Chapter 70: The Chubby One Who Longed to Grow Strong

"Mine! Mine! Mine! My precious mine!" The sight of the green crystal vein made Luo Yong so overjoyed he could hardly contain himself. But once his excitement faded, he started pondering just how much money these treasures could be exchanged for.

As a popular saying on Blue Star goes: earning money without spending it is as good as not earning at all!

Though things are rarely that absolute, Luo Yong believed that anyone capable of making money must also know how to spend it. When it's time to spend, you must be decisive; if money can solve a problem, there's no need to make things complicated!

"By the way, Gem Appraiser, how much do you think this green crystal mine is worth?" Luo Yong turned to the chubby fellow beside him.

"Uh...well..." The fat man, who usually boasted of his discerning eye for treasures, now looked unsettled before the green crystal mine, as if he were gazing at a mountain of gold.

"I—I don't know. It's hard to say. Its value is...difficult to estimate..." he replied hesitantly.

"The main thing is, how do we deal with it?" At that moment, Mira suddenly spoke up.

She had been struck by a psychic attack earlier, and although the barbarian priest had treated her in time, she still needed a long rest—waking only slightly before Luo Yong. She hadn't been with the group when they discovered the mine, and was only now learning about it.

"Generally, you'd partner with a magic shop or an alchemy workshop, hand over the mining rights, and collect a share of the profits..."

"No, no, no!" Luo Yong shook his head vigorously, waving his hand. "I can't stand middlemen skimming off the top!"

"Wait, isn't Dodo an alchemy sprite? We could mine it ourselves, couldn't we?" Elia, ever the miser, looked at Luo Yong expectantly.

She was the very definition of a hoarder—so tightfisted that even sitting atop a mountain of gold, she wouldn’t let a single coin slip away, let alone allow a middleman to profit. If it came to that, she’d rather leave the mine untouched than let anyone else benefit.

At times, Luo Yong couldn't help but admire her resolve.

Relentless!

"Dodo may be an alchemy sprite, but mining a full vein of ore is probably beyond her strength," Mira questioned with uncertainty.

"Dodo!" Luo Yong called out.

"Yes, Dodo's here!" Unnoticed by the others, Dodo had already scampered over to the green crystal mine, curiously reaching out to touch the crystals alongside Sally, a smile flickering across her face.

It was just like the saying: girls simply can't resist shiny things.

"Are you ready to become a master forger?" Luo Yong asked.

"Yes! Dodo is ready!" she said, waving her fists energetically.

"Then let's begin—let's break into the forging business!"

"Alright! Dodo will start now!"

While speaking, Wendy took Sally back from Dodo, who selected a spot next to the green crystal vein, gathered some leftover materials, and began constructing a forge workshop on the spot.

Ahem.

In other words, a classic blacksmith’s shop.

"An alchemy sprite can smith weapons too?!" the Storm Sorcerer exclaimed in disbelief.

"She really can do anything!"

The Wild Hunter took out a magical delicacy Dodo had made and began to eat.

"The main thing is, Luo Yong can afford to keep her," Wendy sighed.

"That's right. I've heard that alchemy sprites are incredibly resource-hungry at the start—most groups just can't support them!"

"You could say that every one of an alchemy sprite’s specialized skills is built on a mountain of gold..."

"Even her cooking?" the Wild Hunter asked suddenly, still munching away.

"…"

"Just eat," someone muttered.

"Hmph!"

Suddenly, Dodo’s angry snort came from not far away—it sounded as if she were truly upset.

"Dodo hears someone talking behind her back!"

Everyone saw her serious expression and immediately started waving their hands, shaking their heads.

"No, no!"

"Impossible!"

"Dodo is so wonderful, so beautiful, so adorable, so capable—who would say anything bad about Dodo?!"

They soothed her like a child, spouting obvious lies, all terrified that the alchemy sprite might hold a grudge and never cook for them again.

Better to risk Luo Yong’s wrath than Dodo’s—this was the consensus they’d all reached in recent days.

"Really? Maybe Dodo just misheard," she said, tilting her head thoughtfully, then shrugged and went back to building the forge.

Luo Yong hadn’t expected that a casual idea of his would actually lead to a blacksmith's shop.

Still, with Dodo’s forging skills, their team’s weapons and armor could all be produced in-house—a significant savings! Compared to simply pouring money into upgrades, this would cut costs dramatically.

And the money saved? Luo Yong had other plans—there were always more things to invest in!

A pay-to-win mage never stops spending!

Suddenly, Luo Yong remembered something and felt a pang in his heart.

"Do you think...in that Bear Island secret realm, there might be mineral veins like this?"

"Huh?" At his words, all eyes turned to Lillian, the other secret realm holder.

"If that’s true, then in the Lion Island secret realm..."

"If so, our little team holds two resource mines!"

"Lillian...you..." Wendy looked at their newest teammate with concern. After all, owning a secret realm was leverage—she could negotiate terms and wasn’t bound to their small group.

"Don’t worry," Lillian replied, glancing nonchalantly at her beautiful companions. "Even if there are resources in the Lion Island secret realm, I’m not leaving this team—for now. As long as...no one targets me."

The group fell silent.

So both sides were powerhouses—no one could afford to offend either.

"I may need to rest a while longer," Luo Yong said, stretching. The aftereffects of using his peerless skill had taken a greater toll than expected, leaving him feeling weak and vulnerable, as if fate had slipped beyond his control.

"For now, let’s stick close and hunt monsters around here. Make the trip worthwhile and don’t waste time," he instructed.

Because of the green spiders lurking nearby, no one had dared venture far, choosing instead to hunt near their makeshift camp—so thoroughly that not a single creature remained, not even after turning over every stone.

"Alright, let’s use this vein as our base and train here," said Wendy.

"Good idea. I’ll have Dodo build a simple camp nearby," Luo Yong replied.

"Let’s not trouble Dodo—she’s busy enough as it is. With so many of us, we can handle it ourselves," Mira said.

"Exactly. As new members, we can’t just accept team benefits without lifting a finger," Lillian added. Drinking a potion to boost her energy and constitution, she truly felt its effects. "Let me and Mira handle the new camp," she volunteered.

She’d meant to do it alone—she always had, in the past. But after a moment’s hesitation, she realized it was time to change. She was no longer alone and needed to learn to be part of the group.

"Alright. You dig the trenches and build the walls, I’ll set up the brambles," Mira said.

"Got it," Lillian nodded, heading off to get started.

"Normally, there’d be more to set up, but in this secret realm..." Elia tried to shirk her duties.

"It’s no different here than outside. Once they’re done, you go add your part—we won’t always stay in the secret realm, so everything that needs doing must be done," Wendy said seriously.

"In that case, I’ll..." The Wild Hunter considered pitching in—maybe set up a lookout post or a hidden sentry.

"Uh, Brother Luo Yong..." The fat man sidled up to Luo Yong while the others were busy, speaking in a low voice. "I...is there anything I can do? I can’t really help right now...but I want to get stronger, too."

"It’s good that you think that way," Luo Yong said, regarding him thoughtfully. His class was indeed a bit underwhelming, but not beyond saving.

"Have you ever considered changing classes? Learning a new profession might suit you better than being a meat shield," Luo Yong suggested.

"I have, but class change scrolls are so hard to get, and you need to be a certain level to qualify. My level’s stuck, and I can’t afford a scroll," the fat man admitted, troubled.

"Well, I give up—no ordinary person could save you," Luo Yong replied, deadpan. He patted the fat man's shoulder, and, while no one was looking, slipped him several bottles of energy and stamina potions.

"Brother, I’m stuck at my level too, but we can’t let ourselves be trapped forever. With these potions and some rune stones, you’ll be able to level up normally. Once you hit level eight, you should unlock your exclusive skill and be able to hunt on your own."

"Oh, ho ho..." The fat man accepted the potions with a peculiar expression, but he wasn’t stupid—he knew exactly what was going on. Without Luo Yong even saying so, he quickly stowed the items away, glancing around furtively.

No one seemed to notice—except the little girl always by Luo Yong’s side.