Leo stepped into the forest, glancing around at the peaceful scenery. Sunlight streamed through the leaves, and a gentle breeze rustled the trees.
It was the perfect setting for a relaxing adventure.
Too bad he was here to grind a frustrating quest.
He opened his quest log again.
[Quest: Blacksmith's Test – Gather Materials for Brake]
5x Iron Ore (In Progress...)
3x Fire Crystals
1x Ancient Slime Core
Leo let out a deep sigh. "Alright, let's find these Little Iron Ores."
Spotting the First Target!
He crouched low, moving through the bushes with Ralf perched on his shoulder.
After a few minutes, he spotted them—three Little Iron Ores rolling aimlessly near a tree.
[Little Iron Ore – Lv. 1]
HP: 50
Leo narrowed his eyes, then dashed forward.
"Gotcha!"
The moment he sprinted toward them, the tiny rock monsters noticed him and scattered!
"Oi, get back here!" Leo yelled, dodging trees as he chased after them.
Ralf's emote popped up.
[Ralf: (≧▽≦) Run, little rocks, run!]
Leo gritted his teeth. He needed them to merge into bigger Iron Ore before he could farm properly. But they wouldn't merge if they were too far apart.
Solution? Drive them together.
The Great Iron Ore Herding Strategy
Leo took a deep breath.
"Fine. If I can't stop you—I'll push you where I want!"
Instead of shooting, he kept sprinting, circling around to cut off their escape routes.
The Little Iron Ores bounced left and right, panicking as Leo herded them closer together.
"Almost there… Just a little more!"
After several minutes of sprinting and dodging, more Little Iron Ores appeared.
At first, he was frustrated.
Then he realized—more of them meant a higher chance of merging.
A grin spread across his face.
"Good. More prey."
Ralf popped up an emote.
[Ralf: (⊙ᗜ⊙) Madness!]
The Moment of Fusion!
After what felt like an eternity of running, the Little Iron Ores started glowing faintly.
Leo skidded to a stop, panting. "Finally!"
The tiny creatures rattled and shook, merging together into a single, larger form.
[Iron Ore – Lv. 5]
HP: 200
"There you are."
Without wasting a second, Leo raised his bow and fired.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
[CRITICAL HIT! You have defeated Iron Ore! +10 EXP]
[You have obtained: Iron Ore (1)]
Leo wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Alright! One down, four to go!"
Ralf bounced happily.
[Ralf: (ง ื▿ ื)ว Pro gamer move!]
Leo smirked. "Damn right."
The Grind Continues…
With his new strategy, Leo spent the next hour chasing down Little Iron Ores, forcing them to merge before sniping the stronger ones.
It was exhausting, but it worked.
After a final well-aimed shot, his quest log updated.
[Quest Update: 5x Iron Ore Collected!]
Leo collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily.
"Finally…"
He checked his next objective.
Next up: Fire Crystals.
"...This better be easier."
And with that, he dragged himself up, ready for the next challenge.