In the end, Jiang Beiran survived. He also learned that he had been conned, finally recognizing the fact that a few flatbreads had tricked him into the Black Mine.
He mocked himself for being stupid enough, but he refused to accept his fate. He still had the system—he could still turn things around!
Though this system, which came with absolutely no instructions, was incredibly good at screwing people over, Jiang Beiran believed he had already figured out its temperament.
That was, whenever he chose a mission with good rewards, he had to treat it with twelve parts vigilance.
Take the previous [Apprenticeship Mission], for instance. Though that Black Robed Taoist was a conman and perhaps not even a Taoist from the Blazing Fire Sect at all, the system's objective had only been for him to take the man as his master. It never said what he had to learn afterward. Someone who taught Martial Arts was a master, and someone who taught scams was a master too.
Having realized this, Jiang Beiran bitterly reflected on his mistakes. If he had thought of it sooner, he should have acted smarter and exposed the Black Robed Taoist's scam in a tactful manner. Perhaps then the Black Robed Taoist would not have sold him to this Black Mine, but would instead have taken him along to swindle the world.
Yet he had acted like an utter fool, believing every word the Black Robed Taoist said. He had even told the man that he was an orphan and had already run away from home. Wasn't that practically saying, "Hurry up and scam me, I have no ties holding me back~"?
Whenever Jiang Beiran thought of that, he wanted to slap himself. The sweat he shed mining now was all the water that had flooded his brain when he faced that Black Robed Taoist!
But he was different now! He already knew this system was not here to shower him with benefits, so he would definitely treat it cautiously from now on!
The opportunity came even sooner than Jiang Beiran expected. During the second week of his suffering through all sorts of inhuman abuse, once his body no longer hurt too badly for him to sleep, he began planning an escape. At the same time, four options appeared before him.
[Option One: Take advantage of the Overseers drinking and eating at noon to escape down the mountain. Completion Reward: Howling Moon Overlord Finger (Profound Grade Low Rank)] [Option Two: Secretly dig a tunnel leading beyond the mountain while working in the mine. Completion Reward: Purple-Gold Tiger Head Hook (Yellow Rank High Grade)] [Option Three: Win over other Fellow Workers who wish to escape and discuss a grand escape plan together. Completion Reward: Lotus Armor (Yellow Low Grade)] [Option Four: Hurry up and sleep. You still have bricks to carry tomorrow. Completion Reward: Random Basic Attribute Point +1]
Feeling like he was capable again, Jiang Beiran first ruled out Option Four, then began analyzing the other three.
Option One: those Overseers really did drink themselves blind drunk at noon, completely ignoring workers like Jiang Beiran. It did indeed look like a viable path.
But Jiang Beiran now deeply understood that rewards were the only trustworthy thing. The words "Profound Grade Low Rank" instantly made him reject that option.
After several choices, Jiang Beiran had already understood this system's ranking scheme. From highest to lowest, it should be Heaven Earth Black Yellow. He had already seen Earth, Black, and Yellow, and each rank was further divided into high, middle, and low grades.
The option to take the Black Robed Taoist as his master last time had merely rewarded a Yellow Rank High Grade cultivation method, yet it had nearly Tossed and Turned him to death. This time, there was an even higher Profound Grade Low Rank. He truly feared he might live to choose it but not live to receive it.
Judging by its reward, Option Two was as difficult as the option to become the Black Robed Taoist's apprentice, but its contents felt utterly unreliable to Jiang Beiran.
What kind of place was a mine? A dangerous place where several supports had to be installed for every meter forward to prevent collapse. Secretly dig a tunnel out? Even if he could avoid being discovered, he feared being crushed alive halfway through.
The remaining Option Three looked comparatively feasible. After mining on the mountain for a week, Jiang Beiran already knew that nearly everyone here, like him, had been tricked into coming. Their Resentment Qi toward this place was immense.
And those Overseers did not treat them like humans at all. Whenever they saw someone pause for even a moment, they would walk over and kick them.
Moreover, despite the backbreaking labor of mining, the Overseers only gave them two meals a day. They ate porridge as thin as water and steamed buns as hard as iron. Every worker's Resentment Qi had long since soared to the heavens.
Besides, this option's reward was Yellow Low Grade, definitely the worst reward. That meant it was the least difficult. If he, Jiang Beiran, could not even handle a mission at this level, what kind of transmigrator was he? He might as well find a block of tofu and bash his head against it.
'Option Three!'
After making his choice and activating the escape mission, Jiang Beiran immediately began preparing an uprising plan with drums beating and gongs clanging. Along the way, he fully utilized all the advantages of being a transmigrator. One sentence—"Are kings and nobles born with their bloodline?"—shook those Fellow Workers until they bowed their heads in submission.
Afterward, Jiang Beiran said that last night, emboldened by drink, he had slain a gigantic white snake. That night, he dreamed of an old woman weeping, saying that her son, the White Emperor Son, had been killed by the Red Emperor Son.
This wave of momentum-building made the Fellow Workers believe even more that Jiang Beiran was an immortal reincarnated to save them. They worshipped him with ever greater devotion.
Seeing his worker ranks grow stronger and stronger, Jiang Beiran drank his watery porridge and laughed up at the sky. Sure enough, as long as he was prepared, wouldn't a mere Yellow Low Grade mission be his for the taking?
Then the very next day, someone reported him.
His fate went without saying. If those Overseers had not wanted to torture Jiang Beiran more thoroughly in order to intimidate the workers who dared harbor similar thoughts, he likely would have been beaten to death that first night.
From then on, Jiang Beiran completely entered shut-in mode. Whenever the system displayed options, he chose the last one with the Basic Attribute Point reward every time. He did not dare touch any other option again.
As a result, Jiang Beiran spent two exceedingly safe months. It could be said that he suffered neither illness nor disaster. Other than mining still being exhausting, nothing unexpected happened.
Thus, Jiang Beiran gained another insight!
Rather than saying this system was here to help him grow, it was more accurate to say it was here to warn him. As long as he kept selecting the simplest Attribute Point option, he could avoid all sorts of calamities.
This state continued until one sunny morning. Jiang Beiran climbed out of bed and had just planned to head to the worksite when he heard a violent explosion by his ear!
At the same time, three options appeared before him.
[Option One: Stay in the room and do not move. Completion Reward: Rolling Cloud Overlord Palm (Yellow Rank High Grade)] [Option Two: Help put out the fire. Completion Reward: Death Knell Great Spear (Yellow Low Grade)] [Option Three: Escape amid the chaos. Completion Reward: Random Basic Skill Point +1]
'Hm!? These options aren't following the usual pattern this time.'
By the usual logic, choosing to escape during such utter chaos would definitely be the least wise choice. Those Overseers were not fools—they knew someone would surely try to flee amid the confusion, so they would definitely send people to guard the mountainside or the foot of the mountain. If he were caught then, even if he did not die, he would not escape a vicious beating.
But over the past two months, Jiang Beiran had endured all manner of torment and obstruction. Without the system's various option prompts, he might have died long ago. So this time, he still chose to trust the system!
"Option Three!"
Before you continue