The next day, Drake stood in front of the Ferronite Mine with his companions, the anticipation in the air palpable. He was supposed to come here five days ago, but watching the female soldiers changed his mind.
Drake's interest in the mercenary quest was superficial at best. What truly intrigued him was the enigmatic hint Ivy had dropped. "The mine contains something you'll like," she had said, her voice laced with mystery. It was the first time Ivy had given such a clue, and it piqued his curiosity.
That intrigued him. He directly accepted the quest, thinking since Ivy thought he would like it, it was worth it for him to take it.
Initially, he planned to register with the Aleria Kingdom, complete a day's worth of mercenary work for the thrill, and then delve into the mine. But that night, everything changed when he encountered the female soldiers. Their detailed status revealed more than just their combat capabilities—it showed their potential as loyal followers.
Drake's mind flashed back to the moment he read their status. The determination in their eyes was masked by the oppressive contracts that bound them to the Brightblade family. He saw an opportunity to gain powerful subordinates by freeing them from their chains and winning their unwavering loyalty.
Five days might have seemed like a delay to some, but it was a calculated investment for Drake. He spent those days meticulously increasing their loyalty, waiting for the perfect moment to permanently break their contracts and bind them to him.
Standing at the mine's entrance, he felt ready. His decision had paid off. The female soldiers were his, their loyalty unshakeable. With Ivy's mysterious hint in mind, he was more than ready to uncover what lay within the Ferronite Mine.
Drake walked inside the mine with the girls, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls. The Aleria Kingdom initially found the mine and even secretly started mining it. The two kingdoms decided to go to war only after the Draconis spies discovered it.
"Keep your eyes open," Drake said, his voice steady but laced with anticipation. They followed the path provided by Ivy, her guidance clear in Drake's mind. After walking for an hour in one of the longest tunnels, they reached the end of it.
"Here we are," Drake said, placing a few explosives on the wall and motioning for everyone to back off. The explosives were placed strategically to ensure the mine wouldn't collapse upon them when they detonated.
BOOM
The explosion echoed through the tunnel, and after the dust settled, they moved toward the newly formed hole. Drake squinted through the haze, feeling a sense of excitement build up.
"Remove these rocks," Drake ordered his companions, his tone decisive. The girls set to work, their movements efficient and precise. The blast had created a hole and cracks in the wall, breaking the rocks into smaller, manageable pieces. They quickly widened the hole, revealing a path beyond.
They found themselves in a natural cavity within the mine as they moved inside. Drake's eyes widened at the sight before him. The cavity was filled with strange plants that grew on ore veins. They looked like metallic ornamental plants, glistening in the dim light of the torches they carried.
The sturdy, well-branched shrubs, with deep, metallic bronze bark, stood about 1 to 1.5 meters tall. Their broad, lance-shaped leaves were dark green with bronze edges and a glossy, iridescent surface. Clusters of five-petaled flowers shimmered with a metallic bronze hue, featuring intricate vein patterns resembling hammered bronze. Round berries that looked like bronze orbs hung on the branches.
Name: Bronze Flower Shrub
Level: Sequence 9, Peak-Stage
Description: Eating the Bronze Flower Berry will increase Metal mastery to level 1, advanced stage, if below it, or increase by one level if in the advanced stage. No effect above the advanced stage. The plant produces fruits every three months, 20-30 per harvest.
There were more than a hundred of such plants. The girls quickly collected all the plants and berries. Drake was delighted with the harvest, but he did not come to the mines for that treasure. Ivy had informed him about a greater reward, and the Bronze Flower Shrubs were more like an extra prize.
The real reward was on the left side of the cavity. There, previously hidden beneath a few of the Bronze Flower Shrubs, sat a two-foot-high iron chest, quietly waiting for someone lucky enough to find it. This was an Iron Fog Treasure Chest.
Fog Treasure Chests were treasure chests formed sporadically by the fog. They were rare and highly sought after, so rare that most wouldn't see one their entire lives. Their rarity was divided based on the sequences: Iron for sequence 9, Bronze for sequence 8, Silver for sequence 7, Gold for sequence 6, and so on. Just the discovery of the lowest Iron Fog Treasure Chest could lead to rivers of blood flowing, as even rank 10 extraordinary individuals could butcher each other just to acquire it.
The rewards produced by these chests were the reason behind the craze. Potions, potion formulas, strong weapons, fog foundation stones, special buildings for territories, and more could be found inside. There was even a small probability of finding fog artifacts. Of course, the contents were a gamble, and there was always a possibility that a chest might contain merely pebbles.
Drake excitedly walked toward the chest after the girls had finished collecting the plants. His heart raced with anticipation.
"Give me something good," he said lightly to the chest, taking a deep breath before opening it.
Inside, he found a very thin booklet. He started laughing like a madman as he picked it up and appraised it.
The girls, curious about what Drake had found that made him so happy, exchanged puzzled glances.
Special Building Blueprint
Name: Blood Pool
Level: Extraordinary
Description: The blood of sequence 9 or lower creatures can then be refined inside the blood pool. Refined blood has various effects. Each use will consume the refined blood.
Characteristics:
Bathing in the blood pool gradually increases blood mastery up to the peak advanced stage.It produces blood crystals that can be absorbed to improve blood mastery and could also be used as ingredients for potions and weapons.It can be used to create orbs of evolution that could be absorbed to evolve creatures.
"Drake's laughter echoed through the cavern as he clutched the blueprint. "Haha, cough, ha, cough, cough," he coughed hard after laughing like a madman. Yumi rubbed his back while Ayame and Aria tried to hold back their laughter seeing him like that. Even Zara had a light smile on her face.
"Jackpot!" Drake said while looking at the blueprint, not caring that he coughed his lungs out just now.
He passed that blueprint to the girls so that they would stop looking at him if he had a few screws loose.
Special buildings are buildings that could be built in the territories and had many useful functions. They were rare, not as rare as fog artifacts, but still rare. Also, once a special building was built in the territory, as long as the territory leveled up to the next sequence, those buildings could also be leveled up, improving their functions.
Usually, special buildings were found as single-use items as special building tokens. As long as the listed building materials were collected, the building would be automatically constructed in the territory, and the token would be consumed.
However, the blueprint did not limit the number of buildings that could be created. As long as sufficient building materials were available, unlimited buildings could be constructed.
That was the reason for Drake's maniacal laughter. Even though the effects of the blood pool were limited to sequence 9, they increased once the blood pool was upgraded after the territory upgrade.
Even at the Extraordinary level, the Blood Pool could improve blood mastery to the peak advanced stage. Many plants in Drake's possession had similar traits but were limited to the Extraordinary level. Once he and his subordinates crossed that threshold, those plants would become useless, necessitating the search for better resources. However, the Blood Pool's ability to upgrade with the territory meant he would no longer need to search for special items to enhance blood mastery.
The blood crystals were consumables that worked like the fruits they already had, improving blood mastery. But their versatility extended beyond consumption—they could be used to create potions and forge extraordinary weapons. Weapons crafted with blood crystals could gain unique abilities, such as the power to siphon an enemy's vitality and transfer it to the wielder.
The most remarkable feature was the orb of evolution. Though resource-intensive, its effects were unparalleled. The orb could refine and purify bloodlines or even promote and evolve them. This was especially valuable for monsters, as it enhanced their potential and allowed them to reach higher sequences.
Drake's companions were equally excited about the blueprint's potential. He registered the blueprint in his library, ensuring his subordinates could access it, and then contacted Maria.
{Drake: Maria, I have an urgent task for you.}
{Maria: Please order, my lord.}
{Drake: I have added a special building blueprint to the library. Create it as soon as possible.}
{Maria: It will be done, my lord.}
With Maria, Drake didn't need to explain much. She was like a highly competent secretary—he gave her an order and trusted her to complete it without issues.
…
A few minutes before Drake blasted the mine wall.
Another group was present in the mine, searching intently for something. The group had three members. One was a young man in his early twenties. He looked around alert with his sword, which gave off the feel of a sheathed sword. Another was a girl in her late teens. She held a bow in her hands while she scanned for any hidden dangers.
The last member of the trio stood out. Dressed in sackcloth, he appeared to be in his early twenties, but his demeanor commanded respect. The other two positioned themselves to protect him, revealing his higher status.
'Where is that damn treasure chest? Didn't they find it in this mine? But it's nowhere to be found. I've been searching for three days with nothing to show for it,' the man in sackcloth thought, frustration evident on his face.
'I don't have much time. The butterfly has fluttered its wings, and many things are changing in the timeline. With limited time, I've only managed to recruit two top talents from my previous life.'
'I need to gather as many treasures and loyal subordinates as possible. The Blood Pool blueprint in these mines is a prize I can't afford to lose.'
BOOM
The explosion echoed through the tunnels, immediately putting the swordsman and archer on high alert. They moved to shield the man in sackcloth, their eyes scanning for threats.
The man's eyes widened with realization. 'Could it be…?'
"Quick, let's move to the source of that noise," he ordered, sprinting toward the sound. Though confused, his companions followed without hesitation, understanding that the explosion might be related to the treasure they sought.
As they hurried through the mine, the man's mind raced. 'I can't let this chance slip through my fingers. That blueprint must be mine, no matter the cost.'
They reached the hole in the wall. The man in sack clothes entered it without hesitation, his companions quickly following.
Inside, they found themselves in a natural cavity in the mine. It was empty, save for five people standing before them—a man and four women. The swordsman and archer felt goosebumps when they saw the cold, assessing looks from the four women. It was as if they were already considered dead. The man, however, had a slight smile on his face.
The man in sack clothes took in the scene, noting the opened treasure chest. His hands clenched so tightly that his nails drew blood. The treasure he sought was gone, and the group before him exuded an aura of danger that his intuition couldn't ignore. Though he was a player who could resurrect, his companions couldn't.
"Friends, do you need something?" the smiling man asked, his tone polite but carrying an undercurrent of mockery.
The man in sack clothes struggled to maintain his composure. His desired blueprint was now out of reach, and any confrontation would end disastrously for his group. "Nothing, friend. We were just passing by and heard the explosion. We were concerned someone might be in danger, so we came running. But it seems our worries were unfounded. Sorry for disturbing you. We'll be on our way."
"Oh, so that's it. We thought some rats were trying to scavenge our spoils. My bad. Thank you for your kind intentions," Drake said, his smile widening with a hint of mockery.
The man in sack clothes forced a tight-lipped smile and turned to leave, his companions following suit.
Drake watched the man leave with his companions and said, "Interesting," with an intrigued smile while rereading his status.
Name: Do Jaemin
Level: 8
Class: Slave
Path: Tyrant (Slave, Sequence 9, Rank 1, 80%)
Introduction: Reborn