The Snipe and the Clam Fight, the Fisherman Reaps the Benefit

After the depressing incident where a wild boar turned into a bat and flew away, Lin Mo and Wang Keke moved through the ruins like wilted eggplants, feeling as if everything they saw was about to steal their prey.

"Sigh, all that work for nothing, and we wasted so much stamina." Wang Keke kicked a small pebble at her feet, pouting as she complained.

Lin Mo felt the same way deep down, but as the (self-proclaimed) pillar of the team, he sent a thought of encouragement through their mental link: Stay steady, we can win. Even though he felt the encouragement was a bit hollow himself.

Just as they were considering finding a place to gnaw on some dry rations and soothe their wounded hearts, an extremely intense commotion, accompanied by angry roars and hissing, came from a block ahead!

The sound was filled with violence and agony; it was definitely not some minor skirmish!

Lin Mo's ears instantly stood up like antennas, and Wang Keke immediately became alert, subconsciously gripping her throwing knives.

"Go take a look?" Wang Keke whispered, her eyes filled with both nervousness and curiosity.

Lin Mo nodded and took the lead, stealthily creeping toward the source of the sound. If they couldn't eat the pork, watching the pig run... ah no, watching the spectacle was fine, right?

They carefully climbed onto the second-floor platform of a half-collapsed shopping mall, using a broken concrete pillar as cover to look down.

At this sight, both their eyes (and the tiger's) widened!

The intersection below was now a complete mess, with vehicle wreckage tossed everywhere. In the center of the battlefield, two massive monsters were locked in a life-or-death struggle!

One of them looked like a lion but was even more robust, with a shoulder height of nearly two meters. Its body was covered in dark golden short fur, its muscles bulging like rocks, and its massive head was crowned with a tuft of flame-like crimson mane. Its fangs were exposed, radiating a fierce aura—it was an Advanced Beast Soldier, a Lion Mastiff! It was known for its strength and defense, and its talent was likely [Giant Strength] or [Intimidation].

Its opponent was a colorful giant python as thick as a bucket and over ten meters long! Its scales were a vibrant, poisonous-mushroom-like cauliflower color. Its triangular head was held high, its tongue flicking out, emitting a hair-raising "hissing" sound—a Cauliflower Python, also an Advanced Beast Soldier, famous for its powerful [Constriction] and suspected poisonous traits.

Clearly, these two overlord-level monsters had clashed over territory or prey, and it had reached the point of a fight to the death!

The Lion Mastiff had a deep, bone-visible laceration on its shoulder, blood staining its dark golden fur; it had clearly been wounded by the python's fangs. The Cauliflower Python wasn't doing well either; many of its scales were shattered, and most severely, its lower body had been nearly bitten in half by the Lion Mastiff, with only a bit of flesh and skin connecting it, making it difficult to move.

"My god... it's a Lion Mastiff and a Cauliflower Python!" Wang Keke covered her small mouth, whispering in shock. "Why are they fighting? And why are they both so badly hurt?"

In Lin Mo's amber tiger eyes, however, a light comparable to a searchlight instantly erupted!

Opportunity! A massive opportunity!

When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman wins! The ancients never lied to me!

These were both Advanced Beast Soldier big shots! Their bodies were full of treasure! Especially the talents they might possess—whether it was [Giant Strength], [Constriction], or [Poison Resistance], he was drooling over all of them! Moreover, looking at these injuries, they were clearly both suffering, on the verge of exhaustion!

I'm rich! I'm rich! I really hit the jackpot this time! Lin Mo was ecstatic, the tip of his tail trembling slightly with excitement. The previous depression was swept away, replaced by the thrill of winning the lottery.

He stared intently at the battle below and sent an extremely clear and firm thought to Wang Keke through their mental link: Get ready... to scavenge!

Wang Keke was stunned for a moment, then realized what he meant, her small face flushing with excitement. She nodded vigorously, controlling her throwing knives to hover in front of her, ready to strike at any moment. She knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

The death match below had reached its final moment.

Relying on its last bit of strength, the Lion Mastiff lunged forward, biting down hard near the Cauliflower Python's seven-inch mark! The massive bite force shattered the snake scales, and snake blood gushed out!

The Cauliflower Python also made its final counterattack, its massive body whipping around like a giant lash. Its broken tail slammed heavily into the Lion Mastiff's waist and abdomen, while the front half of its snake body frantically coiled around, choking the Lion Mastiff's neck and forelimbs!

"Roar—!" The Lion Mastiff let out a suffocating, painful roar, struggling desperately.

"Hiss—!" The Cauliflower Python also let out a desperate hiss as its vital point was bitten.

The two remained deadlocked for a full minute, and finally, their strength gradually faded away.

The Lion Mastiff's bite force weakened, and its eyes began to glaze over. The Cauliflower Python's coil loosened, and its tongue hung out powerlessly.

Thud! Thud!

Two heavy sounds of bodies hitting the ground rang out almost simultaneously.

Dust filled the air.

The two Advanced Beast Soldier monsters had actually killed each other!

The intersection instantly fell into a dead silence, with only the thick scent of blood permeating the air.

Lin Mo and Wang Keke exchanged a look on the platform, both seeing the ecstasy and a hint of disbelief in the other's eyes.

"They... died just like that?" Wang Keke was still a bit dazed.

Lin Mo let out a low growl, urging: What are you waiting for? While it's still fresh!

He was the first to leap down from the platform, landing nimbly on the street, scanning his surroundings vigilantly to ensure no other "orioles" were following behind. Wang Keke followed closely, landing lightly.

Up close, one could feel the massive size of these two monsters and the brutality of the battle. The Lion Mastiff was almost deformed from being choked, blood spilling from its mouth and nose. The Cauliflower Python's seven-inch mark was nearly bitten through, and its tail was hanging by a thread.

"Quick! Cut the ears! Also, the snake's tail..." Lin Mo gestured with his claws, signaling Wang Keke to move fast. Materials from an Advanced Beast Soldier, even just a severed tail, were worth a fortune and might contain fragments of talent energy, which would help him with his devouring and analysis.

Wang Keke immediately took action, pulling out her specialized alloy knife. Enduring the heavy stench of blood, she began to cut the Lion Mastiff's thick ears and the Cauliflower Python's nearly severed, vibrant tail.

Lin Mo wasn't idle either. He walked to the Lion Mastiff's corpse, looking at the massive creature, and fought the urge to start devouring immediately. He knew this was no place to linger; the commotion from earlier and the current scent of blood could attract more troublesome things at any moment.

What a pity, I can only choose one... His gaze wandered between the Lion Mastiff and the Cauliflower Python. He really wanted the Lion Mastiff's [Giant Strength], but the Cauliflower Python's [Constriction] or its potential [Poison Resistance] were equally tempting. Besides, python meat... he heard it was very nourishing?

In the end, he made his decision—choose the Lion Mastiff! Strength was the foundation, and besides, canine meat was easier to swallow than the somewhat creepy-looking python meat, right? (He selectively ignored the fact that he previously thought cat meat was gamey.)

He activated his Combat Devour Talent and began to tear into the Lion Mastiff's relatively intact hind leg. The energy contained in the flesh and blood of an Advanced Beast Soldier was truly astonishing; waves of violent heat surged into his body, impacting his limbs and bones, making him feel filled with power!

The [Combat Devour Talent] ran at full capacity, attempting to analyze the core talent that might exist within.

Wang Keke was nimble, quickly cutting off the left ears of both monsters (the Lion Mastiff's ears were thick, while the Cauliflower Python's ears were small, almost like special scales in a pit) and packing up the nearly one-meter-long, colorful severed tail.

"Mimi, it's done! Let's go!" she urged.

Lin Mo also felt he had eaten enough; any more and he would be stuffed. He took one last lingering look at the remaining Lion Mastiff corpse and the intact Cauliflower Python, then decisively stood up.

"Roar!" He let out a low growl, signaling for a retreat.

Man and tiger, carrying their bountiful spoils like two petty thieves who had just struck gold, felt their hearts pounding in their chests while their feet moved with lightning speed, quickly vanishing into the complex maze of ruined alleys and putting distance between themselves and this place of trouble.

It was not until they had run a sufficient distance and found a relatively hidden corner to hole up in that the two (and the tiger) finally breathed a sigh of relief, exchanging glances and unable to help but break into silly grins.

"Heehee, Mimi, we're rich!" Wang Keke hugged the heavy, severed python tail, her eyes curving into crescent moons. A token from an Advanced Beast Soldier would absolutely shock the four seats at the competition!

Lin Mo licked the lingering blood of the Lion Mastiff from the corner of his mouth, feeling the surging energy within his body and the feedback from [Combat Devour] as it worked hard to analyze the essence, his heart bubbling with joy.

A blessing in disguise! The wild boar got away, but the lion and the python came instead! This haul is a massive profit!

Although the process had been a bit opportunistic, the result was incredibly satisfying. This trial, it seemed, was starting to become lovely after all.