In the expansive and beautifully remastered world of Blade & Soul NEO Classic, side quests are more than just optional activities—they’re your gateway to unlocking new mechanics, earning rare materials, and progressing in your profession or class. One such quest that plays a crucial role in gathering and crafting progression is the “Finding Metal Samples” quest, which introduces players to the Prospector’s Union and the ore collection system.

If you’re just arriving in Emerald Stone Village, this quest will be one of the first steps in your journey to becoming a skilled resource gatherer. In this guide, we’ll walk through the objectives, NPC interactions, locations, rewards, and some helpful tips to complete the quest quickly and efficiently. Let’s dig in!

 Quest Overview

Quest Name: Finding Metal Samples

Region: Emerald Stone Village

Quest Giver: Duryo

Reward:

XP

Divine Gem (Random Color)

Unlocks Copper Gathering for the Prospector’s Union

Prospector’s Union Reputation

 Starting the Quest: Talk to Duryo

Your first step is to locate Duryo, a hardened member of the Prospector’s Union, stationed within Emerald Stone Village. He stands near the village’s central crafting hub, often beside a large pile of mining tools and ore sacks.

Once you speak with him, the dialogue kicks off the quest and gives you a bit of background:

Duryo:

“So, you're new to the Prospector's Union? Congratulations. Let's get down to business. You want me to show you how to gather ore, right? Well, it's not going to be a walk in the park.”

Duryo explains that you can't simply tell the Union to go fetch you materials. You must first locate and deliver a sample of the ore you want them to gather. This allows them to catalog it and begin organized collection for you in the future.

Objective:

Find a chunk of Copper northwest of Old Man Cho's house and bring it back.

 Step 1: Find the Copper Boulder

Now that you've accepted the task, you’ll need to find the Copper Ore sample. The game gives you a general location, but let’s break it down clearly.

Location Guide:

Find Old Man Cho’s House

You’ll find Cho's modest home west of the main plaza. Look for herbal gardens and a wind chime hanging above the porch. It's a peaceful spot with a view of the hillside.

Head Northwest from Cho’s House

Move up into the rocky hill area behind the house. There’s a narrow path that leads to a small clearing.

Locate the Glimmering Copper Boulder

Keep an eye out for a boulder that stands out with a reddish-copper hue. It should glow faintly and be interactable if you have a pickaxe equipped.

Gathering Mechanics:

You must be equipped with a basic Pickaxe. If you don’t have one:

Purchase it from a General Merchant in Emerald Stone Village.

Or earn one from previous gathering quests or profession tutorials.

Once you interact with the Copper boulder, your character will perform a short mining animation and automatically collect a Copper Sample.

Step 2: Return to Duryo

With the sample in your bag, it’s time to report back to Duryo.

Final Dialogue:

Duryo:

“Do you have the Copper?”

You: I do.

Duryo:

“Yeah, this will do. Remember, you must bring us a new type of ore before we can begin to gather it for you. Mining takes time, so don't come whining to me if we take a while to find your ore. There, lesson finished. Come back when you have more mineral samples for us.”

He takes the Copper sample and logs it into the Prospector’s Union catalog. This means you’ve now unlocked Copper Ore for remote gathering, and you can begin issuing Copper gathering orders from your gathering UI.

 Quest Rewards

Completing Finding Metal Samples grants several useful rewards:

Experience Points (XP): A solid boost to your leveling progress.

Random Divine Gem: Used in crafting and upgrading accessories. The color/type depends on RNG.

Prospector’s Union Reputation: This unlocks future gathering upgrades, tools, and better materials.

Copper Ore Gathering Unlocked: You can now request the Union to mine this ore for you in the background while adventuring or crafting.

 Why This Quest Matters

At first glance, Finding Metal Samples might feel like a basic gathering quest, but it’s actually foundational for:

1. Unlocking the Gathering System

This quest introduces the node unlocking system — before you can mass-harvest a resource, you must find it yourself at least once.

2. Profession Progression

Copper is used in early Blacksmithing, Toolmaking, and Weapon crafting. Completing this quest ensures you’ll have a steady supply of this key resource.

3. Unlocking Additional Quests

After finishing this quest, Duryo and other NPCs in Emerald Stone Village will offer advanced material quests like Iron, Tin, and even Silver Samples.

Tips & Tricks

 Bring a Pickaxe

This is obvious but easy to forget. No pickaxe = no mining = no progress.

 Check Your UI After Completion

Once you’ve unlocked Copper, check the Gathering tab in your UI to issue mining orders or track how much ore the Union is harvesting for you.

 Visit the Union’s Vendor

As your reputation increases, you’ll gain access to upgraded mining tools and ore-enhancing items like Gemcutting Flux or Ore Dust Pouches.

 Switch Channels for Fast Mining

If the node has already been mined by other players, switch to a less populated channel for faster respawn.

 What Comes Next?

After finishing Finding Metal Samples, continue your journey with follow-up side quests such as:

Iron Sample Hunt – Unlocked at Prospector's Union Rank 2.

Rare Vein Identification – Involves identifying and tracking magical ores.

Ore Refinement Tutorials – Teaches you how to smelt ore into bars for crafting.

Completing these opens up the full breadth of the gathering economy, essential if you want to be self-sufficient or craft high-level gear without relying on the marketplace.

Conclusion

The “Finding Metal Samples” side quest in Blade & Soul NEO Classic might seem like a simple fetch quest, but it’s the key to unlocking the broader crafting and gathering mechanics. From this point onward, your relationship with the Prospector’s Union will evolve, BnS Classic Divine Gems providing you with essential materials and crafting components for your journey ahead.

So next time you arrive in Emerald Stone Village, don’t rush past Duryo. Grab your pickaxe, follow the path to Old Man Cho’s hillside, and let your mining adventure begin.

Happy gathering, adventurer!