Echo Of Infinity: 100× exp

The Echo of Infinity: Chapter 21 - The Road North

Leaving the relative clamor of Riverbend behind felt good. Kael rode north on a sturdy pony rented from the Guild stables, the city shrinking behind him. The quest docket specified the Crystallin Quarry was located in the rolling foothills leading towards the Spineback Mountains, a region known for sparse woodland, rocky terrain, and abandoned mining operations from centuries past.

This was his first solo Guild mission, albeit a simple reconnaissance task. It was a chance to operate without the constant scrutiny of teammates, relying solely on his own abilities – both real and fabricated. He kept his fake status projected ([Swift Blade Lv. 12], [Shadow Scout Lv. 12], [Gatherer Lv. 7] – he'd 'leveled' them slightly after the Mirewood mission) but had his true Tier 1 classes equipped: [Swift Blade Lv. 18], [Shadow Scout Lv. 17], [Mana Weaver Lv. 16]. The Resonance Stone rested coolly against his chest.

The journey was uneventful for the first half-day. He passed occasional farms, then small hamlets, the landscape growing wilder. He used his [Shadow Scout] senses constantly, detecting wandering Boars (Tier 0), flocks of territorial Rock Hawks (Tier 0), and avoiding a known bandit trail marked on his Guild map. The sheer volume of sensory input his real skills provided was something he still marveled at, a constant stream of information about the world around him that normal people, even skilled adventurers, would miss.

He made camp that evening in a sheltered ravine, setting up a small, smokeless fire using techniques learned from his [Gatherer] class (the real Lv. 21 version). He ate simple rations and spent an hour meditating, circulating mana as per his [Meditator Lv. 6] class's techniques. Even meditation yielded EXP for the Accumulator, albeit slowly.

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[Accumulator Notification: Base EXP Gain +2 (Meditation). Multiplier x100 Applied. +200 EXP allocated!]
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It wasn't much compared to combat, but every bit helped, pushing his [Mana Weaver] closer to Lv. 17.

The second day took him deeper into the foothills. The trees thinned, replaced by hardy shrubs and large rock formations. He began seeing signs of old mining activity – collapsed tunnel entrances marked with faded danger runes, piles of discarded shale, rusted iron tracks leading nowhere. His Guild map indicated the Crystallin Quarry was nearby.

Following a barely visible trail, he arrived at the quarry entrance late that afternoon. It wasn't a tunnel mine, but a vast open pit carved into the side of a hill, descending in stepped levels. The scale was impressive, suggesting a major operation centuries ago. Strange crystal formations, dull and coated with dust, protruded from the quarry walls in jagged veins. The air felt still, heavy with disuse.

Kael dismounted, tethering his pony securely among some rocks where it could graze. He drew his sword, senses on high alert. [Detect Presence] swept the quarry. Nothing immediately hostile, but... there was a faint, unusual energy signature emanating from the deeper levels. Not living, exactly. More like... residual programming? And beneath that, the faint crystalline resonance Finn had mentioned, similar to the Scaleshaper's pebbles but purer, less corrupted.

He decided to investigate, starting from the upper levels and working his way down. He moved cautiously, [Silent Movement] active. The ground was littered with loose rocks and decaying mining equipment. The crystals embedded in the walls varied – some were quartz-like, others milky white like his Resonance Stone, and some had faint, internal blue or green luminescence, even coated in dust.

As he descended to the second level, he found the first sign of trouble. A deactivated mining automaton, similar in basic design to the Guild training constructs but larger and clearly built for heavy labor, lay crumpled against a wall. Its outer casing was cracked, not rusted, but shattered by force. And embedded in its chest cavity was a sharp, perfectly formed shard of blue crystal that pulsed with faint energy.

Kael approached cautiously, using [Sense Mana]. The shard radiated the same 'programmed' energy he’d detected earlier. It felt like a dormant trap or defense mechanism. He didn't touch it.

Further along the level, he found another automaton, this one seemingly intact but immobile. As Kael drew near, its optical sensors suddenly glowed blue. With a grating screech, it pushed itself upright, its heavy mining limbs whirring.

*‘Hostile detected!’* The automaton lumbered towards him, its movements jerky but powerful. Its Weave signature identified it as '[Defunct Crystal Guardian Lv. 10 (Tier 0)]'.

Tier 0, but heavily armored and strong. Kael easily dodged its clumsy swing, noting the blue crystal shards embedded in its joints, seemingly animating it. He needed to disable it quickly and quietly. Standard attacks might not penetrate its thick chassis easily.

He recalled the shattered guardian. The crystal shard in its core. That had to be the weak point. He used his [Swift Blade] speed, darting around the guardian, forcing it to turn. He noted a larger, brighter blue crystal set in the center of its back – likely its primary power source or control unit.

He feinted an attack to the front, then used a burst of speed to circle behind it while it was committed to a forward smash. With pinpoint accuracy born of his high DEX and INT, he thrust his sword directly into the blue crystal on its back.

*CRACK!*

The crystal shattered. The guardian froze instantly, its blue lights fading, then it crashed face-first onto the quarry floor, inert once more.

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[Weave Notification: Defunct Crystal Guardian Defeated. +25 EXP allocated...]
[Accumulator Notification: Base EXP Gain +25. Multiplier x100 Applied. +2500 EXP allocated!]
```

Kael examined the shattered crystal. It definitely felt like the source of the animating energy. Someone, or something, had reactivated these ancient guardians. But why? And how did it connect to the Lizardfolk Shaman's pebbles? This quarry held more secrets than the Guild suspected. He needed to go deeper.

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Publishment Date:  8/4/2025