Gray left the vicinity of Blue Lake Village and up the valley. He left the cleared farmland behind and entered a thick forest. The village, lake, and farms were completely enclosed by this wilderness known as the King’s Mountains.

As far as he knew, the King’s Mountains was a mountain range that stretched forever to the east, west, and north. It had rushing rivers that carved deep valleys, streams that bubbled out of springs, rolling hills that grew into majestic cliffs of gray rock, and snowcapped mountains that disappeared into the clouds. Some claimed that these mountains stretched to the end of the world but he didn’t quite believe them.

Blue Lake Village was just one of many isolated villages within the mountains. It was not large, with perhaps less than five hundred living there. To the people born and raised here, these mountains were everything and their way of life.

He walked silently along a forest path that was created by foragers, hunters, and miners over countless years. Besides farming and specialized jobs such as shopkeepers, these were the three primary jobs for the villagers.

The wilderness was filled with strange plants that could aid in cultivation or be used as ingredients for medicine. Foragers collected herbs, fungi, fruits, seeds, and other plant materials that were all useful in some way or another. It required knowledge, experience, and bravery. Some rarer varieties were located deep within the territory of dangerous beasts. Countless people died while attempting to make an easy profit in those places.

The dangerous beasts that killed humans could also be hunted for meat and raw materials. It was a viable alternative as a single powerful beast could be worth a month of income. Its meat was especially prized for being able to quickly improve one’s cultivation. But it was also more dangerous as one wrong move could result in death. It required tremendous skill and strength as well as teamwork. Some beasts could only be brought down with many villagers as it was impossibly dangerous to do it alone.

The last line of work was mining and it was the simplest of the three. Anyone could be a miner and this was why Gray chose it. Ore such as iron, copper, and lead could easily be found where the valley turned into hills and then into mountains. They were often found jutting out from the rocky ground or at the bottom of river beds. If that didn’t work, one could always find a random spot and just dig. There was plenty of ore everywhere. They were always in demand and always sold for good money.

Foraging, hunting, and mining; these three professions produced goods from the King’s Mountains that could be sold to faraway towns. People like Old Li collected these goods from the villagers and then sold them in bulk to roaming trade caravans that came by every month or so. He didn’t make that much money from this; those like Gray that produced the goods didn’t make that much either. However, it allowed the people of the mountain a way to survive. It allowed Gray a way to survive…

Gray eventually arrived at a fork in the forest trail and paused. One led further north into the hills rich with mining fields while the other went east into another valley where there were dangerous beasts but also prized herbs. He should have taken the left path but he didn’t and instead went east.

He walked this path for a thousand steps before turning around and heading back the way he came. He was careful to redo his steps and not leave any extra traces behind. When he arrived at the fork again, this time he headed north as he had always intended. He hoped that this was enough to deter anyone from his trail.

It was dawn when he arrived at the familiar hillside which contained his mine, his home. The sun had barely peeked out and everything was enveloped in fog. He looked around to make sure there was nobody around and scurried up the slippery slope. Making one last check that he wasn’t followed, he disappeared into the mining tunnel.

He ate some breakfast and took a nap. Traveling alone through the wilderness at night was stressful and tiring. A wild beast could have popped out at any moment but thankfully he did not meet any. The mine was still relatively close to the village and beasts were smart enough to not stick around this area.

Once recovered and reinvigorated, he grabbed the brand-new pickaxe and headed into the depths. He located his mining tunnel which was bored into the side of the main tunnel. It went on in roughly a straight line for at least fifty strides, all a product of his desperation and unwillingness to give up.

It had been worth it and it paid off in the end. Now, he was going to reap the rewards.

He lifted the pickaxe and set to work.

Clang!

The iron sank deep into the earth almost effortlessly. It was heavy, it was incredibly sharp. He was very satisfied with this purchase even though it cost him many weeks’ worth of rations.

As dirt and stone fell out of the hole he made, he felt the familiar feeling. His face felt warm and there was a buzzing feeling of giddiness. There was more iron ore to be had!

It took just a few swings to produce the first chunk of iron. After not even half a day, he had already had three more substantial finds. The improved pickaxe was many times more efficient than his previous piece of junk. He doubled his efforts and dug happily.

“More! Give me more!” He laughed.

He felt the joy of mining that had eluded him for many weeks. He forgot about the dirt and grime and the hungry days just prior. The life of a miner was filled with ups and downs. He had suffered through the lean times and now, he was enjoying a boon.

---

Over the next two months, Gray lived the good life and it passed by in a blur. Every day was the same but he was content because his life improved dramatically.

This hidden vein of iron was a true jackpot. It was easy to mine and produced constant and consistent profits. He was able to eat his fill at every meal. He was even able to buy more expensive things occasionally. Eleven was an age where boys grew fast. With an improved diet which now included dried meat and pickled vegetables, his skinny body filled out noticeably and he grew taller and stronger.

As a result, he could carry back more ore every trip for even more food and money. He even managed to save a decent amount of coin away.

His life was good for the first time but sadly, it didn’t last. Success was always followed by setback.

A few days after the two-month mark, his good fortune came to an abrupt halt.