Chapter Sixty-Eight: Divine Gift of Black Iron Ore

The mine was even narrower than Han Shuo had imagined. The dwarves, with their short stature, moved about easily inside, but Han Shuo found it rather inconvenient. Despite the oil lamps lighting the way, the cavern remained dim and shadowy.

After walking for a few minutes, Han Shuo was forced to hunch over. The deeper he ventured, the more damp and gloomy it became, and loose stones littered the ground. When even walking bent over became difficult, the three dwarves finally stopped.

Ahead, several dwarves were working tirelessly, wielding iron shovels and hammers, their rhythmic clanging echoing through the tunnel. Upon noticing Han Shuo’s arrival, they halted their work, casting suspicious glances his way.

“Beyond these narrow passages, the tunnel widens further ahead. There are more iron and copper ores inside, but moving them often causes rocks to fall from above. Just a few days ago, there was a collapse. It took us a great deal of effort to reopen the mine,” Bennett explained, leaning tiredly against the hard stone wall as he looked at Han Shuo.

Han Shuo nodded. “Alright, clear some space. I’m going to summon skeleton warriors to help mine the ore.”

At his command, the dwarves in the deepest part quickly withdrew. When not a single dwarf remained inside, Han Shuo began chanting a necromantic incantation. One after another, seven skeleton warriors appeared, filling the entrance to the passage.

Previously, Han Shuo could only control six skeleton warriors, but after meditating with the green orb these past days, his mental strength had improved, allowing him to command seven now.

“Put your shovels and hammers on the ground. I’ll have the skeletons use your tools to mine the ore inside,” Han Shuo said to the dwarves who had stepped back.

The dwarves hesitated, but under Bennett’s persuasion, each of them tossed their mining tools away. Han Shuo instructed the skeletons to discard their bone knives and pick up the mining tools from the ground. They hunched over and shuffled slowly toward the deeper parts of the mine.

A wraith was summoned as well. Under Han Shuo’s command, it drifted along with the skeletons into the depths. Through the wraith, Han Shuo could observe its surroundings, experiencing the scenes as the wraith led the way deeper into the mine.

Just as the dwarves had said, after the skeletons squeezed through the narrowest passageway, the space grew larger. But without any lighting, Han Shuo could not see everything clearly. Once the wraith and skeletons had advanced a considerable distance, Han Shuo felt he could no longer control them if they went further. He ordered them to start digging, focusing his mental strength through the wraith’s vision and directing the seven skeletons to hammer away at the nearby ore.

Accompanied by the skeletons’ actions, loud clanging resonated from within. Soon, Han Shuo noticed through the wraith that the stones above had loosened due to their digging, and after a moment, several large rocks fell, smashing one skeleton into a pile of shattered bones.

Han Shuo concentrated, standing before the dwarves with his eyes closed, carefully maneuvering the skeletons while keeping the wraith hovering near the cavern ceiling. He watched for any loose stones, and whenever a rock threatened to fall, he quickly had the skeletons below dodge out of the way.

Time passed. Another skeleton was smashed to pieces by a falling stone. Han Shuo’s mental energy was nearly depleted, his mind dizzy from the strain. Realizing he had pushed himself too far, he immediately ordered the remaining five skeletons to stop mining, pick up the shattered ore from the ground, and start carrying it back.

One by one, the five skeletons transported the mined ore to the narrow passageway. Bennett’s dwarves called out, and without waiting for Han Shuo’s instructions, they moved to the passage, picked up the ore, and carried it back to Han Shuo’s safe side.

After a few more minutes, Han Shuo felt his mental strength could no longer sustain the skeletons’ labor. With decisive efficiency, he uttered the incantation to send the remaining skeletons and the wraith back to the otherworld.

By this time, dozens of pieces of ore, large and small, were piled at the mouth of the tunnel. The dwarves cheered, eagerly breaking the ore and stuffing it into their large sacks.

“Oh, dear friend, thanks to your help, today’s yield is greater than what we usually gather in a week! These lovely iron and steel ores, once refined, will forge beautiful weapons. This is truly a blessing!” Bennett’s body was weary from injury, but his spirits soared as he watched his companions happily smashing and picking up the ore. He turned to Han Shuo, his gratitude overflowing.

The other dwarves were equally exuberant, laughing heartily as they grabbed the ore and poured their cherished liquor down their throats, letting out boisterous grunts of satisfaction.

Suddenly, one of the dwarves let out a sharp, high-pitched scream, startling everyone. All the dwarves rushed over to him.

Han Shuo was startled as well, instinctively looking their way. But the dwarf was quickly surrounded, leaving Han Shuo unable to see what had happened, his mind racing with anxious speculation.

As Han Shuo wondered, Bennett suddenly burst into wild laughter, even tossing his wine pouch into the air in excitement. He shouted with unrestrained joy, “Black iron! Damn it, black iron! I’m certain it’s black iron! Heaven, there’s black iron ore inside! If the village chief learns of this, he’ll go mad!”

The other dwarves, hearing Bennett’s words, flushed with excitement, waving their hands and hammers as they pounded the stone walls, sending thunderous echoes through the mine and startling Han Shuo.

Relieved by Bennett’s declaration, Han Shuo realized the dwarves had discovered a marvelous metal, and his own heart was secretly delighted.

After some time, the dwarves calmed down. Han Shuo finally asked, “Bennett, what is black iron? Is it very rare?”

Bennett nodded eagerly, his excitement unabated. “Of course, it’s extremely rare—priceless! Black iron is denser and harder than any other ore, yet it has the lowest weight among metals. It never rusts, and its color can be changed by adding other materials. It’s the finest material for forging weapons—a gift from the gods!”

Han Shuo was about to offer his congratulations when a flash of inspiration struck him. A memory surfaced: based on black iron’s properties, he suddenly realized this was the precious metal known in Chu Canglan’s memories as Xuan Iron, used to forge magical artifacts.

Though the names differed, Bennett’s description matched perfectly with Chu Canglan’s recollections. Han Shuo understood that black iron and Xuan Iron referred to the same remarkable material.

“It’s a pity, there’s only a small piece—enough for a single dagger at most,” Bennett said regretfully, gazing at the chunk of black iron in the dwarf’s hand after the excitement had faded.

“Don’t lose hope, Bennett! There’s bound to be more black iron inside. Next time, we might find a bigger piece and forge the sharpest weapons!” said Banson, another dwarf.

“Dear friend, thank you for your help. We’re willing to share our mine with you. Will you continue to help us? We’ll share the ore we mine together,” Bennett pleaded, his face full of longing as he looked at Han Shuo.

“I’m glad you trust me so much. I’d be happy to help you, but I’m exhausted today. I’d like to rest for the night and come back tomorrow to help you mine again, is that alright?” Han Shuo replied politely, secretly delighted.

“Of course! Tomorrow morning we’ll come with the village chief. We hope you’ll return!” Bennett hastily promised.

Han Shuo smiled and nodded. “Then, until tomorrow!”

With those words, Han Shuo left without taking a single piece of ore, striding out of the mine entrance, leaving the dwarves behind, wild with excitement and drinking heartily.