Chapter 33: Mithril Mine, Pirates?

Ji Chen had been dealing with various matters throughout the day, causing him to run around and be distracted. It was only now that he finally made his way towards the third resource point.

The third resource point was the furthest, located in the less explored west side of the forest.

Compared to the jungle on the east side of the territory, the jungle on the west side was more undeveloped and primal. Once he entered, it felt like being transported to the Amazon jungle, with walking becoming a difficult task.

All around him was a thick tangle of vegetation and towering trees, with plants growing tall in their quest for sunlight, forming a dense, impenetrable canopy that blocked out most of the sun's rays. 

The terrain forced all the water on the island to converge here, and the resulting network of rivers snaked through the landscape, making it much more humid than other parts of the island. 

This place could be better described as a rainforest rather than a mere jungle.

"Ding ~ The battle has ended. You have obtained a glorious victory. You have received 80 experience points."

A stream was stained red with the blood of over ten crocodiles, adding a tinge of blood to the already damp scent.

Ji Chen looked at the map and nodded.

The third resource point was not far ahead. He should be able to see it after passing through a bush.

Closing the map, he did not delay for even a moment. He commanded the Naga Warriors to use their bone blades to split the bushes and open a path in the forest.

Soon, he saw a faint golden pillar of light shooting straight down through the dense canopy.

The beam of light hit a cliff with dense vines and landed on a rock bed in the middle of the shallow water.

On the bedrock, the silver-white ore embedded in the grayish-brown rock gleamed like a silver coin, emitting a peculiar light. 

[Mithril Mine]

[Scale: Miniature]

[Level: 3]

[Main Resource: Mithril]

[By-product produced: Stone [Production is one-fifth of the main resources]

[Storage: 3500/3500 units]

[Maximum weekly production: 700 units]

[Weekly Personnel Production: 50 units/person]

Ji Chen was stunned.

Oh my god!

Ji Chen realized that he had stumbled upon a Mithril mine, a Level 3 resource that was quite famous in the Western Fantasy World and often associated with magic. 

Mithril equipment was believed to restrain all sorts of magic and even a small piece of it was worth thousands of gold. 

However, in "Lord of Glory," it seemed that Mithril was not as magical and was only worth thousands of gold.

Nonetheless, it was still a rare resource, and the value of this miniature Mithril mine was comparable to a dozen ordinary resource points of the same scale.

More importantly, the resources needed to unlock the node of Alice's military talent tree included Mithril.

With no depletion in reserves, this Mithril mine could provide enough Mithril resources for Alice to advance to Purple Rare. 

However, what kind of army could possibly guard such a valuable resource point? Ji Chen's eyes widened as he surveyed the mine. 

With the aid of the Omniscient Map, he swiftly detected something unusual.

Toads that were almost half the size of a human were lurking in the water, revealing only a pair of protruding eyes.

Their green skin almost merged with the green water.

[Demon Frog]

[Level: 7]

[Tier: 2, 5 stars]

[Skill: Acid Spray (blue skill, able to spray high-concentration corrosive acid)]

Poisonous Skin (Green Skill, the skin will secrete poisonous bodily fluids)

Tongue Roll (Green skill, can use the tongue to stick to the prey and pull it into the mouth to swallow)

[Military characteristic: Strong hind legs (Demon Frogs' strong leg muscles give them extremely strong jumping ability)]

[Waiting for something to fall into my lap, willing to take the bait.]

There were twenty-three Demon Frogs in the water, each one a tier 2, 5-star, tier 7 monster with powerful skills. 

They were not creatures to be trifled with by ordinary people. 

However, Ji Chen was not an ordinary person, and with Alice's singing ability, they were no match for him. 

As long as the Demon Frogs could hear, they would fall under the spell of Alice's song and enter into an illusion, where they were easy to defeat.

As Ji Chen was preparing for Alice to sing, he caught a glimpse of the Omniscient Map from the corner of his eye. 

To his surprise, a cluster of red dots had appeared on the west side of the map. They were moving in an orderly formation at a moderate pace, almost as if they were conducting a reconnaissance mission.

Ji Chen felt a wave of alarm wash over him. 

After a brief moment of hesitation, he signaled Alice and the Naga Warrior to take cover behind the thick vegetation. 

Meanwhile, on the map, the red dots continued to advance steadily towards their location.

Ji Chen strained his ears and heard the rustling of plants as well as some muffled voices coming from the forest

A human?

Ji Chen hid behind the dense vegetation and looked over.

Gradually, the voices grew louder and more distinct, making it easier to distinguish the words being spoken.

"The jungle on this island is too lush. If those people are really hiding here, it will be really difficult to find them."

"If it wasn't for Boss's orders, I wouldn't have come to this run-down place. It's been half a day and I haven't seen a single person."

"Isn't that right? Aren't we wasting our efforts?

"When the ships are repaired, we can sail around these islands. If those merchants actually come here, they'll surely spot their sunken ships. They'll have no choice but to surrender if they want to survive."

"Uh, I don't think that's possible either, because Boss has never left anyone alive. "

"You're right."

Forty people emerged from the jungle.

They were dressed in very light clothing, with their chests and arms exposed, and their bodies adorned with decorations that had no clear meaning, giving off a flashy and flamboyant vibe.

However, they held curved knives or carried iron crossbows in their hands, and their cold and cruel gaze, along with their powerful and martial physique, revealed a hint of ferocity.

[Elite Pirates]

[Level: 8]

[Tier: 2, 4-star]

[Skill: Pirate technique (blue skill, walking on the ship as if it was flat ground, can greatly overcome the negative effects of sea combat, and is excellent in water)]

Bloodthirst (Green Skill, becomes more vicious after being injured, will not hesitate to exchange injuries)

Nautical Skills (Green skill, possesses a certain level of nautical skills, can also be a sailor when necessary)

[Military characteristic: Pirate plunder (When robbing ships at sea, combat power increases by 20%, morale fixed +15 points)]

[Money or your life? Sorry, I won't be leaving either for you.]

Pirates?

Could they be the pirates who were chasing Raymond and the others?

Ji Chen realized that the tier 2 4-star pirates were much stronger than the merchant guards and armed sailors, which explained why they had to escape into the Stormy Sea when chased by them. 

It was thanks to these pirates that he met Raymond and the others. 

However, he was puzzled as the Stormy Sea Area was known as a forbidden land of death due to constant storms and huge waves. 

How did Raymond and the pirates successfully enter? 

How could anyone enter the forbidden Stormy Sea Area so easily, as if it were as accessible as a public bus? 

Ji Chen cursed under his breath.

Ji Chen's face brightened as he saw the pirates approaching the Mithril Mine by hacking their way through the dense vegetation, and also noticed the Demon Frogs lurking in the water. 

He realized that there would be an entertaining spectacle to witness soon.

A moment later, the pirates 'ecstatic voices suddenly sounded.

"Look, what are those glowing things?"

"It's Mithril! There's actually a Mithril mine here. We're rich!"