The iron pickaxe struck heavily into the rocky soil layer, sending a numbing shock through Wangchuan's hands.

Wangchuan felt a chill:

This isn't a game.

This is real mining.

The texture within the rocky soil layer, the impact of sparks splattering onto his face, every part of his body could clearly feel the hardness feedback from the rocks.

Wangchuan was stunned.

A game, real to this extent...

Isn't that a bit excessive?

What kind of company would develop such a realistic world?

Could it be that this is a national-level technology, developed to provide jobs for the unemployed?

Wangchuan fell into silence.

Lin Dahai, Heipi, and the other five veterans continued mining iron ore at their original pace, while keeping an eye on him.

They understood Wangchuan's feelings and shock.

The first time they encountered the mining task, the first swing of the pickaxe left them just as bewildered as Wangchuan.

They were waiting for Wangchuan to digest and adapt to all this.

Wangchuan didn't disappoint them, quickly raising the pickaxe for a second swing.

Clang!!

This time, Wangchuan's pickaxe struck directly onto a dark-colored iron ore, the sound crisper, the sparks illuminating the mine and Wangchuan's eyes.

Lin Dahai noticed that Wangchuan's eyes were very bright.

A stronger recoil.

More pain in the hands.

"Be careful."

"Don't hurt yourself."

"Try to clear the surrounding rocky soil layer first, then hit the iron ore layer last, it'll be easier to shatter." Lin Dahai imparted mining techniques to Wangchuan.

Wangchuan nodded.

He realized that this game was a world with completely realistic proportions.

Mastering the techniques and using them well could conserve stamina and accelerate mining efficiency.

Otherwise, it would be twice the effort for half the result.

This game required thinking.

With this understanding, Wangchuan adjusted his breathing.

As a fitness enthusiast for years, besides having a strong core, he also had a good grasp of using strength.

If mining ore was treated as a weightlifting exercise, it was entirely feasible!

This was repetitive mechanical labor with heavy physical exertion.

Wangchuan slightly adjusted his stance to stabilize his footing;

His gaze firm, he estimated the height of the rocky soil layer, calculated the swing path of the pickaxe in his mind, twisted his waist, and swung with force.

Clang!!

His movements were slightly different from those of the veterans.

But in the dimly lit mine, these subtle differences wouldn't be noticed.

In the repeated swinging of the pickaxe, Wangchuan continuously made slight adjustments to his steps, fine-tuning the trajectory of the pickaxe swing...

If anyone were paying attention to him, they would notice that he seemed to be swinging the pickaxe in place to clear the rocky soil layer, but in reality, there were subtle adjustments and movements underfoot, and each swing of the pickaxe was very smooth and forceful.

The depth at which the pickaxe struck the rock layer wasn't small.

Soon, he cleared a section of the rock layer, making the iron ore layer stand out.

Wangchuan struck down hard.

The first piece of iron ore cracked...

Clang!!!

Clang!!!

The first piece of iron ore broke, teetering.

"Yes."

"Just like that."

"Wangchuan, you're picking it up quickly."

"Indeed."

"To extract the first piece of iron ore so quickly, Wangchuan, your strength attribute must be pretty good, reaching the full value of 5 points, right?"

"5 points?"

Wangchuan was taken aback.

He remembered that when he summoned the status panel, all four of his attributes were at 8 points.

What does full value 5 points mean?

"Wangchuan used to do fitness, I estimate his strength could reach 6 or 7 points." Lin Dahai spoke up for Wangchuan.

"Not bad."

"An extra point in strength makes mining much easier."

"On a normal day, the mining output can be more than ten percent higher than that of an average adult! Tsk tsk! Envious!"

"Didn't see it before, but Wangchuan has such good qualities."

Heipi and the other veterans all expressed various forms of envy.

Wangchuan realized:

In this game, everyone's initial attributes aren't the same but are projected based on real-world physical qualities?

No wonder he felt so at ease controlling this body...

Inwardly, he couldn't help but be amazed.

Spirit Realm, impressive!

Thinking about his years of disciplined fitness, which gave him 3 more points in strength, agility, stamina, and spirit than an average adult, he chose to hide his situation.

A slight advantage could arouse envy from companions;

But too much advantage could lead to jealousy and alienation.

He was a newcomer now, needing to blend in with the veterans, quickly familiarize himself with the game, and survive.

Most importantly, he needed to keep this job.

"Brother Lin."

"How much can this piece of iron ore sell for?"

"Iron ore is sold by the pound, about five pounds for one copper coin... this piece of yours weighs more than five pounds, so you've earned one copper coin."

Lin Dahai's tone was not without envy.

Wangchuan, however, was shocked, his eyes wide:

"What?"

"Only worth one copper coin?"

"Is it that cheap?"

Wangchuan couldn't believe it.

Heipi, quick to speak:

"Those ordinary stones are the real cheap ones, a thousand pounds aren't worth anything, and besides, the real profit from iron ore can't possibly fall into our hands... the convoy, craftsmen, weapon merchants, and officials are the ones who really take the big share."

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"......"

Wangchuan fell silent, unable to respond.

Old Li chuckled:

"Digging one or two more pieces of iron ore is enough to exchange for a pancake... you've cleared a section of iron ore, at least enough for two pancakes, thinking like that gives you motivation!"

And indeed, with that explanation, he felt much more at ease.

Wangchuan immediately put more effort into it, clang clang clang, vigorously smashing down piece after piece of iron ore, placing them all into the basket.

Roughly thirty pounds, enough to exchange for 6 copper coins.

He checked the time.

About ten minutes had passed...

At this mining speed, he could extract iron ore worth twenty to thirty copper coins in an hour, and in a morning plus noon, six to eight hours, he could extract over 150 copper coins.

But...

This work was truly exhausting.

In just ten minutes, Wangchuan felt like he'd undergone half an hour of intense exercise.

Fortunately, he maintained a routine of exercising for more than three hours daily, with enough resilience and foundation.

Keep going!

Get to work!

After about half an hour of hard work, he was exhausted.

His hands slightly cracked.

Heipi, Old Li, and the others all took breaks midway.

Someone took out a pancake to eat.

Wangchuan summoned the status panel for a glance.

His hunger had already reached 70/100;

Heavy physical labor indeed accelerated hunger.

Lin Dahai said to Wangchuan:

"Eating a pancake can relieve 60 hunger, it's best to eat when your hunger is below 40..."

"Okay."

Wangchuan immediately dismissed the idea of eating and continued to work hard, clang clang clang.

An hour passed, and his hunger quickly dropped below 40.

His stomach growled.

The basket at his feet was already more than half full of iron ore, estimated to be at least two hundred pounds.

The mining progress was decent.

At this moment, a bell rang outside.

Everyone perked up their ears.

A voice came from inside the mine:

"The convoy is here!"

"Get ready to go out!"