Chapter 30: From Salt to Adamantite

Creeeak—!!

“Wow, standing up, it easily looks over five meters.”

– At that size, you’d never have to worry about running out of salt for the rest of your life, master?

There was no ferocious roar.

Simply by raising its crouched body, it produced a sound loud enough to fill the entire mine.

“…Flowing water. Wash!”

Fwoosh—!

At a glance, it seemed like my sword wouldn’t even pierce its body.

So I first used water magic to target the golem’s joints.

Crash, crash, CRASH!!

But unlike the monsters so far, it wasn’t just standing there taking my attacks.

Simply swinging its arm created immense wind pressure.

The wind pressure, in turn, shook the ceiling, causing heavy chunks of salt to rain down.

– Uh… Master. This guy is stronger than I thought. Are you sure you’ll be okay?

“Didn’t you just say ‘For my master, you shouldn’t be struggling with something like this’?”

– Heheh, did I? I must have been blinded by the salt.

It was certainly an overwhelming level difference.

Monstrous defense and magic resistance that even magic, let alone weapons, barely worked against.

At this level, it would be impossible to hunt unless you were in a party of fairly skilled users.

“It’s fine. I have a plan.”

– Oh, that’s my master!

Thud!

Its fist slammed into the ground.

Using that opening, I shoved a mana stone into the elbow joint I had just moistened.

– Huh? Isn’t that the mana stone we got earlier?

“I prepared it while you were getting excited about the salt.”

– Ooh, then what are you going to do now?

“Chorong!”

Whoosh!

– Kkyut?

Chorong appeared, emitting warm flames.

As soon as it was summoned, it looked around, wondering what dish I was going to make or where it needed to light a fire.

But before its eyes was only the massive, five-meter-tall salt golem.

Chorong made its characteristic ‘kkyukkyu’ sound and looked at me.

As if asking what it needed to do.

“There, aim your flames at its left elbow.”

– Kkyut!!

Whoosh!

The flames Chorong emitted shot toward the golem.

The salt golem boasted powerful defense and physical attack, but fortunately, its agility was low.

Moreover, Chorong’s attack was a fairly wide-ranging flame.

There was no way the massive golem could dodge.

Creeeak—!

Did they say the best defense is a good offense?

As if recognizing that, the salt golem extended its arm through the flames.

Finally, Chorong’s flames reached its elbow.

At that moment,

KABOOOOM!

– Whoa.

– Kkyu?

The salt golem’s elbow exploded.

Salt powder scattered, turning the surrounding floor white.

As the flames subsided, the half-destroyed elbow of the salt golem was revealed.

It wasn’t completely shattered, but at this point, its left arm was already unusable.

– What was that, master! How did you do it?

“You could call it a collaboration between alchemy and magic.”

[Due to excellent application, Color Alchemy proficiency increases rapidly.]

[Color Alchemy skill level increased.]

Mages weren’t the only class that could utilize mana stones.

Rather, in terms of application rather than simply engraving magic, alchemy was more advantageous.

What I had engraved on that mana stone were a basic first-circle fire spell, Fire Alchemy – Explosion, and Sphere Alchemy – Amplification.

Originally, engraving three spells and alchemy formulas on such a small mana stone would have been impossible.

That’s why the stone shattered entirely as the formulas activated.

“This is the collaboration of magic, alchemy, and spirit magic.”

Crash!

The golem, its left elbow half-destroyed, moved its body violently.

As a result, the already half-destroyed left forearm naturally fell off, throwing its balance off.

For a normal living creature, adjusting to a shifted center of gravity would just be a matter of time.

But not for a golem.

CRASH!!

Whenever I dodged its attacks, its poor balance revealed openings everywhere.

This was a situation created precisely because golems were constructed with meticulously calculated body structures and movements.

Looking at it, I took out a new mana stone.

I had obtained a total of five mana stones on my way here.

I had already used one, leaving one for each of its remaining limbs.

Using one final stone where its core was located, this battle would be over.

“Chorong, this time, its right knee!”

– Kkyut!

As if screaming, the massive salt golem began to thrash even more wildly.

***

<Vasen Mine Rock Salt Infused with Essence>

Grade: Rare

Description: Rock salt that has absorbed essence for a long time in the depths of Vasen Mine. It has no bitter taste and maximizes the original flavor of food.

Ability: Increases the effect of completed dishes by one level.

< Shattered Golem Mana Core >

Grade: Magic

Description: The mana core of the salt golem that guarded something deep within Vasen Mine. It is shattered and cannot exhibit its full power.

Ability: –

The salt golem I had struggled to defeat using all the small mana stones.

The items obtained from it were two.

Salt that was only usable as an ingredient, even if it was Rare grade.

And a mana core that was the golem’s core, but had been shattered, losing most of its power.

For an ordinary user, struggling to defeat a boss monster only to get useless junk items would be the outcome.

But I was different.

“Oh, at this size, like you said, it really would last a lifetime and more, wouldn’t it?”

– I knew my master would succeed! Even if it was just for the salt!

Salt.

A white crystalline substance with a salty taste, primarily composed of sodium chloride.

Its use was simple, but it was a seasoning used in so many dishes that it was hard to find one that didn’t use it.

Among the dishes I had made so far, almost none were without salt.

And its ability was to increase the effect of dishes.

It was a perfect item for me, the inheritor of Gatros’s will.

– Master! Let’s cook something with it right away! What should we make? I’m excited!

“Wait a moment. There’s still one more thing to do.”

– Huh? You already caught the golem, didn’t you?

I had caught the golem, but the problems of Vasen Mine weren’t completely solved.

If I left the mine like this, monsters would eventually reappear.

Because ‘it’ was still here.

“I need to investigate the cause.”

Vibration detection.

I used the spell, pressed my body against the wall, and tapped it to create vibrations.

Then I felt it.

A subtle sense of danger, distinctly different from ordinary rock or rock salt.

Clang!

Ka-gang!

– Huh? I feel like I haven’t felt this in a long time? What was it?

I adjusted my stance and began swinging my pickaxe.

The wall was overwhelmingly harder than other areas.

If I aimed incorrectly and swung, even the sturdy pickaxe might shatter.

– Ooh, master! I think I know what this is!

“Phew, just a little more!”

Ka-gang!

Controlling my breathing, I slowly chipped away at the wall.

Soon, an ore with a strange, glowing hue, completely different from the surrounding rock, began to reveal itself.

One final swing.

“Hah!”

CRAAASH!!

[You have mined an ore far surpassing your skill level. Mining proficiency increases enormously.]

[Mining skill level increased.]

[Mining skill level increased.]

[Hidden Quest ‘Secret of Vasen Mine, Tunnel C’ has been completed excellently.]

Clatter—.

The ore fell, scattering clouds of salt powder from the final blow.

– This… it’s Adamantite!

One of the strongest metals in Unreal World, rivalling Orichalcum.

It was Adamantite.

***

“Why isn’t he coming out? Could it be…”

Around Vasen Mine after 10 PM, most of the lights illuminating the mine had gone out.

Since mining work was very dangerous, work was strictly controlled after evening.

And right in front of the mine,

the Vasen Mine office, which would normally be dark and empty at this hour, had a bright light flickering inside tonight.

“Surely he couldn’t have been… No, it can’t be.”

Aileen.

She was the one who had opened the entrance to Tunnel C for Lee Chang.

Worried because he hadn’t come out of the mine even after 10 PM, she hadn’t clocked out yet.

Click!

Anxious, she took a small lantern and headed toward Tunnel C.

But there, as usual, were only the two men on guard duty, nodding off.

As Aileen approached, one of the men startled awake and greeted her.

“Ah, hello! Miss Aileen! What brings you here this late? Don’t misunderstand, I wasn’t sleeping just now… Hey, wake up!”

“I can still eat more… Gasp! Miss Aileen!”

Clatter—.

The man was so startled he dropped his spear and stammered.

He hurriedly picked it up, but the situation was already awkward.

As the two men tensed up, Aileen finally spoke.

“The man who went in during the day. Has he still not come out?”

“Yes. As expected, he must have been eaten by the monsters inside… Ah, no!”

The oblivious man blurted out his thoughts, then quickly corrected himself upon seeing Aileen’s expression.

Because her face was so dark.

Just as Aileen was about to turn back to the office with a gloomy expression,

Thud! Thud!

A dull sound came from the sealed door of Tunnel C.

Immediately, the two men raised their spears towards the passage, on guard.

“A-a monster?”

“Don’t worry. No matter what, it can’t break through this door. It hasn’t so far, right?”

“Wait a moment!”

While the two men were on guard,

Aileen hurriedly ran towards the door.

The men tried to stop her, but Aileen was quicker than they expected.

Reaching the door, Aileen pressed her ear against it.

“Miss Aileen, it’s too dangerous!”

“No matter how I think about it, after this much time, I doubt that outsider is coming back safely…”

“Shh!”

Knowing about Tunnel C as well, Aileen didn’t recklessly open the lock.

After about ten seconds of concentration,

her previously dark expression brightened in an instant.

“Open it! Quickly!”

“B-but Miss Aileen…”

“It’s him!”

“Really? Oh!”

The two men hurriedly opened the door.

The sealed door opened with a squeak, revealing a familiar-looking man from inside.

“Haha, it was getting late, so I was worried no one would be here. I’m relieved.”

“Mr. Lee Chang! Are you alright?”

“Yes. Ah, the problem with Tunnel C is solved, so don’t worry.”

“Huh? Are you sure?”

“We’ll go and check right away!”

The two guards gripped their spears tightly and cautiously entered the doorway.

And soon after,

“It’s true! There are no monsters inside at all!”

“We haven’t gone all the way to the end yet, but it’s certain!”

“To defeat that many monsters all by himself! Truly remarkable!”

Aileen and the two men were overjoyed.

Because even though Tunnel C had been well-sealed, it was still a cause for concern.

Especially since salt prices had been rising recently.

As the three cheered in joy,

Growl!

Growl!

“C-cough. Well, it’s been over five hours since we ate dinner…”

“Th-that’s true. Mr. Lee Chang, let’s go back to the office for now. I’ll get you a simple snack.”

Then the outsider, Lee Chang, smiled brightly and took out a massive chunk of rock salt.

“No, let me treat you to a meal. With this salt I got from inside.”

The salt in Lee Chang’s hand emitted a beautiful light, hard to believe it was simply a chunk of salt.

“Slurp!”

Already imagining the salty taste on his tongue, one of the guards swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth.

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