Yang Ling found a secluded corner of the vein and mined away.
Wisps of icy experience kept flowing into his body, leaving him feeling wonderfully full.
As he mined, he watched his surroundings.
To enter the caves, he had to find a moment when no one was paying attention.
Otherwise, being seen would only invite needless trouble.
Time slipped by.
As usual, Yang Ling changed mining spots several times.
Along the way he spotted Zhang Wei.
The man seemed to have noticed his strength had grown; today he mined with unusual vigor, even a trace of excitement on his face.
Before long, he also spotted Lin Guoliang, Chen Xu, and Wu Meng.
The three were pouring all their strength into a single block of Fire Crystal Ore, but because of their lack of experience and strength, half a day's chiseling brought down only a thin layer of powder.
"If those three are smart enough to pool their efforts and scrape together one tael of Fire Crystal Ore, surviving here wouldn't be hard."
"Aside from being tiring and hard, this place really has no danger to speak of — quite a decent rookie village."
Yang Ling thought as he grinded experience.
With Zhang Wei as a cautionary example, he wouldn't write off all players with one stroke.
He'd still offer a little basic help, seeing as everyone came from the same place.
But he didn't intend to lightly reveal his player identity again.
Right now, in the whole vein, only Zhang Wei knew he was a player.
If future players also couldn't see the attribute panel, they'd have a hard time knowing he was one too.
"If those three could see the attribute panel, they'd surely spot that I'm a player. But by the looks of it, they're the same as Zhang Wei — they can't see it. If nothing unexpected happens, this ability might be mine alone."
That guess left Yang Ling feeling rather pleased.
As a professional gold farmer, he knew that finding a 'bug' in a game meant striking it rich!
Right now, he was as good as holding a unique 'bug'!
It wasn't quite as dramatic as one big score, but... this ability was extremely useful all the same!
Time slipped by.
The sky gradually darkened.
Some miners, having gathered their tael of Fire Crystal Ore, left in groups one after another.
Yang Ling quietly approached Cave No. 1.
On the map, Cave No. 1 was the most winding of them all.
Under normal circumstances he shouldn't choose Cave No. 1.
But that very windingness was, in a way, a kind of protection and cover.
Seeing no one to either side, and no one paying attention, Yang Ling broke into a quick trot and slipped into Cave No. 1.
The cave was pitch-black. Yang Ling took out a fire-starter and blew it alight, then felt his way forward slowly by what the map showed.
He wasn't the only one in the cave; others were here too, though they didn't seem to dare go deep.
Everyone's fire-starter lit only a small radius — you could see the glow but not who exactly it was.
By unspoken agreement, neither side made a sound or provoked the other.
Yang Ling chose a fork and pressed steadily deeper.
The map showed that the deeper you went, the more likely big blocks of Fire Crystal Ore became.
He didn't know how long he'd walked, or how many forks he'd passed, when suddenly Yang Ling saw a peculiar gleam.
It was the glow of Fire Crystal Ore — it gave off a faint light on its own, unnoticeable in daylight.
But in a place this dark, you could spot it at a glance!
Yang Ling strode quickly toward the Fire Crystal Ore.
By its brightness, he reckoned he could mine at least a catty from it!
Just as he neared the Fire Crystal Ore, something suddenly felt wrong.
"Strange, that sounds like..."
"Breathing?!"
Yang Ling's face changed. He clapped the fire-starter shut at once, gripped the refined steel pick, and warily backed away.
"Damn it, he's noticed! Get him!"
A cold shout rang out.
Then came a rush of whistling air — several figures seemed to lunge toward him.
Yang Ling instinctively swung the refined steel pick, and heard a crisp clang.
"My blade snapped!"
Someone cried out in alarm.
Yang Ling's face changed.
A blade?!
Motherfucker — actual mine bandits, and he'd walked right into them?
Those who dealt out foul play on the vein were called mine bandits by the miners in private.
But these fellows worked in secret and were rarely caught; no one knew exactly who they were!
By now one man had already closed in on Yang Ling.
Yang Ling felt his scalp prickle, as if some great crisis were bearing down.
Without a word, he chiseled over with all his strength.
Shunk! Shunk!
A sharp pain tore through his shoulder.
A blade must have been driven into it.
But his refined steel pick had bitten into someone too.
By the feel of it...
Yang Ling dimly made out a mass of black shadow, standing there numbly.
The refined steel pick had sunk deep into the crown of its skull!
Did I just kill someone?
Yang Ling's expression turned solemn.
At that moment, a surging, icy current poured into his body.
Experience?!
Killing gives experience too?!
Was that right?
"Ding!"
「Congratulations, you have leveled up and gained 1 Free Attribute Point」
The days of mining, plus this enormous windfall of experience.
Yang Ling leveled up again.
Without a word, he put the point into Strength.
Refined steel pick in hand, his Strength now stood at a full 11!
More than double an ordinary person's!
The other mine bandits hadn't yet realized what had happened, and were still closing in on Yang Ling.
Yang Ling steeled himself and swung the refined steel pick like a madman.
In the dark, with neither side able to see, trading wound for wound, he put down three more mine bandits!
Three more surging, icy currents poured into him.
By Yang Ling's reckoning, that was worth about ten shichen of mining!
The pitch-black cave now fell very quiet.
But Yang Ling knew one man was still alive.
The one who'd spoken first.
Watching his surroundings, he opened his own attribute panel.
Name: Yang Ling
Class: Miner
Level: 5
Strength: 11 (3)
Agility: 5
Spirit: 10
HP: 50/80
The Strength from the pick didn't add HP.
"Good thing my HP is thick, or I might already be dead."
Yang Ling felt a wave of relief, and downed three bottles of wound salve at once.
In about thirty minutes he'd be back to full.
As for the wounds on his body, he'd already confirmed they'd heal on their own in time.
Earlier, when Steward Niu had ordered Zhang Wei beaten, the man's injuries had recovered quickly once his HP came back.
This was probably a small special courtesy 「Divine Realm」 gave players like them.
"Brother, I know you're still there."
A voice suddenly sounded in the darkness:
"My men are all dead, aren't they? Consider it my apology to you, brother. Please show mercy and let me off."
"The Fire Crystal Ore I set there as bait is three catties, worth three hundred coppers — it's all yours, brother."
The more Yang Ling listened, the more familiar the voice sounded.
He suddenly smiled: "Fifth Brother?"
In the darkness, Fifth Brother's face filled with panic:
"Who's Fifth Brother? I don't know any Fifth Brother!"
A mine bandit couldn't have his identity exposed!
Otherwise, once it came out, not even his good-for-nothing brother-in-law could protect him!
"Fifth Brother, it's me, Zhang Wei. I didn't know it was you just now — I've given plenty of offense. Once you're out, you mustn't take revenge on me..."
Yang Ling said in a low voice.
"It's you, brat? How could you kill my men? Wait — you're courting death!"
Fifth Brother caught on at once and instinctively threw himself into a desperate lunge to dodge.
But the next instant, the refined steel pick drove into his back.
The enormous force even punched through his chest, pinning him fast to the ground.
Fifth Brother spat bloody foam, his mouth opening and closing, trying to say something.
The fire-starter flared to life.
Yang Ling leaned in: "So it really is you."
Seeing that it was Yang Ling, Fifth Brother's eyes went wide as saucers, but then, as if struck by some thought, he suddenly began to chuckle:
"You... you'll be coming down soon too... to keep me company."
With that, Fifth Brother breathed his last.