Chapter Forty-Six: The Mightiest Miner

No matter what arrangements were to follow, construction could not be delayed under any circumstances.

With this in mind, he decided to check the situation at the mining site.

He had slept for so long.

The materials collected today had not yet been handed over to Mu Jiuer; if the quantity proved sufficient, he would not hesitate to add another blueprint for a blacksmith’s forge. After all, the mysterious watchtower, the forge, the workshop, and the trading post had yet to be realized—yesterday, he had only completed the basic living structures.

On the way, the servants still paused their work and hurriedly saluted him as he passed. Mu Chen had considered stopping them, but such etiquette seemed etched into their very genes; if he ordered a change, the servants would likely feel uncomfortable, so he simply accepted it.

“Brother, you’re awake?” Mu Jiuer’s excited voice called out from near the mining site.

Looking at his lively, adorable sister, Mu Chen said nothing of the bathtub incident.

“I just woke up. How many stones have you gathered so far?” he asked.

Mu Jiuer flashed a mischievous smile, her face full of mystery. “Guess! Here’s a hint—it’s the fifth hour since everyone started mining.”

He surveyed the surroundings. The mining site had become a pit nearly twenty meters in diameter, with six servants busy inside. Mu Chen pondered.

“Two or three thousand?”

He had calculated this number based on yesterday’s collection rate.

Seeing Mu Jiuer roll her eyes, Mu Chen knew he had guessed wrong.

“That can’t be right...” He rubbed his chin.

“Four thousand?!”

That was the absolute maximum he could imagine.

“Who are you looking down on! Ivy, show my brother how you smash a giant stone,” Mu Jiuer said, turning her gaze to the elegant Ivy.

“Smash a giant stone?” Mu Chen instinctively glanced at Ivy’s chest...

Feeling his gaze, Ivy blushed deeply and lowered her head.

“Hey! Brother, where are you looking?”

“...”

“Ivy, don’t mind him. I’m just influenced by old traditions. Please don’t take it to heart...” Mu Chen apologized.

Just as he spoke, Saad’s voice echoed from within the pit.

“Miss Ivy, there’s another large chunk of ore below that needs your attention.”

Before Mu Chen could respond, Ivy gracefully stepped into the pit with careful steps.

Watching Ivy, dressed in pristine white and carrying herself with poise, Mu Chen felt a rising curiosity.

Ivy reached into the void and produced a cross, then rolled up her sleeves, revealing flawless arms as white as jade.

“Hah!”

With a crisp cry, the massive stone in the pit shattered. The cross plunged into the pile of ore, and even the surrounding ground trembled.

Mu Chen was dumbfounded.

That single blow must have yielded over a hundred units of stone...

“See? If our territory had more water, Ivy would’ve gone down herself to mine long ago. It’s just that cleaning dirty clothes is hard here,” Mu Jiuer said, triumphant.

“Six thousand?”

“Not quite so much. We’ve got five thousand and four hundred units of stone. Originally, we planned to mine up to six thousand, then switch to collecting timber.”

Hearing the notification for material transfer, Mu Chen was caught off guard; each inventory slot could stack up to two thousand of a single material, and now the stones occupied three slots in his backpack.

He patted her head, handing over most of the food items he had removed from the trading post.

“Jiuer, you handle the servants’ meals. Our food supply is limited, and I must take Ivy to the grain storage base.”

He had initially planned to go alone, but after some hesitation, decided to bring Ivy along. Even as a support fighter, she was much stronger than he was. The only worry now was the safety of the territory.

Mu Jiuer did not reply immediately, but after a moment’s thought, her expression grew serious.

“Brother, I really can’t help much. If you and Ivy both go, you’ll have to leave some weapons at the base. If anything unexpected happens, we won’t be able to deal with it.”

Seeing his sister’s growing maturity, Mu Chen felt truly delighted.

“Yes, I’ll equip everyone with weapons. If anything happens at the base, notify me through the channel immediately.” He handed fifteen Type 95 rifles to Mu Jiuer and continued, “Each weapon has ninety rounds. If you encounter an enemy you can’t defeat, run at once. Safety comes first.”

Yet even after his instructions, Mu Chen still felt uneasy.

“This time, we won’t be gone long. I’ll keep the trip under six hours. Remember—if anything happens, let me know immediately.”