Stepping into the cave, I was imdiately greeted by a srizing sight—thousands of crystal-filled torches mounted along the walls, their glow casting eerie reflections on the icy surfaces.
A cold wind whispered through the cavern, carrying with it the distant clang of iron striking stone—the unmistakable rhythm of miners at work.
I knew this cave ran deep.
Not literally straight down, but in a ladder-like pattern, descending level by level.
If my mory was correct, it went at least 20 to 25 levels deep.
I didn’t waste ti.
Moving swiftly, I darted past the terrified expressions of the townsfolk. They barely had ti to react—probably couldn’t even see my face properly before I vanished from their sight.
By the ti I reached Floor 23, chaos had already erupted.
Screams filled the air.
"Run!! The floor is collapsing again!"
"Save yourself!!"
"Go up!!! Faster!!"
Panic spread like wildfire as workers fled the scene, scrambling over one another to escape.
So even had the audacity to try and tackle in their desperation.
Keyword: try.
Their bodies simply bounced off like rubber balls against a wall, collapsing to the ground with stunned expressions.
Fear.
Confusion.
Shock.
I ignored them.
"Collapsed again?" I muttered under my breath.
This has been happening for a while now?
That was bad news. Mining was the lifeblood of this region. If collapses were frequent, production would have slowed drastically.
I need to solve this issue. Fast.
Cave-ins don’t just happen.
They usually result from poor mining techniques, tremors, or explosions.
But these miners should at least know how to mine safely, right? Their survival literally depended on it.
...Or maybe not.
Still, sothing felt off. The only tools they had were basic pickaxes. No explosives. No advanced machinery.
So what was causing the repeated collapses?
Just as I was about to push forward, a small hand suddenly grabbed my wrist.
The audacity.
I turned, eting the tear-streaked face of a young girl, her body trembling.
Through hiccupping sobs, she pleaded, "P-Please... mister... my grandpa is still inside... s-sob... please save him..."
Before I could even respond—
[ System: Ding! Heroine found. ]
[ 〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜 ]
[ System: Host, would you like to— ]
’Shut up!!!’
’I wasn’t going to associate with the heroines’
System would probably try to actively set up with them, if I as much as muttered their na.
Without hesitation, I shrugged her off.
She flinched.
Her teary eyes widened, but before she could latch onto again, I had already moved forward, ignoring the collective gasps from the onlookers.
Now, instead of running for their lives, they were staring at in shock.
...
At last, I arrived at the collapsed section of the mine.
The tunnel was completely blocked off, sealed as if soone—or sothing—had deliberately done it.
I scanned the area.
No cracks, no natural signs of stress fractures—nothing that would indicate a spontaneous cave-in.
Which ant one thing.
This wasn’t an accident.
Sothing caused this collapse on purpose.
Without wasting ti, I dug in, tearing away the heavy rubble like they were re pebbles.
The crowd behind gasped in sync.
Oh? Now they weren’t terrified? Shouldn’t you all run all the way up?
Ignoring them, I worked quickly, hurling debris aside until I spotted an opening just big enough for to squeeze through.
Perfect.
Stepping through, I entered the deeper part of the mine.
...
The air was thick with dust and smoke. The strong stench of iron—probably blood—hung in the air.
Scattered around were large chunks of shattered ore.
And bodies.
n and won, young and old, buried under debris.
I moved without hesitation, pulling them free, one by one.
So were completely immobile, their bodies crushed or wounded beyond movent. Others—though injured—could still walk.
I turned to the ones who could move and commanded, "You—take the injured and get out of here. I don’t want to see a single person left behind."
Surprisingly...
They didn’t flinch.
They didn’t hesitate.
In fact—
They looked happy.
With actual smiles on their faces, they nodded and obeyed without question, helping the wounded as they made their way out.
I blinked.
...Why the hell are they happy about being ordered around?
I shook my head. Idiots.
Then—
I heard it.
A faint growl from deeper within the cave.
Barely audible.
But with my enhanced senses, I didn’t miss it.
Sothing was lurking ahead.
Sothing angry.
And judging by the deep, guttural tone—
It was pissed that I had just stolen its prey.
A smirk crept onto my lips.
Ti to et the bastard ssing with my money source.
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