Chapter 628: Orichalcum Mine (3)

Orichalcum.

A special mineral found only in Ares.

Hyunsoo’s assessment of the orichalcum he had handled was simple.

It was the best.

When a mineral was too hard, a sword forged from it tended to snap.

Orichalcum was different.

It was both supple and hard, and its exceptional elasticity made it resistant to breaking.

At the same time, it maximized every advantage iron ore possessed.

It was also approximately 30% lighter than iron, allowing armor forged from it to boast both high Defense and low weight.

Orichalcum was, in essence, the impossible ideal of what a mineral could be.

There was one reason Hyunsoo considered it so exceptional.

He thought about most Legendary and Transcendent minerals.

Story Stone.

It possessed the power to help an artifact contain a story.

When an artifact was crafted from Story Stone, it could hold a far greater and more powerful story.

Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron.

It was a mineral imbued with the cold attribute. A sword forged from Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron carried a chill so intense that it seemed capable of freezing anything.

Like those, most minerals became Legendary or Transcendent because they possessed a “special effect.”

Orichalcum did not.

It’s a mineral whose material properties alone are exceptional.

Forge it into a sword, and it could achieve absurd cutting power.

Forge it into an arrow, and it could achieve absurd penetrating power.

Forge it into armor, and it could achieve absurd defensive power.

Then what if—

What would have happened if orichalcum existed in reality?

During the wars of the Middle Ages, the nation that possessed orichalcum would most likely have emerged victorious.

There was another reason Hyunsoo valued orichalcum so highly.

Soldiers and knights don’t need complicated, troublesome effects.

Would they know how to properly use a sword that scattered freezing energy?

Or—

Could they unleash a story simply because they held a sword containing one?

Hundreds of unique and extraordinary Legendary minerals existed, yet most of them were not particularly useful to ordinary soldiers and knights.

That was why legendary swords belonged in the hands of exceptional individuals.

But—

What would happen if the swords and armor of soldiers and knights were forged from a mixture of approximately 20% orichalcum and 80% iron ore?

The swords’ cutting and penetrating power would increase by at least 25%, granting them significantly higher Attack Power.

The armor would experience a dramatic increase in Defense, and its lighter weight would allow the wearer to swing a sword faster than the enemy.

That was right.

One, two. One, two. One, two.

That was why Hyunsoo felt no exhaustion at all as he climbed the mountain.

If he returned with a large quantity of orichalcum and used it to equip his soldiers and knights, it would save even one more of them on the battlefield.

Just wait a little longer.

It would also prove that the people who had sacrificed themselves in the search for Elvenheim had not died in vain.

Hyunsoo did not know it.

He was truly becoming an excellent and benevolent king.

Naturally, mines were usually found in places with harsh terrain, such as mountains.

Still smiling brightly and unaware of the hardship of the climb, Hyunsoo finally reached the place Elder Verua had shown him.

The Orichalcum Mine felt more like an abandoned mine.

Cobwebs covered the area as though no one had visited in ages, while empty mine carts stood scattered everywhere.

What is this...?

Hyunsoo looked around in confusion.

The rust coating the carts seemed to mark the passage of countless years.

Why haven’t the elves been using this mine?

After wondering about it for a moment, Hyunsoo suddenly realized something.

Could there be other places where they can obtain even richer deposits of orichalcum!?

Perhaps the elves extracted their orichalcum from those places instead.

Orichalcum must have been overflowing for the elves who lived here!

Well...

Every mine contained different quantities of minerals, so it was entirely possible.

Hyunsoo entered the mine.

[You have entered the Orichalcum Mine.]

[You are the first entrant.]

[For one week, EXP and drop rates will be doubled.]

[You have gained 100 Fame.]

A broad smile spread across Hyunsoo’s face.

I have three days.

That was how long Elder Verua had allowed him to use the mine as much as he wanted.

Furthermore, with the x2 drop-rate bonus in effect, he would be able to obtain twice as much orichalcum.

As he ventured deeper inside, luminous stones cast a faint glow around him.

Among them, Hyunsoo discovered a mineral embedded in the wall, gleaming with a dim black sheen.

It’s orichalcum.

Hyunsoo could hardly believe it.

This truly was a mine containing orichalcum.

And just as its name implied, there were none of the usual minor minerals mixed into its walls.

There was only orichalcum.

Smiling with delight, Hyunsoo hurriedly pulled out a pickaxe.

(Damascus Pickaxe)

Grade: Unique

Durability: 12,000/12,000

Attack Power: 64

Restriction: None for the creator; Level 50–200

Special Abilities:

· Mining Power +230%.

· Critical-hit rate +40%.

Description: A Damascus pickaxe made solely for mining.

Although Hyunsoo was not a miner, this trusty tool had allowed him to perform excellent mining work until now.

Its Mining Power bonus was an astounding 230%.

Moreover—

Damascus can supposedly split stone itself!

Hyunsoo drew the pickaxe back and swung it down with all his might.

CLAAAAANG—!

At that moment, a sharp, tingling pain traveled up Hyunsoo’s arms.

It was a sensation he had never experienced before while mining.

Hyunsoo understood instinctively.

Why didn’t I think of that?

Orichalcum.

Naturally, extracting a legendary mineral would be more difficult than mining an ordinary one!

[Mining it requires ten times the proficiency needed for an ordinary mineral and is ten times more difficult.]

[Only a Legendary Miner Level 500 or higher will be able to obtain it.]

However, Hyunsoo chuckled.

High difficulty? Why should I care? I have incredible Dexterity and the Supreme title!

As expected, another series of notifications rang out.

[Dexterity is exerting tremendous power in the field of mining.]

[Your probability of mining orichalcum has greatly increased.]

[The Supreme title is taking effect.]

[You display innate talent in mining.]

The Damascus Pickaxe had created a small indentation near the mineral buried inside the wall.

[Extraction Progress has reached 1.1%.]

Hyunsoo could swing his pickaxe five or six times per second.

In his opinion, 1.1% was a far lower increase than expected.

However—

Obtaining a Legendary mineral after only around 110 strikes was still something worth celebrating.

I am supreme among miners—and the King of Blacksmiths!

Hyunsoo drew back the pickaxe to swing again.

Then his eyes widened.

What...?

Something completely unexpected was happening.

The small indentation Hyunsoo had created—

[Extraction Progress has fallen to 0.8%.]

[Extraction Progress has fallen to 0.4%.]

[Extraction Progress has fallen to 0.1%.]

[Please begin the extraction again from the start.]

“??????”

The indentation repaired itself, returning the wall to its original state.

“Huh?”

It happened in the blink of an eye, leaving Hyunsoo unable to understand what he had just witnessed.

“Are you Grout...?”

No.

Even Grout could not regenerate this quickly.

A mere rock possessed faster regenerative abilities than Grout.

Hyunsoo was thinking that Grout would probably complain about losing to a rock while doing absolutely nothing when—

Grout was, in fact, watching the situation.

-Master, it appears that this entire mine is crawling with orichalcum, the mineral they call Legendary.

“Yeah. That’s a good thing. Why?”

Grout answered with a sigh in his voice.

-If something were scattered everywhere and permitted to everyone, would it still be Legendary?

“...”

-Thinking that because you succeeded in meeting the elves, you would only need to reach the place containing orichalcum to mine as much as you wanted... Is that not the sort of assumption only an idiot would make?

“...”

-So that is what you assumed.

It was true.

The journey to reach this place had been so difficult that Hyunsoo had assumed the orichalcum itself would be his reward.

But that had been a misunderstanding.

Had he not already received essence?

Hyunsoo rubbed his chin.

“Were you always this smart?”

-...I am the Demon of Knowledge.

Grout possessed such incredible regenerative abilities that Hyunsoo had always thought of him only as the Blood Demon.

“Why didn’t you tell me from the beginning?”

-...You never asked.

Hyunsoo also realized that Grout possessed absolutely no initiative.

After that, Grout fell silent again, and Hyunsoo accepted the truth.

Obtaining orichalcum could not possibly be easy.

Gripping the pickaxe tightly, he began hammering at the wall with everything he had.

CLANG!

CLAAANG!

CLAAANG!

CLAAAAANG—!

[Extraction Progress has reached 1.1%.]

[Extraction Progress has reached 2.3%.]

[Extraction Progress has reached 3.1%.]

[Extraction Progress has fallen to 2.4%.]

[Extraction Progress has fallen to 1.8%.]

[Extraction Progress has fallen to 1.5%.]

Everyone knew that once Extraction Progress reached 100%, the mining attempt would succeed.

But the higher the progress climbed, the faster the orichalcum regenerated.

At least—

“OOOOOOOOH! You think I’ll give up!?”

Hyunsoo swung the pickaxe even faster than usual, putting every ounce of his strength behind it.

He moved like a sprinter exploding off the starting blocks with everything he had.

Then—

[Extraction Progress has reached 47%.]

He managed to raise it to a fairly high level.

However—

[Your Stamina is falling.]

[A 30-second rest is recommended.]

“Huff, huff, huff.”

Hyunsoo gasped for breath, and his speed visibly decreased.

Just as a person who sprinted at full speed would eventually exhaust himself, Hyunsoo could not maintain that pace forever.

Naturally, the speed of his pickaxe slowed considerably.

CLAAANG...

CLAAANG...

Unlike Hyunsoo, the orichalcum’s regenerative speed remained unchanged.

[Extraction Progress has fallen to 44%.]

[Extraction Progress has fallen to 42%.]

[Extraction Progress has fallen to 40.1%.]

Hyunsoo stared blankly as the progress he had accumulated began disappearing again.

Only then did he realize the truth.

Elder Verua had allowed Hyunsoo into the mine because he already knew that Hyunsoo would be unable to extract any orichalcum.

And three days—

Verua had probably known that three days would be enough for Hyunsoo to realize the truth and return.

Yet the elf elder had never lied.

All he did was show a human who had helped the elves where orichalcum could be found and grant him access for three days.

From Hyunsoo’s perspective, however, it was nothing more than a sham.

He had simply been given false hope.

But Hyunsoo—

“I won’t lose... Summon Grout.”

Refusing to surrender, Hyunsoo called Grout forth and pulled another pickaxe from his inventory.

Then—

“Firebird. Goldie.”

[Firebird is unavailable in this area.]

As expected, Goldie could not be summoned either.

“Start hitting this spot. Now.”

“...Understood.”

CLAAANG!

CLAAANG!

CLAAANG!

Knowing nothing of surrender, Hyunsoo and Grout began hammering together.

Eight hours passed that way.

Meanwhile—

Elder Verua had not sent the visiting human into the mine merely to toy with him.

There is always a possibility...

Long ago, a dwarf named Belto had undoubtedly succeeded in extracting the legendary mineral from the Orichalcum Mine.

Back then, Elvenheim had not been like this.

Why?

Because the elves used orichalcum.

But the elves could no longer use orichalcum.

They could not extract it.

That was why Verua had revealed the location of the Orichalcum Mine to the man.

And the elves—

If, as in the past, they had been able to obtain orichalcum through the dwarf Belto and have him craft equipment from it, they would never have feared someone like Vadalla.

The elves would have remained powerful, just as they once had been.

That was right.

We are collapsing.

Elder Verua knew.

Elvenheim, the forest the elves had cultivated—

It was falling apart.

Its age of brilliance was fading away.

Verua remembered the order recently issued by Gordon, King of the Elves.

“Mine orichalcum at all costs.”

In truth, Elder Verua knew.

Gordon was the king who led the age and ruled over all elves.

The orichalcum he required was no ordinary piece of orichalcum.

The Orichalcum Mine.

Within that mine, filled with nothing but orichalcum...

There was one piece that was greater than all the others.

The finest orichalcum, embedded there longer than any other.

That was the piece Gordon, King of the Elves, desired.

Elder Verua knew.

Even Belto failed to accomplish it...

He knew that the Elf King’s wish could never be fulfilled.

*****

CLATTER—!

Hyunsoo threw down the pickaxe as realization struck him.

Orichalcum.

No matter how hard he and Grout tried, they could not extract it as they were now.

But Hyunsoo recalled the powers he possessed.

He had already used twenty of the seventy-two hours he had been given.

Only fifty-two hours remained.

Crafting something Legendary or Transcendent and using it to mine the orichalcum within that time would be impossible.

Then what?

He decided to use only the power he already possessed.

Hyunsoo logged out.

Then he posted a single message in the guild chat.

[Send me every artifact with a mining-related effect. Gift them to me.]

Fine. I’ll do this my way.

At Hyunsoo’s command, an entire kingdom began to move.