Chapter 66 Chaos in the Mining District—The Strike
The White Cloud Mining District has never lacked for popularity.
This has always been my genuine impression, yet I’ve never truly known just how much attention the White Cloud Mining District attracts, or how many miners populate its eight sub-mines…
But at this moment! Gazing at the dense throng of miners standing tall throughout the district, covering hundreds of meters in every direction, I couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath. An unprecedented surge of excitement roared in my chest, stirring violently and refusing to abate…
Just within the massive pit alone, there were thousands gathered, and with the countless players surrounding it, there must have been at least ten thousand! And this was merely one mining area outside of Frostfall City—ten thousand miners here alone. I dared not imagine how many players actually lived in the greater Frostfall region.
Yet judging by this spectacle, the total number of players near Frostfall City surely couldn’t be fewer than a million!
…
What intrigued me, however, was why so many miners weren’t digging in the mines, but instead had all come out—standing here as if in protest, gathered in groups of tens or hundreds, some standing, some sitting, whispering or debating loudly, turning the pit into a cacophonous open-air assembly!
…What on earth had happened here?
Confused, I studied the players outside the eight mine tunnels. All of them stood cautiously about five meters away from the entrances, gripping their weapons and peering warily inside, as if some terrifying monster had appeared within.
At this point, my mind involuntarily recalled the pack of Gale Demon Wolves lured from deep within Blackwind Forest, and a sense of unease rose in my heart. I had a vague feeling that whatever was happening in the mines was somehow connected to the events in Blackwind Forest!
Could someone be deliberately stirring up trouble in the White Cloud Mining District?
Pondering this, I finally couldn’t help but approach a nearby beastfolk player to inquire about the situation.
To my surprise, he was just as clueless—newly arrived, staring at the crowd filling the mining district, equally bewildered.
How exasperating!
With a deep sense of disdain, I left him and plunged into the crowd.
After questioning several people, I finally understood why they had been forced to leave the mines.
It turned out that deep within each of the eight sub-mines, a formidable level-20 quasi-boss monster—the Jiju Commander—had always lurked.
The Jiju Commander not only possessed immense combat power, but was usually accompanied by two level-20 Jiju Mages, each small boss-tier, and eight level-18 Jiju Fighters. Additionally, it had the ability to summon Jiju Warriors and Jiju Beasts.
Such strength was not something even second-tier teams could handle easily!
If not for the fact that there were always players camping out before the Jiju Commander’s respawn, no one would dare venture into its territory to mine.
However, ever since Supreme had become the first in the Knight Empire to reach fourth tier, the task of camping the Jiju Commander had been completely monopolized by the mercenaries of the 'Supreme Mercenary Group'.
Yet…
Today, those who came to guard the mines were unexpectedly disrupted by some intruding players. Not only did they fail to defeat the Jiju Commander, they were instead slain one by one!
The sudden malicious assault threw them into chaos. After being picked off by the Jiju Commander, the attackers quickly withdrew.
In that instant, countless unprepared miners faced off against the Jiju Commander and its army…
Armed only with shovels, the miners naturally stood no chance. As they fled, they were systematically slain by the Commander, its Mages, and Fighters.
Trailing the fleeing miners, the Jiju Commander and its minions rampaged through several tunnels, slaughtering hundreds of players. The eight sub-mines became rivers of blood.
Thus, this led to the spectacle of tens of thousands of players leaving the tunnels and gathering outside in the mining district!
At this point, I suddenly connected what had happened earlier in the day to the events in the White Cloud Mining District…
A few hours ago, Supreme and another had killed two members of the Dragonwolf Mercenary Group outside the city to assert their dominance;
Now, they had lost eight squads in the mining district due to someone’s scheme!
Meanwhile, the Blackwind Forest had been deliberately overrun with demon wolves, hunting first and second-tier players and turning what was once an ideal mid-level training ground into a deadly zone!
Both incidents had occurred right in the Supreme Mercenary Group’s territory—near Frostfall City—plainly targeting the group!
Regardless of the reason, it had nothing to do with me. I was now desperate to finish off the last thousand or so experience points.
But both the White Cloud Mining District and Blackwind Forest—the two best places to train—were now unusable… Finding another spot to gain experience was no easy task.
It was daytime, and the player population was bursting at the seams! I didn’t even know if the other mid-level training grounds had also fallen victim to similar chaos…
Thinking of this, my head began to ache.
“Whoever’s behind this, why stir up trouble at such a time!” I muttered, cursing whoever had chosen to feud with the Supreme Mercenary Group and drag everyone else into their conflict.
Just then, a commotion erupted from the massive pit…
“Damn it! A brother just sent word—there’s trouble in Blackwind Forest and Redmoon Mining District, too. All the Supreme Mercenary Group’s people have been dispatched to deal with the demon wolves and Moon Demons; they won’t be back soon!”
“I haven’t finished my task today! I can’t wait any longer! Anyone who’s second-tier and not afraid, grab your gear and come with me! I refuse to believe a level-20 quasi-boss is unbeatable!”
“Right! Let’s go!”
With such calls, dozens immediately responded and charged into the left tunnel. But clearly, their numbers weren’t enough… Soon, two players dressed as second-tier warriors emerged and shouted again, “Anyone else? First-tier brothers can help deal with the Jiju Warriors!”
“I’ll go!”
As soon as he spoke, the dense crowd before me parted, opening a wide path right at my feet…