Chapter 99: Open-Pit Mine
Chapter 99: Open-Pit Mine
Lin Sai did not try to persuade Lord Anrui or express his opinions.
Because he understood.
As a lord who had managed the Hidden Frontier town for a century, Anrui undoubtedly possessed a deeply rooted will in certain aspects.
His words could not sway Anrui's thoughts.
Moreover, the purpose of visiting the lord's manor today was to understand the other party's intentions.
Lin Sai's purpose had been achieved, and he had also confirmed the current situation of the town. That was enough.
So after the conversation ended, he stood up from beside Anrui.
Before leaving, Lin Sai asked one last question:
"Uncle Anrui, I plan to sharpen some arrowheads. I heard there are minerals in the town, can you tell me the location?"
Anrui raised his eyebrows:
"Why not ask the town's blacksmith or Joel for this?"
Lin Sai replied calmly:
"I want to try it myself."
"..."
Anrui looked at Lin Sai with interest.
Having adventured together in the Black Mountain World, he was also aware of Lin Sai's diverse skills, and naturally connected everything.
However, this time, Anrui did not delve further, but simply replied:
"That place is just north of town."
"From here, you can get there in two hours at your speed."
After informing Lin Sai of the mine's location, Anrui specifically pointed to the kitchen behind him:
"By the way, the kitchen baked some nut cakes today. You can take some for the road."
Lin Sai nodded in thanks:
"Okay, thank you, Uncle Anrui."
After the conversation, Lin Sai walked towards the manor's kitchen.
At this early hour, only the cook, Lena, was busy in the kitchen.
She was also an old acquaintance of Lin Sai.
Because he had learned cooking from her during his initial culinary journey.
Seeing Lin Sai enter the kitchen, Lena, who was washing carrots, immediately smiled and put down the vegetables in her hands. She wiped her hands on her apron and enthusiastically greeted him:
"Lin Sai, what brings you here?"
Lena's welcome was sincere, not just a formality.
Because Lin Sai had always respected her and was humble and serious when learning cooking.
As an ordinary cook, Lena naturally liked this young Awakened.
Lin Sai smiled and greeted her, then explained his purpose:
"I plan to go north for a while."
"Uncle Anrui said there are baked nut cakes here, and I should take some for the road."
"Sure!" Lena nodded and took out a few nut cakes from the basket next door, handing them to Lin Sai, "Take these with you. By the way, I made some porridge this morning. Do you want a bowl before you leave?"
"I already had breakfast before leaving, so I'll skip the porridge for now."
Lin Sai declined and bid farewell to Lena, preparing to leave the kitchen.
But at this moment, the cook called out to him from behind:
Lena approached with a mysterious expression and whispered to Lin Sai:
"Lin Sai, be careful when you come here these days."
"Lord Anrui has been in a bad mood for the past two days. Last night, I could clearly hear him arguing with others in the house!"
"..."
Lin Sai nodded and left with a more complicated mood due to this small incident.
Lena's reminder was a subtle change in the lord's manor, where people would not usually share Anrui's news with others, even if it were Lin Sai.
The town was changing in subtle ways.
...
Two hours later.
Lin Sai reached the mine that Anrui mentioned, located north of the town.
This was an open-pit mine hidden deep within a dense forest.
Over the years, the remote town had not specifically assigned anyone to clear the forest, making the mining process more challenging.
Lin Sai had learned about this history while studying under Finn. The town's scale meant that the demand for minerals was minimal in the past.
During the period of smooth communication with the outside world, a small import of iron ore was sufficient to meet all the town's needs.
The remote town was merely an outpost, and there was no need to develop its economy.
With no pressing demands in various aspects, the area was essentially left in a state of abandonment.
Until they lost contact with the outside world.
The town, now without an Iron Ore supply, was redeveloped.
Even so, the mine maintained a primitive state. Lin Sai entered, following the exposed veins, and saw several open-pit mines that had been cleared.
If needed, the town would organize labor for mining.
After thirteen years, the minerals here were barely mined, and even on the surface, one could see untreated reddish-black rough ore.
Lin Sai walked further into the mine and soon spotted a familiar hunter's cabin by the roadside.
This simple wooden cabin originally belonged to a hunter but was now occupied by a watchman assigned to the mine, turning it into a temporary dwelling.
Lin Sai knocked on the door and greeted the occupant.
The watchman, named Sona, was also an Awakened, but only at the second stage, with enough strength to handle some wild beasts, which earned him this job.
Sona also recognized Lin Sai.
After hearing Lin Sai's purpose, he paid no more attention and returned to the hunter's cabin for a nap.
Lin Sai didn't intend to trouble him further.
He took out his prepared pickaxe and approached a nearby pit.
Lin Sai raised the pickaxe, but his movement halted.
He didn't even need to dig carefully! Right next to the exposed surface, Lin Sai spotted a dense, steel-gray block of ore. He bent down, grabbed the ore's surface, and with a simple tug, pulled it out.
[Ore: Hematite]
[Common ore, can be refined into metal.]
[A common rough ore in the market, with low value.]
"This is much simpler than I thought," Lin Sai sighed, and soon began digging in the pit.
Before long, four pieces of ore were laid out in front of him.
Lin Sai took out the prepared forge and placed it on the ground, and the corresponding formula appeared when he put the ore inside.
[4 Ore = Iron Ingot]
Lin Sai immediately chose to smelt, and a perfect iron ingot appeared in his hand.
"Might as well make the most of this trip and stock up before heading back," he muttered, weighing the iron ingot in his hand and placing it in his backpack before continuing to dig.
This open-pit mine produced not only hematite but also small amounts of magnetite, limonite, and very little titanite.
Lin Sai didn't want to make a spectacle of the mine.
After mining a portion of ore from one pit, he moved to another to minimize his impact on the open-pit mine.
Given his efficiency, focusing on one spot would quickly create an impressive scene.
Even so, by the end of the morning, various types of ore piled up in his hands.
With a smelting efficiency of four to one, these were sufficient for his planned usage.
Originally intending to spend a day here, he could now finish early and return.
Suddenly, Lin Sai felt a chill on his hand.
He looked up at the sky and saw white snowflakes falling, the gloomy sky resembling a downward-pressing weight.
This scene meant only one thing:
"Winter has arrived..."
(End of Chapter)
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