1. The Decision
The morning sunlight filtered through the trees, carrying a faint chill.
Link stood at the doorway of his wooden shelter, unmoving.
A Copper Pickaxe rested in his hand.
His gaze, however, was fixed on the crack in the distance.
A natural opening in the ground.
No structure.
No warning.
Just a wound in the earth.
Dark.
Deep.
Bottomless.
Like something waiting for him to fall.
If this were the game, he would have jumped without hesitation.
But now—
He stood there for three full minutes.
Without moving.
A cold wind drifted upward from the crack, carrying a damp, suffocating scent.
Every instinct told him to step back.
He didn't.
"…Below is another world."
His voice was low.
Not a new area.
Not just resources.
But something unknown.
He closed his eyes briefly, then exhaled.
Instead of jumping—
He turned around.
And started preparing.
Torches.
Platforms.
Rope.
He took them out, one by one, checking everything twice.
"Weapon—Copper Shortsword."
"Tool—Copper Pickaxe."
"Healing—none."
He paused.
Silence hung for a second.
"…That means one mistake is enough to kill me."
No respawn.
No reload.
No second chance.
He opened his eyes again.
They were calm.
Cold.
"Then I won't make a mistake."
2. Learning the Rules
He didn't go down immediately.
Instead, he stepped back.
Then looked at the tools in his hands.
The pickaxe.
The sword.
In the game, they were just items.
Here—
They were survival.
He raised the pickaxe and swung at the ground.
"Thud!"
The impact sent a heavy vibration up his arm.
His fingers went numb.
"…Heavier than I thought."
He adjusted his grip.
Swung again.
"Thud."
More stable.
Third strike.
Fourth.
His breathing gradually fell into rhythm.
"…It's not clicking."
"It's timing."
Mining wasn't holding a button anymore.
It was movement.
Control.
Endurance.
He stopped.
Switched to his Copper Shortsword.
Drew it.
Thrust forward.
Awkward.
Too stiff.
He tried again.
Slower.
This time, he focused.
Arm.
Shoulder.
Waist.
"…Too straight."
If that strike had been against a real enemy—
He would already be dead.
He repeated the motion.
Again.
And again.
Until the movement became smoother.
Sweat slid down his forehead.
Only then did he stop.
Then—
He raised his hand.
A Torch appeared in his palm.
But—
"Tap."
It fell to the ground.
Rolled.
Link frowned.
"…Failed?"
He tried again.
This time—
He didn't "place" it.
He imagined it.
The wall.
The position.
The angle.
"Click."
The torch fixed itself into place.
Flame ignited.
Success.
Link stared at it for a few seconds.
"…So that's how it works."
"Not control… understanding."
He continued.
Platforms.
First—tilted.
Second—failed.
Third—
"Click."
Stable.
Locked in place.
He stepped onto it.
No movement.
No shaking.
As if the world itself held it there.
Link stood there for a moment, then looked down into the crack again.
The darkness hadn't changed.
But he had.
"…Now,"
He tightened his grip.
"I'm ready."
3. The Beginning of Greed
He approached the edge.
Dropped a rope.
Placed platforms along the wall.
Slow.
Careful.
Like a spider descending into its web.
The sunlight disappeared quickly.
The temperature dropped.
The air became damp.
Until—
His feet touched solid stone.
"…I'm down."
He lit a torch.
Orange light spread outward.
But only for a few meters.
Beyond that—
Nothing.
Oppressive darkness.
He raised the torch.
Scanned the area.
Then froze.
"…Silver."
Clusters of Silver Ore glowed faintly between cracks in the stone.
The light wasn't bright.
But it was irresistible.
He knew exactly what it meant.
Better gear.
Better defense.
A higher chance to survive.
He walked toward it.
Raised the pickaxe.
And swung.
"Clang!"
The sound echoed through the cave.
"Clang! Clang!"
It layered.
Repeated.
Filled the darkness.
He kept going.
Faster.
Harder.
More.
He didn't notice—
The echo had changed.
4. No Escape
When the last piece of ore fell—
Link stopped.
Not because he finished.
But because something felt wrong.
The sound—
Wasn't just echo anymore.
Something else was there.
Dragging.
Scraping.
Breathing.
"Tap."
A drop of water fell.
Link looked up instantly.
Three Cave Bats hung from the ceiling.
Watching him.
Eyes reflecting cold light.
His heart tightened.
He turned.
The exit—
Blocked.
Three Undead Miners stood there.
Their lamps were dead.
Their skin gray.
The smell of decay filled the air.
"…I'm surrounded."
The space was too narrow.
No room to dodge.
5. The Price of One HP
The bats moved first.
A blur of black.
"Slash!"
-7
Pain exploded across his neck.
He stepped back.
Swung.
But—
A zombie was already in front of him.
"Boom!"
A hand grabbed his shoulder.
-12
The strength was overwhelming.
Rotting breath filled his lungs.
Link didn't struggle.
He stabbed.
Straight into the eye.
Twisted.
Pulled out.
Blood sprayed.
The zombie fell.
But then—
"BOOM!"
Another one slammed into him.
He was thrown back.
His body crashed into the wall.
-15
Air left his lungs.
His vision darkened.
He looked down.
[HP: 1 / 100]
Everything slowed.
His heartbeat thundered.
"Don't die…"
Not a thought.
An instinct.
He dropped low.
Slid forward.
Through a gap.
Got up—
Lit a torch—
And slammed it into a bat's face.
"Burn!"
Flames burst.
Lighting up his blood-covered face.
At that moment—
He didn't look human.
He looked like something that refused to die.
6. The Last Obsession
The fight ended.
Link collapsed.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
But he didn't leave.
He reached out.
Slowly.
Toward the ores.
One.
Two.
Three.
All collected.
"…Mine…"
7. Climbing Back
He couldn't stand.
Only crawl.
Only climb.
Each movement tore at his wounds.
When he finally reached the surface—
The sun was already setting.
He fell onto the grass.
Gasping.
"Ha… haha…"
One HP.
One mistake away from death.
8. Change
He returned to the shelter.
Locked the door.
Sat down.
Healing began.
He looked at the ores in his inventory.
His eyes changed completely.
"This isn't a game…"
He whispered.
"Not even close."
He gripped the chipped sword tightly.
Waiting for dawn.
Next—
He would get stronger.
[Phase Inventory · Loot Summary]
Leaning against the wall, Link slowly opened his translucent inventory interface.
Lines of cold system text appeared before his eyes.
These weren't just materials.
They were the price he paid at the edge of death.
—
Silver Ore ×12
[Rare]
A pale, cold-glowing mineral.
Essential for crafting silver-tier equipment.
The most valuable reward from this expedition.
—
Iron Ore ×49
[Important]
Dense and durable.
Enough to forge stronger weapons and armor.
A step beyond fragile copper gear.
—
Copper Ore ×82
[Common]
Basic but abundant.
Useful for reinforcing structures and crafting essentials.
—
Gel ×15
[Material]
Extracted from Slimes.
In the darkness, this means light.
—
Rotten Chunk ×2
[Loot]
Remains of underground Zombies.
The smell alone speaks of decay.
—
Bat Wing Fragments ×3
[Material]
The only proof that those creatures ever existed—
and almost killed him.
—
[Current Status]
HP: 1 / 100
Condition: Critical (Recovering)
—