Chapter 121: Gambling

Two days later, when a long-missed ray of sunlight finally touched the ground, the group emerged from the fog once more. As usual, the moment Veil stepped out of the mist, he immediately sought a relatively clean patch of earth and lay down upon it, stretching out his arms to let every ounce of warmth from the sun caress his body.

Seeing Veil's actions, Durken and the others said nothing. Scannoli’s injuries had also partially healed; he was able to walk on his own now. He turned his head to look at Veil lying on the ground. Though his cheeks were smeared with thick grime, it could not mask the weariness etched on his face. Scannoli’s brows twitched slightly as he glanced back toward Nasa, who still looked weak. He then gave Durken a subtle nod, signaling for them to sit down and rest for a while.

Following Scannoli’s cue, Durken and Filro immediately set to work. Now beyond the fog’s reach, the surroundings were vibrant with lush greenery as far as the eye could see. Food was no longer a concern. Without a word, Durken and Filro exchanged a glance, then quickly divided their tasks: Durken would search for drinkable water, while Filro would hunt for edible game.

After two days of relentless travel, Veil had scarcely had time to rest. Now, finally able to relax, he stretched his limbs carelessly and luxuriated in the gentle warmth of the sun. His breathing slowed and calmed, and the mental release brought the accumulated fatigue flooding through every muscle in his body. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Veil fought the urge to doze off, forcing himself instead into a meditative state. Within the sea of consciousness, magical energy swirled and responded to his command as a milky-white power infused his body like blood, invigorating every fiber and soothing his exhaustion while healing his wounds.

Unlike the refreshing coolness of water magic, the light magic carried a tender warmth, as if embraced by a mother’s loving arms. As Veil replenished his spent magical reserves through meditation, his perception remained alert. Part of it extended beyond his body, ever vigilant against danger, while the rest circulated within, eventually returning to his inner sea of consciousness. To his surprise, he found his magical power had leveled up.

“It seems that the prolonged vigilance and pressure on a mage’s body and spirit in extreme environments truly do foster growth,” Veil mused quietly.

He extended a thread of perception toward his magical essence and concluded that all seven elemental attributes had advanced during these days. His fire magic, once ninth rank, had ascended to the tenth, edging him closer to breaking the limit of a magister and achieving true mage status. Ice magic reached ninth rank, water magic seventh (though they share a common origin, ice and water have diverged due to various mutations; ice primarily serves offense, water healing). Light magic rose to seventh rank, wind and spatial magic to sixth, while earth and darkness magic both advanced to fifth.

Overall, this journey to the demon realm had been perilous, nearly costing their lives multiple times. Yet, in return, Veil’s power had increased significantly, and more importantly, he had regained his rightful staff.

Though both his magical reserves and body could not fully recover so quickly, Veil understood their current plight. After this trip, Scannoli and Nasa would surely relay information about the demon realm back to the Beast Clan, and war between the two factions seemed inevitable.

More pressing to Veil, however, was the conversation he had overheard between Nasa and Scannoli before entering the demon realm… One of them—either Nasa or Scannoli—might kill him. Now that they had returned to Beast Clan territory, either could strike at any moment. Veil had no choice but to heighten his vigilance, especially toward Durken and Filro, for they were the only ones still capable of action.

In truth, Veil had considered seizing this chance to escape the wilderness and return to the human world. Yet there was the problem of Buck, the one-eyed subordinate he had left behind in Masang. No matter what, he had to bring him back. Moreover, returning from the demon realm had awakened a stark realization: Veil needed to accomplish something, and many of his ambitions required a crucial prerequisite—money.

Yes, money. Veil needed a substantial fortune. And the only way to acquire it was to cooperate with the Beast Clan, however risky that might be. This was also why, in the demon realm, he risked saving Scannoli and Nasa.

He knew exactly what he was doing. This was a gamble, with his life as the stake, betting on his own integrity and Nasa’s honor.

To gain certain benefits, one must pay a painful price in return, isn’t that so?

Opening his eyes, Veil took a deep breath. Filro and Durken had returned; Durken brought wood and water, while Filro, as usual, carried back a demon beast on his shoulders.

Durken lit a campfire, and Filro deftly gutted the beast, spreading the cuts of meat over the flames to roast. The Beast Clan rarely preferred cooked food, favoring raw, bloody meat instead. Their roasting was merely to allow Veil to eat as well.

This was not Scannoli’s order but an unconscious decision by Durken and Filro, born out of gratitude for Veil saving Nasa’s life when he was in danger.

Veil didn’t understand their thoughts. He simply sat by the fire without any other movement or speech. The others mirrored his silence. Only when their bellies were full and they prepared to leave did Nasa rise abruptly and walk directly to Veil’s side.

“Here I am,” Nasa said.

Veil’s heart tensed instantly. He had long etched Nasa’s strength into his mind. Though he knew Nasa could not act quickly now, the mere proximity rekindled memories of Nasa’s eerie poise and terrifying attacks. At such close range, if Nasa chose to strike, Veil had no chance to evade.

His mind raced in chaos. Meanwhile, Nasa stood before him, looking at Veil and speaking in human language: “There’s no need to be so guarded. I only want to talk.”

“Then speak. I’m listening,” Veil replied coolly. He frowned slightly, took a deep breath, and, right before Nasa, deliberately laid down his staff that he had kept tightly in hand.

Seeing Veil’s gesture, not only Nasa but Scannoli also furrowed his brows. The old man’s gaze fixed intently on Nasa, awaiting his final decision.

“Do you trust me?” Nasa asked suddenly, without preamble.

Standing before Veil now was no longer the wooden, stiff version of Nasa he had known. Since returning from the demon realm, Veil had sensed the true face that Nasa had long concealed in the shadows, now gradually surfacing before them all.

“Does how I look now not answer your question?” Veil chuckled lightly, spreading his hands and nodding toward the staff beside him. The meaning was clear.

“You saved my life. If you ever face difficulties in the future... come find me,” Nasa said calmly, his face unreadable, yet Veil detected an unshakable resolve in his tone. Clearly, he meant it. Durken and Filro, typical Beast Clan warriors with simple minds, couldn’t grasp why Nasa said this. As for Scannoli, upon hearing Nasa’s words, he sighed inwardly—he actually changed his mind. Well, that wasn’t such a bad thing.

“Thank you,” Veil smiled broadly, extending his arm to lightly wave before Nasa. Nasa hesitated for a moment, then reached out and clasped Veil’s hand.

The instant their hands met, Veil noticed that Nasa’s palm was completely dry—no trace of sweat.

In that moment, Veil thought to himself, this gamble... it seems I have won.