"Peasant? Really?" He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. If he was
getting a fresh start in this strange new world full of beautiful beastkin
women, it would've been nice to be given an impressive and exciting
class… warrior, noble, maybe even a mage. He tried to remember some of
the old RPG classes from the video games he played as a kid.
Peasant definitely wasn't on that list.
Ben couldn't help the dry grin that spread across his face. Figures I'd go
from being a laborer in life to being a laborer in... wherever this is. He
flexed his arms, feeling the solid muscle beneath his shirt. The body
upgrade more than made up for the downgrade in wardrobe, at least. And
peasants were hard workers. He'd always valued that more than being
flashy or rich. No one worked harder than a peasant, he was sure of it. And
at least I've got experience.
Besides, if he was going to use this opportunity to take another stab at
finding true love, he was more likely to find a woman who liked him for
who he was as a peasant than as a warrior, wasn't he? He was a humble
man, and a flashy class both wouldn't have suited him and was more likely
to attract the wrong kind of woman. He had no wish to repeat the situation
he'd had with his superficial ex-wife.
It would be nice to have some money, though, at least to get started…
As if in answer, a small leather coin purse appeared in his hand,
materializing out of nowhere. Ben blinked at it, feeling the weight of it in
his palm. It was almost comically small, barely big enough to contain a roll
of pennies.
But when he pulled the drawstring open and peered through the opening,
Ben cocked an eyebrow. It was bigger on the inside.
A mix of coins sat inside the bag: five gold, ten silver, and twenty-five
copper. They clinked together as he shifted the purse in his hand, the sound
strangely heavy compared to the sound of coins he was used to, as if these
coins were actually made of pure metal.
Ben snorted. "Well, at least I'm a well-funded peasant. Assuming that's real
gold, silver, and copper and these aren't counterfeit coins. And assuming
those metals are actually valuable in this world. A lot of assumptions…"
The coins were nothing like the ones he was used to. He pulled out a gold
coin and inspected it. One side featured a rampant unicorn, majestic and
wild. The other side bore the face of an old man in a pointed wizard's hat.
Ben squinted at the face. There was something familiar about it—an old
man with a wise, wrinkled face.
For a fleeting moment, Ben thought it looked a bit like his father might
have, had he lived to be an old man. Or maybe this was what his great-uncle
Nicholas looked like? There was a family resemblance, for sure. Then
again, a lot of old men kind of looked the same… He was probably
reaching.
He pulled out a silver coin next, noticing the harpy engraved on one side.
The old man's face was on the back of this coin, too. Finally, he examined a
copper coin, this one featuring a rangy-looking hare along with the same
old man.
Interesting currency, Ben thought, slipping the coins back into the purse. At
least it's not Monopoly money.
Just as he was about to put the purse away, something flashed in the corner
of his vision. His HUD flickered, and in the top left of his sight, three
symbols appeared—gold, silver, and copper circles, each with a number
next to it: 5 gold, 10 silver, and 25 copper.
Ben raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's handy."
He pocketed the coin purse, feeling a strange mix of amusement and
fascination. This world was weird, but it did have its conveniences. He
patted his pocket, reassured that the book and deed were still with him.
With nothing else to do, Ben wandered around the property, his eyes
scanning the land. There was a plot of dirt not far from the house, flat, dry,
and empty, just waiting for something to be planted. He stepped closer, and
as he focused on the ground, a small description appeared along the bottom
of his vision along with the pleasant neutral voice of the system, or
whatever it was, speaking in his mind.
Garden Plot - Fair Quality, Size Medium
On this plot of land, common vegetables such as carrots, potatoes,
tomatoes, lettuce, parsnips, cabbages, and radishes can be grown. Fair
Quality soil produces Fair Quality vegetables, with a small chance of
Superior Quality vegetables. To increase the quality of your soil and
your harvest, soil boosters such as fertilizer, compost, and nutrient
potions can be applied.
Ben nodded to himself, impressed. The HUD system would be useful in
navigating this new world. Strange as it had seemed at first, he could
definitely see himself getting used to it.
He wandered over to the shed next, pushing open the creaky door. Inside,
he found a few rusty tools scattered about—a shovel, a hoe, a rake, some
garden shears, and a handful of trowels. They weren't in great shape, but
they'd do the job. As he focused on each tool, his HUD gave him
descriptions.
Rusty Shovel - Serviceable Quality
This farming implement is useful for digging garden plots, harvesting
root vegetables, and applying soil boosters such as fertilizer, compost,
or nutrient potions. Serviceable Quality tools will get the job done.
They are better than Poor Quality tools but will not last as long as Fair
or Superior Quality tools, and have a higher probability of failed
actions.
Thinking of the garden, the next tool he picked up was the hoe.
Rusty Hoe – Poor Quality
This farming implement is useful for weeding garden plots, sowing
seeds, and tilling soil. Poor Quality tools can negatively affect crop
quality and break easily. They can be repaired by those with a Tool
Repair Skill.
"Better a rusty hoe than a crusty…" Ben shook his head and winced.
"Nah… that's a bit crude, even for me. Just because I look like some man-
o-sphere shock jock doesn't mean I have to act like one. Wouldn't want to
offend the gods of a world full of beautiful demi-beast women, right?"
No one answered, of course, but Ben smiled to himself as he moved
through the shed, inspecting the tools. He felt a sense of calm and purpose
enfold him like he hadn't felt since he was a very young man.
"Guess I've got some work ahead of me," he muttered, smiling faintly at
the thought. It was the kind of work he knew—hard, honest labor. And with
his new, youthful body, Lucky Nickel Acres, and a new world to explore, he
felt for the first time like he was in a position to truly benefit from his hard
work.
Best of all, if he was as young as he felt or if this really was the afterlife, he
had all the time in the world to get started.
Ben approached the front steps of the farmhouse, squinting at the door. It
felt strange knowing that this rundown old farmhouse in an alternate reality
was really his. But as he reached for the doorknob, he had a sudden flash of
fear. Was it his? He'd inherited Lucky Nickel Acres back in his old life, and
up until this moment he'd assumed his ownership had carried over with him
as he'd come to this new place—however it had had happened.
But if the farmhouse was less dilapidated than in his old world, maybe that
was because someone already lived here?
He'd been reaching for the doorknob to open the door, but rather he decided
to knock, just in case.
The rap of his knuckles against the old dry wood echoed across the farm
yard, sounding louder than he expected them to. Ben held his breath,
listening carefully for any sounds of footsteps from inside the house. He
gazed at a curtained window next to the door to sense any movement. But
there was nothing.
Slowly, he reached for the doorknob, ready to push inside. Either it was his,
or he was committing a B&E on his first day in the new world. But he didn't know what else to do, and he needed somewhere to stay, didn't he?
Convinced that he wasn't doing anything wrong, he twisted the handle and
pushed open the door.
Or, he tried to.
As soon as his hand touched the handle, a notification popped into his
vision, startling him.
This is a private residence. Only the owner may enter, or those with
permission by owner.
Ben frowned. "Well, that's... interesting."
If he was the owner, why hadn't the door budged?
But if he wasn't, what the hell was he supposed to do?
Thinking fast, Ben patted his pocket and pulled out the folded deed to
Lucky Nickel Acres. He wasn't sure if this was going to work, or how he
was supposed to use the thing. But if it was good enough in his world, and
had bothered to come with him on his trip down the well, it had to be worth
something in—… what was it called… Faerowilde?—too.
Unsure of what he was doing, he held the deed up anyway. For a moment,
nothing happened. His HUD pulsed with a faint light as the system seemed
to evaluate the document, and Ben wondered if it would recognize the old
piece of paper for what it was.
But then the deed shimmered, and a new notification appeared:
Deed accepted. Benjamin Nicholas Nickels is recognized as the rightful
owner of Lucky Nickel Acres (+).
Ben let out a breath, relaxing slightly. He wondered what the plus sign next
to Lucky Nickel Acres was. As the thought passed through his mind, the
name of the property blinked as if he'd selected it on a computer screen. A
pop-up window appeared in the middle of his field of vision, along with a
detailed description of the land and buildings included in the deed.
Ben's jaw nearly dropped when he saw just how much land he had in his
name: 23,040 acres?! That was 36 square miles… enough land to register
himself as a township if he remembered correctly. That was insane!
And it was a hell of a lot more land than a hobby farmer needed… it was
more land than he could reasonably explore, without some sort of vehicle,
too. But he was sure going to enjoy trying. Already looking forward to long
rambles in the countryside, Ben pushed open the door.
The door clicked and he stepped inside, just as he received another
message, this one more significant.
New class options available: Land Baron or Farmer.
The text hung in front of his eyes, followed by short descriptions.
Land Barons have an easier time hiring help for farm labor and receive
better deals when selling products in bulk.
Farmers produce better quality products, focusing on personal care
and cultivation of the land.
"Land Baron?" Ben snorted. "Like I need another Westin in my life."
He wasn't about to pick a class that reminded him of his old boss, the kind
of guy who sat back and told other people what to do. Besides, while he
owned an enormous amount of land, with no hired hands around and no one
to do the work for him, what good would it do? High-quality crops were what he needed, especially if this place was going to be his future. And he
could think about hiring people once he had the money to pay them. There
was no sense putting the cart before the horse, as the saying went.
"I'll take Farmer," Ben said aloud, watching the system register his choice.
Class updated: Farmer.
You have ascended to Level 2.
A soft, almost imperceptible sensation settled over him, and Ben realized
that the system's effect on him wasn't just cosmetic. He wasn't entirely sure
what had changed yet, but whatever this "Farmer" class entailed, he was
sure he'd find out soon enough. For now, though, he had more practical
concerns—like finding out what kind of condition this house was really in.
Stepping onto the porch Ben was met with a musty smell that spoke of age
and disuse. The floorboards creaked under his weight, but everything felt
surprisingly sturdy.
His toolbelt was hanging on the porch rail outside the door. The same one
he'd left behind in the old world, right before he'd fallen into the well. And
sitting next to it was his mother's cookbook, the one he'd brought from his
apartment. He frowned, picking it up and flipping through the pages.
The titles of the recipes were ones he recognized from his childhood—at
least, they looked the same at first glance—but as he skimmed through the
instructions, he noticed something odd. Instead of the usual step-by-step
process, the recipes only listed quantities of ingredients, and the type of
heat source, pots, or utensils needed. No mention of simmering or stirring
for specific times. It seemed as though all he had to do was put all the
ingredients together and the meal would cook itself, though that hardly
seemed possible.
"Who am I kidding?" Ben said to himself, flipping through the pages.
"Impossible is a word I need to forget all about. It wouldn't be so strange if
cooking was different here, too."
It was odd, but the book still felt like his mother's. That was enough to give
him a strange sense of comfort.
Stepping inside the house, as his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he glanced
around the main room. It was old but functional. He set the book down on
the worn wooden table and wandered around the rest of the house, making
mental notes of what needed fixing. The windows were cloudy with dirt,
and a few spots on the walls showed signs of water damage, but overall, it
wasn't the complete wreck he'd been expecting. A few minor repairs, some
cleaning, and it might actually feel like a home.
The kitchen was stocked with Serviceable Quality tools—old, but usable.
There were some basic ingredients on hand, too, though he wasn't hungry
yet. Ben figured when the time came, he'd be able to figure out how this
new system worked for cooking.
For now, he had bigger concerns—like taking stock of the rest of the house
and trying to get a handle on how his HUD worked.
After poking around the house for a bit, Ben stepped back outside to
retrieve his toolbelt from the porch.
As soon as he picked it up, he noticed something interesting—the tools
inside were pristine, almost like they were brand new. He opened the belt to
check, and sure enough, everything was in perfect condition.
Hammer – Superior Quality
This general use tool can be used for everything from building
construction and repair to various crafting skills. A Superior Quality tool has a higher chance of action success, and increases the odds that
your finished product will be of Fair or Superior Quality.
"Well, that's something," he said. "I'm going to need all the help I can get
by the looks of this place."