73: Chapter 73 Congratulations everyone, you've won the mine flooding experience package!

Levi stood where he was, a gentle smile on his face, as he watched Echo's team disappear into the narrow fork in the road.

He even nodded slightly with great poise toward the direction where the agent had departed, as if wishing them a pleasant journey.

"My Lord, they took the 'water route,'" a low voice came from the shadows beside Levi.

The speaker was an Orc guard. Unlike his kin at the entrance who served as mere muscle, his frame was leaner and more agile, and his eyes glinted with alertness in the dim light.

He was the Captain of Levi's Personal Guard, responsible for executing tasks that could not be brought into the light.

"Very good." Levi turned his gaze the other way, watching Bolt the Troglodyte lead the main force in a grand procession toward the main road, which appeared safer and wider.

The corners of his mouth curled into an almost imperceptible arc.

The most interesting part of the capital market lies in using information asymmetry to make self-proclaimed 'hunters' jump into traps tailored specifically for them.

Echo thought that by paying extra to bribe the guide, they had seized the initiative, unaware that the 'bribe' itself was part of the plan.

Bolt, this double agent, had been following his script from beginning to end.

He withdrew his gaze, no longer looking at those investors who were about to become 'consumables for clearing obstacles.'

He turned around and walked slowly toward the temporary command shed at the mouth of the valley.

The cold morning wind blew the hem of his black trench coat, making him look less like a noble lord and more like a factory owner about to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Evelyn's small shop was still packed, and the last few bottles of low-grade healing potions had been driven up to a staggering price.

She handled the anxious stewards and merchants with ease, every bit of her smile precisely calculating the profit.

Levi did not disturb her, simply walking quietly into the inner room of the shed.

This place had been transformed into a temporary operations command room.

On a massive wooden table lay a simplified internal structure map of the mine, drawn overnight by Bolt and several Orc scouts.

Two routes were clearly marked on the map with different colored dyes.

One was red, winding and twisting, leading to a massive cavern marked with a skull.

This was the 'VIP Channel' prepared for the main force.

The other was blue, seemingly a shortcut, but in reality leading to a closed area marked as the 'Reservoir.'

That was the 'Exclusive Box' prepared for Echo's group of uninvited guests.

Several Orc warriors were checking a row of pressure valves connected to copper pipes. These pipes emerged from holes in the wall and extended deep into the mountain, connecting to a barrier lake at the summit.

This was the 'firefighting system' he had spent half a month secretly building using all the labor he could mobilize in his territory.

Of course, its primary function was not to extinguish fires, but for 'cleaning.'

Levi walked to the map, his fingertip lightly tracing the red route leading to the cavern.

In his mind, the Gantt charts he had stayed up late drawing during his project management days in his previous life overlapped with the mine map before him.

Every link was in place, and every variable had been taken into account.

Now, all that was needed was a little patience, waiting for the first shoe to drop.

Meanwhile, deep within the mine.

The cold, damp air was thick with a stench mixed with rock, fungi, and unknown creatures.

Echo's agent walked at the front, holding a magic lantern whose dim yellow light could only illuminate a few meters ahead.

Three assassins disguised as miners followed closely behind. Their heavy 'safety suits' occasionally scraped against the rock walls in the narrow passage, creating an irritating noise.

Echo himself trailed at the very back of the team like a true ghost, silent and soundless.

His presence was extremely low, as if he had already merged into the deep darkness.

Bolt, leading the way, moved very quickly. His long, thin limbs appeared exceptionally agile in this complex terrain.

He said nothing, only occasionally stopping to scan the surrounding rock walls with his massive eyes, seemingly identifying markings that only he could understand.

"How much further?" the agent finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

He felt that this path was too smooth—so smooth it was eerie.

According to intelligence, the mine should have been crawling with Cave Demon Spiders, yet they had walked for so long without seeing even a single strand of silk.

"Almost there... almost there..." Bolt gave a raspy response, his voice carrying a slight Echo in the passage. "That corner ahead is the edge of Area A-1. The terrain is the highest and most concealed."

Sure enough, after turning a bend filled with stalactites, the view suddenly opened up.

They entered a semi-enclosed grotto. It wasn't large, but the terrain was indeed strategically advantageous.

The only entrance was the narrow passage they had just walked through, while on the other side of the grotto was a bottomless abyss, from which the faint sound of flowing water could be heard below.

This place was essentially a natural fortress, easy to defend and hard to attack—a perfect spot for an ambush.

The agent nodded in satisfaction; it seemed the money had been well spent.

"You, go scout the surroundings, especially that direction," Echo's voice came from the rear, cold and devoid of emotion.

He pointed to a stone wall on the inner side of the grotto that looked no different from the other rock walls. "The intelligence said the main vein is right behind there."

One assassin immediately took the order, shed his cumbersome 'safety suit,' and nimbly moved toward that stone wall.

Under the agent's direction, the other two began taking various exquisite alchemy tools from their backpacks to set up traps.

Tripwires, miniature explosive runes, spikes coated with paralyzing toxins... they moved with practiced skill, clearly experts in their craft.

Echo did not move; he simply stood in the shadows of the grotto, listening quietly.

In the darkness, the faint, blurred sounds of battle cries, screams, and some kind of sharp screeching came from another direction.

The sounds were distant, filtered and distorted by the thick layers of rock, but the brutality of it could be clearly felt.

It was the nobles. They had run into trouble.

A cold smile appeared on Echo's lips.

Everything was proceeding according to his script.

Once those fools and the monsters in the mine had fought to a mutual defeat, his people could easily harvest all the remnants and then wait here for Levi Byron to walk into their net.

However, this composure did not last long.

The scout sent to investigate returned. He didn't even bother to hide his footsteps as he stumbled back, his face filled with shock and fury, and even a hint of the humiliation of being played.

"Leader..." His voice trembled with agitation. "It's fake! It's all fake!"

He held out his hand, which contained some silver-white powder.

"There is no ore vein behind that wall at all! The so-called 'massive Mithril reserves' is just a layer of Mithril powder coated over ordinary rock! We... we've been tricked!"

This news exploded in Echo's mind like a thunderclap.

A scam?

From the auction, to that harsh contract, to this very moment... all the seemingly irrational points were instantly connected into a clear line.

This Levi Byron's goal from the very beginning was never cooperative development, nor was it even to exploit the labor of investors like them!

His goal was these people themselves! It was the wealth and lives they brought with them!

They thought they were the hunters, but they hadn't realized that from the moment they stepped into Blackstone Territory, they were already meat on the opponent's chopping block.

"Damn it!" Echo finally lost his cool, squeezing the words through his teeth.

He immediately realized that they could not stay here for long!

"Retreat! Immediately!"

However, his command was a step too late.

The moment he gave the order, a tooth-grinding sound of grinding boulders came from deep within the mine, followed by a deafening 'BOOM!'

The narrow passage they had come from was instantly and completely sealed by a massive stone slab that fell from nowhere!

Stone chips flew and dust filled the air, blocking it so tightly that not even a sliver of light could penetrate.

Their retreat was cut off!

"Not good!" The agent's face turned pale as he immediately realized they had fallen into a trap.

But before they could make their next move, a series of mechanical 'clack-clack-clack' sounds of turning gears came from above their heads.

Echo snapped his head up. His battle-hardened eyes instantly caught the holes in the grotto's ceiling—holes he had originally thought were natural, but which now revealed a metallic luster.

Dozens of pitch-black openings, like the eyes of the Grim Reaper, stared down at them heartlessly.

In the next second, ice-cold water, like a flood breaking through a dam, surged wildly from those holes!

The rapid torrents crashed down with a force of ten thousand tons, instantly kicking up massive sprays within the grotto.

The water level rose at a speed visible to the naked eye, and in just a few breaths, it had already submerged their ankles, the freezing chill creeping up their legs.

Outside the mine, at the valley entrance.

A drenched noble guard, who had lost half an arm, was pointing at Levi's nose and cursing loudly. He was a lucky survivor who had escaped through another crack when the main force encountered the Spider Queen.

"Liar! You despicable demon! You led us into a spider's nest! My master... everyone is trapped inside!" His voice was shrill, filled with despair.

The surrounding personnel who had stayed behind were in an uproar, casting suspicious and uncertain glances at Levi.

Not a single ripple of emotion could be seen on Levi's face; he didn't even personally speak to refute the claim.

He merely gave a glance to Sylvie beside him.

Sylvie understood immediately, stepping forward with her stride as precise as a pendulum.

She pulled out the copy of the contract that everyone had signed from a folder, elegantly flipped to a certain page, and displayed it before the guard.

"Sir, please look clearly at Chapter Seven of the 'Mining Area Development and Safety Responsibility Agreement,' the supplementary clause regarding 'Risk Assumption.'" Her voice was flat and cold, devoid of any emotion. "Clause Twenty-Three explicitly states: 'In view of the complex internal environment of the mining area, the guide services provided by the Lord are based only on existing intelligence for route planning and do not guarantee absolute safety of the routes. Any losses caused by unforeseen attacks from wild monsters shall be borne by the investors themselves.'"

She paused, flipped another page, and her gaze behind her glasses swept over everyone.

"Additionally, allow me to remind you that according to Appendix Five, Article Forty-One: 'To conduct regular dust cleaning, structural safety flushing, and to inhibit fungal growth within the mining area, the Lord has the right to perform water injection maintenance operations on some or all of the mine shafts during preset time periods.'"

"Water injection maintenance?" The guard was stunned, then roared even more furiously, "You're injecting water right now! You're trying to drown them!"

Just then, an Orc guard beside Levi activated a pre-installed Transmission Array.

The magic stone at the base of the array lit up with a faint glow, and Levi cleared his throat, speaking into the array.

His voice, amplified by magic, echoed clearly throughout the entire valley and was simultaneously transmitted into every corner of the mine where people were trapped by the water.

"Distinguished investors, good afternoon. I am your partner, Levi Byron."

The voice was gentle and polite, yet it made everyone who heard it feel a chill rise up their spine.

"First of all, congratulations on excellently completing the first phase of the obstacle clearing work. The Cave Spider Queen and most of her guards have been successfully eliminated by you. On behalf of all the people of Blackstone Territory, I thank you for your heroic efforts."

Inside the mine, the survivors struggling against the rising water and the remaining spiders emerging from the crevices were so angry they nearly spat blood upon hearing this.

"Now, the second phase of the test officially begins." A hint of a smile entered Levi's voice. "Only those who survive will be qualified to sit at the negotiating table and discuss your investment losses with me. Good luck to you all."

After speaking, he signaled the guard to close the array.

The valley entrance fell into a dead silence.

Inside the mine, Echo leaned against a slippery rock, the cold water already up to his waist.

Listening to the voice from the array, a solemn expression appeared on his face for the first time.

He knew that this was not just a trap, but a cruel selection process.

And he, along with everyone trapped here, had become experimental subjects in this screening.

The water level continued to rise with a bone-piercing chill, mercilessly swallowing their last remaining living space.

In the darkness, several pairs of crimson compound eyes quietly lit up beneath the murky water surface.