The cold wind howled, and the song gradually faded into the breeze.

Yun You and the others, just like before, pried open the gates of another sentry tower.

The situation here was similar to the previous tower, equally crowded with townspeople like machines, and it too hid a miner carrying a jar.

This time, Jack did not hesitate in the slightest and directly shot and killed the miner, while Yun You took out the other half of the lung from his waist jar.

As usual, the young girl "devoured" the organ.

As they exited, the familiar miner salute and song resounded once again.

Though the townspeople's singing was still stammering, it contained two more lines than before.

"We once had...a vanguard..."

"Carrying hammers, drills, and pickaxes."

"Bearing the mission to build a bright future, striving forward, forward."

"..."

Listening to this song, which seemed somewhat familiar, Jack's pupils contracted, seemingly realizing something, just as he was about to speak, Yun You interrupted him.

"Let's go."

The young girl gently shook her head, whispering...

"Don't mind the miscellaneous things, let's do what we are supposed to do."

"They are thanking us."

With these words, Jack fell silent too, evidently realizing the girl's true meaning.

After a long while, he nodded slowly, murmuring, "Indeed, they won't blame us."

"Only by doing this can they...be liberated."

After saying that, the three of them no longer left any more words, but silently acted, quickening their pace.

What happened later went so smoothly it was almost unbelievable.

Yun You and the others first found the organ "full lungs," then successively found "stomach," "intestine," and "liver" from the [Temple], [Warehouse], and [Smelting Factory].

Some were hidden on the miners, others hidden in locked wooden boxes.

But without exception, around these few organs were numerous townspeople silently guarding them.

Along the way, Yun You and the others killed several miners blocking them from the organs, ending their lives.

Yet, before dying, they all displayed peaceful and gentle smiles, muttering...thank you.

And their companions beside them also performed the miner salute after the organs were destroyed, continuously pounding their chests in gratitude.

Simultaneously, that once familiar song gradually became complete, revealing its true meaning.

"We once had...a vanguard..."

"Carrying hammers, drills, and pickaxes."

"Bearing the mission to build a bright future, striving forward, forward."

"We draw tracks of dreams amid rocks and dust."

"Sweat falls like raindrops nourishing barren lands; perseverance is the blazing flame within."

"In the dark mines, we seek light, fearless and determined."

The song was very short, so brief that Yun You could easily memorize it.

Its tune was simple too, filled with uplifting vigor throughout, although there was a touch of sadness, it couldn't overshadow the song's fervor.

Yun You had heard this tune before.

Or rather, any child born in a lower-class family had probably heard this tune.

It's called the "Song of Exploration," a folk song composed in the 2050s.

At that time, Nest City had just started massive expansion, not only Upper City needed rebuilding, but Bottom District was also included in the renovation plans.

Construction required large amounts of metal and special ores for support.

Hence, in the 2050s to 2060s, Bottom City of Nest City surged into a "mine rush," with countless privately and officially contracted mines opening simultaneously, resulting in a high demand for miners.

One could say, in that era, as long as one had a barely healthy body and could wield a pickaxe, there was a chance to become a miner.

Although to the Upper City People, the miner's dusty job seemed hardly respectable, with dreadfully low income, but to those in Lower City struggling for food and warmth, it was truly a valuable opportunity.

Moreover, mine bosses at that time constantly advertised miner wages, exaggerating this arduous and exhausting job, saying one needed only 14 hours of work a day, could rest half a day a month, and one worker could support the whole family...

So, a large number of Bottom City folks flocked to the mines, setting out on this challenging path.

Yun You's father, Yun Jiang, had worked as a miner for a period.

But obviously, the job was not as favorable as imagined.

Leaving aside the difficult working conditions, there was industrial disease, extreme fatigue, food so bad even dogs wouldn't eat...everything was just awful.

The only thing worth mentioning was that miners indeed earned slightly more than other jobs.

But wages, no matter how high, had to be successfully received to count as income.

Mine bosses in Nest City were extravagant when facing beauties and luxury goods, spending lavishly...but when it came to payroll, they became even poorer than destitute miners.

Thus, to counter the bosses, miners spontaneously formed "exploratory teams," not only to care for each other in mines but also to demand wages for one another.

Among these exploratory teams, the "Hammer Vanguard Team" was the most special.

Their skills were excessively proficient, with seasoned experience to navigate any challenges in mine tunnels easily, no matter how bizarre and dangerous the mine was, they could carve out an exploratory passage for later use.

But that wasn't the reason for their uniqueness and fame.

The true preciousness of Hammer Vanguard lies in their gratuitous support for suffering fellow miners, helping them retrieve wages, supporting them, and persisting against pressure from upper management bosses.

In that era, compared to Apprentice Death God, whom some never saw in their lifetime, this near-at-hand exploratory team seemed more like miners' guardian deities.

Their "Hammer Totem" was even more popular than the Apprentice Death God's tri-symbol among the lower class.

To commemorate them, miners spontaneously composed a "Song of Exploration" to praise the fame of Hammer Vanguard.

Thus, Hammer Vanguard also took this song as their anthem, singing it loudly whenever entering mines.

And now, the miners in front of Yun You and the others, with calloused hands and simple attire, were singing this tune.

So, upon hearing the song, their identities were no longer ambiguous.

These people trapped in Yangshan Town...disguised as townspeople miners, were precisely those explorers of Hammer Vanguard.

Twenty years ago, they came here and have been trapped here ever since, stuck until today.

They forgot many things, memory, identity, purpose...but never forgot their pioneering spirit as Hammer Vanguard.

Belonging to a "person's" indomitable spirit.

Perhaps because of this, they expressed gratitude to Yun You for "liberating" them...

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