The Newcomer (1)

Reincarnation of Suicidal Battle God

Original – Blue-Deep

Webtoon → Webnovel Adaptation || FanFic

Chapter 4: The Newcomer (1)

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"OH... THE NEW GUY WHO CAME IN TODAY IS NO JOKE." One of the miners remarked, wiping sweat from his brow. "HE'S A GOOD WORKER. WAS HE ORIGINALLY A MINER?" another asked, impressed by Zephir's unexpected efficiency. Zephir, now dressed in simple mining clothes, swung his pickaxe with practiced ease, his movements fluid and powerful. He was back in the mines, a place he had long forgotten, a place he had once called home.

"LOOK AT HIS MINING SPEED." Zephir continued to mine, his movements precise and powerful, each swing of the pickaxe dislodging a significant amount of ore. The other miners watched in awe as he effortlessly filled bag after bag. "I WISH HE'D JOINED OUR GROUP..." one muttered. "DAMN IT, HE'S GOT US STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THINGS." another complained, realizing their own meager output compared to Zephir's. Zephir, however, was lost in his own thoughts. He looked at his hands, a faint golden glow emanating from them. "WOW... IS THIS REAL? I'M STILL SPEECHLESS."

"JUST NOW. THE PRIVILEGE OPEN." Zephir activated his privilege, a golden aura enveloping him, making him appear almost divine amidst the dusty mine. He felt a surge of power, a familiar sensation that brought a grim smile to his face.

"UGH! I'VE GOT ALL THE PERKS IN MY HEAD...!" Zephir clutched his head as a torrent of information flooded his mind. Skills, abilities, knowledge – everything he had gained in his previous life, now accessible. "WHAT'S ALL THIS?" He looked around, a green aura radiating from him, illuminating the dark mine shaft.

"ITEMS WITH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SKILL... UNKNOWN SKILLS? THIS IS CRAZY... CAN YOU JUST GIVE IT LIKE THIS? THAT BASTARD?" Zephir thought, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. He knew exactly who had given him this 'privilege' and what they expected in return. But this time, he would play by his own rules.

"OI, YOU THERE!" a gruff voice bellowed. Zephir turned to see the foreman, a burly man with a thick beard, glaring at him. "DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO GO TO YOUR PLACE?! IT'S ONLY YOUR FIRST DAY AND YOU'RE ALREADY MAKING JOKES AND SLACKING OFF?" The foreman cracked his whip, the sound echoing through the mine.

Zephir turned to face the foreman, his expression unreadable. "THE MINING CHIEF." The foreman, now closer, snarled, "YOU DAMN BASTARD, ANYWAY... DON'T PRETEND LIKE YOU DIDN'T HEAR ME." He raised his whip, ready to strike.

"WHY DON'T I EDUCATE YOU!" The foreman roared, his whip whistling through the air, aimed directly at Zephir. But before it could connect, a faint green glow enveloped Zephir, and the whip, instead of striking him, seemed to pass through him harmlessly.

Zephir caught the whip with his bare hands, a casual flick of his wrist disarming the foreman. "WHAT...? THIS KID... STOPPING A WHIP WITH HIS BARE HANDS?" The foreman stared, dumbfounded, his jaw hanging open.

Zephir calmly handed the whip back to the stunned foreman. "..." The foreman stared at him, speechless. Zephir thought, 'BECAUSE I HAVE MY STRENGTH FROM THE BATTLEFIELD, I CAN SEE HOW SLOW THE CHIEF'S WHIP IS. BUT...' He looked at the foreman, a flicker of something akin to pity in his eyes.

Zephir looked at his hands. "NO WOUNDS AT ALL." He had activated his first privilege: [Skill: Wall of Iron]. It granted him a drastically increased defense, allowing him to take a pounding and not get hurt easily. "I DON'T FEEL TIRED AT ALL. I could do this all day." He grinned, swinging his pickaxe with renewed vigor.

Zephir smirked. "ALTHOUGH THE CONDITIONS ARE DIFFICULT, IT'S A VERY USEFUL SKILL IF I USE IT WELL. I GOT IT RIGHT." He had nine perks in total, a gift from the gods. "IF I USE THE INFORMATION I KNOW FROM THE FUTURE, IT IS POSSIBLE TO..." He paused, a dangerous glint in his eyes. He had a plan, a plan to change the future, a plan to get his revenge.

Zephir continued to mine, his movements precise and powerful. "THE FIRST THING I NEED TO DO IS CONSERVE ENERGY FAIRLY QUICKLY." He was already thinking ahead, planning his next moves. He looked at the other miners, who were now staring at him in awe. "THA... THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK." one of them stammered, impressed by his sheer output.

"TODAY'S WORK IS OVER. I'M ANNOUNCING THE RANK!" The foreman's voice boomed across the courtyard where the miners had gathered. "THE 1ST PLACE IS GROUP F." A collective gasp went through the crowd. "Wow... Wow!!" Zephir stood tall, a small smile playing on his lips. He was in Group F. "AH... HE WAS IN THE SAME TEAM AS ME." The young boy from earlier exclaimed, looking at Zephir with newfound admiration.

"THE 2ND PLACE IS GROUP B." The miners from Group B cheered. "What? How can they be in the first place?" a disgruntled miner grumbled. "THE 3RD PLACE IS GROUP H! I'LL SKIP THE RANKS LOWER THAN GROUP H... THE LOWEST RANK IS GROUP E!" The miners from Group E groaned in despair. "NO!!" Zephir watched the spectacle, a wry smile on his face. He knew the rules of this game.

"ACCORDING TO OUR COMPANY MINING PRINCIPLES, THE PAYMENT FROM THE BOTTOM TIER... THE 1ST, 2ND, AND 3RD ARE PAID DIFFERENTLY." The foreman explained, his voice booming. Zephir, along with the other miners, listened intently. Then, the foreman raised his hands. "THEN... PRAYING TO THE GREAT GODDESS OF LIGHT, ARIA!"

"THE ALMIGHTY ARIA, PLEASE SAVE US WITH ETERNAL LIGHT. THE ALMIGHTY ARIA!!" The miners chanted, their voices echoing through the courtyard. Zephir watched them, a strange feeling in his chest. "SO THIS IS SALVATION..." He remembered the goddess Mercedes, and her words about the gods abandoning humanity. He looked at the cross tattooed on his hand, a symbol of the very faith that had betrayed them. He knew that the Temple of Aria, the Goddess of Light, was the largest religion on the continent, one of the three greatest gods.

The statue of Aria, the Goddess of Light, stood tall and majestic, overlooking the temple grounds. "MOST OF THE PEOPLE HERE... I'M SO TIRED~ YOU SHOULD REST." Zephir overheard a conversation between two miners. He knew that the temple was a place of forced labor, a place where people were worked to the bone for the glory of the gods. He felt a surge of anger, a familiar emotion that fueled his resolve.