The entrance of the cave yawned before Steve like the mouth of some ancient beast. Cold air drifted out, brushing against his skin and making him shiver despite the warmth of the day. For a long moment, he simply stood there, staring into the darkness.
He tightened his grip on the wooden sword."I survived the night… I can do this too."
With a deep breath, he stepped inside.
A World of Shadows
The instant Steve entered, the sounds of the forest vanished.No birds.No wind.No rustling leaves.
Only silence.
His footsteps echoed against the stone walls, each echo bouncing strangely, almost like the cave was whispering them back in a distorted voice.
He placed a torch on the wall. The orange glow spread and revealed rough stone, patches of coal, and glittering minerals he couldn't yet recognize.
"So this is what's hidden under the world," he whispered.
The First Ore
Steve approached the coal veins. He lifted his wooden pickaxe and began mining.Each strike echoed loudly, almost too loudly.
Crack.Crack.Crack.
Pieces of coal popped out, and Steve's face brightened.
"I can make more torches… I'll need them."
He crafted a few on the spot and pushed further into the cave.
The First Monster Inside
Suddenly, he heard it.
Hhhsssss…
A shiver ran down his spine. He recognized that sound.
A zombie limped out from the shadows, its eyes glowing an unnatural green, its groans bouncing eerily through the cave.
But this time, Steve wasn't helpless.
He stepped forward, raised his wooden sword, and attacked first.
THWACK!The zombie lunged.Steve sidestepped, hitting again.
Wood splintered, flesh cracked, and with one last groan, the monster collapsed into a pile of rotten remains.
Steve stood there breathing heavily, but he was smiling.
"I'm not the same as yesterday."
The Deeper Chamber
After walking further, the tunnel opened into a massive underground chamber.
Stalagmites and stalactites formed natural pillars, glowing vines hung from the ceiling, and small pools of water reflected his torchlight like tiny mirrors.
But in the center of the chamber, something shimmered, Something blue.
Steve stepped closer, heart pounding.
It was his first iron ore.
He knelt near it, touching the cool surface.
"Iron… this changes everything."
But before he could start mining, he heard another sound, Not a hiss.Not a groan.But something deeper.
A low, distant rumble.
The cave was not empty.
Something else lived here.
Something big.