Back in his small, broken wooden hut, Su Zhan shut the door behind him.
Wind blew through the cracks. The room was cold, dark, and smelled of dust.
He sat down, took out the low-grade spirit stone, and slowly placed it on the black mark in his palm.
Just like before, the low-grade spirit stone began to melt into his skin.
The black mark glowed again. Bright light filled the room.
Then, the light faded.
Nothing happened.
Again.
"That's the third pure low-grade spirit stone," Su Zhan muttered. "Still no result?"
Would it take ten stones? A hundred?
But pure low-grade spirit stones were too rare. In the outside world, 10 impure low-grade stones made one pure low-grade stone. Here, it took 100.
A single pure low-grade spirit stone could buy a house outside. But in this mine? It was barely enough for two small meals.
Worse, food in the mine was crazy expensive. A bowl of noodles cost 5 gold. A full meal could cost dozens.
Su Zhan's savings were almost gone. He could maybe eat one more time.
He looked down at his hand.
"If I stop feeding the mark, I might never awaken it," he said softly.
"But if I keep feeding it… I'll starve."
He sat silently for a moment.
Then clenched his teeth. "Forget it. I'll take the risk. If this works… I won't be stuck in this hell anymore."
He didn't place the stone right away. He waited until he was sure he was alone.
Then he moved the stone into his right hand.
The black mark flashed again. The stone melted instantly.
Light filled the room once more, shining in his eyes.
But after that…
Still nothing.
Su Zhan stared at his hand in frustration.
"Nothing again? Just how many do you want?"
He looked down at the empty floor.
"Three low-grade spirit stones… and no return."
His voice was soft.
"If I have to stay here another year just to activate this thing… I'll be dead long before that."
In this mine, people died every day.
Some were beaten to death. Some starved. Some worked until they collapsed and were never seen again.
Life meant nothing here.
Even if you were killed in front of everyone, no one would care.
This was why Su Zhan had swallowed his anger earlier. He had no power.
He was just a worm in the dirt.
"We're both transmigrators," he muttered to the air. "But my luck really sucks."
His stomach growled again.
He sighed, stood up, and walked toward the door.
"I guess I'll find someone to borrow food from tomorrow…"
But just as he turned—
He froze.