Absolute Craft

Chapter 24: Mining Node (1)

Blake logged out of the game world. The gaming capsule's lid opened, revealing him lying inside, staring silently at the ceiling. He didn't have his usual blank look; instead, he seemed as though he were still in battle.

'Beatrix can keep up with me. She's great at spotting openings. I need to power both of us up with more skills and stats,' he thought, reflecting on the different ways players could improve those attributes.

Upgrading weapons and armor with Skill Stones was one popular way to get stronger. Each piece of equipment had a limited capacity, which made Blake's blacksmith and enchanter abilities even more valuable since he could potentially add one or two effects.

Another option was upgrading existing skills with Evolution Shards. For example, those shards could increase the range of his Prideful Step or reduce the cooldown of his Sheathed Pride. Those were the simpler boosts; depending on the shard's grade, the enhancements could be far more powerful.

Getting a title, as Blake had done, was also possible, but that route was more difficult than the others.

'Because my tutorial zone is unique, I doubt I can find Skill Stones or Evolution Shards in the usual ways. Vargar mentioned some mining nodes somewhere, so I should track those down and look for valuable ores that could help me or Beatrix get stronger,' Blake thought, stepping out of his gaming capsule.

When his foot touched the floor, his leg bone cracked with a disturbing sound. Clicking his tongue, Blake stretched his leg to ease the pain. The disparity between his in-game condition and his real body was stark.

Even during his beta testing days, he hadn't been in such rough shape, partly because his friends would drag him out to do some physical activities. If it weren't for his current job, he'd be in even worse condition. But work drained him so much that self-care, let alone healthy eating, took a back seat.

His late dinner was just a cup of instant noodles. His stomach growled at the sight of steam rising from them. Blake, however, wasn't feeling well. He clenched his hands and took a deep breath.

He'd taken a step toward a better version of himself in the game. His current lifestyle was, in his mind, a punishment for having ignored his relationships and schoolwork. He also knew he couldn't wait for someone or something to magically improve his life.

Just as he'd started changing in the game world, Blake decided it was time to break out of his shell in the real world as well.

'I'll rework the gatekeeper's armor into simple steel armor and sell it on the market. I still don't have a battle pass or any way to connect with other players. I guess I need to leave the tutorial zone first,' he thought.

He refused to use his tainted money, so forging new armor from the gatekeepers' sets was the quickest way to earn some cash for better food. Because it would take time and effort, he slowly nibbled his instant noodles like a rabbit.

–

The moment Blake logged in, he sensed two presences watching him. One was behind him, clearly relieved that he was finally awake. The other was his Sun Elemental, who had finished a long nap.

Sol rolled off Blake's head and landed on the workbench, his eyes gleaming like stars. His glow seemed stronger than before. The cute little creature wobbled happily on the table, eager for another adventure.

"You missed out on a lot, Sol," Blake said, surprising him. "We caused quite a stir in the forest while you were asleep."

Sol's playful wobbling turned to rapid thrashing as he threw a fit, demanding his own adventure. But Blake had other plans. Ignoring the rolling golden apple, he lit the furnace and opened the wooden chest, pulling out iron ore and flux.

"I'm gonna make a pickaxe. Beatrix, do you want one?" he asked.

Stepping out of his shadow, Beatrix nodded. Some good, old-fashioned manual labor wouldn't hurt, even with her steel-like muscles.

Just then, Sol let out a whine.

"You want a pickaxe too? I'll make you a toy," Blake said with a shrug.

Sol whined again.

It looked like Blake had misunderstood yet again. He turned to the golden apple, whose eyes were locked on the furnace's opening.

"…you wanna go in?" Blake asked hesitantly.

Sol's eyes lit up, and Blake carried him closer to the flames. He explained that he couldn't stick his own hand in, then tossed Sol in as promised.

Sol landed inside, basking happily in the heat.

"I figured you'd be fine, being a Sun Elemental, but this is awesome, Sol!" Blake shouted.

Sol danced in place, finally joining in on the work.