Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 324

Chapter 324 Chapter 77.1 - Mine

"It is breathtaking, isn't it? This is how we mine the Mana stones," the guide exclaimed, her voice echoing in the vast underground cavern illuminated by countless different lights.

Her clothes were formal, an attire belonging to someone with a higher ranking, as she was well-versed in her explanations and knowledge.

'Someone either from the HR team or from the management. Hmm….Her clothes are fresh, and she lacks the habits those who would venture to this place frequently have. So, she is either a new recruit or someone from the office part.'

The necessary information was missing to deduce the remaining part, but that wasn't important.

'Considering the amount of students that would come here, they can't employ a high-ranking member.'

This was, in fact, normal since around two hundred students were in this factory. Of course, with the number of students the academy had, different classes were scheduled to visit the factories on different days. And the Blackthorn's even let them use two factories.

'Must be an attempt to regain the public trust.'

Both Blackthorn's and the Arcadia Hunter Academy had their ups and downs; therefore, it was necessary for them to make up for those.

"Now, please follow me."

With her words, the group of students followed closely behind her, their eyes wide with wonder and anticipation.

"The entire process starts from the moment we identify a promising vein of Mana stones," the guide continued, gesturing towards a wall shimmering with faint magical energy. "To scout these precious stones, we employ a combination of traditional mining techniques and advanced magical artifacts crafted by our specially groomed mage-engineers."

She led us towards a cluster of miners who were diligently working with pickaxes and shovels. But alongside them stood mage-engineers, their intricate devices humming with magical energy as they scanned the walls for signs of Mana stones.

"These artifacts amplify our ability to detect Mana stones and pinpoint their exact locations within the rock," the guide explained, pointing to a device resembling a cross between a telescope and a compass. "With the help of these tools, we can ensure a more efficient extraction process while minimizing the risk to our miners."

In general, the students of the Arcadia Hunter Academy came from high-end families, but they all aspired to be Hunter and Combatant. Therefore, almost none of them knew how the process was in many factories.

"Wow….I never expected it to be like this."

"Indeed."

The artifacts that were used gathered the attention of the students as they were colorful and potent in mana. Being sensitive to mana, they could see what couldn't be seen with naked eyes, impressing them.

That was also the case with me, as I was, in fact, overwhelmed by the raw amounts of mana present here. Therefore, I even needed to deactivate [Perceptive Insight] to some extent. This was something I had been pondering about in the past, as there were times when one could see things they mustn't see with their current strength.

Therefore, I created a method in my subconscious utilizing basic psychic magic. In fact, it wasn't complex since I was just dealing with myself.

In any case, with my deactivated eyes, I observed the process.

As many students watched in fascination, the guide detailed the intricate process of extracting Mana stones from the earth.

From drilling and blasting to carefully extracting the stones without damaging their magical properties, every step was executed with precision and expertise, and the guide explained it well enough.

"Now, you will see our first contact with mana stones."

While walking, we approached a room where the temperature noticeably rose.

'So, they are sealing the mana there, utilizing the heat?' The mana may look like something outside of reality, but in this world, it is not. The rules of the universe were made according to it, though who knew who made those rules?

Just as we were about to enter, I sensed a sudden movement and instinctively tilted my head, narrowly dodging a small stone hurtling toward me.

With a quick turn, I locked eyes with a girl standing nearby, a mischievous grin on her face as she chewed gum with casual nonchalance.

"Hey there, low-rank," she greeted, her voice carrying an annoying tone. "Quick reflexes. Did you take notes? Are you keeping up with your duties?"

The girl before me was Taylor Bowman, one of my assigned partners for this excursion. She exuded an air of confidence and privilege, likely due to her high-ranking status as the 212th-ranked student and heir to a Media Tycoon.

She was quite a beauty, clearly above the standards. Her make-up and ornaments were all first-class -– obviously, some of them being artifacts.

Of course, I had already made a quick background check for all the students in my classroom. The game may not have been mentioned, but there could be some demon contractors in there. However, I couldn't find any in our class, though it didn't matter much. My channels were a little narrow back then, with me lacking the money to buy the necessary information.

And this girl before me was someone who was in the upper ranks of the academy and class, and she was the highest rank in my group.

She seldom assigned me a role while she was lazily looking around. This was the common type of acting from these types of heiresses.

"No."

"What?"

Her mouth twitched, hearing my refusal. Just then, the guy beside her narrowed his eyes, asking me, "What did you say?"

The guy's name was Asher Valencia, ranked 1058.

"No," I repeated calmly, meeting Taylor's gaze squarely.

Her reaction was immediate. Taylor's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, and her lips formed a thin line. Clearly, she wasn't accustomed to being defied, especially by someone she considered beneath her.

Next to her, Asher's glare intensified, his voice rising slightly as he spoke, "How dare you refuse what-"