Chapter 122: The Third Party Benefits

Chapter 122 The Fisher Who Reaps the Reward

In midair, Veld clashed with Leian.

Li Wei stood atop Shadow Servant, hidden at the edge of the subterranean river, watching the battle unfold.

A silent spectator, observing two tigers tearing each other apart.

The golden anteater had gone berserk the moment Shadow Servant withdrew, returning control to its primal self.

Now, the beast had plummeted into the underground river and vanished beneath the dark waters.

Li Wei felt a pang of regret—his fattened pig had escaped before slaughter.

Yet if he could claim that entire chunk of mithril ore, it would still be worth the loss.

He lifted his gaze. The fight raged on.

Leian’s sword shattered a fireball in mid-explosion.

Boom!

The blast flared, illuminating the cavern ceiling above the subterranean river.

Clank, clank—the shards of Leian’s armor peeled away, vanishing into the black water below.

Using the force of the explosion, he hurled himself back toward the cave mouth.

Riiip!

His right hand shot forward like a blade, plunging into the stone wall, halting his fall.

"Leian, give up," Veld called down. "You can't fly. Fight me for the ore, and you'll only meet your death."

Leian sneered. "You seem confident. I hope you can keep it up."

Like an ape scaling a cliff, he leapt and scrambled across the rock face, soon reaching the ledge again.

Huuuh!

He hurled a boulder straight at Veld.

Veld dodged just in time.

Crash!

The rock struck the mithril ore instead, shattering into dust under the impact.

The ore swayed, teetering on the edge, as if about to plunge into the river below.

Veld’s heart clenched. "What are you doing?!"

"If it falls, neither of us gets it!"

Leian weighed another stone in his hand. "Give me half the mithril, or I’ll knock it all down."

Veld’s face darkened. He saw Leian raise the stone once more.

"Fine, fine—half! Take half!"

"Come here," Veld said. "I promise not to attack."

Leian didn’t believe him. "You come here."

As if Veld would ever draw near.

Drip.

Fwshh!

A crimson tongue lashed out from the darkness, striking Veld square in the chest.

He was sent flying backward.

Leian’s eyes lit up.

Perfect!

Without hesitation, he lunged.

Veld crashed against the cavern wall. His wind spirit wings flickered, nearly dissolving.

He whirled around—

And saw the golden anteater, the one that had fallen into the river, now returned.

Water dripped from its fur, proof it had truly plunged in—and crawled back out.

The moment the beast emerged from the river, Li Wei had noticed.

But he said nothing. Silent, he watched, waiting.

The golden anteater bore a grudge against Veld.

Fwshh!

Its tongue snapped forward like a whip, aiming to coil around Veld and drag him down.

Veld cast his spell instantly.

"Deflection of Flying Objects!"

Boom!

The tongue struck the invisible barrier before Veld—and rebounded, soaring upward toward Leian.

A masterstroke. Two birds with one stone.

Leian was hit full force.

Boom!

The tongue pierced through his remaining armor, slamming into his chest with a sound like a drumstick striking a drum.

He barely managed to grab hold of the tongue, stopping himself from falling.

Whoosh!

The golden anteater yanked him forward, jaws opening wide, ready to bite.

Leian headbutted it square on the snout.

Crack!

The anteater’s nose twisted sideways in an instant.

Leian let go, kicked off the beast’s body, and launched himself toward the mithril ore.

Stunned by the blow to its vulnerable spot, the golden anteater staggered, dazed, unable to react.

Veld watched in fury as the beast failed to stop Leian—instead delivering him right to the prize.

"Worthless creature!" he spat.

"As foolish as your master!"

He raised his hand. The magic ring on his finger shattered, releasing its final spell.

Hssss!

Boom! Crash!

The fireball struck the ore, shattering it into fragments.

Lei’an’s face darkened like a storm.

Vilde hovered in midair, catching the falling mithril ore.

Ten meters apart, he fixed his gaze on Lei’an and said, “You’ve only half your ore left. Stop this now.”

Lei’an glanced at the remaining pile—no glimmer of mithril within.

Though bulky in appearance, the stones held almost no mithril.

Essentially, the two pieces Vilde held were all that remained of value.

The rest was mere stone husk—worthless rock.

Lei’an swung his sword, coating the blade with battle aura, and shattered another boulder.

From it, he retrieved a small chunk of mithril ore, fist-sized.

Staring at it, then at Vilde, envy flared in his eyes—

the pieces in Vilde’s hands were far larger.

“Give me what you have,” Lei’an demanded.

Vilde ignored him, turning instead to fly away.

Lei’an snatched a nearby rock and hurled it.

Vilde had been wary—this time, he dodged cleanly.

Boom!

The stone plunged into the river, sending up a spray of droplets.

Hsssh!

A long tongue shot toward Lei’an.

He reacted instantly, slashing with his sword—

but though the blade bit deep, the tongue did not sever.

Seeing this, Lei’an seized it instead.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!

Corrosive acid, strong enough to melt metal, seared his skin—yet inflicted only minor wounds.

With a fierce yank, he used the tongue as a chain, swinging the golden anteater like a meteor hammer toward Vilde.

The beast thrashed, but anchored against the cliff wall, it couldn’t resist.

At last, flung through the air, it hurtled toward Vilde.

Whoosh!

Heavy wind roared as the massive form bore down.

Vilde instinctively dodged.

A shadow flashed past—he exhaled in relief.

Lucky. He hadn’t been hit.

Then—whip!

A rope-like tendril lashed sideways from the darkness, striking him full force.

Crash! Crash!

The golden anteater crashed onto the platform.

Vilde tumbled nearby, close to Lei’an.

Lei’an charged.

“Charge!”

“Heavy Strike!”

Before Vilde could recover, Lei’an unleashed a flurry of blows.

Boom! Crack!

Vilde’s magic shield, battered again and again, finally shattered.

Lei’an raised his sword for the killing blow.

Vilde reflexively raised his hand to block.

Boom! Thud!

A silver glow flared across his body—then shattered. A severed hand spun into the air.

The light faded. Vilde vanished from the spot.

“A teleport scroll?” Lei’an’s expression twisted, unreadable.

He stared at where the hand had fallen—into the underground river below.

To retrieve it? Impossible.

He couldn’t fly.

Jumping down might mean never climbing back up.

He turned to the golden anteater.

Dazed and broken, the creature saw his gaze and instinctively tried to flee.

Only then did Lei’an notice—a path leading out, hidden here all along.

“What a loss… only one piece of mithril ore.”

After he left, faint blue light shimmered in the dark.

Li Wei slowly descended onto the platform.

No sooner had he landed than his Shadow Servant climbed up the cliff wall beside him,

handing him a severed left hand—Vilde’s, cut off by Lei’an.

Two rings adorned the fingers:

one of black stone, one of crimson jade.

The jade ring was cracked, its magic spent, ruined.

The black stone ring—Vilde’s spatial ring.

(End of Chapter)