Lucas gripped his stone pickaxe and began his descent.
He started digging a two-block-high, one-block-wide spiral staircase, efficiently carving into the solid earth. Every strike of the pickaxe sent vibrations up his arm, reminding him of the holographic simulation's painful realism.
Safety first, then wealth, he thought. A vertical shaft was too dangerous; a spiral staircase offered quick escape routes and prevented mobs from dropping directly onto his head.
He quickly passed the top layers of dirt and gravel, reaching the much sturdier cobblestone level. The sound of stone cracking was a monotonous rhythm against the frantic sounds of the night filtering faintly down the shaft—the occasional groan, the distant hiss of a Creeper.
Lucas was working with furious speed inside his small dirt shelter. The sounds outside were growing louder. Suddenly, a heavy THUD hit the dirt wall. It was a Nightmare Zombie—darker, tougher, and with sharp, bone-like claws.
He quickly crafted a Stone Sword. Listening to the rapid scratching that was about to breach his shelter, Lucas dropped down from his ceiling hiding spot and plunged his stone sword directly into the monster's skull as it burst through the dirt wall.
SHHHIIINK!
The zombie let out a horrifying, wet gurgle and instantly dissolved into a shower of white, glowing particles.
The system chimed immediately:
[System]: First Kill Achieved! Congratulations to player Pendragon for eliminating a hostile entity (Nightmare Zombie)!
[System]: First Kill Bonus Granted: 50 Gold Coins.
[System]: Monster Gold Coin Drop: 12 Gold Coins.
[System]: Special Item Drop: Minor Orb of Resilience (Level I).
[System]: Player Pendragon Gold Coins: 62.
A small, faintly glowing amethyst orb dropped where the zombie had disintegrated. Lucas snatched it up, instantly recognizing the Minor Orb of Resilience for its crucial Resistance I effect.
Across the newly generated world, the announcement sent a shockwave of panic and confusion through the scattered players.
On the Surface (near the birch forest):
Player BeastSlayer69—who was cowering under a single, half-chopped tree, desperately trying to punch a spider—froze in terror.
"What? Someone already killed something? I thought we were supposed to be safe until midnight!" he screamed, only for the spider to land on his head and start draining his health.
Player Queen_of_Dirt, who had successfully sealed herself in a dirt block chamber, checked her watch. "It's barely sunset! Who is this 'Pendragon'? And 50 gold coins? That's more than I have in total from gathering grass!"
In a Deep Cave (near spawn):
A group of three players who had allied quickly and found a natural cave were debating the best strategy for mining coal. The notification silenced them.
"Fifty gold... for one kill?" said a player named Tankard. He glanced at his two allies, his eyes suddenly calculating. The alliance felt much thinner than it did a moment ago.
"We need to stop messing around and find the big mobs."
A Veteran Player (miles from spawn):
A player named TheBuilder, who recognized the importance of the early game and was already digging a symmetrical two-by-two hole deep into the jungle biome, paused. He had 10 gold coins from sheer activity and felt proud.
"Pendragon," he muttered, committing the name to memory. "A Nightmare Zombie kill that fast, means they are either incredibly lucky or they know exactly what they are doing.
This person is a threat." He immediately stopped his meticulous digging and started scouting for a target.
Back in Lucas's Tunnel:
Lucas felt a rush of cold air as he realized his single action had just alerted 9,999 other players to his existence and competence. His name was now on their radar.
But before he could properly re-seal his tunnel, the chilling sound of bone clicking brought him back to reality.
Lucas quickly resealed the tunnel. He poked a peephole near the tunnel ceiling. A Nightmare Skeleton was standing just outside. Its bones were black, and it was holding a bow made of obsidian.
Lucas burst out, lunging toward the Skeleton. He closed the gap quickly, dodging a hurried arrow before driving his stone sword into the creature's chest cavity.
The Skeleton dissolved into glowing particles.
[System]: First Kill Achieved!
Congratulations to player Pendragon for eliminating a hostile entity (Nightmare Skeleton)!
[System]: First Kill Bonus Granted: 50 Gold Coins.
[System]: Monster Gold Coin Drop: 18 Gold Coins.
[System]: Special Item Drop: Flask of Minor Swiftness (Level I).
[System]: Player Pendragon Gold Coins: 130.
He snatched the Flask of Minor Swiftness—a precious, ninety-second burst of Speed I.
The second announcement, coming just moments after the first, triggered outright panic and aggression.
The Alliance in the Cave:
Tankard stood up. "That's 100 gold coins from bonuses alone! He found another mob and killed it instantly! Forget mining, we need to find Pendragon, or at least start killing the easy mobs before he monopolizes every bonus!"
The Builder:
The veteran player was now sprinting through the jungle. "Pendragon is a grinder. He is chaining the first-kill bonuses. He understands the economic meta already. He will be untouchable by dawn if this continues." He decided Pendragon was too far and too skilled to hunt right now; he needed to start getting his own bonuses immediately.
BeastSlayer69 (now respawning):
BeastSlayer69, who had just used his first life to the spider, screamed at his monitor from the respawn square. "Pendragon! I'll remember that name! You owe me 50 gold coins for my death!" (Though Pendragon was not responsible, the rage was real.)
Lucas, keenly aware that every player now knew his power level, resealed his tunnel for good.
The distinct, terrifying hiss of a Creeper was nearing the birch grove.
He grabbed his workbench, his stone pickaxe, and began carving a staircase directly down into the bedrock.
I have to go deep, he thought. If I can get the Creeper and Spider bonuses, no one will catch me in the rankings before morning.
He started digging, and soon found the strange, messy horizontal tunnel—the sign of an amateur. He quickly sealed off that unstable path, returned to his well-organized spiral staircase, and continued his descent.
After dropping about twenty blocks below the surface, around Y-level 35, he hit the jackpot.
CRACK! CRACK!
The stone he struck shattered with a vibrant, metallic sheen. It was a seam of Gold Ore.
He efficiently mined the eight blocks.
[System]: Rare Resource Bonus! First Gold Ore found by player Pendragon.
[System]: Economic Bonus Granted: 200 Gold Coins.
[System]: Player Pendragon Gold Coins: 330.
Lucas's lead was now substantial. He now had 330 gold coins, two crucial consumables, and eight blocks of raw gold cooking in his newly built furnace.
The only thing missing was Iron Ore.
He had to delve deeper to establish a defensible, productive base.