334: Mine Riot (Part 2)

"Fire?"

Di Ya turned her head abruptly, two clusters of dim fire burning in her green eyes, revealing a ruthlessness she herself was unfamiliar with.

"This fire is burning me to death, Old Buck! Why must we just endure? Teacher Li said..."

"Silence!"

Old Buck's cloudy eyes became sharp, alertly scanning the surroundings, his finger pressing against Di Ya's lips.

He leaned close to Di Ya's ear, his breath carrying the fishy scent of mine dust: "Do you want to die? Teacher Li's words must be buried deep in your stomach."

Di Ya was pressed so hard by Old Buck that it hurt; her dissatisfaction was temporarily suppressed by fear, but the light in her eyes grew darker.

At noon the next day, the sun in the Kingdom of Barbatos was so scorching it could bake the last bit of moisture out of the cracks in the ground.

The mine was baked like a piece of red-hot iron.

Di Ya carried a heavy basket of ore, every step causing piercing pain. The wound on her ankle was plastered with sweat and mine dust, burning fiercely.

The basket straps cut deep into the raw flesh worn away on her shoulder blades.

"What are you dawdling for, pig?" The overseer's roar was ear-piercingly sharp, and a whip wrapped in the sound of wind lashed across Di Ya's back.

Crack!

The sound of cloth tearing.

Di Ya's vision went black, and she stumbled to the ground.

Ore rolled down, its sharp edges knocking against her knees and elbows, another wave of piercing pain.

Dust choked her throat, mixed with a few mouthfuls of a bloody taste.

"Useless, pick it up." A greasy fat face leaned in, spit spraying on Di Ya's face.

The overseer raised his heavy leather boot and kicked hard at her curled-up waist and abdomen.

Just at the moment the sole of the boot was about to fall—

In a corner of the mine, Old Buck's eyes were fixed here, the veins on the back of his hand holding the bone tile bulging.

Above, You Yu leaned against the Judge with arms crossed, a silent curve hooking the corner of his lips beneath the bone mask.

[Oh, Orc, what will you choose?]

Time seemed to freeze for a frame.

"Ah—!"

A sharp, non-human shriek tore through the silence of the mine.

It wasn't Di Ya's scream.

It was the overseer!

Di Ya had been pushed to the brink; the moment the boot fell, she spun around and grabbed the overseer's kicking right leg with both hands.

She used all her strength to bite down on the other's exposed calf.

The overseer's pig-like howl echoed through the mine.

Intense pain and unbelievable rage made him instantly lose his mind. "Rebellion, you rabbit-breed." He swung his whip, lashing out at Di Ya's head and face.

Di Ya, however, seemed unable to feel the pain, clinging tightly to his right leg.

Her teeth were embedded deep in his flesh, low growls coming from her throat, her eyes filled with burning hatred.

What nobles, what lower-class orcs—

She only wanted to bite through the beast's throat.

"The Abyss above, break the chains." In the chaos, a burst of hoarse shouting erupted from the corner, using words spelled out with the newly learned Abyss Phonetic Symbols.

Like a spark thrown into boiling oil.

Several young Orc slaves, equally scarred and with the same suppressed rage in their eyes, quickly dropped their baskets and lunged forward with bloodshot eyes.

They didn't understand grand principles; they only saw Di Ya resisting.

They only saw the overseer, who had been lording it over them, screaming in pain!!!

"Beat him to death."

"The Abyss is watching!"

"Break the shackles!"

Fists, stones, and even pickaxes rained down on the overseer. Screams, angry curses, and the dull thuds of breaking bones mixed together.

The other mine slaves were stunned by this sudden riot, and for the first time, astonishment and a hint of restlessness appeared on their numb faces.

"Rebellion, it's all a rebellion." Other overseers in the distance roared in shock and anger, rushing over while waving their whips.

The mine was completely boiling; You Yu stood up straight, his eyes beneath the bone mask flashing brilliantly.

[Done.]

He made a silent gesture to Tudor.

At the edge of the chaos, several Guixu Walker candidates personally selected by You Yu quickly exchanged glances.

They didn't join the brawl but instead mixed into the rioting crowd like swimming fish. Using simple words spelled out with the stuttering Abyss Phonetic Symbols they had just learned, they shouted and incited:

"Abyss protection!"

"Break the shackles!"

"Divine punishment... the nobles!"

Fear spread, and hatred was ignited to the extreme.

More and more Orc slaves dropped their ore baskets and joined the melee with bloodshot eyes.

The mine became a primitive arena.

Tudor's judges brush moved, its ghostly light leaving a clear trail in the void.

Event: Mine riot begins.

Core: Believer Di Ya (Rabbit person) resisting overseer violence.

Catalyst: Incitement by core believers (Guixu Walker candidates).

Scope: Mine Area No. 12,

Participation: 37%, and continuing to rise.

Abyss Faith Integration: High. (Resistance behavior is highly correlated with the doctrine 'Break the Chains'.)

Risk: Controllable. (No transcendent power intervention.)

Suggestion: Maintain the status quo, observe the intensity of subsequent faith conversion. Prepare to receive the peak of 'incense offerings'.

The tip of the brush made a final heavy dot, leaving a mark. Raising his eyes to look at the chaotic battlefield, his gaze was like inspecting a pile of ore about to be sent into the furnace.

"These Orc slaves aren't bad; they can be recorded as a case for reference."

"Indeed, not bad." You Yu grinned, revealing brilliant white teeth. He pulled out a specially made Essence Extraction Talisman, and the Soul Fire in his palm flashed.

"Buzz..."

The talisman trembled, and an extremely weak power of faith crossed planes, quietly converging toward a set Nether coordinate.

"Lord Judge, the first 'investment' is starting to yield returns."

Tudor withdrew the judges brush, the ghostly light receding into the shaft, leaving only a hint of coolness lingering.

"Alright, it's time for us to do our part."

He raised his eyes toward the entrance of the mine, his gaze seeming to penetrate the rock walls: "Count Valerius's guard unit is almost here."

Hearing this, the smile on You Yu's face faded slightly: "Iron-armored cavalry?"

"More than that."

Tudor tapped the brush shaft and smiled, "Valerius's most relied-upon guard commander is Gold-tier. With just a few Guixu Walker candidates who have barely touched the Bronze level, they won't be able to stop him at all."

Before he finished speaking, the faint sound of hooves and clashing iron armor could be heard from afar, approaching.

The chaos in the mine seemed intimidated by this sound, and the noise of fighting actually lessened a bit.

Tudor's figure didn't move, his hand tracing an arc in the void. As it fell, a faint light overflowed from his fingertips, directly penetrating the mental sea of every guard.

The guard at the very front pulled the reins, the horse rearing up and letting out an uneasy neigh.

The more than thirty iron-armored guards behind him seemed to have their souls snatched away, freezing in place for a moment with hollow eyes.

Even the Gold-tier commander, who was just about to circulate his energy, suddenly frowned, his combat qi stagnating and difficult to move within his body.

The scene of the mine before them began to distort:

The rioting slaves, the fallen overseers, and the splattered blood were dissolving at a visible rate.

Replacing them was the appearance a normal mine should have: slaves lowering their heads to carry ore, overseers shouting nearby, the sun still scorching, everything in perfect order.

"Commander?"

A guard spoke tentatively, his voice airy.