The Healing Solaris Cleric-Chapter 372: Mine (3)

"Woah, you worked for thirty years? That’s really amazing."

"Hehe. There’s nothing to brag about slaving away that long..."

As kids her age tended to be, Ira was full of curiosity. Dex thought it was fate that brought them together. He figured he was the only one who could answer her questions after spending thirty years here.

"Ah, then you must have been the ace of the mine before you got sick."

"I wasn’t quite an ace... but I used to have decent yield before my hands got like this." Dex looked down at his trembling hands, worn from gripping the pickaxe for so long, and said, "There were quite a few who got help from me too."

"But what good is that? They all turned instantly at the mention of a reward."

"Haha... That’s just how it is. We’re demons after all."

Dex didn’t mind that Ira treated him like a grandfather even though they had only known each other for a few days. In fact, he felt genuinely thankful to have met her before he died.

It’s interesting to think there’s another demon like me...

A typical demon considered being born alone and dying in solitude a virtue, however, Dex thought differently. The fact that he was far too affectionate was the biggest reason he had fallen behind in this society.

Well, that’s probably why I’ve been worked as a slave for decades.

Though Dex was branded defective among demons, he had no regrets. Even if he were to return to the past, he knew he wouldn’t be able to change himself.

"Do you not regret it at all?"

"Hmm?"

It was as if she had read his thoughts.

"Regret what?"

"It just came to mind that if you had become a powerful demon, you wouldn’t have to suffer like this and could live much longer."

"Haha..."

Of course he had thought about that before, but his conclusion had always been the same.

"I don’t have the confidence."

"Confidence in what?"

"I’m not cruel enough to rip out a comrade’s heart, and I wasn’t blessed with overwhelming talent. So how could someone like me become strong?"

There were three main ways for a demon to grow strong in the Demon Realm. The simplest method was to consume magic stones. Even that simple act alone could raise the amount of magic energy one possessed. Of course, having more magic didn’t guarantee absolute strength, but it was better than having none.

The second method was to force another demon to their knees and eat their heart. This method allowed one to absorb a purer form of magic than magic stones did. Moreover, the fight always had to be to the death since no demon would willingly offer up their heart. Those who endured this cruel process for decades eventually became renowned as archdemons.

The final method was to be born with it. Demons blessed by the Demon God grew stronger from the moment they were born. They could absorb magic from the atmosphere through a unique breathing method. They were literally beings who grew stronger simply by breathing. It was known that only the four archdukes and the Demon King Angol Moa were born with such talent so far.

For a demon like Dex, who had been deemed the lowest rank, all of those paths were completely impossible.

"Hmm. So you’re saying you don’t have regrets..."

"Desire fades away as one gets older."

"That’s really strange," Ira muttered to herself, and changed the subject. "Oh, by the way, the administrator said earlier that the top three who yield the most this month would get magic stones."

"He did."

"Do you think he really will?"

"He will," Dex replied without hesitation. "You may not be able to see it, but working in Mine 7 is actually one of the better assignments."

"In what way?"

"As far as I know, the size of this mine ranks within the top seventy in all of the Demon Realm."

"Wow. Really?"

"Yes. That’s why yields are better than other places and the treatment is relatively decent."

"You don’t even get four hours of sleep a day though."

"Ira, there’s always something worse under the surface," Dex showed a bitter smile and shook his head. "Before I came here, I briefly worked at Mine 23. It was worse. Less than two hours of sleep, and the ground was so weak the tunnels collapsed constantly. Compared to that, this place is heaven."

Ira stayed silent.

"You must think I’m pathetic... I’m sorry."

"I don’t think that at all," Ira shook her head. "You’ve done nothing wrong. The real villains are the archdemons. Don’t you think so?"

"Y-you shouldn’t say things like that out loud."

As Dex scolded her, taken aback, Ira smiled and changed the subject.

"By the way, I heard there’s something called the Model Miner system in this mine. What’s that?"

"Oh, that’s..."

A trace of regret briefly crossed Dex’s face. It was something he had always dreamed of during his decades of work here.

"Actually, one reason this mine’s conditions are better is because of that system. Under the supervisors’ evaluation, one miner who shows diligence and good yield is chosen every half year and released.”

"What does being released mean?"

"We may be miners in title, but here we’re called slaves and trash. That system is the only way to escape the bottom and become a free demon, one who's allowed to go anywhere."

"Do they really release them if they’re chosen as a Model Miner? Have you seen it?"

"Of course. Not only that, they even give them some food and clothes to start fresh. It’s every miner’s dream here... but it’s only one every six months. That’s just two a year."

Dex also had a time when he frantically mined magic stones with the dream of becoming a Model Miner. However, there were far more miners back then compared to now so the competition rate had been nearly one in four thousand.

"I may be beyond help now, but Ira, you should aim to become a Model Miner and do your best."

"I will," Ira nodded and secretly handed a portion of her yield to Dex.

Dex looked at Ira with a conflicted expression as he said, "I really don’t know what to say except thank you... but I’m not sure if it’s right for me to keep receiving like this every day."

It wouldn’t have been an exaggeration to say Ira alone was keeping him alive these days. She easily did the work of three grown men. She wasn't particularly fast with her hands, but she was achieving it because she was unbelievably lucky. Magic stones poured out wherever she swung her pickaxe.

"No, I’m the one who should be thankful. Everything you’ve told me has been helpful."

At her kind words that were unlike a demon’s, Dex felt an ache somewhere in his heart.

The Demon Realm would be a little better to live in if someone like her were given power...

Dex swallowed that impossible hope as Ira asked a new question. "Oh right, I heard that the Liberation Army has been seen nearby. Do you think it’s true?"

Dex was startled by the word "liberation" and quickly covered her mouth. After glancing around nervously and confirming no one was listening, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Never, never speak of them again."

"Why not?"

"If the supervisors... no, even if other miners hear it, you could end up dead."

At that, Ira looked confused.

"Maybe not the supervisors... but don’t the miners like the Liberation Army?"

"Well, if I had to choose between like or dislike, I’d say the former... but to us, they’re like clouds in the sky." Dex looked down at the pickaxe he held. "Ira, demons, especially weak ones like us... fear the fist and violence nearby far more than empty hope."

"Empty hope..."

"Of course I’ve heard rumors that they freed a few mines, that the miners there all gained freedom and hid in villages the Liberation Army created... But do you really think such luck will ever reach us?"

"Well, maybe it could. Maybe they’re already here in the mine."

Dex deliberately chose not to argue against Ira’s optimistic thoughts as he didn’t want to shatter the dreams of a girl in the prime of her youth.

"Oh, and I heard that last month’s ore yield was about the same as Mine 9. Why do you think that is?"

"Who knows, perhaps the administrator or supervisors are pocketing something extra."

Dex kept busy trying to satisfy Ira’s endless curiosity.

***

Clang, clang!

Kai and Yoo Ha-Rin’s gazes changed as they climbed the mountain. They heard an unnatural sound for the first time in the silent barren land of the Demon Realm. The two exchanged glances and instinctively concealed their presence.

Yoo Ha-Rin peeked out from behind a large boulder and quietly asked, "Could that be a demon village?"

"Hm."

Kai’s expression turned extremely serious as he observed the area.

Demons carrying weapons, multiple entrances leading into the mountain, rails, carts going back and forth...

He could only think of one place.

"No, I think it’s a mine rather than a village."

"A mine? Oh!" Yoo Ha-Rin slightly raised her eyebrows and nodded. "Now that you mention it, that makes sense. Then they must be digging up those rocks in the carts."

Inside the carts on the rails were various-sized ores glowing with a purple aura.

"Those ores are infused with dark magic."

"Dark magic?"

"Yes," Kai answered with certainty.

He could tell because he had already fought Sting and the undead he commanded.

"So what do we do now?"

"Hmm." After contemplating for a moment, Kai said, "If they’re mining ore, there must be a place that needs it."

"That would be the village."

"Most likely. Then we need to figure out where the village is... I’m not sure if those demons are the kind that can hold a conversation."

"They look human enough." ƒreewebɳovel.com

"Hm, then I’ll go and take a look."

Kai’s sudden decision made Yoo Ha-Rin startled and asked, "You’re gonna go yourself?"

"Yes."

"N-no." Yoo Ha-Rin put on an extremely anxious expression and tried to stop him.

"Ha-Rin..." Kai, who clearly knew what she was thinking, slowly said, "If things go wrong, I will still leave your share."

"Really...?"

"Yes."

"You have to keep that promise. I want to widen the gap between me and Chris too."

"Alright, alright. I’ll make sure to save some for you."

After making a deal that would have made any demon shudder, Kai approached the mine entrance.

"Um... excuse me."

As he cautiously spoke up, the yawning supervisors got startled and immediately became wary of him.

"What? An... intruder?"

"Look at his appearance. He just looks like a wandering demon."

One of the supervisors approached and pulled off the demon hide Kai wore on his head.

"Just as I thought. A low-ranked demon without horns."

"Hah, got scared for nothing. Let’s just throw him into the mine."

Unable to grasp the situation, the supervisors threw a basket and a pickaxe at Kai and shoved his back.

"Hey, you go into that tunnel and dig magic stones starting today."

"Me?"

"Yeah. What, you don’t want to?"

As the two supervisors scowled, their dark energy began pressuring Kai. Kai silently endured it and walked into the tunnel they pointed to.

The supervisors burst out laughing at his obedient behavior.

"Hah, just a bit of pressure and he got scared and quiet right away."

"That’s how all low-ranked demons are. Still, what rotten luck he has. Of all places to wander into, it had to be a mine."

"Well, nothing even grows in this region of the Demon Realm, so he probably came to beg for food or something."

The supervisors quickly forgot about Kai’s arrival.

"Gasp, this is bad."

Yoo Ha-Rin panicked after watching the whole situation unfold from behind the boulder.

"The demons are in danger...!"

She was genuinely worried about her XP points.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is fre(e)novelkiss