CHAPTER 41: MINING EXPLORATION II

There are different levels of monsters in the world, and there is an easy way to identify them without studying.

Monsters are split into four categories: Low-level monsters, mid-level monsters, high-level monsters, and specially ranked monsters.

Each level is separated and determined by the color of their mana stone and also their overall magic stats in combat.

Monsters with green magic stones were usually classified under the low-level categories. They were known to be smaller and barely capable of harming anyone, at least not in a threatening way. An example would be a water slime or a firefly.

The color changes as the monster’s level increases: orange for mid-level and red for high-level, and it was quite easy to spot the difference, especially since research had gone into adventurers knowing which monsters to engage with during a quest.

That said, the special-level monsters were an entire breed of their own.

Monsters were said to have existed alongside other numerous races. However, there were some who were molded and created from mana exposure.

The term used to define this phenomenon was Mana Concordance.

A scientific state when mana had been polluted from being exposed too long outside a host, forming into a new form of species depending on the location. Not only were monsters like this less studied, but they were said to be far stronger, having better, unique abilities than high-level monsters themselves.

As such, the workers’ reactions to hearing there was a chance the mine could be infested by these special-ranked monsters came as a total shock.

One of the workers, from the back, fear etched on his face, uttered,

"I—if there are special-level monsters in there, why don’t we just hire adventurers to help us kill them all off before we go in there blind?"

On paper, that sounded like a good idea; if one were to overlook the fact that they could stand the toxic air, then having adventurers do the scouting by submitting a quest to the guild was not half bad.

However, dragon iron ores are quite rare and, if anything, almost impossible to find due to how they are made.

If the guild were to know about this, there would be no doubt it would get into the hands of other powerful nobles; people would not think twice to take it from under Dorian’s feet.

Nobles heavily fund guilds; it wouldn’t take much for them to plant a spy through the adventurers, understand how the mine works, and then cook up a false reason to start a war.

It was risky involving anyone until he was done.

Dorian sighed at the worker’s comment.

"We can’t involve outsiders when we are still in the growing phase," he uttered calmly. "If you are scared, I won’t blame you; you are free to back out now."

At the side, Seraphina shot the worker who spoke a death stare, her fingers almost digging into her papers.

In that moment, the project manager spoke up—

"Please pardon my staff’s curiosity. He is just nervous," his tone was jittery. "The thing is, many of us aren’t exactly fighters, so a special-level monster is more like walking into hell."

’Not that I can’t understand how they feel. I do.’

Dorian walked forward, his back facing them while staring deep into the hole.

"None of you will die on my watch. That I promise you," he glanced back at them. "All I ask is for you to give your 100 percent effort. That is all. As long as you do this, you will not perish under my watch."

Hearing this, it was as though the motivated workers booted all the way to the roof. The doubt they had a few moments ago disappeared, turning into a huge smile on their faces.

Maria was surprised to hear him speak so confidently like that. For a second, she was certain that he sounded like he secretly possessed some divine talent.

Seraphina nodded her head in agreement, a smile on her face, as she herself could not help but adore him.

Confirming that no one was objecting any longer, Dorian sighed once again, this time to regulate his mind and strengthen his resolve.

"Let’s get this done. Alive."

...

Positioned against the walls leading down to the mining pit were two large reinforced mining trolleys. They were connected to the same massive pulley system at the top, hanging like a bridge over the entire hole, on opposite sides of the loop.

Each trolley was large enough to take about four people down in one go, maintaining a decent speed while the other trolley is pulled back up.

As such, everyone went in groups.

The first group was Dorian, Maria, and Seraphina.

Their bodies were already coated by the windshieldmeant to keep them safe from the thick, poisonous air deep inside the cave.

The moment they stood on the trolley, Seraphina signaled one of the workers, who quickly pulled the lever.

Upon pulling it, the trolley began to descend, while the one at the bottom went the opposite way.

Dorian couldn’t help but be impressed by what Seraphina had done. It felt more like he was riding a low-budget elevator.

To think all he had to do was give her a blueprint, and she was able to figure out the rest all on her own.

He doubted if anyone else in the construction team could do any better.

After a while, they arrived at the bottom of the mining cave, the air growing heavier with the scent of damp earth and distant rock.

As soon as they stepped away from the trolley, it began to move up, meaning another group was coming down from the other one.

Dorian took a few steps forward; the first thing that caught his eyes was the broken roots of dragon iron ores that had already been mined by the workers.

’Oh?’

He moved closer to one of them, making sure he was close enough to see it clearly.

’It’s growing back?’ Watching the roots emit tiny golden glows, Dorian reflected, seeing that mana was evidently growing within them.

...

[A/N:

Thank you all for the support; we got to 50 ps and 15 ps. I did an extra update for 15 gt, I shall do another for the 50 ps tomorrow as well.

More gts and ps, and I’ll keep the mass release going. Thank you once again.]