บท 50: Chapter 50 - The Miner and the Moon's Connection

[Through sheer discipline and an unwavering spirit, even the hardest minerals can be conquered, and the miner who demonstrates such positivity deserves to be rewarded with the ultimate accolade.]

[Congratulations - you have achieved the remarkable feat of being the first player to mine the Moonstone, a precious mineral said to be blessed by the Goddess of The Moon.]

[For this outstanding accomplishment, you have been bestowed with the title of 'The Miner and the Moon's Connection.']

[If you mine under the moonlight, you will have the opportunity to obtain higher-quality minerals.]

[You also receive a reward of 40 stat points.]

Damn, Broken was stunned by the rewards he had received from the achievement. Mining would be more effective under the moon, and the 40 stat points were an incredible bonus!

Additionally, he finally learned another fact about the Moonstone. It was connected to the Goddess of The Moon. But who was the Goddess of The Moon?

Clearly, she was not part of the Seven Sins Deities. But then, there were many deities in Immortal Legacy, some of whom had been revealed, while others remained a mystery.

He would put aside thoughts about the Goddess of The Moon for a while, hoping to gather more information about her in the future.

Three exhausting weeks had tested his determination! Yet, because he kept believing he could do it, he had finally succeeded in mining the Moonstone!

"Well then... let's keep mining until the morning," he murmured, his enthusiasm growing even stronger and more intense.

***

Morning arrived, and he quickly logged off from the game. Since he no longer spent time at work, he lacked physical activity because he spent most of his time inside the capsule device. He decided to start a new routine to push his physical limits and stay fit or even surpass his previous fitness levels. He had high hopes of earning more money, so he needed to keep everything balanced.

Leon began his routine by leaving his house early in the morning and going for a run with his new sports shoes and training outfit.

Lily opened her bedroom door, rubbing her eyes in surprise at what Leon was doing so early in the morning. "Huh?" she mumbled softly. "Who is he planning to meet this early?"

Leon, although used to physical activities like lifting heavy objects at the store and riding his bicycle, realized that his stamina wasn't as good as he thought. He was panting and nearly out of breath as he ran along the roadside. Sweat poured down his face, though it quickly dried in the cool autumn air. His breath mixed with the cold air, leaving him gasping, but he pushed himself further once he felt a bit recovered.

Immortal Legacy was a game where, despite diving into the world virtually, a person's real-life skills significantly impacted their in-game performance. For instance, those skilled in sword fighting could use their swords more effectively and combine their sword skills optimally. Therefore, training in the physical world was just as important as leveling up and improving fighting potential in the game.

After feeling he had run enough to weaken his body thoroughly, he returned home as the sun began to rise and light up the city. He saw Lily already prepared for the day and waving at him.

"Hi, what motivated you to go for a run this morning, Leon?" she asked.

Leon walked toward the dining table and sat down. "I need to keep fit because I'll be spending most of my time sleeping in the capsule device," he said, grinning.

Lily gestured for him to shoo. "Go wash yourself then, and have breakfast with me, would you?"

He grinned and stood up, walking toward the kitchen.

"Leon," she called out, and Leon turned.

"Yes, Lily?"

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "But are you sure about spending the money you earn on such extravagant things? There are many high-quality food items we've never even tried before. How much money did you spend on it?"

Leon grinned at his little sister. "Don't worry, Lily. You'd be shocked if you knew how much money I've made in the past few days," he said, pausing for a moment. "And… my previous manager, Bob, gave me a gift, too," he added, then walked towards the bathroom.

Lily frowned slightly. She had never asked why Leon had stopped going to work. Initially, she thought he had issues at his job and had turned to gaming to distract himself. But hearing his explanation, it seemed he left on good terms. His previous manager even cared enough to give him a gift. But what gift? The groceries?

"How many days have I been away from campus?" he said softly with a grin as he stood naked under the cold shower. The water washed over him, refreshing his tired body.

For some reason, he had slightly forgotten about his college responsibilities, as he was truly engrossed in completing the quest in Immortal Legacy. All he could think about was unlocking the Blacksmith Class and starting his new gaming routine. However, he hadn't completely neglected his college duties. He was still tracking assignments and submitting them online. He knew he needed to meet the minimum attendance requirement to stay on track with his education and not waste the effort and money he had spent to enter college.

But then, wasn't the purpose of going to college to get a better job? If he could earn money easily in the game, did he still need his college education? This thought made him chuckle. If the campus also allowed attending college via virtual reality devices, it would be quite enjoyable and time-saving. However, not everyone could afford a capsule device.

He finished his shower feeling very refreshed and quickly joined Lily at the dining table to enjoy their breakfast. He listened to Lily talk about many things with enthusiasm. At that moment, he felt like they were truly living alone in the house, even though their uncle also lived there but was rarely home. If he spent most of his time in the game, he could imagine that Lily might feel lonely when she only saw the capsule device where her brother surfed a fantasy world.

"You seem to be having a lot of fun at school, right, Lily?" he said, trying to summarize how she talked about her activities at school.

Lily paused for a moment and giggled, then nodded. "Yes… I'm having fun… I'm excited about my grades… I want to make Uncle and you proud of me," she said with enthusiasm.

"You've been smart since you were little, Lily. School achievements are not something difficult for you. I'm sure you can achieve great education, at least better than mine," he said, grinning.

"I study hard so I can get a better job, and we can live better," she said with enthusiasm. "But… I'm also quite happy to hear that you found a way to earn real money in the game," she added and then paused for a moment. "At least I'm not as worried as before. You can choose any woman you want to be your wife, Leon… if you have a lot of money," she said, giggling.

Leon frowned. "Why did the topic suddenly switch to a wife?"

Lily continued giggling at his question. What she was really thinking about was how Leon focused so much on work and didn't pay enough attention to himself, including eating properly or taking care of himself. Even worse, he truly restrained himself from having fun and always put his own needs aside. That's why she was quite happy when Leon talked about how he enjoyed the game, ate good food, and even bought better quality items that he never had before.

"I'm off!" Lily said, grabbing her bag. "Bye, Leon…"

"Bye, let me know if you're coming home late," he said, waving at her.

Lily glanced at the new smartphone in Leon's hand and giggled. "You're blinding me with that latest model phone you got there."

"This is because of my previous manager," Leon replied with a grin.

Lily paused for a moment. "You mean, Bob, right? Your classmate from senior high school?" She fell silent, then continued, "But…"

"Lily!" Leon quickly interrupted. "You need to know the whole story before making assumptions. It's not really a gift, but I assure you, nothing weird is going on with me and Bob."

Lily giggled again and waved her hand as she left.

Leon then took a deep breath, feeling his enthusiasm surge within him. He was eager to continue the game and quickly headed back to his capsule device.