The dim glow from their torches flickered against the stone walls of the small cave as Azad leaned against a boulder, holding up his pickaxe. He gave it a weary look, noting the cracks and wear. "My pickaxe is literally one hit away from shattering," he muttered. "We need to craft new gear before I'm stuck using my fists again."
Ellie, rummaging through her inventory, gave him a sidelong glance. "I've got some stone," she said, pulling a few rough blocks from her inventory. "We'll have to settle for stone pickaxes for now. It's better than nothing." She knelt and placed her crafting table on the ground, its familiar pattern appearing in front of them.
Azad crossed his arms, watching as she deftly arranged two sticks vertically and three stone blocks horizontally across the grid. "I miss having better tools," he muttered. "But I guess I'll take what I can get."
Ellie smirked as she crafted two stone pickaxes, tossing one to him. "Here. Now stop whining." She straightened up, swinging her pickaxe lightly in her hand. "We need to keep mining. If we're lucky, we might find some iron. Maybe even diamonds, though that's like hoping for a miracle."
Azad caught the pickaxe, feeling its weight in his hands. It was sturdier than his old one, though not by much. "Now I feel slightly better," he admitted. "But yeah, I wouldn't bet on finding diamonds. We've got the worst luck."
Ellie rolled her eyes, her tone playful. "Azad, you always manage to sound both hopeful and defeated at the same time. Is it talent?"
He shrugged. "I'm just being realistic. With how things have been going, I wouldn't be surprised if we dug straight into a lava pit or something."
Ellie sighed. "Look, let's just focus on what we can do. We need better gear if we're going to survive out here. Mining some stone is a good start and if we're lucky, we'll stumble across iron. Maybe even some more useful ores."
Azad gave her a half-hearted grin. "You just said 'lucky' twice in one sentence. Should I be worried?"
Ellie chuckled. "Maybe. Or maybe this is our turning point. Crazier things have happened."
With that, they set to work, the rhythmic sound of their pickaxes striking stone echoing through the cave. The air was cold and damp, and the only light came from the flickering torches they had placed along the walls. Every so often, a faint groaning or the eerie rattle of a skeleton would reach their ears, reminding them that danger lurked just beyond the dark.
The cave around them seemed to breathe with an unsettling stillness, the shadows cast by their torches dancing along the jagged rock. Each swing of their pickaxes chipped away at the stone, sending small chunks of rock tumbling to the ground. The deeper they mined, the colder the air became, and the more oppressive the weight of the earth above them felt.
After hours of hard work, Ellie's pickaxe struck something that wasn't stone. The metallic clink echoed in the cavern, and she paused, kneeling down to inspect the find. A small vein of iron glimmered faintly in the torchlight.
"Finally! Iron," she said, grinning. "It's not a lot, but it's enough for what we need."
Azad rushed over, his eyes lighting up. "You've got to be kidding me. Actual iron? This is the first good luck we've had in days."
Ellie laughed, the sound echoing softly through the cave. "Yeah, it's not enough for full armor or anything, but we can make at least one sword and shield each. Maybe a pickaxe too if we're smart about it."
They quickly mined the iron ore, smelting it down in the furnace they had crafted earlier. As the iron ingots cooled, Ellie crafted the necessary items: two swords, two shields, and a single iron pickaxe.
Azad held his new sword, testing its weight. "This feels way better than my old one," he said, giving it an experimental swing. "We might stand a chance if we run into trouble now."
Ellie, adjusting her shield on her arm, nodded in agreement. "We're still not in the clear, but at least we're better prepared. These will help us survive, at least for a little while."
As they geared up, the eerie quiet of the cave returned. The oppressive stillness felt heavier now as if the cave was watching them, waiting for their next move.
Just as they were about to continue mining, something caught Azad's eye—a glint of something deeper in the cave. He squinted, moving closer to the shadows, and there it was: the faint outline of a wooden structure half-buried in the stone.
"Ellie... I think we've just found something," Azad whispered, his voice low with excitement.
Ellie turned, following his gaze. Her eyes widened as she saw what he was pointing at. It was unmistakable—a mineshaft, old and abandoned, its wooden beams barely holding up the ceiling around it.
"No way," she whispered, stepping closer. "A mine shaft... This could be huge."
Azad's heart raced, a mixture of excitement and dread filling him. "Or it could be a death trap. Who knows what's lurking in there?"
Ellie's eyes gleamed with determination. "There's only one way to find out."
The air in the cave seemed to grow colder as they stared into the dark entrance of the mine shaft. Their torches flickered weakly against the overwhelming blackness beyond. They exchanged a look, knowing that whatever was waiting for them in that mine, was bound to be dangerous.
Without another word, they stepped forward, venturing into the unknown.