Chapter 88: Precious Magic Core

Chapter 88: The Precious Magic Core

The shadow servant returned with a magic core from a Rock Wyrm.

Li Wei took the core into his hands, feeling the surging power within.

The beast had barely used its strength, activating its innate ability only once.

Thus, the energy inside the core remained largely intact.

An ordinary high-tier second-rank magic core was already worth dozens of gold coins—no small fortune.

And since Rock Wyrms were exceedingly rare, their cores commanded an even higher price.

A faint smile tugged at Li Wei’s lips as he tucked the core away.

Just this single core made today’s efforts more than worthwhile.

Sold at a good price, it would secure his cultivation resources for months to come.

He sat down to meditate and restore his mana.

The earlier fireball had drained most of his reserves, leaving him in a fragile state.

Beside him, the shadow servant stood guard in silence.

Lilia was nowhere to be found. She had vanished the moment the Rock Wyrm emerged.

Not long after the beast fell, Allen arrived at the scene.

Seeing the remains of the creature, he fell into quiet contemplation.

“A third-rank fire mage… where did he come from?

The force of that attack—this wasn’t just any ordinary fire mage!”

“It was a Rock Wyrm… what a pity! If I could have obtained its core, perhaps I might finally break through to the fourth rank.”

Allen knew the recipe for a fourth-rank earth-element awakening potion.

For years, he had been gathering its ingredients.

Now, only one piece remained—the magic core of a Rock Wyrm.

Ideally, a fourth-rank core would be perfect.

But even a second-rank core would suffice, provided he added an extra fourth-rank earth elemental crystal.

Fourth-rank elemental crystals were obtainable—with enough coin, one could always buy them.

But a Rock Wyrm’s core? Money meant nothing. Such a thing could not be bought.

Due to their half-flesh, half-elemental nature, Rock Wyrms’ cores possessed a unique ability—to harmonize and balance raw elemental forces.

Elemental crystals held power too pure for human bodies to absorb directly.

Only after being tempered by such a core could the energy be rendered compatible with mortal flesh.

Only then could a mage safely absorb it and awaken extraordinary traits.

Without a Rock Wyrm’s core, an awakening potion made solely from elemental crystals could still work.

But the risk was immense.

Most who tried would fail to withstand the surge, their bodies torn apart by unbridled elemental energy.

At best, crippled. At worst, dead.

Only a rare few might survive the ordeal, absorbing the power and emerging awakened.

Allen scanned the area, searching for any trace left behind by the fire mage.

“He’s a fire mage—the crystal means little to him. If the price is right, perhaps I could buy it from him.”

Holding this thought, he wandered through the valley, hunting for the mage who slew the beast.

“Hmm? Li Wei? What are you doing here?”

Allen spotted Li Wei atop the valley ridge.

The shadow servant had sensed him first and slipped into hiding long before.

Li Wei replied, “I took on a rock-clearing task. Just working on it now.”

As he spoke, he cast a minor fireball spell, striking a protruding boulder on the cliffside.

Boom!

The impact shattered the stone into fragments that tumbled into the valley below. Even the massive rock cracked, fissures spreading across its surface.

Another strike widened the cracks.

Then another.

Until, at last, the entire monolith collapsed, crashing down into the abyss.

Allen glanced at him. “Did you see the mage who killed the Rock Wyrm?”

Li Wei shook his head. “No. When the beast appeared, I thought it was an earthquake. I hid somewhere safe. Only came out after everything went quiet. By then, the fight was over. No one else around.”

Allen’s expression darkened slightly. He’d hoped Li Wei, positioned so high, might have seen something.

He studied Li Wei a moment, then said, “Your fireball spell is quite refined. Talking while casting—impressive control.”

Li Wei’s heart skipped. He’d forgotten that detail.

Ordinary mages needed full concentration to cast—no one could chat and weave spells at once.

But he could. His incantations were lightning-fast, nearly instantaneous.

To others, it seemed he spent seconds casting each fireball.

In truth, the spell took 0.2 seconds—then he waited, idle, for show.

Allen watched as another fireball detonated against stone, shattering it instantly.

“Fast casting, strong output,” he remarked. “You’ve clearly mastered the spell—reached the pinnacle stage.”

Li Wei flushed, quickly ceasing his work. “Master Allen sees clearly. I’ve only just advanced to mastery recently.”

Allen nodded. “For zero-rank spells, mastery is sufficient. No need to push further. Focus your time on true cultivation now. Strive to become a full mage.”

“Well then, continue your task. I’ll take my leave.”

“Safe journey, Master Allen.”

Once Allen was gone, Li Wei swiftly cleared the remaining rocks and sought out the steward overseeing city tasks.

After verification, he departed without delay.

Now walking the road back to Maple City, Li Wei sighed inwardly.

“What a shame… I won’t receive the reward for slaying the Rock Wyrm.”

To claim the reward for slaying the Rock Wyrm, he would have to present the monster’s core as proof of his deed.

That would expose his identity.

Disguising himself and collecting the reward at the Adventurers’ Guild was impossible.

When turning in a task, the guild verified the identity of the one who completed it.

If the identity was false, the reward would not be granted.

Li Wei didn’t want to reveal himself, yet still desired the reward.

There was only one way—find someone else to turn in the task for him.

And that person had to be a formally registered professional within the Adventurers’ Guild.

He thought and thought, but could find no trustworthy candidate.

In the end, Li Wei could only choose to abandon the reward.

Compared to the value of the magic core, the guild’s reward was mere trifling gain.

Not worth the risk.

“Hmm? Lilya, what are you doing here?”

Li Wei halted, spotting Lilya crouched by the roadside.

Lilya clutched her stomach, her face twisted in pain. “My stomach… it hurts.”

Li Wei: “….”

Three days and nights without food, then wolfing down four or five roasted eggs—each larger than a fist—in one go. No wonder she was suffering.

He pulled out a waterskin and handed it to her. “Drink some water. Might make you feel better.”

Lilya snatched it eagerly and gulped several large mouthfuls.

“Ah! Really, the pain’s gone!”

Li Wei looked at her, an idea stirring.

He asked, “I remember—you’re a formally registered assassin with the Assassin’s Guild, right?”

Lilya tilted her head up at him, puzzled. “Yes… why? What is it?”

She sprang to her feet. “Do you have a commission for me? Leave it to me—I’ll get it done, guaranteed!”

“I, Lilya, since my debut, have maintained a one hundred percent mission completion rate. Unwavering.”

Li Wei said flatly, “You failed to assassinate the city lord.”

Lilya flushed with embarrassment and anger. “That doesn’t count! I was forced into that mission!”

Li Wei: “You failed the assassination.”

Lilya nearly shrieked. “I said it doesn’t count! I never even accepted the contract—they dragged me there like conscripted labor!”

Li Wei: “You failed.”

Lilya opened her mouth, trying to argue.

Then lowered her head. No defense. Silence.

Seeing this, Li Wei smiled slightly. “Actually… I do have a commission for you.”

Lilya lifted her head, eyes suddenly alight.

“Help me go…”

(End of Chapter)