The heavy rain stopped in the latter half of the night, and as a lone man and a single woman together in a mountain cave with the firewood ablaze, Dong Ran was somewhat uneasy.
However, Tang Xian really had no interest in pondering humanity's highest mission; he was a down-to-earth person. Once he said he would sleep, he could sleep, and the regular rhythm of his breathing indicated that he was sleeping soundly.
Few dare to spend the night in the Soul Crystal Mine.
Even in places like newbie villages, few dare to linger at night, as there are too many creatures hunting after dark.
Tang Xian seemed to have none of these concerns.
The first night, he pitched a tent in a forest full of redline grass; the second night, he outright slept in the den of the three-headed hellhound, which was somewhat reckless, akin to that of a fugitive.
But he remained alive and well.
Without causing any trouble in the lower levels for six years, and after spending a day and two nights in the mine, he took down a boss creature. With such an achievement, Dong Ran could naturally have left if it were just about earning a formal employment qualification.
But she wanted to see whether Tang Xian could actually capture the three-tailed fox.
Once could be luck, but a second time would definitely mean there's a connection.
However, thinking about how Tang's strongest offensive equipment was a kitchen knife, and his strongest defensive gear was an iron pot, while others came to the mine fully stocked with ammo and supplies, but he brought soy sauce and salt instead, Dong Ran still felt a bit nervous.
But if there really was someone capable of effortlessly taking down the creatures of the mine, it naturally had its advantages to be on good terms with such a person.
For instance... the silver fox hotpot that she had never tasted but sounded delicious.
...
...
By noon, the ground slowly dried, and although walking still got one's shoes covered in mud, Tang Xian didn't care about maintaining an elegant demeanor.
Coming to the Soul Crystal Mine was about eating things, consuming various strange creatures; when you're about to eat them, why care about manners?
So, he disdainfully watched Dong Ran as she carefully walked, unwilling to let the mud touch her ankles, and couldn't help but quicken his pace.
Trying to keep up with Tang Xian, Dong Ran had to accelerate, and as she took a heavier step, mud splashed, staining her skirt—which might not be very expensive, but girls tend to like cleanliness after all.
"The forest sea is a marshland, the favored place of the three-tailed fox; the soil there is even softer. If you can't stand it, then hurry back, don't follow me."
"Tang, you just want to get rid of me."
"Women are such a hassle," Tang Xian said disdainfully.
Dong Ran was taken aback. Was she not attractive? Throughout their journey, Tang Xian had looked at her with a gaze that seemed to imply she was an idiot more than once.
"In ancient times, the 21st century to be precise, there was this mud bath where your entire body would be covered in mud; it's actually very good for the skin. The red clay from the red soil forests here is even richer in nutrients, better than the skincare products used by wealthy women in the third level, though it does smell a bit."
Tang Xian knew why Dong Ran was following him, even if it meant facing the three-tailed spirit fox that's more of a hassle than the three-headed hellhound—this girl would follow him like she was marching to her death.
Of course, it wasn't because she liked him. Everyone has their little secrets, but few could keep them in front of Tang Xian.
Tang Xian didn't expose her secrets; to him, it really didn't matter.
After all, he was just a gourmet; he was just there to eat. He didn't mind sharing good food with another person. Deep down, he was not a stingy person.
Just like during his school days, even though back then he was quite conceited, he still got along with many people.
Everyone likes the kind of top student who's willing to let others copy their exam papers.
Even after it was later proved that he had no talent, and those people never contacted Tang Xian again, he wasn't lonely.
The road is long, with knowledge as his companion.
The six years as a bottom-tier temporary worker weren't hard for him to endure. If it weren't for the fact that good food ingredients simply couldn't be exchanged for in the newbie village, he wouldn't even have wanted to become a regular.
After walking for two hours, Tang would occasionally look back.
Dong Ran noticed Tang's action and asked, "Tang, did you drop something?"
Tang shook his head, slightly furrowing his brows, which Dong Ran remembered was the first time she saw Tang frown.
"It's the footprints. The soil is soft like snow and leaves footprints. Although most animals won't track based on footprints, it's not good if people see them."
After a heavy rainfall, when the ground was saturated with water, was a good time for hunters to hunt Hellhounds.
Dong Ran said, "Although this is a blue zone, hunting Hellhounds is ultimately very rare. Not many people dare to provoke boss-level creatures."
Tang didn't quite agree with that statement.
The reason he furrowed his brows was that he sensed someone approaching.
However, Tang wasn't overly concerned. He said, "Let's go. We should continue on our way."
Tang was confident that his sense of smell had indeed enhanced.
From the time he woke up, he could sense that the scents in the air had become much stronger. At the moment, walking on the earth after rain, the mixture of odors made the smells in his breath even more diverse.
But unlike before, a person with extraordinary hearing could differentiate which person said what amidst many talking, and a chef with extraordinary taste could discern what ingredients and their proportions were used in a dish.
Tang's sense of smell was now extremely powerful. He didn't know just how strong it had become, but he could tell where the smells in the air came from, what poisonous insects or snakes lurked nearby, which plants were present, and even that a group of people was rushing towards them from miles away, following their footprints, all just by smell.
This strong sense of smell did not bring Tang any troubles. On the contrary, he found it quite useful.
"There's a stream not too far ahead. It'll be good for washing our feet, and we can rest there for a while," Tang said.
Dong Ran naturally agreed but was curious as to why Tang suddenly wanted to rest.
It appeared that Tang was not tired at all.
It took a little while to reach the stream. Dong Ran was no longer surprised how Tang knew there was a river at such a distance.
Tang was just like a native who had lived in the Miner's area for many years.
Tang didn't explain. He had gathered some fruits, unlike the blue banana fruits and red-tail tree fruits from before, these were of a different variety, and their shapes looked somewhat shy. Dong Ran initially didn't dare to eat them, but she saw Tang wash them and eat directly, and before long, she couldn't help herself either.
However, this time, she didn't feel like there was much to eat, and it tasted somewhat astringent.
"These are Bogen Fruits. According to Zhang Houshi's 'Miner's Shennong Record,' they taste like sour persimmons but can replenish more nutrients than meat. They're called Bogen because they're elongated, the skin is smooth and elastic, and they're moderately long. Honestly, whether it's the appearance, taste, or even the touch, they're better than cucumbers."
Though picky about gourmet food, when it came down to survival, Tang didn't care about eating unpleasant things. He needed to replenish his energy. His description and explanation, however, really made Dong Ran more reluctant to eat the fruit.
Dong Ran curiously said, "Don't we still have dog meat? It's stored in the bag."
"In the Hellhound's den after the rain, with the addition of Redline Grass, we won't attract other animals. But here, smells spread easily, and riversides are usually where creatures gather. Don't think there's nothing now, but the aroma of meat will attract many predators. You need to think more when doing things, or you'll get rusty," Tang said with a calm tone, quite patient with the girl who didn't like to use her head much.
Dong Ran couldn't come up with anything to say.
Tang took out the Hellhound's Soul Crystal.
It looked like a pearl. If graded, it was worth twenty-nine times that of the rarest purple ore he had mined.
This was a treasure, so that's why he was frowning.
"What are you going to do with that?" Dong Ran asked, not knowing why Tang was suddenly playing with the Soul Crystal.
"Someone will come to rob it soon. I'm taking it out now, so it's easier for them to take it when the time comes," Tang said, still with that nonchalant demeanor.