Chapter 325 77.2 - Mine
"How was it?"
On the outside of the rubbles, slightly rising, Asher raised his head, looking at the heiress he was trying to impress.
"....."
Taylor watched the scene with her cold eyes without responding. Though inwardly, she was feeling satisfied.
As Asher awaited Taylor's response, a slight tension crept into his demeanor, his eagerness to please her mingling with uncertainty. Did she find his efforts lacking? Was there something she disliked about his actions?
Taylor observed Asher's subtle shift in posture, her cold eyes betraying no emotion outwardly. However, inwardly, she felt a sense of satisfaction. "This guy is not bad," she thought to herself, impressed by Asher's usefulness and his ability to assert their dominance over others like Astron.
'But, he is a bit of a chicken, and this is a lot better.' Sensing Asher's tension, Taylor couldn't help but feel a surge of power wash over her. She held the upper hand in these types of dynamics, able to influence his emotions with a mere glance or word, and she was addicted to it.
It had been like this from the start, in any case.
With a small chuckle, she decided to alleviate his anxiety.
"No, you did well," she said, her voice calm yet authoritative. "There's nothing to dislike."
Relief flooded over Asher as he heard Taylor's reassurance, his tense muscles relaxing as he realized he had succeeded in earning her approval.
'This crazy woman is like bipolar. I can't read her at all.' Grateful for her 'acknowledgment,' he nodded slightly, a sense of calm warming his heart. But then again, it was only temporary as he heard her following words.
"Now, enter there and mine me some stones."
As Asher looked at Taylor, he noticed a subtle grin playing on her lips as she spoke. Her words carried a hint of authority, an order disguised as a request. Top of FormIt was like she was saying, from now on, you will be in my command.
"I-"
Just as he was about to say something, Taylor threw another provocation his way. "I guess you can't do it," she remarked casually, her tone taunting. "I thought this trait of yours enabled you to interact with the earth to blast this tunnel?"
Her words hit Asher like a slap in the face, as she had implied that it was obvious who made this tunnel like this.
'Sigh....I underestimated this woman's craziness.' Sighing inwardly, he thought, shaking his head. And then he accepted his fate.....
******
"This tunnel is quite long."
I thought to myself, looking around. Now that I had been trapped in this place, I couldn't do anything other than walk deeper.
Of course, the situation I was in wasn't something grave. For miners, there is always the possibility of tunnels collapsing and them being trapped. Therefore, the academy had already given us the necessary tools to call them in case such a thing happened.
"Though it will affect our grades."
'Well, since I have basically undetectable storage, why not grab some stones for myself?' After all, not every stone needed to be submitted to the academy....
'It will be a good way to train my mana control as well...'
With that, I started working.
******
In the dimly lit tunnel, the young man with a bulky build turned his head backward and asked. "What do you think? How long is it left?"
His voice was calm, but it was filled with authority. Behind him stood a girl. She had a slender figure, her short hair reaching only the end of her ears. Her eyes shone for a second as she observed the veins.
"I am sensing a good amount of Mana condensed around fifty meters. I think there are some mana stones there."
Her name was Becky, and she was an archer. Being in the role of scout in general, rangers tended to require strong senses. Though her rank wasn't that high, she at least trusted her senses enough.
"I see." Carl nodded and continued moving. However, Becky was somehow tense.
'Why am I in the same group as a ranker?'
She had been put into the same group as one of the strongest people in the academy as well as the heir of one of the heirs belonging to the Pentagon.
Also, it was the scariest of all of them since Carl had a bulky build and a serious face all the time.
"Don't get too tense; he is not that bad." At that moment, a voice came from her side. It was the remaining member of the group. His name was Martin Bryan. He was slightly on the lower-ranking side, but he was good at theory, which made his opinions valuable.
Becky glanced at him, her curiosity piqued by his cryptic words. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Martin chuckled softly, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Mister Carl just looks serious and stern from the outside. In fact, he has a warm heart, and he is a good person," he explained.
'Mister Carl?' Becky raised an eyebrow, sensing that Martin knew something more about Carl than he let on. "Why do you think so?" she inquired, her interest growing.
Martin's smile widened slightly as if reminiscing about something. "I once received his help," he replied simply.
Becky nodded, feeling a bit more at ease with Martin's words. She trusted his judgment, and if he believed that Carl was a good person, then perhaps there was more to him than met the eye.
Just then, Becky and Martin caught sight of Carl's silhouette approaching them silently.
"Mister Carl? Did something happen?" Martin called out to him, but there was no response.
SMASH!
Before they could react, a hammer came hurtling out of the darkness, striking Carl's head with a sickening thud.
THUD! "Kyaaaa!"
Becky gasped in horror as Carl's body crumpled to the ground, his lifeless form slumping against the tunnel wall, its brain scattering around....
