The three students walked up to the group of miners, their boots crunching against the rocky terrain. A sturdy man with weathered features stepped forward, his hands calloused from years of labor. He offered a firm handshake to Darin and said, "Welcome, I'm Garic, leader of this mining expedition."
Darin shook his hand with a confident smile. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Darin, and these are my teammates, Amara and Leon."
Garic gave them a nod of acknowledgment. "The pleasure's ours. We're glad to have you here. Let me show you around so you can get your bearings."
He motioned for them to follow, leading the group through the camp. The area was dotted with tents pitched across the uneven ground, their canvas tops swaying slightly in the breeze. Miners moved about, some preparing tools while others sat near a small fire, chatting quietly. Garic gestured to a cluster of tents nearby.
"This here is where most of the team stays," he explained, pointing out a communal tent where miners rested between shifts. "And these three over here," he said, leading them to a line of smaller tents, "are for you."
Leon, Darin, and Amara stepped into their respective tents, each dropping their belongings off inside. Leon's tent was simple but sturdy, with just enough space for a cot and a small chest. After settling his pack on the cot, he stepped back out, joining the others as they continued the tour.
Garic led them toward the heart of the basin. The terrain became more jagged and uneven, with towering crystalline formations that seemed to hum faintly with energy. At the center, they reached an area where miners were carefully chipping away at the formations, gathering shards and placing them into reinforced bins.
Garic stopped and reached into one of the bins, pulling out a shard that shimmered faintly under the sunlight. The shard radiated a soft glow, pulsing with the Essentia within. He handed it to Darin, who examined it closely.
"This is a Crystalline Shard," Garic said. "What you're here to protect."
Darin whistled softly as he turned the shard over in his hands. "Incredible. You can really feel the energy coming off of it."
Amara leaned in to get a closer look, her eyes narrowing slightly. "It's so pure. No wonder these are so sought after."
Leon took the shard when Darin passed it to him, feeling the faint pulse of Essentia beneath the surface. The energy was vibrant yet contained, as if waiting to be harnessed. "So this is what all the fuss is about," he said, handing it back to Garic.
Garic gave a small chuckle. "Fuss is an understatement. These shards are valuable enough to attract all sorts of trouble. That's why we're counting on you three."
Garic crossed his arms as he addressed the group. "We haven't had any major issues recently, but some of the miners have reported seeing Essentia Beasts lurking near the basin. They haven't approached yet, but their presence is unsettling. That's why we decided to put up the mission request."
Darin grinned confidently, glancing at Leon and Amara. "If it's just some Lesser Essentia Beasts, we're more than capable of handling them."
Garic nodded. "I figured as much. That's why we requested academy students for this. According to the agreement we have with the academy, you'll also have the chance to use some Crystalline Shards for cultivation during your time here. If all goes well and we avoid any accidents, this week should be smooth sailing." He motioned to a miner carrying a small crate nearby. "I'll have some shards placed outside your tents later tonight."
Darin's grin widened. "Thank you. That'll be a great help."
Garic waved a hand dismissively. "No problem at all. Just do your job, and we'll all walk away happy." He glanced back at the miners working nearby. "Now, I've got to get back to supervising. If you need anything, let me know." With that, he strode off toward the center of the basin.
The three students gathered near their tents. Amara tilted her head, frowning slightly. "Why do the miners even need us? Some of them are in the Initialization Stage too, aren't they? Even Garic had the aura of someone in the 2nd phase."
Leon nodded, crossing his arms thoughtfully. He had been wondering the same thing.
Darin leaned against a nearby rock, shrugging. "That's true, but you've got to remember: they're ordinary miners. Their techniques and foundations can't compare to ours as students of the academy. Most of them probably don't even have proper combat training. On top of that, the mining company has an agreement with the academy. It gives the miners an extra layer of safety while providing students like us with opportunities to train in real-world situations."
Amara raised an eyebrow. "So it's a win-win?"
"Exactly," Darin replied. "The academy believes that letting students go out and temper themselves is crucial. If we stayed cooped up in the academy all day, we'd just be paper tigers—strong in theory but useless in practice."
Leon nodded, agreeing with Darin's perspective. Since arriving in this world, he had come to believe the same thing. Back at home, he had wanted to go out and train more often, but his overprotective mother had rarely allowed it. Most of his efforts had been limited to basic exercises for building up his body. This mission was the kind of experience he had been longing for, a chance to test himself.