Chapter 28: A Second Encounter, The Den of the Deranged

The temperature outside had plummeted to around minus forty degrees Celsius. However, Liu Hen and Little Black Stone felt little of this, thanks to the effectiveness of their thermal suits. Upon entering the cave, shielded from the biting wind, they immediately felt a wave of warmth. Aside from their exposed faces, their entire bodies were perfectly comfortable.

"Who goes there..."
"Who is it?!"
"Prepare to fight!"

Suddenly, five people rushed out from within the mine. One of them tossed a glowing stone, instantly increasing the visibility of the area. Liu Hen had already reached for an iron ore to throw, but he paused when he recognized the faces before him.

"Wu Yuanming?" he said, stunned. "Why is it you?"

The Wu siblings, who had been standing on guard at the mine entrance, were equally shocked.

"Lord Liu Hen?"
"It’s Lord Liu Hen! Everyone, stand down!"

The group immediately halted their defensive stance.

"I knew you were still alive, Lord Liu Hen. Those monsters couldn't possibly have harmed you," Wu Yuanming said, visibly relieved.

Liu Hen asked curiously, "What are you doing here?"

"We just arrived, planning to spend the deep night here." Wu Yuanming clasped his hands in a salute and added, "If you require this mine, we can vacate it for you."

"That won't be necessary; I’m just here to gather some materials," Liu Hen replied. "Did you encounter the monster tide as well?"

"We did." Wu Yuanming’s expression turned somber. "We were lucky enough to detect the tide early and hide. Later, when we tried to find you, the place where you lived was already surrounded by a massive horde of monsters, so we had no choice but to slip away."

Liu Hen nodded. "It’s good that you’re safe. If you intend to rest here, go ahead. I’ll leave once I’ve collected my materials."

"Understood." As he spoke, Wu Yuanming asked, "Do you have any more bark thermal suits, Lord? We would like to purchase a few more."

"I do, but I don't have the time to craft them right now. Of course, if you are willing to trade with food, I could make time to produce them for you," Liu Hen answered. "The price is one hundred catties of tree-bark cakes per suit, or other food of equivalent value."

"This..." The Wu siblings exchanged troubled glances. Wu Yuanming sighed helplessly, "Lord, do we look like we have that much food on us?"

"No food? Then we shall speak of it another day," Liu Hen said calmly.

"Very well. Then please rest well, Lord. We will take our leave." Looking disappointed, Wu Yuanming picked up the glowing stone and led his four subordinates deeper into the mine.

"Wait," Liu Hen called out, deciding to offer a warning. "The Red Conch Camp is in chaos right now. The people there are attacking any drifters who approach."

"Attacking all approaching drifters?" The siblings stopped and turned back in shock.

"Do you know why, Lord?" Wu Yuanming asked urgently.

"A very powerful esper caused a scene in the Red Conch Camp and managed to escape. They are likely killing drifters to vent their anger," Liu Hen said flatly. "Don't look at me like that; that esper wasn't me."

Even so, the siblings looked horrified. They were shocked by the power of an esper who dared to storm the camp, but they were even more unsettled by the realization that their situation as drifters had become even more precarious. They now understood why Liu Hen had insisted on trading for food.

"Thank you for the warning, Lord!" Wu Yuanming saluted again. This information was invaluable, as they had planned to return to the Red Conch Camp the next day.

Once they were gone, Liu Hen told Little Black Stone, "With the Wu siblings inside, we don't need to worry about that direction. Keep watch outside and alert me immediately if there is any movement."

"Yes, Lord," she replied, nodding.

Liu Hen walked to the cave wall and began mining with his Universal Pickaxe. Harvesting large chunks of iron ore was slower than mining for slag or essence stone—it took ten strikes to extract one—but it was still far faster than collecting smaller pieces. Although these large pieces would eventually need to be broken down to be used in crafting, that was a minor issue; he could do that during his downtime. While the large pieces served as bulk storage, they lacked the purity of the smaller, refined fragments.

[Large Iron Ore +1]
...
[Large Iron Ore +1]

The rhythmic clanging echoed through the abandoned mine as the cavern expanded. Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps broke the silence.

"Lord, help us!"
"Madmen... so many madmen..."

The Wu siblings came sprinting back in a panic. At the same time, Liu Hen heard a chorus of guttural roars. His heart tightened. Without hesitation, he activated his free-building mode and began rapidly placing large iron ores in the direction of the noise.

"Lord, there are so many madmen inside..."

As the siblings reached him, ready to bolt for the exit, they froze. Before their eyes, massive chunks of iron ore appeared out of thin air, stacking neatly into a thick, solid wall. They had suspected he possessed some miraculous construction ability after seeing his fortifications appear overnight, but seeing it happen in real-time left them in awe.

"Aaaaah!"

The roars grew closer, and the siblings' legs turned to jelly. Liu Hen didn't stop, continuously placing ore. A madman, the fastest of the pack, lunged within three meters. "Lord, watch out!" Wu Yuanming instinctively shouted, drawing his rusty blade.

Liu Hen simply placed a block of iron ore exactly where the creature was sprinting. With a loud *thud*, the madman slammed into the iron and crumpled, bloodied. The siblings were dumbstruck. They had never seen such a way to fend off the crazed mob.

*Bam! Bam! Bam!*

The entrance was rapidly sealing up. As more madmen poured from the depths, they saw the wall and began to climb. Liu Hen, standing atop the structure, kicked them down one by one, using the brief intervals to place more ore and raise the wall higher. Under the siblings' stunned gaze, the barrier grew until it blocked the entire tunnel, leaving only a tiny gap.

"Stay back and don't get in the Lord's way," Little Black Stone warned, watching the group suspiciously. She had guessed that while her master possessed miraculous means, his physical combat prowess wasn't his strong suit. She was determined to protect him.

"Yes, yes, we're backing away," they replied, not daring to underestimate the small girl, knowing she was the subordinate of an esper.

"Aaaaaah!"

All the madmen had now emerged. Seeing Liu Hen through the final gap, they threw themselves against the wall like mindless zombies. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* The impacts echoed, but the iron wall didn't even shudder. Instead, the madmen only succeeded in battering themselves into bloody messes.

*Large iron ore might not be pure, but it’s still iron!* Liu Hen sneered, sealing the final gap before jumping down.

"Lord..."
"Thank you for saving us!"

If not for Liu Hen, they would have been torn apart and devoured. Liu Hen glanced at them and asked curiously, "It's safe now. Tell me, what happened? Why were there so many madmen inside?"