Chapter 7: Black Iron Level Four, Arrival

The original owner was born and raised in this area, making them intimately familiar with every inch of the land. Having inherited the original owner’s memories, Liu Hen would not lose his way even in this darkness.

"Ice layer?"

He hadn't walked far when he spotted a patch of ice. Without hesitation, he pulled out his All-Purpose Pickaxe and began to harvest it. In the process, he was forced to discard the few refined stones he had collected earlier from digging into the walls.

"The inventory slots are too few. Having to throw things away just because I have a little extra is such a waste!"

In this world of famine, he was reluctant to even throw away ordinary stones, wanting to conserve every resource. But with his inventory so small, he had to endure it for now.

"Next time I get more magic crystals, upgrading the All-Purpose Pickaxe must be my top priority."

The level of the pickaxe determined the size of the inventory.

Soon, he reached the ice and swung his pickaxe.

[Ice Block +3]
[Ice Block +3]

The ice layer shattered rapidly, leaving behind only dirty, fragmented shards. He had harvested all the clean ice, totaling over thirty pieces.

"I didn't notice it yesterday, but it seems my method of harvesting only extracts the essence. No wonder the boiled water had no strange taste."

He continued on his way. Because of the limited inventory space, he didn't melt the ice into water, choosing to keep it as a weapon instead. If he encountered an enemy, he could quickly pull it out and throw it. Being in a rush, he didn't go out of his way to look for ice; if he found some, he gathered it; if not, he moved on.

After four or five kilometers of cautious travel, he encountered another ice layer, and this one was quite thick. Liu Hen first scanned the area within a few dozen meters to ensure there was nothing unusual before stopping to harvest.

"Clack..."

With one strike, cracks spread across the ice, and three ice blocks were collected. He continued to harvest while keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings. The ice shattered, leaving only the dirty remnants behind.

A hundred meters away, a wandering monster suddenly looked toward the source of the sound. The next moment, it accelerated into a mad dash, yet strangely, its movement seemed to produce no sound of footsteps.

...

In less than a minute, his inventory was full, though plenty of ice remained. Despite his reluctance, Liu Hen firmly decided to move on. However, just as he straightened his back, a gust of wind at the back of his head and an intense sense of crisis made him instinctively roll forward.

"Sshhh..."

Even with his quick reaction, the skin on the back of his neck was slashed. Before he could scramble up, a monster with twisted features and two arms lunged at him.

'When did it get here?'

Startled and furious, Liu Hen rolled to the side and kicked the monster in the side, causing it to tumble. Using that momentum, he pushed himself up and charged, striking it hard with his pickaxe.

"Bang!"

The sharp end of the pickaxe pierced deep into the monster's head. He followed up with a vicious kick, sending it rolling backward. As it hit the ground, the monster condensed into a single magic crystal.

'Why was it so weak?'

Liu Hen, still poised for battle, paused in confusion. In the original owner's memories, hunting two-armed monsters was always a harrowing experience, even in a head-on encounter. They were never easy to deal with. Yet, he had managed to kill one easily, even while being ambushed.

'Is it because of the sharpness of the pickaxe? That makes sense. The original owner didn't have such a weapon, especially...'

Liu Hen tried resting the pickaxe on the frozen ground without letting go and noticed it left a shallow mark in the permafrost.

'As I thought. Although I don't feel the increase in weight myself, having fused so much iron ore, the pickaxe’s actual weight has indeed increased.'

In this state, he could wield it with ease, and the monster was injured at the slightest contact; being struck in the head by the sharp end meant instant death.

'Perhaps it’s more than that. With my consecutive upgrades, although I don't feel an increase in physique or strength, my body seems more agile.'

A more agile body allowed him to survive even a sneak attack and turn the tables. That must be why he killed the monster so easily.

Not daring to waste time, he picked up the crystal and continued on his way.

'I'm injured... and I don't have enough magic crystals to upgrade the pickaxe yet.'

He touched the back of his neck and felt a deep wound. Because of the extreme cold, the blood had frozen almost instantly, and the wound was numb, so he didn't feel much pain yet. However, already in a state of extreme weakness and likely suffering from severe anemia, the loss of blood made him feel even more feeble.

This experience reminded him once again of how important it was to have someone keep watch. Specifically, his harvesting was bound to make noise, while the monsters moved in near-total silence. With the visibility in the dark so low, relying solely on his own vigilance was a poor guarantee of safety.

'I must find a partner, but one who is weaker than me, dependent on me, and preferably obedient.'

As he walked, Liu Hen planned. 'I don't need them to do anything other than keep watch; I can provide for everything else.'

As long as he survived the initial phase, supporting a partner would be easy. Zong Ni was actually a good candidate—young, female, and they had a foundation of trust from a previous cooperation. But Zong Ni’s combat prowess was a bit high; even male wastelanders might not be able to best her. If a conflict arose...

'I'll keep her as a backup, but I don't know when I'll run into her again. I'll wait and see.'

He had traveled only a kilometer when two wandering monsters appeared in his field of vision, about thirty meters away. Thirty meters was his limit of visibility during the dim night. Because Liu Hen had been moving as carefully and quietly as possible, the monsters had not detected him.

He was about to detour when he remembered he already had three magic crystals. Just one more would allow him to upgrade his pickaxe. There happened to be an abandoned mine nearby, where finding iron ore would be simple. Furthermore, the act of upgrading the pickaxe would heal his injuries.

'Both are two-armed monsters; it shouldn't be a problem.'

With that thought, he put away his pickaxe, picked up two stones from the ground, and slowly approached the monsters. Once he was within ten meters, he swung his arm with all his might and hurled a stone. The monsters turned toward the sound.

"Bang!"

One monster’s head was caved in by the fist-sized stone. It didn't die immediately, but its combat capability was severely diminished. The other monster lunged at him.

Liu Hen threw the second stone, striking the monster in the face and causing it to falter. He then charged, pulled out his pickaxe, and deflected the monster’s claw before kicking it over, lunging forward, and driving the pickaxe into its skull. Without waiting for it to condense into a crystal, he turned and finished off the wounded monster.

Seeing the two crystals on the ground, Liu Hen let out a long breath.

'Indeed, my reflexes are much better than the original owner's. Although my strength hasn't improved much, speed of reaction is a massive advantage.'

Because the fight had been noisy, he grabbed the crystals and hurried toward the nearby mine. After a few steps, he stumbled and nearly fell. Due to the intense exertion, his already weak body felt dizzy, and his heart raced. A wave of exhaustion washed over him, making him feel as though he might collapse at any moment.

'Here it comes again...'

Liu Hen frowned, slowing his pace as much as possible and taking deep breaths to calm his racing heart. Finally, ten minutes later, he reached the entrance of the abandoned mine.

Since the pyrite had long been mined out, and the Red Conch Camp had no shortage of ordinary iron ore, the price was very low—one ounce of food coupons per ton. No one bothered with it. At such low prices, unless one had special transport, wastelanders wouldn't bother trading iron ore. Thus, he didn't need to worry about anyone being inside.

Liu Hen found a large piece of iron ore on the ground, took out his campfire, cleared a space, and began to mine.

"Clang!"

The sound was louder and crisper than mining on the stone hills. It echoed far into the darkness, making him frown and pause to listen carefully. Only after ensuring nothing was drawn to him did he continue.

It took nine strikes to harvest one piece of iron ore. After a minute, he had gathered four pieces. He put away the pickaxe and chose to upgrade. The four pieces of iron ore and four magic crystals vanished into thin air, and the data in his mind blurred.

Liu Hen sensed a warm current spreading through his body. Wherever it passed, it dispelled the cold and rapidly repaired the wound on the back of his neck. This upgrade was slower, taking a full twenty seconds. When it finished, his inventory gained another slot.

[All-Purpose Pickaxe (Black Iron) Lv.4 (Upgrade Requirements: 5 Iron Ore, 5 Magic Crystals)]
[Magic Crystal: 1]
[Inventory: 4]
[Recipe: Creation Workbench (Includes Campfire Recipe)]

The wound on his neck had already scabbed over. Although not fully healed, it was no longer a hindrance. Liu Hen checked his condition; while his hunger remained, his physical strength had largely recovered. The feeling of impending collapse was gone.

'There shouldn't be anyone in this mine, so I'll drink some hot water before setting off.'

He set up the campfire again and ignited it.

"Whoosh!"

The flames rose over a meter high, dispelling the darkness and bringing warmth to the mine entrance. Liu Hen didn't waste time; he boiled water and drank cup after cup to fill his stomach. Last night's experience had proven that hot water provided some sustenance and helped him survive.

He drank ten cups until he felt full. He didn't leave immediately, instead using the pickaxe to gather more iron ore. Since his inventory had expanded, he could afford to carry some.

"Clang!" "Clang..."

The sound of rhythmic striking echoed throughout the mine entrance. When the pickaxe was at Black Iron Level 3, it took nine strikes to gather one piece of ore; now it took only seven. The speed had noticeably increased.

The iron ore here was dense, with only occasional traces of refined stone and almost no waste rock. He could now harvest four refined stones per strike, but since he didn't have enough inventory space, he discarded them as he went.

In just ten minutes, he had collected a hundred pieces of iron ore. Liu Hen threw away all the refined stones, cleared his inventory, packed up the campfire, and set off again.

He moved cautiously, preferring to waste time rather than take risks. As he neared the Red Conch Camp, he encountered other wastelanders several times, but he skirted around them long before they could spot him.

He faced no further incidents. Finally, before the deep night arrived, he saw the Red Conch Camp in the distance.