Mining (2)
There's a saying: Dig all day long and see if you find a single 10-won bill. It's basically telling you not to waste time scheming for cash with bullshit—do some honest work instead.
But in reality, if you actually dig into the earth, all sorts of things pop out. And among them, the jackpot is oil. If you strike that, you're rich in an instant.
└PassingDwarf Uh, that looks like mithril to me?
└YasaengGrill ?
But I didn't need money. What I needed right now was something practical. Even if oil gushed out, a lump of steel would still be more precious in my situation. But the appearance of mithril—rarer than steel—left me dumbfounded.
This damn forest... even just digging turns up weird shit?
I had no idea what kind of structure this place even had. Not content with an Oriharukon cave right nearby, now digging the ground brought out mithril. Of course, I had to rigorously verify if this was really mithril. Especially since wild speculation was already flying in the Gallery, caution was key.
└That mithril? Isn't it too bright for mithril?
└It's not mixed with rock either—just a lump of pure mithril.
└The Oriharukon cave was all Oriharukon too, so it's not impossible.
└To be precise, it's impossible outside the Four Seasons Forest.
└Ah, got it. The minerals grew huge like all the other animals! That's why it's like this before smelting!
└That actually makes sense? Then why didn't the gorillas grow?
└Idk lol
└PassingDwarf Whatever, chip off a piece and send it to me. I'll check it out ㅇㅇ
└Bet you're gonna down some booze after lololol
└PassingDwarf Busted lol
└Busted my ass, you little dwarf shit lolol
└A race that drinks every break lolol
One comment among the endless flood caught my eye. Was this really mithril in its raw mineral state? Most ores, including mithril, are mixed with rock. You get the pure stuff through smelting in a furnace. What I'd found was pure material, just sitting there—no smelting needed. Hard to believe. Sure, diamonds exist like that, but not mithril.
They bought the Oriharukon cave precedent, at least.
Oriharukon was an ore too. But I'd found a whole cave of it. No reason mithril couldn't be the same. Especially since it was right under my house.
Anyway, I needed to send the dwarf a chunk. I stared at the glowing green mithril.
No way a guardian pops up from the ground, right?
That'd collapse the whole cave, floor included. My spirit would crumble too. Unlike the Oriharukon cave, there wasn't even a proper space here. And the biggest issue...
Why won't this break?
Mining it was insanely tough. The pickaxe bounced off without a scratch, no matter how many swings. From what I recalled, it had steel-like hardness but was way lighter. If it were mixed with rock, fine—but pure mithril was a nightmare to mine.
Clang! Clang! Clink!
What could I do? Keep mining like a madman. They say ten chops fells any tree—no different for mithril. Especially with my aura.
I channeled aura into the pickaxe. Clang! Crunch!
Time passed, and I finally chipped off a tiny bit of mithril. Sweat poured out—I had no clue how long I'd been at it.
Just this little, and the pickaxe is almost dulled to shit.
Even with aura boosting the tool's performance, I couldn't prevent damage. Aura enhanced efficacy, not infinite durability. Weapons didn't get tougher just from aura—Cheonma's sword was tough because of its Man nyeonhan cheol or whatever material.
I examined the thumb-sized green crystal, then logged into the Gallery. Might as well ask the dwarf for a quality pickaxe while I was at it.
I mined this, check it out please.
PassingDwarf ㅇㅋ If you say you're off to drink again, I'm never helping.
PassingDwarf You're so stingy;; Fine, got it. Check's easy, I'll let you know soon.
The dwarf posted too, so I checked the remaining mithril ore. Was it even right to call it ore? Anyway. Unlike Oriharukon, mithril could make weapons and gear—definitely useful for me.
But first things first.
Gotta give to Cheonma and SunForever.
If this was real mithril, I had people to repay immediately. Cheonma with her legendary scam item, SunForever with his steady shield gifts. I figured even adult mandrakes wouldn't cover their favors.
And I wrecked one of SunForever's shields.
Mithril was as hard to buy as Oriharukon. The treasure-loving SunForever would dig it.
First, check how far this vein goes.
If the whole cave floor was mithril, that'd be a headache. Couldn't leave it, but smashing the floor wasn't viable either.
I decided on my pre-thought plan. I still needed storage space—keep digging the same spot.
This alone is huge.
No armor dreams. Just spare tools.
I swung the pickaxe furiously for storage space.
Fuck this. Ask for a mithril pickaxe?
Five minutes in, bored to death. I wiped sweat and logged in. Dwarf should've checked by now.
PassingDwarf Hey. Hey hey. Look quick. Urgent.
Right as I entered, an urgent-looking message from the dwarf. One minute ago.
I wondered. Not mithril? Another ore?
This was the guy who'd drunkenly confirmed Oriharukon late. Weird for him to message like this.
Why? Mithril? Or can't drink?
PassingDwarf Be serious, drop the booze jokes. ㅇㅇ;
So why the rush?
PassingDwarf It is mithril. But not like I thought at all.
What's different?
PassingDwarf It's a solid lump;; almost no smelting needed.
Solid lump?
I tilted my head. Sounded good.
PassingDwarf Means you have no clue what you found?
ㅇㅇ No clue.
Isn't that just great?
PassingDwarf Sigh. Fuck;; Your head an anvil or did a hammer hit it;;
No cursing, explain -_- Came from another world, know jack shit.
PassingDwarf Fine, pretend your head's an anvil and I'll explain.
His explanation: Ores are embedded in rock, smelting boosts purity. Same for mithril—rarer and scarcer, so pricier. Even if raw ore, the size was absurd.
PassingDwarf Weapons claiming "mithril-made" are all alloys. No pure mithril tools exist. Not even Setan rich fucks can.
O. But I can?
PassingDwarf ㅇㅇ Would've returned it if raw ore.
Eh? Why? You're a dwarf.
PassingDwarf Am, but needs special smelting. Upper approval for furnace.
Scared of getting caught mining?
PassingDwarf Separate issue—process is a pain as fuck. Needs upper okay.
Complex for rare mithril. At least solid meant just melt.
PassingDwarf How'd you mine it? Looks picked, but mithril hardness? Only makes sense if you found it rolling around.
What? It was hard but broke like stone.
PassingDwarf What the hell are you saying? It's solid, like a metal ingot. Solid.
What the fuck? I frowned. Vein was tough, but not steel-tough per my experience. Wouldn't have pickaxed otherwise. It broke like rock.
Weird. Mined like stone? Normal?
PassingDwarf Bullshit. Won't even saw properly;;
No, for real;; Video proof.
First, gimme a pickaxe.
PassingDwarf No idea what nonsense, but here's one. Spare I made, good quality.
Oh. And make a mithril pickaxe. Digging sucks.
PassingDwarf World fuck lololol First pure mithril tool a pickaxe lolol
I'm serious. Easier mining?
PassingDwarf Bit easier, not dramatic;;
Games made same-material mining way easier. Reality differed. Still, overflowing mithril—no harm. Even if that's all, pickaxes universal.
Wonder if this mines better?
I checked the dwarf's pickaxe. Looked normal, but handle short—dwarf-sized.
Clang! Clink!
Way better than old one. Good weight, durability. Mined decent mithril.
I examined my fist-sized chunk, puzzled.
Weird. Feels like stone?
No metallic hardness. I tilted my head, sent to dwarf.
(Mithril mining video) See. Breaks like stone.
PassingDwarf No way? What is this? Yours was an ingot;;
You good at this?
PassingDwarf Fuck, don't bruise my pride. I'm a metallurgy master.
Sorry. Anyway, proof sent.
PassingDwarf Lmao. My whole worldview shattering. Any weird vibes? None?
I was about to say none—
Swish—
A mithril fragment on the floor twitched.
...What?
Thought I hallucinated. But no—the unbelievable unfolded.
Swish—shh—
Mining fragments everywhere started moving. Toward the gleaming mithril vein.
I stared blankly, Gallery open.
Plop—
Soon, fragments merged seamlessly. Like they'd never broken off—one body again.
I witnessed it clear as day. Like severed flesh knitting back.
...No way.
Half-doubting, I touched the vein. Time for a test.
Auction/trade rules: First, no live beings.
Second, all sides of item visible.
Others irrelevant.
Why list first two? Simple.
Pass first rule, or second doesn't apply.
Algorithm demands it. Fail first—no trade. I'd be free if loopholes worked. First rule ironclad.
In other words...
Live beings can't be traded.
Proof this mithril vein was "alive" like a lifeform.
This insane forest made even minerals breathe.