[Lord of Abundance] Chapter 37: When the Clam and the Crane Fight

 Chapter 37: When the Clam and the Crane Fight

“It’s impossible. Absolutely impossible. Two instant-cast spells killed a third-tier Shadowbone Demon Spider in seconds… Betty, get a hold of yourself. Don’t be fooled. This has to be an illusion—an illusion!”

It wasn’t just “Leon” who felt like they had fallen into a hallucination.

Everyone present began doubting whether they were dreaming.

Even Dawn’s face had turned grim, shock bordering on horror.

—

It was common knowledge across the continent that magical beasts were far stronger than humans of the same rank.

Yet a third-tier magical beast had just been casually killed by two spells Kun cast as though they were nothing.

Wouldn’t that mean those same low-tier spells could kill him—a peak third-tier Great Warrior—with equal ease?

That was already beyond anything a mere third-tier Grand Mage could explain.

—

Crack—

The stiff-bodied “Leon” slowly lowered the head toward the source of the sound.

The glossy black orb in the hands was now covered in spiderweb-like cracks.

The next second, it exploded into countless crystal fragments.

—

Deathly pale, “Leon’s” legs gave out, collapsing heavily onto the floor.

That orb was a treasured heirloom passed down through generations of the Smith family…

And now it had shattered just like that.

—

“Don’t blame me,” Kun said innocently. “You all saw it yourselves. The Soul Contract Orb shattered on its own. I didn’t even touch it, so don’t ask me for compensation.”

“Honestly, you should feel lucky.”

“Good thing that orb absorbed the backlash from the Shadowbone Demon Spider’s contract. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been the orb breaking—it would’ve been your spiritual sea.”

“And even if you somehow survived, you’d probably become an idiot.”

“I’m not insulting you, by the way. I mean that literally.”

—

“…”

Seeing “Leon” sitting there with hollow eyes and no reaction whatsoever, Kun sighed helplessly.

He wasn’t afraid of offending the Smith family…

But a count’s daughter couldn’t exactly be killed just like that, could she?

Besides, Kun strongly suspected this girl was still competing with him in acting.

—

When riding a tiger and unable to dismount, what should you do?

Pretend to be stupid, of course.

—

Kun had no intention of letting this fat sheep that had fallen from the heavens escape so easily.

He didn’t dare kill her casually…

But until the Smith family paid enough ransom—ahem, compensation—she wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.

As for the interest on that compensation…

—

Kun lightly beckoned with a finger.

The spatial necklace hanging around “Leon’s” neck floated directly into his hand.

—

Though “Leon” still sat there blank-eyed, the body trembled slightly.

But she endured it.

The necklace had sealing magic on it.

No one except her should’ve been able to open it.

If someone tried to force it open, everything inside would be lost into the void.

Surely a mage should know something that basic.

—

“Tsk tsk. A magical lock from the Ancient Elven Empire.”

“Why do people think ancient junk like this is secure?”

“Honestly incomprehensible.”

“Oh? Opened already.”

“Let’s see what treasures you’ve got inside.”

—

“Leon’s” pupils instantly focused.

The head jerked upward involuntarily—

Only to see Kun smiling pleasantly while casually playing with the necklace in his hand.

Immediately, she exploded in anger.

“You tricked me!”

“There’s no way you could open the magical lock on that necklace!”

—

“In matters of magic,” Kun replied calmly, “this lord never boasts.”

—

Right in front of “Leon,” the necklace’s original owner, Kun dismantled the sealing magic in just a few effortless motions.

Then he pulled out a dark golden dragon egg the size of a basketball.

—

“Well?”

“What else do you have to say?”

“This is your evidence.”

—

“Two?!”

Old Jili cried out in shock despite being restrained by the guards.

“That earth dragon laid two eggs?!”

Back when they were escaping, he had ordered one mercenary to lure the dragon away using a dragon egg.

But he never imagined “Leon” had secretly kept another one hidden.

—

Kun admired the rare egg covered in dark golden patterns.

This wasn’t some disgusting fake dragon egg disguised by a swamp toad beast.

This was a genuine dragon egg.

And not just any dragon egg—

An ancient dragon egg from a fourth-tier ancient dragon.

—

“Magical beasts generally lay only one egg at a time,” Kun said slowly.

“Producing eggs consumes an enormous amount of life force and magical power from the female beast.”

“You could say it costs them half their life.”

“You lot were quite lucky.”

“You encountered an ancient dragon that had just laid two eggs—likely leaving it weakened nearly to death.”

“And then you happened to run into Dawn, my territory’s Chief Constable, whose strength far exceeds ordinary third-tier Great Warriors.”

—

“Otherwise…”

“You really think a bunch of trash-tier mercenaries like yourselves could’ve escaped the Everdark Forest alive?”

“That girl was probably planning from the beginning to use you as bait while escaping during the chaos.”

“After all…”

“The fewer people who know about a Devouring Gold Earth Dragon, the better.”

—

Understanding everything at last, Old Jili glared furiously at “Leon.”

He had been played.

Not just him—

The entire Icefang Mercenary Group had been manipulated from start to finish.

—

“You shameless liar!”

—

“Leon” ignored his fury completely.

Dusting off the clothes, she stood up from the floor.

At this point, pretending to be stupid would no longer be an act.

It would mean she actually was stupid.

—

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she sneered. “Wasn’t this a fair trade?”

“You were the one who said you’d do anything if it could help Icefang Mercenary Group solve its problems.”

“I didn’t lie about that at all.”

“If you’d successfully escorted me out safely, I absolutely would’ve helped Icefang with everything I had.”

“But you failed the mission first, didn’t you?”

“If you want someone to blame, blame him.”

—

Then “Leon” looked back up at Kun and laughed coldly.

“Kun Arlan.”

“A fifteen-year-old third-tier Grand Mage?”

“Haha…”

“How ridiculously wrong.”

“You’re the biggest liar here.”

“You fooled your family—no, the entire Dansu Kingdom.”

“What third-tier Grand Mage?”

“You’re a fourth-tier Legendary Mage at fifteen, aren’t you?”

“Hahahaha!”

“Then again… who would believe it if they hadn’t seen it themselves?”

“I wouldn’t either.”

—

“Kun Arlan… no, just Kun.”

“You’re qualified to cooperate with the Smith family.”

“Let me tell you something.”

“Magical beasts aren’t easy to raise.”

“Especially superior dragon species like the Devouring Gold Earth Dragon.”

“Even if you hatch it, if you raise it improperly, it may still only be a hatchling by the time you die.”

“It would be completely useless to you.”

“Working with us and letting the Smith family raise it is the best possible option.”

—

“As payment, the Smith family will invest in your Fengrao Territory.”

“No less than ten thousand gold coins per year.”

“For no fewer than ten years.”

—

“You can use that money to develop your territory…”

“Or burn it on magical experiments.”

“That’s entirely up to you.”

“As for promises further into the future…”

“Those are too distant for me to guarantee.”

“That depends on how well you cooperate with the Smith family.”

—

“What a tempting proposal,” Kun admitted with a smile. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted.”

—

“Cooperation leads to mutual benefit.”

“That’s how nobles have survived for centuries.”

—

A victorious aristocratic smile appeared on “Leon’s” face.

Just as Father said—

No matter how much authority or power a person possessed, money could still control them.

—

Would someone choose to risk offending the Smith family over a vague million-gold compensation claim…

Or choose to gain both Smith family favor and enormous investment without consequences?

Anyone with a functioning brain would make the correct choice.

—

The Smith family was never afraid you’d take too little money.

They were only afraid you wouldn’t take it at all.

Once you accepted their money, you became tied to the family chariot.

And the more you accepted, the tighter the binding became.

That was how the Smith family ensured its own safety.

—

Ancient families that had survived for centuries were never shortsighted.

Especially not when investing in a fourth-tier Legendary Mage.

The longer the investment cycle…

The greater the eventual return.

—

“I think Lord Leon misunderstands me,” Kun said suddenly.

—

“What?”

“Leon” froze.

Was this lunatic actually planning to reject the offer?

How was that possible?

Was something wrong with his brain?

—

Kun smiled.

“You think I’m someone you can negotiate with on equal terms.”

“But from my perspective…”

“You don’t seem qualified to bargain with me at all.”

—

“In the place I come from, there’s a saying I rather like.”

“Children make choices.”

“Adults take everything.”

—

“So…”

“The one million gold compensation.”

“The Devouring Gold Earth Dragon egg.”

“And you.”

“They’re all mine.”

—

“Guards!”

“Throw every one of them into the castle dungeon.”

“Keep them under strict watch.”

“Starve them for three days first.”

“When their heads clear up…”

“When they recognize reality…”

“Then we’ll continue negotiations.”

—

“You—!”

“You lunatic!”

“I’m a member of the Smith family!”

“Count Breton’s child!”

“Let me go!”

“Kun, you bastard—!”

“Even as a ghost I won’t let you off—!”

—

Kun casually cleaned out his ears while watching “Leon” and the Icefang mercenaries get dragged away by the guards.

—

Ghosts?

They were merely spirits.

Excellent soul-attribute magical materials.

No matter how many came, he wouldn’t fear them.

He could even refine Soul White Sand from them.

—

Most of his stored soul sand had already been consumed helping Li Tianyun survive the torment of the Divine Blood Fusion Potion.

Frankly, he wished more ghosts would come.

Perfect opportunity to harvest them all at once.

—

Whether mosquito or spirit—

Anything passing through Fengrao Territory had to pay toll fees.

Otherwise…

They could repay their debts with their bodies.

—

Putting away the dragon egg, Kun began examining the cross-shaped spatial pendant.

The internal space was much larger than the storage ring on his hand—

Nearly equal to the personal dimensional space he had created himself.

—

The materials required to create such a magical item probably involved key components harvested from at least a third-tier spatial beast.

Its value was incalculable.

—

As for the treasures inside…

Just the gold coins alone numbered over three hundred.

There were also two five-hundred-gold banknotes.

Twenty-two compact magical tools.

Fifteen magic scrolls.

The lowest-grade item among them was still second-tier.

—

And that didn’t even include the priceless Devouring Gold Earth Dragon egg.

A fourth-tier ancient dragon egg.

Plus all sorts of miscellaneous treasures.

Every single item was top quality.

—

“Tsk tsk…”

Kun’s teeth ached from envy.

Rich.

They were too rich.

—

No wonder the Smith family was known as the Kingdom’s Golden Family.

Robbing dragons carried enormous risk for limited reward.

How could that compare to robbing core members of the Smith family?

—

If he remembered correctly…

Didn’t Count Breton have three sons?

If he could somehow capture the whole set…

Fertility Territory might be able to live comfortably for ten years.

—

Though admittedly, that would be difficult to arrange.

Long-term planning was required.

Still…

There was already one massive opportunity waiting right in front of him.

—

“Dawn.”

“Go have Grandma Grace examine your injuries first.”

“You took a claw strike from an ancient dragon.”

“Even with that inner armor blocking the fatal damage, there may still be internal injuries.”

“Get some rest.”

—

“At dawn, bring the guard corps.”

“We’re taking a trip into the Everdark Forest.”

“Let’s see if we can pick up some leftovers.”

“This…”

Kun grinned.

“This is what you call the clam and crane fighting while the fisherman profits.”

—

The thing Kun appreciated most about Dawn today wasn’t that he had spent all day leading the Icefang Mercenary Group and the ancient dragon in circles through the Everdark Forest to avoid bringing disaster upon Fengrao Territory.

Nor was it that he had brought back a fat sheep like “Leon.”

—

No.

What Kun truly loved…

Was Dawn’s little scheme.

—

Rather than risking the lives of his own men, Dawn had pressured Icefang Mercenary Group into sending their people to handle the problem.

All while deliberately circling the territory of the Blood-Dread Demon Wolves and repeatedly warning the mercenaries how dangerous that area was and how they absolutely must not approach it.

—

In the end, unable to endure the pressure any longer, Icefang had no choice but to send a disposable man carrying the dragon egg to lure the ancient dragon away.

Meanwhile, the rest escaped back to Fengrao Territory alongside Dawn.

—

Kun absolutely loved that bit of crafty calculation.

—

The Blood-Dread Demon Wolves problem?

Solved.

The Devouring Gold Earth Dragon retaliation problem?

Also solved.

And not a single one of his own people died.

Perfect.

—

After all, whether the dragon won or the wolf pack won…

That battle would inevitably end in mutual devastation.

There would be no true victor.

—

No—

The true winner would be Fengrao Territory.

—

“My lord…”

Dawn stared at Kun intensely, battle intent faintly rising in his eyes.

“I want to know.”

“Are you truly a fourth-tier Legendary Mage at fifteen?”

—

He didn’t care about his injuries in the slightest.

Nothing could better reveal the distance between himself and the supreme realm than sparring against a true fourth-tier existence.

That was the pursuit of his entire life.

—

“No.”

Kun denied it immediately and cleanly.

—

Yet Dawn’s expression didn’t change in the slightest.

What did denial matter?

He had witnessed it personally.

Kun had instantly killed a third-tier Shadowbone Demon Spider with two silent-cast spells.

—

Just like the ancient dragon…

He possessed overwhelming power against third-tier beings.

The gap didn’t feel like a difference of merely one tier.

It felt like a novice apprentice facing a peak third-tier expert.

Utterly helpless.

A disparity so vast it inspired despair.

—

“Fine,” Kun sighed. “I admit it.”

“But I wasn’t fourth-tier at fifteen.”

“That idiot guessed wrong.”

“I was sixteen.”

“Just a few days after we left the capital, actually.”

“That’s when I advanced.”

—

Dawn’s teeth suddenly felt sore.

He didn’t even know what to complain about anymore.

What difference did a few days make?

—

Whether fifteen or sixteen—

Entering the Heroic Realm at that age would already rank among the greatest talents in Dansu Kingdom’s history.

Especially in this declining era where heroes had faded from prominence.

If this news got out…

The entire continent would probably erupt.

—

Dawn remembered when he was fifteen.

Back then, he had only just escaped the status of a warrior attendant apprentice.

His family circumstances were poor.

Everything depended on himself.

Because of that, he had taken countless detours.

—

Seeing the blazing battle intent in Dawn’s eyes, Kun instantly understood what the fanatic warrior was thinking.

So he spoke honestly.

—

“I know what you want.”

“You want to fight me and see just how far you are from fourth-tier.”

“Though this may be discouraging…”

“I still have to tell you the truth.”

“It’s pointless.”

—

“The path I walk is different from ordinary fourth-tier existences in history.”

“I’m stronger.”

“So comparing yourself to me has no reference value whatsoever.”

—

A terrifying magical beast like the Shadowbone Demon Spider—

Raised carefully for over a hundred years by the Golden Family—

Could be killed by Kun with two simple fireball spells.

—

And that was while he maintained only thirty percent of his magical power in order to sustain Li Tianyun’s life.

—

That ancient dragon, weakened after laying two eggs, nearly killed Dawn with a single claw strike.

Kun could do the same.

—

So sparring truly held no meaning.

At worst, it might cause Dawn to completely misjudge the gap between himself and ordinary fourth-tier beings…

And shake the foundation of his warrior’s spirit.

—

Kun naturally had no interest in such an obviously unprofitable deal.