The amount of coal Ganyu discovered... well, how to describe it?
On the ground, on the walls, overhead...
All in all, spanning a thirty-meter radius.
If all of it were mined, they could gather at least one and a half stacks.
This kind of haul was already quite good.
Moreover, compared to the coal itself, Jiang Xuan was more concerned about the experience points mining coal would yield.
These experience points were extremely useful to him. They would be needed later for enchanting weapons and armor, and after he activated his "Battojutsu" sword, crafting would also require experience points.
Starting to accumulate them now had many benefits.
"Excellent! We finally found coal!"
Keqing smiled happily, the heavy burden in her heart finally lifted.
She surveyed the surrounding coal deposits, nodding repeatedly.
"Though it's not much, it looks like good quality. Liyue Harbor also has a high demand for coal."
"Most importantly, regions like Snezhnaya, with their extreme cold, require vast amounts of coal. If we can stabilize coal mining in this world..."
Keqing unconsciously pinched her chin, calculating:
"This long-term, stable trade will be very significant. We might even be able to use coal exports to control the Fatui."
To this, Jiang Xuan merely smiled faintly, offering no further explanation.
"Little" coal here?
Indeed, it seemed so at first glance.
But...
Did Minecraft make sense? Obviously, it didn't!
One cubic meter of coal block weighed a massive 1.5 tons, requiring nine pieces of coal to craft.
So, how much did a single piece of coal weigh, when converted?
Nearly 167 kilograms!
A single coal ore block yielded at least one piece of coal, and more if luck was good.
What about with a Fortune pickaxe?
Was this thirty-meter radius of coal ore "little"?
By Jiang Xuan's estimate, if fully mined, it would yield at least a dozen tons.
Jiang Xuan wasn't sure if this counted as high yield.
But...
It was probably absurd enough.
And this wasn't even factoring in the possibility of more coal ore beneath the current deposits.
After all, this stuff really wasn't valuable.
Jiang Xuan didn't explain further. He wanted Keqing to mine it herself and then confront the true absurdity of the MC world.
He casually placed three torches to illuminate the surroundings.
Jiang Xuan took out his pickaxe and said softly,
"Watch how I mine; there's a technique to it. There's lava underground in mines, and while it's unlikely at this depth, we can't be careless."
"If you accidentally dig into open space and fall, you'll be seriously injured, not to mention if it's a monster spawner below, that would be troublesome."
Since they had entered a realistic MC world, being extra careful was not an exaggeration.
Keqing and Ganyu nodded seriously, simultaneously keeping an eye on their surroundings and intently watching Jiang Xuan's movements.
Jiang Xuan, holding his wooden pickaxe, ensured he was standing on solid rock before beginning to mine the coal in front of him.
In Keqing and Ganyu's eyes, Jiang Xuan didn't seem to mine for long; it felt like just a few swings of the pickaxe before the coal ore instantly burst into dark pieces of coal.
Only, they couldn't see the green light particles floating into Jiang Xuan's body after the ore broke.
Under Keqing and Ganyu's stunned gaze, Jiang Xuan dug with increasing excitement.
Soon, his wooden pickaxe broke.
At this point, Jiang Xuan smacked his lips, reining in his excitement.
He looked at his handiwork; about half of the surface coal had been mined.
As expected, there was still plenty of coal ore beneath the ground.
But Jiang Xuan wasn't planning to dig for it now.
He turned and waved.
"Did you learn?"
Keqing and Ganyu nodded blankly.
Jiang Xuan smiled.
"If you've learned, go ahead and try. I'll keep watch for you. Now that we have coal, our energy needs are temporarily solved."
"I'll craft some torches and then make you a set of stone tools."
At this moment, Keqing seemed to finally react.
She quickly stepped forward, looking at Jiang Xuan with disbelief.
"This... is mining really this simple?!"
"It's just a wooden pickaxe, and it can dig through in a few swings. After digging, it directly turns into high-quality coal! No refining needed?!"
"This... this is amazing! Jiang Xuan! Your world is incredible! Jiang Xuan, I'm truly grateful that you're willing to let us come to your world!"
"This is too important for Liyue! Jiang Xuan, thank you, truly thank you!"
Keqing was so excited she was almost incoherent.
Jiang Xuan found it amusing, reaching up to gently pat Keqing's "cat head."
"It's alright. From a personal perspective, we're friends. From a fair perspective, we're mutually beneficial, right?"
"Mhm mhm!"
Keqing nodded earnestly.
"We are friends! Liyue will also be your friend forever!"
Jiang Xuan waved his hand, then, seeing Keqing's uncontrollable excitement, he stepped aside.
"Alright, go dig, but remember what I told you."
This time, Keqing didn't procrastinate. She nodded happily.
With keen interest, she shouldered her pickaxe and eagerly rushed towards the coal.
Seeing this, Jiang Xuan was secretly glad that he had brought Keqing and Ganyu this time.
These two young ladies wouldn't complain about the work being tiring or dirty.
Jiang Xuan multitasked, crafting torches while keeping an eye on Keqing and Ganyu.
Their mining speed was slower than Jiang Xuan's.
It wasn't a matter of technique, but simply because their strength wasn't as high as Jiang Xuan's.
If Jiang Xuan needed three pickaxe swings to break a block, they would need a dozen.
Fortunately, tool durability was calculated based on the number of blocks mined, not the number of swings.
However, what surprised Jiang Xuan was that half of the experience points dropped from their mining flew into his body, while the other half flew into their Visions.
"Does this count as leveling up from mining?"
Jiang Xuan mumbled to himself, but seeing no reaction from Keqing and Ganyu, he didn't pay it much mind.
Presumably, the experience was too little to have any noticeable effect.
Jiang Xuan had enough wooden sticks, and there was plenty of coal too.
Before long, he had crafted three stacks of torches.
Then, Jiang Xuan stopped.
He planned to use two of these three stacks of torches in the mine today, ensuring that monsters couldn't directly spawn in the darkness.
Safety! Safety!
Safety above all else!
After sorting the torches, a small portion of the coal remained.
So, Jiang Xuan began digging for stone right there.
His efficiency was swift. Before Keqing and Ganyu even noticed, Jiang Xuan had already set up a crafting table and furnaces.
One crafting table, plus three furnaces.
Hmm...
Three furnaces were already quite few.
Normally, which veteran miner wouldn't set up seven, eight, or even a dozen furnaces on the spot when going mining?
It was just that they didn't have iron yet and only needed to cook some meat, so there was no need to build too many.
After finishing these tasks, Jiang Xuan began crafting stone tools.
In a game, he'd probably get a Stone Age achievement for this.
The process of making tools was ingrained in Jiang Xuan's mind.
Before long, Jiang Xuan had crafted three stone swords and nine stone pickaxes.
Other tools, to be honest, weren't necessary.
Today's main goal was mining; other matters could be disregarded.
Just as Jiang Xuan finished inventorying the spoils and was about to call Keqing and Ganyu over to swap tools.
Behind him, Ganyu suddenly let out a startled cry.
Jiang Xuan's expression changed. He instantly turned, grabbed his stone sword, and rushed to Ganyu's side.
He pulled her behind him with one hand.
"What's wrong, Ganyu?"
Keeping a wary eye on their surroundings, Jiang Xuan finally had a moment to ask.
Ganyu was quite pleased with Jiang Xuan's carefulness towards her, feeling rather delighted inside.
But she still shook her head.
Her exquisite, jade-like face was now a bit dusty, looking very much like a little cat.
"No, no! No enemies!"
Seeing Keqing also rushing over anxiously, Ganyu quickly waved her hands and explained.
"Ganyu, don't make such a fuss! It's scary enough in such a dark place." Keqing complained somewhat helplessly.
Ganyu nodded meekly.
"What exactly happened?"
Jiang Xuan asked gently. Only then did Ganyu react, holding up the coal in her hands with wide, astonished eyes.
"Jiang Xuan! I found that this piece of coal is really heavy!"
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