John woke up promptly at 6:00 AM.
He turned on the TV to check the daily channels. The Fortune Teller announced that the spirits were displeased—today's luck was bad. However, the Weather Report brought good news: it was going to rain tomorrow.
Rain was a blessing. It meant he wouldn't need to spend energy watering crops, freeing him up to plant even more seeds today and tomorrow.
His strategy for the day was clear: grind for cash today so he could buy seeds tomorrow. The Egg Festival—and the crucial Strawberry Seeds sold there—was approaching. He needed to invest heavily in production now to afford them later.
As he stepped out the door, he checked his mailbox. There was a letter from Willy, inviting him to the Beach to pick up a fishing rod.
After quickly watering his parsnips and organizing his inventory, John headed out via the north exit of the farm to check for forageables.
Despite the TV's prediction, his luck seemed just fine. Right away, he spotted three worms wriggling in the dirt—an Artifact Spot. He dug it up with his hoe and found 3 pieces of Coal.
A little further on, he spotted a Leek. He grabbed it, noting mentally that this was George's "Loved" gift.
He stopped by the "Help Wanted" board outside Pierre's store and accepted a quest from Alex, who was asking for a Parsnip.
passing by the trash cans, he couldn't resist a quick check. Clatter. He pulled out a perfectly edible Bread. Score.
John arrived at the Beach, where the rugged fisherman, Willy, handed him the Bamboo Pole. It was a basic, somewhat poor-quality rod, but it was free.
John immediately cast his line into the ocean.
To some, fishing was a boring, tedious grind. But standing there, feeling the salty sea breeze and listening to the cries of the gulls overhead, John felt a sense of peace. This was the carefree, blissful life people dreamed of.
Maybe this is the true charm of Stardew Valley, he mused.
He set up shop right in front of Willy's Fish Shop. Relying on his veteran experience from playing the game, he managed to hook a fish with every cast, even with the primitive rod.
He considered buying the Training Rod, but decided against it. It was a waste of gold for someone with his skill level. He would save up and skip directly to the Fiberglass Rod.
After about two hours of fishing, a patch of bubbles appeared on the water's surface to his left—a feeding frenzy.
Opportunity knocks.
He immediately reeled in and repositioned himself to cast into the bubbles. The Fortune Teller had claimed his luck was bad, but this felt like a high-roll day.
Sometimes, you just have to ignore the prophecies, he thought.
Before Willy locked up the shop at 5:00 PM, John sold his entire catch for a tidy profit.
As he was leaving the beach, he noticed another Artifact Spot in the sand. He dug it up and found an artifact for the Museum. Today really wasn't unlucky at all; it was surprisingly productive.
Walking along the shoreline, he spotted a man with flowing auburn hair—Elliott, the writer.
Elliott was dressed in his signature red suit, strolling leisurely along the sand. His slow, steady pace radiated an air of nobility and elegance.
John walked up politely. "Hello there. I'm the new farmer. My name is John."
Elliott didn't seem to mind the scent of raw fish clinging to John's clothes. He smiled courteously. "Hello. I am Elliott. I heard about your arrival from the Mayor. He mentioned you came from a town quite far away. Tell me, what brings a man to a remote corner of the world like Stardew Valley?"
John paused, pondering how to answer.
If he were following the game's roleplay script, he would say: "I was sick of the soulless oppression of the Joja Corporation. The repetitive, numbing work day after day... I didn't want to live like a machine anymore. I came here to find a life with color."
But the reality was that he had been kidnapped by a game system and held hostage until he achieved 100% completion.
He decided to split the difference.
"Fate led me here," John said simply.
Elliott's eyes lit up. "Wow! How philosophical! That is marvelous... might I include that line in my novel?"
Writers really are a different breed, John thought.
"Of course."
Noticing the time was approaching 8:00 PM, John hurriedly bid farewell to the writer.
He made a quick detour to the Cindersap Forest near the Sewer pipe and harvested a fresh batch of Spring Onions.
He returned to the farm via the south entrance. He burned through the last of his energy clearing debris, tossed his sellable forage into the Shipping Bin, and collapsed into bed.