William had no idea what kind of stone Asura was talking about. He had never seen anything like it before.
"What kind of stone is this?" he asked.
Asura then explained it to him.
"They're called Body Reinforcent Stones. The na says it all—you can use them during training to enhance your physical strength. In other words, they give you additional attributes!"
That definitely caught William's attention. It was exactly the kind of item he'd been hoping for. After all, strengthening his body was crucial for a battle mage like him.
"So I should collect all of them?" he asked.
"Preferably before the others notice," Asura said. "Focus on grabbing every single one."
William imdiately switched priorities and began harvesting the yellow-colored stones. He ignored the mana stones for now and focused entirely on the Body Reinforcent Stones.
His mining movents beca even faster than before, and the number of yellow stones quickly started to dwindle.
There weren't nearly as many of them compared to the mana stones—after all, these were much rarer. But Asura had assured him that even this relatively small number would make a huge difference in his physical training. William could hardly wait to test them out.
By advancing deep into the mine, William managed to collect all the yellow stones before the other adventurers reached that part of the cave.
It was absolutely perfect. That way, they wouldn't even know he'd found anything other than mana stones.
Of course, maybe if they went deeper into the cave they'd eventually find more of those stones, and then William would have to share. But for now, every single body enhancent stone was his.
Collecting them all that quickly had been exhausting — even for him. William decided to sit down for a while, his back resting against one of the nearby rocks. He stayed like that for a bit, catching his breath before continuing the mining.
While he was resting, the other adventurers finally arrived at his location. They were relieved to see him taking a break and not mining nonstop like so tireless machine.
"Worn out already?" one of them joked. "I thought you'd clear out the entire cave by the end of the day."
William laughed. "Careful, or I'll cut this break short and keep going."
It was just a joke, but the adventurers didn't enjoy it too much. They already had minor trauma from watching William tear through the mana stones at lightning speed.
After his break, William mined a bit more — once again putting himself way ahead of the others — and then decided to call it a day and head back to the city. He had gathered a good amount for his first day.
The adventurers were practically living in that little cabin at the cave entrance, since it made things easier for them. Being close ant they could mine whenever they wanted.
William didn't need that.
He had his flying mount, after all — which ant he could get to the city in under five minutes. No need to live in a dusty old shack.
And that's exactly what he did. He called for his magic pigeon, which had been flying around nearby, hopped onto it, and flew off toward the city. After arriving, the pigeon soared away, hunting for a place to sleep and sothing to eat — it couldn't co with him into the city walls.
It was already nightti by the ti he got back. Several hours had passed since he started mining. Working like that made ti fly.
He returned to the tavern where he'd been staying, and down in the common room, sitting at one of the tables, was Rena. She spotted him and smiled.
"William," she said, "I've got so good information to share."
That made William perk up. He had a feeling she'd found the location of the portal. He walked over to the table and sat down across from her, raising his hand to call over one of the nearby waiters.
"A glass of wine, please," he said.
He wasn't even sure if the place served wine — but thankfully, the waiter nodded and went to fetch the drink.
"So, what did you find out?" William asked.
Rena looked excited, and at the sa ti a little anxious to share what she'd discovered.
"Apparently, the portal is outside the city," she said. "A few people ntioned it's underground, hidden in a network of caves that runs beneath the entire region. In theory, we could enter that system through so of the mines in the city, but access is restricted. Most of the cave systems around here are already controlled. It's going to be hard to get in…"
William was stunned. So in the end, those adventurers really did know where the portal was. They were just using the mining as a cover while they searched for it. The valuable items were just a bonus along the way.
"I've got a few things to tell you too, but… not here," William said.
He planned to tell Rena everything he'd discovered that day — but it wasn't the kind of info he wanted to share in the middle of a crowded tavern.
Truthfully, he didn't even feel safe talking about it in the rooms they'd rented upstairs.
"Tomorrow morning, early — we'll fly on my mount, and I'll tell you everything while we're in the air. I don't want to take any risks."
Rena, though clearly curious, agreed. She'd have to wait a bit longer.
The waiter ca back with the wine. William decided to order sothing for the two of them to eat. They took the opportunity to enjoy the evening, have a al, and talk about lighter things before heading to their rooms for so rest.
The next morning, before the sun was even up, William was already awake — and he woke Rena as well.
She grumbled a bit but got up anyway. They ate a quick breakfast, left the city, and William summoned his flying mount. The two of them climbed onto the back of the magic pigeon, and it soared into the sky.
Only after they were high above the ground, far from anyone who could hear, did William finally relax enough to start sharing.
He told her everything — about the adventurers, the cave, the entire conversation, and the deal they'd made. Rena listened attentively.
"Don't even worry about sharing the stones with ," Rena said. "I've got plenty of money outside the dungeon."
"Oh?" William replied, intrigued. "Well then… I think we should hide the fact that we already know the portal is inside that cave. Let's keep mining, and explore little by little — without raising suspicion."
"Agreed," she said. "That's definitely the best move."
William still couldn't figure out why the adventurers were being so secretive about the portal. Did they want exclusive access? Were they planning sothing?
It didn't make any sense — not yet, at least.
Either way, the two of them flew straight to the cave entrance. The magic pigeon glided swiftly across the sky, and it didn't take long before they were back at the cabin.
Just like before, William landed a little farther out to avoid drawing attention.
And the best part? When he arrived, the adventurers were just getting ready to go inside. They were organizing their gear, all excited and confident — because it was so early in the morning, and they were absolutely sure William wasn't going to show up anyti soon.
The adventurers were visibly surprised — and a little annoyed. The "oh no, he's here again" expression was almost funny.
"Damn, you're really excited to dig holes, huh?" one of them said, forcing a smile.
William simply gave a subtle smirk — the kind you give when you're enjoying soone else's discomfort.
"Sleep is for those who can afford it," he replied, glancing toward the cave entrance.
Rena stood by his side, observing everything with a calm and neutral look, but William knew she was carefully analyzing every detail.
The air grew tense for a few seconds until the leader of the trio spoke up, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, the more people digging, the faster we profit, right?"
They let out so awkward laughter and began walking toward the cave.
William and Rena followed, but this ti with sharper eyes. They weren't just there to mine anymore — they were there to explore, to dig deeper than the surface, and to uncover the true secret hidden beneath all those rocks. If the portal was really part of that underground labyrinth that stretched beneath the region, they would eventually run into a clue. A shift in the cave's structure, a magical aura, old symbols — anything.
William just needed to keep the act going a little longer. The less the adventurers suspected, the better.
But at the sa ti, the tension was thick. The adventurers clearly didn't want him there. They tolerated his presence because they had no better option, but if they could, they would've gladly kept everything to themselves.
William was aware of that. He didn't care much about what they wanted, though. In the end, the only people he trusted were himself and, for now, Rena.
He was going to find that portal.
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