Chapter 20: The Crystalbenders

The Factorio was staffed by professionals, people dedicated to bolstering the city’s economy, as well as masters who feared neither the horrific working conditions nor the high risk of permanent injury. It was thanks to them that the entire city could remain self-sufficient, sustained by the natural resources harvested from the vast expanses beneath the mountains.

All of this was relayed to me by the bureaucrat, who had managed to recruit several more benders from various smithies during our descent to the city's lowest tier. Once we reached the bottom, the young man, still trembling under my gaze, handed our papers over to a stern-looking soldier. Under his escort, we boarded an earthbending-powered elevator. Several men took hold of the stones at the base of the lift and began to push us downward... for a very long time. An extremely long time.

If it had been operated by a simple rope, I doubt I would have stepped foot on it. I never trust elevators.

"Your specialized uniforms are right here," the man leading our group said, approaching the elevator wall and retrieving sturdy suits equipped with protective masks. "These are respirators; you’ll need them to protect against the dust. I hope there are no idiots here, do I really need to explain that a single dust cloud will clog your filters instantly? These will protect you from the smallest particles."

We all threw the gear on over our own clothes. It was a simple outfit: a heavy vest, thick trousers, and goggles.

"You’ll be living down here. There’s plenty of room in the caves, so everyone gets a large apartment. If you want to decorate, the lift returns to the surface twice a week to bring down supplies. And I have to ask... is there anyone here afraid of narrow shafts and a lack of sunlight?"

The man scanned the group, noting the flickers of doubt. Someone actually raised a hand, admitting to a "delicate" or rather unsuited nature; others began to ponder exactly how much the lack of sunlight would take a toll on their health and mental state. I alone stood perfectly calm, giving a slight shake of my head in response. I could stay here for a week or months. I’d bet anything it wasn't as dangerous as the heart of a desert mountain. The only difference was that here, I would have to develop more than just my sandbending.

Perhaps that was why it was so easy to predict Anubis’s next words:

[Choose:]

[1 — Develop Earthbending: Cave life is hard, and being a miner is harder. By investing your time here, you will find it easier to manipulate large volumes of matter, and breaking massive, durable rock will become second nature. (Higher earnings, improved combat potential).]

[2 — Unlock Crystalbending: This new branch requires serious effort. Your open chakras will make the initial steps easier, but mastery can only be achieved through total focus. (Combat potential will increase manifold).]

[3 — Mudbending: Even in the caves, there are underground waters. Mud mixed with water forms a slurry that is impossible for most earthbenders to control. You will learn to manipulate more stubborn and complex materials. (Vastly improves techniques against or in tandem with waterbenders).]

I couldn't hide my surprise. Anubis had presented two entirely new, deep paths requiring my full attention. Take mud, for instance. I had noted back in the swamps that I couldn't control it; it was difficult to grip an element so thoroughly mixed. But back then, I was learning something else entirely. Now, likely because I had come here specifically to hone my bending, a dedicated path had appeared. It was a difficult choice. What if, for example, I could find a way to create healing mud? I already had an idea of how to influence chi—could I eventually replicate the healing arts accessible only to waterbenders?

Anubis remained silent, as if intentionally making me salivate over these different directions, playing with my expectations. This was the hardest decision I’d faced in a long time.

I stood in silence, tapping my foot against the floor, until the walls of the lift began to glow with light. Frowning in confusion, I turned around along with the others. Everyone froze in a mix of shock and awe. Through the grated walls of the elevator, a gargantuan cavern revealed itself, covered in an innumerable array of crystals growing from the walls, ceiling, and floor. Giant stalactites seemed to merge with the crystals, and light, coming from some unseen source, reflected off the multi-colored facets, casting a literal rainbow across the stone.

Groups of earthbenders worked on the vast tiers of this cavern, mining various minerals. In some areas, rivers of mud could be seen, carrying away waste earth into the depths, likely out beyond the cavern itself. In other spots, massive clouds of dust hung in the air; people were sprinting away from those locations, shouting about cave-ins.

"You’ll have your own schedules," the soldier said, looking over his papers. "This week, we need to dig a new tunnel into the Jennomite mine and prepare it for King Bumi."

As we finished our descent, they explained our duties, the pay scales, and the safety protocols. The soldier pointed to a dust cloud from a collapsed section as a warning, stating that one of the smithies had been buried there. This was a full-scale factory producing strategically vital components. The efficiency of the earthbenders was so high they managed to both mine and forge, though they usually tried not to overtax the same individuals with both tasks.

Once we stepped out of the lift onto a path lined with small crystal clusters, we looked around like tourists. Everything was reinforced with stone fortifications. Benders hauled heavy carts of resources toward the smithies, from which the rhythmic, thunderous sound of stone striking metal echoed. Smoke from the furnaces rose high into stone pipes. From the more distant parts of the cavern, delivery systems identical to those in the city arrived.

The soldier led us to a large stone board displaying current assignments. The mysterious light source illuminated the various tasks clearly.

"The week has just started, so everyone is just beginning their missions. You can decide what to take on yourselves, unless a direct order comes down to focus on a specific task, like the one right now. The easier missions, like simple rock-flushing, are usually already taken. No free rides for you rookies."

The available tasks included assisting in the forge, digging new tunnels, and mud-flushing, which, as we were told, was already full. A man arrived and posted a new job: clearing a buried smithy. The other rookies who had come with me immediately swarmed the board. I stayed where I was, deep in thought.

My choice of bending discipline would dictate my future work here. Unfortunately, without more details, it was hard to tell what each branch was truly capable of, and there were no books on these new paths available to me.

"Hmm, why does the Jennomite mission offer a bonus?" the boys at the board asked.

"Weren't you listening? The King gave orders to meticulously prepare that area. Besides, you’ll encounter Jennomite along the way, so you’ll have to make abrasives on-site. Double the profit, understand? If so, get to work."

I frowned at his phrasing. "I have a question." The answer could decide my entire future.

"What is it?" the soldier asked, turning toward me.

"What is this ‘Jennomite’?"

"...Rock candy," he replied with a smirk before turning away.

Then I remembered, the "Jennomite " was a sweet mineral that could grow at a terrifying speed, eventually encasing a person in a cage. King Bumi had demonstrated it in the past.

I wondered where I would find crystals to bend if I studied this new branch; obviously, they were far rarer than sand or common earth. Even if the bending was powerful, what was the point if I could only carry a couple of shards with me most of the time? But if the material could reproduce... that changed everything.

I needed to know if it was suitable for combat. I quickly found out which direction to go and, after trekking a couple of kilometers, arrived at a dug-out tunnel where a few miners were working. Multi-colored crystals grew everywhere. Men would snap off pieces, only for the mineral to begin growing up their arms.

It looked fragile. But when I touched a purple shoot growing from a nearby wall, I couldn't break it off, even exerting all my physical strength. Instead, it calmly began to envelop my hand, climbing upward.

"I see..." Realization began to dawn. I could feel it through my bending – the way the crystalline lattice divided. It was hard to say exactly how it grew, but it relied on close contact with the body. However, separating it wasn't easy. I tried to pour my bending into it to shed or break it, but because of its unfamiliar composition, I only succeeded on the third attempt. And even then, only thanks to my advanced control.

"Hehe, usually we have to rescue the rookies from that stuff," someone chuckled nearby. I looked up to see an old man with only one eye. "Jennomite is difficult to control. And if you eat it... well, underdeveloped benders usually end their lives right then and there."

"Is it that serious?" I tensed. It sounded like I had walked into a cave filled with... bear traps. Human-catchers at every step. And what if I inhaled the dust? Terrifying. But then, the old man snapped off a piece, put it in his mouth, and crunched it down with ease.

"It requires experience. It’s not just tougher than most rocks; it’s fundamentally different. If you’re afraid of being encased in crystal, stay close to the others."

"Aaaah! Help!" someone screamed nearby. I recognized the voice instantly, one of the rookies who had arrived with me. The crystal had already reached his elbow. The boy collapsed to the floor, thrashing, while other workers rushed over. With a few precise strikes to the crystal, they shattered the dangerous mineral. Then, they gathered the fragments and ground them into a fine powder, collecting it in a small container. Genuine, crushed quartz sand...

"Hehe. Subduing crystal requires a specific kind of character. Rookies don't usually have the backbone for it," my "echolocation" caught the veteran's advice. My eyes locked onto the one-eyed old man. I dropped into a lotus position directly in front of him.

"Teach me. I wish to understand the principles of the crystalbenders," I said, bringing my hands together in a respectful bow.

"...Get lost! Why are you staring at me, you tunnel-mole?" Startled by my sudden movement and recoiling from my intense, unblinking gaze, the old man scowled and hobbled away as fast as he could.

I had been brushed off... and yet, Anubis, I choose Crystalbending. There will be time for mud and the rest later.