"Please wait."
Lin Qingyue's voice rang out, halting the movements of the Stonebeard Earth Spirit, which stood as still as a rock sculpture.
She finally voiced the question that had been swirling in her mind ever since she entered this place.
"Stonebeard Elder, may I ask a presumptuous question?"
"Have you... always lived here?"
"What exactly is this place to you?"
The Stonebeard Earth Spirit paused.
The luminous eyes embedded deep within its rocky face dimmed for a moment, as if plunging into ancient memories deeper than the Earth's crust.
It slowly shook its head, its voice resonating like a tremor from the planet's core, heavy with the weight and desolation of ages.
"We were born from the depths of the earth. From the day we awakened, we have been here."
"Time?"
The Stonebeard Earth Spirit's tone held a pure, profound bewilderment.
"Time is the weathering of rock, the breath of the ley lines."
"We never count the rising of the sun or the setting of the moon."
"If we measure by a full ley line tide as one cycle... perhaps hundreds have passed? Or even more."
It extended a rough, rock-like finger, pointing to the surrounding stone walls and the smooth, polished floor beneath their feet.
"This place is the 'Foundation Hall'."
"It is where we are born, where we work, and where we guard."
It paused, a look of almost childlike confusion crossing its rocky face.
"As for this 'Dungeon' you speak of... what is that?"
"Is that what you call the noisy forest outside?"
"This place... is just this place. It is the entirety of the world as we know it."
The entirety... of the world?
Lin Qingyue and Lin Xiyue silently exchanged a glance.
Reflected in each other's pupils was the profound shock on the other's face.
These Earth Spirits actually considered this so-called "Dungeon" to be their entire world!
They weren't NPCs with pre-programmed scripts.
They were natives!
This realization struck Lin Qingyue's mind like a thunderclap.
This wasn't a simple game instance.
It wasn't a testing ground for them to farm points, level up, and then discard.
This was a real, existing... fragment of another world, with its own history and civilization!
And to these natives, the contestants like them were likely nothing less than "visitors from beyond the sky"!
"Thank you for your explanation, Stonebeard Elder," Lin Qingyue said sincerely, suppressing the turmoil in her heart.
"Knowledge is exchanged on equal terms," the Stonebeard Earth Spirit said, nodding slowly. "Forging requires smelting and hammering. You may wait, or you are free to explore this area. Just do not disturb the ley lines or damage the rock walls."
Free to explore?
Lin Qingyue's heart stirred. She remembered another objective of their trip.
"Stonebeard Elder, you mentioned earlier that the 'Moonlight Moss' is in the deeper 'Crystal Cluster Caverns'?"
"Yes."
The Stonebeard Earth Spirit pointed down a main passage.
"Follow this path inward, through the 'Echoing Corridor.' That is the home of the crystals. Moonlight Moss thrives in its cold, damp environment. Occasionally, you might find some fine ore crystals there as well."
The sisters' eyes met, and they instantly reached a silent agreement.
Instead of waiting idly, they should take the initiative!
Complete the quest, earn Points, and explore this real world at the same time!
"Stonebeard Elder, we'd like to go take a look," Lin Qingyue continued. "May we borrow two pickaxes? Our own tools... might damage the delicate crystals."
The Stonebeard Earth Spirit nodded and uttered a low, rumbling syllable to a nearby Earth Spirit that was dozing.
The Earth Spirit rose at the sound and quickly returned with two heavy pickaxes.
The handles were made of dense, polished Black Jade.
The pick heads were forged from some unknown alloy, shimmering with a cold glow. They were slightly oversized for human hands.
But for the sisters, whose Strength attributes exceeded 60 points, the substantial weight felt perfectly balanced in their hands.
After thanking the Earth Spirit, the two headed deeper into the stone-paved passage.
The corridor was impeccably clean, with no forks or traps.
After passing through the "Echoing Corridor"—a section that amplified every heartbeat and footstep—the view suddenly opened up.
This was the treasure hall of the underground world.
Countless dazzling crystal clusters grew from the cave walls and ceiling, their multicolored glimmers weaving and flowing, illuminating the entire cavern like an inverted river of stars.
Beneath some of the damp, shaded rock faces, patches of moss grew like velvet carpets, glowing with the gentle, pearlescent luster of pearls under the crystal light.
Moonlight Moss!
The gathering process was surprisingly smooth.
There were no monsters, only a few timid Crystal-shelled Bugs that scurried into rock crevices with a swoosh as the sisters approached, vanishing without a trace.
They collected enough Moonlight Moss, and the Points counter on their bracelets began to steadily tick upward.
"Sis, look over there!"
Lin Xiyue lowered her voice, pointing toward the base of a rock wall on one side of the cavern.
At the root of a massive crystal cluster, several twisted, silver-gray veins were clearly visible.
Under the shimmering light of the crystal clusters, the veins looked like slowly flowing liquid moonlight!
Lin Qingyue strode forward, the scanning beam from her bracelet sweeping over them.
[Mithril Vein (Rare)]
[Description: A rare metal vein imbued with spatial and magical affinity. One of the core materials for forging top-tier equipment.]
[Points: 500 Points/kg.]
Lin Qingyue's heart skipped a beat.
Mithril!
This was a resource marked in blood-red font as "Strategic-grade" in the Points Manual!
"Let me!"
Lin Xiyue excitedly raised the massive pickaxe, found the richest part of the vein, and swung with all her might!
CLANG—!
The ear-piercing shriek of metal striking stone echoed through the cavern, accompanied by a shower of sparks.
However, only a shallow white mark was left on the hard rock wall.
"It's that tough?" Lin Xiyue shook her arm, which had gone numb from the impact, her face filled with disbelief.
"My turn." Lin Qingyue took the pickaxe, drew a deep breath, and channeled her strength into her arms.
Instead of using brute force, she carefully studied the grain of the vein, searching for a natural seam in the rock's structure.
There!
She swung the pickaxe with explosive force!
THUD!!
This time, the sound was much duller, as if the blow had penetrated deep into the rock.
Crack...
With a sharp crack, a washbasin-sized chunk of raw ore, laced with dense silver-gray metallic veins, broke free and tumbled to the ground!
Lin Qingyue immediately scanned it. The bracelet displayed: [Mithril Ore, Weight: 3.2 kg, Estimated Pure Mithril Yield: ~0.8 kg, Points: 1600!]
1600 Points from a single swing!
The sisters' breathing grew ragged.
Professional tools combined with professional strength—it was a perfect match!
From then on, they divided the labor. Lin Qingyue handled the mining, while Lin Xiyue took charge of hauling the ore and keeping watch. Their mining efficiency skyrocketed.
By the time they returned to the Foundation Hall, satisfied with nearly thirty kilograms of Mithril Ore, the Earth Spirits' forging had just found its rhythm, their rhythmic hammering echoing like the pulse of the earth.
After returning the pickaxe, the sisters found a quiet corner to sit and tally their gains.
The Moonlight Moss quest was complete, but the Mithril Ore was an incredible surprise!
Lin Xiyue opened the Team Points Panel. When she saw the massive number—17,455—she slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide with astonishment.
She grabbed her sister's arm, whispering excitedly, "Sis! The leaderboard! We're in the top twenty!"
Lin Qingyue leaned closer. In front of their team name, "Qingyue Xi," the number was crystal clear: 16!
Just the two of them
From an unknown duo, they had silently stormed into the top twenty of the entire county!
The corners of Lin Qingyue's mouth, held taut until now, finally curved upward uncontrollably, blooming into a genuine, radiant smile.
The process had been filled with unexpected twists and mortifying moments, but the result was better than they could have ever imagined!
"It seems the 'Battle Sister' and Paladin combination has even more terrifying potential than we thought," Lin Qingyue murmured, her gaze drifting toward the workshop where the forging fires danced.
Once they received their new, custom-made equipment, their strength would ascend to yet another level!
This dungeon journey held a promising future.
Of course, that was all contingent on one thing...
Please, don't let me trigger that cursed "Melody Beyond the Strings" again.
Lin Qingyue prayed with unparalleled sincerity in her heart.