The green lights became increasingly ubiquitous as we moved down the cavernous entrance. Some light from torches on the wall took on that green hue, but most green illumination came from the sparkling cores of emerald mines waiting to be collected. Dazzling, the stuff looked as our eyes danced across their jagged edges, at their crystalline structure that contradicted the dull earth surrounding it, as if Mother Nature held her jewels close.
Turning the corner, we found a nice emerald node jutting from sedimentary rock within an opening within the mine wall. It was as if the little room had designated this spot as always a space for a node to spawn.
How nice of the system to give adventurers an easy farmable spot before the central conflict begins. Or was this a trap? Could this be too good to be true? My previous instincts of how the realm operated were coming back. Nothing was to be trusted; everything was held more behind the system's control.
Motioning for my group to wait in the hall, I crept in, all my senses burning. This could be dangerous; an event could trigger, or a simple boobytrap could await the eager miner, so I went gently and deftly. Every step was taken with caution and attention to detail.
Muscles tensed with the exhaustion that slow and calculated movements cause, and sweat began to roll down my brows, onto my face, and then rhythmically down on the cavern floor.
Pat
Pat
Pat
The sound of tension echoed through the halls. I held my breath as I finally moved close enough to inspect the stone.
The system HUD pulled up this information.
Rare Void Filled Emerald Node.
Providence (Master Miner Required.)
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LVL. 150.
⅕ chance to drop void filled.
⅖ chance to drop emerald cores
⅖ chance to drop nothing.
Wow…I found myself muttering as I eased myself up from my crouched position and waddled back to the waiting group in the hall.
What is it, captain?
A new ore I'd never heard of. Have you guys heard of voil-filled emerald?
Their blank stares responded not.
Anyway, we need to go back and ensure Jude's group not only has mining equipment, which they would. It's a damn mine shaft, after all, but specifically, they need master miners…
My words brought worry across the party. Master Miner was no easy feat. Even amongst adventurers, only a handful ever reach that exalted rank. Hell, in the days of the guild, we only had one, and he was more mountain crab than man, with hands like shovels and a mouth not suitable for a tavern, let alone a guild. But he was left alone; to be who he was because of that damn title that carried all the weight and, even more so, dug out all the ore that no one else could even scratch, let alone harvest.
Master miners, I don't think I've seen one this far east of the citadel, captain. Let alone traveling and working with a group of NPC mercs...
My face became fire.
Rodger, drop that word out of your arsenal. They are people, too.
Rodgers's face became red hot with embarrassment. I felt terrible, but at the same time, maybe now he would drop the word, remembering when his tongue had slipped for the last time.
Sorry, captain. It won't happen again, I swear it.
Don't sweat it. Just don't use it anymore. It ain't pleasant and a dangerous word that only grows in malice and spite with the realm. We aren't powerful yet; even with the reaper, we aren't a sliver of what the main realm guilds can do, so we must make friends, not foes.
Anyway…
Looking down and off into the mine, lit by those ominous green twinkles, seemed to guide you deeper into the maze of the Emerald Mine.
Something tells me that not only does Jude have a master miner at her disposal, but that isn't the only card up her sleeve.
Before we could continue our conversation, a cry echoed from down the shaft. A shriek and a bang, then the whole shaft reverberated, caused our feet to wobble. Pieces of rubble fell from the sky as a new fear registered within me. This place might not be entirely stable.
Captain, what do we do?
Damn, I muttered.
The reaper growled quietly on my back. Hot, my back felt burning with a power waiting to be released. Alright, then.
If you want it so bad…
Unsheathing the reaper and unwrapping the sacred linen that contained its fury, I said.
Let's go save those eager assholes. It's on them for going on ahead, but I'd prefer Jude not be pissed that we lost two of her young assassins.