Lord of Solva: Players as My Pawns

Shaoran sat still in the dark, cool confines of the Mine, the weight of the Ruston stone in his hand. His tools were useless, and the eerie quiet of the mine seemed to close in around him.

He stared at the stone, frustrated, knowing that he was so close to what he needed. But without the proper tools, the stone was nothing more than a glowing rock.

With a deep sigh, Shaoran glanced around, trying to find something, anything, that could help. But there was nothing. No matter how hard he tried to think, he couldn't come up with a way forward.

So, he did what he had to do. He sat down and waited.

The system had already informed him that his energy needed time to recharge. It was something he'd grown used to. When the system ran out of energy, he couldn't do much except wait. And that's exactly what he did.

As the minutes dragged on, he dug into his backpack, pulling out a pack of chips. The crunching sound was oddly satisfying, but it didn't help with his growing frustration. There was nothing to do except wait for the system to come back online, and the silence around him was suffocating.

Time crawled by as Shaoran ate in silence, trying to force himself to stay calm. He had to remain patient. He had no choice.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the familiar chime of the system echoed in his mind. The recharge was complete. He could feel the energy surging back into his being, the system ready to assist him once again.

The rustling in the air around him seemed to grow louder as the system came back online. He stood up, clutching the Ruston stone again. His body tensed, preparing himself to leave the Ena Mine. There was no more time to waste.

With a single thought, the world around him began to shift, and he felt himself being pulled back to Earth.

Shaoran's senses were assaulted by the sudden change. The quiet, oppressive atmosphere of Solva vanished, replaced by the hum of city life. The familiar smell of his apartment filled his nose, the sound of cars and distant voices outside. He was back.

He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the room he'd left behind just days ago. The stack of books and the half-eaten instant noodles scattered across his desk greeted him like old friends. He took a moment to collect himself. There was no time to waste. He had a mountain of work ahead of him.

But something was off.

He noticed his phone on the desk, a few missed calls from Tanisha blinking on the screen. Her name made him frown. Why was she calling? The last time they'd spoken, things had been… weird.

He picked up the phone and dialed her number, waiting for her to pick up.

After a few moments, her voice echoed through the phone.

"Shaoran… where the hell have you been?" Tanisha's tone was sharp, filled with frustration.

Shaoran let out a breath, feeling a pang of guilt in his chest.

"I—uh, I was working on something. Just a project. Sorry, I didn't mean to disappear like that."

"Disappeared?" She scoffed. "You vanished, Shaoran. Without a word. Leaving me alone. Dont tell me you got a new side chick.?"

He shifted uncomfortably. He didn't know how to explain.

"Nah nothing like that but something else personal… happened," he muttered. "Something I can't explain."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. Then Tanisha's voice softened.

"hmmm. Something happened at my firm, Shaoran. I need to go home. I'll be gone for a few days."

Her words sent a ripple of worry through him, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. He had to focus.

"I'm sorry. We'll talk when you get back," Shaoran said, his voice strained.

Tanisha hung up without saying anything else, and Shaoran dropped the phone back onto the desk.

He stood there for a moment, the weight of the conversation lingering in the air. Something wasn't right, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Tanisha was always the practical one, but now there was a sense of urgency in her voice.

He pushed it aside for now. There were more pressing matters at hand.

His bank balance caught his attention as he glanced at his screen. The numbers on the screen didn't exactly scream luxury, but they were enough. Enough to get started.

Shaoran opened his browser, quickly searching for mining tools. He didn't have time to waste; he needed the proper gear if he was going to make progress in Solva. After browsing through various sites, he found a list of equipment that seemed reasonable. He quickly ordered everything he needed: pickaxes, drills, safety gear, and more.

His finger hovered over the checkout button. He knew this was just the beginning. He was going to need a lot more if he was going to mine efficiently.

Shaoran smiled. At least something was going according to plan.

The next few days were a blur of activity.