Laying around for a couple of hours was enough time for my mana to regenerate back to full. I cast [Fireball] to light up the area, and as I walked through the small enclosure, I held it up close to the wall. The gray walls buckled in and out. It was a surface I would not want to sleep on.
Fortunately, I managed to find ore. The stone wall didn’t reflect the light as much as the glittering ore did, revealing it. The imposter sat comfortable in its spot, wedged and morphed exactly like the stone of wall. My plan was to bring it out and sell it like a slave. Just the mere thought of doing so was enough to get my stomach roiled up.
As I swung the pickaxe, I felt the skill [Mining] take over. It was giving a slight direction to where my pickaxe was supposed to strike, and also making the ore weaker than it would otherwise be. This was only temporary, and as the skill grew in level it would makes ore even weaker when excavating them. I’d seen miners in the past capable of grabbing a handful of iron from a wall, just as if it were butter. I’d also been able to do so, but that was another thing entirely.
After ten strikes, I felt my arms grow heavier and the pickaxe stopped releasing a satisfying sound. I realized then that I’d have to spend a lot of points on my physique to be able to handle the strain of mining. That wasn’t very good for me. My original plan had been to dump all of my points into magic at the start. With my extensive magical knowledge it wouldn’t take long for me to become a magical powerhouse.
You have mined five chunks of iron ore. 50 experience points has been added to your [Miner] class.
A pile of rubble had grown beneath my feet. I’d have to purchase some sort of way to transport the ore in the future. A cart would do me well but it would be too heavy and impractical for the layout of the cave. I hoped that as my mining faction grew in strength we’d be able to purchase our own mines and set up more efficient mining methods.
The skill [Mining] has leveled up.
I thought that was a good sign to stop for the moment, even if I continued I doubted I could bring all of the ore to the top. I’d need to purchase a durable backpack in the future. With some sort of storage system, I could bring more ore to the top. Telekinesis would also prove helpful, so it was a skill I should prioritize getting as quickly as I could.
The spell [Fireball] came like a formula into the mind. The different runes one would have to sketch and the transformation into fire magic was all done automatically. This put minimal strain on the caster, but it also meant that there were certain regulations it had to follow.
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These regulations could be slightly altered just by pushing hard with ones will, push hard enough and you might even learn a new spell. The problem was that you might also blow yourself up, or waste a significant amount of resources. The formulas existed for a reason after all.
Due to my knowledge of magic, I knew that the spell fireball could be formed anywhere on the body. Keeping it there, or throwing it though was a different question. Since my only need for it at the moment was to light up my surroundings, I cast it on the top of my head.
My arms made a circle, and I tried to fit as much ore as I could in there. I managed to get the five largest chunks and also the pickaxe which was good enough for me.
The light produced by the fireball was barely enough to light the ground so I had to watch my step as I walked away as not to fall. My eyes were glued to the ground as I found where I’d entered this part of the cave. I forced the chunks through the tiny opening before getting myself through again. It didn’t take long before I could see the light from the outside. The sun was still out but it was still on its decline.
I tossed the fireball into the wall and cloaked myself again. I hadn’t really noticed how steep the cave was when I’d first entered, but now that my leg burned as I ascended it, it was the only thing on my mind. Didn’t they have elevators?
Primitive goddamn humans.
I went back to the mining guild, and pushed against the door until it relented. Hobbling through the tiny space upto the counter, I proudly presented my five ore to the hideous clerk. Look at my hard work human.
“I know you’re new to this but you’re supposed to bring the ore around the back,” she said. “Don’t worry though, I’ll take it here this time.”
“Thanks,” I said through gritted teeth. I didn’t want to carry those chunks another meter.
“So each chunk of iron ore goes for around seven copper. Since we’re taking twenty percent, I’ll pay you for four of them. That’ll be twenty eight copper.”
“Only! I risked my life to get these, and I’m getting twenty eight copper? What can I even buy with that? A loaf of bread?”
“You’d be earning more if you joined the city’s mining faction.”
Grumbling, I grabbed the twenty eight copper, which had been presented as two silver and eight copper. When I’d cut the robe in half, I’d had to do so to many of the pockets, but there were still two near the chest which were functional. I placed the coins there, and heard them clank against each other as I walked.
I set my sights on my next goal in the fiasco that was mining. I needed to get myself a pet that was weak enough I could mentally dominate it, yet useful enough to prove its purpose. A weak-minded human should do the job, but where would I find one of those?
Just then, I spotted the church across the building of the mining guild.