I Hate Manual Labor (2)
I followed the crowd, shuffling along with them. The depths of the gate, already stripped of most resources, were barren enough to deserve the name ruins.
Walking the desolate path—no blade of grass in sight—a massive dirt mound soon loomed into view. There, people dropped their backpacks and unpacked their mining gear.
Mining usually conjured images of deep shafts and coal dust, but this was different. Everything in this mana-rich otherworld defied the rules of our own.
The miners claimed their spots and drew pickaxes.
I reached into my backpack and pulled mine out too.
Unfolding the collapsible handle and snapping it onto the head completed the tool.
It looked makeshift, but blade to grip, every part was forged from gate byproducts.
Regular metal corroded the instant it crossed dimensions, crumbling like tofu against the local ores. That was why this pickaxe cost a fortune in the millions of won—no choice for a miner but to buy one.
Assembly done, the real grind began. Quota: 15kg. Anything beyond was ours to pocket, so eyes blazing, everyone tore into the earth.
Even so, hitting quota then grabbing extras wasn't easy.
Not unless you had a special talent.
I closed my eyes, focusing inward.
Maybe because of my mental talents, I was hypersensitive to mana flows. Especially after Seol Rokjin had wrung me dry using them nonstop—I'd grown even sharper since.
Everything in a gate held mana. Even the air hummed with it. Normal senses couldn't isolate mana stones amid the noise.
But mine could. I sifted the mana calmly, mapping concentrations. Like echolocation scanning the world, I pinpointed the stones buried below.
Got one.
Not long into swinging the pickaxe, the tip snagged on something.
I dug it free: a mana stone, crystal-clear, sunlight piercing straight through. "Stone" was a misnomer, really. It mimicked rock's hardness, but this was pure congealed energy, not ore.
When gates first appeared, whoever found these had screamed Eureka at the untapped power slumbering inside.
Ten years back, before formulas let us fine-tune output, mana stones powered plants and nothing else.
Government scooped them up for energy projects—that was the end of it.
Now? Every gadget ran on them. No pollution, endless supply from gates—humanity dubbed it a divine gift. Sure, miners risked mana poisoning and death harvesting them, but who among the users cared?
Mana stones ruled as the gate's hottest byproduct.
No machines worked inside, so it was all manual. Miners typically spaced out, sweeping probable zones.
But these brimmed with mana, and with my sensitivity, brute force wasn't needed.
I slipped it into a pouch from my pack.
One down.
Locations lit up like beacons; filling the pouch flew by.
Old me would've quit there. Not anymore—I grabbed a second pouch. No more glancing over shoulders.
"Huff... huff..."
Five hours ticked down; ragged breaths filled the air as picks hammered relentlessly.
Time up, alarms shrieked in chorus.
Only then did backs straighten.
"Damn, still short."
"One more hour—what's it hurt?"
"Mana poisoning, they say."
Grumbles all around, but our shift was over. Im Hyun-su sidled up, whistling at me.
"Whoa, look at you. Killed it today, huh?"
"Haha, luck was on my side."
Others nursed one full pouch at best; mine bulged with two and a half. Double the take.
Even with spots pinpointed, digging took time—yield wasn't huge.
Im Hyun-su eyed me, muttering low.
"Luck my ass."
Others chimed in, staring at my haul.
"Right? Solo vein or what?"
"Mana stones got veins?"
"Nah, they suck up ambient mana—scattered solo. Makes it weirder."
Stinging glares bored in; I looked away, silent.
Make bank, bail. Their yapping? Not my circus.
Years under Seol Rokjin had toughened my hide nicely.
"Secret trick we don't know?"
Im Hyun-su grinned, poking. Experience let me brush it off easy. Ignoring the whispers, I trailed the guide out.
A brushing sensation swept my body—then fresh air.
Mugginess fled; life returned. Cool breeze chilled sweat-drenched skin.
"Set your mined stones here."
We dumped pouches on the scale. Quota: 15kg. Few bonuses today.
Some fell short.
"C-can't you check again?"
Han Jo-hee. She'd looked off; quota fail.
12kg only—3kg shy. Man shook his head.
"Sorry, rules are rules. I'm just staff..."
"Aigoo, Jo-hee. Can't dock her pay."
Im Hyun-su tsked beside me. I checked my pouches. Two crammed; 3kg was peanuts.
But did I have room to play Robin Hood?
My own plate was full. Right—quick cash, ghost. Plan A.
Helping her? Zilch gain. Stranger anyway.
That thought hit wrong—like him, not me.
Old me was a busybody. Gruff exterior, soft core—couldn't say no to need.
Seol Rokjin despised it. "You'll pay for spreading kindness everywhere," he'd sneer. Then "fixed" the habit himself.
Bit by bit, he'd twisted the real me.
Fury surged hot.
Screw you, Seol Rokjin.
"Hold up."
I stepped up, dumping a few stones from my small pouch onto hers.
"Uh?"
"This work?"
"N-not that it doesn't..."
Quick glance at Han Jo-hee; I fell back. She blinked, then bowed thanks.
"Th-thank you."
Shrug, rejoin line. Im Hyun-su snatched my wrist.
"You nuts?"
Swear reflex twitched.
He'd baited her pitfall; mad I interfered—but so blatant.
My look made him backpedal.
"You're scraping by too—why help?"
"Solo act here. Family men got less slack."
"Still. Don't. Helps her zilch—better off without."
Sounded advisory, but I knew his game. Helping her irked him; needed her desperate for his "savior" snare.
"Luck today."
Face curdled bile, but mask up. Short-term play.
Scale called; payout: 1.3 million won.
Solid daily, but peanuts for the haul.
Fist-sized stones topped 100k each.
Gave 3kg away, still cleared 30kg.
This pittance?
Gate fees gouging how much?
Inward sigh.
Ponder miner gig at home.
Van back to office, Han Jo-hee bowed nonstop.
"Thanks. Knew I shorted—world blackened. Like I said, expenses spiked lately..."
"Luck. Shared to dodge backlash."
Line drawn. Aid cuz bailing soon. Swept free cuz of it.
Cold words, but gratitude lingered.
"Dinner? My treat."
Pass? Nah—free grub beat goshiwon ramen.
"Oh, me too?"
Im Hyun-su; grin locked.
"Ayy, Hyun-su hyung. Jo-hee's buying me—you crashing awkward."
"Tell her solo buy. I'll tag my dime."
"You there, can't chow guilt-free. Yeah?"
Fluster flickered—his me was mumbling dork.
Onlookers jumped in.
"Yeah, Hyun-su. Grub with us? Booze?"
"Sure, whatever."
Im Hyun-su peeled off with bros, side-eyeing us nonstop.