The next day snow had started falling, the temperature had fallen far below freezing. Seth and Sarah were still in bed, both had woken up. But between feeling the cold air outside the covers and getting affection from each other, they both had been deprived of they simply did not want to move. 

“Breakfast is ready” Harold yelled from the living room. 

“You two love birds can stop pretending to sleep now” Helga continued. They both where having too much fun about this, or just enjoying seeing them slowly falling for each other. 

Seth and Sarah both embarrassed, walked out of the bedroom, Sarah holding on to his shirt from behind. “I will go to the mine today Seth said” Before they could tease Him and Sarah anymore,” Can I come too?” Sarah asked, most likely wanting to run away as much Seth wanted. 

“You have to stay here; I need a little help inside” Helga said with a smile. 

Seth hurried outside taking with him some supplies and a winter coat, almost running all the way up to the mine. But on his way, he bought both the skill and . Do to it being bought in the Tinkerer profession they were only limited versions of the original’s, as Mining level faster and had a higher drop rate when it was in the profession “Miner”, when bought for tinkerer it started at 5% drop-rate, and ended at 50%. Or so the system told him, it was strange having the world controlled by stats, or at least see that it was. 

Seth prepared himself outside the mine, and walked inside. His luminating the mine around him, but not far away the dark waited patiently. His drained one mana per minute, reducing his regeneration from 1,94 to only 0,94 mana per minute. Seth walked further and further inside, soon the entrance was not even visible. It was claustrophobic inside the cave, but he started controlling his breathing, focusing on it to lessen his awareness. The walls had sharp edges, wooden beams every few meters, with planks in between to hold back the gravel. And the orange light from the orb made it just as exciting as it was terrifying.  

The tunnel started splitting up and Seth took a right every time it did. The darkness closing in behind him, and hiding in front of him. Seth looked at the walls, looking to see if there were any hints to how ore was found. And it was then he saw it after walking for about half an hour. In the wall there where a crack, and inside he could see an orange metal. “” Seth said, 20 mana drain from his total of 80. “” the system responded, Seth took out his pick and started hammering at the vain, it hits and the skill leveled to lvl2, after four more it leveled to lvl3, another 9 hits and it was lvl4, then 16 hits, 25 hits, 36 hits. It was already at level 7, but his stamina was almost empty and no ore had dropped. He waited for almost an hour in the dark tunnel, before his stamina had full returned. And on the next hits it dropped small rocks that had orange metal extruding from them, exactly like a game he thought to himself, after dropping his stamina to 1/3 he had as much as he could carry in his backpack and started finding his was back, he had forgot about the darkness while working. But now it was like it was looking at him, biting at his light, and then he stumbled and as soon as his foot touched a shadow it bit him. 

 <10 health lost>  

Seth snapped back his foot. It was not bleeding badly and soon he could see et closing up like magic as his health points was returning.  

Seth said looking at the darkness, 20 mana was lost and the system answered . Seth started running to the exit not wanting those rats to bite him again. Running compared to slowly walking; he was outside in minutes; his Stamina had almost been depleted but he was outside. He looked back at the entrance to the mine and yelled.  

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

He throws it inside the mine, it was not an explosion that happen, but a small inferno that lasted for a second inside.  

…. 

Twelve times, the system returned this message. Why did he suddenly get messages like this, it had not happened before with the slimes and rabbit. Remembering Harold advise he tried  

“” Seth asked the air around him. 

.  

Seth continued asking questions, like “why have I been transferred here”, “what are this place” and so on. But the system did no reply to any of them. It only did so when it had a direct connection to a skill. Not wanting to meet the shadow rats once more today he heads back to the farm. 

Coming back, he remembered why he had been in such a hurry to leave, in his excitement to show Harold what he had found, he had gotten eleven rocks with copper in them. But the wagon was gone, he entered the house, looking around not finding anyone but Sarah sitting there alone with her knitting. “how’s there” Sarah asked. 

“it’s me Seth, where are the others?”  

“Mom and Dad left; they were going to ask you this morning but forgot, they are on their way to the city with the barley, dad got both wagons out of the barn and stocked both full, they said it was almost too much, so they took both the ox’s and the horse”  

“So, we are alone?” Seth asked 

“Yes, about that, mom had a talk with me” Sarah was blushing but she continued “They approve of us, if we want to; be together”  

Seth had a mix of emotions, and really did not know what to say, this had come out of no were. Or had it, he really did not know the customs here and he did not dislike the idea, but this was moving so fast, he had only been here for about 2 weeks, and most of the time Sarah had hated him. 

“But, did you not hate me just days ago?” Seth asked and know he had fucked up asking it. 

“I did not hate you; I was, I was.” Sarah struggled to say it, “I was jealous of you okay, you helped them while I’m only a burden” 

“No, you're not, they love you and I never take your place Sarah” Seth said, and at this point he had moved over holding her hand. “Can we continue reading today?” Sarah asked, “I’m just your personal book reader aren’t I” Seth replied.  

“Yes, but you are warmer and cozier” Sarah said. 

Seth walk back to the bedroom to pick up the book and return when Sarah already was behind him, almost diving into his bed. Seth had just started reading as Sarah asked “do you like me?”.  

Seth could not really think of what to say, the easiest was just to say yes, but he really did not know, he was attracted to her and he had started enjoying their time together. But did he like her like that? Mostly sure of himself he answered “Yes, I do, I don’t know where this is going, but I want to find out”  

“”  

“”  

“” he said before blacking out, the skill cost 80 mana, and he only had 80 mana. 

As he was waking up, a crying girl was looking at him, slapping him, begging him to wake up. Wait she was looking at him, she was looking at him! He looked up at her and as soon as he did, she embraced him, not letting go. They stayed like that for minutes while she was crying and thanking him in a strange mix.   

They locked eyes, she had blue eyes, lovely blue eyes. They looked at each other, lips coming closer, her lips twitching and wanting to. Seth looked at her lips wanting their lips to meet. He could feel her breathing out her nose and it hitting his lips, her long hair falling to the sides around them. And then their lips meet, they were so soft. The kiss lasted for seconds, before the next one come, so much excitement and tensed up feelings where realized at once. Cloths started getting removed, he could feel her skin against his, her soft breast on top of him. 

It had happened so fast, none of them had the power to slow it down or even think, hormones had taken over.  

That evening they talked, and laughed, they both were happy, but what got them together was reading a book. And so, this time Sarah was reading for Seth, while in his arms. Stealing kiss’s, toughing her bare skin and love each other.  

The next day, they had woken up late in the day, and they heard the fire cracking out in the living room. This time he was going to die, he could not say nothing happened this time. But before he could say anything Sarah stared running out into the living room. “Mom! Dad! I can see!! Seth cured me! I can see!!” and then a cold breeze toughed her naked skin and she looked down.  

“Seth how are you going to explain this one!” Harold shouted into the bedroom.