novelhk Chapter 70 Job Change Completed
Chapter 70 Job Change Completed
However, faced with this door, he did not choose to fight it head-on, but instead explored upwards along the edge.
He found a square metal louver opening at the corner of the rock wall, four meters above the ground.
However, the inside of this vent was completely blocked by a fungus. A viscous liquid kept seeping from the edge of the cap, and when the stem contracted, a stream of green exhaust gas was expelled from the gills and sank down the rock wall.
This must be the source of the toxic gas in the mine!
The little snail climbed onto the rock protrusion below the vent, took out the bottle of green acid solution, and poured it onto the roots of the mutated fungus.
When the strong acid comes into contact with the epidermis, accompanied by a fine hissing sound and white smoke, the cells of the stipe are rapidly destroyed. The fungus's massive volume loses its support and begins to collapse.
Seeing this, the little snail immediately drew its short dagger, wrapped its palm in burlap, and cut off a fist-sized, still-glowing mushroom cap from the collapsed edge, stuffing it into its backpack. This would definitely be a valuable clue for future contact with the Magic Forest faction.
After cleaning up the debris, he forcefully pulled the rusty louvered shutter blades outwards. After a sharp metallic snapping sound, the baffle was removed, revealing a dark, gaping ventilation duct.
Without hesitation, the little snail curled up and crawled in, using its elbows and knees to move forward. After a dozen meters, it kicked open the severely rusted vertical grid at the end and jumped down.
The landing site was a narrow equipment room, filled with the smell of rancid engine oil and oxidized metal.
The little snail's gaze swept over the area below the control panel, where a skeleton, long since turned to dust, lay curled up.
A pair of heavily rusted windproof goggles were stuck to the skull of the skeleton, clearly indicating that this person was not a native of the Warriors Tribe. This attire was most likely related to the abandoned city.
The remains' finger bones were gripping a brass plaque with several lines of letters that were pitted and corroded by acid.
The little snail approached to examine the numbers and managed to piece together a few digits: ...05101...
The little snail thought to itself, "This nameplate is strange; it must be an item that can advance the main storyline of the game."
He pried open the skeletal fingers, tore off the brass plaque, and stuffed it into the glowing mushroom cap. His intuition told him that holding this plaque would definitely be useful in the future—perhaps related to the abandoned city, or perhaps in a hidden treehouse in the Magic Forest, where it could trigger some hidden events.
After putting away the nameplate, the little snail looked at the side of the central control panel, where a huge manual hydraulic valve wheel connected to a thick steel cable stood.
He tried, but couldn't pull it.
Then, he untied the thin hemp rope from his waist, wrapped it around the handle and tied a knot, tightly wrapped the other end around his arm, leaned back, and used his full body weight to pull the wheel.
Crunch, crunch.
With a scraping sound, the dusty alloy explosion-proof door outside the equipment room was pulled open with a gap half a meter wide.
Inside is a pristine, unmined mineral vein, with deep black mineral crystals embedded in the rock walls.
He took down his rusty iron pickaxe, walked to a protruding piece of black iron ore, gripped the handle with both hands, and slammed it down hard.
The immense recoil made his hands go numb. After catching his breath, he swung the pickaxe repeatedly. After about two minutes of hammering, a piece of high-purity black iron ore the size of a human head broke off.
Quest item obtained! The first job advancement in this game is way too difficult.
Just then, a rapid clatter of hooves sounded outside the gate. The sounds of machinery and mining had alerted the herd of wild boars roaming the outskirts.
Without hesitation, the little snail turned around and squeezed out of the equipment room through the crack in the door.
He raised his pickaxe, wedged the tip into the mesh of the main gear to lock it in place, then lifted a heavy rock and slammed it down hard against the locking clip of the hydraulic rod.
With the latches shattered, the unsupported blast door crashed down under the force of gravity, locking itself shut and keeping the frenzied beasts out.
Ignoring the banging sound behind the door, the little snail took a deep breath of the relatively clean air, leaped onto the crevice in the rock wall, and began to retreat along the same route.
…………
The entrance to the abyss rift.
The martial arts instructor was still sitting cross-legged in front of the tent, sharpening his broken sword. Balu stood on the edge, listening to the faint roars and crashing sounds coming from underground.
"The sound has disappeared." Balu lowered his head. "He alerted the armored boar herd..."
The martial arts instructor didn't stop, his voice rough: "This is what happens when you're too weak. Cleverness is no match for absolute violence..."
Before he could finish speaking, a hand covered in black mud and dark green slime suddenly emerged from above the rock at the edge of the crack. Its fingers gripped the weathered sandstone tightly, and the veins on the back of its hand bulged.
Immediately afterwards, a figure soaked in sweat and covered in abrasions and mud tumbled up from the edge of the poisonous miasma and crashed heavily onto the hard ground.
The little snail lay on its back, its chest heaving violently as it gasped for air in the dry air.
"Water...give me water." Only after confirming its safety did the little snail's brain transmit the instruction that it was thirsty.
The surrounding soldiers were stunned; this fool had actually brought the item out. After a while, they realized what was happening, found a pigskin water bag, and handed it to him.
The little snail struggled to turn over, untied its backpack, loosened the straps, took out the pure black iron ore without any impurities, and accurately smashed it next to the whetstone at the martial arts instructor's feet.
The martial arts coach froze for a second, staring intently at the legendary top-grade ore with a strange expression on his face.
This outsider, who couldn't even lift a heavy sword, actually survived the poisonous gas, avoided the beasts, and returned from the brink of death.
This completely disrupted the martial arts coach's plan. He had originally intended to devise a difficult problem as a routine to scare the young man away, and then, while he was calling for help, send someone to pull him out and give him a real test.
The little snail had no time to care about any of that now. It wiped the sweat from its sweaty hand with the back of its hand, looked at the dazed martial arts instructor, and said wearily but matter-of-factly:
"I brought the item back. After you've checked it, give me the skill book quickly. My stamina is almost depleted, I need to log off and get some sleep."
This outsider, who couldn't even lift a heavy sword, actually survived the poisonous gas, avoided the beasts, and returned from the brink of death.
"You..." The martial arts instructor's voice was hoarse. He stood up, walked to the corner of the tent, and solemnly held out a thick stone slab engraved with ancient patterns. "Your will is harder than black iron. Take this; it is the legacy of the Warrior Tribe. Learn this, and you will be able to use powerful attacks."
The little snail snatched the stone slab, and with a thought, the slab transformed into a stream of light and entered its body.
"This must be the job change completed. I feel so relieved." The little snail exhaled a breath of stale air and glanced at the winding, rugged mountain path that would take at least half an hour to traverse down the mountain.
"Coach, thanks." The little snail turned and walked towards the edge of the cliff. "The road is too far, I don't have the strength to walk back, I'll just go home."
Huh? On the edge of a cliff, going home?