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Chapter 25: Chapter 25 - Mining Technique

"How do the miners carry their ores, Master?" Polly asked in a soft voice as she ran through the grass, her small body nearly hidden by the tall grass and reeds.

"They bring their ores down from the mountain and then use carriages to transport them to the city. At least, that's what I learned after gathering information about the miners," Broken replied, reflecting on his newfound knowledge about their profession.

After some time, they reached the edge of the forest, where tall trees lined the path leading to the mountains. A well-trodden trail created by the locals, wound its way up into the forest. Fortunately, the forest in this area was free of high-level monsters, making it safe for the locals to mine, gather wood, or hunt for food.

"Come, Polly," Broken said. Polly responded by transforming into her larger form, running in circles with enthusiasm. Broken quickly mounted the fox, and they set off.

It had been a long and tiring trek to reach the mining cave. The winding paths of the mountains were not an easy feat to conquer, and it could take hours to reach the destination. Luckily, Broken had the luxury of riding Polly, and they swiftly made their way towards the cave concealed among the towering trees.

The route to the cave was a challenging one, with steep inclines that made it a difficult journey for those on foot. However, with Polly as his trusty steed, Broken was able to cover the distance in a fraction of the time. They soon arrived at the entrance of the cave, which was camouflaged by a small cluster of trees.

As he approached the cave, he noticed its wide entrance, spacious enough to accommodate a group of twenty people. The land surrounding the cave was sparsely vegetated, with rugged rocks and a few forest trees. The echoing reverberations of mining and the voices of chatty people filtered through the entrance, indicating the presence of both NPCs and players inside.

"There are many miners inside," he whispered.

"Let's go, Polly," he muttered. He immediately stepped into the cave, followed by Polly, who scampered around his footsteps.

The sunlight slowly thinned as he walked deeper. Several sparkling stones adorned the walls of the cave, along with stone lamps made from Monster Cores hanging at intervals on the cave walls. These provided illumination, making the interior of the cave easier to see. Someone had also placed torches to further light the room.

The cave was partially wet, with water dripping from the walls and pooling on the floor, making it slippery. However, when Broken looked at Polly, she seemed unaffected by the slick surface.

"Master, I can walk on any surface—slippery, sandy, hard... and... I'm sure I could even run on water one day," she said enthusiastically, seeking her master's attention.

"I trust you, Polly," Broken replied, smiling at the little fox.

"Hey, who's there?" one of the miners shouted as Broken walked closer to the source of the noise.

"Hey, sorry, I'm just here to do some mining," he replied.

"Who are you?"

"I'm a beginner in mining. This is my first time."

"A beginner?" they said, rolling their eyes. "Tsk, go to that section over there. Don't bother us here; you'll only slow us down."

"Okay, thanks!" Broken replied, walking past them and following the direction they had pointed.

The miners continued their noisy work, chatting randomly with each other.

"You know, my neighbor's husband just drowned in the sea, attacked by a monster, hahaha."

"Is that the young, pretty neighbor you mentioned?"

"Yeah... now I can easily woo that widow, and I'm free to take her."

"Man, don't you already have a wife? Leave her for me."

"You think I should tell my wife? No! I'll enjoy her myself, hahaha."

"Hey, beginner, hurry up and go over there. Don't bother us in this area."

"But isn't that area already mined out?"

"It doesn't matter. He's just a player probably doing a quest, not actually working like us," they said, answering each other.

Broken walked away, feeling a bit annoyed by their conversation and realizing they were giving him a mining spot they had already exhausted.

"Do they really think this cave is theirs?" he muttered to himself, not realizing his words echoed through the cave and could be heard by the others.

"You better watch your mouth, beginner," one of them spat menacingly. "Or I'll shut it for you with my pickaxe."

"Yes, sir," Broken replied casually. "You better keep the pickaxe for the ores," he added.

"Shut up and do your job quietly!" they replied.

"How can someone mine quietly?" one of them added.

"That's not my problem to answer, hahaha," another retorted.

Broken grabbed his pickaxe and examined it for a moment, pondering how to use it. "But this place has already been stripped of ores, right? Which part can still be mined?" he wondered.

"I think they just smash the pickaxe against the rocks on the cave wall. Let's give that a shot," he decided.

He began slamming his pickaxe against the wall, but after a few moments, he saw no results. He needed to look for sections of rock that were slightly shinier than the rest, indicating the presence of iron ores. The concept was simpler than in the real world, but it still required precision and hard work to succeed.

"Hahaha, look at that stupid novice. He doesn't know what he's doing," they snickered.

"I think he came here to mine without knowing how to use a pickaxe."

"He's holding the pickaxe like a sword, hahaha, what a stupid player."

"Hey, you'd better get out of here before you make a fool of yourself," they jeered.

"They think they're smart."

"Players?"

"A few of them are smart, but most are just fools who want to have fun and act irresponsibly."

"They treat this place like a game, so it's no wonder they act brainlessly, haha."

Broken paid no attention to the people chattering around him and continued striking the pickaxe blindly, hoping it would work somehow. He just needed to keep at it until he unlocked something.

After a while, he persisted, and finally, he received a notification alerting him to his new skill.

[You have unlocked a new Mining Technique skill.]

[Mining Technique (Passive Skill) Lv. 1]

[By regularly using a pickaxe, one can hone their mining skills, become more effective while mining, and increase their chances of success when mining, thus enabling them to obtain higher-quality resources.]

"Nice, this is exactly what I need," he said with a grin. "Hehe." He chuckled in satisfaction, finally having acquired the skill he needed.

After gaining the skill he needed, Broken began mining again with renewed enthusiasm. He smiled eagerly as he struck the pickaxe against the cave walls with more vigor, repeating the action over and over until his efforts were finally rewarded.

He brought his pickaxe down hard against the rocky walls of the cave one last time, and something new happened. The rock was dislodged and flew into the air, transforming into a dark, slightly shiny chunk.

[You obtained 1 low-quality Iron Ore.]

A notification chimed in his vision, making him smile broadly.

"Now, see how the Divine Sloth Champion does his mining!" he declared to himself, glancing over at the other miners.