Chapter 117: The Lava Lake

"It seems I have relied too heavily on the information from my past life, to the point of forgetting that this is not entirely the 'Minecraft' I once knew..."

Mo Fangyuan wore a grave expression as he faced the vast and magnificent subterranean lava lake. In terms of scale, this sea could easily rival the lava oceans of the Nether. Clearly, such a formation was impossible in the game—unless mods were involved. Yet, in this block world, there was one immutable law: the more extraordinary the phenomenon, the more likely it was to harbor strange treasures and dangerous monsters. The lake before him clearly fit this rule.

"Your Majesty, what should we do now?" asked the captain of the First Night Watch squad, having been reprimanded by Mo Fangyuan earlier. Facing such an expansive sea of lava, the group was at a loss.

"Order a few men to go up and fetch some water buckets..." The Overworld was not the Nether, so "filling the sea with water" was a perfectly viable strategy. In *Minecraft*, water and lava had a peculiar interaction: flowing water touching lava would turn the lava into obsidian, while the water itself remained unaffected; conversely, lava touching a water source would turn the water into cobblestone. Both obsidian and cobblestone could be walked upon by the Block People. This meant they could convert the surface layer of the lava into obsidian and use it as a platform to move freely and mine for resources.

Mo Fangyuan had observed the surrounding stone walls of the lava lake and noted hundreds, if not thousands, of ore deposits. Of course, until he fully understood what this lake was, how it had formed, and whether it harbored hidden dangers, he would not risk sending non-combatant miners to their deaths here.

"Your Majesty, I see redstone!"
"Hey, I see it too!"
"It looks like there’s quite a lot! Why is redstone worth so many points?"

Several Night Watch members familiar with the miner ranking system pointed at the stone walls along the lake's edge. Mo Fangyuan’s original plan had been to spend five years cultivating redstone talent before reaching the redstone mining strata, but plans could never keep up with changes. He had reached the redstone mining level five years ahead of schedule.

Seeing the redstone, Mo Fangyuan was overjoyed. Redstone was vital to the Block Kingdom; it was the key to their future. It was the greatest technology in *Minecraft*, representing power, creativity, productivity... and infinite possibilities. Many said that redstone technology was boundless, and indeed it was; in his past life, many masters had used their knowledge to create redstone computers, pearl teleporters, and other complex, secret devices. It was said that redstone computers had already reached the binary era. In this world, mastering redstone was equivalent to holding the key to the constant evolution of an era and its technology.

"No rush. The redstone ore isn't going anywhere. Let’s figure this place out first and ensure it’s safe before we start mining..."

As long as there were no major threats within this lava lake, it represented an opportunity for the Block Kingdom—an opportunity great enough to change the nation's fate. It would allow the kingdom to skip nearly thirty levels of underground development and directly enter the "redstone mining era," sparking a redstone revolution. It was, without a doubt, a magnificent natural wonder.

"Understood!"

Mo Fangyuan selected a few of the faster members of the squad and instructed them to bring plenty of water buckets. After the sound of footsteps faded and returned, two buckets filled with water and half a small crate of empty iron buckets were brought before him, along with some cobblestone blocks to handle any sudden emergencies. As for why they only brought two buckets of water, that was due to another characteristic of the block world: "Infinite Water." By placing two buckets of water diagonally in a two-by-two pit, one could create an infinite water source. Theoretically, this could flood the entire block world. Mo Fangyuan didn't know why—it was just how the mechanics worked.

"Your Majesty, what is that stone pillar in the center of the lake?"
"An ancient ruin, perhaps?"

Mo Fangyuan was just as curious about that long, thin pillar, which resembled an enoki mushroom. It reminded him of the "tall pillar" built by the "tough guy" Zhang Lingyun had encountered. When Zhang Lingyun had described the environment she faced during her encounter with the Magical Girl, it sounded remarkably similar to this, especially with that thin pillar in the center. It made Mo Fangyuan wonder if this was the very same lava lake she had once navigated. If it was, he had to consider whether other monsters or creatures might use a tunnel leading to the surface to invade the Block Kingdom.

"Your Majesty! The water buckets are ready. Please give the order!"

It had taken quite some time just to fill the two hundred empty iron buckets.

"Then, let us begin!"

Since he didn't know the exact nature of the lava lake or what dangers lay within, Mo Fangyuan pointed to a small area he had designated for testing.

*Hiss! Hiss-!*

As the flowing water collided with the surface of the lava, white and blue steam particles scattered rapidly, accompanied by a sharp sizzling sound. A moment later, a Night Watch warrior retrieved the water with an iron bucket, leaving behind a hard, blackish-purple block.

*Thump! Thump! Thump!*

The warrior stomped on the obsidian to ensure it was solid, then waved to the others at the tunnel entrance to signal that the plan was working. Strictly following Mo Fangyuan’s orders, the warriors began converting the lava into obsidian in that small area.

Mo Fangyuan, meanwhile, continued to contemplate the value this lake could provide to the Block Kingdom. First, there was the ore. The lake was massive, and the exposed stone surfaces along its edges were vast. Gold, redstone, lapis lazuli, iron—almost every mineral he could name was present. From these exposed walls, the kingdom could extract ores much more easily than through strip mining. Furthermore, the many cave openings in these walls would lead to more cave systems and mineral deposits, allowing them to reach deeper or wider areas of the underground, accelerating their progress toward the diamond strata and beyond.

Then there was the lava itself—a vital fuel and heat source. It could produce immense heat and cobblestone through non-conservation of matter, and when combined with water, it turned into obsidian. Its utility was no less than that of an oil field in his past life. Once the Block Kingdom developed further, they could fully utilize this underground lake as a fuel production base. Looking further ahead, once the lava was drained, it could be converted into an underground refuge city or used for other secret projects that needed to be hidden from the surface, such as deeper mining operations.

Seeing this giant lava lake, Mo Fangyuan had an even bolder, crazier idea, though it might be impossible to realize. Regardless, any way he calculated it, this lava lake was a treasure.

*Hiss! Hiss-!*

The thirty-five diligent Night Watchmen continued their hard work, pouring sweet water to turn the lava into dark, solid obsidian.

"Go notify the mining department. Tell them to seal off this tunnel for the time being. If they ask, tell them it’s by my order."

This lava lake was too important; he wouldn't open it to the public until he had thoroughly investigated it.

"Ah, it seems the Night Watch will have a tougher time from now on! But I believe they will support it, for they are contributing to the greatness of the Block Kingdom!"

For the sake of safety and secrecy, Mo Fangyuan waved his hand, tasking the Night Watchmen, who were already exhausted from their nightly duties, with a bit more light physical labor during the day. Unaware of the true situation, the men continued to toil away.