CH 24 - Day 34 of Spring
34th day of spring
It seemed like it was only yesterday that I faced the tingling memory of warming up my mornings every day, but before I knew it, that feeling came back to me on rare occasions.
As many skills reached the intermediate level and the level increase slowed, waking up in the morning without much change became a more familiar daily routine.
The faint dawn with a cool chill.
The majesty of mithril sprinklers that filled the ground with moisture.
If I drank a glass of cool water while looking at that sight, my mind would clear up instantly.
Suddenly, life sprouted from the seeds planted in a mess.
I was glad to see the energy of life popping out one by one.
They were grateful beings that would one day become sweet and delicious fruits and bring me benefits.
Today, as usual, morning farming continued.
It lasted for 7 to 8 hours and ended at approximately 3 PM.
I needed to shorten this time or find another way.
Even if I ate and rested, I spent my entire morning and lunch here, so I didn’t have much time to do anything afterward.
If I worked, I would have to stay up all night long after the sun set and work until dawn to match my previous working hours.
In that respect, the daily working hours of farming were excessively long.
In terms of gold’s efficiency, there was nothing like this, but looking at growth in various directions, it was a slightly inefficient act.
Cooking slowly started giving buffs once I reached level 2.
Maybe it was because the advanced farming level also played a role.
When I put the crops I grew myself into cooking, I received a random buff of at least 1 hour.
Just today, the stir-fried pork I made for breakfast gave me a 1-hour action speed buff.
Considering that there was no reward for cooking the same dish in the past, it was proof that the dish I had worked hard to make by flipping the frying pan over and over was developing into something very useful.
When I was cooking and eating the same food around lunchtime,
She showed off her scarlet gait as she headed home. Evangeline came to visit.
“For what reason…?”
“I tried making a simple snack with the fruit you gave me. In the first place, ‘affection’ has to come and go, right?”
Still speaking quietly.
And flushed cheeks and warm hand gestures.
That unbalance instantly created Evangeline’s unique atmosphere.
“Is it in that basket?”
“Yes. It feels like going on a picnic. Spring is the season for picnics.”
“Thank you. How was the fruit?”
“It was so delicious. Jack liked it a lot. He said he would like to come again next time.”
“That’s an honor.”
“You just happened to be eating. I brought some good friends for dessert.”
Evangeline naturally sat next to me.
Because I didn’t have a chair or a place to sit in front of my house, she ended up settling down on the small stairs in front of my house.
“What’s on top of the melon? Ham?”
“Yes. It’s called ham melon. Officially, it’s prosciutto de merone.”
“Oh… I wonder what it tastes like.”
“Try it once.”
“Thank you for this food.”
I saw strawberries topped with biscuits and cheese, but visually, the melon topped with ham was overwhelming.
Maybe it was because it was something I had never seen before. I was more interested because it was unfamiliar.
The unique salty and savory taste of raw ham.
The melon’s slightly green scent and sweetness combined to create a strange harmony.
I could also feel the subtle scent of the olive oil sprinkled on top.
In conclusion, it was delicious.
It was such an attractive dish that I reached for it and ate it one by one without realizing it.
Of course, it was so simple that I wondered if I should call it a dish, but since I made it myself, it could easily be called one.
It was a strange picture to point out as a person receiving it.
“Try this too.”
“I will eat well.”
Strawberry canapés. Should I call it a strawberry cheese canapé?
A biscuit topped with sliced strawberries.
This was delicious, just as I had imagined.
The refreshing and sweet taste of strawberries.
The texture of a biscuit that broke apart crisply.
And the flavor of the cheese melted well together.
Rather than just eating it like this, it seemed like a good dish to eat with wine or beer.
“Alcohol.”
“Uh?”
“These are good foods to go with alcohol. So, I wonder if one drink would be okay. What do you think?”
As soon as I thought of that, Evangeline took out a bottle wrapped in paper from the basket.
Glittering red liquid flowed through the glass of the bottle.
“Is it alcohol?”
“It’s wine. It’s one of the specialties of our town.”
“I like it.”
It was alcohol.
I hadn’t even thought about it.
On Earth, we often enjoyed drinking.
Feeling a little nostalgic for the past and a bit emotional, I poured the wine into a glass.
The red movement of the glass and the scent of alcohol stung my nose.
“Shall we salt it?”
“Good. A toast then.”
“clink.”
Ding-
The clear sound of glass clinking together.
The bitter taste passed through the tongue and down the throat.
“How is it?”
“It’s delicious since it’s been a while since I drank.”
“I’m glad.”
Evangeline’s smile was definitely attractive.
With such beauties in a village like this, I wondered if this world was like this.
Considering that I didn’t see anyone like that on the streets when I went to Rayvik, I thought the people I knew like Evangeline, Luna, and Anne were the irregulars.
Maybe, if you lived in Starwind Valley for a long time, good-looking or pretty genes would naturally occur.
“I’m sorry for taking up your time when I was busy.”
“If it’s a short picnic like this, you can always take it.”
“Really?”
“Sure.”
“Then is it okay if I come every day?”
She smiled brightly, a smile spreading across her face as she swept her orange hair back.
The tone of voice that was supposed to be playful felt like the declaration of a grave thief.
The strangeness of her tone of voice must have been the charm.
“I’m just kidding. I’m trying not to be that shameless. But it’s okay if I stop by often, right?”
“Yes. You are welcome to come anytime.”
“You know you shouldn’t welcome gifts more than I do, right?”
“That can’t be right.”
“You promised.”
Evangeline and I made a pinky promise.
It was surprising that the non-verbal behavior of promise was depicted in the same way here.
No, it’s not that surprising.
It’s a game made on Earth and will be similar to Earth’s culture.
I wondered how much of a difference there would be.
The short break was sweet.
I devoured the remaining ham melon and strawberry canapés.
I didn’t know if I was hungry, but I could eat as much as I wanted.
As the body grew, these parts seemed to grow as well.
[Prosciutto de Melone]
[Duration: 08:00:00]
[Effect: Recovery speed +1]
[Strawberry Canapé]
[Duration: 08:00:00]
[Effect: Defense +1]
This was why I liked Evangeline’s food.
It gave me a buff that I couldn’t beat.
I quietly sat down on the steps and looked around the field.
I hadn’t planted all the seeds yet, but there was no need to rush.
But buffs were different.
They were a benefit that couldn’t be enjoyed except today.
Using these buffs wisely when available was also part of efficient work and distribution.
I needed to obtain red sea spider poison to make painkillers, and various miscellaneous items used in mithril equipment, so I prepared to move to the dungeon.
I took a quick look at the equipment that had not rusted and was stored well in the bag, counted the number of potions, and then moved north.
The northern road I had been on for a long time felt very unfamiliar.
The entrance to the dungeon was not at all suitable.
The spicy taste of alcohol was completely different from the sweet wine scent I had smelled before.
And I didn’t like the entrance, which was covered with an unpleasant mucous membrane and a putrid scent.
Nevertheless, I forced myself and headed to the dungeon.
Regardless of how unpleasant it was, what had to be done had to be done.
1st floor, 2nd floor.
I went down the stairs one by one.
There was appropriate tension, but the phenomenon of excessive tension and exertion of strength in my body had disappeared. The low level of the monsters that appeared also played a role. It was strange to feel threatened by a monster that got slashed with a long sword.
I went downstairs like that and met the dire wolf on the 10th floor. Before, I remembered being very nervous and taking a defensive stance, gnawing and losing stamina through bleeding.
Clap-
It was a little different now. The wild pressure felt from animals had completely disappeared. Should I consider it momentum? I was filled with confidence that I would dominate no matter how many opponents came.
Arrogance was still far off. This was the type of judgment with a high success rate, made through a mixture of keen experience and various senses that it was possible.
Purr-
Three dire wolves howled lowly. The hand holding the long sword felt light. I slowly lifted my body, ready to counter their movement at any time.
My reaction speed was different from before. Better experiences had led me to the path of victory.
“Whoa…”
I took a deep breath and watched the wolves’ movements. I saw different things.
The wolves’ tension.
Their breathing.
A surprise attack that I could perform with the wolves’ inhalation and exhalation.
Weaknesses and shortcomings that appeared in them.
I could vividly see these changing in real time.
“Sigh!”
I held my breath and lunged forward. The path the sword was heading towards was the wolf’s neck. The sharp blade decapitated the dire wolf without a single error.
Simplified.
A gap in their breathing.
It was exactly what I was aiming for.
Blood spurted, and even before the hot blood warmed my body, my eyes followed the movements of the two remaining wolves. The one on the right stepped forward, and the front paw of the one on the left tried to crush me.
I pushed forward with the same momentum as the attack and struck from the right.
This was a choice I made because I am right-handed. If I were left-handed, I would have cut off the front foot of the one on the left.
The dark sword crossed the wolf’s face. One fell to the floor on the spot. One had its throat cut and died instantly. What remained was the wolf hitting the air and resting on the floor.
I could see the fear in its eyes.
It was an overwhelming power difference.
I turned the sword and took a stance, stably corrected. I wondered if this was probably part of the unexplained power of being a weapons expert. There were also things that helped with the act of sharply cutting bone and flesh.
I trudged along and ended the growling wolf’s life. I dodged it sneakily as it tried to attack, and then cut its entire body. It felt like splitting tofu without resistance.
It was clearly a cruel scene, but I brushed off my sword as if it was something I always did. Had I become a psychopath? Or were the old memories from the experience of leveling up that had worn away the shock? I wasn’t sure. The important thing was that I had the skills to not die in an engagement like this.
I went down to the 11th floor. Goblin fighters and several goblins. I cut them down without fail. Flesh and blood stuck to the chain armor.
The armor, which had been shining silver, now took on a shape that exuded a blood-red, fishy smell. The sword was an exception. Strangely enough, it maintained its sharpness without any touch-up.
The 12th floor was a collaboration between skeletons and zombies.
On the 13th floor, something that looked like a vampire bat appeared. Flying and carrying out air raids, it was quite a nuisance.
Lizardmen appeared on the 14th floor. It was my first time meeting such a creature, but it wasn’t difficult.
He brought out a rusty axe and clashed weapons with me, but before he could continue, he was struck down by the power of my body. The damage I received from the impact and rebound of his weapon was weak, and his durability after the first engagement was poor. Maybe this was thanks to the defense buff.
It was only when I reached the 15th floor that I was able to meet the red sea spider. They say it’s not always the same, but looking at it like this, the randomness was a little dizzying. This meant that if you were unlucky, you might not even get out to the 19th floor.
The fight with the spider continued easily. A sharp piercing using multiple legs was resolved by cutting them off with my sword.
Obviously, when you come down from a dungeon like this, you will have several injuries on your body and it is normal to be tired. Buffs and experience. Perhaps thanks to the accumulation of many things, I was less tired than I thought and had almost no injuries. Most of them were scratches and not noticeable. I felt proud once again as I realized how much I had grown.
When I came out of the dungeon, my foolishness was a sight to behold. I looked like a carrier of an infectious disease, covered in various types of blood and mucus and giving off an unpleasant odor. I quickly stuffed my equipment into my bag, changed into the clothes I had worn in the morning, and headed home.
When I adapted to the dimmed vision and saw objects vaguely, I knew it was time to wash and remove the dirt when I got home. Laundry was a bonus.
Now I was very used to hand washing. I also liked the process of removing old dirt and odor.
I drained all the water and hung the laundry on the drying rack. Now that I had the means to purchase such furniture lightly, I no longer had to leave my laundry hanging out haphazardly like before.
Equipment was wiped down with an oiled cloth or towel. To be exact, it was chain armor. It was difficult to clean up the stuff stuck in between, but I managed to brush it off with something like a steel brush and it all came off.
So, I ended the day with cleaning and went to bed.
Today was also a fruitful day.
The night of the 34th day ended like that.