Spring 25, Thursday. Overcast and rainy. 6:00 AM.
Pitter-patter…
Daeron opened his eyes to the sound of a steady, gentle rain outside the window.
"Guess I don't need to water the crops today."
He got up, got dressed, lit the fireplace as usual, and set a pot of water to boil an egg.
Woof, woof, woof!
Doro the puppy trotted over, panting happily and acting cute.
Daeron ruffled the dog's head and whispered, "This cabin is too basic. No kitchen, no stove… I'm just making do with my cooking."
It wasn't a huge deal, just a bit inconvenient.
However, once he upgraded the cabin, he'd get a proper kitchen and stove. Only then could he actually cook the recipes he learned from The Queen of Sauce.
Some of those dishes provided special stat buffs.
While the egg was boiling, he turned on the TV to check the channels.
[Weather Report]: "It's going to be a beautiful, sunny day tomorrow."
[Fortune Teller]: "This is rare. The spirits feel neutral today."
"..."
Daeron was surprised. "A zero-luck day. That's a special case."
Most of the time, aside from good luck or bad luck days, the message was usually:
"The spirits feel neutral today. The day is in your hands."
On these days, the luck modifier was between -0.02 and 0.02, but not exactly zero.
Today was a true "Zero Luck" day.
"Looks like I need to be careful in the mines today," Daeron murmured cautiously.
After breakfast, he put on the straw hat he'd won at the Egg Festival and headed out into the rain.
The rain pattered against the straw hat, keeping his clothes perfectly dry.
It was quite magical.
Since it was Spring 25, a new batch of strawberries had ripened.
Daeron straightened his back, humming a little harvest tune, and began picking.
Ten minutes later.
Twenty-nine strawberries harvested.
One Gold Star quality, four Silver Star quality, and twenty-five regular ones.
"Not bad luck at all."
Daeron smiled, wiped the rain off the Gold Star strawberry, and took a small bite.
He hadn't been able to bring himself to eat the first Gold Star fruit he'd ever grown—that one was a keepsake.
But the second one was fair game.
Gold quality items were rare; they were excellent for selling or gifting.
But Daeron was a practical man who knew how to take care of himself.
"Mmm, delicious!"
The fist-sized, bright red strawberry exploded with sweetness on his taste buds, followed by a hint of tartness. It tasted like the most perfect candied apple he'd ever had.
But definitely better.
Daeron closed his eyes, feeling a surge of warmth rise from his core, spreading a cozy heat through his entire body.
As expected of Gold quality. The effect was far potent than Silver or regular crops.
After savoring the moment, he packed away the Silver strawberries and threw all the regular ones into the shipping bin.
There were still chores to do.
Petting the chickens, adding hay to the coop since it was raining, collecting eggs...
"Time to head out."
Daeron grabbed a pack of medicine and picked up his Neptune's Greatsword.
---
Afternoon, 4:00 PM.
The Mines, Floor 49.
Wrapped in a thick padded coat, Daeron braved the biting wind as he struck the iron-grey ore nodes.
Bang! The outer shell of the rock shattered, revealing several chunks of iron ore.
"It is freezing down here!"
Daeron put away his pickaxe and wolfed down a warm boiled egg.
From Floor 40 onwards, the mines turned into the Frozen Earth levels.
Looking around, the walls were covered in frost, the ground was cold and hard, and patches of snow covered the floor. It was all icy rocks and fragile crystals.
The temperature had to be at least -20°F.
It wasn't unbearable, but it definitely slowed him down.
"At least I've mined enough iron ore to craft some Quality Sprinklers."
After eating the egg, Daeron felt his stamina recover. He went back to searching for the ladder down.
There was an elevator at Floor 50.
Whirrrrr—
Suddenly, the temperature plummeted. A dark cloud seemed to descend, dimming the lights in the mine and making the air feel thick and heavy.
Daeron started. Just my luck.
There was a chance for "Monster Levels" to appear, but even on normal floors, there was a chance to trigger a "Mist Event."
When the mist rolled in, flying monsters would spawn in droves.
He couldn't waste time. He frantically struck the nearby rocks, looking for the exit.
Flap, flap, flap!
The sound of erratic wings beating echoed through the gloom. Three black bats flew out of the eerie mist.
He couldn't keep searching; he had to secure his safety first.
Bats were easy enough to handle!
Daeron waited for them to get close, then swung Neptune's Greatsword. In a few strokes, he sliced them into ribbons.
Splat!
The three bats died, dropping three pairs of Bat Wings.
Kill monsters, get loot.
Bat Wings were useful for crafting Lightning Rods and Monster Musk, and they were also needed for bundles and trading.
He collected them and went back to hunting for the ladder.
His basic pickaxe was worn and heavy. Clang, clang. It took two or three hits to break a single rock in the frozen levels.
Flap, flap, flap!
He had barely broken two rocks when four or five more black bats flew in, surrounding him from all sides.
"Give me a break."
The monsters in the mist were spawning too fast.
With nowhere to hide, Daeron backed up against a rock wall to make his stand.
Wooooooo...
Just as the bats charged, a bizarre, spine-chilling wail echoed through the mist.
Daeron whipped his head around.
Floating near the ladder he needed was a translucent figure draped in a tattered grey shroud, radiating the stench of decay.
"A Ghost!"
Daeron tensed up immediately.
Of all the monsters in the valley, the most annoying ones were Ghosts, Mummies, and Serpents.
Ghosts had a ton of health; they could tank several hits.
Every time they took damage, they would be knocked back, making it impossible to follow up with a combo.
And if a Ghost hit you, not only did you take damage, but the Ghost would teleport away and wait for another chance to ambush you.
"Alright, let's see what you've got."
Daeron steadied his breathing, channeling the abundant vitality within him to reinforce his body.
Real life wasn't a game where eating a salad instantly healed a stab wound.
Ghosts were literal specters. He didn't know if they dealt physical or magic damage.
If that thing touched him, Maester Harvey's medicine might not be enough to fix it.
Screech! Screech!
The four or five bats reached him first, their red eyes bulging as they bared their fangs.
Daeron fought one against five, spinning Neptune's Greatsword like a windmill, creating an impenetrable defensive zone three meters around him.
The bats, possessing low intelligence, couldn't dodge in time and were chopped into crafting materials.
"Greatswords really are handy!"
Daeron panted slightly. The continuous mining and fighting were draining his stamina fast.
Come to think of it, he was short on weaponry.
As a swordsman who favored two-handed styles, Neptune's Greatsword was his only option for now.
Mundane steel weapons were useless against mine monsters; they'd chip or break after a few hits.
"fighting on enemy turf with incomplete gear... I'm just asking for trouble."
Daeron adjusted his breathing, eyes locked on the slowly drifting Ghost.
Woooooo...
The Ghost moved slowly, drifting up and down until it was right in front of him, only to be knocked back by a strike from the blue greatsword.
It let out a resentful whimper.
"Beg all you want, I'm not letting you go."
Daeron was ruthless.
Using the terrain to his advantage, he knocked the approaching Ghost back again and again. Finally, on the fourth hit against the tattered shroud, the entity dissipated into mist.
Wooo!!
With a final wail, the Ghost vanished, dropping a golden item that radiated the warmth of sunlight.
Daeron stepped forward and picked it up.
Solar Essence: The glowing surface feels warm to the touch.
"So that's what this is."
Daeron examined it closely.
It was hot in his hand, glowing brilliantly.
The smooth surface wasn't hard like a gem, but had a gelatinous, jiggly texture. It felt like condensed energy.
Holding it for just a moment, Daeron felt the chill leave his body. The places the light touched felt toasty, his cells sending signals of pure joy.
It felt like... like...
Returning to a mother's embrace, the glow of a fireplace at night, sunbathing on a summer beach...
Daeron felt that holding the Solar Essence was even more comforting than the warmth of a fire.
"I think I found something incredible!"