Exploration and Discovery, an Unexpected Bonus

The Steel Battle Group's mining efficiency was astonishing. In less than half an hour, they had completely stripped the already meager spirit ore deposit bare, without leaving so much as a scrap of ore. Gui Ya's projection had hovered off to the side the entire time, its face dark.

"Alright, don't be so stingy." Gang Ban glanced at the stats plugin, in a great mood.

"Finders keepers... I'll hold onto your share for now and give it to you when you're all grown up. Let's go. Keep leading the way. Maybe there's another vein of mine up ahead."

"Yours?"

"Ours."

Gui Ya's projection gave a cold snort and said nothing more. It turned and drifted deeper into Soul Valley.

It was moving noticeably faster now, eager to end this costly expedition as soon as possible.

The farther they went, the colder the surroundings became.

The rock walls bore numerous traces of battle. Now and then, narrow cracks stretched down into the ground, their depths impossible to see, while wisps of icy air seeped out. The Soul Shadows that attacked afterward were also significantly stronger, with hunting levels generally above 80. The number of Derived Evil Spirits had also clearly increased. After crossing a moss-covered stretch, they reached another smooth stone path.

The Steel Battle Group's footsteps echoed through the empty valley, exceptionally clear.

"Be careful. The space here is unstable, and there's a heavy lingering resentment in the air," Gui Ya unusually warned them of its own accord.

"Resentment? What's that, the name of some kind of energy?" Gang Ban asked curiously.

Gui Ya's projection stared at Gang Ban as if he were illiterate, but still explained:

"When a being skilled at controlling emotional forces perishes, fragments of information and lingering obsessions remain behind and combine... You can think of