Into the healing farming game

18th Day of Spring

Light pain that welcomes me in the morning. Experiences and memories engraved in the brain are very welcome.

Mining has reached intermediate level 2. Farming is at intermediate level 5.

No matter what, leveling up always makes me happy. It doesn’t seem like much has changed, but when I actually start working, I find myself nodding my head at the experience and skills that the level provides.

In fact, the thing I feel the least about is farming. This may be because it only requires repetitive labor without any technical aspects. Knowledge and experiences come into my head one by one, but I rarely have time to actually use them.

How to properly grow fruit trees.

How to raise livestock well.

How to restore soil quality to land lacking it.

How to get rid of crop pests.

Various knowledge keeps coming to mind, but due to the nature of Starwind Valley, there is not much use for such knowledge in farming. As in the game, the land of Starwind Valley is blessed and a natural land that does not require such measures. So, even if you just throw it in, it will grow well on its own. Beginners can do it easily, and experts can do it even more easily.

Thanks to this, farming levels are skyrocketing. In terms of efficiency invested relative to time, farming is relatively small compared to fishing, but farming has risen so quickly that there is only a 2-level difference.

If I think about it, it’s a natural thing. If I think about sowing and harvesting crops by the thousands and catching fish one by one with a fishing rod, the gap in terms of quantity is incomparably large. Although there may be a slight difference in the amount converted into experience points, agricultural products are overwhelming in absolute quantity.

A glass of cool water to wake me up in the morning. My body, which had been slightly tired and locked, awakens completely.

I looked at the time and it was 5:50. As I wake up at this time every day, I feel fondly of the dim scarlet light that rises. The cold light of the sunrise coming through the window to the point of stinging.

I brush my unwashed and frizzy hair and open the door. Refreshing dawn air is immediately supplied to my lungs.

“Hi…”

Anne, looking half-dead, greets me. It was just around 6 o’clock. Maybe she came before me, but Anne’s eyes are dark and hollow.

“It came quicker than I thought.”

“What does it mean to be more than you think?”

“I thought you would come after 6 o’clock or right on time.”

“I keep my promises on time…”

Anne flops down on her steps, seemingly helpless, puffing out her cheeks. It looks like a helpless puppy hanging out.

“Start the morning with farming work. Plant the seeds, water them, and then go to Abel’s store to sell your crops.”

“Every day?”

“First of all, it’s like that in the morning.”

“I’ll help you.”

“It’s okay. If you’re tired, you can take a nap there.”

“Ugh. No. I came here to work hard today too.”

Before I knew it, Anne was on her feet and holding out her hand to me. Does this mean asking for seeds? When I filled it with seeds, she stared at me with buzzing eyes as if asking what to do next.

“Do you know how to plant seeds?”

“Can’t I just dig up the dirt and plant it?”

“That’s right. You can do that.”

It’s not that difficult. My back just hurts a little.

I went first and demonstrated. Dig up a little soil, plant the seeds, and cover them with soil. Afterwards, if I sprinkle water, farming for the day is over.

Very, very easy farming that applies equally to both beginners and experts. This is why I have no use for my farming-related experience and knowledge.

After watching what I was doing closely, Anne soon started planting seeds. The area is roughly divided, and it is very discreet to see the seeds being carefully added along the gaps.

The number of seeds planted today is quite large. The number of seeds purchased with 1000 gold is close to 3500. The scale of farming is slowly increasing, and the time has come to look for equipment and systems related to automation. Planting seeds one by one without using a machine was a lot more labor than expected.

This alone did not increase the farming level, so it was truly an act of straining one’s back. If I think about making money by planting it, the pain goes away a little. In fact, it is also the job where I can make the most money with the least amount of work.

So, plant the seeds and sprinkle water. Since I only had one watering can, I took charge of all the watering. Halfway through, I suggested that Anne give it a try, but the weight of the watering can was so heavy that she couldn’t handle it, and she stumbled a few times before giving up.

I said, “I have to go to Abel’s to sell my crops and have breakfast. You wouldn’t have come here without eating right?”

“Yeah! You’ll cook all the food for me, right?”

The shamelessness was absurd, but there seems to be something called probability created by appearance. The sight of her putting both hands on her hips and lifting her chin.

She seems to know that it’s funny too. Anne broke down laughing and slowly came to my side, and I finished getting ready to go to Abel’s store. I had nothing special. In the morning, all I had to do was gather the harvested crops and go.

“Let’s go and eat. You’re not very hungry, right?”

“If I say I’m really hungry, are we going to eat now?”

“No.”

“Then why did you ask…”

Anne puffs out her cheeks slightly and pouts her mouth.

“I can give you a melon on the way.”

“Melon? I like melon.”

She spreads both her hands towards me and confidently asks for her melon as if she has entrusted it to me. I place a melon that I had cut on her open hand. Musk Melon. It was a rare fruit worth 5 gold, but I divided it into several pieces and put it in my bag just in case. Expensive fruits are always good for gifts.

“Eat as you go.”

“Ugh.”

Anne’s pronunciation is muffled by the melon already shoved into her mouth. Anne’s smile opens brightly, as if intoxicated by its sweetness. Her expression, in full bloom like a spring flower, was the happiest I had ever seen Anne’s expression.

So, I headed to Abel’s store with Anne, who ate a melon. Abel was still getting ready for his opening early in the morning. As I was about to make that generous impression, Abel was the first to give me his greeting.

“Minho! Welcome. Anne is also with you today?”

“Hello, Abel.”

“Hello. I came to sell some garlic today. I also prepared musk melon.”

“Is that good? Rumors have already started to spread that the melons I distributed yesterday were really good. It’s just the right time. I’ve been getting calls from all over.”

“Then the price of melons…”

“Yes. I think it’s possible to get about 7 gold. It sold a lot more than I expected. It’s a reward for growing crops well.”

“Okay, I’ll sell everything.”

“Come in. Let’s look at the goods first.”

Abel leads me into the store. Anne went inside with me.

The store is still clean. The products that are neatly arranged and arranged are clearly visible.

From my bag, I slowly took out garlic and muskmelon. Spicy and sweet smells gently color the store.

“Huh. Looks good at a glance. How many of them do you have?”

“400 pieces of garlic. 200 pieces of melon.”

“There are a lot of melons. Good, good.”

Abel goes into his store and takes out his money. Eventually, the amount offered to me was 1720 gold.

It was a reasonable amount.

“Thank you. Please ask again next time.”

“That’s what I have to say. Please take care of me in the future.”

I came back with a clean transaction. Anne looked slightly surprised when she saw the amount of 1720 gold.

Anne asked a question, nudging my side on her way back.

“Does farming make this much money?”

“Rare crops or trendy crops tend to be expensive.”

“I had no idea. Musk melon was this expensive.”

Anne laughs bitterly.

“You’re not going to ask me to compensate you, right? I already ate all the expensive melons.”

“I gave it to you to eat. You don’t have to do that.”

“I believed you!”

The road with someone was quite fun. Just having a conversation was nice and not boring. The rain in between is filled with plenty of time. For that alone, it was worth accompanying.

I came home and prepared to cook. It was a bit awkward to serve roughly grilled meat when there were guests, so I used finished dishes bought at the store and grilled meat as side dishes.

Anne ate breakfast well, probably because she was hungry. There wasn’t much on the menu, but I guess it was because she went back and forth from place to place in the morning and even helped with the farming. She ate a lot because she was hungry and  cause she was drained a lot of energy.

“What do we do now?”

Anne’s voice chattering next to me while I was washing dishes was similar to the voice of a bird chirping in the forest.

“I need to tidy up my yard. I need to work diligently to increase the size of the usable field.”

“I’ve done a lot, but it’s still not enough?”

“I have to do this until I can use the whole thing.”

“Wow… This whole place?”

“What job isn’t difficult?”

“It was fun when I was Luna’s daily manager…”

“Daily manager?”

“Yes. Luna sings well. That’s why she sometimes goes to perform here and there. She must be the most famous in our town, right?”

Do I feel like a celebrity? I remember having a passing conversation once when I went to say hello. I vaguely remembered that unique liveliness.

“Come on. You can do this while I clean up the yard.”

“Plant seeds again?”

“If you do well, I’ll give you a daily wage. How much did the daily manager get paid?”

“50 gold! You got a lot, right?”

“I’ll give you the same amount, 50 gold. Sow hard.”

“Yes!”

Anne’s eyes were drawn to the idea of giving money. It seems that people need to be motivated to work hard at something. It’s like I’m addicted to the results I see in front of me and work hard every day.

I grabbed an ax and a pickaxe and set out to clean up the yard. Anne is seen planting a seed by tapping her waist.

As I looked at it, I started breaking down trees and stones.

The sound of logging trees crackling. The sound of mining crackling. Regular sounds.

As I try to hold the tool and use my strength, my body heats up. As the sunlight hits me, sweat begins to creep in.

Did I work in the scorching sun for a while? For the first time, I could feel that the yard in front of my house was clean. A place where only wide open fields are visible. Land on which to build greenhouses and barns has finally been prepared.

When I took a quick look at Anne, I saw that she looks frazzled from exhaustion. I guess she planted the seed hard but got tired.

I slowly approach her. Her golden, flowing hair is partially wet with sweat. She must have worked hard in her own way.

“Why is there no end to this…”

Anne was so exhausted that she half-collapsed on her steps. She seemed to see me on the first day.

At that time, the situation was exactly the opposite. I was so exhausted that I couldn’t come to my senses. Anne was the one who gave me a drink back then.

“Would you like some water?”

“Is it cool?”

“Of course.”

“Huh.”

Anne swigs her glass of cool water.

The water flows and wets her clothes, but they were already wet with sweat and I can’t tell if it’s sweat or water. Even if it is not summer, the heat of spring is quite stinging.

Just looking at it, it looks like a body that has not endured such physical labor. When doing something like this, it may be natural to feel tired.

On the first day, I also collapsed while panting while working. In that respect, I look pretty fine right now. That was very fun.

It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long, but my appearance has changed dramatically. I felt proud again.

“Do you have any more plans for today?”

“There’s still a lot left. But it’s not hard. I’m planning to go fishing today. In terms of time, I have a lot left on my schedule. Normally, work ends around nightfall.”

“Why are you working so hard…?”

Anne’s expression as she asks with a tired look is mesmerizing.

Well. Why am I working so hard?

“Because I just felt like it.”

“Just?”

“I think the answer is that it’s worth doing. You do it because you do it, and you do it because it becomes worth doing. I find it fun in that way.”

“I see…”

“It’s hard?”

“Huh.”

“I see. I’m getting some rest.”

“Huh…”

Work hard. Of course, I also have to work hard to get back home. But since people can feel a sense of accomplishment every day, there is no way to become addicted to it. Now, in a larger sense, I am putting it down to the fact that I am working hard to return home. Since I get rewarded for my efforts every day, I think it can be said that I work hard for the pleasure of growing.

Anne took over the work again. She plants seeds. Work ended around lunch.

Anne, who was exhausted, recovered with the cool, sweet melon I gave her. I’m getting ready to go to the lakeside to go fishing. It was natural that I took the chair Anne gave me.

“Are we going fishing?”

“Yes. Have you recovered?”

“It’s better. Let’s go.”

So, we headed to the lakeside chatting loudly and meaninglessly. Fishing feels completely different when I’m alone and when there’s someone next to me. I experienced it once before, but now that I have experienced it twice, I can really feel it.

Anne took the fishing rod a few times and caught fish. As the sun sets, Anne’s head shakes from side to side and her eyes close. As dusky darkness settles over the place, the moonlight lighted her face.

It was a little early, but I cleaned up my seat and stood up. I thought she wouldn’t be able to follow until the end, but I was surprised to see that Anne followed along so diligently.

“Let’s go back now.”

“My legs hurt…”

“Can’t you walk?”

“Please carry me on your back.”

“Do you want me to carry you?”

“Huh.”

It looks like she’s trying to get on my back with her arms outstretched. Her eyes were half-closed and she had a very tiring schedule, so I obediently complied with her request.

Anne’s warmth reaches my back. Rather than the unpleasant smell of sweat, it has a fresh, spring-like scent. Should I say it’s Anne’s unique scent?

The way back was quiet. As we walked to Anne’s house, she was sleeping quietly.