Chapter 25: Mining Node (2)

Blake placed his Volcanic Mold on the workbench and stretched it out over the table’s corners, making room for a pickaxe mold.

He had already drawn a pickaxe blueprint earlier.

It was much better than his first one because he had followed Vargar’s guidance. He wrote down important details about forging the pickaxe.

A system prompt appeared above the Volcanic Mold.

Without hesitation, Blake agreed.

His simple sketch disappeared, and a second later, the Volcanic Mold began shaping itself into a pickaxe.

Because the handle would be made of wood, there was only a mold for the pickaxe’s head.

“Great,” Blake whispered.

He picked up the iron ore and told Sol to get started. He put the iron ore into the furnace and kept track of the temperature. Later, he added flux and patiently watched the metal, occasionally glancing at Sol.

Sol was also staring at the iron with curiosity.

“Don’t even think about it, Sol,” Blake said, narrowing his eyes.

Sol looked away.

Even Blake, who wasn’t good at reading expressions, could tell Sol wanted to try eating the iron ore or even the slag. But both were still full of impurities and could hurt Sol or make him hate iron.

Nobody knew what secrets Sol might have.

He could end up eating steel or other metals and then create something extraordinary—maybe a new kind of metal that only Blake could obtain.

That was why Blake couldn’t let his little companion eat whatever he wanted.

After skimming the slag, Blake kept the iron heated until it melted. Then he poured the liquid into the mold.

“I read online that steel is better for pickaxes, but I’ll save my steel for now,” Blake commented, watching the molten iron solidify in the mold.

The Volcanic Mold was perfect for handling oxygen and iron, letting Blake focus on the handle.

He picked up a thick branch from the white forest and snipped off the smaller twigs with a knife. Then he shaved it down and polished it with sandpaper. His work was rough and amateur, but Blake was satisfied with the result.

He did the same with the pickaxe’s head, sharpening its edges and making sure the eye hole fit the handle.

At last, he finished his product.

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<+20% ore bonus from mining nodes>

“It shines,” Blake said, looking into Sol’s golden eyes.

Sol looked up at him, proud.

Controlling flames was probably part of Sol’s nature, and he mostly stuck close while watching the iron. Blake couldn’t help praising and even hugging him.

By now, Blake definitely had a soft spot for cute pets.

Then he forged another pickaxe for Beatrix.

Afterward, the three set out again into the white forest.

-

Thanks to his sun elemental’s aura, Blake walked through deep snow with ease, while Sol bobbed around on his head, looking at everything.

He saw white lynx corpses left behind, and his eyes sparkled.

Maybe he shared Blake’s eagerness for battle, or maybe he just enjoyed their victories a little too much.

Either way, Sol was now an active member of the team, looking for possible mining nodes—though he seemed more interested in the corpses and blood than anything else.

Beatrix, meanwhile, wasn’t just hidden in Blake’s shadow.

She moved smoothly among the trees and even jumped onto the branches, scouting ahead and striking down lynxes before they could get close to Blake.

If any did manage to get near, Blake took care of them himself to blow off steam.

“We’ve secured the top of the mountain… so the mining node should be at the bottom or close by, right?” Blake said out loud.

Just then, he heard a ringing in his head—until he realized it came from his horn.

The horn must have detected something about the 12th Lost King. Blake took a few steps forward, and the ringing grew louder.

Following the sound, he reached a thick patch of snow that cracked open into a hole, revealing an entrance to a mining node.

He smiled. “Let’s see what’s inside.”

Beatrix appeared at his side, while Sol held onto his helmet, peering ahead. His excitement made his little apple-shaped body shine even brighter.

Blake walked in, his elemental aura pushing back the darkness. He saw copper, tin, and iron ores in large amounts—and there was coal too!

He chuckled. “Let’s get to work.”

For some reason, the idea of gathering so many resources made him eager, even if it meant hours of mining.