Chapter 41 - The Heirloom of the Moonstone Miners

[Congratulations! You were the first player to uncover the hidden source of the Moonstone, a precious mineral connected to ancient elements and worth a fortune.]

[Cultivating it into something of worth will require a great deal of time and dedication.]

[As a reward, you have been given the title 'He who searches through time and memories']

[For this achievement, you receive 20 stat points!]

Broken swallowed hard upon learning that he had earned an achievement just by finally discovering a little information about Moonstones from the right person, and now the Moonstone was actually in front of him. He was immensely aware of the tangible value in front of him, unable to fathom the worth of the item if he were to sell it.

The notification came with a bonus of twenty stat points, which was a significant reward. Twenty stat points were not a trivial amount by any means.

"Moonstone is related to ancient elements?" he muttered to himself. The revelation of its connection to ancient elements made the Moonstone even more remarkable.

There are three types of elements: Basic, Advanced, and Ancient. Most players have no trouble mastering the four Basic elements: Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind. These elements were common and easy to control. Advanced elements, however, were the next level and were usually created by combining two Basic elements or advancing from a single one. For example, Earth could produce Metal or Gravity, or by combining Earth and Fire, one could produce Magma.

However, there was another type of element that was incredibly valuable and extremely rare: the Ancient element. While its exact nature was a mystery, some ancient stories suggested that it might encompass Time, Dimension, Spatial, Life, and a number of other types that had yet to be widely recognized.

Broken thought about the title he had just received, 'He Who Searches Through Time and Memories'. He wondered if the Moonstone was connected to the element of Time. His imagination ran wild as he thought about the types of skills he could acquire with such an element. However, he kept his expectations low because he still needed to find and mine the Moonstone himself. The journey ahead was long, and he knew better than to count his chickens before they hatched.

Gia then took out the Moonstone and said, "This is one of the high-quality Moonstones that my husband managed to mine."

Broken's face lit up with delight at the sight of it. "The Moonstone is so beautiful… it reflects the light around it so well that it gives off a brilliant glow,"

Gia smiled and nodded. "Yes, it is so beautiful," she agreed, pausing for a moment as if lost in thought.

She then continued, "I know you have a passion for mining, even though you want to learn blacksmithing. But I hope you can complete this quest successfully. I will give you this high-quality Moonstone as a reward if you manage to find and mine the Moonstone from its source. What do you think?"

"That sounds so good. I am very enthusiastic about getting more Moonstones," Broken replied without hesitation. His enthusiasm was evident, and he asked eagerly, "Please tell me how I can mine the Moonstones!"

Gia suddenly spoke poetically, her words sounding like a blessing:

"When the silence reveres the moonlight,

The beautiful Goddess bestow their favor on the quiet,

Granting them the power to create their own world,

From this dream comes hope and a new dream,

And the most luminous stones can be found in the highest reaches,

Where the moonlight shines the brightest."

Broken's face instantly contorted into a frown as Gia explained. He was hoping he wouldn't get another quest with a complex puzzle he had to figure out first. The cryptic nature of her words left him feeling slightly frustrated.

"Can you tell me the location of the Moonstones in simpler language?" he said, trying to mask his impatience with politeness.

Gia let out a chuckle in response. "You're certainly full of enthusiasm. Of course, I'll tell you the exact location and time when you can obtain the Moonstone," she said with a warm smile.

[Your affinity with Gia has grown to 35, all because of your enthusiastic and lively style of mining - a quality she holds dear from her late husband. She is delighted to see this same fervor being carried on and she hopes that someone will continue to demonstrate the incredible cause her husband fought for.]

[The Heirloom of the Moonstone Miners]

[Rating: B]

[Gia was delighted when she encountered a young man who seemed to have the same drive and passion as her husband had. She was willing to share everything that her husband had once possessed, provided that the man could demonstrate his enthusiasm and proficiency.]

[Clear Conditions: Successfully mine a Moonstone.]

[Clear Rewards: 1 High-Quality Moonstone.]

[Quest Failure: - 40 stat points.]

After reading the description of the quest, Broken couldn't help but frown. "How can mining one Moonstone have a greater reward than mining the five Moonstones I got from Fokil?" he asked, taking a deep breath, feeling a bit puzzled and frustrated by the seemingly disproportionate reward.

Gia then said quietly, "Please… follow me." She stood up slowly, and Broken followed her to the corner of the room.

There, he saw a glass cabinet with a pickaxe inside, surrounded by several ores that seemed to have been there for years, gathering dust. The pickaxe stood out, gleaming even in the dim light of the room.

Gia giggled softly, "So sorry, but can you lend a hand to this old woman? I'm too old to lift the pickaxe, so I just put it here. But you can use it to do the quest. It used to belong to my husband, but I know the pickaxe must have missed its old time when it was used for mining," she said with passion, her eyes shining with fond memories.

Broken gazed at the pickaxe with its shining silver head and dark wooden handle. It was obvious that the item had been well-maintained, despite its age. He carefully opened the glass case and reached inside to take the pickaxe, reading the description of the item as he did so.

[The Iron Solemn Pickaxe]

[Grade: Elite]

[Durability: 75/100]

[Weight: 295]

[Only one who is dedicated to their work and toils tirelessly day and night is worthy of wielding this pickaxe. Dedicate yourself to the mining profession and prove to the world that you can create a new future through mining.]

[Skills:]

[1. Increases the chance of getting higher quality ores by five percent.]

[2. Decrease the stamina needed by quite a lot in mining.]

"Elite Grade?" Broken muttered under his breath as he surveyed the pickaxe before him, realizing the value and potential it held.

He then turned to Gia, "Is it true that I can use this thing?"

Gia smiled and nodded slowly. "Yes, sure, very sure. Good luck with the mining," she said encouragingly, her tone warm and supportive.

Broken tried to lift the pickaxe, but he quickly discovered that the total weight of the equipment he had equipped, combined with the pickaxe's weight, exceeded his maximum weight capacity. He placed it back on the floor with a sigh of frustration.

[Weight: 664/600]

Broken was able to lift the pickaxe, but he struggled, which made him feel self-conscious in front of Gia. He worried that she would question his ability to use the pickaxe for mining if he couldn't even lift it easily. Plus, he didn't want to take off his armor in front of her, it would be embarrassing. He considered using the stat points he earned from his achievements to boost his Strength stat.

Gia tilted her head, looking at Broken, who remained silent in front of her. She thought that perhaps he was too worn out to leave right away after all the mining he had done during the day. Maybe he just needed to eat?

"Please wait here," Gia said softly, a small chuckle escaping her lips. "I'll make you something to eat."

But before Broken had a chance to reply, Gia had already gone, disappearing behind the door to the kitchen.

"Ah, no, wait!" he called out, but it was too late.