There, seated atop a stone golem, Alan followed closely behind, not falling behind at all.

Witnessing this, Leina quickened her pace.

Clop, clop, clop!

Before long, they arrived at the explosion site.

After surveying the scene, Alan fell into deep silence.

Something about the sight stirred a distant memory.

“Where have I seen this before?”

After a moment of thought, it came to him.

The death scene of the Rock Beast bore at least seventy or eighty percent resemblance to what lay before him now.

A sudden realization struck Alan. “Could it be… that mysterious fire mage?”

He realized—he had underestimated the man. His strength surpassed even Alan’s expectations.

According to Leina, the Ant King had survived the explosion, though barely clinging to life.

Judging by the devastation here, Alan could gauge the sheer power of that blast.

And from that, he deduced the Ant King’s own strength and defenses.

Even he, Alan, might not be able to land a single blow capable of crippling such a foe instantly.

Partly because earth magic was inherently less destructive than fire.

Partly because the difference in raw power between them might simply be too great.

Unconsciously, Alan began to regard the mysterious fire mage with profound respect.

He now saw him as an equal—a peer among peers.

“He must be at least an Archmage. Otherwise, there’s no way he could’ve wounded the Ant King so effortlessly.”

As Alan lost himself in thought,

Livi was already preparing to leave.

He’d found one piece of mithril ore—not much, but still a decent gain.

One shouldn’t be greedy. Knowing when to walk away was wisdom.

Besides, there was still the Ant King’s carapace and magic core.

This outing had already been wildly profitable.

Time to vanish.

Cutting through the woods, Livi entered a treacherous stretch of jagged rocks and boulders.

Rounding a massive stone, he suddenly came face to face with a group of figures shrouded entirely in black cloaks.

They stood huddled together, as if holding a secret meeting.

Livi’s sudden appearance disrupted their gathering.

All heads turned toward him.

No one spoke.

The air grew tense.

Blades were drawn in silence.

Livi’s mind raced. Then, inspiration struck.

“Sorry—I was delayed on the way. I’m late.”

At once, the atmosphere eased. A collective breath was released.

“Hurry over! We were about to start without you.”

“Quick, come here—we’ll go over the plan again.”

Now trapped in the role, Livi had no choice but to step into the circle and listen as the leader outlined their scheme.

“The chief instructor of the Maple City Mage Academy, Alan, has arrived—and rumor says he’s become an Archmage. If we succeed in assassinating an Archmage, the Kingdom will reward us beyond measure.”

“Isn’t killing an Archmage too dangerous?”

“Don’t worry. Even an Archmage is still a mage. Once a blade finds its mark up close, he dies like any other man.”

“Once Alan enters the mine, we wear down his mana. When he’s nearly drained, we strike.”

“Otz seeks to split the Markeil Kingdom, betray the king, and build his own rebel kingdom. We must stop him.”

“Alan is his right hand. Kill him, and Otz’s plot crumbles!”

“For the Kingdom! We must succeed!”

“Now, we scatter. You infiltrate the mine first—blend into the ranks of adventurers. Create chaos, lure Alan deeper into the tunnels.”

“Later, we’ll shadow Alan, waiting for the perfect moment to assassinate.”

“Move out!”

The group dispersed, breaking into small clusters.

Livi stood dazed.

“Damn… what the hell did I stumble into?”

He never imagined he’d accidentally crash into the very enemies Leina had been hunting.

And now, they believed he was one of them.

“What are you standing there for? Move!”

“O-oh, right.”

Livi followed one of them into the shadows.

He felt a flicker of doubt—didn’t these people suspect who he really was?

Li Wei decided to test the waters.

He quickened his pace.

“Hey, brother, what’s your class?” Li Wei asked.

“Assassin. Why?” The man in black glanced back at him.

“I’m a knight. Just getting a sense of things, for smoother cooperation.”

The assassin paused, then nodded slowly.

“Fair enough. Though it doesn’t really matter. Once we shed our clothes and blend into the crowd, no one knows anyone. Cooperation’s meaningless.”

Li Wei feigned surprise.

“What if we end up hurting our own?”

“Then you just blame bad luck.”

“After all, when you’re undercover, the best rule is that no one knows your true identity.”

“Heh, makes it easier to switch sides whenever needed.”

“We work for the king because the pay’s good. As long as the gold flows, we follow.”

“If things go south, we vanish—no loyalty, no mission. Who cares what he wants done?”

“The one who recruited you didn’t tell you this?” The man turned, eyeing him with suspicion.

Li Wei twitched his lips. “Mine said I was here to serve the kingdom.”

The assassin snorted. “No kidding—there are actually fools like you out there who believe that nonsense about sacrificing for the crown.”

“Fine, you idealists go play your games. I’ll pass.”

“Catch you around.”

Whoosh!

The assassin activated stealth and vanished before Li Wei’s eyes.

He feared being dragged down by someone so naive.

Anyone who truly believed in dying for the kingdom was bound to do something reckless.

Surrounded by shadows, Li Wei had no way to slip away.

He could only follow the tide into the mine shaft.

The men in black moved along a natural fissure, carved by time and stealth. From it, they’d dug a hidden path into the mine.

Li Wei sensed Ying Shi trailing behind him—reassured, he melted into the wolf pack, moving with them.

He’d wait for a quiet moment, then quietly disappear.

Glancing back, he saw the lead assassin lingering at the rear with a few others.

Li Wei guessed they were guarding against informants.

Otherwise, why stay so close behind?

No chance to escape outside—so Li Wei stepped into the mine with the rest.

He lagged behind, slow and deliberate, entering the dark maw of the tunnel.

When he saw no one following, he turned, ready to flee.

Boom!

A thunderous roar from above—the earth trembled, mountains shook. The mine collapsed.

(End of Chapter)