Into the healing farming game

3rd Day of Spring

“Eww.”

I woke up, clutching my throbbing head. The cold, invasive knowledge of fishing seemed to drill into my brain, leaving it feeling like mush. It was unpleasant, to say the least.

Maybe it was refreshing in a way, but it still gave me a headache—much like the sensation of studying too hard.

The pleasure of improving was undeniable. Though I was only at Beginner Level 5, I felt confident I had become quite skilled at fishing.

The skill tiers were: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Master. Even accounting for the experience points easily gained in the game, it felt like I had reached halfway goal for the Intermediate level in just one day.

Though the headaches becomes more painful as you level up, the stability offered by numbers brings a different kind of security.

I took a sip of cold water, shaking off the lingering fatigue. I guessed I should go fishing again today. That should be enough.

I bit my lip. Ten hours. Even when you’re doing something fun, that’s a long time, and just thinking about working for that long made me shudder. No matter how good you are at something, the sheer amount of time involved brings its own pressure.

Why was this body in such good condition?

Normally, I’d rush out the door immediately, but today, I decided to briefly jot down some future plans in my notebook. Just glancing at the haphazard black lines scrawled across the page, you could tell that a plan made while exhausted from mindless work wouldn’t exactly follow a normal track. The notebook was full of half-asleep doodles, almost like graffiti.

“Hmm.”

A natural sound of worry escaped me, resonating in the small room. Starwind Valley placed heavy emphasis on farming. That’s the story if you focus on efficiency.

Of course, since it’s a game with a lot of freedom, it doesn’t really matter what you choose to do. There’s no set time limit. However, my case was different. I had a clear goal—getting home.

Combat, exploration… A wanderer venturing through ruins, meeting people. A wizard studying magic. A large farm owner, mastering both black magic and farming, pushing labor to its limit.

I vaguely remembered it all. Maybe that wasn’t everything. I was someone who dreamed of living the life of a rich farmer, enjoying the game with the goal of becoming a large farm owner. Well, contrary to my intentions, I didn’t end up learning black magic, but it wasn’t the only way to automate the farm.

I wasn’t someone who dedicated my entire life to this game. So, the best plan was to follow the same path I’d taken before—the one that led to a successful ending.

Direction was all I needed. Just like yesterday’s intense fishing session—save money, buy seeds, and quickly increase my farming skills. That was my way.

Whatever I did, I needed money. On top of that, leveling up skills along the way was a great bonus.

“Should unlocking the UI be the priority? Or should I focus on buying seeds and start farming as soon as possible?”

The cheapest UI in the mode category cost 500 gold. Assuming my fishing skills continued to improve, I could probably collect 500 gold in 3-4 days. If I played the Intermediate level, where high-quality fish and treasure chests appeared, I could expect to earn at least two or three times more.

Unlocking the UI would offer a huge advantage, allowing me to check information instantly. Right now, I didn’t even know what kind of fishing rod I had. I didn’t know the price or type of fish, either. I was in a state of ignorance, not even aware of what I could do.

Simply put, the UI would provide details on things like grass growing in the yard, telling me its production method or recipe. Without that,

I was at a loss for what to do. So, UI seemed like the top priority.

On the other hand, going with the farming route quickly was also tempting. I debated between these two options.

‘The UI would be better, right?’

You need to know something about farming to calculate optimal efficiency and cost-effectiveness, especially when different crops are available. Okay, first, a small goal: collect 500 gold and unlock the UI.

With my mind made up, I left the house. Outside was a small cleared field.

“Oh.”

The gap between games and reality… That ambiguous gap.

I’d never farmed in real life, but I knew well enough that crops growing in just four days were far from normal.

In that sense, water parsley and sugar carrots were miraculous crops.

The green stems, each one proudly emerging from the soil, were enough to evoke a sense of admiration.

Today was the third day. Knowing they’d be ready to harvest tomorrow felt strange. I estimated their price, though my memory was a bit hazy, and made my way diligently toward the forest above the village.

Today, I planned to fish at the forest lake instead of the beach. The types of fish were different, and I recalled that the rare fish in the forest offered higher experience points, so I headed in that direction. The problem was, I didn’t know the type or appearance of the rare fish.

“Let’s see… I’ve got enough bait, some food, a fishing rod, and water.”

I entered the forest, where the scent of greenery filled the air. The ground was damp, and light morning dew sparkled on the bushes.

The cool dawn air was a refreshing change for someone like me, who’d spent most of my time away from nature. Sitting there, fishing for hours, might change my perspective a little. At least, for now, it was enough to enjoy the pleasant scenery of the walk.

“I can see why Uncle Maxim chews on something.”

Pong.

I cast my fishing line and muttered quietly. I wasn’t sure what kind of grass Uncle Maxim used to chew on, but I imagined it helped pass the time.

“Should I be doing something else?”

Fishing wasn’t hard. Maybe it was because my fishing rod was decent, so it used less energy? Or perhaps the fish were just easy to catch, and stamina consumption was low.

But one thing was clear: the waiting time felt much more noticeable. This was another difference between games and reality.

At that moment, the fishing rod tilted gently. When I reeled in the fish, the thrilling sensation filled my body with pleasure. I pulled the rod up, glanced at the striped fish, and tossed it into my bag. Even though I couldn’t identify it or know its worth, catching a lot was all that mattered.

“It’s getting easier.”

I sat down on a comfortable stone, nodding in satisfaction. This was how the memories of skills earned through experience points came back to me. It was quite enjoyable. The speed at which I learned made me feel like a genius.

The fishing rod floated gently over the lake. I stayed alert, ready to react at a moment’s notice.

With that, I picked up the axe. The more experience, the better. I decided to fish while also doing some logging or mining in my spare time. Wouldn’t that be the advantage of reality? Being able to multitask while fishing was something impossible in a game.

There were trees all around and stones at my feet. Gathering a few resources from this unclaimed forest didn’t seem like a big deal. As long as I kept a few good fishing spots, I could do both. This must be another skill I’d gained through experience.

“Whew.”

I let out a breath, feeling the tension in my body relax. I picked a thin tree to chop down. My eyes darted back and forth between the tree and the fishing rod, staying alert. Since saving money was my priority, I couldn’t afford to miss even one fish.

Pop-
Pop-

After a little bit of logging, I felt strength build and gained a knack for using the axe. Applying too much force at first would be detrimental to consistency, so I applied moderate force at an appropriate tempo. I was once again grateful for the experience and knowledge this situation provided.

It wasn’t just about whining that I thought I’d never set foot on Earth again in my lifetime.

The slight sound of clacking cleared my vision. As soon as I saw the fishing rod snap, I hastily planted the axe in the ground and ran toward the rod. My muscles, strained from chopping wood, lifted the fishing rod and pulled it vigorously. A fish of unknown origin came up with a splash. This time it was a yellow one. Since I didn’t know its name, I threw it into the bag.

Once again, the fishing rod floated beautifully over the lake. I trudged back to the tree that barely showed any signs of damage.

The good thing was the shade. Unless the price gap between the beach fish and the forest fish widened significantly, it made sense to stay here, enjoying the cool breeze in the shade.

Just as I thought that—

“Ah!”

My lack of skill was quickly revealed. Misusing the axe had left an aftereffect—a sting that shot through my palm and wrist. It wasn’t perfect, but it was something. The sound was different.

I dropped the axe from my trembling hand and repeatedly opened and closed it. Really. No matter how much I thought about it, this wasn’t a healing life at all.

—-

The darkness of the forest was nothing like the beach. Why didn’t I know that? How could I? You have to experience it to understand.

Sigh

The momentum had been good. The logging went well, the mining wasn’t bad, and I caught about 30 more fish than yesterday. My total harvest? A solid 155. I was ready to go home proudly.

Oh no.

Which way home?

The cold darkness of the forest was unsettling. Unlike the beach, where you could faintly see the village lights, here, there was nothing. The grass insects screeched, and the cool night wind swept by. Ominous shadows danced among the shaking trees. Not only was there nothing to see, but what I could see only heightened the eeriness.

I guess this was my defeat—a modern person underestimating the dangers of nightfall.

“Next time, I need to get something like a torch… or maybe a compass,” I muttered to myself.

Did they even have compasses here? I vaguely recalled a proverb that said if you get lost in a forest, just stay put. But no one was coming to save me, and standing around in the middle of the night seemed like a terrible option, given my exhaustion.

In the end, I had no choice but to trust my senses and retrace my steps.

Surbuk—

The soft crunch of grass beneath my feet sounded unnervingly loud in the still night. It seemed true that when you lose one sense, the others sharpen.

Slowly—slowly—

If the footsteps I was hearing weren’t my own, I would need to focus even harder.

“Who’s there?”

A voice, clear and calm, called out from a short distance. Relief washed over me. It was a person, not some wild animal or monster. But I hesitated, unsure of what to say.

“I’m… the one who moved here recently.”

It felt strange to admit, “I’m a civil servant,” so I didn’t.

“Ah. I heard Anne went to see you,” the voice replied, the sound of footsteps drawing closer. I moved toward the voice as well, the rustling of grass and faint insect songs filling the brief silence.

A figure appeared before me, and a lantern flicked on. I squinted against the sudden light.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Evangeline,” she said with a soft smile.

“Ah. Hello. My name is Minho.”

“Yes, I know. There’s a reason Anne went to meet you personally,” she said, tilting her head slightly, studying my face. Her smile deepened, and in the dim light of the lantern, her orange bobbed hair seemed to glow.

“Huh?” I muttered, not following.

“It’s nothing. What are you doing here at night? This area’s not exactly crowded.”

“Ah… I got lost.”

I scratched my head awkwardly. Evangeline stepped closer and handed me the lantern. Her fingers brushed mine, warm against the cool night air.

“Take this. I know the forest well—I walk here often at night.”

“Uh… thanks. I’ll return it to you first thing in the morning.”

“No need. Just accompany me on a walk some evening. You can keep the lantern; I have another at home.”

Her voice was calm and gentle, and something about her presence felt comforting. The way she spoke, it had a strange persuasive power, like an invitation you didn’t want to refuse. So I nodded, accepting the lantern without hesitation.

“Just follow the path lit by the lantern, and you’ll reach the village.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. It’s good to help each other.”

Her steady, unhurried tone had a soothing effect, enough to quiet the anxiety of the night. Evangeline smiled and waved, and I waved back as she faded into the darkness, her orange hair leaving an afterimage in my mind.

Another benefactor. Was everyone in this village that kind? I knew from the game that they were good, but I hadn’t expected this in real life. The relief I felt overlapped with the exhaustion that clung to my body. Despite the lantern, I knew I couldn’t just lie down and sleep here, so I made my way home, my feet heavy.

As always, after washing up, all I remembered was the feel of the soft bed.