SEC Chapter 299 Rome Stories February 20 New Share
Chapter 299 Rome Stories February 20 New Share
Before heading down into the mines, Leon first had to feed the chickens.
He pulled a sailor’s cap out of the chest and put it on. Immediately, it felt as if a protective barrier had been cast around him—every raindrop bounced away the moment it neared, not a single drop soaking his clothes. The sailor’s cap was far more comfortable than a raincoat; it didn’t feel stuffy or hot at all.
Rain boots, however, were still a must. Without them, the muddy ground would teach you all about the meaning of “sticky.”
Because of the rain, all the little chicks were huddled inside the coop. After scattering a few handfuls of grain, Leon gave each one a gentle pat. He wasn’t sure if that would actually increase their affection and help them lay higher-quality eggs in the future, but there was no harm in trying.
Unfortunately, these chickens wouldn’t eat hay. Leon had tried laying out some of the hay he’d collected, but they hadn’t shown the slightest interest.
Once the chicken coop chores were done, Leon braved the rain toward the mines. But before going in, he made a quick detour to the wooden bridge at the center of the mountain lake. He pulled out his fishing rod and cast it toward the obvious sunken log in the water.
He wanted to take advantage of the “first three fish of the day” bonus—fast bites and no escapes—to try for the Spring Fish King.
Sadly, his three attempts yielded one largemouth bass and two shad. With those chances used up, he packed away his rod and entered the mines, taking the elevator straight to the 35th floor.
Mining while staying wary of Stone Golem ambushes, Leon pushed on through wind and rain until he reached the 40th floor. The moment he stepped off the ladder, a bone-chilling wind swept over him.
Cold. That was his first impression—but still within tolerable limits. The walls of the 40th floor glittered with ice crystals, and a thin layer of frost coated the ground. It was an entirely different world from the levels above.Leon didn’t rush to activate the elevator here. Instead, he went straight to the chest in the center of the floor.
Inside lay a slingshot with a wooden handle and a Y-shaped frame. Each arm of the Y was connected to a strip of elastic rubber, and at the far end was a pouch made from the soft hide of some unknown beast.
“Slingshot (Tool): Requires stones as ammo.”
Leon pulled the bands a couple of times. The craftsmanship was good, the materials sturdy—but nothing else stood out.
“No special effects at all? This is the gift Mr. Qi prepared for me?”
Finding it no different from the slingshots he’d played with as a child, Leon couldn’t help but complain. He stowed it in his backpack, then went to activate the elevator.
After that, he began searching for the ladder to the 41st floor.
Spotting it in a corner, he started down. The experience wasn’t pleasant—gripping the rungs felt like grabbing ice blocks, and the ladder was slick. He had to slow down to avoid slipping and falling.
Fortunately, it wasn’t too long, and before long Leon reached the 41st floor safely.
Was it his imagination? The air here felt just a bit colder. Without thinking, Leon pulled his clothes tighter and surveyed the layout. No monsters in sight, so he left the Galaxy Watermelon Knife in his pack and took out his pickaxe to mine.
These stones, weathered by constant cold, were a bluish gray. They were noticeably harder, taking two or three swings to break a single rock.
It was just a matter of more effort, though. And Leon found the rewards better—stone drops were more plentiful, and some rocks even yielded copper ore, coal, or crystal orbs.
“Icebound Crystal Orb: A crystal encasing various minerals, requiring special tools to open.”
The conical blue crystal was heavy in his hand and faintly cold. This was a special geode type found only between floors 40 and 80 of the mines.
Unlike regular crystal orbs, Icebound Crystal Orbs could contain rare minerals unavailable through normal mining. The two types shared only the possibility of holding common materials like clay, stone, and copper or iron ore.
If he remembered right, there was a chance for Icebound Crystal Orbs to yield gold ore—but only after reaching floor 75 in the game. Whether that restriction applied here in reality, Leon didn’t know.
He put the Icebound Crystal Orb away and continued chipping away at the frozen rocks. It was a lucky day, so it didn’t take him long to find the ladder to the next level.
Descending to floor 42, Leon was immediately greeted by a swarm of small, black, spherical creatures bouncing toward him.
“Dust Sprites, huh?” Leon recognized them at once. In the game, he’d loved these coal-dropping, social little monsters.
They looked fierce, but one swipe was all it took to cut them down. With a Galaxy Weapon in hand, Leon was an executioner in these mines.
When the Dust Sprites’ bodies vanished, the loot they left behind caught his eye.
Aside from coal, there was a teardrop-shaped, pale-blue, translucent crystal, and a fruit with sky-blue leaves and deep-blue skin.
“Tear Crystal (Mineral): Said to be formed from the tears of snow beasts.”
“Crystal Fruit (Fruit): A delicious fruit that appears in winter.”
“That’s some ridiculous loot.”
Coal and Tear Crystals from Dust Sprites made sense. But a fist-sized fruit from these sooty little things? That was strange. The system described it as delicious, but knowing its source, Leon had no appetite.
Still, it was part of the Winter Foraging bundle, so he didn’t waste it. Eating it, though—that was out of the question.
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