Chapter 001 I Do Not Want to Die

As the bright light ahead drew closer, Xiao Hong remained expressionless, leaping forward with one hand grasping the rope hanging at the mine's exit, while the other hand drove the pickaxe into the rock. With a powerful push, he agilely flipped himself out of the mine.

I didn't expect it to flare up at this time, this is bad

Ding ding ding

Behind Xiao Hong, the scorching heat wave surged forth like the gaping maw of a beast, ready to engulf him. All Xiao Hong could do now was quicken his pace; a single misstep would undoubtedly lead to his demise.

After a year of exploration and learning, a pharmacist informed Xiao Hong that there is a type of jade spirit grass that may be helpful for his condition, but it would only provide assistance and not a cure

It is a pity that although Xiao Hong has made some achievements in pharmacology, his progress in mastering and creating magic patterns has indeed been slow. The reason for this lies in his insufficient control, as the strength of the control within his body directly determines the degree of mastery and the power of creating magic patterns.

This is the finished product of jade—magic patterns, closely related to this world, whether in life or in warfare

Xiao Hong originally lived in a remote mountain village. Four years ago, a strange disease broke out in the village, resulting in the death of all its inhabitants, including Xiao Hong's parents and sister, with no one spared. The initial symptoms were pain, followed by massive organ hemorrhage—leading to death.

The books he currently possesses were not purchased by him; rather, they were picked up. Each time graduation approaches for the students at the academy, such books are discarded by students as if they were trash, and they can be found everywhere around the campus. However, in Xiao Hong's eyes, these books are treasures, especially the slightly worn ones, as they contain the notes taken by students during lectures.

Slowly getting up from the ground, Xiao Hong sat down at the table, opened a book on medicine, and began to study it meticulously. He was very clear that this was the only way to save himself. If he wanted to live, he had to make progress and heal himself

Here, Xiao Hong has been here for quite some time, and his grasp of time can be described as exceptionally precise.

It can be said that at this point, time has become extremely pressing; however, Xiao Hong, squatting on the ground and striking the rocks, maintained a calm demeanor.

Fortunately, it is not completely shattered. Xiao Hong furrowed his brow and let out a soft sigh. He then wedged the sharp hoe into the crevice and gently pried out a palm-sized piece of white jade, making every effort to keep it intact. He carefully placed it into the compartment of the wooden box.

Holding his chest, Xiao Hong struggled to get up from the ground. He paid no attention to Li Le or the few idle individuals beside him, and somewhat unsteadily made his way to the second floor. The number of people in the third-level mine tunnel had noticeably increased, all of them ragged youths. Above the third floor, there was no danger at all

Only Xiao Hong survived this catastrophe, but he was also deeply troubled by this affliction. The pain, which penetrated to the marrow, often flared up. Using the last of his savings, he visited several relatively well-known pharmacists, all of whom provided the same conclusion: it was an incurable disease, certain to be fatal; it was merely a matter of time

At that moment, a very casual knocking sound suddenly rang out

At the very moment he instinctively clutched his chest, Xiao Hong emitted such a sound. He then gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the crane beak hoe, seizing every moment to pry the rock before him from the crack, and quickly placed it into the wooden box, making it exactly the tenth piece.

Having received his wages, Xiao Hong walked towards a secluded corner of the construction site, where there stood a dilapidated wooden cabin. It was located at the edge of the quarry, one side nestled against the forest. The cabin was not very large, approximately 20 square meters, and appeared small and inconspicuous among the nearby stone structures.

Gradually, under the illumination of the dim yellow light and magical patterns, the white rocks on the cliff have begun to crack and detach

Reaching into his pocket with a hand that appeared somewhat rough from handling books, Xiao Hong took out a piece of white jade the size of a chess piece. Unlike the mined white jade, this one bore intricate and mysterious patterns. By channeling his internal force, the patterns transformed into a reddish-orange hue, which represented the Time Magic Pattern; different colors signified different times.

In the next moment, a spray of fresh blood erupted from Xiao Hong's mouth, splattering onto the book and forming mottled red dots

Shh... Xiao Hong, lying on the upper mining tunnel, let out a slight sigh. There was a faint pain in his forearm, a small burn that was the result of the few seconds wasted earlier when he had clutched his chest.

Suddenly, Xiao Hong's expression changed dramatically, a hint of unusual color appearing in his eyes. His face slightly contorted in pain, and one hand tightly clutched his chest, as if he were exerting considerable force.

Is this Xiao Hong's residence? A strange voice came from outside the door

Even so, for Xiao Hong, it represents a kind of hope. However, the Yuling Grass is quite valuable, with a single plant costing twenty gold, which amounts to two hundred thousand copper coins

Therefore, Xiao Hong must seize the time, and distinguishing white jade is a task that requires considerable experience. After all, the vast majority of white jade will not be directly exposed to view as it was just now, but rather hidden within the rocks

Xiao Hong can now clearly feel that the temperature around him has begun to rise continuously, reaching approximately over 40 degrees. If he cannot leave this place before evening, the scalding lava will boil the underground water, turning this area into a large steamer, and anyone here will surely perish

After so many years of medical study, Xiao Hong was well aware of what it meant to cough up blood; it was a precursor to massive hemorrhaging, and life would not extend beyond three days. With such thoughts in mind, a hint of despair subtly emerged in Xiao Hong's eyes, his hands involuntarily trembled, and his eyelids slightly reddened.

Five full minutes had passed. In the midst of his suffering, Xiao Hong struggled continuously, extending his trembling hand towards the desk. He groped around and managed to grasp a small medicine bottle, then placed a green pill into his mouth. After that, he quietly lay down on the cold floor, the pain and exhaustion rendering him unwilling to move even a little.

The time left for Xiao Hong is already limited; even a second's delay at night could result in him being scorched by the rising heat wave, or even facing immediate death

In the blink of an eye, half an hour has passed, a fleeting moment indeed. The temperature in the mine has begun to rise sharply, approaching sixty degrees. The humidity in the surroundings has also started to become scorching, and the air inhaled through the nose has turned scalding.

This ... ...

In the face of a life as fragile as a candle in the wind, Xiao Hong did not give up. He began to learn medicine on his own to save himself, no longer relying on anyone else. He firmly believed that my fate is determined by me, not by heaven

This is the Dongcheng Quarry, where Xiao Hong has been working for three full years

Once a mistake is identified, cutting away a piece of ordinary rock will render all previous efforts futile, wasting both time and effort

The battered yet sturdy pickaxe struck the rock face with varying intensity, the force and precision perfectly calibrated. The sound of "ding ding" echoed continuously in the narrow and deep mine tunnel. Within the entire tunnel, there was only one figure, tall and slender, repeatedly performing the striking motion.

Look, I told you that Hong Ge would come out at the last moment. Come on, come on, come on, everyone gets ten copper coins, no cheating now

Puff!

Identification and collection: a complete method has been developed to preserve the white jade within the rock.

It took more than ten minutes for the pain in the chest to somewhat subside, and there was a sense of calming. At times, the pain would be unbearable; this is the main characteristic of the peculiar illness that Xiao Hong suffers from.

However, Xiao Hong did not give up at all. In order to survive, he came here to work as a miner, doing whatever could earn him money. He also actively studied medicine and magical runes with Tu Shu.

Upon seeing such a red dot, Xiao Hong could not help but emit such a sound, his face turning pale, his eyes involuntarily widening, and he became petrified on the spot

Standing at the mine entrance halfway up the mountain, below lies a somewhat dilapidated cluster of buildings. At the center is a stone yard where white jade is polished and shaped, surrounded by the worn structures. The horizon is left with only a faint yellow glow, and the towering giant light magic patterns around the stone yard gradually illuminate.

Life can be wonderfully enchanting at times, and it is this attachment to "life" that has allowed Xiao Hong to crawl back from the brink of death time and again

For Xiao Hong, who frequently navigates the fourth level of the mixed mining tunnel, his grasp of time is usually precise to the second

Is there really no hope? I don't want to die... Xiao Hong couldn't help but voice such thoughts. After three years of relentless effort, he had managed to accumulate 18 gold coins. However, he was still two gold coins short of purchasing the Jade Spirit Grass. Acquiring two gold coins within three days seemed almost impossible.

Cough cough cough

This small pill was developed and formulated by Xiao Hong through his own exploration, and it is of no help for his illness; its only purpose is to relieve pain

Last year, Xiao Hong found a set of lecture notes from a lecturer at the Academy of Magic, which excited him for several nights at that time

Suddenly, just as Xiao Hong was studying the book under the dim light of the magical patterns, he couldn't help but let out a few violent coughs

Enduring the intense pain in his chest, Xiao Hong crawled out of the mine. A rush of fresh air greeted him, cool yet gentle. He couldn't help but take a deep breath, trying to let this clarity soothe the sharp pain in his chest.

With the faint glow of the magical runes, the mine shaft below, filled with waves of heat, has begun to appear subtly distorted

Most of it pertains to the field of medicine and the creation of magical runes

Swiftly sealing the wooden box and carrying it on his back, Xiao, wielding a pickaxe, sprinted towards a distant glimmer of light. Although his expression bore some pain, his steps appeared exceptionally agile.

However, it is fortunate that Xiao Hong has worked for three full years in the collection of white jade. Although his experience cannot be considered top-notch, he can definitely be regarded as a seasoned expert.

There is approximately half an hour left, and three pieces are still needed; time must be seized. Xiao Hong sighed softly, wiped the sweat from his forehead, adjusted the glowing magic pattern entwined in his hair that emitted a dim yellow light, and picked up the pickaxe to search for the next piece of white jade.

At that moment, a sharp and piercing voice suddenly reached Xiao Hong's ears. With such a distinctive tone, Xiao Hong naturally knew who it belonged to; it was Li Le

As for the room where Xiao Hong is located, it is also exceptionally simple. Next to a broken wooden bed is an old wooden table. On the opposite wall, there is a bookshelf filled to the brim with tattered books. Beside it, there are also bundles of books, neatly stacked there.

Descending the mountain, Xiao Hong submitted the collected raw white jade stones and received two silver coins in return, equivalent to two hundred copper coins. This amount is four times that of an ordinary miner, as the white jade stones collected by Xiao Hong were of high quality, found only on the fourth level of the mine. Entering the fourth level entails risking one's life; a single misstep could lead to death, with no chance of escape.

Pushing open the broken wooden door, with a thud, in the next moment, Xiao Hong collapsed directly onto the floor of his home. The expression of pain, as restrained as possible, was already etched across his entire face. His hands tightly clutched his chest, his body curled up into a ball, and large beads of sweat rolled down. Despite his efforts to suppress it, groans of pain involuntarily escaped from his nostrils, embodying suffering, loneliness, and desolation

The moment he thought of this, Xiao Hong's heart was engulfed in darkness, devoid of light; all hope collapsed at that instant

Xiao Hong chose this job because ... He is in great need of money