Chapter 33: Farming Mana Cores
"Beat them until they stay down, you said?" Seline asked, one eyebrow raised and a half-smile on her lips. "Have I ever told you I don’t like hitting people?" Her playful tone belied her fierce reputation.
Lian gave her a strange look. Aren’t you called ’Miss I’ll Smash You First’? he thought before nodding. "Yeah, otherwise they’ll escape. After all, they’re about to evolve."
"Evolve?" Seline tilted her head, ready to ask more, but Lian was already moving.
His mana condensed into several fiery projectiles, all slamming into the worm before him, a barrage of controlled destruction. Watching the scene, Seline didn’t hold back. Chanting her usual formula, sharp, destructive jets of water launched at the worm that had absorbed her attack, her precision a match for his intensity.
"Not too hard!" Lian shouted, panting. "They need to stay alive until they evolve!"
"I know, I know," Seline replied, her tone betraying a hint of amusement. "I’m not a fan of pointless violence, you know?" Her words dripped with irony.
The two continued pummeling the worms with a mix of physical attacks and light spells, keeping them teetering on the edge of life and death. After a few minutes, the creatures’ bodies began to tremble violently.
"Here we go!" Lian exclaimed, stepping back. "Now we just wait for the right moment." His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"Interesting," Seline murmured, watching her worm with curiosity. "So you make them evolve on purpose? What’s the benefit? How did you figure this out?" Her questions were sharp, probing.
Lian scratched the back of his neck, a bit embarrassed. "I found out by accident, fighting one of these filthy worms. It ate my fireball and came back as a magical monster. And guess what? If we kill them, we get a Mana Core." His voice carried a mix of pride and discovery.
"Seriously? That’s a pretty easy way to make money..." Seline remarked, slightly surprised. "How long does it take?" Her interest was piqued, her mind already calculating.