The mines were selected places in the Wastelands where special types of ores were extracted. Under normal circumstances, these ores didn't have much value, but for research centers and labs of Alchemists, they provided a decent power source to fuel the Furnaces and other tools used for alchemy. However, the processing was complicated and strenuous.
For every 50 kilograms of ore mined, only about 2 kilograms would be useful in the long run. The most precious resource, however, that could be gotten from the mine were spirit stones. Purified materials infused with a dense amount of Essence. Even in decent-sized Mines, less than 20 spirit stones could be acquired in a day.
Large mines hired men, women, children, and rouges. In short, anyone who could meet the Quota of 100 kilograms of ore mining per day.
Old Kai was in charge of one of such mines, and his expression was not friendly.
His appearance reflected the struggles he faced daily; his skin, deeply furrowed and tanned from years spent under the harsh light of mineral lamps and the oppressive atmosphere of the mines, has taken on shades of rugged earthiness. Crow's feet nestle around his sunken eyes, which shimmer with keen awareness and ruthlessness.
Old Kai's rusty brown hair was cropped short but with a few unruly strands escaping the confines of his scalp. Old Kai's beard was thick yet maintained properly, resembling a tangle of grey underbrush, filling the spaces of his face in a protective manner as if it were guarding him from the cold and unforgiving world outside the mines.
His clothing, practical yet threadbare, consisted of a heavy tunic and a large coat that was made with exotic fur; around his waist was a small pouch of enchanted minerals hanging at his hip—evidence of the treasure often sought by miners and scavengers alike.
Sitting in a huge chair, he continuously banged on the table in front of him in a fit of rage. Five men dressed in navy blue were behind him, all with stoic expressions—a long line of Wasteland Inhabitants were clamoring before the old man, struggling to be selected.
"Alright! Time for work! All of you unfortunate folk better crawl out here right now; let this Old Kai see how many would be lucky to enter the mines today."
About a hundred people gathered at the entrance, making the place quite rowdy; however, in spite of the disorder, none of the people in the mob stepped within a five-meter radius of the old man named Kai as if there were an impenetrable barrier.
Some newcomers who had come here for the first time didn't know about the rules and pushed their way to meet Old Kai; they didn't see the look of pity other scavengers had for them until it was too late.
One of the men in navy blue stepped forward and expressionlessly waved his hand; very thin air blades materialized and were shot at the people who trespassed the 5-meter barrier. Before they realized what was going on, the unlucky scavengers were already bisected into many pieces.
The entire place was silent. Even though some had seen this sort of scene play out before, it was still nerve-racking. It was not the deaths of the people, of course; gruesome deaths were commonplace in the Wastelands. It was the sight of an Essence Artist in action. Such power was still awe-inspiring no matter how many times it was displayed.
For anyone to dare come to the mines to work, they must be able to use Essence to a degree. Yet before a true Essence Artist, they were still less than ants that a single finger could crush.
Three young girls dressed in white quickly came out of nowhere and cleaned the area with incredible speed. In less than a minute, all the body parts had been packed and disposed of, and the ground looked so tidy, as if multiple murders didn't take place just now.
Old Kai shrugged his shoulders indifferently and took a sip from the bottle of alcohol on the table. He gave the beverage a few swirls in his mouth before swallowing it down. It was his last bottle, and it would take months for another batch to arrive in the Wastelands. He had to savor every bit he had.
"Okay, you all should come forth, one by one."
Any time a person arrived in front of him, a deep red light would flash through his eyes; by using this spell, Old Kai was able to roughly estimate the number of impurities mixed with the Essence in each person. If there were too many impurities inside the body of the miner, the ore that the person would later extract would not be of satisfactory quality.
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Old Kai passed some people while others were asked to leave. Then, it was a burly middle-aged man's turn. A brief look of familiarity appeared in the eyes of the men dressed in Navy blue.
"Hmm, Jack… I am sorry, but your impurity level is well above the limit now," Old Kai sighed.
A look of shock appeared in the muscular man's eyes as he quickly spoke out.
"You can't chase me away; this is the only way I can feed my family."
But Old Kai shook his head.
"Rules are rules," The elderly man said bluntly.
Jack gritted his teeth in anger and desperation. A slight fluctuation appeared in the air as Essence seemed to gather around him. However, as soon as he saw Old Kai's eyes, which seemed to appear darker by the second, all his bravado evaporated, and he left dejectedly. It was better to look for work elsewhere than to die here for nothing.
After a few more rounds, it was Ju's turn to be assessed.
When he saw Ju's small stature and strange attire with the eye patch, Old Kai raised an eyebrow and proceeded to examine Ju.
Shortly after, a look of brief surprise appeared on the elderly man's face. Although it didn't last for long, the men beside him were able to notice; they looked at Ju with curiosity.
"Kid, so you want to work at the mines?"
"Yes"
"You know there would be punishment if you are not able to meet the minimum quota for the day, right?"
"I know….I still want to try."
"Why?"
Ju was silent for a moment before answering.
"To gather enough money to be able to live at Ender Town"
"Humph, what's so great about that hell hole…Though it is still a much better hell hole than here, I guess." Old Kai sighed as he continued looking at Ju thoughtfully.
The teenager didn't say anything in response.
"Okay, you would see an axe and a crate by the entrance. The minimum Quota is a hundred kilograms from now till dusk. The Crate can hold up to 300 kilograms at once. Once you feel you have mined enough, notify one of these guys behind me, and you will get your payment."
Ju nodded slightly and went inside.
"Old Kai, You looked a little surprised when you inspected the boy." One of the men in blue could not help but ask.
But the elderly man waved his hand immediately.
"His essence was just purer than I expected. Obviously, he just started gathering, and the impurities have not accumulated."
The man in blue stayed silent because it was obvious that Old Kai didn't want to speak about the issue further.
"But that sort of Essence purity is really uncommon in these parts." Old Kai mused a bit before putting the matter at the back of his mind.
If somehow Old Kai had discovered that Ju was already using Essence more than three years ago, then his shock would have been many times greater.
As Ju gradually approached the interior of the mines, the lights slowly became dimmer. The actual working station of the mine itself was a lot bigger than it looked at the entrance. Ju saw a pile of axes and large containers that, even when empty, would have been difficult for an ordinary person to move, but for someone who could manipulate Essence, they were relatively light.
The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and the iron tang of sweat, mingled with the overwhelming presence of impurities that seemed to seep from the bedrock. His hands gripped the handle of the pickaxe, a basic yet sturdy tool fashioned from a thick wooden shaft and a head that, while serviceable, bore signs of extensive wear—the result of countless strikes against a stubborn earth.
Ju'seyese narrowed as he looked at the blade of the pickaxe. Even under poor illumination, it still shone quite well, indicating that the material it was forged from was not ordinary.
"It is much more sharper than my dagger." Ju mocked himself internally
Ju's arrival didn't cause much of a reaction from the other miners, as they were too busy trying to utilize the most out of every time they had; after all, you had to meet the Quota, or all of the miner's efforts would be for nothing.
The young boy spotted a nice corner that no one had claimed and quickly set to work, his small stature contrasting greatly with his fellow miners.
With a grunt, Ju swung the pickaxe, the effort reverberating through his shoulders as it struck a seam rich in concentrated essence ore; for a moment, Ju tried to see if he could make out the tiny bits of essence shards, but he quickly realized that he was searching for something far more elusive than he thought.
The ores were completely black, entangled in a dogged mass of impurities— amalgamations of darkness that sought to choke the teenager himself.
Much like the realities faced by the other miners of old, the fight against the unwanted elements could soon turn dangerous for Ju, as inevitably, some of the impurities would taken into his Body. About one hour had passed when the teenager began to feel his already merged essence flow stagnate, adding to his fatigue.
"I've got to be careful," Ju thought, wiping his brow and squinting at the shimmer within the rock, which beckoned him like a siren song.
With each strike, the fatigue mounted, yet Ju pressed onward. Ju took a deep breath, feeling the weight of impurities swirling around him, enveloping him in an aura of challenge and uncertainty.
He remained undeterred, seeking to sift through the detritus, to isolate the shimmering essence from the filth that sought to mask its brilliance. Lifting his pickaxe once more, he swung down and watched as his first large piece of ore fractured, spilling forth the coveted essence mixed with gritty residue, dazzling and sinister all at once.
"A bit of progress." Ju thought in between heavy breaths, but he did not use so much time to think about this small victor as he swung the pickaxe again.
Time slowly flew by.