[Achievement Unlocked: The Stone Age]
[Reward: 100 World Coins]
Roughly two kilometers behind the forest cottage, up a modest hill, Gong Qu and Keqing harvested the first stone of this world.
"Cobblestone can be used to craft stone tools the same way we made the wooden pickaxe and axe earlier. It's easy to collect, and way more efficient than wood. So stone tools will likely be our go-to for quite a while."
Keqing nodded, mentally committing the information to memory.
Then, she placed three cobblestones in a row and extended two wooden sticks downward from the center slot.
Click—Craft.
A whirlpool of light spun above the crafting table, absorbing the materials and spitting out a brand-new stone pickaxe.
"No matter how many times I see it, it's still so magical."
"The fundamental logic of different worlds can vary wildly. Even something like Avogadro's number might be different here. Compared to this, isn't elemental energy in Teyvat just as miraculous?"
"You've got a point."
"Oh, and Ah-Qing, keep an eye out for yellow-tinted stone later. Iron ore is a crucial resource in every phase of development. Since we didn't find a dedicated mine to dig into, it's better to spread out and increase our odds."
"Got it! Leave the mining to me—I've got loads of experience!"
Keqing gave her chest a confident pat, then raised her pickaxe and got to work. Following the stair-step method, she dug downward while leaving a clear escape path behind.
Her focused expression, the subtle curve of her brow, the precise motion of her arms—it all had a quiet sort of charm that drew Gong Qu's gaze again and again.
A man and a woman working together—less tiring and more efficient. The ancients really knew what they were talking about.
Gong Qu smiled to himself at the thought.
Minecraft, as a game, features fast time progression and near-instant resource collection.
But that's only true for players.
For those actually living inside this world, mining stone wasn't quite so quick.
A day in the MC world lasts about 20 minutes in real time.
Assume it takes two real-world seconds to break a single block of cobblestone.
That translates to over two minutes per block in this world—meaning you could harvest less than 30 in an hour.
But Gong Qu quickly noticed that with a stone pickaxe, he could collect one cobblestone in about 30 seconds—far faster than the theoretical rate. A pleasant surprise, to say the least.
"Ah-Qu! I found iron!—Iron ore!—Ore!"
Keqing's excited voice echoed through the open cavern.
Gong Qu glanced at his pack—he'd collected about a stack of cobblestone and half a stack of coal. Judging by that, they'd been working for close to an hour.
"I'm coming!—On my way!—Way!"
Though the two hadn't mined very deeply into the massive rear mountain, Gong Qu soon caught sight of Keqing's flushed, exuberant face.
"Huh? Your mining speed's really impressive. Is it because of your character level and artifact bonuses from Teyvat?"
"Eh—maybe? Anyway, never mind that! Look!"
Unaware of how absurdly large her excavation site was—almost two or three times the size of Gong Qu's—Keqing pulled a yellow-flecked stone block from her inventory like a child proudly showing off a treasured find.
Iron in the earth is often trivalent, typically manifesting as a dark yellow mineral—what's commonly known as pyrite.
"Yep, that's iron ore alright. I bet there's a natural cave network connected to your dig site. Mine only had some surface-level coal."
"Hehe~"
Keqing puffed up with pride, chin held high, her posture radiating smug satisfaction.
Gong Qu humored her, gently patting her head like one might praise a small animal for doing a good job.
"My Ah-Qing is amazing. Alright, I'll join you here. Let's try to gather as much as we can before nightfall."
"Why stop at night, though? You said yourself iron's really important early on. If we've found a vein, shouldn't we prioritize mining it?"
"In theory, yes. If we were still just playing a game, I wouldn't even worry about survival—I'd dig straight down until I hit diamonds… but this isn't a game. And without knowing how resurrection works here, survival is the priority."
Gong Qu recalled that in the maid mod, maids weren't invincible. They could be resurrected, but it was a tedious process.
You had to build an altar, gather diamonds, and collect all sorts of other materials just to bring one back.
Keqing nodded. Gong Qu had already warned her about the kinds of monsters that appeared at night—zombies and worse.
Even though the only "zombie" in her mind was that cheerful little thing bouncing around Bubu Pharmacy, she trusted Ah-Qu's judgment and decided to take every precaution.
"Alright! I'll follow your lead!"
Her unwavering trust sparked a quiet warmth in Gong Qu's chest.
"Okay! Let's get back to it!"
With a clap and a shout, the two resumed their mining expedition.
Time flowed like water.
Focused on gathering ore and smelting iron, they dug and refined without realizing how close they were growing—not just in work, but in spirit.
If Keqing's affection level had maxed out at 10 the moment her game character was actualized…
Then Gong Qu—who had played Genshin Impact for over two and a half years—had long since maxed out his fondness for her too.
Their daytime encounter had been like a long-distance online couple finally meeting in person—filled with anticipation, but tinged with uncertainty.
Now, those maxed-out affection meters were no longer numbers—they were feelings, gradually mellowing into something more natural.
The awkward tension of a "first meet" was fading, replaced by the easy familiarity of an old married couple.
Ding!
The final strike of Keqing's pickaxe landed with a sharp clang.
The iron ore block cracked and fell to the ground.
She wiped the sweat from her brow, just about to swing again when Gong Qu's voice came from behind.
"Ah-Qing, the sun's nearly down. Let's call it for today—start packing up."
"Eh? Already? I feel like I've still got a few more swings in me!"
Gong Qu tapped her nose playfully.
"Still trying to tough it out? Didn't you say balance is important—work and rest, remember?"
"…Huh? Why are you laughing?"
"Pfft—no reason. I swear I'm not laughing at a certain soot-covered kitten."
Keqing blinked, confused, then touched her nose—sure enough, her fingertips came away black with coal dust.
"Oh, you're so asking for it!"
She couldn't let that go. With a vengeful gleam in her eye, Keqing grabbed a handful of dirt and lunged at him.
"Take this! Cloud Palm Technique!"
Gong Qu was just a regular guy—okay, maybe a bit buffed from leveling up all afternoon—but she had literal Electro powers on her side.
With a flash of violet lightning and what felt like a Speed III buff, she closed the gap in a blink. Gong Qu ended up with a dirt-streaked face and hair like a bird's nest.
"Pfft—!"
Keqing burst out laughing without even trying to hold it in.
Gong Qu scratched his head in mock defeat.
He remembered grinding for weeks to max out Keqing's stats—260% crit damage, full artifact set, the works.
Now, here he was, getting dunked on by the very character he'd built.
Still, he didn't mind one bit.
Between laughter and light-hearted teasing, the two collected their freshly smelted iron ingots and followed the trail of torches, chatting and joking as they made their way home.