[Strength +4 Defense +5 Agility +2 Stamina +1]
Wang Lei frowned as he kept massaging his throat, the weird tingling sensation lingering like an aftertaste he couldn't wash away.
"Something forced itself into my mouth... and then my stats suddenly increased? What the hell even was that?"
Wang Lei recalled the words he had seen on the floating screen. At first, he thought it might be related to his skill, Ore Consumption, since their effects seemed somewhat similar.
However, after rereading the skill's description, he dismissed the idea. Ore Consumption was limited strictly to minerals; souls clearly didn't fall into that category.
"Maybe this was just the way the system worked?"
Wang Lei still had many questions, but there was no one around to answer them. All he could do was make guesses based on assumptions.
He didn't dwell on it for long, it felt pointless. Besides, there was a more pressing matter at hand.
Where was he going to sleep and get some rest?
It was nighttime, and Wang Lei assumed that these monsters were more active after dark, his encounter with the cave ant was proof enough of that.
Naturally, he wasn't about to go deeper into the cave in search of a safer spot. His current location was good enough. With nothing but open sky behind him, at least he didn't have to worry about being ambushed from the rear.
The problem was, if monsters started attacking from inside the cave, he would have nowhere to run. If it was just a single monster, he might be able to handle it, but what if a whole group came?
Now that he thought about it, didn't ants usually move in groups?
The ant he fought earlier might have just been a stray.
And ants also had the ability to communicate with each other through their antennae.
Wasn't I almost screwed then? Wang Lei thought, a cold sweat breaking out on his back.
He felt a wave of relief wash over him, thankfully, the ant he fought hadn't called for reinforcements.
Otherwise, they might've been feasting on his corpse by now.
Then what can I do to at least stop them from coming here? Wang Lei pondered deeply.
If I could just build a temporary blockade… but I don't have any materials...
Just as he was about to give up on the idea, his eyes suddenly lit up.
Wait, I do have materials!
Wang Lei shifted his gaze to the mining cart placed in the corner of the cave.
.
...
....
"Phew… That should do it!"
He let out a long sigh, wiping the sweat off his forehead with his arm.
The entrance to the cave was now sealed off with wooden planks he had salvaged from dismantling the mining cart. He even reused the nails, embedding them into the wooden timbers to hold everything in place.
Although there were still a few gaps here and there, it was sturdy enough to keep any monsters from slipping through while he slept.
Now that the cave was temporarily sealed, Wang Lei could finally sleep in peace.
Should he eat first before sleeping? He didn't need to worry about that, he was still quite full from the pile of coal he had devoured earlier.
Exhaustion quickly caught up with him. The moment he laid down on the floor, he drifted off into sleep.
***
Wang Lei woke up to the warm sunlight shining down on his face.
The weather was clear and pleasant, yet he couldn't enjoy it at all. All because of his so-called bed.
The ground was far too hard, leaving his entire body feeling stiff and sore. Every movement he made caused his bones to crack.
Well, with the situation he was in, Wang Lei couldn't really complain.
Speaking of his current state, Wang Lei sank into deep thought, pondering how he would move forward from here.
First, he definitely wanted to get off this mountain, preferably as fast as possible. There was no way of knowing what could happen if he continued to stay here. After all, this mountain was crawling with monsters like those giant ants.
Second, he needed to find out the current situation in Yellow City. His father's company had a branch there, which was where he had been staying before all this happened.
If he was right, and it wasn't just the creatures on the mountain that had evolved, but the entire world, then his father's situation might be far more dangerous than he had originally thought.
Wang Lei tried to reassure himself. He knew his father well, he was the kind of man who didn't panic easily and always faced problems with a calm, composed mind.
Although they often bickered, he was still Wang Lei's father. And as his son, he couldn't help but worry.
That's why Wang Lei made up his mind. His goal was clear: to get out of this mountain and reunite with his father, no matter what it took.
He knew the journey wouldn't be easy. To achieve it, he would probably have to fight countless monsters along the way, but that wasn't enough to crush his spirit.
The first step was to explore the deep, dark cave ahead.
Before moving forward, he carefully stuffed his tools back into his bag. Carrying them might slow him down, but they could still prove useful.
After breaking down the wooden planks, Wang Lei took a deep breath and stepped into the cave.
He steeled himself for what was to come.
.
…
….
Wang Lei moved through the dark cave, the beam from the flashlight attached to his helmet cutting a narrow path through the gloom.
He took each step with steady confidence. He had often mined in this cave with his father when he was young, so he knew the place like the back of his hand. Back then, he had been passionate about inheriting his father's company.
The memories remained vivid for Wang Lei. But as he grew older, he realized how pitiful the earnings of a mining company had become. In this era of information and technology, mining seemed to hold little significance in society.
He even found out that his father's company was burdened with a huge amount of debt. It was one of the main reasons he was so determined not to inherit the business. He didn't want to be buried under debt at such a young age.
Still, Wang Lei planned to pay it off, he wasn't that ungrateful to the one who raised him from birth, just not by becoming a miner. He knew he could never clear that mountain of debt with a career like that.
As Wang Lei continued to walk, lost in his memories, he eventually sensed that something was off.
There was nothing unusual about his surroundings, and he was sure he was still on the right path.
And yet, it was exactly that, the eerie normalcy, that made him feel something wasn't right.
Wang Lei assumed that the mountain must have somehow reshaped itself, especially since there was no land beyond the cave's exit.
But if the mountain had truly undergone such a drastic change, then why was the path inside still exactly the same as the one he had walked years ago?
It wouldn't have been surprising if the entire cave had already been buried under rocks, though to his relief, nothing like that had happened.
Still, even though Wang Lei was relieved, he couldn't deny that it was definitely strange.
Wang Lei shook his head and didn't dwell on it. He was just thankful that nothing had changed. The last thing he wanted was to venture into a completely unfamiliar cave.
He continued walking through the strangeness; he didn't have much of a choice but to move forward.
As he ventured deeper and deeper into the cave, Wang Lei noticed something shining in the distance.
"Is that... gold?" he muttered to himself.
A golden shine flickered in the darkness. Wang Lei moved closer, and once it was within reach, he examined it carefully.
The supposed gold was embedded in the wall of rock. He reached out and touched it, confirming his suspicion.
"Yeah... this is definitely a gold ore!" he exclaimed.
Wang Lei didn't bother to hide his excitement. His skill, Ore Consumption, allowed him to digest any kind of mineral, each granting different effects.
One of the ores he had already consumed was coal, which had given him a permanent boost to his Defense attribute. If something as common as coal could grant such a benefit, he could only imagine what rarer ores like this one might offer.
Without further ado, he pulled out his pickaxe and began striking the ore.
After fifteen minutes of hard work, the chunk finally broke free from the rock wall. It was a sizable piece, and Wang Lei was certain it would give a significant boost to his stats.
What surprised him, though, was how little time it had taken. Normally, breaking the ore free would have taken at least half an hour, but now it had only taken half that time.
"My Strength stat is almost double that of a regular person... maybe that's why?" he muttered.
No. Wang Lei was certain that was the reason.
Now that he had tasted the benefits of raising his stats, Wang Lei was even more eager to eat the gold in front of him.
Without wasting any time, he picked up the chunk of gold and took a bite.
Crunch!
To his surprise, it tasted oddly similar to a sweet apple. With just a few bites, the gold ore vanished from his hands.
[Strength +11]
Woah, that's a lot!
Wang Lei hadn't expected to gain so much from just a small piece. He immediately wanted to eat more, but unfortunately, there was nothing left.
Rustle, rustle!
Wang Lei suddenly heard a flurry of footsteps behind him. He spun around, his flashlight cutting through the darkness, illuminating the countless ants crawling in front of him.
Cave ants! A group of them!