Chapter 10
The direction I headed wasn’t deeper into the mine, but rather a small path that led outwards.
After walking briskly for a while, a path that ascended the rocky mountain, rather than delving into the dark, musty mine, came into view.
“At first, I thought this was just some crap map.”
There were various events that could occur inside the mine.
Sometimes you’d find a rare mineral while mining and sell it for a high price. Other times, there would be cave-in accidents that resulted in compensation events.
But the rocky mountain area outside the mine? There was absolutely nothing to be found there.
In the early days of the game, I assumed it was just a decorative map, but as I became more experienced, I realized: there’s no way they just made this for no reason.
And mysterious systems with undisclosed backstories always managed to stimulate the curiosity of perverted players.
Like a madwoman, I ended up exploring every map thoroughly—tapping each one with a pickaxe.
And what I discovered while pickaxing away on the rocky mountain map was…
A hidden stage so filled with mana stones that I dubbed it the “Mana Stone Field.”
“It was a rock with a clover pattern engraved on it.”
I shined the lantern I held back and forth as I struggled to find the unlock location, and before long, I arrived at my destination.
“Hehehe.”
Still here.
Seeing the clover-patterned rock just as I expected made me feel giddy.
Now all the conditions required to unlock the Mana Stone Field had been met.
Time: After sunset.
Location: In front of the rock with the clover engraving.
Condition: Strike it exactly 20 times with a Mithril Pickaxe, not any other pickaxe.
Which meant, the only thing left now was…
“Let the labor begin.”
All that remained was for me to use my own body to swing the pickaxe.
Thud!
Without hesitation, I pulled out the pickaxe slung over my shoulder and brought it down hard next to the rock.
“Ugh.”
Just one swing and it was already harder than I thought.
Nineteen more to go—but I could do it, right?
I felt a bit uneasy, but I pushed the feeling aside and raised my arm again.
Then, gathering every bit of strength I had left, I swung once more.
“Hup!”
Thud!
The moment my trembling arm struck the ground, I felt a terrible reverberation shoot through my body from the impact.
“Ugh…”
Why is this so exhausting?
What was this feeling, like I had just done 500 jump squats non-stop?
The sensation that I might collapse right then and there wasn’t just in my head.
“Agh… I’m gonna die…”
Before I knew it, sweat was pouring from my scalp like rain, soaking my hair completely.
Collapsed flat on the ground, I gasped for breath as I felt the last drops of energy drain from my body in real time.
“What the hell… Seriously…”
As if in reply to my desperate question, the system window popped up with a maddening little ping sound.
[SYSTEM] Your Core Power is insufficient! With your pitifully pathetic Core Power, your limit is two pickaxe swings per day!
Due to your low-grade Core Power, pickaxing is now restricted for the next 24 hours!
Time Remaining: 23:59
Is this for real?
I figured it wouldn’t be easy—but this was ridiculous.
How could they ask me to pay another 100 Darlings just to re-enter the Calamari Mine tomorrow?
“You son of a—!”
Enraged, I cursed at the top of my lungs and slammed my fist down on the rocky ground.
But the one who got hurt… was me.
“Argh!”
Screaming, I clutched my reddened hand, glaring at the system window with tear-filled eyes.
Yet the system had one more slap in the face for me.
[SYSTEM] Due to physical and mental stress, your blood pressure surges!
Stress +30
I truly felt like I was going to die from sheer injustice. Couldn’t they cut me a break?
Time Remaining: 23:57
But the timer had only ticked down by exactly the amount of time I spent swearing and hurting my hand. Nothing more.
Nine days of forced mountain climbing now seemed unavoidable.
The Bregenz Empire had been at war with the Kingdom of Arta for the past two years.
It had started as a border conflict, but as time passed, emotions between the two nations soured, and soon, the number of assassins sent to kill Emperor Johannes increased dramatically.
During that chaos, it was the actions of the Second Prince, Adrian, that finally brought about a ceasefire.
A temporary lull.
Even so, the Emperor—who had narrowly escaped death on multiple occasions—did not let down his guard.
That was precisely why Adrian was patrolling the outskirts of the capital, Bregenheim, and preparing a report for the Emperor.
“Your Highness, are you asleep?”
The voice from outside the tent belonged to his aide, Peter.
“No. Wait a moment, I’ll step outside.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Adrian placed the documents he had been reviewing into his spatial ring and stepped out of the tent slowly.
The chilly night air was sharp against his skin.
“Shall we take a walk?”
“Let’s.”
At Peter’s suggestion, Adrian nodded and took the lead.
As the two of them reached a spot near the outer walls, Adrian was the first to speak.
“Is this about the Crown Prince?”
“Yes. Once again, His Highness made excessive demands of the Mage Tower. The Tower Master and other mages have taken collective action and are threatening to halt deliveries of combat artifacts.”
“He keeps making the same mistakes. Or perhaps… it’s intentional.”
Crown Prince Herman remained in the safety of the imperial capital, treating war like a child’s game and moving soldiers like chess pieces.
His reckless orders had caused countless casualties, and Adrian, who had fought on the front lines, only brought victory to the Empire after defying his half-brother’s commands.
But Crown Prince Herman wasn’t even pleased with the ceasefire Adrian had managed to negotiate. Since then, he had tried to interfere in Adrian’s affairs at every turn.
To make matters worse, with the Emperor’s health deteriorating, he remained secluded in the palace—leaving no one to check Herman’s power. That was a big part of why things hadn’t changed.
“And the resolution?”
“The High Priest has stepped in as a mediator.”
“Not good news. That means more donations will be flowing into the Temple of Pateles.”
Yet another waste of the imperial treasury.
The once-flourishing national treasury was beginning to dry up after a war that lasted two years—but the Crown Prince clearly had no sense of reality.
“I’ll have to return to the capital soon.”
“Say the word, and I’ll prepare everything at once.”
Adrian nodded slightly, ending the conversation.
But even afterward, he didn’t head back into his tent. Seeing this, Peter asked cautiously:
“The night air is cold. Won’t you come inside?”
“I plan to stay out here a while longer.”
Lately, there had been something rather entertaining to watch—and this was the best spot to observe it.
A faint smile appeared on Adrian’s face.
“I wonder if she’ll show up again tonight.”
His boring daily life had gained a peculiar new source of amusement, and the thought of it brought him a bit of joy.
However—
“Your Highness… are you also watching the ‘Crazy Woman Under the Moonlight’?”
At Peter’s unexpected question, the smile vanished from Adrian’s face.
“You know of her too?”
“Yes, the rumors are nearly ghost-story level at this point.”
Every night, at midnight.
A woman would climb the secluded rocky mountain where the Calamari Mine sat. With a massive pickaxe that looked too big for her to even lift, she would strike twice—just two times—before vanishing.
Adrian had watched several times and eventually reached a conclusion: she was clearly not in her right mind.
But strangely enough… watching her pickaxe form improve day by day had become quite entertaining.
…But seeing how her form was gradually improving with each swing of the pickaxe had become rather interesting to observe.
“She has a good eye for posture. Her movements are clumsy, but her sense of aim is decent.”
At first, Adrian had simply thought she was a lunatic.
But after several days of observing her, he began to feel oddly curious.
Who was she?
Why was she coming here every night at such a fixed time?
What was she trying to achieve with just two swings of the pickaxe?
“She must have her reasons…”
Adrian muttered quietly, gazing up toward the silhouette moving under the pale moonlight.
From this distance, all he could see was a faint outline, but the tenacity that emanated from her made it impossible to look away.
No matter how futile it seemed, no matter how grueling it appeared to be, she never missed a day. She swung the pickaxe twice and disappeared just as swiftly as she came.
“Strange.”
“She’s definitely strange,” Peter agreed beside him, arms folded.
Adrian let out a low chuckle.
“Still, she’s not unpleasant to watch.”
“…I suppose so.”
Peter’s voice was laced with doubt, but he didn’t argue further.
In the cold wind, silence settled once more between the two men.
The pickaxe clanked again in the distance — twice — and just like that, the figure vanished into the dark once more.
The same pattern, the same timing.
But something about it made Adrian’s heart stir ever so slightly.
He didn’t know why.
He only knew one thing for certain.
He would come again tomorrow.
And watch her.
Just like he did today.
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