Chapter 26: Mining Node (3)
“Might come in handy at a different mining node, not here,” Blake said aloud, eyeing the cluster of ores before him.
Just as the game system stated, Blake and his team had been mining for three hours.
He was sweating profusely and took breaks now and then to let his stamina recover.
Meanwhile, Beatrix kept working like a machine.
Though her body was made of steel, her spirit was very much human, as she frequently came over to show Blake her haul and brag about how much she mined.
She also happened to be the first to get the Miner title.
Because there were so many resources here, they had barely made any progress deeper into the mining node.
Blake even called out sometimes, hoping a monster—or anything else—would appear from the darkness.
So far, nothing had.
“It feels like we’re here just to test our patience,” Blake said aloud.
Although he had already shared resources with Vargar and still had plenty left at the smithy, Blake wanted to gather as much as he could to make the most of having the smithy all to himself.
Once he left the tutorial zone, he wouldn’t be able to have a private smithy unless he paid a hefty sum or built one himself.
His plan was to craft as many tools and items as possible to improve his life.
Though he couldn’t permanently enchant his creations, he could still mass-produce them using his Volcanic Mold. Maybe he’d get lucky and create another masterpiece on par with Pride’s Shackle.
At that moment, Sol slid off Blake’s head.
Blake caught him and placed him back. “No eating.”
Sol whined.
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With both his and Beatrix’s inventories packed with ores, it was time to head home.
On the way, Blake noted that he hadn’t expected mining to be this fun.
He kept going and going, but still enjoyed it.
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A possible threat in the node added some excitement too.
Above all, seeing his inventory overflowing with ores made him eager to get back to the smithy and start forging.
Once home, Blake stashed their haul in a wooden chest and had Sol heat up the furnace—Beatrix carried Sol over to help him.
Blake then poured molten steel into the katana mold.
“Pride’s Shackle is great, but I could use a second katana that’s perfect for duels—and bosses,” he remarked, looking at the Volcanic Mold. His companions nodded.
He quenched the fresh blade and hammered it to strengthen it, then repeated the heat-and-hammer process.
“I’ll need at least a week to see how it turns out,” he said, setting the blade aside for tomorrow. Then he made a new mold for a sword. “Just iron this time.”
Switching to a sword mold, Blake soon forged a new weapon. After checking its stats and skills, he nodded, satisfied.
It’d fetch a decent sum.
And while selling one sword might help him get by, producing many swords—plus repurposing the gatekeepers’ armors—would give him a real chance at a fresh start.
His craving for battle had faded, replaced by a genuine focus on forging—a sight that even Beatrix (a beast-like being) found heartwarming and peaceful to watch.
-
A few days passed.
With all the ore along their usual route mined out, Blake’s team ventured deeper into the same node.
By now, Blake didn’t really expect to meet a new monster; he was more interested in scooping up any remaining resources to fuel his forging business.
All of a sudden, his horn sounded with that familiar boom.
“Wait, what?” he muttered, turning to the side.
He knew how to follow its signals and soon found himself at a rocky wall.
A moment later, his heart pounded in time with the horn’s call, his excitement rising at the thought of hidden treasure—or danger.
“Beatrix, we’re minin’ here,” he said.
They both struck the wall with determination, racing to see who would break through first. After about an hour of heavy labor, the entire wall gave way and revealed a hidden door, which Blake opened without a second thought.
He stepped through a narrow passage that expanded into a large cavern.
There, in the center, rested… something strange and out of place.