Endless Extraction in a Game-Like World

Chapter 290: The Hidden Underground Mine, Abrupt Attack

"Sir Caelus," he gasped between breaths. "I have urgent news."

Caelus waited as Mason straightened himself, the merchant taking another moment to compose himself before delivering his report.

"A large number of non-player residents have started leaving Genesis," Mason explained quickly. "It started right after that commotion in the plaza, families are packing their belongings and heading toward the town gates."

Sylvia’s expression shifted with concern.

"Leaving? Why would they suddenly leave?"

Mason wiped his forehead with his sleeve, his voice becoming more serious as he continued.

"The troublemakers deliberately spread rumors before they left Genesis, they told the NPC residents that Genesis is unstable and that a guild war is coming. They said the town will eventually be destroyed and it’s better to leave while there’s still time."

Caelus listened without interrupting, his expression remaining calm despite the gravity of Mason’s words.

"Many ordinary families became frightened after hearing those rumors," Mason continued. "Several merchants have already closed their stalls and at least three dozen families have left through the southern gate in the past hour alone."

Sylvia looked worried hearing this, she hadn’t expected the situation to escalate so quickly. The troublemakers had accomplished exactly what they intended even after failing to provoke Caelus directly.

Caelus remained calm.

He didn’t immediately panic or rush toward the town gates, instead he opened the Town Management interface with a casual gesture.

The familiar blue window appeared before his eyes, displaying Genesis Town’s current statistics with updated information.

[Genesis Town - Population Overview]

[Players: 4,836]

[NPC Residents: 17,512]

[Merchants: 863]

[Profession Holders: 1,247]

[Total Population: 24,458]

[Prosperity: 64%]

Caelus quietly studied the numbers, his eyes moving across each line methodically. The population had decreased and prosperity had dropped slightly but the changes weren’t catastrophic.

He closed the window after a brief glance.ng his response, her protective instincts making her want to act immediately.

"Should we stop the people from leaving? We could send guards to explain the situation or offer reassurances that Genesis is safe." Sylvia asked.

Caelus shook his head firmly.

"No, a town isn’t built by forcing people to stay. It’s built by giving them a reason to."

Mason nodded slowly in understanding, though his expression still carried worry about Genesis’s future.

Caelus turned toward Sylvia with renewed focus, his mind already moving past the immediate crisis toward long-term solutions.

"Let’s inspect Genesis again, we need to find what we are missing."

Sylvia readily agreed.

They moved toward the storage district next where NPC workers moved supplies between warehouses, the organization looked haphazard at best with no clear system for managing inventory.

Public resting areas were almost nonexistent, players had nowhere to sit except scattered benches that were always occupied.

Caelus noticed several players standing, discussing whether to stay or leave, their worried conversations drifting across the quiet streets.

While walking through the residential district they noticed a large fenced-off construction area near the eastern boundary, several NPC workers stood nearby but weren’t actively working on anything.

A massive stone monument stood at the entrance displaying what appeared to be a system notification carved into its surface.

Curiosity pulled them forward.

They walked over and read the glowing text embedded in the stone.

[Town Notification]

[An Origin Ore Vein beneath Genesis Town will naturally surface in approximately 22 hours.]

[The mine is currently sealed while the vein finishes forming.]

[Mining operations will become available once the formation process completes.]

Caelus paused completely, his eyes reading the notification twice to make sure he understood correctly.

Everything suddenly clicked into place inside his mind.

Shadow Halberd Guild sending troublemakers to Genesis. the attempted provocation designed to make him look violent, the rumors deliberately spread to cause residents to flee.

None of it was random.

"So this is it," he said with a smile.

"They weren’t after Genesis, they were after what was beneath Genesis."

Sylvia looked at the unopened mine again, her expression shifting as understanding dawned.

An undeveloped Origin Ore Vein was an incredibly valuable resource that could support an entire guild/town equipment needs for years.

She finally understood why multiple guilds had begun moving against such a newly established town, the land itself was worth more than anyone realized.

Caelus’s chat interface suddenly rang with an incoming message, the familiar notification sound breaking through his thoughts.

He opened the interface and saw Chad’s name.

[Chad: Need backup? My guild can probably spare a few people if things get serious. This is the best I can do to help you Caelus.]

Caelus smiled reading the message, appreciating the offer despite knowing he wouldn’t accept it.

[Caelus: Thanks, but not yet. I’ll handle it.]

[Chad: Alright, message me anytime if things get serious. I mean it.]

[Caelus: I will, thanks again.]

The conversation ended and Caelus closed the interface, silently grateful for having dependable friends who offered help without expecting anything in return.

Caelus opened the management interface again, this time studying it with much more attention than before. The window expanded showing various categories and functions they had barely explored previously.

He navigated through different sections methodically with Sylvia reading beside him, both of them discovering details they had completely overlooked.

They found that Genesis currently charged a fixed 5% town tax, the system automatically collecting it at the end of each month from various sources. Player sales inside Genesis were taxed, NPC businesses paid their share, town-operated facilities contributed as well.

A small timer displayed at the bottom of the tax information.

[23 days remaining until monthly settlement]

Caelus quickly calculated the potential income in his head but immediately realized something problematic, even if they received substantial tax revenue Genesis still had massive expenses.

Infrastructure maintenance required constant funding, public facilities needed upgrades, guard salaries had to be paid, future town improvements would cost enormous amounts, resource transportation wasn’t free.

Simply collecting taxes wouldn’t solve everything, they needed consistent income from multiple sources if Genesis was going to survive long-term.

Caelus looked back toward the unopened mine, his expression thoughtful as he considered their options.

"Fortunately we won’t have to wait long."

He pointed toward the ore vein with confidence returning to his voice.

"Once this opens Genesis will finally have its own industry."

Sylvia smiled beside him.

"Looks like things are finally starting to move."

They both stood quietly looking at the unopened Origin Ore Vein, knowing tomorrow would determine Genesis’s future. The mine represented hope for the struggling town and a weapon against the guilds trying to destroy them from within.

Just then, Caelus suddenly frowned, a system notification appeared in his vision.