Lucas's lead was now substantial: 330 gold coins, two crucial consumables, and a small furnace already smelting his unexpected gold haul.
The only thing missing was Iron Ore—the fundamental requirement for reliable tools, weapons, and armor.
He ignored the messy amateur tunnel he'd sealed off and returned to his systematic spiral descent. He had to reach Iron levels quickly.
THUNK. THUNK. THUNK.
His stone pickaxe hammered against the stone, the noise echoing sharply in the confined space.
He knew the traditional Iron layer was roughly between Y-level 60 and Y-level 5. He pressed on, torching the walls every few meters to prevent mob spawning.
He quickly passed Y-level 25, the depth where he expected to start hitting bedrock in some biomes, but the solid cobblestone continued.
The digging felt almost meditative, a stark contrast to the frantic surface scramble.
It's time, he thought, reaching Y-level 18. This was the depth where the best Iron veins usually spawned.
He stopped his descent and began carving a two-block-high horizontal branch mine, meticulously placing torches.
This technique, taught to him by his father, maximized resource exposure while minimizing risk.
It took only a minute of focused mining into the new branch before his pickaxe struck something different.
The sound was a solid CLANG, and the block shattered, revealing a seam of dark, metallic ore.
Iron Ore.
A small smile touched Lucas's lips. This wasn't just survival; this was progress.
He began mining the seam with speed and precision, using the overhead light of his torch to trace the vein through the stone.
He mined five blocks, then six, then seven.
As he collected the eighth block of Iron Ore, the system chimed yet again, rewarding his efficiency.
[System]: Essential Resource Bonus! First Iron Ore found by player Pendragon.
[System]: Economic Bonus Granted: 150 Gold Coins.
[System]: Player Pendragon Gold Coins: 480.
Lucas now had 480 gold coins and a solid stock of Iron. He quickly broke down his small stone furnace and carried it, along with his workbench, down to his new, secure four-by-four room at Y-level 18. He installed two furnaces: one for the remaining Gold Ore, and the new one for the Iron.
While the Iron heated, Lucas crafted a chest from his remaining birch planks and meticulously stored his valuable assets: the Minor Orb of Resilience, the Flask of Minor Swiftness, and his remaining gold coins.
The first glistening bars of smelted Iron Ingot popped out of the furnace. Lucas grabbed the piping hot metal, his hands stinging slightly through the simulation.
He immediately placed three ingots on the workbench, intending to craft an Iron Pickaxe—the most critical tool.
[System Alert]: Skill Requirement Not Met.
[System]: Item: Iron Pickaxe (Level 5 Mining Skill Required).
[System]: Current Mining Skill: Level 3.
[System]: Note: Skill experience is gained through repeated use of the current tool tier (Stone Pickaxe).
Lucas froze, the disappointment hitting him like a physical blow. He stared at the error message, an image of his Stone Pickaxe flickering on the workbench interface.
"Level gate," he muttered, recognizing the mechanism. Of course, Notch wouldn't make it easy. We can't just skip the progression.
He quickly tried to craft an Iron Sword.
[System Alert]: Skill Requirement Not Met.
[System]: Item: Iron Sword (Level 5 Combat Skill Required).
[System]: Current Combat Skill: Level 4.
*[System]: Note: Skill experience is gained through combat using the current weapon tier (Stone Sword).
"Combat Level 4... Mining Level 3," Lucas recalculated his strategy instantly. He was close in combat, thanks to his quick first kills, but lagging in mining. The game was forcing him to grind.
The Iron ingots were useless to him now as finished tools, but they weren't entirely worthless. Lucas immediately crafted the Iron into Iron Blocks and placed them back in the chest for safe storage—they were too valuable to risk carrying.
He grabbed his durable Stone Pickaxe and his Stone Sword.
The path is clear, he thought, a grim determination setting in. I need to raise my Mining Skill to Level 5, and the fastest way to do that is to continue mining cobblestone down to the Diamond level. But first, I need to raise my Combat Skill to Level 5 to unlock the Iron Sword, which will make getting the next bonuses much safer.
The path to Level 5 Combat lay on the surface, where the "First Kill" mobs—the Creeper and the Spider—were waiting.
He looked at the Flask of Minor Swiftness. The speed boost would make the necessary surface fight far less risky.
"Time for a quick run," he decided.