Sacrifice: Time of Mine

Chapter 67: Coal Mining

"Ah, A...Avion, it will take up more than an hour to walk to our destination. Are you sure you want to come?" even Naron who was the most spirited of the three was timid at the moment. His tone was overly polite and with a look, one could say he's either shy or is lacking any confidence.

Avion didn't know how to turn them back into normal. He never expected this to happen from just a few words. So after thinking for a while, he slyly replied;

"You don't want me to come?"

Temon and Fobo slapped Naron's face as they pushed him to the back. 

"Ignore this muscle-brain, Avion. Of course, we want you to come with us. It would be an honor." Temon spoke politely and respectfully while Fobo energetically was nodding.

Avion smiled and continued to push them.

Along the way, the three were always worrying about Avion and were sometimes suggesting him along the lines;

"Avion, do your feet hurt? Want Fobo to massage it?"

"Avion, are you tired, want to ride Fobo?"

"Avion, are you annoyed, want me to shut these two up?"

However, Avion took control of the situation and always use the tactics along the lines;

"I don't need help, are you thinking I'm that weak?" 

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Avion was perfectly normal, no matter how much he stays under the sun or how far he walks, it was as if he just got out of bed.

When they got to the mining site, they gave their mission approval paper. The four of them were considered as a team so there were no questions asked. Since the reputation of Gon Butcher Guild was known far and wide throughout not just Trading-Hills Capital but also the whole country of Haliviana, they were given special treatment despite their shabby appearance, excluding Avion.

After entering a road surrounded by hills, they met a mountain that was filled with men at work. Most of them were commoners while some elites were Rank Eeh Earth Elementalists and the few leaders Rank Dih.

They entered the cave and since they were given special treatment, they were free to get in and take as much coal as they can without any fees - in a limited time. Even though they could be barely called Riskers, they share the name of the people who protect the commoners from Elemental Beasts, that is why they got in smoothly.

The three were pleased. This was because in the jobs they took before, they got to personally meet the client. The clients were mostly commoners. 

To register a mission to the Gob Butcher Guild, commoners need to pay a tax that would go to the service of the Guild. It was little but for the commoners, they would rather not pay. So seeing that the Riskers who accepted their jobs were just people who came from the slums, they could just trick them without the guild knowing while the clients thought;

'I'm sure these bums are also hated there, who would help them if they complained?'

In the end, the three's mission approval papers were not signed by the clients. After which, the clients would put their mission down, paying only the tax and not the reward. The guild staff noticed this but did not act since there were no complaints.

But now, back to the situation, even though they were still looked down on, they were treated well. This is since the people there were not clients who would need to pay. They are men at work who sympathized with them.

On their first day of mining, after their brief orientation about do's and don'ts, it was unexpectedly hard. Even though their tools were usable and convenient to use, they would need to give at least three hits before a rock crack which then can be removed.

These three hits are needed for them to exert their full force. So after just shaving a small layer of the rock wall, their energy was consumed and even then, there was still a chance for them not to find a chump of coals. However, when they do find that chump of coals, it may be enough to fill two to three buckets. Yet, they still have to chop it down.

Even though with his muscular build, Naron was not the first to finish. It was Avion who was first. He was easily tired compared to the three but he had infinite stamina!

After the first swing of his pickaxe, he just needs to revert his body before his energy was lost.

The work was done but the energy came back. Due to Avion's power, his actions were perpetual.

There was a time limit for them to use the free cave. By then, they had to come out. Since Avion was finished with his work, to become fair, he just sat down and looked at them work.

After some time...

"It must be hard working like that." Avion suddenly blurted out. He didn't know if he was either curious or bored enough to say his thoughts out loud.

This made the other three stopped their work and looked at each other.

Avion saw this and felt a little bit of sadness he didn't know where it came from. That was when Naron propped himself up using the pickaxe in his hand, "Yeah, it is hard."

Avion looked at him with an unsympathetic expression when Naron continued;

"However, this is the proof of us working hard." he smiled, "After this, our body would ache and be in pain for a whole day but we knew that it's because we are getting stronger. So even though it's hard, it's worth it. Because we know that next time, the job will be easier and we can take more difficult ones next time."

"Eh? Seriously?" Temon looked, bewildered, "I didn't know that."

"You don't know that work makes us stronger?" Naron asked, not taking Temon seriously.

"No, I don't know that you are so passionate about it. To me, it's really hard and I want to take nap first." Temon snorted and took his pickaxe again, "I don't really care about getting stronger!" he then swung hard and made a clank.

"Heh, that's why you're weak." Naron just laughed it off and was about to continue his work when Temon replied;

"Heh, that's why you're muscle-headed."

Naron then squinted his eyes and said, "Want a fight?"

Temon nodded and put forward his pickaxe, facing its blunt side in front. Naron did the same.

It was as if they were about to battle in fencing using a pickaxe.

Their eyes widened and the two then pushed their tools forward with battle intent but instead of the sound of metal colliding, "Ouch!" Fobo shouted instead, "You bastards!"

While the three-way battle was happening in front of him, Avion was deep in thoughts.