"If only there were a massive jewelry store around right now. I'd rush in and loot the whole place! Even if I couldn't get anything else, there'd be more than enough gold and silver to go around!"
Logan rolled over lazily. The dry branches beneath him let out a crisp crackle. Even though he wasn't asleep yet, he was already deep into a daydream.
But a moment later, as if struck by a sudden realization, he snapped out of it and leaped up from his bed, pondering the flash of inspiration that had just crossed his mind.
Speaking of jewelry, one had to mention the unique "jewelry culture" of this world. Because of the existence of so many miraculous creatures, jade and traditional precious metals weren't the mainstream as they were in Logan's previous life. Instead, unique body parts from certain biological organisms were the items most sought after.
For example, there were Basarios Tears, the White Scales of a Purple Ludroth, and the scales of Goldenfry and Platinumfish.
Setting the first two aside for a moment, Goldenfry and Platinumfish were species that looked remarkably similar to the Arowanas of Logan's previous world. Their scales shone as brilliantly as gold and platinum; some individual scales could even sell for several thousand Zenny apiece.
Due to the influence of Bioenergy and their unique evolutionary paths, these scales weren't just for show. They actually contained high concentrations of real gold and platinum—exactly what Logan's body needed for its growth.
"I remember doing quests in the game... where did I catch them? Was it the Coral Highlands? Whatever, I'll go check it out first!"
Logan gave the still-slumbering Zhu Peiniang a slap to wake it up, earning a series of disgruntled grunts. He then led the way out of the cave.
The real world wasn't like the game; you couldn't just click a mouse to fast-travel between zones.
The Coral Highlands were located in the center of the New World, surrounded by towering, precipitous canyons. If one looked down from a high altitude, the region looked like a piece of colorful candy wrapped in brown parchment—very enticing.
To reach that area, they had to cross the entirety of the Wildspire Waste and climb steep mountains. It was a grueling journey.
To prepare, Logan and Zhu Peiniang made sure to gorge themselves on a massive meal, allowing their bodies to store enough nutrients before setting off.
The benefit of being an animal was the lack of heavy luggage or daily necessities. The sky was their roof and the earth was their bed; they could rest anywhere. As they traveled, the effects of the rising temperature became apparent. Carrier Ants began to emerge from their mounds, and tiny buds sprouted atop the clusters of cacti.
Though the barren Wildspire Waste held a vigorous hidden vitality, its color palette was ultimately monotonous, making the trek somewhat boring.
The journey was peaceful, and after more than a week, the two giant beasts finally finished crossing the Wildspire Waste. At this point, the ground beneath their feet began to turn moist, and low shrubs started to appear. Thanks to the warming weather, thorny branches had grown tender leaves shaped like sparrow tongues. From a distance, they looked like soft green tufts—a truly beautiful sight.
As they pressed on, the soil deepened, and the shrubbery transitioned into a lush forest. However, the trees here were relatively short. Even those reaching heights of nearly a hundred meters couldn't compare to the vast sea of trees in the Ancient Forest.
As they drew closer to the great circular canyon, the terrain began to rise, and a large number of small, rolling hills appeared.
At the base of a gentle slope, Logan discovered a streak of black exposed on the ground. Moving closer, it looked like an open-pit coal seam, but the texture was denser, and the surface had a faint luster like polished rock.
"Is this... Dragonvein Coal?"
He pried a piece off with his claw and examined it closely, though he still couldn't be certain. After all, there was always some discrepancy between the simple graphics of a game and the real thing.
To test his theory, a powerful electrical current began to flicker between Logan's claws. It pierced the air, forming a dancing arc of high-temperature plasma. When the plasma touched the black stone in his claw, the rock instantly ignited, bursting into a brilliant white light as the temperature skyrocketed.
Even with Logan's high heat resistance, the object quickly became too hot to handle. He hurriedly flicked his claw and tossed it to the ground.
The stone tumbled a few times before getting wedged in a crevice. Immediately, the surrounding grey-brown rock began to turn red. The point of contact started to melt, flowing down like thick, viscous syrup.
"Such a high temperature... they say the thermal energy released by this stuff is dozens of times higher than regular coal. I wonder if that's true."
Logan watched the Dragonvein Coal melt a small pit into the ground. He felt that the "dozens of times" claim might be an exaggeration, likely referring to the total energy density rather than the combustion temperature. After all, regular coal burns at around 1,000°C. If this were dozens of times hotter, wouldn't it be tens of thousands of degrees? No ordinary furnace could hold that; most materials in the world would be melted through.
Still, the burning temperature of this coal was indeed impressive—easily enough to melt the ground. He estimated it was at least 3,000°C, far exceeding any coal from his previous life. Furthermore, it didn't just burn hot; it lasted a long time and burned incredibly cleanly. Aside from the rising carbon dioxide and a tiny amount of ash, it left almost no impurities behind.
This was likely another manifestation of Bioenergy altering the properties of matter. Plants that absorbed Bioenergy over long periods became denser and tougher, resulting in carbon that contained far more energy.
Logan pried another piece from the exposed vein and popped it into his mouth—he had to taste such high-quality fuel. While he couldn't extract energy from it directly, the carbon and various trace elements it contained still provided a boost to his physical growth.
Continuing forward, the exposed mineral vein gradually widened. What started as a shallow streak barely half a meter wide expanded to a diameter of three or four meters, looking like a small black stream.
Along this section of the vein, Logan found signs of excavation. Messy chunks of coal were scattered everywhere. Combined with the deep gouges on the surrounding rock walls, one specific monster immediately came to mind: Glavenus.
It was a large carnivore known for consuming ore and coal; its presence here wasn't surprising at all.
Just then, a powerful roar echoed from ahead, seemingly confirming Logan's suspicion. He instinctively quickened his pace.
The two beasts leaped and darted nimbly through the complex terrain of hills and trees. As they drew closer, a piercing grinding sound reached their ears. Upon cresting a ridge, a giant beast clad in metallic plating appeared before Logan and Zhu Peiniang. It swung its thick, long tail, repeatedly whetting the sharp blade against its own body.
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