Gray came to on the shore of the underground lake. He was happy he didn't drown but he couldn't remember what happened after he touched the gem. He checked the condition of his body. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with him.
He pulled himself out of the water and rolled onto his back. He stared at the ceiling and blinked several times. There was… indeed something wrong with him.
His night vision had improved greatly. He was now able to clearly see details far away. It was the same as his normal vision during the daytime. He could easily make out every crack, crevasse, and protrusion of the cavern.
He sat up and rubbed his head, only to find that there were other changes as well. His arms, his legs, his chest… his body that was previously skinny had suddenly put on a lot of weight. He now looked like someone who had never experienced hunger once in their entire life.
Gray shook his head in wonder. None of this made sense.
He found his pickaxe lying on the ground. He grabbed it and was again shocked, this time by the powerful feeling of strength from his hands and his arms. His grip was like a vice and locked onto to wooden shaft firmly. The pickaxe felt almost like an extension of his body. Every little movement was under his perfect control. He swung it around experimentally and hit a nearby boulder as hard as he could.
Bang!
The stone cracked in several places.
"Really?"
He hit it a few more times and that was all it took to crumble to pieces.
"Wow! This is crazy!"
It was unbelievable. His strength had increased by at least two or three times and his control and aim were perfect. It didn't feel real.
Gray walked back to the lake and stared at the glowing yellow light for a long time. It must have been the gem. It was the only explanation.
Each wave of light still gave him the same warm and soothing sensations as before but he didn't have the same impulse to touch it again. He felt satisfied, it was as if the gem had already given him what it wanted to give. It was no longer calling out to him.
The gem would remain where it was. He wouldn't take it with him. He definitely could not sell such a thing to the village. It was a supreme treasure beyond normal comprehension. He had heard of enough stories from Old Li to know that such a thing would cause serious trouble if people found out.
There was nothing else here for Gray. He left the cavern and began the long trudge back to the surface. Along the way, he noticed fuzzy and dim balls of light within the rocks all around and paused his steps. It was not pure yellow like the mysterious gem but golden yellow. It was strange. He wasn't digging so it made no sense for his eyes to see light from ores. There was also little chance that there were hundreds of other gems hiding in the mountains.
The golden lights went away as he went upward but when he approached the surface, a collage of colors appeared. It was a mix of gray, brown, and black. There were all shapes and sizes, some fuzzy like a cloud, others like a lantern in a foggy night.
He was reminded of his other eye ability, which allowed him to see and approximate the location of valuable ore. The colors were the same as before when mining, only they were brighter and clearer. It was easier to make out distinct shapes and sources. And most importantly, he wasn't even mining and he could still see them.
Gray had to make sure so he began digging towards the brightest ball of gray light.
Clang!
Clang!
With his newfound strength gifted by the gem, he made rapid progress. The fuzzy ball of gray light became clearer as he got closer. Eventually, tangible shapes appeared, outlining what looked like several pieces of rock. He reached the first glowing rock and freed it from the dirt.
It was a chunk of iron ore!
He closed his eyes and opened them again, just to make sure. The rock was dimly glowing like a fantastical treasure but it was definitely just a simple piece of iron ore.
"Nice…" Gray muttered. "Really nice!"
---
Gray's ability to see ore, just like his night vision, received a substantial upgrade through the mysterious power of the yellow gem.
He tested his improved sight and found that it now gave him a huge advantage. Whereas before he could roughly tell that he was going in the right direction, now he could pinpoint where ores were and how far he had left to go.
The intensity of the light was affected by the quality and concentration of ore. The quality and concentration of ore affected how much light he saw. The best ore veins were brighter and clearer while the worst ones were dim and cloudy. Distance was another factor; the farther away it was the fuzzier it would be.
Colors were also vibrant and distinct and he could tell what he was digging towards. Different colors represented different kinds of ore. Black was coal. Gray metallic meant iron. Brown meant copper. Plain rocks and useless dirt simply didn't show up in his vision, which was convenient.
For a miner, Gray's ability was simply unfair. Mining depended on a little bit of skill and a lot of luck. His evolved eyes completely removed the need for luck. He knew exactly what he was mining, which direction he needed to go, and roughly how far he had left. Every pickaxe swing was perfectly efficient and brought him closer to paydirt with no wasted effort.
With light as his guidance, he would never worry about finding ore ever again. With the gift of the divine gem, he was no longer a weak boy struggling to fill his stomach.
The seed of newfound ambition took hold within him. He saw the potential for more than just simple survival. He was a mining monster and he wasn't going to let others step on him anymore. He saw possibilities of an abundant future. These mountains could no longer contain his dreams of riches and treasure.