Amber Miller nodded. What Grace Miller elder sister said always made so much sense. Amber Miller was only a little curious about Ryan Bennett; after all, girls are always a bit intrigued by the unknown, but she would forget about it in a few days.

　　Passing through the narrow yellow earth path, the two headed toward the inn, bought bread and spring water, and finished their preparations. Half an hour later, a large team of fifty players above level forty-five set out toward Zangarmarsh.

Volume One: The Legendary Debut

Chapter Six: The Eastern Mines of Aydins

　　Ryan Bennett washed his face by the stream. As soon as he stood up, he saw a skeleton soldier wielding a broken longsword and wearing tattered leather armor charging at him.

　　This was just the outskirts of the Skeleton Forest—how could there be a skeleton soldier here?

　　The skeleton soldier swung its broken longsword at him.

　　Ryan Bennett turned and ran, scrambling and stumbling in a panic—after all, he had no combat ability at all! Due to his weak combat talent, a beginner mechanical alchemist’s arcane skill attack power was only half that of an ordinary level-one demon warlock, destruction warlock, or shadow warlock, and two-thirds that of a pain warlock. Without the help of a mechanical imp, he couldn’t even beat an ordinary skeleton soldier.

　　The skeleton soldier slashed at him. Ryan Bennett ducked his head, the longsword swiping over him, making him break out in a cold sweat. He rolled on the ground and sprinted desperately out of the Skeleton Forest.

　　The skeleton soldier let out a shrill, cackling laugh, as if mocking Ryan Bennett for being a coward, and chased after him.

　　Skeleton soldiers were always known for their slow speed, so Ryan Bennett quickly left it far behind, his back drenched in cold sweat.

　　Ryan Bennett couldn’t help but curse, “Damn skeleton soldier, just wait till I reach level fifty—then I’ll come back and take you out, and use your thigh bone as a toothpick.”

　　Getting chased by the lowest-level skeleton soldier—Ryan Bennett couldn’t be more frustrated. It seemed the beginner mining area was still safer. Ryan Bennett headed toward the eastern mining area outside Aydins Castle, passing through shaded paths. In the distance, the main city of Bracada, Aydins, built halfway up Mount Kilo, gradually revealed its magnificent silhouette.

　　The entire castle was built on the mountainside, overlooking the land like a giant. The city walls, over ten meters high, bore the marks of age, a testament to its history.

　　Aydins had a history of thousands of years and was the holy land of warlocks. Ever since the warlocks defected from Erathia and established the Free Kingdom of Bracada, Bracada had survived several near-annihilation wars, always resisting with indomitable will, repeatedly defeating Erathia, and finally gaining its recognition. Aydins also survived the flames of war.

　　Aydins was the spiritual symbol of the Free Kingdom of Bracada.

　　This castle standing atop the mountain was, in the hearts of many warlocks, even more majestic than Mount Kilo itself.

　　After the warlocks defected from Erathia, some sold their souls to demons in exchange for great power, while others embraced science, becoming potion alchemists and mechanical alchemists.

　　Those who sold their souls to demons became the mainstream in Bracada, but potion alchemists and mechanical alchemists were not excluded and also flourished in this country.

　　Through the morning mist, one could vaguely see the towering alchemy towers and magic towers in Aydins Castle, each a hundred meters tall, with red walls and green tiles, shrouded in mist and smoke—grand and magnificent, like a mysterious city from a fairy tale, awe-inspiring to behold.

　　Circling around the towering city walls at the foot of Aydins Castle, as if walking at the feet of a giant, and heading east, there was an open-pit mine in the eastern part of the Kilo Mountains.

　　This place was rich in ordinary metals like gold, silver, copper, and iron, and of good quality—mostly third and fourth grade. Many players with production professions liked to mine here. Every batch of twenty unrefined gold, silver, copper, or iron ores dug up here could be sold for about three to five gold coins. If lucky, one might even find some rare metals.

　　On the giant trees surrounding the open-pit mine perched some black mechanical gargoyles, their bodies entirely made of metal, like giant bats hanging from the trees. They were the guardians of the mine. If any monsters or undead creatures entered the mine and threatened the players mining nearby, these gargoyles would unhesitatingly destroy them.

　　The mine was open to all alchemists, who could obtain the materials they needed for alchemy here. Since most mechanical alchemist players had left for higher-level monster areas to hunt and level up—where they often encountered rare ores—this place was less crowded.

　　Ryan Bennett was a bit puzzled. Mechanical imps were so expensive, yet every mechanical alchemist player seemed to have at least a first-level mechanical imp. Did that mean all mechanical alchemist players were so rich? Ryan Bennett was full of questions. But since Ryan Bennett didn’t have any friends and didn’t know whom to ask, no one had ever answered him.

　　Ryan Bennett walked toward the center of the mine and began his busy day’s work, searching for his prey with a pickaxe in hand.