Chapter 115: Levi & Elysian Crown

The Ironfang shadow’s wolf spirit growled. "What exactly did they pay that makes swallowing this humiliation worth it?"

Levi’s smile turned sharper.

"Humiliation? Let’s speak clearly. You five ganged up on four half-dead people and still couldn’t catch them. Now an elder from Elysian Crown is standing here protecting his partners. If word spreads that five Eclipse lords needed to bully children and still lost face, who exactly is the one being humiliated?"

The Blackthorn shadow’s eyes turned icy. "You are crossing a line, Levi."

"Am I?" Levi tapped the monocle lightly. "Then take one more step toward that crack. My elder hasn’t moved yet. When he does, the report to the Monalis Council will be very interesting.

’Five top Eclipse wolves jointly attacked four wounded juniors and were stopped by Elysian Crown.’

I wonder how the other packs will laugh."

The elder Shadow Lord finally spoke in a cold, detached voice.

"Enough! Leave or die."

Silence settled over the muddy shore like a mountain.

The five shadows exchanged dark looks. In the end, status and face still weighed more than anger.

The Vaelis shadow lord gritted his teeth. "If the realm is found, your pack will also get benefits. Don’t tell me you don’t want a share. Or have you already made a private deal with them?"

The elder of Elysian Crown’s eyes flickered for the briefest breath.

A secret realm inside the Black Sea... the temptation was real.

But it was still not as valuable as befriending someone who could refine Stardust Lily poison pills and could turn the stagnant sea upside down.

He answered coldly, "We don’t see any secret realm."

The Blackthorn shadow could not hold back. "Damn it. Don’t pretend you don’t believe a secret realm has already surfaced at the southern ring."

He had blurted out the secret they had been holding.

In truth, it was already an open secret—more and more packs had started to notice the fluctuations.

But making a move was another matter. This region was still their territory.

The elder of Elysian Crown looked at them flatly.

"So these four children are the sacrifice you prepared to open the way? Are you certain?"

All five fell silent.

They were not certain at all.

There was no rule that said they needed these four to enter. They had only been ordered to capture them and hand them to Alpha Vaelis—most likely because the four already knew the real entrance.

The Vaelis shadow’s face turned colder.

"This is not over."

"Of course not," Levi replied cheerfully. "You’ll definitely run to bark at my father next." He chuckled shamelessly.

The five figures turned to leave. They melted into shadow one after another.

Only when the last trace of their presence vanished did Levi finally exhale and rub the back of his neck.

"Tiring. These big packs are always so troublesome when it comes to treasure hunts."

The elder of Elysian Crown glanced at him. "You sure about them?"

His gaze fell on the crack behind them.

"Can’t be more sure," Levi grinned.

He turned toward the crack, took out the vial, and tossed it to the elder.

The elder caught it.

When he looked inside and sniffed, his pupils dilated in surprise. Just by smelling it, half the discomfort from staying in this place faded away.

"Take one, Elder. Don’t worry, we can get more. Don’t be stingy." Levi smiled.

He himself took one and swallowed it without any remorse. The elder’s eyes dimmed with a flash of regret.

This kind of pill could be used by their sea hawks to hunt more Moon’s Tears.

But he trusted Levi—otherwise he would not have come out here with this kid in the first place.

So he took one. It melted on his tongue, clearing away the dark poison as it went down.

"Best ever," he commented.

Levi chuckled.

It was very hard to get praise from this old monster who had been hiding behind the years. After all, they had seen better days.

Levi looked at the slumbering scavengers and rubbed his hands.

"Elder, help me collect all these cores. I want every single one. Maybe we can trade for more pills later."

The elder nodded. Levi left him behind and stepped into the crack.

"Watch the outside for a while. I’ll go collect the rest of my payment."

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Southern Ring Crossing of the Black Sea Gorge

The five Eclipse shadow lords regrouped on the high ridge overlooking the southern ring.

Even from here, the air still carried the faint stink of rot and blood.

Days ago the entire gorge basin had turned red.

That alone was enough to attract other beasts on sight.

But that was not alarming.

Time and time again, many adventurers or hunters had tried to kill scavengers just to traverse the deeper sea.

What was alarming was what happened a few days later.

The water currents shifted direction.

The sea shone with a silver light that had never been so bright. The spiritual fluctuations even attracted the ancient sea beasts.

They started to surface and slaughtered every sea beast, fish, and forager in sight.

Weak spiritual fluctuations still pulsed from the deep sea like a wounded heart.

The shadow lords each took out a pearl in their palm.

A Moon’s Tear.

The once-lustrous pearl had already turned dull ash-gray. Thin cracks crawled across its surface.

Even a treasure pulled from the deepest trenches of the Black Sea could not withstand long exposure to this place.

And they had come back empty-handed. What a shame!

The Lyris woman clicked her tongue. "Half a day and they’re already ruined. This gorge is still a death trap. How the hell were they so indifferent and can still fight with this poison?"

The Ironfang shadow crushed the ashen pearl in his fist. Gray powder drifted away on the wind.

"We must get them back," the Vaelis shadow said coldly. "Those four went inside that crack." He sneered. "They took this big risk just to enter that place. It must be the entrance."