Chapter 113 - 112: No. 3319 Mine

Chapter 113: Chapter 112: No. 3319 Mine

Please subscribe, recommend, vote with monthly passes, and show your support in other ways!

——————————————

"Alright! I won’t stand on ceremony with you, then. We’re brothers, after all. Right here and now, I wish you a bright and glorious future!"

Liu Zu had always been a straightforward person. He knew that since Gu Su had made up his mind to leave, there was no point in trying to force him to stay.

He smiled and glanced around Gu Su’s small room, casually picking up a few useful basic tools for an Undead Mage and a small amount of ore. He clapped Gu Su on the shoulder, then turned and pushed the door open to leave. Before he went, he didn’t forget to shout, "Wait for my news."

Only after Liu Zu’s footsteps had completely faded down the end of the hallway did Gu Su slowly turn around. His gaze swept over the capsule-like room he had lived in for three years as he bent down to gather the few small items that could serve as mementos.

These weren’t valuable things. In fact, to others, they wouldn’t even be worth mentioning. There was the only photograph Gu Su had taken when he first transmigrated to this world, its edges already yellowed.

There was also his identification for this world, his associate’s degree, his Undead Mage player license, and other certificates. Back then, Gu Su had even dreamed of becoming an official player.

’He never would have imagined that without Talent, you were nothing in this world.’

Even with the licenses, it was useless. Everything he had gained from three years of study and exams was, in the eyes of players with Talent, complete garbage.

But while they weren’t precious, they were a tangible record of Gu Su’s journey from stranger to struggler, of his survival at the bottom. They carried the only mark of his past and his growth.

Gu Su carefully folded these small items one by one and placed them in a heavily worn canvas backpack. He zipped it up, slung the pack over his shoulder, and after confirming he hadn’t missed anything, turned and walked out of the room.

This small room had held three years of his hardship and struggle. Now that he possessed the Graveyard Demon and was about to head to his own territory, there was nothing left for him here to linger on. He didn’t even bother to close the door, just leaving it open as if to make a clean break with this life at the bottom.

Gu Su took a few steps to the street, his eyes locking onto a small metal booth that resembled a phone booth from his previous life.

This was a unique teleportation point in the Night Ghost Market, and also the most convenient passage for Game Workers to travel to and from the mines.

Without the slightest hesitation, he pushed open the door and walked into the metal booth. His fingertips swiftly pressed the four digits "3319" on the virtual keypad before him, the motion so practiced it was as if he had done it a thousand times.

After all, he too had once been one of the Game Workers who relied on these teleportation points to get to and from the mines.

The moment he pressed the keys, a pale gray mist of light rose before him, gradually coalescing into a deep, dark passage. This was the only way to enter No. 3319 Mine, and a daily routine for the vast majority of Game Workers in the Night Ghost Market.

They didn’t have to travel far or face the dangers outside the city or in the Game World. Just by using the teleportation point at their doorstep, they could go straight to the mines where they worked, repeating the tedious days of digging to make a living, with no end in sight.

Although Gu Su was now an official player who had activated his Golden Finger, no longer a low-level worker at others’ beck and call, he still had to abide by the rules within Ring Moon’s jurisdiction. He couldn’t just do as he pleased.

Gu Su glanced down at the pale gray entrance to the passage at his feet. Without any hesitation, he lifted his foot and stepped in.

There was no complex system notification sound, no dazzling flash of light. The next second, his figure vanished completely from the Night Ghost Market’s teleportation point, as if he had never been there at all.

The next moment, a gust of frigid, sinister wind carrying the stench of rust and rot slammed into Gu Su’s face. A bone-chilling cold seeped through his collar and into his very bones.

Gu Su instinctively pulled his collar up, not only blocking the acrid wind from his nose and mouth but also covering most of his face, leaving only a pair of sharp, wary eyes exposed.

Then, Gu Su narrowed his eyes slightly and lowered his profile. Taking advantage of the chaotic crowd around him, he dipped his head and silently blended into the large group of Game Workers surging toward the depths of the mine, like a drop of water merging into the ocean.

In stark contrast to the wary and deliberately low-key Gu Su, the Game Workers who had rushed here from all corners of the Night Ghost Market were all flushed with excitement and urgency, the desire to strike it rich written all over their faces.

They were constantly muttering things like "raw green ore" and "rich overnight." They looked less like they were here for the hard labor of mining and more like they were rushing to a grand feast, desperate to dig up some ore and escape their plight at the bottom.

Gu Su moved impassively through the crowd. He casually grabbed a passing Game Worker whose face was flushed with excitement and asked in a nonchalant tone, "Hey, buddy. Mind if I ask what the situation in the mine is like right now?

Is it open for anyone to mine, or have the various gangs already carved it up and claimed sections?"

The Game Worker, having been stopped, frowned impatiently. He turned and glanced at Gu Su, and seeing his ordinary clothes and unremarkable expression, he let out a derisive snort.

"Open for anyone? You’re dreaming!

The news just got out a little while ago, and No. 3319 Mine has already been completely carved up by the gangs. You think there’s any spot left for freelance miners?"

He paused, then added in a slightly softer tone.

"But then again, this whole thing is a pretty big deal, so the gangs don’t dare get too out of line. They’re afraid of causing a public outcry and getting in trouble with Ring Moon. Because of that, the cut they’re taking from us is a lot less than usual, so there’s still some hope."

"Oh, so that’s how it is. Thanks, buddy."

Gu Su nodded slightly, feigning understanding. He then casually added, "By the way, do you know where the Cyan Ghost Gang’s people are?"

This Game Worker didn’t think much of it, just assuming Gu Su was like any other worker looking to latch onto a gang for protection, to avoid being bullied, and to maybe earn a little extra.

He immediately raised his hand and pointed toward the western side of the mine. He even gave Gu Su a detailed description of the approximate area the Cyan Ghost Gang occupied and added a word of advice, "The Cyan Ghost Gang guys aren’t too vicious. As long as you pay their cut, they usually won’t give you trouble."

A grateful expression appeared on Gu Su’s face. He quickly thanked the man, and as he watched the Game Worker hurry back into the crowd, his expression immediately hardened, his eyes growing sharp once more.

He didn’t immediately head in the direction the Game Worker had pointed. Instead, taking advantage of a moment when the crowd was surging and no one was paying attention to him, he discreetly turned and strode quickly toward a remote area in the opposite direction of the Cyan Ghost Gang’s territory.

He wasn’t stupid enough to just walk right into their hands. He had to scout the terrain and find the right opportunity to carry out his revenge more reliably, striking once before retreating.

After all, Gu Su wasn’t going there to seek protection this time.

Gu Su had only one goal: kill the crooked merchant who had cheated him and roast his Soul over a fire for a few thousand years.