Han ngli heard there were other slave quarters ant for other tasks, but he never got to see them.
His ti was strictly spent in the skysteel mine, reaching his quota every day. After the first day, things had beco a little easier. He had gotten more used to mining and needed less effort.
He also began finding spots closer to the opening so he would have to spend less ti carrying the ores out to the open. When he did that, usually, soone else would take over his spot.
Han ngli was far too weak to fight anyone doing so, so he moved to another spot and continued.
Throughout his days, he saw the blond-haired man from the first day coming out from the deep end of the cave later in the day than everyone else. Still, he managed to carry over a hundred kilograms each ti, so he needn’t worry about the quota.
Han ngli could imagine the ores were easier to find down in the caves where most didn’t visit. He wondered if it took less ti to gather them. He tried speaking to the blond-haired young man a few tis, but the man liked to keep to himself.
Still, after much questioning, the man opened up enough to make so vague explanation about the quality of ores deep down in the mine, deeper than even where Han ngli had first mined. He spoke of the soil there being weaker, making mining easier.
Han ngli didn’t think he could go that far down though, especially since getting there alone took half an hour. He would rather stay closer to the mouth.
Days soon turned to weeks, which turned to months and then years.
The last ti Han ngli had thought about his age, he had been thirty. After that, the days rged together so much that he could not continue counting them.
Over a decade should have passed since then. The ambient Qi his body absorbed down in the mines kept him from aging, but it did nothing else, as he quickly used it up while mining.
He had gotten used to the slave life that was full of only three tasks: eat, sleep, and mine.
Over the course of the years, Han ngli saw the people disappear from the slave houses. Those that were old or frail were killed. But those that were strong also seed to go missing.
Soti later, the blond-haired young man disappeared as well.
Most thought they were killed, but so believed they were moved over to a different slave house. As for why, there were far too many possibilities for them to consider. Their own situation wasn’t good enough for them to worry about others.
Han ngli continued mining the sa way, now consistently gathering the ores on ti. He was even a little faster, but not enough for it to make much of a difference.
The mine began to dry up on ores, requiring more of the soil to be dug through to reach the tal veins. Han ngli’s arms wouldn’t allow him such a luxury.
While his torn bicep had healed, it had left a cavity in his arm through which he sotis even felt the bones. Without a pill, he was forced to keep the wound.
The demons certainly didn’t think the slaves worth spending healing dicine on, even though it would only be a simple True Realm pill. But then, he had also heard that demons didn’t have pills.
Realizing the quandary he had co upon, Han ngli decided that what he really needed to do instead of digging through these walls was to go to the bottom of the mine where the blond-haired young man had told him about.
People had begun going deep after the ores dried up, but Han ngli went even deeper. If the soil was as loose as he had been told, the wasted ti would be worth it.
After a long travel, Han ngli ca upon a quiet place where the mine seed to end. He realized that it must have been that young man who had dug all this way here.
A peculiar feeling ca upon Han ngli, but he ignored it, starting his task. He struck at the walls of the mine, beginning his mining, when he realized sothing horrible.
The walls were much, much tougher than what they were above.
He didn’t want to believe it at first, but as he switched the walls, he quickly realized that he had been lied to. The soil wasn’t soft here—far from it. It was the hardest thing there was.
Had he thought about how much soil and stone were above this place, he might have considered as much. But he had trusted the man he thought to be his friend without any doubt, and now he was going to die.
As panic flared, Han ngli thought of returning up the mine, but even if he did that, he would have to go back a long way before he reached any location that was worth mining.
Not having any other option, he began, hoping to make it through in ti sohow. At the very least, the ores were visible on these walls, so he didn’t have to worry about finding them.
Han ngli began mining them, doing so very slowly as the hard soil was difficult to knock away. It took him a while to get the first piece of ore, and he continued with the second.
If he stopped to think about what was going to happen, he might just end up crying.
Han ngli continued for so more ti, picking away at the segnted tal ores, making them fall piece by piece onto his sack.
And then, as he tore away another piece, light suddenly surrounded him.
Han ngli shielded his eyes from the light, waiting for a mont to let his eyes adapt to the brightness. When the brightness lessened, he lowered his arm to see what it was that made the light.
When he did, his eyes went wide in shock.
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