Ben shone his flashlight around the third level.

  Most of the rubble had been cleared out and formed into neat piles near the entrance where a few wheelbarrows rested. From the looks, the village folk would take all the stone and dump it near the mine entrance with the rest. He figured the builders could put it to good use when setting the foundations of the buildings.

  Looking across the ore tunnels, from the amount of colored patterns, they appeared to contain a decent amount of ore. A large portion of the wall contained what appeared to be chiseled-out markers ready for new shafts to be dug.

  Ben shifted his attention to the cave, where he saw that part of the level had been left mostly untouched, with rubble still near it. The stones he had removed to get in there to fight the queen had been placed back. He didn't blame the village folk for not wanting to look at the carcass of the queen. It was a gruesome sight, not to mention the smell it would have produced from the natural decay.

  Walking toward the cave entrance, Ben started removing the stones individually. The moment he could see across, his nose received a punch with a disgusting stench, which made the contents of his gut wrench. It felt like he was about to vomit. Covering his nostrils, he pushed on until he reached the other side.

  Upon closer inspection, the queen's carcass looked shriveled and dry, with puddles of puke-inducing slime surrounding its remains. Ben knew he couldn't get any work done with that stench and rushed out of the cave, grabbed whatever wood he could find and a nearby lit candle. He made a pile beneath the body and set it alight.

  Surprisingly, the flames were quick to get going. Smoke started to fill the cave, which caused Ben to choke on the fumes before he rushed out. He filled the entrance with a few stones to stop the smoke from seeping into the rest of the cave and patiently waited for some time.

  Around an hour later, the amount of smoke seeping through the gaps of the stone began to cease. There was hardly much smoke for some strange reason, which caught Ben’s curiosity. He removed the stones and once again stepped into the cave.

  Apart from the place smelling like someone had barbequed rotten meat, there wasn't much smoke filling the chamber, leading Ben to believe the cave must have been larger than it looked. His flashlight reached the other end of the chamber without getting too diffused in the smoky fog, where the walls shifted around a bend.

  Hmm, there must be more chambers and tunnels around here.

  Ben made a mental note to get the cave surveyed and mapped out to ensure its safety when he had time to spare next. He felt better that he warned Finn to keep everyone away from there. The last thing he wanted was the weight of someone getting hurt in case other creatures lurked in its deep, dark depths.

  Ben shifted his attention to the blue glow of the Mirium, where the veins appeared to contain a vast amount of ore that he could exploit. Walking up to it, he placed his hammer at arm's length in case things went south and removed the Omnitool from his inventory. Before aiming it, he paused momentarily as the Mk.2 upgrade caught his curiosity.

  Are the research and craft functions worth ten gold coins?

  Will it allow me to craft items that can be sold for higher prices?

  Damn it! I'd like to see what it lets me do! You better be worth it!

  Letting out a frustrated huff, Ben took the gamble and selected the upgrade.

  [Omnitool has been upgraded to Mk.2.]

  ***

  New Features:

  Research: The user can research blueprints that can be crafted via the Craft feature.

  Craft: The user can craft items once blueprints have been unlocked.

  Upgrade Tool to Mk.3: 50 Gold Coins. (Unlocks the Spatial Inventory (5M^3) & the Buy/Sell features.)

  ***

  Interesting!

  Ben wasn't sure what the deal was with the Mk.3 upgrade. It mentioned spatial storage for the tool, followed by another feature that sounded like a shop where he could buy and sell things. The upgrade cost fifty gold, which would seriously put a hole in his pocket regardless.

  There was no point in pondering over stuff he couldn't afford yet; thus, Ben opened the craft menu only to find it empty and devoid of options. He backed out and hit [Research]. That was when he was met with a few different options.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  ***

  Research: The user must collect the required resources and pile them before the Omnitool before selecting the blueprint they wish to research. Alternatively, the user may pay the cost of research using Gold Pounds (GP), the value of which is determined by the default currency stored in their system.

  Only one blueprint may be researched at any given time. Once the task has commenced, it must be completed fully before another can be selected. Before more Blueprints are unlocked, research the available ones.

  ***

  Tier 1 Workbench: The user can craft a simple workbench. This will also unlock the other Tier 1 craftable items, which will be available to research. Cost: 5KG Wood or 1 Gold Pound. Research Time: 24 Hours.

  ***

  Ben scratched his head. “Where the heck do I find the damn wood?” He returned to where the wheelbarrows had been placed and stroked his chin. A few were there, but he only needed one to take the ore. He figured the workbench would allow him to craft more later. Besides, plenty were still lying around the higher levels of the mine.

  Ben moved the better-looking wheelbarrow to one side and pointed the Omnitool towards the rest before clicking the [Tier 1 Workbench] option. The wheelbarrows became encased in a blue hologram before the wood vanished into thin air, leaving behind a pile of metal fittings and nails.

  [Omnitool is now researching Tier 1 Workbench.]

  “Whoah! Just like that!” Ben exclaimed. He thought the way the tool had separated the wood from the other materials was intriguing and wondered if it would allow him to break other items down into their constituted parts.

  I guess I’ll have to look into that.

  With that done, Ben finally glanced at the Mirium ore and aimed the Omnitool at the vein. Just like before, the blue hologram did the hard part, while all he had to do was aim for where the ore pockets were located.

  After an hour, Ben filled his wheelbarrow to the brim with ore. A massive smile was planted on his face with what he had achieved. But the job of selling it remained. He figured Har could provide him with some pointers and, thus, towed the wheelbarrow back to the main chamber.

  Finn stood around the tool shed, and it looked like he was explaining something to the village folk. When he noticed Ben, he cut his conversation short and went there.

  “Master Ben, I see you’ve returned with some ore,” Finn motioned down, taking a closer look at the Mirium. “Wow, I didn't think it would have a nice glow like that.”

  Ben nodded, “Hah, wait till you see the patterns on the ore vein. They’re breathtaking, to say the least.” Ben paused, thinking he might have made a mistake by saying that. “Now, I don't want to hear that you or anyone else has gone down there to take a look. That cave is much larger than it looks, and another tunnel might lead outside. I’ll let you know once I’ve looked around and ensured it’s safe.”

  “Ahh, don’t worry; I’ve warned everyone to avoid the third level altogether,” Finn explained before taking a breath. “Oh, and before I forget, they're all happy with the payment for their work. They keep asking me when they should start mining, and I keep telling them it’s not my place to decide. But they’re right. The second level still has some good veins we can mine. What are our orders?”

  Ben stroked his chin. “That sounds great, but tell them to hold their horses for now. First, I need to chat with Har about selling the ore we already have. There’s no point mining when a storeroom is almost overflowing with ore. Besides, we need to start making money; otherwise, we’ll be out of business before it runs.”

  “That makes sense to me.” Finn nodded and shrugged before pointing at the office with a funny look. “Well… He’s sitting in there acting like a grumpy old man. I think he’s getting bored since he’s not been on the road for some time. If you ask me, I think going to sell that ore will make him feel much better.”

  Ben glanced over to the office. “I’ll go have a chat with him. You gather everyone here. We’ll need some help getting the carts loaded after.”

  Finn nodded and almost did a military salute, “I’ll be done right away, sir.”

  As Ben entered the office, he noticed Har sitting on the boss seat, sulking and playing with some papers as if bored.

  Har noticed Ben and shot up with a raised eyebrow. “Ah, Ben, it’s good to see you. You don't mind me sitting in your seat, do you? Is everything alright?”

  “Aye, not bad. I’ve chatted with Finn, and he says the villagers will start mining the remaining iron veins on the second level soon. The storeroom is already nearly full, so we need to start getting rid of it so the money can flow in. With all your experience transporting goods, I was hoping you could advise me where to start.” Ben explained.

  A smile filled Har’s face. “Holy god, you’ve come to the right man. I was sitting here thinking you’d never ask about that. You can't sell much to the village as Halyard only buys small quantities. You must go south into the Hollow Lands to the major fortified towns to move cart loads. They have marketplaces and artisans who’ll buy wholesale amounts from you regularly. Feruswich is the closest one, and there’s even a bank there where you can cash those checks. When do you want to set off?”

  To Ben, it seemed like Har couldn't wait to get going. Raising his hands, he said, “Take it easy, mate. Finn’s going to ask the villagers to help us load the carts. Besides, I’ve got a wheelbarrow full of that magic ore, which might need to be packed properly.”

  Har nodded. “If you wrap the Mirum with some cloth, it should be fine. It’s getting late now, so I think it’s better to set off at first light.”

  Ben gave Har the thumbs up, “That’s a good idea. Oh, and before we set off, how much will you charge me for the transportation?”

  Har waved as if taking money was out of the question. “After everything you’ve done for us, you’re like family to me. Don't worry about it.”

  Ben crossed his arms and gave the old man a narrow gaze. “Har! Regardless of what you say or do, I'm paying you, so don’t be waving it away like it’s nothing. Even if you are close to me, you must run your business. So quit whining and tell me how much?”

  Har moved back as if he was taken aback. “Alright, young Kerstin would be annoyed if I came home with nothing to show for all the time I’ve been away. I have a special rate for family and friends, so expect to pay a fair price of ten silvers per cart for the delivery run.”

  “Done! I’ll pay you the moment we sell the ore.” Ben nodded.

  Ben and Har exited the office only to find Finn had all the village folk formed into a neat line awaiting orders like soldiers in training.

  Ben glanced at Finn and cleared his throat. “Deputy foreman, there is a task which needs to be done with the utmost haste. We must start loading the iron from the storeroom into the carts.”

  Finn nodded and turned to the village folk. “Erm, you all heard Master Ben. It’s time to get to work.”