The Blackstone Mine Area, located southwest of Black Stone City, encompassed over ten minefields, covering a vast area. The shallow veins had been exhausted, hollowing out the surrounding cliffs, forming an inward-facing valley. Looking from the entrance, countless patches of red-gray and lead-black rocks filled the view.
The valley was littered with mine carts and rails, evidence of the previous lord’s substantial investment in the construction of this mine area. Sadly, decades had passed, leaving it a desolate and cold ruin, the carts and rails covered in rust and ash.
Kei and Su Nan stood side by side at the entrance, surveying the environment. Behind them followed over ten knights and hundreds of soldiers. Out of concern for the Blackstone Mine Area, Kei had deployed nearly half of Black Stone City’s forces.
Of course, ordinary soldiers wouldn’t be of much use in this operation. Their task was to guard the retreat and ensure logistics. The real fighting force consisted of Su Nan, Kei, and the dozen knights.
“Are you sure about this?”
Jorton cast a glance at the dark entrance of the mine, muttering in a concerned tone:
“The old soldiers say those Iron-Eating Beasts are very powerful. With only this small force, wouldn’t it be a bit too risky to go in?”
Hearing this, the other knights exchanged glances.
To be honest, they were all surprised when they heard the lord say they were going to clear out the Iron-Eating Beasts in the Blackstone Mine Area. Everyone in Black Stone City knew about the Blackstone Mine Area, and they had heard some rumors.
No one expected Kei to suddenly decide to restart the Blackstone Mine Area. If it weren’t for Master Su Nan saying he had a way to deal with the Iron-Eating Beasts, they would have voiced their objections long ago. Even so, many of them were still feeling apprehensive.
“Jorton, if you keep shaking the army’s morale, I’ll punish you by forbidding you from drinking for a month.”
Kei turned around and glared at him.
Jorton flinched and shut his mouth sheepishly. He loved all kinds of fine wines and spirits, and wouldn’t be able to live without them. Forbidding him from drinking for a month was tantamount to a death sentence.
Seeing Jorton fall silent, Kei turned back to the mine shaft, his heart actually a little unsettled. After all, he had never seen an Iron-Eating Beast with his own eyes. What if these monsters were even more terrifying than the old soldiers described? That would be a disaster.
However, after glancing at Su Nan beside him, Kei chose to trust his brother and didn’t reveal his inner worry.
Su Nan touched the scale armor on his body. It was the only piece of scale armor in Black Stone City, more valuable than a full set of fine iron armor. It had originally belonged to Kei, but Kei, fearing something might happen to his brother, insisted on putting it on him. He also gave him a long sword. Although Su Nan’s swordsmanship was abysmal, it was better than nothing.
“Let’s go!”
With Kei’s order, everyone lit their torches and entered the mine shaft one by one, leaving only the soldiers to guard the entrance.
The shallow veins of the Blackstone Mine Area had already been exhausted. Later, several deep shafts were dug deeper underground to mine the lower layers. The mine shafts crisscrossed under the rock formations. Every few hundred meters, they could see an oil lamp hanging on the rock wall. The oil inside had long since evaporated.
Some knights carried leather bags and poured oil into the lamps, then lit them. Soon, the mine tunnels were illuminated by a series of flickering flames, outlining a winding path in stark contrast to the dark shadows, guiding everyone forward.
As they went deeper, everyone gradually slowed their pace. These underground tunnels were uneven and the lighting was dim. If one wasn’t careful, they could easily stumble and break their heads. Although everyone present was a knight, their bodies were strong, but no one wanted to fall flat on their faces.
There was silence all around. Besides the sound of their footsteps and breathing, no other sounds could be heard. The cold, deserted underground was devoid of any sign of life. If a normal person were to walk alone in such a place, they would instinctively feel a chill run down their spine.
After walking a distance, the surrounding rock walls finally changed. A knight held a torch close to the rock wall, and by the firelight, they could clearly see a layer of deep, cold black coating the surface of the rock. 𝘳
“It’s black iron ore!” Jorton’s eyes lit up.
He didn’t need to say anything. Everyone present could see it. They immediately became more cautious.
Further ahead lay the unmined vein layers. The miners of that time might have encountered Iron-Eating Beasts up ahead and been forced to stop mining. In other words, they were about to encounter their target soon.
As it turned out, their hunch was right. After walking another four to five hundred meters, everyone soon heard a rustling sound coming from ahead, like something was moving along the ground.
“Prepare yourselves! Get ready for battle!” Kei said in a low voice.
Everyone raised their weapons, looking ahead with a grim expression, ready for battle.
Soon, a series of feline creatures emerged from the darkness. They gracefully stepped out of the darkness into the range of the torches, staring at the intruders with a pair of gray, gem-like eyes.
Iron-Eating Beasts!
They looked exactly like the portraits Su Nan had seen.
More Iron-Eating Beasts emerged from the darkness, and a cursory count revealed more than ten. Several pairs of eyes, emitting faint light, flickered beyond the line of light and shadow.
More than ten Iron-Eating Beasts formed a semi-circular encirclement, surrounding everyone.
“These beasts have quite the appetite. It seems they want to keep us all here!”
Knight Bred said in a low voice, tightening his grip on his huge steel shield. He was the strongest knight in Black Stone City, second only to Kei, and was just one step away from becoming a Senior Knight. He was over two meters tall, specialized in shield techniques, and was known as a fierce warrior on the battlefield. Seeing the Iron-Eating Beasts up close, Bred could sense that their strength was no more than the level of a Junior Knight. He instantly felt a lot more relaxed.
“If that’s the case, it would be a good thing. I’m just afraid these beasts might run away.”
Kei also saw this and breathed a sigh of relief. Over ten Junior Knight-level monsters, their current lineup was enough to handle them. The problem was how to stop these Iron-Eating Beasts from escaping?
Reality didn’t give them time to think. The Iron-Eating Beasts quickly launched their attack, leaping towards the crowd!
Battle erupted in an instant!
The tunnels were filled with the constant clang of metal on metal!
Bred raised his shield and smashed an Iron-Eating Beast away. It flew out over ten meters, slammed into the rock wall with a bang, and stone dust fell down in a shower.
But after getting up, the Iron-Eating Beast just shook its head and continued to pounce.
Seeing this, Bred’s brow furrowed.
On the other side, the knights were also caught in a fierce battle. The Iron-Eating Beasts’ bodies were incredibly tough. Even swords imbued with martial energy could only leave a barely noticeable crack when they struck them.
Only Kei, a Senior Knight, could inflict significant damage on the Iron-Eating Beasts. If it weren’t for the narrow tunnel that restricted the Iron-Eating Beasts’ movement and prevented them from using their swift and agile speed, things would have been even harder to deal with.
The battle was not as easy as they had expected. They were deadlocked.
At this moment, Su Nan made his move.
He uttered strange syllables, pointed his finger, and instantly a basketball-sized ball of acid materialized at his fingertips. It flew out and accurately hit an Iron-Eating Beast, splashing it in the face.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
White smoke, pungent and acrid, instantly billowed from the Iron-Eating Beast’s face. It rolled wildly on the ground, trying to rub off the corrosive liquid.
Attack spells didn’t come in weak varieties. Although acid splash was just a Zero-Ring spell, its corrosive properties were even more terrifying than aqua regia. A drop the size of a chicken egg was enough to completely dissolve a normal adult male, leaving no trace!
Even though the Iron-Eating Beast’s body was incredibly tough, if a vital spot was hit by such an attack, it would not be comfortable!
Clang!
A figure flashed forward, thrusting his sword into the wound on the Iron-Eating Beast’s face. With a burst of force, the Iron-Eating Beast’s head exploded. Its headless body swayed in place for a few moments before collapsing with a thud.
Kei drew his long sword, turned back, and glanced at Su Nan with surprise.
The other knights couldn’t hide their shock either.
They had personally experienced how tough the Iron-Eating Beasts’ bodies were. They were harder than real black iron.
Yet, this incredibly tough body was corroded away in a few breaths!
What terrifying power was this?!
If they were to receive such a blow, what would happen?!
Just thinking about that scene, everyone present felt their scalps tingling!
Was this the power of a wizard?!