Perhaps it was because the amount of raw stones absorbed was small, so the fluctuating progress was minuscule, but even so, Dong Tianyu felt a surge of elation. Before today, no matter what materials Tianyu absorbed, there was no increase in the upgrade progression of the Cave.

Now, with only a small pile of raw stones absorbed, the progress had increased, albeit very slightly, but there was indeed a change.

To confirm this fact, Zachary "borrowed" some more ’experimental samples’ from the mine next to the mining pit.

After several experiments, Zachary was certain that the ores from the mining pit could indeed increase the upgrade progression of the Cave.

At this moment, with Zachary floating in mid-air through Sword Control, he gazed at the Metal Ingots left unguarded next to the smelting factory and nearly let tears of envy trickle down from the corners of his mouth.

Perhaps, because this place was in the wilderness, with no other humans around, and the creatures active in the surrounding woods, whether Giant Scorpions or prehistoric beasts, had no interest in the Metal Ingots obtained after smelting.

Therefore, there was no one guarding this area, and it would be extremely easy for Zachary if he really wanted to help himself to some.

However, after thinking it through, Zachary ultimately abandoned the idea.

Truth be told, even if Zachary did help himself to all of the smelted Metal Ingots, it wouldn’t have been a significant problem.

This matter was incredibly strange after all since others did not possess a Storage Space. It would be normal to steal one or two ingots, but except for Zachary, no one could move these refined Metal Ingots from under others’ watch, without a sound.

Should such a situation arise, it would certainly cause a significant uproar, and the stranger the event, the bigger the commotion. The responsibility resting on Mr. Thompson’s shoulders—at least in this peculiar situation—would be lessened. Although he could be made into a scapegoat, realistically, no one would blame Mr. Thompson, for the event was too bizarre, and anyone else in his place would have experienced the same outcome.

But if Zachary did go through with it, even though Mr. Thompson might not bear much responsibility, his stay here would undoubtedly be extended.

After all, with the Metal Ingots gone, and should the thief not be found, the simplest and most effective solution would be to remake them, to replace the lost ones.

By doing so, needless to say, the time Mr. Thompson would remain here would be substantially extended, which could cause even more worry to Mrs. Thompson, who was waiting at home.

Sometimes, Zachary thought it might be a good idea to find something for Mrs. Thompson to raise or play with, especially since he did not often return home, and Mr. Thompson, now involved in the camp’s upper echelon, was becoming increasingly busy.

Even though Mrs. Thompson could meet up with other ’besties’ like her for gatherings and afternoon teas, it would become tedious over time.

After all, although the standard of living at the camp was continuously improving, the entertainment facilities had not increased by much. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

At times, Zachary even considered suggesting to his parents to simply have another child. Although Mr. Thompson and Mrs. Thompson were of advanced age, or rather, according to pre-catastrophe standards, they had passed their childbearing years.

But since they had begun practicing health-preserving Cultivation Techniques, both of their physical conditions were continuously rejuvenating. It wasn’t just them—even Elder Jefferson and the others practicing the Martial Path.

After they consumed pills and reached the Body Tempering Realm in their cultivation, their physical health had comprehensively surpassed that of untrained individuals in their twenties from before the catastrophe.

Although there were no significant changes in their appearances, other aspects of their health could be quite accurately described as a return to youth.

So now, despite Mr. Thompson and Mrs. Thompson’s increasing age, their physical condition was actually better than when they had Zachary.

Not only that, but if Mr. Thompson and Mrs. Thompson were indeed to have a second child now, the newborn’s physical constitution would far exceed Zachary’s when he was born.

This is also why, in most novels, the higher the cultivation level of the extraordinary individuals or Cultivating Immortal Families, the better the aptitude of the children born.

While it was a shame to give up this time, Zachary could wait until Mr. Thompson completed his assignment and returned to the camp before taking action. Though by that time, the gains might not be as substantial as they could have been now.

Yet by acting then, since Mr. Thompson would have already left, it would have no impact on him whatsoever.

With that thought in mind, Zachary swiftly returned to camp, and upon arriving home, he saw his mother sitting in a chair looking worried and heaving sighs.

A smile immediately blossomed on Zachary’s face, and he reassured Mrs. Thompson, "Mom, I’ve checked on Dad’s situation thoroughly. I can’t tell you the specifics of the mission,

but it really isn’t dangerous. It’s just that this mission is time-consuming, so Dad likely won’t be able to return home soon."

Hearing her son say this, Mrs. Thompson believed that Zachary was not deceiving her, yet she inquired again, surprised, "Are you sure you’ve checked? Are you absolutely certain there’s no danger in this mission?"

Addressing his mother’s doubts, Zachary patiently explained, "Mom, you can be completely at ease. I’ve checked everything thoroughly. This time, Dad went with a troop, so there’s no need to worry about safety at all.

You should have a general idea about the surroundings of our camp—there aren’t even medium-sized prehistoric creatures around.

So there’s absolutely no need for you to worry about Dad. Just eat when you should eat, drink when you should drink, don’t worry about a thing, and don’t let it weigh on your heart."