throughout the time he went mining, he learnt how to rewrite the force of his blows, moving in ways to ensure he wouldn’t get injured.
[You have successfully learnt the skill: Mining] ‘ok?
so this is the panel?’ [Mining Skill: 156/1000 great success] ‘oh?
so it counted all my experience?
that’s at least good’ [evolve Skill: Mining, by advancing and creating a intricacies to boost efficiency] ‘my, my~ let’s try this~” with this added knowledge, he learnt how to breathe in time with the impacts.
immediately he could feel a difference, like no longer feeling that much more fatigue.
[ Mining Skill: changed] [Mining Skill: 94/1000 Great Success] ‘so it lowered because my comprehension of the changed skill slightly decreased?’ not to mention that it didn’t evolve, it only changed this time, he added the concept of pulling power from the ground up.
though unrefined and barely understood how to move his own body, he could calculate how to swing more powerfully by pulling power from his legs, hips and spine.
[ Mining Skill: changed] [Mining: 77/1000 Great Success] ‘ok..
maybe lets get this too perfect first.’ with that, he thrown himself into cultivating the Mining skill.
he was ravenous with his efforts, pushing all of his efforts into doing the most without harming his body, and to do that he needed to break constantly question his body and the technique.
most looked at him in disappointment, thinking he’s low on money, if not, than why would he throw himself so dangerously into mining?
with collapses happening weekly, the mortality rate is second to only martial artists.
and Ma Qing was a staple at the Cave, he would brighten everyone’s day with words, a smile and by his past action.
“do you think one of the twins got sick?” “heavens!
maybe that’s why he’s working himself to the bone..” they gossiped, but they all got back to mining, at their average pace.
3 hours later: i sigh and pick up the cart I filled up by myself.
most would hire a cart boy, like he was in the past, but with how broke he was, and his deep desire to keep his siblings safe, he could only do it himself.
with that, he hauled his sweaty ass up the cave and deposited the ores.
he got a pay check of 50 copper coins, which is impressive for one or 2 mouths for a day, but barely scarping by for 3 growing children, not to mention the lack of something to nourish his sore muscles..
‘vegetable proteins?’ he looked at the farmers pigs, eating their nutrient dense meals.
and sighed.
he knew that eating healthy would bring energy, but that would cost food, and food costs way too much.
so his only option would be to eat bugs…
‘ahh…
fuck my life..’ he went to the market haggled with the rice farmer, and got a bag of rice, immediately heading home.
the kids usually never came out, being each others entertainment, they always played pretend.
Ma Qing reminisced about 2 years ago, when some of the stories he read came back as dreams.
he would tell his younger siblings stories on demon kings, heroes, cultivators, etc.
and they loved every bit of it.
‘honestly the kids resemble more earth ones rather than the ones in this place..’ he was knocked out of it when he saw a few men banging on his door.
“Open up!
Time to pay your dues!” “what you doing?” I say, sneaking up on them with ease.
they flinch and stumble away, than immediately snarl and start shouting “watch it punk!
you think you can play with the Shark Teeth Gang!” “good Heavens no!
I would never!” I say, semi mockingly, making them confused in what i really meant.
“well, watch yourself!
anyways punk!
you live in this dump right!
for protection, you need to pay us 50 Copper Coins!” he said, with a vicious grin.
‘man go punch sand!’ I think inwardly but than sigh outwardly, “I would of loved too gentlemen but there’s a rumour going around that people are getting killed off from your gang so willy-nilly~” I say, feigning sadness.
‘I’m bullshitting to see a reaction.’ “but surprisingly, most of them died whenever they took money from this side of the slums!” i just start spouting whatever nonsense to scare them.
“maybe you can pick up the money after a few more weeks?
so the constables can catch the criminal?
but then again, he seemed to be an old monster!” they feel a hint of fear, why would a young man brazenly lie like this????
they weren’t educated well, but they certainly had street smarts, yet this welp was antagonising them in broad daylight?
‘or is he…’ they couldn’t be so sure?
they have heard no such stories, but with the attitude of the young man in front of them, they shouldn’t risk it..
“I guess your only looking out for your brothers, but tell me, if we find out that you were being dishonest to your brothers…
you think your sister will be safe~” ‘their heads will roll!’ “yes, yes!
I wouldn’t like about something like this brothers~” they nod and walk away.
‘I will make their heads rest in cow dung.’ he sighed and walked up to the door.
he opens it and shout “banana!” they each come out of their respective hiding spots.
they were both young, so them hiding immediately when hearing someone’s voice other than their brothers was something they honed.
I steam the rice and serve them.
the amount of rice was rather a large portion for each of them, but it being mainly carbs, it didn’t provide much for them physically, other than some energy and filling their stomachs.
they finish their lunch, and the little ones did the dishes.
Ma Qing went outside to the small courtyard, stretched and started swinging his pickaxe.
he memorised the the feeling of each swing, and went back and studied how it felt to mine ore, and how it felt to pierce a human throat..
[Mining Skill: Changed] ‘ah..
so the change in the skill happened when I started viewing it for killing instead..’ [Mining: 145/1000 Great Success] during the time he was mining, he paid attention to every swing, each miniscule change, and hours of swinging, made him gain over 80 points, but after the Mining skill changed it lowered by 20 points.
which was much more than when it was only for mining.
‘i guess the more a skill changes from the original, the lesser the realm of comprehension will be..’ but even with the slight changes, it ensures that he would be getting at least 60 points per 4 hour session, which is just insane!
‘most martial arts can’t be cultivated to Perfection, so me having great success in mining already shows my considerable talent.’ ‘the only thing left is to reach perfection and transform the Mining Skill into a proper martial arts…
yeah right~’ he needed stable income, which isn’t capable when done with mining, he needed more nutrient dense food, which he doesn’t have access too, and he needs to move away from this place to the inner city.
‘all of that, comes back to the lack of money, which goes back in a circle..’ I sigh and continue my cultivation of the Skill.
with me practicing more and more, heavily on the killing ability of the pick rather than its ability to mine, the Skill continued to change more and more, but eventually stopped, and started gaining points, evolving my comprehension.
‘I guess this Skill gained 2 pathways of cultivation?’ maybe people would call it the Mining Dao and the Pickaxe Dao…
pretty bad names.