Regeneration System-Chapter 51: Cave isnt safe anymore

A Solo Expedition – Kain Goes Mining

The next morning, Kain woke up with a lingering soreness in his muscles from the previous day’s battles. He stretched, letting out a tired groan before forcing himself out of bed. Today was going to be different—no fights, no spell-slinging mages, no undead wraiths. Just him, a pickaxe, and a deep vein of mana-rich ore.

After grabbing a quick breakfast, Kain made his way out of the academy and toward the foothills on the outskirts of the forest. The area was well-known for its natural deposits of mana-infused minerals, though few students bothered to mine it themselves. Most either purchased their materials or traded for them. Kain, however, preferred to gather his own. It was cheaper, and more importantly, he could ensure the quality of the ore himself.

The sun had barely risen by the time he reached the rocky outcrops. He set his pack down and took out his pickaxe, gripping the handle with practiced ease. The weight felt familiar in his hands, and he found comfort in the repetitive process of mining.

Finding a promising section of rock, he raised his pickaxe and swung, the sharp impact sending small sparks flying. Again and again, he struck the stone, chipping away layers of rock and revealing the shimmering blue veins of mana-rich iron beneath.

Kain took a moment to inspect his find. The ore pulsed faintly with energy, indicating its potency. "Good quality," he thought, satisfied. He began carefully extracting the metal, making sure not to damage the veins.

For hours, he worked in steady rhythm—mine, inspect, collect. His Mining skill wasn’t particularly high, but he could feel himself improving with each swing. Eventually, he had gathered a respectable amount of mana-rich ore, along with small fragments of arcane quartz, a rare mineral sometimes used in enchantments.

A Sudden Encounter – The Cave That Should Be Safe

Kain wiped the sweat from his brow as he examined the mana-rich iron in his hands. This cave had been his personal mining spot for months—he’d come here plenty of times, and not once had he encountered a monster. That was part of the reason he liked it. It was secluded, peaceful, and most importantly, safe.

Or at least, it was supposed to be. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

As he prepared to mine another vein of ore, a faint tremor beneath his feet made him pause. He frowned, gripping his pickaxe tightly. That was odd. This cave never had tremors before.

The rumbling grew stronger, pebbles clattering from the walls as a deep, guttural growl echoed through the cavern. Kain’s instincts screamed at him—something was coming.

Then, with a sharp crack, part of the cave wall split open, and from the darkness emerged a hulking form.

A Stoneback Ravager—Level 14, Earth Attribute.

Kain’s eyes widened. That’s impossible! He had been mining in this cave for weeks, and not once had there been any sign of monsters. How had this thing suddenly appeared?

The Stoneback Ravager was a massive, quadrupedal beast with thick, rock-like plating covering its body. Its amber eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, and its claws dug into the stone as it advanced toward him, growling low.

Kain quickly switched his pickaxe for his hammer, cursing under his breath. "This place was supposed to be safe."

Clearly, that wasn’t the case anymore.

The Fight Against the Stoneback Ravager

Kain gritted his teeth, gripping his hammer as the Stoneback Ravager charged. The ground trembled under its weight, dust kicking up in its wake. He barely had time to raise his shield before the beast slammed into him, sending him skidding back several feet. His arms throbbed from the impact, but he dug his heels in and stood his ground.

"Damn thing’s got weight," Kain muttered. He needed to be smart about this. With its Earth Attribute, it likely had a high defense, meaning his normal attacks wouldn’t do much unless he targeted its weak points.

The Ravager let out another guttural growl, lunging at him again. Kain dodged to the side, slamming his hammer down in a well-placed Juggernaut Swing at the beast’s exposed leg joint. The impact cracked some of the stone plating, making the creature roar in pain.

Just as Kain prepared for another strike, he heard footsteps echoing through the cave.

"Hey, what’s going on here?"

A group of three second-year students entered the cavern, wearing more refined and enchanted gear than Kain. One of them, a tall spear-wielder with short black hair, smirked as he saw the Stoneback Ravager.

"Looks like a first-year picked a fight above his level," he chuckled.

The two others—one wielding a sword, the other a pair of daggers—exchanged glances before stepping forward.

"We’ll back you up," the sword-user said, drawing his weapon.

Kain barely had time to respond before the second-years jumped into the fight.

The dagger-wielding student, a girl with a confident smirk, darted around the Ravager, aiming for its weak points. The swordsman moved in with precise strikes, while the spear-user kept the beast occupied with long-reaching thrusts.

Kain had no choice but to adjust his tactics. He focused on blocking and countering, letting them take the brunt of the fight while waiting for an opening.

It wasn’t long before the combined effort started to wear the beast down. The dagger-wielding girl managed to cut through the weakened plating on its leg, making the Ravager stumble. The swordsman took advantage of the opening, plunging his blade into its exposed underbelly.

With a final piercing scream, the Stoneback Ravager collapsed, lifeless.

Kain exhaled, lowering his hammer, only to notice the second-years exchanging looks.

"That was a good fight," the spear-wielder said. "But since we helped you finish it off, we’ll be taking the loot."

Kain’s expression hardened. "Excuse me?"

The dagger-wielding girl shrugged. "You heard him. We did most of the work, so it’s only fair we take the spoils."

Kain clenched his fists. This was his mining spot. This was his fight. He had already been dealing damage before they even showed up!

But he could tell by their postures that they weren’t going to back down. If he wanted his share, he would have to fight for it.

And right now, he was outnumbered.

Kain clenched his jaw, glaring at the second-years as they casually looted the Stoneback Ravager’s body. He didn’t mind a fair split, but they were acting like he was just some side character in their fight.

He was about to say something—maybe argue his case—when suddenly, his world turned upside down.

A fist slammed into his gut, the force sending him flying backward into the cave wall. His back hit the stone with a sickening thud, knocking the wind from his lungs. His vision blurred as he struggled to process what had just happened.

The spear-wielding second-year stood over him, casually resting his weapon on his shoulder. "Yeah, I don’t like that look you just gave me."

Kain gritted his teeth, pushing himself up slightly, but his body refused to cooperate. The fight was already over before he could even make a move.

"Be happy with the free EXP," the dagger-wielding girl said with a smirk, tossing one of the monster’s mana cores into her bag. "It’s not like you were gonna win that fight anyway."

Kain wanted to snap back, to throw something, to do anything—but deep down, he knew it would be pointless. These second-years were stronger, faster, and more experienced. If they wanted to take what they wanted, they could.

Kain’s mind raced as he tried to regain his composure, still feeling the impact of the spear-wielding second-year’s blow. The cave’s cold walls seemed to close in around him, adding to his frustration. He’d been coming here for days, mining alone, thinking this place was his for the taking. But he had forgotten one important detail: this cave belonged to the academy. It wasn’t some random, unexplored location.

The teacher had shown it to the students, making it clear that anyone with access to the academy’s resources could come here to mine, hunt, or explore. The second-years had known about it all along.

The swordsman smirked down at Kain. "Of course we knew about this place. It’s an academy resource, kid. The professor took us here last semester. You didn’t think it was some hidden gem, did you?"

The dagger-wielding girl snickered. "You were just unlucky enough to be here first. But hey, look at the bright side—at least you got to be part of the kill, even if it was the second-years who did all the work."

Kain’s fist clenched against the stone floor. They weren’t even trying to hide the fact that they had intentionally let him engage the Stoneback Ravager first so they could swoop in afterward. They knew it was his kill, but they didn’t care. They didn’t need to.

"It’s not like you were going to win anyway," the girl added with a shrug, tossing the monster’s mana core into her bag and walking away like it was no big deal.

The spear guy, his smirk still plastered on his face, gave Kain a knowing look. "You’ve been in a bad mood ever since I suggested we do some mining. Didn’t think you’d get all upset over it."

Kain couldn’t respond immediately. He felt like the frustration was building up, but what was the point? They had the power here. The academy was on their side. They were second-years, and he was just a first-year, outmatched and outclassed.

He rose to his feet slowly, trying to gather his thoughts. It wasn’t fair, but in a place like this, where everything was controlled and rules were bent for the upperclassmen, Kain couldn’t help but feel small.

But one thing was clear: this wasn’t over.

Not by a long shot.