Kapitel 26: Chapter 26 - High-Quality Iron Ore

Broken continued to strike the pickaxe against the cave wall, repeating the action tirelessly. He had lost track of time in the cave, but throughout, he could still hear the miners chatting loudly with each other, their voices echoing more than the sound of their pickaxes hitting the rocks.

[You obtained 1 high-quality Iron Ore.]

Another notification appeared before Broken, and this time it was something unexpected—a high-quality Iron Ore. While there were three quality categories of Ore: Low, Medium, and High-quality, obtaining High-quality was the most difficult. But he had managed to get it on his second try.

Broken was silent for a moment, staring in disbelief at the iron ore he had obtained. "High-quality? Is this because of my Luck stat?" he asked with a hint of awe in his voice.

[Congratulations on obtaining High-Quality Iron Ore with a very low technical mining skill level—a feat that is not easily achieved!]

[You have rightfully earned the title of "A Blessed Miner"]

[For this amazing achievement, you receive 10 Stat Points and 5 Luck Stat points!]

"Damn! 10 Stat Points and 5 Luck stat just for this title?" he exclaimed in disbelief. "It seems something like this isn't easily done by anyone."

Broken chuckled in delight at the achievement he had just attained. Though he had hoped the title would give him some advantage in mining more easily, he couldn't complain because 10 stat points and 5 Luck stat were a significant reward!

"I guess I can mine non-stop until morning," he said excitedly and then continued his work with renewed vigor.

[You obtained 1 high-quality Iron Ore.]

[You obtained 1 low-quality Iron Ore.]

[You obtained 1 medium-quality Iron Ore.]

Without noticing, the miners, who had previously only watched from a distance, suddenly approached and surrounded him. They stood silently with their mouths agape, watching what Broken was doing.

He stopped his work and glanced at the miners, furrowing his brows in confusion. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"You can acquire high-quality ores repeatedly without stopping like it's easy."

"Didn't you say this area didn't contain any iron ores?"

"There should still be some, but not this many."

"So, is he using some trick?"

"No way, I think he's just talented at mining."

"What tricks do you use? You're a beginner," they asked.

"I believe the pickaxe he used is a special pickaxe," one miner suggested.

"He's a player, so it's common for them to use their money to cheat their work."

"Yes, or maybe he's cheating somehow," another commented.

"Let us check the pickaxe you're using; it must be something expensive, right?"

"But isn't it just an ordinary pickaxe?"

"It may look ordinary, but it could be something expensive."

"The pickaxe he's using doesn't look special. I'm sure it's just an ordinary pickaxe."

"Then what is the explanation for why he can get high-quality ores over and over again like that? Do you think he was blessed by a deity or what? I don't believe it," another miner inquired.

Broken sighed and held up his pickaxe for them to see. "It's just a common pickaxe," he said, showing them its ordinary appearance.

One of the miners inspected it closely. "It really is just a common pickaxe," he admitted, looking perplexed.

"So how are you doing it?" another miner asked, clearly intrigued.

"I guess I just have a bit of luck on my side," Broken replied with a shrug.

The miners exchanged glances, still puzzled but somewhat convinced.

Broken paid no mind to the miners who continued to gather around him, and he continued to mine. He noticed they were watching him closely, so he moved to an area with more iron ores. Yet the miners still followed him, clearly curious.

[You obtained 1 high-quality Iron Ore.]

"Wow... Look at that, he's actually managed to get some high-quality Iron Ore!" one of the miners exclaimed in amazement.

"I can't believe my eyes!"

The others stared at Broken with admiration and awe.

"Hey, kiddo," one of them asked. "Who are you? I've never seen you around here before."

"You can see my name there," Broken replied, pointing towards the writing above his head. "Right?"

"Broken… what's broken about you? hahaha," they joked.

"I want to learn how he's doing his mining."

"He swings the pickaxe like he's holding a sword. I want to try it too."

"Yeah, that must be the secret."

Unexpectedly, quite a long time had passed, and the morning had arrived. They couldn't see the sunlight from inside the cave, but Broken knew from the clock in his system interface.

"I've been mining all night?!" he said in disbelief, glancing around the cave. He saw that the miners were still sitting and watching what he was doing.

"Hey, beginner," one of them said, "you're really good. I'm sure you'll become a famous miner in the future."

Another added, "Sorry I doubted you before. I hope to mine with you again next time."

"Are you leaving? You won't get rich with just a few ores. Stay with us here; it's great fun, mining day and night."

"Some people think we're like vampires, but this is how we make money."

"Yeah, teach us how to mine like you, boy."

"Hey, Broken," another miner exclaimed, "we can't thank you enough for inspiring us with your unique mining technique. It's truly remarkable. It's so broken!"

"Thank you for keeping me company all night. I enjoyed mining here, but I just needed a few ores," Broken said with a smile.

Broken glanced at his inventory, pleased to find he had more than enough to complete the quest from the mining association.

[35 pieces of low-quality iron ore]

[12 pieces of medium-quality iron ore]

[10 pieces of high-quality iron ore]

"Excellent, this should be enough," he said, giving a wave to the other miners. "See you all. Until next time!"

The miners cheered as Broken stepped out, heading towards the cave entrance.

After emerging from the cave, he quickly discarded his nearly ruined pickaxe and noticed that his mining skill had risen to level 2.

"I really feel the joy of having all these blessings. Thank you, Goddess Akidia," he said, and then he summoned Polly.

"Good morning, Master. I saw you having some fun doing the mining. Were you thinking of becoming a miner?" Polly greeted him, her body rapidly expanding.

"Not really, although I enjoyed it, I don't want to be stuck in a cave day and night," he replied.

He added, "Let's head back to the town, Polly."

Upon arriving in town, Broken approached the merchant who had given him the mining quest the day before and threw a large bag filled with iron ore onto the counter. He only handed over enough to complete the quest, with a combination of low, medium, and high-quality ores. The merchant was taken back, lifting his head to look at him.

"What is this?" the merchant inquired.

"The quest. What else? Now, give me my recommendation letter."

The merchant immediately opened the pouch, and his expression changed to one of shock. "You're saying that you managed to mine all of this in a single night?" he asked.

"Yup, you can confirm it yourself with the miners in that cave."

The merchant hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding. "Yes, I do believe you. I can provide you with the recommendation letter, and I'm assuming you would like me to buy these ores from you?" he asked.

"How much would you be willing to pay?" Broken hesitated.

"I can offer you 15 silver. That's the highest I can go."

"30 silver, or there won't be any deal."

"Alright, it's a deal!"