Chapter Three: The Lightning Stone

The fifth cavern was completely empty, just as Fang Tang had anticipated, so he felt no disappointment. Only now did he realize something: a certain joy had been missing from his adventures. For instance, the thrill of opening a treasure chest was gone. The presence of his peculiar eyes had increased his chances of survival, but diminished the sense of mystery that comes from the unknown.

Still, overall, Fang Tang preferred having his eyes. Without lingering in the fifth cavern, he headed straight for the sixth, ready to dig into its walls. The sixth cavern contained special materials: silver ingots and Lightning Stones.

Silver ingots were easy enough to understand, but Lightning Stones were a mystery to Fang Tang. Even his eyes offered only vague hints: "An extremely important special material—if you wish to grow stronger, you must obtain it!"

The sixth cavern was adjacent to the one where he had found the hunter’s knife blueprint, a necessary stop on his circuitous route, and he certainly wouldn’t miss it.

He swung the pickaxe ten times, carving another perfect round hole in the wall. Without hesitation, he stepped inside, and his vision was suddenly flooded with light.

The brilliance was so intense that Fang Tang could barely open his eyes. Sporadic crackling explosions echoed in his ears—like the sound of a high-voltage wire snapping and hitting the ground.

Once his eyes adjusted, he saw, floating in the center of the cavern, a white stone about the size of a glass marble. Electric light coiled around it, the radiance emanating from its surface.

“So this is the Lightning Stone?” Fang Tang’s lips twitched. “How am I supposed to pick it up?”

His eyes responded with their usual mockery: "You need to ask? How foolish, you slave! Of course you use your hand. I can’t believe you’d utter such a stupid question."

Fang Tang was used to this by now—the eyes always had a foul mouth. Having cooperated several times, Fang Tang trusted they wouldn’t deceive him.

Steeling himself, he listened to the crackling explosions as he slowly approached the white stone. Carefully, he reached out his hand. The arcs of electricity leaping from the stone touched his skin, but the pain he expected never came.

Seeing that the Lightning Stone caused no harm, Fang Tang grew bolder and closed his fingers around it.

“Within the caverns are wind, fire, thunder, and water—four elements. Congratulations, you’ve obtained one! But don’t celebrate too quickly; you’ll need much more of them in the future.” The golden subtitles appeared again, for once offering a clue.

Fang Tang’s eyes widened in sudden understanding, delighted as he tucked the Lightning Stone into his newspaper bag.

In the corner, he found two silver ingots, which he carefully stowed away before eagerly continuing his excavation.

The seventh cavern was empty—he had learned this back in the second cavern.

But the eighth cavern demanded his full attention.

“Just like our destination, there’s a mongrel inside… No, to be precise, it’s not called a mongrel. They’re Corpse Hyenas, though I prefer the term 'dead mongrels.' Their sense of smell is highly sensitive. As mentioned before, their teeth carry strong corrosive properties and they’re slow-moving. Be careful to avoid their bites. If you’re bitten, I’ll be delighted—then I can go see your elder sister…”

Fang Tang noticed the battle instructions provided by the eyes and sat down to ponder. Scent, speed, and teeth—these gave him plenty of room to maneuver.

He began to assess his supplies: five bottles of mineral water, four loaves of bread, two bananas, two cigarettes, one iron ingot, two silver ingots, and one Lightning Stone.

The strongest scent came from the cigarettes, but he had no means to light them. Next were the bananas and bread—the bananas had a mild aroma, while the bread’s yeasty scent could serve as bait to some extent.

Still, Fang Tang couldn’t be sure the dead mongrels would be tempted by these. That left only the cigarettes.

But how to ignite them?

He took out the Lightning Stone. The white marble discharged arcs of electricity in his palm, but it was as intangible as a projection—he felt nothing.

He tried holding a cigarette against the stone. Nothing happened.

Fang Tang frowned at his pile of supplies. His gaze fell upon the newspaper, and suddenly his eyes lit up.

He might not have a solution, but perhaps someone else did!

If he could light a cigarette, its strong scent would provoke the dead mongrels, making them easier to deal with.

Fang Tang wrote: “Does anyone have a lighter or matches? I can trade water or bread. The offer is listed, please check.”

Expected item: lighter x1
Alternative item: matches x1
Trade item: mineral water x0.25
Contact: Fang Tang
Note: One quarter bottle of mineral water or one quarter bag of toast bread.

No sooner had he posted the trade offer than the chat erupted.

“He’s here, he’s here, he’s brought a trade yet again. It’s only been a few minutes—how does this big shot have so many supplies?”

“Wicked capitalist! I bet he’s a ruthless boss outside as well!”

“Trading food for a lighter or matches—that’s pretty fair. What use is a lighter now? Might as well trade it.”

“I’d like to know, how many caverns has the big shot explored? An hour has passed and I’ve only dug two, and I ran into a terrifying man-eating flower. If I hadn’t run fast, I’d have been devoured.”

“I haven’t started digging yet. Are the caverns really so dangerous? Newbies are trembling in fear!”

“I encountered a crocodile—lost a chunk of my leg. Bandaged the wound as best I could, but now I’m freezing. Big shot, could you spare some food?”

“I think you’re just trying to scam some food, aren’t you?”

…

Fang Tang scanned the messages, falling silent. These caverns were truly perilous—man-eating plants and crocodiles alike; a single misstep could spell doom.

He instinctively touched his eyes, feeling a sense of reassurance. At least he had these abnormal eyes.

He decided not to rush, planning to wait half an hour and see if anyone responded to his trade. If not, he would have to use bread and bananas.

Lost in thought, a message caught his attention.

“Big shot, I have a burning stone—don’t know if it’s useful, but could I get some bread in exchange?”

Fang Tang perked up instantly. A burning stone? Could it be a special material like the Lightning Stone? He had to obtain it!

He clicked on the sender’s profile and started a private chat.

Fang Tang: “A burning stone? What is it, and what does it do?”

Xie Ling: “Actually, I’m not sure what it’s for, but it’s constantly aflame. It can be used as a light source, so… it should be useful, right?”

Fang Tang’s lips curled into a smile as he typed, “Can it be used to light things?”

Xie Ling: “...I don’t think so.”

Reading this, Fang Tang laughed. Judging from the name, Xie Ling was likely a girl. Her words revealed her character: shy, easily embarrassed, and rather innocent.

Of course, there was always a chance she was pretending. But it seemed unlikely—who would disclose the shortcomings of their own goods during a trade?

After letting Xie Ling wait a moment, Fang Tang finally replied.

“I’ve thought it over. Your stone isn’t much use to me, but I am curious since it can provide light. I won’t let you suffer a loss—how about ten slices of toast bread?”

Xie Ling: “…whimper, could you add just a little more? Just a little…”

Fang Tang grinned in triumph and quickly typed, “No!”