C8 Mining Cave

At noon on the beach, the sea breeze carried the delicious aroma from the pot.

"Mr. Hai, you've really got some impressive cooking skills," complimented Liu Feng.

"Haha, well, after years of making a living on the sea, I've learned not to let myself go hungry," Mr. Hai chuckled.

Liu Feng grabbed a potsticker and popped it into his mouth, the heat making him hiss as he inhaled sharply.

Out of the blue, Liu Feng noticed someone had quietly taken a seat next to him. Turning, he saw a man with a goatee and a mane of golden hair reminiscent of a lion. His hair was so dense that only his sparkling eyes stood out.

"Ah, you've arrived. We've got a feast today," Hai Wei welcomed him warmly.

"Mm-hm," the man grunted, reaching for a potsticker and tucking in without further ado.

Eating with gusto, he finally revealed a smile from beneath his goatee.

"Mr. Hai, who's this?" Liu Feng inquired.

"This is my neighbor; we share meals daily," Mr. Hai explained.

"Hassan," the man introduced himself succinctly.

Oh? Just 'Hassan'? Liu Feng found it odd but held back any comment.

"You see that tent over there to the east?" Hai Wei pointed. Sure enough, a yellow tent stood on the beach. "That's where he lives. Uh..."

"I pick up trash," Hassan interjected.

"Oh, right," Liu Feng nodded, finding Hassan rather intriguing.

Typically, in such scenarios, characters of Hassan's ilk would be reclusive experts, akin to a Hong Qi Gong. Liu Feng suspected Hassan had his own unique story.

"He's not much for words, but he's a good guy," Mr. Hai added.

Liu Feng nodded again, stealing glances at Hassan.

Once they finished eating, Liu Feng realized fishing was off the cards for the day. He packed up the pot and seasonings, loaded them onto his little 125cc scooter, bid farewell to Hai Wei, and rode off.

Hassan, having finished his meal, silently departed.

The fishing mission still awaited, but with today's poor luck, Liu Feng had to accept the setback. With the deadline looming and only one day left, he steeled himself to tackle it tomorrow with the same fervor he once reserved for marathon gaming sessions. After all, the high-level fishing rod reward was too enticing to ignore, and by the system's standards, it had to be worth tens of thousands of gold coins.

So, what's next on the agenda?

No need to fuss over the fields for now, and fishing can wait until tomorrow. Unlocking the greenhouse requires 5000 gold coins, which isn't happening anytime soon.

Suddenly, Liu Feng remembered there was an unexplored mine in the system.

He pulled out the system map, gave it a quick glance, and saw it wasn't too far off. Just follow the river upstream, and it's right there, not far into Moon Mountain.

With the motorcycle purring, Liu Feng hummed a tune as he rode beside the river.

On the beach, inside Hassan's tent.

"That young man, Liu Feng, he's new to our town. A grad student, now working at the farm to the west."

"Your town," Hassan remarked succinctly.

"Why split hairs? You've lived here for years and still don't see yourself as one of us?"

Hassan remained silent, head bowed, lost in thought.

"I've taken a liking to Liu Feng. It's rare to find someone with such a passion for fishing these days."

Hai Wei didn't wait for a response from Hassan.

"Gets pretty lonely living out here by yourself, don't you think?"

"I'm used to it."

"You..."

At the base of Moon Mountain, Liu Feng halted his motorcycle; the path ahead was too rugged to ride.

The mountain stretched grandly northward, leading to Celestial Sea City, where Liu Feng had attended university.

He glanced around the desolate area, figuring no one would bother his old bike.

After a half-hour trek up the mountain path, a cave came into view.

"System, is this the mine?"

"Yes, you are now facing the system's mine."

Despite the system's confirmation, Liu Feng found it odd. The cave was small, barely three or four meters deep, and he could see right to the end.

Not one to overthink, he decided to step inside and see for himself.

As he entered the cave, the surroundings shifted dramatically, much like when he stepped onto the system's land back at his farm.

"So that's the trick, a classic system ploy," he mused, taking in his surroundings.

The cave stretched on indefinitely, the end nowhere in sight, and the deeper he ventured, the scarcer the sunlight became.

Exiting the system menu, he opened his backpack and retrieved his trusty pickaxe.

Clutching the pickaxe offered a small comfort; the pitch-black unknown ahead was unnerving.

"I really should've brought a flashlight or something. No, wait, a mining helmet would've been better."

Liu Feng kicked himself for his lack of preparation.

But what's done is done; he had to explore further.

Gripping the pickaxe, he pressed on.

"Ordinary ore. High chance of yielding stone upon breaking."

The system interface displayed this message as he eyed a 30 to 40-centimeter rock before him.

Time to break it!

He mustered his strength and swung the pickaxe.

Stamina -1.

The system notification floated up casually.

The ore barely changed, save for a small fissure.

"Damn, it's that tough? Lucky for me I didn't catch anything fishing today; I've got plenty of stamina left."

He swung again.

After ten more swings, the ore finally burst apart.

"Stone +7."

The system chimed in. Liu Feng glanced at the seven gray stones now in his backpack and was at a loss for words. Ten points of stamina for just a handful of stones seemed like a poor trade-off.

"System, what's the use for stone materials?"

"Stone materials are used in the construction of buildings, machines, and other items. Higher-grade mines may yield gems, which can be crafted into advanced items or sold directly."

"Gems?"

Interest piqued, Liu Feng saw a clear path to fortune.

"How are mine levels categorized?"

"The mine levels are determined by the distance traveled: the first three kilometers are beginner level, three to ten kilometers are intermediate, and beyond ten kilometers are advanced."

The mine seemed impossibly deep... It felt like it would take more than a moment to make any significant progress.

"Here's a friendly tip: once your construction skill level increases, you can learn to build mining carts, which will greatly speed up your exploration of the mines."

Liu Feng was once again in awe of the system. It hadn't made him rich overnight, but having the system was a game-changer!

"Whatever, I'm going to burn through all my stamina here today!"

With 90 points of stamina left, Liu Feng swung his pickaxe vigorously, embodying the spirit of a hardworking miner.

A miner with dreams is sure to strike diamonds! He brainwashed himself with overflowing confidence.

"La la la~ la la la, I'm a joyful little miner~"

Eerie singing echoed through the caverns of Moon Mountain.