Chapter 122 You call it a devoured ghost, right?!

The deep pond mysterious clam was buried deep into the mud and sand, its two hind legs twitching uncontrollably while gleaming with a faint black light.

Wang Chen secretly thought that summoning the giant zombie eater had been the right call. Because this deep pond mysterious clam was no powerhouse of raw strength, the giant zombie eater could easily hold the upper hand in that department. Although the creature possessed some mysterious skills that let it flash out of danger in an instant, those abilities clearly had a lengthy cooldown. After all, the giant zombie eater had battered it for half the day without ever seeing it use them.

The scene played out much like a giant zombie eater smashing rice cakes inside a stone pit—the soft-bodied deep pond mysterious clam being hammered until it lay flat and round.

Only when its skill finally cooled down did the creature’s body vanish into a swirl of black mist, swallowed up and gone from the circular pit.

The giant zombie eater struck empty air, lifted its bone rod for a quick inspection, then began to dig through the dirt, clearly puzzled by the sudden disappearance of the deep pond mysterious clam.

Wang Chen remained on high alert, scanning the surroundings.

A low buzz sounded. Black mist swirled, and the deep pond mysterious clam reappeared directly behind the giant zombie eater.

It looked utterly wrecked now, a streak of emerald blood leaking from the corners of its gaping maw and both hind legs splayed at unnatural angles.

Wang Chen was about to order the giant zombie eater to turn and resume the chase.

Before he could finish, the creature’s lower belly suddenly swelled. It opened its enormous mouth and let out a deep “quack.”

The sound startled the giant zombie eater so violently it spun around on its own. Wang Chen had given no command.

The giant zombie eater dropped its gaze to the calling deep pond mysterious clam and roared in reply, “Rooo!”

The roar skill activated, powerful enough to shatter jade and split gold. A wave of sound crashed into the deep pond mysterious clam, drowning out its voice.

Wang Chen, watching from the side, found the sight faintly amusing.

The deep pond mysterious clam snapped its mouth shut, returning to its usual toad-like expression—lips downturned as if in perpetual irritation—then obediently squatted down.

Seeing this, the giant zombie eater retaliated with another pair of provocative growls. It swung the bone rod, clearly preparing to hammer the deep pond mysterious clam into pulp.

Wang Chen gripped his staff tightly, standing ready to defend against any escape attempt. Even his battle flag had been deployed; he could not allow the creature to flee, or he would never recoup the platinum-level gear he would inevitably lose.

Just as the giant zombie eater reached out to seize the deep pond mysterious clam, the latter launched its counterattack.

It suddenly lunged, jaws clamping down on the giant zombie eater’s hand. While the creature was still stunned, the deep pond mysterious clam’s mouth melted like liquid, flowing over the arm, then the head, and finally the entire upper body before vanishing down its gullet.

In a heartbeat the entire giant zombie eater was swallowed whole.

Its body, which had been far smaller than the deep pond mysterious clam’s, ballooned several times larger, now a true colossus. The rest of its form remained unchanged, but the belly protruded outward like an overinflated balloon, as though the creature were nine months pregnant.

Inside that glossy black belly, frantic thrashing echoed— the giant zombie eater fighting desperately within.

Everything unfolded in the blink of an eye. Wang Chen stood frozen.

The scene was utterly absurd. The deep pond mysterious clam had devoured a foe far larger than itself.

“This is ridiculous. It’s the zombie eater that usually eats others. Today it got eaten instead. Done. From now on it’s the ‘being-eaten ghost.’”

After a brief moment of shock, Wang Chen snapped back to his senses. He commanded the giant zombie eater through the battle flag to burst forth from the deep pond mysterious clam’s belly. He himself stayed alert, ready to intercept any sudden strike.

Yet the deep pond mysterious clam, after the meal, seemed to need to wrestle with the writhing prey still churning inside its stomach. It remained motionless in place, even sealing its eyes with a nictitating membrane.

Wang Chen was delighted by the sight and let the giant zombie eater press forward.

The zombie eater inside the deep pond mysterious clam’s belly was hemmed in by the thick, rippling walls of flesh. It could barely swing the bone rod with any real force.

So it shoved the rod outward desperately, trying to pierce the belly.

But the deep pond mysterious clam’s skin was impossibly elastic. The bone rod had no edge to speak of. The giant zombie eater’s efforts were wasted.

By now it had been trapped inside the belly for some time. Its lungs were nearly exhausted, and its consciousness was slipping toward chaos.

Wang Chen watched with mounting worry, yet he knew the creature’s body was deceptively tough. He had already felt that resilience when he had hacked at its tongue with the flame python blade. He still had no idea how to break through.

He paced in place, racking his brain, when a spark of inspiration suddenly flashed in his eyes.

His finger twitched. A sharp, gleaming beak appeared in his grip.

The hunter-wind clan member had pried it from the dragon-slaying diamond eagle. The tail had been fashioned into a comfortable handle of ox horn for easy holding.

It was a gift from Gong. The hunter-wind clan had been on the brink of battle and could not deliver the promised fifty meat sheep, so this was offered in compensation.

Originally the beak could be used to open a vertical pupil for any hunter-wind clansman.

Wang Chen had been pondering what good it would do him. It was almost more of a craft object than a weapon—sharpened but skill-less. As a life shaman he had no intention of stabbing anyone with it.

He never expected it to prove useful so quickly.

He raised the staff in his other hand. Lightning danced along the head.

“Thunder Barrier!”

Three barriers of crackling light hovered around him.

Satisfied with the protection, he gripped the beak and charged toward the deep pond mysterious clam.

The creature detected the approaching threat. It snapped open its nictitating membrane and regarded Wang Chen through a cold, cyan-purple eye.

It had other matters on its mind—digesting the giant zombie eater—and nothing else moved.

Of course, Wang Chen was nothing more than a small insect. The deep pond mysterious clam could not possibly see him as a threat.

“What are you staring at, toad!” Wang Chen snarled viciously, driving the beak straight at the creature’s round belly.

With a sound like cloth tearing, the beak punched cleanly through the deep pond mysterious clam’s belly. Emerald fluid sprayed out in a sudden gush.

The creature’s eyes flew wide. Wang Chen caught a flicker of genuine surprise in those depths.

“Time for a cesarean section!” Wang Chen yanked the beak and began circling the deep pond mysterious clam.

The beast was enormous. He could not cut the belly open from top to bottom, so he worked horizontally along the lower abdomen.

He pulled with all his strength. Though the diamond eagle’s beak was razor-sharp, cutting such a massive hide still demanded serious leverage.

In moments he had sliced halfway through the lower belly. The emerald fluid poured out like a bursting dam, carrying the stench of spoiled water.

Wang Chen grimaced and had to pinch his nose. Fortunately he would soon open the entire belly, at which point the giant zombie eater would burst free and pummel the deep pond mysterious clam into submission.

He would be spared any more of that revolting juice.

Just as he was thinking this, his body suddenly felt lighter. He rose into the air.