ebookslot Chapter 122 Unexpected Fortune: Discovery of a Refined Stone Vein!
Chapter 122 Unexpected Fortune: Discovery of a Refined Stone Vein!
Chapter 122 Unexpected Fortune: Discovery of a Refined Stone Vein!
In the hills of the northwest.
Just as Ark was hesitating, a burst of cheerful barking came from the kobold camp.
Fangzhou immediately raised his night-vision binoculars and silently observed the kobolds' every move.
After a burst of barking from the kobold warlock, and a commotion ensued, about thirty kobolds stepped forward.
There were also three or four kobold elites at the mid-level of apprenticeship leading the team.
They carried some rudimentary pickaxes, similar in equipment to the kobold squad that the Ark had previously tracked and used to defeat the goblins.
The kobold squad, in a scattered formation, brandished their crude mining pickaxes and began climbing the hills behind the camp.
Fang Zhou's heart skipped a beat.
Are these kobolds going to mine?
This is truly a godsend.
He decisively circled around the outside and quietly followed them.
As he walked along, Fangzhou carefully observed the group, and the more he looked, the stranger it seemed.
This kobold squad is definitely not just out mining.
Their eyes were all very alert, especially the few elite kobolds leading the group, whose furry ears were perked up, as if they were on guard against enemies who might launch an attack at any moment.
Fangzhou had some doubts.
These kobolds hadn't gone far from the camp, so the nearby threats should have been wiped out long ago.
Why are you still on high alert?
Fangzhou originally planned to follow these kobolds to the location of the mine and then divide and annihilate them. Now it seems that there are other variables.
Realizing this, he became more cautious in his tracking efforts.
Fortunately, the Ark was very well prepared before entering the underground cave.
Not only did he remove his own odor with deodorizer, but he could also use night vision binoculars to track people remotely, leaving the easily exposed skeleton army behind him.
That's how they managed to avoid being discovered by those keen-sense kobolds.
Soon, the kobold squad that Ark was closely following finally arrived at their homeland after a long journey.
Then came a burst of fierce barking and the sound of weapons clashing, as if they were fighting some kind of creature.
Are there other monsters here besides these kobolds?
Fangzhou hid in the grass, raised his binoculars to carefully observe the distant battlefield, and then felt a slight joy in his heart.
This hilltop actually contains an undeveloped open-pit mine!
This vein is like a wound in the earth, exposing iron-rich rock layers with a deep iron-gray and rust-red texture.
Around the mine, small hills formed by unevenly piled ore act as a natural barrier.
Scattered around the mine are several deep, dark entrances, seemingly leading to an endless underground labyrinth, vaguely revealing a sense of oppressive danger.
Based on its appearance, Fangzhou initially judged that this was an open-pit iron ore vein with abundant reserves.
This also explains why there are so many iron weapons and tools in this kobold camp.
Of course, this doesn't mean that Ark's long-sought-after Refinement Stone vein has been wasted.
Refined stone, as an extremely rare mineral resource, is often found alongside some common metal veins.
Perhaps, this iron ore vein contains a considerable amount of refined stone.
At this moment, Ark also saw clearly what kind of monster was fighting the kobolds in the mine.
They turned out to be several large, ferocious ants.
These mineral vein ants are far more corrupted than the ordinary ants encountered in the Ark.
They were enormous, resembling wolves and dogs in size.
Each one was covered in thick, hard armor, moved nimbly, and attacked swiftly, resembling miniature tanks.
Unstoppable.
Especially its massive, scythe-like jaws, gleaming with a cold light, are undoubtedly terrifying weapons bestowed by nature. Each powerful swing can easily cut through rock, let alone fragile living beings.
However, the kobolds had clearly dealt with these ferocious ants many times, accumulating rich practical experience and gaining a deep understanding of the attack methods of these giant insects.
In this encounter, the kobolds displayed extraordinary teamwork and tactical coordination, fully leveraging their overwhelming numerical advantage.
The elite kobolds, in particular, were brave and skilled in battle, leading the group in continuous attacks. The few ferocious ants that rushed out of the mine entrance were no match for the well-prepared kobolds and quickly fell one by one under the siege of the kobold squad.
The elite kobolds leading the group excitedly waved the ferocious ant's body, causing the kobold squad to bark wildly.
After the revelry ended, the kobolds began to mine the ore, each with a clear division of labor. Twenty-odd ordinary kobolds wielded heavy mining picks, striking the rock surface of the vein, producing resounding echoes.
Meanwhile, the highly vigilant elite kobolds remained steadfastly guarding the cave entrance, their eyes fixed intently on the darkness, ready to repel any potential reappearance of the ferocious ants.
Fang Zhou, who was hiding in the grass, saw all of this, and his doubts were finally resolved.
No wonder these kobolds are so well-equipped and so vigilant!
It turns out that the mine was also inhabited by ferocious ants, a type of monster.
Clearly, while the kobolds were not very intelligent, they were more than capable of overwhelming the ferocious ants that acted solely on instinct.
Under Ark's observation, a few ferocious ants occasionally emerged from the ant nest in the mineral vein, only to be swarmed and quickly dealt with by the kobold squad, posing no threat whatsoever.
Seeing that the battle between the kobolds and the ferocious ants was a foregone conclusion, Ark had a bold idea.
Both of these monsters are enemies he needs to defeat while exploring the amalgam mine.
Why not take advantage of their conflict and stage a great show of driving one tiger away from another?
Since the ferocious ants have no brains, let Ark reluctantly act as the "brain trust" of this group of insects.
That way, they won't die such a miserable death.
Fang Zhou's mind raced, and a plan quickly formed in his mind.
He drank a bottle of mental energy recovery potion, then activated the [Calm and Composed] skill, restoring his mental energy, which had declined due to continuous battles, to its peak state.
He then quietly mobilized the 40 skeletons previously deployed in the rear to approach the mine, while summoning an additional 20 to reinforce the army, ensuring an absolute numerical advantage.
Everything is ready, except for the east wind!
Fangzhou raised his staff and decisively issued the attack command.
Just as the elite kobolds were beginning to notice, he had already led an undead army of 60 skeletons, surging into the open-pit mine like a black torrent.
The Ark has long accumulated rich combat experience in dealing with monster hordes that are far weaker than the skeleton army in both quantity and quality.