Mine Map

"No need to deny it. Just looking at how stuffed your Cloth Bag is, I can tell you're getting more and more skilled at mining. Your control over your strength is far better than those guys'.

The open-air Ore Veins can no longer satisfy you.

You seem to be a Refugee. You want to save enough money to buy a proper identity from the Ore Veins, right?"

Zhao Hou said with a smile.

Yang Ling remained composed. "Uncle Zhao, I do want to buy a proper identity, but the mines are too dangerous. I'm not going."

"If you go in just like that, then yes, it's indeed very dangerous."

Zhao Hou smiled. "But if you buy a Mine Map from me, it won't be nearly as dangerous."

"Besides the map, I also sell antidotes. If you run into Mine Worms, they could save your life."

"A Mine Map?"

Yang Ling was somewhat stunned.

Those scattered mine tunnels actually had maps?

"How about it? I'll sell you one Mine Map for just two hundred copper coins. The Fire Crystal Rock at your waist is worth about that much."

Zhao Hou said, "If you come across a large chunk of Fire Crystal Rock in the mine, with your mining speed, you'll earn your money back in a day and still make a little profit!"

"How do I know whether the map is real? What if you just drew it randomly? Wouldn't that get me killed?"

Yang Ling spoke thoughtfully.

Seeing that he was genuinely interested, Zhao Hou immediately glanced around.

"If you're interested, meet me in the village at noon tomorrow. Ask Old Wang and you'll know where I live.

"As for whether the map is real, don't worry. Steward Niu had to approve this deal before I could make it. If you don't believe me, just ask Steward Niu later."

With that, he turned and left.

Yang Ling stood there pondering for a moment. After glancing at the sky, he too headed toward the exit.

"Oh? Two jin of Fire Crystal Rock?"

Steward Niu opened the Cloth Bag and looked at the Fire Crystal Rock packed inside. He gave Yang Ling a surprised glance.

Yang Ling grinned foolishly. "I got lucky today. Everything I found was in large chunks."

"With your mining speed, you rank among the best of all the Miners."

Steward Niu seemed thoughtful. "Your strength also seems to have improved quite a bit since you first arrived here?"

Yang Ling's heart tightened slightly. NPCs paid attention to things like this too?

He said quietly, "I didn't have enough to eat before, so I was much weaker. I've only recovered some of my strength recently."

"I see. It seems your physique was quite good to begin with."

As he spoke, Steward Niu counted out two hundred copper coins for Yang Ling.

Yang Ling sighed in relief. He had just spent money on the Fine Steel Pickaxe and only had fifty copper coins left. With these two hundred, his purse was full again.

"Steward Niu, may I ask another question?"

Yang Ling asked quietly.

"Zhao Hou told me. You're thinking of going into the mine, right?"

Steward Niu said casually, "You can trust eighty percent of the map in his hands. The remaining twenty percent may have some omissions."

"Thank you, Steward Niu!"

Yang Ling hurriedly cupped his hands in salute.

Just then, Zhang Wei dragged his exhausted body over and set his Cloth Bag on the table.

He glanced at Yang Ling, his expression cold.

"One liang. Heh, looks like you've found a way to survive here."

Steward Niu gave a faint smile and handed Zhang Wei ten copper coins.

Zhang Wei took the money without offering thanks, then limped away.

It was a sign that his muscles were sore to the extreme.

Yang Ling's expression shifted as he glanced at Zhang Wei's attributes.

Character: Zhang Wei

Class: Miner

Level: 2

Strength: 3

Agility: 2

Spirit: 1

Health Points: 30

"Leveled up? It seemed he couldn't see the Attribute Panel, but he apparently had the ability to level up too. Did he increase that point of strength himself, or did the Divine Domain system add it for him?"

"Whenever I gain Experience Points, it relieves my fatigue and muscle soreness, but it still doesn't work for him. Clearly, he can't sense the existence of Experience Points either."

"He probably doesn't even know his strength has already reached 3 points."

With that in mind, Yang Ling decided to observe him for a while longer.

To make sure Zhang Wei wasn't deliberately hiding this from him.

This was very important to him.

He suspected that there were definitely many Players in the Divine Domain now.

They were simply scattered across different locations.

If he alone could actively sense Experience Points and allocate points himself, that would be his advantage!

"On the day that kid arrived, you were the one who looked after him. And now you've become enemies?"

Steward Niu asked with an ambiguous smile.

"Steward Niu, I was never close with him to begin with."

Yang Ling grinned.

Steward Niu nodded lightly. "Go on. In a place like this, one person is better than two."

On his way back, Yang Ling pondered Steward Niu's words.

"Two people working together... one of them might very well be tempted by wealth. Looks like this sort of thing isn't uncommon in the Ore Vein. Steward Niu really is quite kindhearted."

After returning to his room, Yang Ling immediately went to sleep.

The next day, he found Uncle Wang and asked for Zhao Hou's address.

When Zhao Hou saw Yang Ling, he smiled and invited him to sit.

Then he took out a map and slowly spread it across the table.

"Fire Crystal Rock Ore Mine Map 1, 2, 3, 4, 5"

The map's attributes immediately appeared before his eyes.

Yang Ling's heart stirred. This map really was valid—otherwise, the Divine Domain system would not have recognized it.

"My map includes five mine caves, all of them somewhat valuable."

Zhao Hou smiled. "Take a few more looks. You won't remember it anyway.

It marks where Mine Worms have appeared and where large chunks of Fire Crystal Rock Ore have been found."