At this point, Kai and the other two had already gotten used to the different atmosphere within the Virtual World.

It just felt like reality, and as a matter of fact, it even felt slightly better to be moving around here.

At this time, Jules lowered his clipboard as he studied the three of them. "New recruits?"

Mei nodded. "Yes. We were sent by Dalen. We’re here to work temporarily..."

The foreman gave a curt nod.

"Good. Then listen carefully. The mines aren’t complicated, but they demand discipline. You’ll be swinging pickaxes for hours, and if you don’t pace yourselves, fatigue will cripple you before you’ve filled a single sack."

He gestured toward the glowing crystals embedded in the walls. Their light glowed across veins of darker stone, where faint metallic glints peeked through.

"That’s mystic iron ore. Your job is to extract it cleanly. Strike too hard, and you’ll shatter the vein, wasting the resource. Strike too soft, and you’ll get nothing. But don’t worry too much about the output... Even if Level 1 is normally the luckiest one, the success rate is low for everyone... Just chill." Jules said with a nonchalant voice as if this job wasn’t too important.

Kai couldn’t help but smile after noticing how carefree he was.

Just like what Maya said, this was indeed a simple task that could help them get used to the gameplay before playing the VR World seriously.

Soon, a notification appeared before their eyes:

[ Mining Mechanics ]

- Stamina decreases with each swing.

- Proper timing increases yield.

- Overexertion causes fatigue penalties.

- Ore sacks auto‑register collected units. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

With this much information, they only need to learn which spot they should start digging.

Mei tilted her head, intrigued.

"So it’s not just brute force mining... There’s a rhythm to it... I guess this is really just a game, huh..."

Jules nodded.

"Exactly. Mining here is just a game. You’ll feel a pulse in the pickaxe when you strike correctly. That pulse means the system has registered a clean hit. Chain enough of those, and your yield multiplies."

"What if we’re not doing it right?" Farrah asked.

"Nothing... You waste stamina and time," Jules said bluntly. "But don’t worry... we’re not expecting much. We just need more miners to increase our chances of finding ores. Alright. That’s enough explanation."

He motioned toward a group of miners further down the cavern. They swung in steady rhythm, their pickaxes glowing faintly with each impact.

The sound of metal against stone echoed like a heartbeat.

Every few minutes, one of them paused to empty fragments into their ore sack, the system seemed to be tallying the weight automatically.

Kai tightened his grip on his pickaxe and was quite curious how this would work.

As they started walking to the spot they had to mine, Jules explained the map they had obtained.

"The tunnels branch in three directions. Left is shallow veins... easy to mine, but low yield. The center is balanced with moderate difficulty, but decent rewards. Right is deeper veins... It’s harder to strike, but the ore is purer. You can choose your own spots. Most recruits start in the center."

Kai exchanged a glance with Mei and Farrah. "We’ll start in the center."

Jules nodded approvingly. "Smart choice. Remember, mining also builds your stats. If you mine enough, it won’t be surprising if you gain bonus Strength, Endurance, or Dexterity Stat... Very well, make sure to always wear your hat..."

Just like that, the three of them stepped toward the central tunnel. There were glowing crystals around, and nine other miners were also stationed here.

These people didn’t bother the three newcomers. It seemed that they were already used to having new people every now and then.

Soon, Kai raised his pickaxe and swung...

Clang!

The metal rang against stone, but nothing happened. No vibration, no notification.

He tried again.

Clang!

Still nothing. The pickaxe felt heavy and awkward in his hands. The rhythm Jules had mentioned seemed like a beat he couldn’t catch.

Minutes passed as Kai, Mei and Farrah kept swinging... Each strike echoed through the cavern, but nothing was happening.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, his stamina bar ticking down little by little. Mei and Farrah glanced at him, their own attempts were also producing similar failures.

Kai gritted his teeth. "So it’s not that easy..."

He steadied himself, recalling Jules’s words about timing.

He waited, feeling for the faint pulse in the handle... He swung again...

Clang!

It seemed it was too early. The pickaxe scraped uselessly against stone.

Another swing... too late. The vibration slipped past him.

"Ugh... I’m not good with rhythm-based games." Kai frowned.

Finally, after several failed attempts, he caught it.

The pickaxe struck at the right moment...

A notification appeared before his eyes.

[ Clean Hit Registered ]

[ You have obtained 1 Mystic Iron Ore ]

***

In the meantime, just as Kai, Mei, and Farrah were getting used to the VR World, Cornelio Aries strode back into the Aries Faction compound...

At this time, his boots were dusty from travel, and a unique sword was strapped across his back. The weapon was unlike anything forged by human hands. It had sleek lines, strange alloys, and faintly glowing circuits etched into the blade.

Apparently, it was a sword and a gun fused together.

He had taken it from an A-Rank Unit of the A.I. Army during his mission, and even now, his eyes lingered on its craftsmanship, fascinated by the technology the A.I. civilization wielded.

Maya spotted him immediately, and she was shocked...

"Sir Cornelio? You’re back already? I thought you’d arrive in a few more hours."

Cornelio chuckled as he also thought the same. "The mission ended sooner than expected. But tell me... I heard we had visitors?"

Maya hesitated. "Yes. The ones you gave an invitation token. They’re here. I... sent them to the mines."

Cornelio blinked, then let out a laugh...

"Oh? He’s finally here, and you sent him to mine? You..." He rubbed his forehead, torn between amusement and exasperation.

Still, his expression softened. "Perhaps it’s for the best. The Perfect World holds secrets tied to the Anima civilization... I plan to introduce it to them, so I guess this experience will help them to understand my words easily."