[Achievement Unlocked: Stone Age]
[Reward: World Coins ×100]
Roughly two kilometers behind the forest cabin, Gong Qu and Keqing gathered the first stone of this world.
"Cobblestone can be used to craft stone tools like pickaxes and axes by following the same recipes I told you for wooden ones. It's easier to collect too, and stone tools are far more efficient than wooden ones, so we'll probably be using stone gear for quite a while."
Keqing nodded and mentally took note.
She then laid out three cobblestones in a row, placing two sticks vertically beneath the center.
Click – Craft.
Above the crafting bench, a vortex materialized. It swallowed the materials and spat out a stone pickaxe.
"No matter how many times I see it, it still feels so magical."
"Different worlds operate on different fundamental laws. Even something like Avogadro's number might not be the same. Compared to Earth, isn't Teyvat's elemental energy just as fantastical?"
"Fair point."
"Oh right, Ah Qing, keep an eye out for yellowish-looking rocks. Iron ore is crucial at every stage of development. Since we didn't find a natural mine to dig into, our best bet is to split up and increase the chances of stumbling across some."
"Mm-hmm! No problem. When it comes to mining, I'm a total pro!"
Keqing puffed out her chest confidently, then raised the stone pickaxe and started digging, following the proper technique of stepping downward like a staircase, leaving behind a clear path for exiting the mine later.
The way she worked with such focus carried a quiet charm that made Gong Qu glance over at her more than once.
Men and women working together never tire.
The ancients weren't wrong.
Gong Qu smiled at the thought.
In Minecraft, the in-game time system and resource collection speed are extremely efficient.
But that's only true for the player.
For someone actually living in the real Minecraft world, mining stone isn't all that quick.
One full Minecraft day equals about 20 real-world minutes.
If collecting one cobblestone takes 2 real seconds, then in-game, it takes over two full minutes, meaning you can barely gather 30 cobblestones in an hour.
Yet from Gong Qu's personal experience, it only took him about 30 seconds to mine one cobblestone with a stone pickaxe. That was way faster than the theoretical value, a small but welcome surprise.
"Ah Qu! I found iron ore! Iron ore! Ore!"
Keqing's excited voice echoed through the spacious cave.
Gong Qu glanced at the stack of cobblestone and half a stack of coal in his backpack. Judging by the haul, about an hour had passed. He turned and called back:
"Great! I'm coming! On my way! Way!"
In that hour, they hadn't made much of a dent in the massive mountain, but Gong Qu soon spotted Keqing, her face flushed with excitement.
"Whoa, how are you mining so fast? Is it because of your Teyvat-level stats and artifacts?"
"Uhh, maybe? Anyway, don't worry about that, look at this, Ah Qu!"
Unaware of how much bigger the tunnel she carved was, almost two or three times Gong Qu's, Keqing proudly pulled out a yellow-veined block from her inventory, presenting it like a rare treasure.
Iron commonly exists underground as ferric compounds, and it usually appears in dull yellow tones, also known as pyrite.
"Yup, that's definitely iron ore. Looks like your side connects to a natural cave. All I've found so far is some surface coal."
"Heh~"
Keqing tilted her chin up triumphantly, a playful glint in her eyes.
Gong Qu chuckled and gently patted her head, as if rewarding a well-behaved pet.
"My Ah Qing is amazing! Alright, I'll start mining on this side too. Let's try to gather as much as we can before nightfall."
"Why the rush? Didn't you say iron is super important early on? Shouldn't we focus on mining now that we've found a cave?"
"You're right, in theory. In the game, I wouldn't care about early survival. I'd just keep digging straight down until I hit diamonds… But this isn't a game. Without knowing how respawning works, survival has to be the top priority."
He remembered that in the maid mod, even though the maids weren't truly invincible and could technically revive after death, the process was extremely troublesome.
You had to build an altar.
You needed diamonds and a whole list of rare materials.
Only then could you bring the maid back to life.
Keqing nodded. Gong Qu had already warned her that monsters like zombies would appear at night.
Though she still pictured those goofy little guys hopping around Bubu Pharmacy, if Ah Qu said to be cautious, she'd give it her all.
"Alright! I'll listen to you!"
Her unwavering trust warmed Gong Qu's heart.
"Okay, let's get to work!"
With that signal, the two of them dove right back into their mining endeavors.
Time flowed like water.
Focused on mining and smelting, neither noticed how close they were growing—not just in task, but in spirit.
If Keqing's affection level had already maxed out at 10 thanks to her manifestation from the game...
Then Gong Qu's had also long hit max after two and a half years of playing Genshin Impact.
Their daytime interactions were like the real-world meetup of an online couple, excited, hopeful, but tinged with nervousness.
Now, however, those maxed-out affection scores were no longer abstract. The vibe between them had evolved, less like infatuated sweethearts, and more like a seasoned, bickering old couple.
Ding!
With the final swing of the pickaxe, the iron ore block dropped to the ground.
Keqing wiped the sweat from her brow and was about to go in for another swing when Gong Qu's voice called from behind her.
"Ah Qing, the sun's almost down. Let's wrap up here and get ready to head back."
"What? Already? I still feel like I've got a few more swings in me!"
Gong Qu playfully flicked her nose.
"You're still being stubborn? Didn't you always say it's important to balance work and rest?"
"Hm? Why are you grinning?"
"Pfft! I swear I'm not laughing at a certain dusty little kitty cat."
Keqing blinked, then touched her nose—sure enough, her fingers came back covered in grime.
"You sneak!"
She wasn't about to take that lying down. She scooped up a handful of dirt and lunged for Gong Qu's cheek.
"Hah! Cloud Palm Style!"
Gong Qu was just an ordinary guy. Sure, ever since becoming "Steve," he felt a bit stronger after mining coal all afternoon, but against someone with literal Electro Vision?
Yeah, no contest.
Crackling with violet lightning, Keqing darted forward like she'd activated Speed III. Gong Qu soon stood before her with a face full of dirt and a head that looked like a chicken's nest.
"Pfft!"
Keqing burst out laughing without an ounce of mercy.
Gong Qu scratched the back of his head helplessly.
He remembered how long it took to get her perfect 260% Crit DMG artifact build back in the game...
Now here he was, dug his own grave.
Amid the laughter and teasing, they collected the iron ingots from the furnace. Following the line of torches, they made their way home together, chatting and laughing all the while.