The Silvertooth Mines are a lot more complex than I thought they would be and by the time we hit the third switchback that leads further into the depths of the mines, I’m doubly glad that Gilly had bought a map. On the plus side the potions were working just great. But it was a bit unnerving to walk past the giant trolls, thinking at any moment they would let out a roar and smash you to a pulp. We rebuff a couple of time just to make sure the sneaking effect doesn’t wear off at the wrong moment. As I take the potions I try not to think about the fact that I’m blowing a whole day’s worth of food on each one.

We don’t need to use torches thanks to our mining helms, but really the extra light source was just to brighten the area a bit more. Even without them the mine is never in true darkness. It had a fair bit of ambient lighting, with lanterns set every thirty feet or so. It’s still a game after all, and what sense would it make if you couldn’t see the awesome details put into the areas architecture. Unless it was a horror game. Then pitch blackness would make total sense.

But I’m glad we’re not playing one of those.

Horror and me don’t mix.

We hit the bottom of the mines and just as Gilly had said, we enter into a huge cavern that looks more like a football stadium. Not that I’ve ever been to a real football stadium, but I learned about them through the mandatory education feeds you have to take up to the age of sixteen. I’m glad I passed the classes and my school days are now over. So now I can focus all my time on making money.

I count about a dozen trolls milling about the wide expanse. Every so often they grumble or growl to one another. Gilly and I skirt around the edge of the cavern to about halfway.

I hit my Prospect ability and whammo… Paydirt!

A cluster of eight or nine nodes light up right along the cavern a few feet from us and Gilly and I practically run to them.

“This is awesome!” Gilly says and slams her Steel Pickaxe into a node. “And we’re the only one’s here too! We could mine here for hours!”

I engage a node and get a big hung of experience for a successful first hit. “The XP is great too! I think I’ll level after just a couple of nodes.”

We share a couple more woo-hoo’s and then set to hard mining.

I play it safe at the beginning, holding back on Gambler’s boon just to ensure I get enough ore to pay for the potions and my game time. I’m into about my fifth node when I hear a massive ding and a burst of light explodes all around me.

Congratulations! You have gained a Level!

You are now level 7!

You have gained 1 attribute point.

“Gratz!” Gilly shouts to me. “You’ll be catching me up soon.”

I give her a laugh as I check my stats and ponder where to place the attribute point.

Strength: 8

Determines melee damage and requirements for heavy armor

Dexterity: 3

Determines melee accuracy, critical hit chance and activation speed of ranged weapons

Agility: -10

Determines dodge ability, attack speed and requirements for light armor

Intelligence: 6

Determines spell cast speed, technique points and potency for Elemental Magic

Mind: 8

Determines magical defense, technique points and potency for Celestial Magic

Vitality: 14

Determines stamina, HP and regeneration speed.

Strength is always a good bet as it will lower the amount of hits I need to clear a mining node. Then again some extra Mind or Int would be useful for more TP so I can use more abilities before I have to rest up. My Vitality seems high enough for now, but then again, stamina and HP is always useful.

I can’t make up my mind so I decide to save it and get back to mining. I’m gaining XP so fast in here that I’ll probably level again before we leave. And next level will probably be a double attribute point bonus, giving me three to spend in total.

I have two and a half stacks of ore so far and decide to start going for Gambler’s boon to get some HQ drops. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even get another treasure chest. But hopefully with something good in it this time.

My fist attempt earns me a bust, but my second and third attempts both earn me an extra ore drops plus a HQ.

“Good going over there,” Gilly says. “Get anything good?”

“Some High Quality’s.”

“Awesome.”

“Yeah, I think I’ll be able to clear rent from this run alone.”

“Nice!”

I stop to admire Gilly as she hammers into the rock face. She’s developed a really good rhythm, alternating between the nodes in her area, activating abilities in between. Her arms are pumped and glistening with a light sweat as is her forehead which she wipes every so often with the back of her hand. Her brows are furrowed with determination, which actually makes her go from ‘cute’ to ‘sexy’ in my books. She catches me staring and just smiles.

“Hey how’s your mom doing, by the way?” she asks.

The question takes me completely off guard, since I’m nowhere near thinking along those lines. But her question is genuine and not meant to deflect my thoughts. She’s the only player I’ve told online about my mother’s conditions and it’s just another example of how great a person Gilly is for asking.

“She seemed pretty good this morning,” I say. “No coughing fits like last week. I guess the new medication is working.”

“Good news.”

“Yeah…” Good news. My thoughts and words trail off as I recall my last trip to the specialist with my mom. It wasn’t an actual trip mind you. The doctor examined her through her rig and I had come along for moral support.

“The good news is the cancer hasn’t spread beyond the lungs…so far,” the doctor’s avatar had said. He’s a slim black guy in his thirties wearing a white overcoat and stethoscope which look more like props. “But it is stage four. A transplant is what we’re looking at now.”

My mom grips my hand from the chair next to me; the same thing we were doing in real life. My mom is still young, barely 40. In here she looks her age, beautiful, dark haired with vivid blue eyes. The same that I have. But in the real world, she looks much older. Much closer to death.

“How long?” she had asked.

The doctor paused. “You’ll need an operation within six months.”

She starts to cry then and I hold her hand tighter.

The doctor soldiers on with the information, whether from professionalism or apathy I really can’t tell. But I give him the benefit of the doubt. “The fastest and most complete option would be nano-surgical reconstruction. It’s also the most expensive. But there’s no chance of the cancer retuning or spreading.”

“How much?” I ask.

“Around three million credits.”

My heart nearly stops at hearing the price.

“What else?” my mom asks through a sob.

“A cloned lung would take longer to grow, about half the cost. No chance of rejection, but the risk of the cancer returning is still there.”

“What about prosthetics?” she asks.

“Around five hundred thousand, but there’s a high rate of rejection.”

“How high?”

“Around 50/50. Maybe a little worse even.”

That didn’t sound like very good odds for that much money.

“Anything cheaper?” I ask.

“Organ donation,” he says. “Around fifty thousand. But the list is very long and even if you can get one in time, the rejection rates are still high, but not as bad as the prosthetic.”

That visit was over a month ago now and still I haven’t managed to save up anything. The reality of it opens a deep hole in my stomach and I feel like vomiting. I can feel tears begin to form in my eyes. How am I going to do this? How am I going to save enough money in only a few months’ time?

“Reece, are you okay?” Gilly says, suddenly standing next to me with her hand on my shoulder.

I wipe away the stray tear and smile. “Yup. I’m good.”

It’s a total lie and she knows it. But she’s cool enough not to press it further.

Still, there is deep concern in her big green eyes, and I have half a mind to just tell her everything. But I dare not dump anymore of my burdens on her. She knows my mom is sick, but I haven’t told her about my last visit yet. She still thinks I mine just to pay the rent and my mom’s medicine bills. And most days I fool myself into thinking that too.

But the truth is, I have to make a lot more money than that.

A heck of a lot more.

And fast.