Finally came the crystals gathering class.
Song handed out their mining equipment: small but sturdy picks, basic mana detectors, and special bags for crystals.
“Ren!” Min called him as they headed to the caves. “Liu taught us some tricks yesterday. Want us to show you?”
“Crystals near the surface usually form specific patterns,” explained Taro as they descended. “Liu says you have to look for lines that cross at 60-degree angles.”
“He also taught us to distinguish between mature and premature crystals,” added Min, pointing to a vein in the wall. “See how the color is more intense in the center? That means it’s ready for extraction.”
Ren watched, fascinated.
The knowledge flowing through his mushrooms confirmed what they were saying, but added details: how the crystals’ arrangement indicated their purity, how mana lines converged at specific points…
“And most importantly,” Taro lowered his voice, “he showed us how to avoid unstable zones. Some tunnels look safe but…”
A distant cracking sound emphasized his words.
“Liu says accidents are common among overeager novices,” Min shuddered. “That’s why it’s better to work in groups, at least at first.”
Ren wasn’t too worried about that. With the right knowledge, even these surface veins could be more productive than they appeared.
“Shall we start here?” he suggested, pointing to a spot where mana lines subtly intersected. His companions couldn’t see them, but they trusted his judgment after recent events.
As they began working, Ren couldn’t help but smile. Between Lin’s brutal training and gathering with his companions, maybe this new rhythm of life wouldn’t be so bad.
Though his muscles immediately protested when lifting the pick, reminding him that the “light” night training was still to come…
♢♢♢♢
A while later, the boys gained confidence to disperse and dig in deeper places…
At fifty meters below the entrance, Ren examined the tunnel wall attentively. Despite it being his first day mining, his movements were surprisingly precise.
“Another one?” Min watched in disbelief as Ren extracted a good-sized crystal. “That’s the fifth in half an hour.”
“Are you sure you hadn’t mined before?” Taro set down his pick, frustrated. “We were supposed to have the advantage from the extra time yesterday with Liu.”
“It’s just observation,” Ren pointed to a pattern in the rock. “See how the lines cross here? Where energy converges like this, there are usually crystals behind.”
“How do you know all that?” Min narrowed his eyes. “I can’t see anything you’re talking about… It’s cheating to have so much knowledge.”
“You know pretty strange things… Like knowing Kai’s scale defects,” added Taro, though he smiled saying it.
Footsteps interrupted them.
Klein Goldcrest passed nearby, his golden lion manifesting in brilliant fur covering his arms.
As always, he was heading toward where Luna worked.
Luna was in the deepest section of the allowed zone, her shadow wolf making the darkest veins glow with a spectral radiance. Unlike most who worked in groups, she mined alone, each movement precise and elegant even in this mundane task.
“It’s almost unfair,” Min murmured as they watched her work. “Her wolf can detect mana concentrations we can’t even see.”
“It’s more than that,” Ren observed, the mushrooms in his hair pulsing while analyzing her technique. “Look how she strikes at specific angles. She doesn’t waste a single movement.”
“Luna!” Klein’s voice echoed in the tunnel. The Goldcrest family heir approached.
“Luna!” his voice resonated in the tunnel again. “I found an exceptional vein over here, if you want we could…”
“I’m busy,” Luna’s sharp response echoed from the darkness.
“How pathetic,” Jin’s voice came from another tunnel above Ren’s. “The Goldcrest heir begging for attention again?”
Klein turned, furious. “Shut up, I don’t want to talk to someone with a mediocre beast like yours.”
“Why don’t you come up here and we’ll discuss it, maned kitten?”
“Enough,” Luna’s cold voice cut the tension. “Some of us are trying to work.”
Both retreated, exchanging murderous glances.
“As I was saying,” Ren continued once they’d gone, “there are patterns in how mana forms. Crystals are usually found where…”
“Look out!”
A small avalanche of rocks fell near them. Jin smiled from the upper level.
“Oops, how clumsy of me,” his smile turned cruel. “But the Rotting Boy should know all about things falling to the bottom, right?”
“Is there a problem?” Min stepped forward, his water snake materializing.
“Not for now,” Jin shrugged. “Just make sure to look up while you work. You never know when there might be another… accident.”
When Jin left, Taro picked up his pick with trembling hands. “Maybe we should find another section.”
“No,” Ren studied the wall. “This vein is too good to abandon. Besides,” he smiled slightly, “it would be a shame to give that idiot the satisfaction, don’t you think?”
Min and Taro exchanged glances before smiling too. Jin could threaten all he wanted, but they needed those crystals.
Besides, the professor wouldn’t let them get into too much trouble…
“Did I hear cave-ins, is anyone hurt?” Professor Song’s voice cut through the air. Jin smiled innocently and walked away.
When Jin disappeared through the upper tunnel, Ren went back to examining the vein they were working.
“There’s something else that worries me,” he began while extracting another crystal. “Have you noticed how some tunnels up there had fewer crystals than yesterday?”
“Now that you mention it,” Taro observed the upper walls, “the areas where Liu taught us yesterday are almost empty.”
“Mana takes time to regenerate veins,” explained Ren. “That’s why most focus on intensive mining at the start of the year. By the time crystals form again after the holidays, most will move on to focus on other classes soon.”
“How long do we have?” asked Min.
“A month, maybe two before it becomes significantly harder to find good crystals.” Ren stored another crystal in his bag. “That’s why we need to take advantage of every moment now.”