Stardew Valley’s Farming Master

Chapter 109: Small Magnet Ring

Leon curiously stepped closer and lifted the lids off the wooden barrels. Most of them were empty, but two still held supplies.

One barrel contained coal. The other held fifteen neatly stacked copper ingots, already smelted and ready for use.

“Copper Ingot (Resource): A bar of pure copper.”

Judging from the corrosion on the tables and chairs, it was clear no one had been here for a long time. These barrels and their contents were unclaimed, so Leon, unwilling to waste resources, stored them all in his System Backpack.

To his surprise, there was quite a haul—forty-six pieces of coal in one barrel, plus the fifteen copper ingots. This single trip almost matched the yield of mining for half a day.

After gathering everything, Leon took another look around the rest area but found nothing else noteworthy. He retraced his steps and headed toward another location. There, in a secluded corner, he finally spotted a green Slime.

It looked the same size as the green Slimes he’d encountered before, except its antenna wasn’t spherical but shaped like a five-pointed star.

Leon didn’t particularly care what a Slime looked like. With a clean, swift strike, he dispatched it without fuss.

When the creature vanished, a staircase passage appeared, along with the loot it dropped.

Instead of the usual slime jelly, this drop was an iron ring with a vivid red accent.“Long battles have made you stronger. Your Combat Level has increased by one.

In combat, you realized that besides a weapon, you also need a sturdy body. The recipe for the Sturdy Ring has been unlocked.

You have received Yoba’s Blessing. Your physical attributes have improved.”

Before Leon could even pick up the ring, the System Prompt came first, announcing his combat level increase.

An electric, tingling sensation washed through him, like soaking a tired body in a hot spring. His fatigue melted away, and he could feel subtle changes within himself.

It was hard to put into words, but it was clear—his bones and muscles had been strengthened.

“Nice.” Leon clenched his fists, savoring the new power running through him.

But the combat level boost didn’t make him forget the unusual ring dropped by that special Slime.

“Small Magnet Ring (Ring): Increases the radius at which you can collect items.”

“Hm.”

Leon studied the vague description, then slid the ring toward his index finger.

As it neared, the Small Magnet Ring adjusted its size automatically. Once it slipped easily onto his finger, it tightened just enough to stay secure without pinching his skin.

This adaptive fit was impressive—practical, even. He wondered if it was an inherent feature of the ring or simply the System’s doing.

Either way, Leon wasn’t treating it as mere decoration. He took a piece of slime jelly from his backpack and dropped it about half a meter away.

Without touching it directly or using the Galaxy Watermelon Knife, he tried storing it in the System Backpack from a distance.

As expected, it worked. The jelly vanished from the ground and appeared in his backpack.

He tested several times and found the ring’s maximum collection range—about two meters in radius.

Unfortunately, it was true remote collection, not pulling items into his hand. If it could, Leon could’ve used it to develop new moves—throwing his Galaxy Watermelon Knife and recalling it mid-air, much like a sword control technique.

Still, the ring had another feature. Within that same range, Leon could also place items from his backpack anywhere within two meters around him. That sparked a few creative ideas, though they would need testing later.

For now, Leon wanted to make the most of his restored stamina and wrap up this trip.

He descended five more floors. This level was unremarkable—spacious, with bare rock walls on all sides.

No monsters, only stone. Leon was slightly disappointed; he’d hoped to test his new physical strength in battle.

Scanning the area, he noticed remnants of an old stone floor, damaged in places. Whether it was caused by monsters or falling rocks was unclear.

But what caught his eye most was the elevator not far from the staircase.

It had a dedicated platform and was embedded into the rock wall, blending in with the surrounding stone. On its wooden doors was Yoba’s mark, and beside it stood a control button and an electrical box.

Leon pried open the box. The lever pointed to OFF—no power.

He didn’t switch it on right away. Instead, he inspected the wiring to ensure there was no risk of electric shock. Satisfied, he flipped it to ON.

The elevator’s indicator light turned green—it was operational. With a press of the button, it could descend to this floor, allowing him to return directly to the mine entrance above, escaping this oppressive underground.

Still, since he was here and full of energy, Leon decided to mine all the stone on this floor.

Whether it was luck or the depth of the mine, he found richer resources than usual—copper ore from regular rock, coal he’d never seen drop from stone before, and even two geodes.

Better still, he discovered two smooth, dark gemstone nodes side by side. One yielded citrine, the other amethyst.

“Amethyst (Mineral): A purple crystal.”

Sometimes Leon wished he could ignore the System’s remarks. They were utterly pointless, but the System always insisted on announcing them, as if to remind him it existed.

“Time to head back.”

After mining the last piece of copper ore, he stored it away and walked toward the elevator.