Into the healing farming game

12th Day of Spring

It was fun chatting with Anne to the point where I can’t bear to walk to the mine and leave a trace of regret on the muddy floor. The afterimage of her bright platinum smile lingers.

As that feeling arose, a sense of opposition to my purpose began creeping up in a corner of my mind. The content of the letter said that if you see the true ending, you will be able to go home. Was the content perfectly suited to someone in need of healing? I don’t remember the details.

The point is, you don’t want to go home, as the letter says.

“Hmm…”

Well. The difference between the first day and now.

If you ask me to compare it after only 10 days, it’s clear that my thoughts have shifted sharply from 10:0 to about 5:5.

I really wanted to go home, but now I think it’s okay to live here.

This shift should take into account my recent luck and momentum, which have been on the rise. Even with that, it means that I quite like this world.

It’s a world that doesn’t feel too unfamiliar.

Memories and corrections accumulate based on experience, as if I were a genius.

There’s a versatility here that makes you feel like you can do anything on your own.

The advantages of a civilization that provides moderate convenience while also being moderately inconvenient.

Okay. Perhaps, as the letter said, I may have fallen in love with this world.

Actually, I don’t know. Even now, I might encounter a zombie or skeleton in battle and feel like I want to go home, swearing the whole time.

I might get seriously injured during adventures and expeditions. Or as I learn magic, I might encounter dangerous spells and get hurt.

I still don’t know much about this world. So, I might think like this: games and reality are different.

What I know is not established as absolute information.

That uncertainty makes me hesitate. That may be why I’m obsessed with growth.

If one’s abilities are outstanding and great, they can overcome most threats on their own.

At that point, you may be more inclined to focus on what remains.

Even so, we can’t completely abandon what we’ve built in the original world: relationships with parents, with friends.

The 5 that’s biased toward 5:5. The reason “I’m not going back” becomes a solid wall is because of those memories and the good times that linger.

Isn’t there some way to travel freely between both worlds?

Looking into that method might be a pretty good option. There’s no need to strictly follow the contents of the letter.

As I trudged along with a clouded mind, the musty smell of the abandoned mine filled my breath.

My thoughts were instantly broken. It was definitely an unpleasant place.

I quickly retraced my steps, covering the path I had once walked on.

From the 1st floor to the 2nd floor. The 2nd to the 3rd floor.

Using a pickaxe, I carefully dug out the sparkling, glowing ores, descending deeper and deeper.

A clanging sound. My humid breath whistled. My steps grew heavier as my stamina depleted.

Luckily, I made it through the 7th floor without encountering any monsters, except for one slime.

When I reached the 8th floor, I felt a cool breeze. Something felt different. I gripped the short sword in my right hand a little tighter. The air was distinct.

It had a different atmosphere.

My nervous footsteps echoed through the narrow passage. Eventually, that tension became reality, and I faced it.

“Skeleton…”

A skeleton appeared. It was the first monster of a similar weight class I’d encountered.

There was a tension from it being similar in size, not small like other creatures.

Cold sweat formed on my back, and the feel of my wet clothes was unpleasant.

I glanced at it, noticing it held a bone club.

I felt a little relieved that it wasn’t wielding a sharp weapon like a bone sword.

This meant it had the lowest combat power among skeletons.

The skeleton’s bones rattled as it ran toward me, its white bones striking the ground. It moved faster than I expected.

Without letting my guard down, I evaluated my sword. Level 1 combat experience. Equipment equivalent to level 20.

From top to bottom, my eyes followed the trajectory of the bone club. It was obvious that it was raised upward. I raised my sword diagonally from bottom to top, reversing the force to resist the impact.

Kang-

The impact on my hand was heavy, but bearable. What followed was a power struggle.

The skeleton’s strength was insignificant.

With the weapons in contact, I easily pushed away its bone club.

The club, pushed forward effortlessly, made a cracking sound as my sword sharpened.

My short sword struck the skeleton’s ribs sharply, more like a strike than a cut.

Bye!

A sharp sound announced the skeleton’s fatal wound.

I delivered an additional blow as it staggered, ready to fall.

I lifted my sword again and slashed its skull in a straight line.

“Hmph!”

Kwasik!

The skull was crushed, and the skeleton’s form collapsed to the floor. Was it because more than a certain amount of shock had been transmitted to its entire body?

The skeleton met its fate, leaving behind white bone fragments.

Looking at the item information provided by the UI, I was convinced of its complete death.

Bone fragments were useful items, as they could later be ground into powder and used as fertilizer.

Though the battle was short, it was quite satisfying.

There were no injuries, and the combat experience guided me well.

It felt like dealing with a skeleton of a similar weight class in just two shots.

Rattling- Rattling-

A white, glowing wave in the dark. It was another matter when three skeletons came clattering toward me. I quickly calculated the estimate with my sword. A good plan came to mind.

A skeleton ran toward me. I ran too—away from them.

The Joestar secret technique.

Running(Retreat) is a virtue a wise warrior should possess.

Three skeletons were too many.

Honestly, I thought I could handle it, but there’s a big difference between fighting 1:1 and fighting multiple enemies.

My fighting sense told me feverishly that there was a high chance of getting hurt.

It wasn’t worth the risk, so I stayed away.

So, my mine journey ended on the 8th floor.

I used the last of my stamina to dig for iron ore on the 3rd floor before returning.

Aside from one bat I dealt with on the way, there was no danger. It was an easy battle now.

The day always ends with me washing up and throwing myself into bed. And so the night of the 10th day came to an end.

*

Day 11.

Mining has reached level 7.

Combat has also risen to level 2, while the rest remains unchanged.

The sense of accomplishment from growing little by little every day is thrilling.

Now it moves like a routine.

I planted about 300 seeds I purchased overnight and watered them while patting my aching back.

I took my fishing rod and went to the lake. After some fishing, I headed to the mine.

I dug up ore, carefully dealt with each monster one by one, and return home. Today, I was lucky enough to get through to the 10th floor.

I discovered a fairly large gold mine, so I came home late.

The kale and garlic I planted on the first day have fully grown, but since not all of them had grown, I decided to harvest them all at once tomorrow.

Farming is about experiencing the satisfaction of a large harvest coming in at once, rather than earning money little by little.

*

Day 12.

Mining beginner level 9.

It’s good that the mining level rises easily, but it brings a bit of fear.

It reminds me of when fishing rose to the intermediate level. I worry that mining will become very painful once it reaches the intermediate level.

Combat is at beginner level 3, and fishing has reached intermediate level 5.

As I walk out of the house, the brightly sprouting kale and garlic greet me.

About 250 kale, and about 150 cloves of garlic. A total of 400 crops are waiting to be harvested.

With the clumsy hand gestures of a level 1 farmer who harvested water parsley and sugar carrots, I harvested kale and garlic.

Although my hands know I am harvesting crops, it feels like I am hearing the sound of gold jingling in my head.

32 silver per kale. Garlic costs 40 silver each.

A total of 140 gold comes into my hands.

Looking at it this way, it seems worse than fishing, but the large-scale potential of farming, which is still only at level 1, has not yet been revealed.

When I reach the intermediate level, crop value increases and quality improves.

If I sell aged products such as wine and jam derived from it, the profits will increase exponentially.

Suddenly, I wonder how commerce is conducted in this world.

Why have I never thought about that?

Is it because I just buy and sell in the system and am intoxicated by the convenience it provides?

A lightbulb goes off in my head as I realize that what I have might be worth more than what I’m selling it for in the system.

Now that I think about it, Maxim also paid a generous price for my fish.

Why did I forget that?

I packed my crops in a bag and walked to the only store in town.

Although it was early, I saw Abel opening the store as if she was getting ready for the day.

Perhaps because she had greeted me once before, Abel recognized me right away.

“Uh, isn’t it Minho?”

“Hello.”

“What are you doing at this hour? Buying seeds?”

“No. I’m here to sell something.”

“Come in. Let’s take a look at the items.”

The generous Abel smiled impressively and led me into her store.

Seeds and crops were placed in wooden boxes and neatly arranged.

The clean and tidy store layout seemed to indirectly reflect Abel’s personality.

Abel put on her round glasses and extended his hand without saying a word.

I took out garlic and kale one by one from the bag.

“Shall I sell you one at a time?”

“No, there are 400 in total. I’m curious about their condition. How much would each one cost?”

“Hmm. Wait a minute. These are in very good condition. I guess the crops were grown with love?”

I only gave them water.

I held back what I wanted to say and waited silently until Abel finished calculating the price.

“Kale costs 45 silver. Garlic costs up to 80 silver. The garlic is in especially good condition. Demand is rising, as dishes using garlic are gaining popularity. The timing is good.”

45 to 80?

I quickly calculate in my head.

250 kale at 45 silver is roughly 110 gold. Garlic brings in 120 gold. The total is 230 gold. This results in an additional gain of approximately 60 to 70 percent.

I’m so glad I found the store now.

Otherwise, I may have continued to suffer huge losses.

At this price, I think Maxim would have paid even more for the fish.

In the future, unless it’s really urgent, I’ll sell here.

“Shall I sell everything?”

“All of it? That’s good. These high-quality products will be very popular in the city. We have another good farmer in our village. Thank you.”

Abel smiled brightly.

I was very grateful.

Unless I opened a direct sales channel to the eastern or western parts, there were no complaints about receiving this price.

I’m very satisfied with the fact that I sold it for more than the system’s price.

Opening a sales channel is a hassle in itself.

To clear each route, you also have to work on achievements.

“Here are three 10 gold bills, two 100 gold bills, and the rest in silver: 250 silver.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m truly grateful. Please use our store often. Our seeds are also quite useful.”

“Do you have any garlic seeds?”

“No, there’s no garlic or kale at the moment. We do have water parsley, sugar carrots, potatoes, and peas. These are rare, so they don’t arrive often. I’ll let you know when they do.”

“Thank you. I’ll come back later.”

It’s a shame.

If the seed prices were cheaper than the system’s, I would have bought them in bulk.

Now that I know the price displayed by the system UI differs from the actual price sold in stores, I’ll have to purchase all crops one by one and compare their real efficiency.

This idea excites the thrifty part of me. Efficiency. Better efficiency. More money.

Garlic is expensive.

With 230 gold in hand, I decided to buy all the crops I didn’t grow and invest in Garlic Coin.

Cash should be compatible with the system’s money, right? Once I saw it going into the bag, I thought it would be easy.

Unfortunately, I have no fish to sell for Maxim, so I decided to meet him tomorrow.

When I actually think about it, it doesn’t seem like fish would be expensive, but no one knows until it’s opened.

I walked toward the lake in the forest with unusually bouncy steps.

As always, after finishing my routine of fishing, mining, and fighting, I returned home exhausted and stretched out.

Although it’s been less than two weeks since I fell into Starwind Valley, I’m confident I’m living the hardest life I’ve ever lived, including my time on Earth.