Chapter 350 348-A Familiar Person
As if to show his sincerity, the man in front of Ethan deactivated the Magic Circle.
The mist-like power that had just risen abruptly dissipated, and the threatening aura of the Magic Circle vanished into thin air.
Ethan, however, did not step forward immediately.
Standing outside the formation, he spoke softly, "My name is Fernard, from City32. How about you introduce yourselves?"
The three figures, clad in deep blue, deep red, and black robes, slowly descended to the ground.
Now, Ethan could finally see their faces clearly.
The man in the deep blue robe introduced himself, "I am Herman, the administrator of the divine crystal mining district."
Herman was an older male magus, his face etched with wisdom and the signs of time.
His hair and beard had turned to a distinguished silver, and his eyes were deep and piercing, as if they could see through everything.
Despite the wrinkles, his skin retained a healthy ruddiness.
His high-bridged nose and slightly pointed chin lent him an air of authority.
The one in deep red began to introduce herself, pulling back her hood, "My name is Elida."
Ethan's gaze shifted to Elida, his eyes flickering slightly.
Elida was a young and beautiful female magus, captivating enough to stir something in Ethan.
Her face was shrouded in mystery and allure.
Her eyes, like twinkling stars in the night sky, were deep and enchanting.
Her hair, smooth as a waterfall, cascaded over her shoulders, shimmering attractively.
Her skin was as pale as snow, her lips as red as cherries, always adorned with a hint of a mysterious smile.
Her beauty and demeanor were exceptional, capable of mesmerizing countless men wherever she went.
The presence of such an enchanting woman in this place only heightened Ethan's vigilance.
The final figure, cloaked in black, introduced himself in a deep voice, "You can call me Sebastian."
Sebastian was strikingly handsome and charismatic, his face exuding confidence and charm.
His eyes, reminiscent of a cat's, were bright and profound, drawing one into their depths.
The candor of these three individuals somewhat surprised Ethan.
He introduced Lana and Daphne to them, using assumed names for safety.
Herman nodded slightly, speaking slowly, "Have you come for the divine crystal as well?"
Ethan's eyebrows twitched, but he didn't respond immediately.
Elida, noticing Ethan's cautious gaze, couldn't help but cover her mouth with a light laugh.
Her laughter, clear and melodious, almost intoxicated Ethan.
"Fernard, you're quite cautious. But that's normal for adventurers," Elida said with a smile that made her eyes twinkle like crescent moons, evoking an itch in one's heart. "However, you needn't worry. The divine crystal mine is open to the public. You are free to mine there, but you must submit a tenth of your findings to us."
"We stopped you for this purpose, to get you registered," Elida explained their intentions, her tone warm and gentle.
Ethan furrowed his brows slightly, responding coolly, "You said it yourself, the divine crystal mining mountain is open to all. It's a shared resource. Why then must we give a tenth of our findings to you?"
Herman's mouth turned down slightly, his expression tinged with a hint of helplessness.
But it was this slight sense of resignation that eased Ethan's mind.
It seemed that Herman and the others genuinely intended only to register their information.
The magic was likely a measure to keep out thieves or the beasts that roamed the divine crystal mountain ranges.
Elida's smile remained undimmed, her voice sounding as pleasant as a flowing stream, "Fernard, you seem to be unaware. This divine crystal mining mountain belongs to the Bernie family. To excavate this mine, the Bernie family lost three 10th-rank powerhouses and even had an 11th-rank powerhouse grievously injured."
"The Bernie family had to invest massively to open up this source. So, it's not unreasonable to charge a fee from the miners, right? Additionally, we ensure that your mining operations aren't disturbed by beasts and that you won't encounter any problems. So, paying a small fee shouldn't be an issue, should it?"
Elida was charming as she spoke, her fingers twiddling playfully.
Ethan's tension eased slightly, and a warm smile appeared on his face, "I understand. I'll discuss it with my companions."
Herman nodded slightly, his tone neutral, "As you wish. But next time, don't try to tear apart my Magic Circle with your Power of Space. If you want to speak to me, just call my name. I'm always practicing in the camp."
After their words, Herman and the others turned to leave, seemingly unconcerned about Ethan and his companions.
Only Elida playfully looked back and blew Ethan a kiss.
Before the trio could return to their rooms, a clamor of noise came from a distance.
Ethan hid to one side, flying in the sky, overlooking the camp.
At the center of the camp was a huge pit, resembling a giant crater.
Numerous humans were emerging from this pit, their faces covered with dust and sweat.
They seemed to be miners, holding magic pickaxes that glittered brightly.
Their waist pouches bulged, and their faces were filled with smiles.
They were lining up, apparently waiting for something.
Herman, accompanied by Elida and Sebastian, made his way to the front of the queue.
Surprisingly, the miners boldly whistled at Elida.
Unfazed, Elida slightly bent forward, her loose robe momentarily revealing her robust figure.
The sight of her fair skin and blush accents left the miners' eyes glowing green, almost predatory in their desire.
Elida licked her lips, exuding an overwhelming charm.
At Herman's cough, she straightened up immediately, though the lingering smile on her face only seemed to increase her allure.
"Today's work is done, everyone. Hand over a portion of your divine crystals, and you're free to do as you please," Herman announced.
The miners efficiently pulled out crystal-clear gemstones from their waist pouches and placed them in the bamboo basket at Herman's feet.
In no time, the basket began to overflow with the shimmering crystals.
Ethan, observing the miners' spirited demeanor, felt a sense of unease. Something was amiss.
The first discrepancy he noticed was with City 32, which he had visited.
There, the ratio of monstrosities far exceeded that of the human race, with many being hybrids or indistinguishable humanoid creatures.
Yet here, not a single monstrosity was in sight; all were human.
This could be explained if the Bernie family chose only humans for the divine crystal mining quest, excluding monstrosities.
However, the second issue was more perplexing.
Those who ventured to the Deityforsaken Land were usually driven by the ambition to become deities themselves.
They wouldn't likely waste much time on mining.
Yet, after handing over their divine crystals, the miners would retreat into their wooden huts and not reemerge.
Observing the various energy fluctuations emanating from the wooden huts, Ethan understood that the miners were undoubtedly engaging in cultivation practices.
This meant that divine crystals were a means to aid in cultivation, leading to a third issue.
Any item that could assist in cultivation was incredibly valuable.
Given the immense worth of divine crystals, would the Bernie family really share such a resource so readily?
After going through great lengths to open the divine crystal mining mountain, it seemed unusual for the Bernie family not to keep it exclusively for themselves.
Instead, they shared the resources of the mining mountain, requiring only a tenth of the mined crystals in return.
Ethan pondered inwardly.
If he were in possession of the divine crystal mining mountain and had the backing of his family, he certainly wouldn't share the divine crystals so easily.
Even if he did share, the conditions would be exceedingly stringent.
His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, swept across the village.
Suddenly, his eyebrows twitched, his gaze fixating on a particular individual in the midst of the village.
Luther.
Ethan recalled the time at Malibu Point, outside the Deityforsaken Land portal, where Luther had enthusiastically introduced everything to him, wielding a rusty, damaged sword.
But now, Luther was alone, wandering aimlessly through the village without the broken sword by his side.
Ethan's curiosity peaked at this sight. Luther was here, in this place.
Elida, swaying her hips, encountered Luther.
Luther instantly revealed a lewd smile, grabbing Elida's chest brazenly.
Ethan's eyes twitched slightly at the scene.
Was this what Luther had come here for?
Elida didn't resist; instead, a smile rippled across her face as if coquettishly saying, "Not here, we might be seen."
Luther, in apparent haste, tried to drag Elida behind a wooden hut, but she skillfully evaded him.
Whatever she whispered in Luther's ear made him let her go.
As she walked away, Luther even boldly squeezed her shapely behind.
The force was such that Ethan could see the shape of her buttocks change.
Elida didn't shout; instead, she laughed even more provocatively and said something flirtatiously over her shoulder.
Ethan shrugged slightly, thinking he might be overthinking.
If a camp had such frivolous male-female interactions, it probably wasn't too dangerous.
After all, in the face of real danger, such desires wouldn't usually surface.
Maybe he was just reading too much into it.
With these thoughts, Ethan decided to speak with Herman.
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