Chapter 92: Ram’s Awakening

The state of the Elmons Mine was not much different from the other mines they had explored. The only difference was its larger size. Being closer to the epicenter of the insectoid tide, it had faced more resolute resistance and thus suffered more severe destruction.

The villages in the basin area were almost completely ruined, with some ditches clogged. Fortunately, the farmlands, though trampled, were not seriously damaged, so restoring agricultural production shouldn’t be a major issue.

The real problem lay in the condition of the mine.

From the traces at the scene, it appeared that the Dark Hand Mercenary Group had used the mine as a base for their last stand. At the entrance of the mine, they found numerous fragments of weapons and shields, along with copious amounts of darkened bloodstains stretching deep into the mine.

There were also many footprints indicating the influx of insectoids, suggesting that a large number of them had entered after the group was utterly defeated by Marquis Osaga and his forces. Restoring the mine to operational status would be a long-term endeavor under these circumstances.

They also discovered a substantial amount of coins, ores, and coal under the ruins, as well as unsold iron ingots. There were many metal tools and weapons, suggesting that the Dark Hand Mercenary Group had a significant number of blacksmith shops and extensively dealt in the weapons trade.

“Blacksmiths are in short supply right now. To resume production, we’ll probably have to look elsewhere,” Ram commented after hearing his description.

“There’s no rush on that,” Wu Qingsong replied.

The mercenary group reaped a total of nearly two thousand gold sols and over fifty thousand renars from this operation. After distributing the agreed rewards to the houndmen, Wu Qingsong, as the leader of the mercenary group, received two-tenths of the earnings. 

Including the three-tenths set aside as the mercenary group’s public fund, the income from this operation even exceeded the revenue from selling the carapace armor. After all, he had made significant concessions in pricing to promote this new type of armor.

This success even stirred in him the urge to organize another operation solely focused on scavenging ruins.

However, on their return, they specifically visited the site of the Eryk Mine, or more accurately, what used to be the Eryk Mine. The area had transformed into a colossal crater, strewn with glass-like stones scorched by intense heat. The surrounding mountains had collapsed into this vast pit, burying it completely and leaving no visible passages to the underground.

One could imagine that this place might become a deep lake nestled in the mountains in the future.

Such power instilled awe in the houndmen and sharpened Wu Qingsong’s clarity of thought.

He had no idea where Marquis Osaga’s capabilities stood among the Elves, nor did he know how many Elves possessed such power. But if his goal was set on helping Nina reclaim her kingdom, he couldn’t afford to focus his energy and limited time on making money.

For Wu Qingsong, the true gains from this operation included reconciling with the transformed Liuli, the validation of Ling’s abilities, and the discovery of the deergirl who could transform giant trees into treants. Although she wasn’t yet a member of the Thirteenth Mercenary Group, Wu Qingsong had resolved that once he officially reclaimed the Elmons Mine, her deer village must become part of the territories controlled by his group.

While the ability to manipulate treants was impressive, he valued more the ability to communicate with and control the growth of plants.

“What do you think about the number of people with such abilities?” he asked Ram and Harold.

Feya’s appearance sparked a new idea in Wu Qingsong’s mind. 

The Elves’ control over the world wasn’t as tight as he had imagined. Nina’s resistance could persist for so long, and Feya, evidently possessing druidic talents, had managed to hide in an obscure corner of the world. If he could find more people like her, might they stand a chance against the Elves?

“There won’t be many, but certainly not few,” Harold replied. “The key is that such matters, once known to the authorities, only lead to one outcome, eradication. Resistance forces like Nina’s are somewhat ignored by the Elves as long as they don’t attack cities or create big news. But the existence of mages, once confirmed, would definitely attract a significant backlash from nearby powerful forces.”

“Perhaps,” Wu Qingsong nodded thoughtfully. “But if we find many such individuals and bring them together and give them the opportunity to train and enhance their abilities.”

“The more people there are, the harder it becomes to keep it a secret,” Harold expressed skepticism about such an endeavor. “Besides, gathering many powerful individuals inevitably leads to struggles for power and political issues. At this stage, instead of focusing on such matters, it would be better to consider how to harness your own abilities and become stronger.”

“Harness my own abilities?”

Wu Qingsong scratched his forehead and glanced surreptitiously at Ram. Ever since he mentioned Ling’s awakening abilities, Ram’s expression had been noticeably uneasy. Wu Qingsong had a premonition that he was about to face some trouble.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me that Ling’s abilities had awakened?” Ram soon approached him after their meeting.

Wu Qingsong didn’t know why Nina hadn’t informed Ram about this and he didn’t intend to redirect Ram’s anger toward Nina.

“Sorry, I thought you already knew,” he said vaguely.

“When did it happen?”

“Shortly after Liuli’s abilities awakened,” Wu Qingsong replied, noticing Ram’s troubled expression, and quickly added, “Her abilities were weak at first and didn’t seem very useful, so we didn’t mention it. Then, we just… forgot about it.”

Ram stood before him, and after a long pause, asked, “Have you found a successful method? Is that why you awakened Nina’s abilities?”

Wu Qingsong could only nod in response.

“So…” Ram hesitated, unsure whether she should set aside her pride and let Wu Qingsong try to awaken her abilities. 

Part of her hesitation stemmed from what Nina had once told her, while another part arose from her confusion about what exactly her relationship with Wu Qingsong should be considered.

Nina had previously expressed concerns that they might become puppets under Wu Qingsong’s influence after using the abilities he provided. However, in Ram’s view, Wu Qingsong didn’t seem to be the kind of person Nina feared. Besides, Nina, who had once had her abilities awakened, didn’t show any changes from her usual self. Would she, Ram, lose herself?

Just discovering what her abilities were could potentially be useful in the future.

Now, her interactions with Wu Qingsong were almost daily, even more intimate than those with Nina. Wu Qingsong had entrusted her with all money-related matters. Sometimes, she really couldn’t distinguish whether she was serving the Silver Moon Wolf Clan or working for the 13th Mercenary Group.

Looking at Liuli, then at Ling, and finally at herself, was there really any difference?

“Do you want to try?” Wu Qingsong asked cautiously.

Almost subconsciously, Ram nodded slightly.