God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

Cain was also shocked when he finally found the gems that were giving off such an intense glow. However, for obvious reasons, his mood had fallen significantly.

Right now, he was in the mood for mining, not fighting he didn't want to engage in any form of battle when he was unwinding. However, it seemed like he couldn't avoid this fate.

'To think I'd finally gotten some well-deserved peace.'

What made his mood even more sour, was the fact that the creature before him wasn't something he should be getting involved with.

The gems glowed with a captivating green hue, lighting up the entire underground area. It also made the entire place extremely eerie.

With a sigh, Cain focused on the absolutely gigantic, pulsating, repulsive creature sitting in front of the other end of the tunnel.

'As I expected...' Cain thought with a sigh.

When a creature's power exceeded his by a large amount, the system usually didn't bring up a status window on it. This was the same for other humans.

Cain's heart fell when even after staring at the creature for so long, a status panel didn't pop up.

'Damn it!'

The creature had the appearance of a gigantic worm covered in a very slimy fluid. Cain didn't know what color the worm was due to the green glow of the tunnel. However, what he did know was that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.

The creature lacked any facial features. However, it did have a set of horns growing from its top side, as well as numerous tiny, yet meaty legs on its underside.

There was a thin slit that stretched vertically and horizontally across what Cain thought would be its face.

'That should be its mouth. I think...'

Either way, that was the least of his worries. Despite making all that noise, the creature didn't move an inch from its sleeping position.

Yes, Cain had concluded that the creature was sleeping. It was so deep in its slumber, that it had failed to notice Cain's rather noisy entrance.

'Which means...'

He could technically go around mining as much of this beautiful ore as he pleased without repercussions. However, there was nothing good that could be obtained without a corresponding amount of effort.

Cain didn't want to take his chances. If there was a chance that this creature could awaken when he was in the thick of mining all these goodies, he didn't want to risk it. Nothing was worth losing his life for.

That didn't mean he had given up. Rather, it was quite the opposite. Now, he had to think of a way to handle this creature. There was no way in hell he could kill the behemoth of a creature. He didn't even know what it was...

But, he could definitely outsmart it...

Looking at the giant worm, Cain's mind spun as he came to a slightly bone-chilling conclusion.

'Could it be that it was this creature that made these cave systems?'

The more he thought about it, the more it seemed plausible.

'However, as one descends, the caves get objectively bigger. Could it be that it was different creatures? Or that this one just grew bigger and bigger the further down it went?'

This was also possible. The cave system the beastmen had made their temporary shelter in was less wide and shorter than the below it. That one was smaller than the one Cain was about to enter. There was also a chance that there was more than one creature of the same type.

'If there is one, could there be multiple?' He had no idea.

However, there was one thing he was very sure of...

'Any acid that could melt through rocks as tough as this and leave behind such a smooth surface would eat through my flesh and bones in a second flat.'

There was simply no argument. He couldn't fight this creature...

Since Cain was still in a branching corridor and had yet to step foot into the main one where the giant worm was, he was not quite in the danger zone if the creature woke up all of a sudden.

Cain stared at the creature for a while,

'Hmm... Maybe it really won't wake up if approached.'

Although his mind kept telling him not to, the allure of the green gems wasn't something he could ignore. He still had {Eye of Clairvoyance} active, so the glow of high-quality material was still enticing him.

With a sigh, he tried decreasing his presence as much as possible. He had decided...

He was going to jump the gun and take the risk. Worst came to worst, he would just use {Spatial Jump} to run as fast as possible...

Just to make sure, he first equipped the {Heart of Scourge}. That way, he would be able to run as fast as he could, and would still be properly protected by armor.

Stepping into the cave, Cain used an eye to admire the green gems, and another to watch the worm.

Seeing that it still made no movements, he let out a shakey sigh of relief. Then, with hungry steps, he moved closer to the tunnel walls to examine the gem ores.

***

{Green Demonheart}: Epic

Description: One of the important base materials used by the devils to power the Devil Mountain.

***

Cain gulped down saliva...

'Good lord.'

To say this was a jackpot was an understatement...

'System, give me more info. Now!'

{Replying to host: Green Demonheart is a rare gemstone that was found in rather large quantities in areas that had once been impacted with terrifying quantities of mana with high quality. It was used by the devils to power their towns and cities. It is such a marvelous gem because it produces non-elemental mana all on its own without the need for any external interference.

However, it is the lowest caliber of its kind...}

Cain didn't even care about the last part of the sentence.

'W-what?! Produces non-elemental mana from nothing? Doesn't that mean it is the ideal power source?'

{Repliying to host: Not quite. Although it can produce tremendous amounts of energy in the form of non-elemental mana, it still has limitations. The moment it is mined, it will usually last only a year or so unless it is stored in certain conditions that can slow down the process}.

Cain frowned. Indeed, an infinite power source seemed too good to be true. However, this was better than nothing. Far better in fact.

Cain was stumped. With this stone, he could work wonders. He could also fix the problem affecting the majority of his budding army. Since most of them couldn't use mana, this would help a bunch. Plus, it would also elevate the level of any item he wanted to create in the future...

A grin appeared on Cain's face. He wanted to begin mining now. However, there was so much of it here, that he wouldn't be able to mine it all even after ten years of continuous effort.

Hence, even though he had found the jackpot, he still had to leave it all behind for now. Still, he took a bit of it, about five kilograms, which was I my about a fistful, before leaving the tunnel.

On his way back to the surface, his mind was occupied with different thoughts and ideas. On one hand, he had to find a way to get rid of the giant worm if he wanted to get all the {Green Demonheart}. On the other hand, his mind was also occupied with different blueprints for the various weapons and items he wanted to creature for his budding army.

'So much to do, so little time...'

He also had to take into consideration the fact that there truly wasn't a lot of time on his hands. For all he knew, the {Blood Abomination} army and Stingè could descend on them at any time.

The more {Blood Abominations} gathered, the more their chances of breaking through the encirclement reduced.

Sometime later, he walked out of the cave system beneath the cave system and into Hunter's room. Since there was now a large nearly ten-meter-wide hole in the ground, he would need to cover it up.

A smile appeared on his face as he stretched his hand forward. Space seemed to bend and stretch strangely as a large structure suddenly replaced the space above the hole, covering it completely.

The {Draconic Blast Furnace} stood in all its majesty, occupying most of the space in the room. Taking a few steps, Cain stepped through its entrance. The entire forge was filled to the brim with clusters of shiny {Black Tungsten Ore}.

Taking a deep breath, Cain dismissed his armor and clapped his hands,

"Let's get to work."