A Pause

The last commotion in the mine gradually subsided.

The valley's four sides are recessed into the rock walls, with mine pits extending deep into the mountainside along the rock strata. The pit openings are jagged, and the rock walls are covered with dense chisel marks, the imprints left by Green Demon's pickaxe day after day. Some rock fragments have been loosened by the chisels and hang from the pit edges. The wind blows through the valley's crevices, and fine rock dust falls down, covering the thick layer of gravel on the ground.

The ground was littered with large amounts of quarried Crimson Rock.

The fresh rock face still bore the marks of the pickaxe and hammer, and a faint metallic sheen clung to the dark surface. In the dim light of the valley, the rocks lay quietly in small piles. Stains of dark red blood were mixed among the rubble, along with several broken pickaxe handles, broken off during the earlier melee.

The air was thick with the smell of dust, mixed with the distinctive fishy stench of the foreign race.

Su Meng stood at a distance on the slope, not daring to approach rashly.

Her gaze was fixed on the figure holding a knife in the center of the valley.

Lu Heng gripped the Star Blade, weaving through the alien races. His blade flashed cleanly, without any fancy moves. Facing the swarming Green Demon and Goblin Overseers, he maintained his composure, steadily catching and repelling every attack.

Su Meng was deeply shaken by what she saw.

She wondered to herself what kind of person she had just randomly bumped into.

She was just carefully avoiding the alien races in the Mist Forest and searching for supplies to survive. She never imagined that she would encounter such a survivor.

In just a simple, chance encounter, she somehow managed to latch onto a powerful figure.

His gaze shifted to the ore scattered across the ground.

A burning passion suddenly ignited in Su Meng's eyes.

Given Lu Heng's strength, he must have ample resources. He wouldn't even bother with such basic ores, much less spend time collecting them.

He would never accept this batch of ore.

That opportunity has fallen into her hands. She can take advantage of this chance to amass a huge amount of resources.

Thinking about the endless supply of ore that would fill the gaps in forging tools and repairing weapons, Su Meng's throat bobbed uncontrollably.

A soft slurping sound echoed on the quiet slope.

She snapped back to her senses, quickly wiping away the drool from the corner of her mouth to suppress her embarrassment.

We can't just stand by and watch from a distance forever.

If she just watches without doing anything, Lu Heng will easily assume she's a freeloader who only wants to take advantage of others. Even if she can't be of much help, she should still take the initiative and pretend to offer assistance.

Su Meng took a step and rushed down the slope, stepping on the loose stones.

The pebbles rolled under her feet, making a soft rustling sound. She ran and shouted as she went.

"Wait for me, boss! I'll help too!"

She ran very fast, eager to rush into the battlefield and lend a hand.

But by the time she reached the center of the valley, stepping over the pebbles, it was all over.

Lu Heng has already cleared out all the alien races from the mine.

Whether it was the emaciated and weak Green Demon laborers who carried baskets to mine year-round, or the Goblin overseers who patrolled back and forth with whips, none of them remained.

Su Meng slowed her pace, her gaze sweeping over the body on the ground.

These alien races were trapped in the mines for a long time, with scarce food and enduring heavy labor day after day. Their bodies were emaciated and thin, their flesh clinging tightly to their bones, and they showed no sign of strength.

In this state, even if they pounce, how much damage can they unleash?

But Lu Heng showed no mercy and spared none of them.

Lu Heng sheathed his Star Blade and stood with his hands at his sides amidst the scattered rubble.

He glanced down at the blade, which was stained with dark blood, almost invisible in the dim light. He didn't wipe the blade, but simply tilted it slightly, letting the blood droplets slide down the surface and drip onto the gravel at his feet.

Then he looked up and scanned the entire valley, his gaze sweeping over the piles of Crimson Rock.

The ground is covered with a considerable amount of ore reserves; any other survivor would be tempted by such a sight.

But Lu Heng had no intention of collecting it.

He has no shortage of this type of ore.

His equipment was special. His close-fitting armor was formed from the Blood Taisui, maintained by Mycelium and his own energy, and did not require forging or repair with metal ores. His Star Blade was made of a unique material, and remained sharp even after many battles, without needing to be tempered or polished with ore.

These ordinary ores were of no use to him.

He lived alone in his Shelter from beginning to end.

The existing space is sufficient for his daily rest, cultivation, and storage of supplies. Even if he had more ore, there was no need to expand the Shelter; he simply couldn't be bothered with it.

Su Meng stood to the side, her face filled with barely suppressed excitement.

She quickly walked to Lu Heng's side and spoke immediately.

"Wait a minute, buddy!"

Before she could finish speaking, she raised her hand and activated the survival Survival Bracelet on her wrist.

A faint blue light shone from the Wristband's screen, and the silhouette of a mechanical structure appeared above the screen before settling firmly on the gravel ground and solidifying.

It was a miniature robot, about the size of a palm, with a rounded body, thin mechanical excavating arms extending from both sides, a scanning probe at the front, and small, flexible wheels.

"This is the item I got earlier, the Many-Treasure Mouse." Su Meng spoke quickly, her tone brimming with joy. "It's a robot specifically designed for mining. If we wait here for a while, it can mine a lot of ore."

After speaking, Su Meng lightly tapped the robot's body with her fingertip.

The indicator light on the Many-Treasure Mouse body flashed twice in succession, and the scanning probe began to rotate, quickly scanning the surrounding rock layers and ore piles.

After confirming the work area, it turned its wheels and crawled towards the area with the densest ore. The mini excavator arm rose and fell, one stroke at a time, and began mining in an orderly manner.

The faint sounds of digging and grinding slowly echoed through the valley.

Lu Heng lowered his eyes, watching the tiny robot moving back and forth among the rubble, then turned his head to look at Su Meng beside him, whose eyes were full of expectation.

He looked up at the sky above the valley.

Today, since we set off, we've been traveling, encountering various tribes, and fighting constantly, which has taken a long time. The sky is slowly darkening, and it's getting late.

Continuing onward is no longer appropriate.

Lu Heng simply stopped and stayed where he was, taking a short rest while waiting for the Many-Treasure Mouse to finish mining.

The wind in the valley flowed slowly, stirring up fine rock dust from the ground.

The Many-Treasure Mouse quietly moved back and forth among the ore piles, its excavating arm constantly rising and falling, collecting the mined ore into its own storage compartment.

Su Meng stood to the side, her eyes following the robot's movements closely, occasionally tiptoeing to glance at the mining progress, her heart filled with anticipation.

Lu Heng stood to one side, his Star Blade hanging at his side.

He didn't speak, just stood quietly, using this pause to ease the fatigue accumulated from days of traveling and fighting.

All that remained were the faint sounds of robots mining, and the empty valley was slowly enveloped in the quietude unique to dusk.