On Lev's request, Sherron had flown to Haven and found out when the next tournament would be.

  Luckily, a big event that allowed gold and platinum hunters to compete was scheduled in a month. Drakys was the main organizer, which didn't surprise Lev much. The man had talked about future events in front of many people before.

  Since he had a month to burn, Lev was already lost about what to do. Windkeep was huge, which meant that there were bound to be libraries. That covered most of his free time.

  I can grind out dungeons, maybe? Finding a much better healing converter will take at least two dozen platinum. Monarch knows how this currency still operates if I can make so much money on a whim.

  There were plenty of explanations, still. Items became too valuable to be traded for coins, so different things were offered in exchange.

  Such as other items, favors, cores, materials, potions, and many more. Lev didn't really care much.

  While he had the time, Lev also wanted to feel like his hunter's badge was better earned by killing two birds with one stone. He had always wanted to see how metals were mined.

  By doing escort quests, he could both make up for the skipped merit points and also explore different caves without going too far underground. Even if his presence attracted monsters in iron or copper mines, he alone would be enough to let the miners escape at least.

  Hopefully, that is.

  Either way, escorting miners sounded like a great adventure. Lev also wanted to eventually do that by himself. Observing miners at work would probably help.

  The day after the wave, Lev was topped on mana and made his way to the hunters guild. It was busier than usual because of the wave. Nobody recognized him without the barrier armor too, which was nice.

  "Welcome back, Hunter," the receptionist who had given him the cores yesterday smiled at him.

  "Hey," Lev gave her a little wave. "How many miner escort quests are active right now?"

  "Only two currently. Both of them are always active. The miners operate on a fixed rotation. Would you like to take one?"

  Lev nodded. "What are the requirements?"

  "You just have to accompany them to the mine and ensure their safety. Usually, we hire a team of Classers or a solo silver hunter. You are more than enough to satisfy the requirement."

  Turns out, the quests had no set time to depart. The miners were always on standby and ready to move whenever someone accepted the quest.

  Lev had inquired further, which expanded his horizons quite a bit. These quests were 'extra' in a sense, as specialized squads were always mining metals. The quests could only work because of how much metal could be compressed at higher levels of smithing, which meant there was never enough metal to go around. Not in case of rarer metals, at least.

  Stuff like iron and copper, there was plenty of.

  The quest he had accepted was to mine a rather pure vein of iron. Lev wasn't aiming for the highest profits or merit, so he had no qualms about escorting miners on the long quest for little rewards. The purpose was to observe the process.

  Two hours till departure. Time to imitate a tree again.

  Lev was back in the park again, sitting cross-legged and just looking at the sky. It was becoming a pastime to just sit there and watch the suns drift by.

  Noon had passed when Lev exited the gates after proving his identity. Two carts were waiting on the left side of the stone road. Four miners were present atop them, lost in conversation.

  [Miner - Level 95]

  [Miner - Level 95]

  [Miner - Level 95]

  [Miner - Level 95]

  "Sup," Lev called out in advance before approaching them. "You guys waiting for a hunter?"

  They all turned at once. Their reactions were expected, ranging from curiosity to confusion, though it eventually settled on seriousness. Lev assumed that was after they had identified him.

  "Yes, sir. Will you be the one escorting us?" one of them asked, taking the lead.

  Lev gazed at him flatly. "Drop the sir, and yes. I'm Lev."

  "Um, alright. I'm Lee. These guys are Ulric, Cain, and Olin. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

  The miners all had extra pale skin, like vampires. With dark brown eyes however, they looked healthy and ready to move out.

  "Which one's mine?" Lev asked, looking at the standard wooden carts.

  "Upto you," Lee shrugged. "Usually, one is taken by the team accompanying us."

  Lev didn't hesitate and jumped on the left cart. The horses were both level 50, a decently high level.

  "So, how does this work beyond what I've been told?"

  Lee was sitting comfortably with him in the cart while he answered. "That's literally it. We mine, you scout and kill. While we can deal with low-level monsters because of our attributes and passive enhancement, killing is generally difficult. Pickaxes don't exactly help on that front, either."

  Lev nodded along. "How far are the caverns?"

  "If nothing goes wrong, we should reach them by tomorrow evening."

  Nothing went wrong.

  When the suns were dipping on the horizon the next day, Lev and company were standing on guard on the carts.

  In front of them was a chasm. The opening in the ground was huge, easily wide enough to swallow a skyscraper. Stone had been molded in the shape of a downward slope to allow for the easier entrance they were currently descending.

  The horses seem pretty used to this, Lev noted, a little surprised.

  Torches were lit just before they entered, giving shadows fleeting forms in their passing. From deeper inside, Lev could hear a very faint cacophony, undecipherable in its meaning. Likely just the wind.

  "How deep do we need to go?"

  Olin answered while double-checking all their pickaxes and leather armor, "Two Kilometers."

  That little? Lev rubbed his chin. I don't know at what depths iron was found on Earth, but it was most certainly not so close to the surface.

  The slope they were on continued for a while. Lev kept his senses pushed to the limits, taking in every little detail. His inner explorer was also doing a happy little jig.

  Much of this is too smooth to be natural, Lev observed, gazing at the plain ceiling. There were no stalactites or stalagmites to be seen, either.

  Slow paced, they progressed deeper and deeper before the slope eventually straightened. The ambiance also became more rugged and natural as they continued their march.

  "Monsters will start attacking us beyond this point," Lee broke the silence. Lev might've been scared by that if he hadn't felt the man move before speaking.

  "Anything I should be on the lookout for specifically?"

  "Cave trolls and stone snakes are the worst I've heard of at this depth," Lee answered thoughtfully. "Some kobold variants too."

  Lev summoned his barrier armor regardless. There was no point in taking stupid risks.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Several minutes passed as the horses trotted forward on a marginally downward slope, moving ever deeper. The sound of hooves hitting the ground eventually attracted monsters.

  Four kobolds passed a small bend and immediately dropped to the ground, dead. Barriers arrows were sticking out of their skulls, having reached them nearly soundlessly.

  [

  You have slain [Kobold - Level 44]

  You have slain [Kobold - Level 39]

  …

  ]

  "Lower than expected," Lev commented out loud.

  "Most of them are pretty weak," Lee added, preparing to hop off.

  Ten minutes later, the path opened up to a large cavern littered with stalagmites. They were all silvery-gray and several meters tall. Lev could see chunks of metal poking out of them.

  "We will mine in shifts," Ulric helpfully supplied. "Four hours per shift while the other rests."

  Lev tilted his head. "Just four hours?"

  Understanding dawned on Ulric's face. "Oh, our skills require stamina."

  "Huh," Lev leaned forward, more than a little interested. "How does it feel to use stamina?"

  To his side, Lee motioned Olin and Cain to start their shifts while he explained.

  "It's like a lethargy that affects the entire body. Small uses can barely be felt, and stamina also regenerates quickly because of our class. When used long-term, like shifts, it's like constantly running while using all your muscles instead of just your legs and arms. Overusing it can even put one in a coma.

  "Usually, every shift ends with us feeling like our limbs have turned into liquid, which is why we sleep afterwards. Constantly using our skills also puts high strain on the mind, and sleep deals with both physical and mental tiredness well."

  While Lev heard and processed that new information, his eyes were fixed on the miners currently working.

  Cain and Olin's pickaxe glowed to his Perception in an alien way. There was mana infusing the pickaxe, that much Lev could tell easily, but there was also something more.

  Only because of the conversation, he now knew that it was stamina, otherwise he would not have been able to decipher the nature of the force empowering the pickaxe.

  Olin swung his pickaxe horizontally, the tool impacting the protruding iron chunk with a ringing sound and cleanly pulling it out. With his Perception stretched to the limit, Lev could tell the mana and stamina had affected the stalagmite instead of the metal, making it easier to harvest the iron.

  "Neat," Lev smiled. "How many shifts are we looking at?"

  Lee's smile turned a little strained. "That depends. How many are you fine with?"

  He's scared, Lev noted, mind whirring. He's also letting me take the lead instead of being the job leader like he should be.

  "Does the guild know?"

  "Know what?" Lee blinked, trying and failing to feign ignorance.

  "We both know the rules pretty well, Lee. I know several extremely strong people personally. If someone dared to harm you, just give me a name."

  He faltered under Lev's emotionless face and icy stare. With a sigh, Lee explained. "The guild knows, yes. I would very much like to avoid a repeat, though."

  Even Olin and Cain were listening in. Lev shook his head. "I'm sorry you had to deal with whoever it was, but don't worry, I don't mind however long it takes. You have free rein as long as it doesn't take more than ten days."

  Ulric let out a surprised cough. "Not even close. It will take at most two days to fill our packs."

  Lev nodded, ending the conversation. He didn't think for long about whoever Lee had encountered. Even if most people were generally formal on quests, if not kind, there were always bad apples.

  Just a single combatant at the miners' level would be able to take them all on easily. It didn't take a genius to realize that they could be lorded over so far away from the walls.

  Just the thought of someone treating them badly made Lev's blood boil. The miners were here to simply do their job, and it cost nothing to leave them to it. But people were people, and assholes were aplenty. Even then, most of them wouldn't interfere with the miners. It took a special type of detestable mindset to hurt them.

  Hours passed in rhythmic clinking, the sound more relaxing than Lev would've expected. The miners were holding back considerably with each swing too, which helped. Most of the work was done by the skills, not the physical strength.

  The second shift had started, and 30% of the cavern had been cleared when Lev spotted monsters entering the cavern from the other end.

  Centipedes and Kobolds… that are also fighting each other.

  The miners had yet to notice them because the monsters were several hundred meters away. Without a warning, Lev formed arrows and infused them with a bit of lightning before launching them

  Four kobolds fell in an instant, and small explosions from the rest of the arrows finished off all the centipedes, too.

  [

  You have slain [Kobold - Level 67]

  …

  You have slain [Cave Centipede - Level 59]

  ]

  Lee gave him a questioning glance.

  "Just some monsters," Lev grinned from atop his cart. "Nothing to worry about."

  Cain and Olin were sleeping in the other cart under a sound ward to not disturb their rest. Lev was starting to realize how difficult their job was, with how those two barely had any energy left to make it to the cart.

  Much more time passed, with only a few stray monsters coming out of the other end of the cavern. When Lev estimated a full day had passed, the stalagmites were all devoid of iron.

  Before moving further, Lev slept for three hours too. It was more than enough with his high Constitution.

  "The number of monsters will be much higher now," Lee warned in advance. "Since you are alone, I would advise you to conserve your mana."

  Lev just barely managed not to smile and nodded seriously. Their slow march continued again, this time on a much narrower path. The cave they were traversing was only wide enough to let two of their carts pass side by side.

  Small deposits of murky, impure iron were visible in the cave walls. It didn't take long to realize why they were left untouched.

  Loud screeches made the miners tense up. Lev raised a brow, curious. Moments later, several bulky kobolds entered the area illuminated by their torches.

  [Kobold - Level 90]

  [Kobold - Level 91]

  [Kobold - Level 90]

  Three thuds and penetrated skulls later, they passed the corpses without ever stopping. Lev just had to actively ignore the impressed glances from the miners. What was so surprising about what he had done, anyway? He was nearly a hundred levels higher.

  Two hours later, they beheld another large cavern. Unlike the previous one, this cavern was much wilder. With uneven ground abruptly rising or falling, jagged stalactites on the ceiling, and several dozen monsters rushing them, the miners were understandably terrified.

  At least I can stretch my legs a little, Lev thought as his Stargazer appeared in his hand. Lightning streamed into its barrier blade, illuminating the surroundings with its cackling blue glory.

  "Stay on the carts and be prepared to run," Lev called out before flying ahead and dropping amidst the small horde of monsters.

  Small lightning slashes dealt with the cave trolls in the front as a wide sweep bisected several kobolds. Lev allowed a centipede to wrap itself around his armored arm to test its capabilities.

  Mandibles scraped against the armor without even a visible scratch, at which point Lev infused a bit of lightning in his armor and fried the monster.

  More kobolds rushed him, falling like puppets with their strings cut as Stargazer pierced their hearts and necks with swift thrusts.

  Less than a minute later, there were only corpses surrounding Lev.

  Not much different from goblins, I suppose.

  Lee and Ulric brought the carts forward, expertly avoiding pitfalls and uneven terrain as they progressed deeper. Stalagmites started showing up after a few hundred meters.

  These protrusions were much larger and jagged in comparison to the previous ones, and it showed when all four of the miners got to work at once.

  Their proficiency showed as the stalagmite was reduced to rubble and neatly separated chunks of iron within a few minutes. Lev helped them along by making barrier platforms for them to access the higher points more easily.

  A loud roar interrupted their mining. Six enchanted shields came into existence the moment the sound reached Lev's ears, and one of them deflected the large boulder coming their way. Meaty thuds announced the presence of the approaching adversary.

  [Cave Troll - Level 171]

  The first sign of my presence, Lev sighed in his head. With a thought, two lances shot forward. The small amount of lightning infused into them was just enough to empower their speed, but not enough to release explosively.

  The troll dodged one in time to take the other on its thigh. The infusion was less effective than he would've liked but that was fine. Glancing back, the miners had already turned the carts around and looked ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

  Lev couldn't help but snort at seeing that. Amused, he turned to the troll and prepared to fight it in melee as the enhancement formation was carved on his armor in a few seconds.

  Defeating the monster from afar was easy. Lev would've decimated it if he hadn't been wary of how far the sound of explosions would've gone. Fighting it in melee was a much safer option.

  Lightning infused Stargazer as Lev shot towards it like a bullet. Stone rose from the ground, slowly giving shape to another boulder, but he was having none of that.

  Stargazer pierced the monster's gut, making it abort the stone manipulation. Roaring, it swung its thick arms. With his movements enhanced to the limit, Lev blocked with the haft of his glaive, thrown back several meters for his attempt.

  Rolling his shoulders, Lev charged in again before the troll could right itself. Stargazer flashed thrice in quick succession, opening wounds with enough infused lightning to stun it each time.

  The slashes provided enough opportunity to kill the monster in a single thrust. That would've gone against the spirit of training his grasp over the glaive. Lev could feel he was close to getting a general skill for glaive mastery but there was still something missing.

  The troll leaped forward, both arms outstretched to smash him to a pulp. Lev casually stepped to the side, avoiding the attack completely, and smashed the haft of his glaive into the monster's teeth just because he could.

  Lev paused as something stood out to his mind, before launching a small lightning slash at the monster. Stunned, it fell quickly when Stargazer pierced its brain.

  I am so stupid, Lev turned around after harvesting the core. The only reason he didn't facepalm and groan loudly into his hands was that the miners were watching. How can I get the mastery skill when I'm not even using the entire weapon?

  It was so simple. He just had to gain an adequate level of proficiency with all aspects of the weapon, which included the pole of Stargazer. It was more than just an improvised shield, which he needed to rectify in his mindset.

  Pole or haft? Lev wondered. He decided to call it haft anyway.