Stardew Valley is essentially a relaxing game full of farming activities and socializing with villagers. It does, however, start to get a bit stressful especially when you have to fulfill challenges like reaching the 100th level for Mr. Qi. There are ways you can successfully do so, and here are some things you can do.
1. Check Your Luck
You'll need all the luck you can get, so before you make your way to Skull Cavern, check your luck for the day. You can do that by right-clicking on your TV and selecting Fortune Teller. Your fortune will be straightforward between bad, neutral, and good.
Always go when you have good luck as it will help you find ladders faster. It also means that you will encounter fewer monsters in the mines, as well as find more ores. With that said, check your luck first thing in the morning.
2. Go Early
You should try to head to the cavern as early as you can so you don't end up passing out when the clock reaches 2 AM. You can ride the bus, but that means you'll have to wait for Pam to arrive at 10 AM. The best way is for you to craft or buy a Desert Warp Totem.
You can buy one from the Desert Trader in Calico Desert for three Omni Geodes, or you can just buy the recipe for ten Iridium Bars. I'd suggest the latter since you might not be able to get it on the first try and you'll need another Warp Totem in future mining expeditions.
3. Get the Galaxy Sword
The best weapon you can get aside from the Infinity Blade is the Galaxy Sword. While holding a Prismatic Shard, head to the three pillars just above the Desert Trader to the right of the Skull Cavern entrance.
It is yet another reason why you shouldn't donate the first Prismatic Shard you find to Gunther at the Museum. The sword adds four points to your speed and has between 60 to 80 damage, which you will need when once the monsters come at you.
4. Bring Lots of Food
Seeing as you'll be encountering a lot of monsters in there, your health bar will quickly deplete, which is why bringing as much food as you can is essential. The best food you can bring is the Spicy Eel when it comes to luck and speed as it adds one point to each.
In terms of health, the Spicy Eel only adds 51 points, 115 for Energy. If you want food that replenishes your health and stamina the most, the Fruit Salad will give you an additional 263 energy and 118 health points.
5. Wear Essential Equipment
From time to time while fishing or opening treasure chests, you might get a few wearable items like rings and boots, and those will help as they come with perks like added speeds, immunity, attack points, and more. If you're not as lucky, you can just buy them from the Adventurer's Guild.
For 5,000g, you can buy the Space Boots which will give you an additional four points for defense and another four for immunity. There are also a variety of rings like the Ruby Ring, which increases your attack by 10%.
6. Craft or Buy a Lot of Bombs
If you want a quick way to find ladders, bombs are your friends. It eliminates obstacles in a wider radius, which saves you from having to break them one by one. You can either craft them or just buy them from the Dwarf in the Pelican Town Mines. Some are considerably cheap too so that might be a better option.
7. Craft or Buy Staircases
When you're running low on health and you still haven't found a ladder or a shaft, you can resort to using a Staircase. The item allows you to create a way down, but each only takes you down one floor.
If you use more than ten Staircases, Mr. Qi will say that it's not an honorable way to achieve the goal. You can craft it for 99 Stones each or get one from the Desert Trader for one Jade each, but only on Sundays.
8. Jump into Shafts (Holes)
If you're lucky, you'll find shafts or holes in the Skull Cavern. These are fast ways for you to go through several levels, although falling will cost you a few health points. This is where food will come in handy. Don't worry, the lowest health you can get is one. You'll never die from falling down a shaft.
