30 Miracle Mining

The smell of roast meat covered the campsite. Some of the men were eating, while the others worked until shift change. Everyone had been busy packing into the night, stopping only for a brief meal break. The campsite was now barren.

With everything being funneled directly to him, he was eventually able to absorb it all. His men were astonished at how he was able to just suck everything up. The area was now just a flat patch of dirt. He had even ordered them to take the rocks! Something about no stone left unturned.

As bandits, they had been used to picking and choosing what to take. After all, people can only carry so much. The leader they had now, could take everything. It seemed he had limitless potential. He even treated them well.

It had to be known, that some people worked their slaves to death. Others, might beat or whip the slaves they had. Zanir was different, he had let them eat meat, and even drink. He gave them breaks when they were tired, which was almost unheard of.

With the area cleared, and all of the equipment secured, everyone moved into the entrance of the iron mine itself. As they entered the mining tunnels, he held his hand against the wall. Scanning the nearby area, the system sent out a pulse into the earth, mapping the terrain.

Asking the men to bring out the miner's survey markers, he placed them around the tunnels and instructed them to start digging. There were plenty of mining tools left nearby, so they were able to get to work quickly. It didn't take long the for them to start finding ore.

"Hey, we hit an iron vein over here!"

"Same over here we hit another vein."

"We hit copper over here!"

"Found blackrock here"

"Heavens above, it's firestones! Swear on my life, firestones!"

Being able to scan the area made it trivial. The men had been hesitant at first, but quickly started mining with passion. They couldn't believe what was happening, every single marker he put down was a hit.

After placing all of the markers, he came back to absorb the ores and gemstones. Since it was there, he also took all of the loose rubble that had been mined out. Being careful to reinforce the area, he also took a large volume of stone and earth.

Soon the mine was cleared out. The only things left were a few small deposits, too far and tiny to be worth grabbing. At this point, calling it a mine was being generous, it resembled a large cave. There were a few large pillars preventing it from collapsing.

They took an incredible amount of material from the campsite and mine. Having completed the mission, they removed all the evidence, slowly making their way back into the forest. They didn't want to be blamed for the bandit's attack.

Covering their tracks as they left, the group made it's way back to Reed's clearing. It was getting late, they had spent the entire day out fighting, then looting. Once they reached the familiar campsite, the weary party had a well deserved rest.

The next morning, everyone woke up, feeling refreshed. Seeing how the men of the Iron Devil Corp lined up, the slaves quickly followed up. Seeing the newcomers react to the water, it reminded them of how they had the same reaction. Reed was especially excited.

"The first batch is ready!"

He cast a spell on a nearby tree, it briefly glowed with a greenish hue. As the glow faded a clicking sound was heard, the tree opened up to reveal a large wine cask inside. Lifting it with an unknown strength, he moved it onto a nearby table.

Tapping the cask, he poured a glass of the wine. A beautiful cascade of colors poured out, swirling into the glass. Settling, the liquid seemed to shimmer, as the light reflected through it. The aroma was delicate with floral hints. Despite being gentle, it spread through the surrounding area rapidly.

The nearby men were grilling river fish. Dining and chatting in the early morning environment, they instantly took notice of the scent. Such a fine wine would naturally attract instant recognition. Everyone had come over to see what was happening.

Reed took the first hearty sip, with a look of satisfaction. After relishing the moment, he poured Zanir a glass and handed it over to him. He was glad to receive it. He raised the glass, making a toast.

"To our partnership and friendship!"

Clinking glasses, they both took a drink.

[Material analyzed:

Name: Reed's Druid Wine

Type: Alcoholic beverage, Wine

Rating: Level 5

Description: There are several unknown ingredients. This strong wine has a complex and mysterious structure. Further system analysis required.]

The flavor was hard to pin down. Not only was it a combination of different fruit flavors, they seemed to shift and change, as the wine danced on the pallet. It was very interesting and certainly unique.

Seeing the men look over in anticipation, they let them try a glass as well. What was the point of having good things if you couldn't share it with your friends and family? Besides, this was only the first batch. It was just the test run, a pilot batch.

Zanir was able to use a few system points to create several barrels of the spatial water for Reed. It had been improved since the last time and was ever higher quality. He wanted to thank him for helping secure the iron mine.

Reed assured him that it wasn't necessary, while he quickly stored all the water away. He told him he could consider it his reward for clearing the area of bandits. Now that everything was taken care of, he would head back to file the paperwork.

Before he left, he told Zanir to be careful. If he got held up on the paperwork, it would take him some time to come back. They had removed all of the evidence, but there were sages and divination experts who could still find out what happened.

Calling over two large wolves, he gifted them to Zanir. It was a male and female pair. The alpha was slightly larger and had a dominant air about him. Both of the wolves were able to sense the pendant he carried. They approached him, licking his hand playfully, and sniffing around him.

After circling a few times, the animals were satisfied. They sat before him, allowing him to take them into his world. A pack of wolves would be a powerful force. Or maybe even some wolf riders. They were large enough to support a full grown man, after all.

[Material analyzed:

Name: Forest Wolf

Type: Animal, Canine

Rating: Level 4

Description: These large wolves are one of the top predators of the forest. Moving in packs, these animals respect strength. They will only yield to those who they deem worthy.]

Thanking Reed for the wolves, he saw him off as his men packed up. He had to get back home soon. It had been a few days since he had left, his parents might be worried about him. He had no idea how his parents would react to his new entourage.

Checking his status display, he confirmed his progress, then they headed to his home. He wanted to consolidate his recent gains to increase his power. Having access to various metals would enable many improvements.

[Name: Zanir

Age: 18

Dimension Status: World (Level 1.2)

Crops ~28%, Creatures ~15%, Brewing ~10%

Citizens 26 Guards 14

Dimensional Power: 485

Powers: None

Skills: None]