Du Meiqin had told her not to go anywhere near Areas 1–20.
After hearing other miners mention it, Jiang Li couldn’t help but speculate.
The reason behind the mining site’s disappearance in the side quest might be related to Area 20.
If it wasn’t disaster beasts, then what was it? Evil specters?
But as the miner had said—how could evil specters possibly appear in daylight? Moreover, this was a Flame Star Stone mine. The entire underground was filled with Flame Star Stones, which were a natural threat to evil specters.
If not evil specters, then what?
Jiang Li had no answer.
If she wanted to uncover the truth behind the mine’s disappearance, she would have to go and take a look at Area 20.
At the very least, she might find some clues there.
But—
Thinking of the danger in Area 20, hesitation rose in her heart.
Whatever was there, it was not something she could deal with right now.
‘I still need to get stronger first.’
Pulling her thoughts back, Jiang Li carried her pickaxe and continued toward yesterday’s mining spot.
She had already broken through the rock wall and found a vein of Flame Star Stones, so she no longer needed to search for deposits.
Reaching the vein, she raised her heavy pickaxe and struck the ore.
Compared to yesterday, with her stamina increased to 7 points, everything felt much easier.
Just a two-point increase, but after mining five Flame Star Stones, she had only used half her stamina.
Although she was still panting, she knew she could keep going.
Unlike yesterday, when mining five stones left her unable to even stand.
Stamina really mattered.
Jiang Li stored the five Flame Star Stones and, after her breathing stabilized, prepared to return to the surface.
She still had her shelter upgrade task to complete, and conserving stamina was the wise choice.
……
Surface.
It took less than two hours to finish mining and collect the required five Flame Star Stones.
A thin gray mist covered the sky; exposed rock formations stretched unevenly across the ground.
There were miners faster than her at meeting the quota—but none like her, who immediately left after completing only the minimum requirement.
Most miners wanted to earn more, continuing until the bell rang before returning to the surface.
One more Flame Star Stone meant more pay.
During those two hours, Jiang Li did not see Supervisor Li, which actually made her feel slightly relieved.
Facing that emotionless man, whose speed was so fast she couldn’t even clearly see his movements, she felt a faint sense of fear.
His physical abilities far exceeded hers. Both strength and speed had already surpassed human limits.
Jiang Li understood clearly—this world was not only one where she could break limits.
The natives of this disaster world also evolved, and some even possessed special abilities.
She had once studied the game’s worldbuilding carefully.
The threats of disaster beasts and evil specters had given rise to superhuman beings.
As for how they became stronger, she only vaguely understood.
……
Her thoughts didn’t linger long before she noticed three figures ahead.
It was the same three miners who had ambushed others during yesterday’s delivery route robbery.
Compared to the hunched, exhausted, emaciated miners around them, these three looked far healthier. Each was strong and muscular, holding axes, and had already noticed Jiang Li. Their gazes were filled with malice and greed.
After all, miners who finished so early were rare.
To them, Jiang Li was undoubtedly a fat sheep carrying valuable loot.
Yesterday, with Supervisor Li present, she had avoided trouble and safely handed in her Flame Star Stones.
But this time, she was not so lucky.
She had no way to avoid them; this path was unavoidable.
“So it’s a newbie? Heh, mining so fast—what good stuff did you dig up?”
“Be smart. We just want half your Flame Star Stones.”
The three spoke one after another, their eyes constantly flicking over her, as if trying to see through her clothes to the hidden stones beneath.
Jiang Li lowered her gaze as if conceding and slowly took out the Flame Star Stones from her pocket, offering them forward.
Seeing her so cooperative, the three grinned. One of them—a miner with yellowed teeth—stepped forward to take them.
In that instant, everything changed.
Jiang Li’s other hand drew out a stone axe without hesitation and swung it directly at his shoulder.
“AH!!”
A scream echoed through the mining area.
The two men standing slightly behind froze in shock, clearly never expecting such decisive violence.
Before they could react, Jiang Li had already swung toward the second man.
In the blink of an eye, two of the three robbers were crippled. Only their leader remained.
Enraged, he met Jiang Li’s cold, bottomless gaze—and his heart suddenly tightened.
He froze in place, anger dissipating, leaving only fear.
This was not prey that could be easily bitten. Even if he charged, he would lose a layer of skin.
“Are you going to attack or not?” Jiang Li shook the blood off her axe and looked at him calmly.
She had taken advantage of their carelessness—one ambush, then a second strike while they were unprepared.
If all three had attacked together, she would not have been so relaxed.
She had no reason to blame them. They were simply careless despite living this long.
As for the remaining leader, pure physical strength alone would not be enough to beat her.
Unless she used a skill.
But she could not afford to use skills under public surveillance in the mine.
So after disabling two of them, she chose to gamble.
If the leader attacked, she would have to take it head-on.
Fortunately, seeing the fate of his two companions, he lost all courage.
“You’ve got guts. Be careful next time.”
In the end, the leader backed down, dragging the two injured men as he tried to flee.
But after only a few steps, a sharp pain exploded in his back, sending him crashing to the ground.
He turned around and saw that she had attacked again without hesitation.
“You—”
“I never said I’d let you go,” Jiang Li said calmly.
She understood the danger of letting a tiger return to the mountains.
She was always cautious. Her earlier question had not been a truce—it was bait.
The miner handbook stated that fights were allowed, but not to the death.
There were guards patrolling nearby. She couldn’t kill them outright, but she could cripple them.
She directly cut off all three of their hands.
Amputation would not immediately kill them—but whether they would bleed out afterward was no concern of hers.
She then looted their Flame Star Stones and food before walking away without looking back.
A total of seventeen Flame Star Stones.
Most miners did not turn in work early in the morning, yet these three had already robbed enough to collect this much—clearly they had done this many times before.
The screams faded behind her as Jiang Li calmly submitted all the Flame Star Stones.