Arlen groaned as he rolled over. His back was stiff. His legs ached. His entire body felt like someone had beaten him with a sack of potatoes—the big kind, not the nice, round ones.
Morning light cut through the gaps in the lean-to. A few birds chirped in the distance. Somewhere nearby, Gourd the pumpkin was humming an off-key song that sounded suspiciously like a marching tune.
"Gourd," Arlen muttered, still half-asleep, "shut up."
"It's called motivation," Gourd replied. "You're welcome."
Arlen sat up, rubbed his eyes, and stared at the sky for a few seconds. He wasn't dead, which was still surprising. No demon wolves had eaten him in his sleep. No cursed roots had strangled him. Progress.
[Daily Login Bonus: +15 Points]
"Well, that's nice," he said, accepting the points. "Thanks, System. Real generous."
[Quest: Start Your First Crop - 0/1 Fully Grown Crop]
The Dreamleaf he planted looked healthy. Bushy. Almost smug. He crouched beside it.
"You better be worth it."
The plant didn't answer. Probably for the best.
Arlen stretched and walked toward the well. Drew up a bucket, splashed some on his face, drank the rest. It was cold. He still winced.
He looked around the field—if you could call it that. More like a patch of beat-up grass with a few plants, a basic well, a tool rack, a weird gourd, and a lean-to that screamed "I'm too poor for walls."
Still. It was his.
He brought up the Shop Menu again.
Points: 165
[Small Storage Shed - 90 Points] [Wooden Fence (Segment x5) - 30 Points] [Basic Compost Bin - 50 Points]
He needed storage. The shed won. With a flick of the screen, a wooden shed slowly rose out of the ground, creaking like it had arthritis.
[Structure Built: Storage Shed]
He stepped inside. It smelled like fresh wood and dust. Empty shelves lined the walls.
"Neat."
He dumped the fur and seeds inside. Then paused. Looked at his Hoe of Origin. He still had a Tool Upgrade Token.
[Upgrade Tool: Hoe of Origin → Enhanced Hoe of Vitality?] Adds minor healing when used. Increases plant affinity.
He hesitated.
"Should I save it? Or just… click it now?"
"Do it," Gourd called from outside. "YOLO."
Arlen sighed. "God, you talk like someone who used to be on the internet."
"Maybe I was."
He upgraded.
The hoe pulsed once. The handle shimmered. Still looked like a hoe. Just shinier.
"Cool."
He slung it over his shoulder and went to till another row. The soil moved easier now. Softer. Warmer. Like it wanted to help.
[Tilled Plot Created x3]
He opened the shop again and spent 20 points on something called Sunroot Seeds. They sparkled in his hand like tiny gold flakes.
Planted. Watered. Done.
He turned, stretched, and paused.
The Dreamleaf was glowing.
He walked over. Touched it.
[Dreamleaf - Fully Grown]
[Harvest?]
"Yes, please."
The plant shimmered. A bunch of curled leaves detached and floated into his inventory.
[Item Gained: Dreamleaf (x3)] [Quest Complete: Start Your First Crop - Reward: +50 Points, Skill Seed]
A small green orb appeared in his hand.
[Skill Seed - Choose 1 of 3 Skills to Unlock]
Options:
1. Soil Sense Lv.1 - Know what type of plant will grow best in any soil.
2. Quick Sprout Lv.1 - Crops grow slightly faster.
3. Basic Defense Lv.1 - You take slightly less damage.
He didn't even think twice. Farming was cool. Not dying was cooler.
Chose: Basic Defense Lv.1
The orb vanished. His body felt a bit tougher. Not much. Like he could maybe get punched once and not explode.
He sat under the lean-to, munching a raw Dreamleaf, even though he still didn't like the taste.
"What now?"
The field was slowly shaping up. Plants were growing. The air felt less cursed. He even had a roof, sort of.
But something still buzzed in the back of his skull. That this wasn't going to be simple. That this world wasn't just about crops and upgrades.
He looked at the shimmering edge of the portal far off behind his field.
Sooner or later, he'd have to go back in. Explore more. Fight more.
But not today.
Today, he was a farmer.
And the dirt wasn't going to dig itself.
It took him another hour to realize he hadn't eaten anything besides a few leaves and muddy well water. He didn't have real food. That would be a problem. His stomach rumbled like an angry beast.
He checked the shop again.
[Food Tab - Unlocked]
[Simple Meal Kit (3 Uses) - 25 Points] [Basic Recipe Scroll - 10 Points] [Mystery Ration Box - 5 Points]
He bought the meal kit and boiled something over a campfire he barely knew how to build. It smelled like soup. Kind of.
"Gourd, want some?"
"I'm literally a plant."
"Oh. Right."
Arlen tasted it. Chewed slowly. Paused.
"...Not bad."
That night, he used a few spare logs to start building a proper shelter outline. It would take time. He had to craft the walls himself. But his mind buzzed with ideas.
One day I'll have a whole house. Not a lean-to. A real farmhouse. With a kitchen. A table. Maybe even a bed that doesn't wobble when I breathe.
He laid down on his mossy mattress again. It squeaked.
Okay. Maybe two beds. Just in case I meet someone.
He snorted.
"Yeah. Like that's happening."
Still, as the stars turned overhead and the breeze stirred the leaves, Arlen felt something he hadn't felt in a long time.
Hope.
He had dirt under his nails and soreness in his bones.
But the land was listening.
And the System was watching.