The annihilation beam slammed into Quentin Vilewind’s bark?covered back, burning a deep trench across his skin.

  Evan’s eyes instantly filled with tears—pure performance.

  “Quentin, go get them,” he urged. “Avenge me.”

  Quentin nodded without hesitation.

  “Okay. Stay here.”

  He turned and charged out of the tunnel.

  The wound on his back sealed almost instantly, the bark knitting together like living wood.

  Evan wasn’t sure whether it was because Quentin had turned into some twisted tree?spirit…

  Or because the leftover tree marrow was still healing him.

  Speaking of tree marrow—

  Evan had drunk half a bowl earlier.

  Now that he wasn’t actively dying, he finally felt the changes.

  A warm, gentle life force flowed through his body.

  It resembled the energy from his Regenerator Core, but richer, purer—

  A higher?tier version.

  Tree marrow could heal mental injuries.

  His Regenerator Core couldn’t.

  No surprise—

  One came from a Tier?4 spirit plant, the other from a Tier?2 beast.

  But what shocked him was this:

  The life energy didn’t disperse.

  It all flowed into his brain—

  Into the Regenerator Core lodged there.

  The core pulsed faintly, as if undergoing subtle changes.

  He didn’t have time to study it.

  Quentin was out there fighting four Saints.

  Evan turned and ran.

  Behind him, explosions shook the tunnels.

  Shouts, curses, and the roar of battle echoed through the mountain.

  He didn’t know whether the Saints had seen him.

  He hoped not.

  If anyone would chase me, it’d be Yeh Muni… that guy hates my guts.

  He crawled through the narrowing tunnel.

  The deeper he went, the tighter it became—

  These were root tunnels, after all.

  The farther from the trunk, the thinner the roots.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Eventually he found a fork and took the upward path.

  The Rooted Spirit Tree’s roots had hollowed out the entire mountain.

  Now that the roots were gone, the interior was a maze of intersecting tunnels.

  Evan kept climbing upward, choosing the higher path every time.

  The battle behind him continued—loud, violent, and surprisingly long.

  Quentin is actually holding his own? Against four Saints?

  He crawled forward—

  Then froze.

  Voices.

  From the left.

  He pressed his ear to the dirt wall.

  “Guys, come on—your boy is literally risking his life streaming a Saint?tier battle. That deserves some love, right?”

  “Whoa! Thanks for the jet! Appreciate you!”

  “Thanks for the two Tier?4 extracts! You’re amazing!”

  Evan’s eyes lit up.

  FangBro.

  The outdoor streamer.

  He didn’t need a digging beast anymore.

  He had found a better worker.

  Evan followed the sound, switching tunnels until he saw a faint glow ahead.

  FangBro lay flat on his stomach, phone in hand, livestreaming through a crack in the mountain wall.

  From that angle, he could barely see the battle below—just blurry silhouettes through the rocks and roots.

  Evan approached silently—Silent Walker made his footsteps vanish.

  “FangBro.”

  “Holy—!”

  FangBro nearly threw his phone off the cliff.

  “Who the hell are you?!”

  His eyes were full of suspicion.

  In the Blackrock Mountains, a stranger meant danger.

  “I’m your fan,” Evan said cheerfully. “I’ve even sent you gifts.”

  He clapped FangBro on the shoulder like an old friend.

  “When you’re done streaming, I’ll treat you to dinner.”

  FangBro didn’t relax.

  “Open your phone. Let me see your supporter badge.”

  “You don’t trust me?” Evan sighed. “There’s no signal here.”

  “I’ve got a signal booster.”

  Of course he did.

  FangBro was fully equipped.

  Evan had watched his streams—

  But he had never actually sent gifts.

  Still, he didn’t panic.

  He opened his phone.

  There was signal.

  FangBro leaned over—

  And saw the truth.

  Zero supporter points.

  Zero badges.

  Default username.

  FangBro’s face fell instantly.

  Evan smiled.

  He topped up his account on the spot, opened the gift shop, and selected the most expensive item.

  A Tier?6 extract.

  One hundred thousand Lin per gift.

  He sent ten.

  One million.

  Instantly.

  The livestream exploded.

  The chat filled with:

  “Holy crap this guy’s unreal”

  “Top donor just dropped a bomb”

  “Massive W”

  “Bro is built different”

  FangBro’s expression transformed at light speed.

  “Thank you, my big supporter ‘User100111281135656143’ for the ten Tier?6 extracts! Thank you so much!”

  He read every digit of the default username with reverence.

  Evan smiled.

  “Told you I’m your fan.”

  “Yes, yes, totally my bad!” FangBro bowed repeatedly, his two front teeth shining like twin headlights.

  “I’m a little hungry,” Evan said casually. “When are you ending the stream? Let’s go eat.”

  He hadn’t spent a million to show off.

  He needed FangBro to take him out of the Blackrock Mountains.

  Sometimes the strongest weapon isn’t power, or speed, or talent.

  Sometimes it’s money.

  And sometimes… it’s knowing exactly when to spend it.