Our courage injection plan continued throughout the day.
"...I am a warrior of blood who knows no fear!"
"Good job!"
After about a day, that guy, Granite, finally started doing what we told him to do.
"Good! He’s cooperating with us."
"Stage 1 complete!"
Of course, this alone wasn’t enough. Turning an ordinary civilian into a combat expert would take a long ti.
Even Violet, who beca a fighting expert only after countless deaths in the dungeon, went through a similar process.
Up until just a few months before entering the academy, she was a simple country girl who only chopped wood. The idea of her suddenly becoming a lover of violence would only make sense in a novel.
When I was possessed, I had spent 5 weeks in the training camp. Just creating one rifleman took over a month, and it’s obvious that a warrior who fights evil murderous monsters would require even more ti.
"Wait a minute, now that I think about it, isn’t this sothing the academy should be doing?"
"Yeah, you’re right."
If Polaris had been intact, I suspect they would have forcefully instilled the will to fight into the heads of the first-year students. They probably wouldn’t have been too strict, though.
"Just look at the personalities of Professor Albert and Instructor Frederick..."
I heard that the land where the Polaris Comprehensive Academy is now was originally a military academy from so country. It had even been used as a headquarters during the First and Second Dinsional Invasions. So, maybe the upperclassn from the first batch had a bit of a high-handed ntality because of that.
"By the way, is the research interference going well?"
Even while carrying out the courage injection plan, I never forgot what I had to do.
Violet No. 275 asked the Violet clones in the academy’s underground lab. They often used the Violets sleeping in the walls as beacons and occasionally sabotaged things, which had its own kind of fun.
"Yeah! We recently ssed up the particle accelerator!"
"Hehehe!"
The particle accelerator they were using for their suspicious experints had been short-circuited recently. One day, they cut the wires, and another day, they poured saltwater on it. Eventually, it broke down completely.
It was quite impressive hearing the researchers scream like beasts.
It was quite pitiful to see the researchers in pain, as well as Dr. Sturgis, who was desperately trying to guide others while wracking his brain. Labor causing pain to people... it’s truly horrifying.
"How pitiful that they’re suffering due to their work!"
"Let’s make sure they don’t have to work."
Labor that causes pain is unnecessary.
Those poor souls, I’ll have to liberate them from their labor when the ti cos by leading an army.
Lost in thought, soone called . My reality shifted in an instant from the concrete underground tunnel to the second-floor room of the factory dormitory.
"Hey... Violet? I think this is a bit too much..."
"Huh?"
Granite, who had been reading a book, looked uncomfortable and kept glancing my way before slowly opening his mouth.
"Well, I have a private life too, and I don’t really like it when you co in here like this... Plus, you’re a girl. It’s kind of uncomfortable."
"Oh! I see. Sorry! Then, I’ll see you tomorrow!"
Seeing him look uncomfortable, the Violets standing by the wall smiled and backed off. If we pushed any harder here, it might have a reverse effect.
Violet wasn’t a psychologist. However, she knew that forced education thods weren’t always effective.
Modern education trends emphasize tailored teaching that takes into account the student’s psychology and characteristics!
We decided to use various ans to transform young Granite into a killing machine.
The next day, we called him over.
"What is this...?"
"Try using these weapons!"
Before him was a lineup of nurous weapons, chosen to match his build. There were double-edged swords, great swords, and a glaive taken from an unknown killer among others.
"Why did you bring a chainsaw?"
"It’s cool! You might be able to tear your enemies apart with it!"
Granite looked down at with a blank expression. Violet No. 461 giggled.
It might not be practical, but maybe it would spark so inspiration. The chainsaw was a product of modern society, filled with destruction and violence.
After showing him various weapons, we arranged a eting with Levi. For now, I asked for a simple word of encouragent.
"You can do it too! You, just get rid of all this trash! Hahaha!"
"...What did you say?"
While proceeding with this kind of ntal training, I prepared for the next dungeon with the other team mbers.
"We made a short-term contract at the Ramsera Mine, we just need to bring back so minerals."
"How long is it? Usually, it takes three to four days, or a week at most."
"One or two days should be enough! We have a lot of people."
After discussing this, we got to work, and before long, it was ti.
When we crossed through the gate in a truck, a massive cave greeted us. To exaggerate, it was large enough to fit an entire city.
Around us, large and small orange crystals illuminated the surroundings. The smaller ones were the size of a person, while the larger ones were as big as buildings.
After confirming the contract with the clan employees in the safety zone around the gate, we entered the cave. Three trucks rumbled down the unpaved road. In the distance, we could see the ruins of so unidentified structures.
"Did people really live here?"
"Maybe it was aliens!"
Most of the dungeons in the world are remnants of the dinsion that was swallowed during the First Dinsional Invasion. If we compare the dinsion to a living creature, this greedy beast bites off and swallows part of a planet.
However, sotis when a region is swallowed, it erges as a dungeon mixed with things from other worlds.
According to scholars, these are remnants of other worlds or civilizations that were previously devoured by the dinsion.
The ether expulsion device I used last ti and those suspicious buildings in the distance are examples of this.
Focusing my mana…
「Did everyone bring their pickaxes?」
「Of course! Check your inventory.」
The Ramsera Mine was originally an ordinary gemstone mine. When it was swallowed by another dinsion, it mutated grotesquely under the influence of ether.
Its size expanded to a geologically impossible extent, and the minerals inside beca imbued with mysterious powers. The crystals attached to the ceiling and floor were one example.
Most of these crystals were just glowing rocks, but so of them could amplify magic or exhibit surprising chemical and electromagnetic properties. As a result, there was significant demand for them in various industries, including magical equipnt.
The problem was that these crystal ores couldn’t be used unless they were extracted with magical ans.
They were exceptionally hard, and forcing them out with brute strength would destroy their physical properties. It wasn’t like they were so vegetable to be plucked.
The only way to extract and process them intact was by using magic.
In simpler terms, the only solution was to cut them with tools imbued with magical energy.
Magic? Unfortunately, even the wizards of this world were half like white-collar workers. They hated this kind of 3D labor.
"Everyone, dismount!"
As we entered the designated excavation area, I stopped the truck. While the team mbers kept watch and surveyed the surroundings, the masked Violets disembarked one by one, carrying their tools.
"Keep an eye on the periter!"
The team mbers’ task this ti was to guard and engage in combat. We decided not to fight ourselves.
After all, collective labor was sothing the Violets were much better at. Entrusting this job to muscleheads who only knew how to swing weapons was out of the question.
The Violets holding the tools approached a large crystal and began their work.
One group cut the crystal chunk, while another broke it down further to load onto the truck.
「Heave-ho! Heave-ho!」
「This is all money. Let’s move it!」
While the crystal extraction was in full swing, the ground trembled.
"Beast attack! Prepare for battle! Levi, aim over there! Lucian, get your magic ready!"
The Violets, who had been working on the crystals, retreated. The ground caved in, and a mole-like beast made of solid rock erged.
Its na was Sakraks, a pest with no comrcial value whatsoever.
The Sakraks spread its five starfish-like mouths, emitting a "Kaaak" sound. Its mouths were lined with rows of teeth.
"Now, attack!"
Magic and bolts rained down on it, breaking its rocky carapace and severing its limbs. Its orange flesh inside was exposed.
Surprisingly, the jelly-like flesh sagged and split into multiple tentacles that spread in all directions.
「It’s regenerating!」
The tentacles absorbed surrounding rocks and crystals, reconstructing its carapace and regenerating its limbs. This beast had both high regenerative power and physical defense.
Shooting it to death was out of the question.
The thod for dealing with regenerating beasts was simple: either beat them until they die or remove their core.
The Sakraks required the latter approach.
"Show what you’ve learned so far! Go, Granite!"
"Ugh, I’m going! I am a warrior!"
Granite charged in bravely, shouting, and struck the regenerating Sakraks repeatedly with a massive axe infused with magic.
-Boom!
Just two strikes. The beast split in half and died.
"Ha… Did I do it?"
"You did great!"
Before we could finish praising him, another Sakraks erged from the ground.
As it opened its star-shaped mouths, the sight was so grotesque that our woodcutter boy flinched.
"Ugh!"
The Violets next to him patted his back reassuringly.
"You can do it!"
"Let’s protect the peace of the mine! Stand tall!"
"Y-yeah. I can do this! Wooooaaaah!"
Boom! The decisive blow split the beast in two.
"No beast threatening my comrades will be forgiven!"
The giant axe continued to whirl, smashing the beasts relentlessly. When their cores were destroyed, they could no longer regenerate and collapsed to the ground.
"G-Granite. You’ve figured it out, haven’t you? That’s it!"
Levi, who had been guarding the area with a ballista from the truck, shouted with joy.
"Did you see that...? I got it..."
"Yes! Well done."
Even as we kept extracting crystals, more Sakraks appeared, but Granite courageously kept chopping them to pieces.
When the attacks finally subsided, Granite, drenched in sweat, slumped against a rock. The miner Violets ran over to praise him, lifting him up high.
"Wonderful!"
"The guardian of the mine has been born!"
I grabbed him and threw him into the air in celebration.
"Why are they acting like that...?"
"Violets?"
It seed like our team mbers were giving us odd looks, but it didn’t matter. A teammate’s growth was sothing to celebrate, wasn’t it?
And so, we completed our mineral extraction and returned the next day with a massive payout from the contract.
Now, only one dungeon remained: the surreal city of departnt stores, Vittorio Arcade, awaited us.
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