Chapter 176 - 175: Enormous Reward
"Probably enough for us to eat and drink without a care in the world for the rest of our lives, huh?" Valles shrugged.
"A lifetime?"
Maki smiled. "More than ten lifetimes."
"I grew up in the mining district. My dad was an old miner, so I became one too."
"When I first started working, I spent every day in the tunnels hammering away at rocks. I figured the ore must be cheap, because the salary I earned working myself to the bone was just barely enough to survive on."
"Later, I saw the prices that jewelry made from the ore sold for in the market. That’s when I realized it wasn’t the ore that was cheap—it was our labor."
"That’s the truth." Marcus nodded slightly, empathizing.
"So you quit being a miner and became an Adventurer?" Zelir asked curiously.
"That just planted a seed in my mind. The one who actually made me toss aside my pickaxe and pick up a longsword was Gray."
"Oh?"
"I was just a teenager back then. I’d just gotten paid, so I went to a tavern for a drink and started flirting with one of the waitresses."
"Just as things were heating up, some other blond kid came over and started laying it on thick, flirting with her."
Maki held out his hands. "That blond kid was Gray. Long story short, we were all young and hot-headed, so we got into a fight over the waitress."
"You still remember all that ancient history...?" Gray muttered, pouting.
"Who won?" Zelir smiled.
"Of course I won. I was already a Junior Swordsman back then," Gray said.
"Yeah, Gray won. But I still landed a few good punches on his face."
Maki smiled as well.
"After the fight, he slung an arm around my shoulder and said, ’Kid, you’re a good fighter, and you’re tough. You shouldn’t be slaving away in the mines. Come be an Adventurer with me.’"
"So I went home, took out all my savings, bought a secondhand, beat-up longsword and a set of cloth armor, and started adventuring with Gray."
"That’s really inspirational," Zelir said.
He went from being an unknown miner to becoming a Middle Level Swordsman.
You couldn’t say he’d reached the pinnacle of success, but at the very least, he no longer had to worry about food or clothing, and his social standing was much higher than before.
Hearing Maki talk about their past, Gray didn’t say anything more, just shook his head and sighed.
Following the guard’s directions, the team arrived at a small, temporary camp set up inside the mining area.
Lifting the canvas flap, a solemn-faced old man was waiting inside.
"Welcome, brave Adventurers."
The old man opened his arms to them, palms up. "I am Reid, butler to the Alberti Clan."
They all bowed slightly in greeting.
’As expected of a major clan’s butler.’ The old man before them, despite his age, still stood tall and straight. He wore a well-tailored robe, and his demeanor was remarkably composed.
"Do you all understand the Demon you are about to face?" Reid asked.
"A [Challenge]-rated Thousand-Teeth Rock Worm, and a swarm of Stone Maggots," Zelir said.
"Yes."
Reid nodded. "Then, on behalf of the Alberti Clan, I will formally announce the reward for this commission."
"For killing the Thousand-Teeth Rock Worm, the Alberti Family will grant a reward of one hundred and fifty Gold Coins. The rights to any loot also belong to you."
"In addition, for every Stone Maggot killed, you will receive an additional reward of one gold coin."
The team members were secretly astonished.
’One gold coin for even a Demon like a Stone Maggot? They’re incredibly generous.’
Then, Reid walked over to the table and lifted the linen cloth covering it.
Underneath was a large piece of refined Glazed Crystal Stone.
"The Demon appeared in the Seventh Mine. The Thousand-Teeth Rock Worm loves highly concentrated ore, especially the refined kind. This piece of Glazed Crystal Stone is bait to lure it out. Take it with you."
The Glazed Crystal Stone was quite heavy, and carrying it would have been a great effort. Zelir stepped forward and swiped his finger across his Storage Pouch.
In an instant, the heavy piece of Glazed Crystal Stone vanished into the pouch.
Maki’s eyebrow twitched in surprise.
’He even has something as valuable as a Storage Pouch...’
The others, however, weren’t as surprised, having already seen Zelir use it before.
After concluding their business, Reid walked to the doorway and lifted the flap.
"Well then, I wish you all good luck, Adventurers. Once you succeed, a grand celebration banquet from the Alberti Clan will be waiting for you."
...
The Seventh Mine was located halfway up the mountain.
The group had to follow a completely exposed stone staircase that spiraled all the way up.
The path was extremely treacherous. To the left was a cold, rough cliff face; to the right, a sheer drop with not so much as a proper guardrail.
A biting mountain wind howled up from the valley floor, whipping their clothes about.
Walking along it was a nerve-wracking experience.
Marcus walked at the very front, followed by Maki, Gray, Valles, and Zelir.
Maki glanced back at Zelir, a curious, almost teasing look on his face.
"Actually, I’m a bit curious. I’ve heard some rumors about you all among the Adventurers."
"What rumors?"
"I heard you teamed up and took down a One-Eyed Giant... Is that true?"
"Yes, though we didn’t manage it on our own. We had an Empowerment Mage providing support."
"That’s incredible... A Junior Mage is already impressive, but I would’ve thought you’d need at least a Middle Level Mage to be effective against a [Challenge]-rated Demon."
Maki asked, his interest piqued, "Your Magic... will it even hurt the Thousand-Teeth Rock Worm?"
"You’ll find out soon enough." Zelir gave a faint smile.
Soon, the team followed the stone steps and arrived at the Seventh Mine on the mountainside.
Looking in from the cave mouth, dim yellow Luminous Stone Lamps were embedded in the walls every few meters.
They dispelled the darkness deeper in the cavern, illuminating a straight path that led into its depths.
"The Thousand-Teeth Rock Worm appears deep in the mine. Everyone, prepare for battle," Marcus said in a low voice, drawing his Battle Saber. "I’ll take the front, draw its aggro, and tank the Thousand-Teeth Rock Worm’s attacks."
"Maki, you’ll be on the flank to relieve pressure on me. Zelir, Valles, protect yourselves and aim for its weakest points."
"Gray, don’t make any reckless moves until the Stone Maggots show up. We don’t want the Thousand-Teeth Rock Worm to target you."
"I can ignore the Stone Maggots if they swarm me, but you must make sure they don’t get to Zelir."
"’Understood,’" they all replied in unison, their morale high.
Maki drew his Two-Handed Heavy Sword. The wide, massive blade seemed as light as a feather in his hands.
’The physical conditioning of a Junior Swordsman really can’t compare to that of a Middle Level Swordsman.’
Zelir clutched Night Peace in his palm, then patted the hilt of the longsword at his left hip.
All preparations were complete.
The party ventured deeper into the mine.