John's friends lapsed into a respectful silence, letting him work through the mountain of loot.
The sheer volume of items he had brought back was staggering—hundreds of scales and demonic artifacts piled like a junk dealer's dream. However, as the hacking process continued, a more surprising and slightly terrifying phenomenon began to occur.
The rocks that covered the ridge and formed the base of the hill began to change. The vibrant, pulsating blue, green, and white lights that had characterized the Mana mine started to dim. Slowly, the glowing veins flickered and faded, turning into dull, grey, ordinary-looking stones. The sight gave everyone a scare, including John himself. It looked as though he was literally devouring the soul of the mountain.
