Chapter 123: Another Win!

Whoosh!

Following Pang Ding’s clamorous shouting, a golden sphere of light emerged from the Ancient Devourer, hovering before Luo Yong. He reached out and immediately sealed the contract.

"No! Wait!"

The long-eared clerk hadn't quite believed it at first. His thoughts were still drifting in the hazy glow of the gemstone Luo Yong had given him, calculating how long this treasure would keep him in luxury, and how much more he could squeeze out of these two fools.

Then, he heard Pang Ding’s outcry.

Although he hadn't heard such shouting in a long time, many who came here to gamble were like that—initially feigning composure, only to become completely unrestrained once the drawing began. For a while, it had been a true trial for his long ears; they had almost grown callouses from the noise.

Won? How could it be that easy?

Previous customers had also shouted about winning, but in the end, it was always either the wrong card rank or the patterns failing to align. Tsk. He had seen this same scene play out so many times that he had become numb. Perhaps the legend of the "lucky chosen one" would never manifest in this world again.

Just as he thought this, he glanced casually in the direction of the noise.

And yet, that single look—

Won! They really had won!

A faint ripple of magic power appeared, barely perceptible to most. Then, the sphere of light was snatched away!

The clerk instantly lost his composure. His long-honed professional standards would not permit such negligence! A professional smile plastered onto his face, he hurried to Luo Yong’s side and said, "Sir, your actions are against the rules. Items emerging from the Ancient Devourer must first be handled by me for appraisal to determine their value. Only then, if you still desire it, may you proceed with the purchase."

"What? Is that written in the Ancient Treaty?" Pang Ding challenged the regulation.

"Sir, you yourself admitted it existed earlier," the clerk said with a sugary smile.

Pang Ding: "..."

"That’s a slap to the face if I ever saw one." Luo Yong glanced at Pang Ding, then turned to the clerk, saying emotionlessly, "As a young man aspiring to be a lawyer—though I am currently a mage—all predatory clauses are null and void to me!"

"Er..." The clerk faltered for a moment, then continued with a plastered smile, "Sir, are you intending to use force? Are you planning to rob our shop?"

"I spent money on a draw, and the item I obtained should be mine! That is what a [contract] means, not some 'Ancient Treaty' I have never heard of," Luo Yong stated.

"But if you take items from the shop without paying, that is theft," the clerk countered.

"Then what about you? You took my money without providing any service. What is that? Stealing?"

"Er, wasn't that a tip?" the clerk asked.

"Does the Ancient Treaty mention tips?" Luo Yong retorted.

"..."

The clerk fell silent for a moment. His smile remained, but his expression turned cold. "If this is your attitude, then whatever happens next, you will bear the consequences yourself!"

"Are you threatening me?" Luo Yong poked Pang Ding, who was secretly stuffing gemstones into the Ox Devourer, and asked, "Does the Ancient Treaty say what to do in this situation?"

"What can we do?" Pang Ding shrugged helplessly, pressing down on the head of the Ox Devourer totem. "There is a magic-sealing formation and a law of non-violence here. We are all restricted and can't fight... otherwise, I would have already beaten him to a pulp!"

"Then why was I able to successfully seal the contract?" Luo Yong asked calmly.

"Contract?"

A flash of insight sparked in Pang Ding’s squinting eyes. He suddenly realized, "The power of the contract is unaffected here! Items pulled from the Ancient Devourer can be used directly in combat!"

"So that’s how it is..."

Luo Yong emotionlessly summoned the item he had just contracted. Three gold cards together guaranteed a top-tier item!

"Those who are arrogant shall surely lose their heads!"

With a flash of light, a figure appeared before Luo Yong and performed a sword salute.

"Peerless... Sword Maiden?"

It felt different from what he had imagined. Luo Yong had wanted a combat puppet capable of area-of-effect attacks to help him grind monsters and experience in large quantities. But... a melee-type magic combat puppet—how long would it take to kill monsters one by one?

"I’ve decided. I’m going to spend enough to get a hundred of them!"

In an instant, Luo Yong had a plan. If the Ancient Devourer contained such puppets, he would win by sheer numbers, just like the Death Dragonflies from before.

"What... what are you doing?"

The rabbit-eared clerk felt a surge of danger. Although the shop had magic-sealing and non-violence laws, the operation of the Ancient Devourer still required mana, and it remained unaffected. The combat puppets drawn from it were likewise exempt from these restrictions. Most importantly, nothing like this had ever happened before.

In the past, those who approached the Ancient Devourer either emptied their pockets, went bankrupt, and disappeared into obscurity, or they found a crooked tree to hang themselves from, or perhaps a remote cliff... No one had ever gained an advantage here.

Until today.

"Hey, I thought I heard someone say they won. What did they win? Who won?"

"What did they win?"

"I told you you heard wrong. Who has the ability to win anything here—"

Several figures suddenly appeared at the shop entrance, craning their necks to look inside, yet none dared to enter, as if afraid of being devoured. But their curiosity was irrepressible.

"Eh? Wait, looking at the scene, it seems like a fight is about to break out?" The man who had mocked Pang Ding earlier stepped forward, blocking the entrance. "The swords are drawn; it’s about to start!"

"The foolish shall not live!"

The Peerless Sword Maiden uttered coldly and walked slowly toward the clerk.

"No! Don't come over here!" The rabbit-eared clerk shrieked, ducking behind the counter. He slapped a protective barrier into place, cowering inside with a look of extreme terror.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The Peerless Sword Maiden slashed several times, but the barrier merely shimmered, remaining completely intact.

"It seems it really is unrestricted," Luo Yong nodded to himself, then turned to look at the Ancient Devourer nearby.

Pang Ding had finished his draw; three silver cards flashed before him, their patterns identical.

"The Goddess of Luck finally favors me."

Pang Ding whispered, then leaped up with a spring, his body moving like a bouncing ball.

"Oh ho!"

"I won! I won! I won again!"

Pang Ding waved his arms, cheering in the shop, his short legs moving at a blur as he circled the room three times. Then, he returned to the Ancient Devourer, rubbing his hands, waiting for his item to emerge.

A small sphere of light flew out from the mouth of the Ancient Devourer. In truth, Luo Yong hadn't looked closely before; the Ancient Devourer was shaped like a giant beast, resembling a dragon or a legendary ancient creature, though no one could say for sure. All the cards emerged from a magical barrier within its giant maw, much like a dog holding a phone in its mouth while its owner mindlessly watched a soap opera.

Whoosh!

Before the sphere could even reach him, Pang Ding reached out, touched it, and sealed the contract.

"Haha! Master Pang is also a lucky one!"

Pang Ding laughed, immediately summoning his newly contracted combat puppet.

Whoosh!

There appeared... a lion-man wearing a tall white chef's hat and a red-and-white striped uniform. He held an ice cleaver in one hand and a flame cleaver in the other, accompanied by a set of magical kitchen utensils. On his back was a large character for "Chef."

"Only fine cuisine must not be辜负 (neglected)!"

As soon as he appeared, he shouted, scanned the area, and locked eyes with the rabbit-man hiding behind the counter. Those long, unmistakable rabbit ears were like a beacon in the night.

Whoosh!

The Lion Chef’s eyes lit up instantly. His ice and flame cleavers collided, emitting a melodious chime as he intoned, "For high-end ingredients, one often only needs..."

"Ah, no! Help!!!"

The rabbit clerk screamed as if he had seen his natural predator. His eyes turned red with panic, and his ears stood stiff, unable to even twitch.

"Er..."

Pang Ding stared blankly at the item he had just obtained, thinking to himself, *Does Master Pang lack food? Why did I get a Chef Lion? A utility item?*

He looked at the Peerless Sword Maiden nearby...

Well. The Ancient Devourer really did contain everything.

"Better than nothing!" Pang Ding comforted himself, then pulled out another gemstone, ready to advance on the Bear Devourer.

Click!

Beside him, Luo Yong had finished another round of card draws. A gold card, a silver card, and a silver card. He cast an emotionless look at Pang Ding, leaving the other man stunned. That look was filled with nothing but disdain.

"What?! You do your Ox Devourer, I do my Bear Devourer, we stay out of each other's way! Why are you looking at me? What is that look? Do you believe I’ll stab you?!" Pang Ding roared.

"Move away, you're affecting my luck," Luo Yong said.

"Pah! I won't! Is this your shop? You think you can tell anyone to move away? I paid money too!" Pang Ding shouted.

Click!

Luo Yong rolled his eyes, ignored him, and continued his assault on the Ox Devourer. Outside, a group of people drank, watched the drama, and had a lively time.

"So these are the items from the Ancient Devourer!"

"They don't seem very useful, though. Food is food—why would you need to hire a Chef Lion?"

"Hey, why do you think that female hero can use force in the shop? Aren't there restrictions?"

"I think I heard that ball say he 'won again'... why did he say 'again'?"