The legend of the Crimson Demon clan started from Suqing

Treasure Island is a common name for the Black Tortoise.

That's right, it's the Black Tortoise you're thinking of—a giant turtle that comes to the surface every ten years to sunbathe its shell.

It is said that the Black Tortoise, which usually lives underground, does this to clean the mold and various pests that breed on its shell by sunbathing, but this has not been confirmed.

The only thing that is certain is that the Black Tortoise will continue to sunbathe its shell until dark.

Also, the Black Tortoise lives near underground mineral veins and eats rare minerals, so rare minerals, like strata, stick to its shell.

"I see."

Kazuma Sato said suddenly: "No wonder everyone is rushing with pickaxes. In other words, we have to take advantage of that Black Tortoise sunbathing its shell to mine the minerals on its back, right?"

"As expected of Kazuma, you understand immediately."

"However, won't we be attacked if we climb around on the back of that giant turtle?"

"No, Treasure Island has a gentle personality. As long as you don't do anything too outrageous, it won't attack proactively. Look, crocodiles will open their mouths when enjoying a delicious meal, allowing toothpick birds to enter their mouths to help them clean food scraps and parasites, right?"

On the one hand, he did not deny the power of Treasure Island… that is, the Black Tortoise; on the other hand, he clearly expressed its mutually beneficial relationship with the villagers.

The description is very apt.

Kazuma Sato twitched his lips.

"Speaking of which, I see that everyone in the town has come. Could it be that it will be completely mined out by the time we get there?"

"You don't need to worry about it being completely mined. Anyway, you'll know why it's called an island when you see it."

Zun Zun deliberately kept him in suspense.

And when Kazuma Sato saw the Black Tortoise, he was completely stunned.

—It's too big!

Not far from the town entrance, there was a giant creature that one would mistake for a small mountain or something. It was more than ten times larger than the hundred-meter-tall Fairy Dragon. A white whale would probably only be an appetizer in front of it.

As expected of a creature called a divine beast.

There was a big hole in the nearby ground. That creature probably crawled out from there. The giant turtle called Treasure Island was lying leisurely on the ground.

Treasure Island slumped its huge feet on the ground, stretched its neck, and rested.

Many adventurers had already climbed onto its back, holding pickaxes and constantly hitting the places on its back that looked like rocks. Even though people were digging around on its back, it was not angry. Instead, it closed its eyes and looked quite comfortable.

"Let's go, Kazuma. The time limit is until sunset. Let's mine as much as possible."

"Okay! I'll do my best!"

Kazuma Sato looked serious.

Probably because the previous tax turmoil had left everyone short of money, the surrounding adventurers' faces were full of joy, as if they were going to work hard now.

Although Zun Zun was not short of money, there was no reason not to pick up money that was dropped on the ground. After all, he was not some big shot who disliked money.

In addition, he gave his pickaxe to Kazuma Sato, so he could only use magic.

However, he was much faster in terms of efficiency.

In addition, with the Elf secret art storage space, Zun Zun's mining speed far exceeded that of others.

"Wow…"

Kazuma Sato looked at the gems he had mined, but instead felt that these things were a bit too hot to handle, and couldn't help but ask: "I said, since these gems are so easy to mine, why are only adventurers coming? What about the other people in town?"

"Of course, it's because it's dangerous."

Zun Zun casually killed a mimic ore, and its screams startled Kazuma Sato.

"Oh oh oh!"

"I messed up, I mined a mimic ore!"

"Damn it, it hurts!"

At this time, several screams came from the surroundings. Many adventurers were confronting soft creatures with tentacles in front of them.

"I see, so that's why it's called mimic ore."

Kazuma Sato nodded.

It's similar to a mimic treasure chest, except that the treasure chest has been turned into ore. It is still very dangerous. That is why Zun Zun uses magic to mine.

It can both mine ore and prevent being attacked by mimic ore, killing two birds with one stone.

"Don't mind him, Kazuma. As an adventurer, you must be prepared to pay for your mistakes. If you rashly rescue such a person, it is tantamount to trampling on their determination to die, understand!?"

"I completely agree! Even if you die because you can't do it, being able to die in a mission is the honor of being an adventurer! All we have to do is remember him and commemorate him!"

Aqua and Zun Zun chiseled without looking back, completely ignoring the screams behind them.

"—Are you two even human!?"

Kazuma Sato couldn't help but complain.

But in fact, neither Aqua nor Zun Zun are human in essence, so there is no problem!

"Help, help—"

"Wait… he's already asking for help, are you still going to ignore him?"

"Hahaha, it's high-purity mana ore! This one is flame ore! I was originally worried about running out of pocket money, but now I can make a lot of money again!"

"Me too! These ores are precious magic materials, and I can make better magic tools with them!"

Aqua and Zun Zun laughed wildly.

Kazuma Sato opened his mouth, unable to say anything. Unlike the two self-proclaimed goddesses and the Crimson Demon who refused to help, Wiz, a lich with a kind heart, chose to help.

"Wuu wuu wuu… I can manage to raise the shop rent by selling myself! It's okay, it's just selling myself and I won't die… I won't die!"

"—Okay, Wiz! Since you're selling yourself, then I'll buy you! Don't worry, the highest price on the market!"

"Thank you for your patronage!"

Wiz thanked Zun Zun instead.

"Wait for me! I want to buy it too! …No, I'm going to save people!" Kazuma Sato couldn't help but shout. Even the weak lich girl is going to sell herself, what else can he do?

And Wiz showed a desolate smile and said: "It's okay, Mr. Kazuma. A lich's nails and hair are the crystallization of magic power. They can be sold as materials for a lot of money…"

"D-don't do that, really don't do that, okay? So that's what you meant by selling yourself. I understand, I'll just save people!"

Kazuma Sato was relieved but also a little disappointed.

"Kazuma, you bastard, you wouldn't be thinking about something bad, would you?"

"…I'm not."

This guy didn't say it decisively at all, obviously he was.

—Later, half a day passed.

Aqua, Megumin, and Yunyun, with their backpacks stuffed to the brim, came to Kazuma Sato, who was already tired of digging, and looked at Zun Zun, Darkness, and Cefina, who were still digging hard on top.

Cefina's physical fitness was still very poor, so she had been buffing Darkness, allowing this female crusader with unfathomable stamina to dig from noon to night, with several backpacks already piled up around her.

Zun Zun looked relaxed.

But it would be a big mistake to think that he didn't dig or dug less. Kazuma Sato saw with his own eyes that Zun Zun alone stuffed about 10% of Treasure Island's materials into his storage space.

Thanks to this, the huge rock layers on Treasure Island's back had long disappeared, revealing the original carapace everywhere, exuding a beautiful black luster that could not be damaged even by magic bombardment.

At dusk.

The satisfied adventurers left one after another, surrounding Treasure Island, which was still sunbathing its shell, from afar. Treasure Island looked at the entrance of the town and then at the adventurers.

It seemed to be saying: Are you satisfied?

Such a gaze made Zun Zun feel a little strange, and he inexplicably felt that something was wrong.

"I said, Zun Zun."

"Yes, I am Zun Zun."

"Can you use magic to peel off that big ore? Let me state in advance that I don't want to greedily take it, but I think Treasure Island may be using our hands to help it take off that ore."

"Hmm…"

Following the direction of Kazuma Sato's finger, Zun Zun saw the huge ore on Treasure Island's back. Of course, he also saw that ore, but it was just ordinary ore, or rather, it was of no value, so he didn't do anything.

"If you say so… okay, let's try it."

Just consider it a return gift.

Of course, if Treasure Island didn't have such thoughts, it might get angry and do something excessive. At that time, I don't know if kneeling can get forgiveness.

"Light of Saber!"

The Sword of Light, blessed by divine power, was thicker than a chimney and slammed heavily on the rock layer on Treasure Island's back, causing a deafening explosion.

"Hey…!"

"Zun Zun, what are you doing!?"

"How excessive!"

The surrounding adventurers strongly condemned him, which was natural. After all, to them, Treasure Island was a divine beast that bestowed them with benefits, and Zun Zun's actions were an offense to it.

Treasure Island looked at Zun Zun, who was using magic, and Zun Zun smiled broadly while giving it a thumbs up.

This made Treasure Island feel refreshed, and its expression vaguely revealed satisfaction. It seemed to want to respond with a thumbs up, but it lowered its head and looked at its thick calves, and finally had to give up.

At this time, Treasure Island, which had not moved at all today, suddenly straightened up and stretched its body as if it had taken a comfortable nap, and then shook its huge body vigorously.

The resulting vibration caused the few ores that were still left on its body to fly into the sky.

In the end.

This giant monster in mythology left them some gifts, and the leisurely departing Treasure Island was so sacred and beautiful.

"I said, those are things used to thank Zun Zun's magic, right? In that case, we should be able to monopolize these ores that it left behind, right?"

"With this, the store's debts and rent will be…!"

Not only Aqua, but even Wiz was eyeing these ores. Under their expectant gazes, Zun Zun could only suppress this emotion and sigh helplessly to give them the things.