Chapter 106: You Really Are an Irresistible Little Temptress (30/75)

The original number of miners in the Heishan Mine was around two thousand.

At that time, every mine tunnel was so crowded it was difficult to move.

Although there were many people, the workload and mining quota kept increasing.

And because there were so many, each person could dig less.

Wages were harshly deducted.

People were often beaten for failing to complete their tasks.

In contrast, there used to be several team leaders in each mine tunnel.

And many overseers.

But after Terrence’s last large-scale escape, more than half the miners fled.

The number of miners in the entire Heishan Mine plummeted.

Correspondingly, the number of overseers and team leaders also dropped sharply.

But each person’s workload increased even more.

“Will any of the miners hold a grudge against you?”

Willis asked Terrence cautiously, her gaze fixed on the overseer calling names ahead.

Terrence nodded grimly.

“There are miners who hate and curse us, too.”

These people didn’t have the courage to run.

When others escaped and their own workload increased, it was natural to feel resentment and anger.

But more people accumulated mounting resentment under such oppression.

“Three people from the second mining team escaped! All of you, get in the mine and work for three days!”

“Two people from the eleventh mining team escaped! Everyone, work for two days straight! And no slacking on your regular tasks!”

Amid wails and curses, several miners ran out, fawning desperately.

“Sir… Sirs, we’re innocent! Their escape has nothing to do with us, why—”

But before the miners could finish, a dozen soldiers whipped them to the ground.

“Shut up! You pigs!”

Crack! Crack!

The sound of whips and the miners’ screams echoed together.

“Your only purpose alive is to dig! If you dare run, this is what happens!”

As he spoke, a team of soldiers marched a group of people through the main gate.

The officer on the high platform waved his hand.

A small instructor nearby shouted.

“See? These are the miners who tried to sneak over the mine wall last night!”

“If anyone else dares, if you’re caught, this is your fate! Do it!”

Blades and whips fell mercilessly on the miners.

“Ah ~! Sir, sir, stop! I won’t dare again!”

“Lord! I’ll go back to mining, please, spare me!”

“Impossible ~!”

The officer spoke coldly.

“If you dare escape, this is your fate!”

Soon, the miners were left bleeding and dying.

Some were beaten to death.

The remaining miners, unable to flee, witnessed everything with their own eyes.

Some were terrified.

Some numb.

Some furious.

“These animals! I’ll kill them all!”

Willis clenched her fists, her righteous fury on full display.

Of course, she was truly angry.

These miners were the foundation of Ushi City.

These soldiers were worse than beasts, deserving a thousand deaths.

Willis’s heart ached.

But to Terrence and the others, her expression looked like a weasel pretending to weep for a chicken—a hypocrite putting on a show.

Only Nidnia shared Willis’s feelings, biting her silver teeth tightly.

“Very good, none of you in the fourth mining team escaped. Back to work as usual today! Go!”

The overseer finished the count, sneering as he praised them.

Soon, the miners in the square returned to the tunnels to work.

Borden, who had spoken with Willis earlier, led his people into another branch of the fourth mine.

Nidnia moved closer to Willis, speaking softly as they dug.

The fourth mining team now had 78 people.

It seemed like a lot, but scattered through the long, narrow tunnels, it felt sparse.

The deeper into the mine, the stronger the sense of oppression and suffocation.

But the ore was richer.

“Besides us mining in these fifteen tunnels, there are three teams assigned to clearing the mine, transportation, and facility maintenance.”

“All together, about fifteen hundred people remain! Each team averages eighty-three…”

“And since the number of people in each tunnel varies, we need a target.”

At her words, Willis replied.

“Then let’s start with the fifth and third tunnels next to ours.”

“Got it.”

“You two! What are you whispering about!?”

The bald overseer lashed his whip in annoyance.

Since Willis arrived, this bald overseer felt nothing had gone right.

Last night, he’d found blisters on both feet.

They’d gotten worse by morning.

He was just an ordinary soldier, strong but ignorant of the signs of Dark Magic.

When he tried to whip Willis and Nidnia, he suddenly collapsed.

His feet went numb, losing all feeling.

Terrified, he tore off his shoes.

His flesh was rotten, maggots crawling atop it.

The overseer screamed in terror.

“Ah! Ah! No—! My feet!”

“You damn wretches, I suffered this just to watch over you scum!”

His curses drew Willis’s curious gaze.

[Both feet are being gradually corroded by Dark Magic. Though the magic residue is gone, the rot will not stop quickly.]

Information from the Real Eye.

Willis looked back at Nidnia.

Nidnia winked playfully.

“I told you, I’d protect you.”

It was what she’d said to Willis when she first arrived.

She hadn’t expected Nidnia to go so far.

“Well, if we’re going to rebel and kill him anyway, why not start the torture now?”

You really are a little demon who loves torment.

Willis thought silently, ignoring the overseer’s wailing.

Soon, the sound drew other overseers.

“What happened? What’s wrong with you?”

“How should I know!? Damn it!”

“It was just a blister yesterday, I didn’t care! How did it turn into this?!”

“It must be that filthy woman who infected me. Help me up, I need treatment!”

Three overseers hurriedly supported him out of the mine.

Before leaving, they warned the miners.

“We’ll be out for a bit. If any of you dare slack off, we’ll beat your asses raw when we return!”

With the overseers gone, Nidnia saw her chance.

“There are still soldiers outside, but no overseers here. Now’s the time!”

Nidnia began to move, while Willis kept watch.

First, Nidnia approached Borden.

At first, she spoke with him normally.

She recounted the miners’ suffering and hardships, stirring Borden’s anger.

As she spoke, more miners gathered.

Because what she said resonated with the anger in everyone’s hearts.

“These damn Imperial Army bastards don’t see us as human!”

“And that Lord isn’t fit to be a Lord!”

“They force us to work day and night, and the wealth we create is taken by the nobles, soldiers, and Ushi City for their own pleasure!”

“And us? What do we get?”

“Whips! Scars! Endless labor, and the looming threat of death!”

“We suffer, while they use our pain for their comfort and joy!”

“Are you content? Will you accept this!?”

The more Nidnia spoke, the angrier the surrounding miners became, their eyes filled with hatred!