Obsidian Rock Mountain Range
Inside a luxurious horse carriage, a muffled conversation could be heard. Several guards wearing armor stood in a line in front of the carriage door. Their faces were pale and drained of life as they held their weapons with weak grips.
Around the perimeter of the rock mountain, a large crowd had gathered, speaking with surprise in their voices.
"Since when did this waste mountain start producing White Crystals?"
"Hahaha, that's a big surprise for sure. It has been abandoned for centuries, so who would have thought these hard rocks would produce anything?"
"How come no one knew about it except some boy who mined silently for six months?"
"Well, it is common knowledge that once a place is considered a 'waste land,' people believe it will never produce any resources. So everyone neglected it."
"It's just White Crystal. Why is everyone so surprised about it? It's one of the worst mining resources available. With how difficult these rocks are to mine, even if you knew about it, you wouldn't mine it yourself."
"That's true, but I would have sold the information to big guilds for a good price."
"Hahaha, that's true. Since the Omma Auction House found out first, they will probably occupy most of the mountain, leaving only a small portion for other big guilds."
"Does it even matter? Those big guilds already mine White Crystals in dungeon mines. They have abundant amounts. Why would they compete here? It's not as if they benefit much from it. It's been decades since a guild last forged a Legendary weapon."
"Still, that's impressive. Everyone knows Legendary weapons are symbols of strength. Even a ten-year-old could become as strong as a Level 200 Grade Five swordsman."
"What's so impressive about it? I heard some materials themselves were Legendary grade, so success was no surprise."
"You ignorant fool. Do you think a Legendary weapon can be forged simply by using Legendary materials? If that were the case, Legendary items would be as common as regular ones. It's not about the materials or White Crystals—it's about the forger. Only about a 0.2 percent chance comes from White Crystals, around 15 percent from high-grade materials, and the rest depends entirely on the blacksmith's skill."
"That's valid reasoning. If White Crystals were the main reason for creating Legendary weapons, they would cost as much as high-grade materials."
While the onlookers continued discussing the discovery of White Crystals in the mountain, inside the carriage a young man in his mid-twenties lay lazily on the seat.
Opposite him sat another man around the same age. Unlike the man reclining comfortably, his clothes were plain, and his entire body trembled. His knees were pressed together, and his hands gripped his clothes tightly.
"How could someone mine in my own town for six months without anyone knowing?" the reclining man asked in a relaxed tone.
"Mr. Jacques, we checked all the locations. The person who mined here must be new, and the amount he mined was not even one hundred pounds based on the White Crystal availability in the abandoned cave, so—"
The man's voice suddenly faltered.
His face turned pale, his eyes bulged, and he struggled to breathe. His hands clawed desperately at his neck, trying to remove the rope that had coiled around it like a snake. Just before he lost consciousness, the rope loosened and slowly retreated into the luxurious man's sleeve like a snake returning to its nest.
The trembling man collapsed forward, coughing violently while holding his neck. After struggling for several moments, he finally sat upright, his eyes red and his face still pale.
"Find the one who mined here and discover to whom he sold the White Crystals all this time," Jacques ordered nonchalantly.
———
Ressel Forging House
Deep inside the forging room, the shadow of a man danced across the wall as he hammered hot iron on the anvil under the flickering light.
Erminio struck the hammer against the anvil, sending sparks scattering in every direction. Each descending blow created a deep vibration throughout the room.
After hammering the heated iron dozens of times, he delivered a final strike. The metal had taken the shape of a double-edged sword.
He set the hammer aside and placed the newly shaped blade on a nearby table.
Extending both hands above the sword, dark green energy flowed from his palms. The energy was quickly absorbed by the blade.
As the energy entered the metal, the surface of the iron began to change color. Intricate runes slowly appeared across the blade.
However, before the inscriptions could complete, the energy suddenly vanished.
Crack!
A fracture appeared in the center of the sword.
Erminio's pale face darkened at the sight of yet another failed forging attempt. With a heavy sigh, he picked up the sword and tossed it into the corner of the room, where it landed with a metallic clang among a heap of similar failed swords.
Without wasting time, he stepped toward a pile of ores lying on the floor. He grabbed a handful and threw them into the furnace. Then he rummaged through a sack, pulled out a handful of White Crystals, and tossed them into the furnace as well.
As the ore and crystals began to melt, he rekindled the furnace and added more coal to increase the heat, preparing to forge another sword.
————
Featherfall Medical House
Jasper walked out of the luxurious room after declaring that he would find the Oenix Marrow. Inside the room, Ms. Yvonne and Ms. Fulvia remained seated.
"Huuuuah… what a disgusting person. He reeked of sweat. I'm going to throw up," Yvonne complained as soon as Jasper left.
"Ouuuu… 'I will pay one million gold, name your price?' How absurd," she continued mockingly.
"Aunt Fulvia, that guy is unawakened. I don't think we should expect him to bring the Oenix Marrow. Why would you choose someone without any trait?" Yvonne asked while taking a small bottle from the drawer.
"It doesn't matter, Yvonne. He is desperate about his mother's condition. We can use him to obtain rare items. We cannot always expect awakened people to appear. What if he actually manages to bring the item? People like him can be useful. You must learn these things quickly if you truly want to become the head of this house," Fulvia advised.
"But the Oenix Marrow only grows in the Untain Rain Forest. That guy cannot even reach the perimeter of that forest," Yvonne said while placing a small bowl on the table and removing the bottle's cap.
A pleasant fragrance slowly spread throughout the room.
"Well, who cares if a commoner dies in the Rain Forest? Let's go eat lunch. I'm hungry," Fulvia said casually.