Acceptance and moving forward

Months had passed, and the brisk winds of autumn were now in full swing. The days seemed noticeably shorter than before, and the air carried a crisp chill, with temperatures gradually dropping.

Sighing, I turned towards my fellow miners in the group, who were arranged in a line on my left. Each of them was diligently working on their section of the wall-like rock in front of us, the relentless sound of their pickaxes hitting the rock creating a cacophony of clanks and thuds that resonated within the nearby area.

Not to mention the pervasive scent of sweat that hung in the air. It was only thanks to the occasional cold breeze that wafted over us, briefly dissipating the familiar stench of sweat, before it inevitably returned once more.

I withdrew my gaze and turned to look at my right hand, which was firmly gripping the handle of my pickaxe, its head resting on the ground below. The muscles in my right arm had grown significantly over the past months. Comparing it to my broken left arm, it was almost comical to measure the two limbs against each other, given their ridiculously two different sizes.

When my arm is finally healed and the sling is taken off, I'll likely devote my time to strengthening it until it matches my other arm.

The increase in food supply has contributed to my muscle growth, which occurred a couple of weeks ago. I was in line, waiting for my food in the eating area, and I couldn't help but notice the odd reactions of the miners at the front of the line. When it was finally my turn, I found out they were handing out three small loaves of bread and a bowl of soup to each person. 

Later that day, Gulfram explained the reason for the surprising increase in food supply. He told me that it marked the beginning of the harvest season in these lands. This answer raised more questions in my mind, particularly about the dates, calendars, and seasons in this unfamiliar place.

It was during that time that I finally concluded I was no longer on Earth. Although they have the same four seasons as back home and twelve months in each year, it became apparent that here, every month had exactly thirty days, and each day lasted at least twenty-five hours.

Apparently, it's already the second month of autumn in the year 750. Unlike Earth, people here do not have individual names for each month. Instead, they divide the year into four seasons, with each season further divided into three months.

I was utterly mind-blown when Gulfram finished his explanation. However, that didn't prevent me from crying non-stop the entire day. It served as undeniable evidence that I was no longer on Earth, even though deep down, I had already known this fact from the moment I first arrived on this planet. At that time, I was still in a state of denial.

I still carry fragments of the emotions I felt during my second breakdown in this quarry. However, I'm gradually coming to terms with this painful reality. Moving forward is my only option now. Despite my current situation, a part of me believes there's a brighter future waiting for me somewhere in this place.

A wistful smile then graced my face. With that, I cleared any lingering thoughts from my mind, cleared the sweat in my face, and eventually lifted the pickaxe with my one available hand. I began smashing the solid wall before me, the sound of rocks getting battered, and chunks flying, joining the cacophony of noises in the area.

And so, I, along with my fellow miners, continued to toil for hours. We occasionally rested for a couple of minutes before resuming our work. Without the cramps and aches from my broken left arm that could sometimes distract me from my work, I now found myself working more efficiently with just one hand. This relentless cycle persisted until the sun began its descent.

When a wagon finally arrived for us to collect the daily quota, I sat on the sidelines, observing my fellow miners from my group as they carefully loaded the mined rocks and stones into the wagon.

I noticed Arde sneaking occasional glances at me, and I couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle. I knew Arde was being considerate, understanding that I shouldn't join their labor at the moment due to my broken left arm. Also I had already worked tirelessly from morning until the evening, this probably gives him more additional reason to not let me join them. And I'm going to take advantage of this for the rest of my time here.

I then watched as Little Fish effortlessly loaded a stone that was probably a fourth of his size into a wagon. Seeing his determination, a pang of guilt washed over me. We were likely of the same age, but he was treated as an equal, not a pitiful child to be shielded from danger and hard work.

I felt a growing urge to assist them, but my body seemed inexplicably rooted to the spot where I sat, as if my own weight had suddenly multiplied.

In the end, my desire to rest and laze off had triumphed over my will and conscience. And now, I spent the entire time seated, simply observing as my fellow miners diligently loaded the stones and rocks into the wagon.

It took them half an hour before the wagon finally departed, the horses' neighs echoing as its wheels and hooves created a fading trail on the ground, moving farther away from us.

As the sun descended on the far horizon, painting the sky in a mesmerizing blend of orange, purple, and blue hues, my group and I slowly made our way back to our shed. During that walk, memories of my months in this place flooded my thoughts.

Since most of my time were spent mining away rocks and stones, my moments of respite were consumed by a relentless pursuit of knowledge; learning the Artanian language, honing my physical attributes, and steadily increasing my standing among the fellow miners in the entire quarry.

First of all, aside from Gulfram and Little Fish who has already been teaching me the Artanian language, Roslik also offered his assistance, teaching me about the proper usage of Artanian words into sentences. Thanks to their guidance, my proficiency in the Artanian language improved significantly.

I also reached a point where I could finally understand basic sentences and also respond with basic elementary words. It was also during this time that I noticed some words bore a slight resemblance to English from back home, or perhaps Saragonian here. These were words with nearly identical meanings but differed slightly in pronunciation. Since they hadn't yet introduced me to their written language, I remained unsure whether the letters and symbols would be the same.

Next was my improvement of my other physical attributes, Aside from the continuous development of my right arm's muscles from daily mining, I dedicated part of my free time to self-improvement.

Activities like jogging and sprinting around the quarry became routine to boost my stamina. Occasionally, I'd encounter small groups of patrolling Cloaks who'd always provoke me at first sight, Strangely, luck was on my side, as there were always miners in the vicinity who'd step forward to defend me. These encounters consistently ended with the Cloaks leaving me. They probably thinks I'm not even worth the trouble.

In addition to jogging and sprinting, I incorporated planks, crunches, and sit-ups into my routine to strengthen my chest and torso. These exercises paid off, and I began to develop a set of abs. Regrettably, I couldn't perform push-ups due to my broken left arm. However, I made a mental note to include them in my routine once my left arm is fully healed.

Furthermore, I incorporated squats and lunges into my routine. A strong body can't fully utilize its potential with weak legs, especially since I spend at least half of the day standing and wielding a pickaxe. However, these exercises proved to be some of the most painful in my training regimen. I could still remember struggling to work due to the severe muscle ache in my legs after my first attempt at squats and lunges.

As for improving my standing among my fellow miners, I have a sense that the day will come when we'll have to leave this quarry, whether it's through bloodshed or not. This world is incredibly harsh, and if the quarry's system is this ruthless, I can only imagine what society is like beyond these walls. That's why I need every friend and ally I can get, starting from the bottom, right here in the quarry.

One notable instance was when I volunteered to assist another group that had fallen behind on their production quota. Despite my broken left arm, I managed to significantly boost their stone and rock output. This earned me the gratitude of a few groups and the respect of many others. Even Gulfram and Roslik were impressed by me.

However, despite my efforts, there were always rumors circulating that I was only doing it for the sake of popularity and reputation. No matter how genuinely good someone may be, people would always find a way to dirty his or her name, even over the smallest of things.

With this, I took a long and deep breath, continuing to follow my group as we pressed onward... my sights now fixed towards the darkening sky above us.

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CHAPTER DONE!!