Heavy News!

Player: Mike Davis, congratulations. Today you mined a total of seventy-one pieces of Energy Ore: thirty-one pieces of A-grade ore with no obvious breaks or cracks, thirty-five pieces of B-grade ore with minor cracks and damage, and five severely damaged pieces of D-grade ore... Congratulations on once again being nominated for Miner of the Day. You have received an additional fifty reward points...

"Wow, Mike, you got another bonus? How did you do it?" His companion David couldn't help but ask enviously.

"Heh heh..." Mike happily collected the points. As he looked at his steadily growing balance, a goofy grin spread across his face.

"Exactly, Mike!" Another companion named Sam saw him grinning stupidly and pressed him impatiently, "You have to teach us your tricks. At this rate, we'll be mining here for the rest of our lives..."

Ever since the base explicitly prohibited targeting new miners, life had become a little easier for these overseas players. At least they no longer had to worry about someone deliberately damaging the ore they had mined, or secretly moving ore they had carried away back to its original spot...

But life still wasn't easy. Mining clearly wasn't a job that relied solely on brute strength; technique mattered a great deal. First was the use of the pickaxe. The materials and shape of these pickaxes were specially designed, making them extremely easy to damage. If one broke through carelessness, they had to pay compensation, and the price was absurdly high. Usually, paying for a single pickaxe required three days of hard labor...

Then there was the technique of extracting the ore. These Energy Ores were embedded in solid rock, and removing them intact required delicate handling. One careless move could damage the ore, lowering its quality rating and greatly reducing the points it