Prerequisite: Enter the Cavern
Reward: $100
Unlocks: --
Mining plays a big role in Coral Island, and you need to start somewhere. Into the Mines gets you started on mining. To unlock this quest you need to head to the Cavern, located through the woods to the northwest of your farm. Once Mark has shown up at your farm (day four or five) and told you that the Cavern is open you can go inside, and once inside Kira will give you a Blunt Sword to defend yourself.
To complete Into the Mines you need to reach the fifth level of the Earth Shaft, the first mining shaft that you can enter. It's located on the upper-right side of the entrance of the Cavern. To descend to lower levels in the Cavern you need to break up rocks with your Pickaxe and look for a hole with a rope that will take you to the next level. Do this until you reach the fifth level and you'll find an elevator that will take you back to the entrance, as well as allow you to return to this level on your next trip down.
On your way down through the Earth Shaft you'll run into the occasional pink blob. These are monsters that will become aggressive if you get too close. They will hurl smaller blobs your way, and if you step on one you'll take damage to your Health. Immediately get in close and use your Blunt Sword to slash these things into oblivion. They shouldn't present much of a threat.
Despite the dangers of monsters, the risk of running out of Energy is your greatest threat in the Cavern. You can only break up so many rocks before you get tired and need to stop. If you need to leave you can use the rope on your current level to return to the entrance, though doing so will negate all of your progress up to that point and force you to start over. Here are some tips for reaching the fifth level:
- Bring some items along. Crafting a few Candied Tree Seeds (one Sap, three tree seeds of any kind) will keep your Energy high.
- Watch your swings. It's very easy to accidentally waste a swing or two of your Pickaxe if you press the button too many times, or if you're aiming at a blank square. Each swing costs you three Energy, and all those wasted swings add up.
- As soon as you find the hole to the next level, use it. Don't stick around on your current level. There are plenty more rocks to break below, and they will regenerate each day. Focus on getting to the fifth floor rather than fully exploiting each level of the Cavern.
