The hundreds of meters of collapsed tunnel did not become a true obstacle under Larvitar's almost absurd excavation ability.
In just five or six minutes, the massive stones and packed earth blocking the way were completely cleared. A smooth and stable passage—combed into shape by Larvitar's power was suddenly opened through, reconnecting with the area that the miners had last excavated before the disaster.
However, what the reopened passage revealed was not only a path forward.
As soil and rubble were pushed aside and compressed, some ghastly white bones that had long been buried beneath the ruins were exposed under the flickering torchlight.
They lay in various postures, silently recounting the despair and struggle that had accompanied the moment disaster struck.
Lin Xia's footsteps came to a halt. Staring at the stark white bones glaring beneath the orange-red flames, a chill mixed with an indescribable heaviness surged into his chest, tightening his throat as he stood there in silence.
Lou Gao's tall figure stood at the boundary between firelight and shadow.
The smile on his face had long vanished, replaced by a deep solemnity and sorrow that could not be erased.
He said nothing.
Instead, he walked forward silently, his movements extraordinarily gentle, as if afraid of disturbing the souls at rest.
He crouched down and carefully gathered the scattered remains—whole or broken—piece by piece, bone by bone, solemnly placing them into the inconspicuous soul storage tool at his waist.
Lin Xia watched Lou Gao's broad back without speaking, the weight in his heart growing heavier.
After collecting the remains exposed along the passage, Lou Gao slowly straightened up. The firelight etched deep lines across his face.
Taking a deep breath, as if steadying the emotions surging within him, he finally spoke in a low voice.
"Let's go. Ahead… should be the final section. Hopefully… nothing was missed."
His voice was deep and hoarse.
"Larvi! Larvitar!"
At that moment, Larvitar—no longer able to contain itself—let out an urgent, excited cry.
It was no longer content to stay put. Its small claws waved energetically as it pointed toward the relatively open area at the end of the tunnel that had not been affected by the collapse. It bounced ahead eagerly, leading the way while repeatedly turning back to urge Lin Xia and Lou Gao onward. Its ruby-red eyes gleamed with the blazing light of a treasure hunter's discovery.
Lin Xia immediately understood. Suppressing the emotions churning within him, he quickened his pace to follow Larvitar, with Lou Gao holding the torch and keeping close behind.
At the end of the passage lay a wider branch of the mine tunnel. This area had indeed avoided the direct impact of the collapse—the walls were relatively intact but the ground was strewn with mining picks, decayed mine cart parts, and remnants of daily supplies long since weathered away.
Yet what was even more harrowing was this
In the corners of the rock wall and within a shallow recess, three relatively intact skeletons lay scattered.
Their curled postures, the empty water skins beside them, and the food scraps that had long turned to dust all made it clear—they had been trapped and died within the mine.
Lin Xia's heart sank sharply, an unbearable sense of suffocation gripping his throat.
He subconsciously looked toward Lou Gao, his gaze complex. At this moment, Lin Xia finally understood why Lou Gao's reaction at the dinner table—when he had proposed the idea of mineral exploration had been so intense and his words so heavy.
This had never been alarmist exaggeration.
It was a lesson written in blood and tears.
Lou Gao's eyes swept over the three skeletons, the muscles on his face twitching slightly as deeper pain flickered within his gaze.
Still, he did not allow his emotions to spill over.
Just as he had done before, he walked forward in silence, treating them with the same reverence—his movements gentle and solemn as he carefully gathered the three sets of remains.
Only after finishing did Lou Gao straighten up, letting out a long, heavy breath, as if expelling the grief that had accumulated deep in his chest.
It was then that he noticed Lin Xia looking at him with a gaze mixed with sympathy, understanding, and inquiry.
Lou Gao tugged at the corner of his mouth, trying to force a smile, but the fatigue and bitterness within it were impossible to hide.
"Kid, what kind of look is that? Why are you staring at me? Don't tell me you think I'm about to cry from how bad I feel?"
He tried to cover it up with his usual rough tone, but the low timbre of his voice betrayed his true state of mind.
"Teacher… I—"
"That's enough!"
Lou Gao waved his hand sharply, cutting Lin Xia off, as if swatting away the heavy atmosphere itself.
He deliberately raised his voice, carrying a hint of gruff resignation.
"I've lived most of my life—what storms haven't I seen? Feeling bad is feeling bad, but life goes on, and I still have skills to teach! Put away those thoughts. This isn't the time to dawdle!"
Lou Gao shifted his gaze toward Larvitar, which was spinning excitedly in front of a section of the rock wall ahead, its small claws constantly scraping at the stone. He decisively changed the subject.
"Well then, look at that little glutton of yours. Its tail's about to wag itself off! What did it find this time? Something good enough to get it this worked up?"
Lin Xia's attention was immediately diverted.
Larvitar stood beneath the rock wall on one side of the mine tunnel, its gray-green body trembling slightly with excitement.
It craned its small head upward, ruby-red eyes locked firmly onto a dark brown section of rock that looked utterly ordinary—no different from the surrounding walls in the slightest. Shiny saliva dripped uncontrollably from the corner of its mouth as urgent gurgling sounds rumbled from its throat. Its short tail slapped against the ground with sharp pa pa sounds.
That drooling, ravenous expression was several times more exaggerated than when it had seen Starry Gold, Starry Refined Gold, or Starfrost Iron earlier!
"Teacher!"
Lin Xia's breathing unconsciously quickened. He hurried to Larvitar's side and followed its line of sight toward the rock wall. Yet no matter how hard he focused his perception, he sensed nothing beyond the cold, solid hardness of ordinary stone—no obvious energy fluctuations, no abnormalities at all.
Unease rose in his heart. He turned toward the far more experienced Lou Gao.
"Can you see anything unusual? This section of the rock wall… doesn't seem to be anything special?"
Lou Gao had already stepped closer.
With a grave expression, he extended his thick, calloused fingers and lightly tapped the rock wall, tilting his head to listen to the dull echo that returned.
He then carefully rubbed the surface, feeling its texture and grain, even leaning in to sniff it.
Finally, he took out a small, uniquely patterned mining hammer from his soul storage tool. He gently chipped off fragments from several different spots on the wall, examined them closely in his palm, crushed them between his fingers, and brought them to his nose to smell.
After this thorough and professional inspection, Lou Gao frowned deeply and shook his head, confusion and uncertainty evident on his face.
"Strange… judging by the echo, texture, grain, and smell, this really is just ordinary accompanying rock—actually even poorer than the main ore vein. It shouldn't be—"
Yet when Lou Gao looked at Larvitar, which was practically staring holes into the wall with longing eyes, he truly could not explain the little creature's abnormal excitement.
"I can't see any obvious anomaly either, unless—"
"Larvitar——!!!"
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