Chapter 3

Carrying multiple tools around?

Not exactly easy for the average person.

And carrying bundles of harvested goods, like a dozen at a time?

Even harder.

Now, imagine picking up hundreds of rocks, trees, and bushes off the ground and lugging them around?

Well, one might question if this even falls within the realm of human capability.

But in the Valley of Starwind, it’s done.

That’s why it’s a game—so vastly different from reality.

The first thing I realized after just one day was how desperately I missed having a bag and storage.

How could anyone possibly wander around with numerous tools, food, and countless materials without a bag?

Moreover, since I don’t have proper storage at home yet, the stones and wood I’ve gathered are scattered all over the farm.

All I managed to accomplish in one day was tilling the soil, watering it, and planting a few crops.

Cleaning up the yard and cramming all my collected items into the house?

Not happening.

That’s what a bag is for.

It’s simply given to you, but when you don’t have one, it becomes absurdly inconvenient.

I experienced that firsthand.

Not anymore though.

—

“Ahh.”

When I opened my eyes in the morning, something felt different.

My brain felt overheated as new knowledge and memories flooded in.

The better way to chop down trees.

The more efficient method to break rocks.

How to use a bag.

Instructions for crafting storage units.

Lists of cooking methods and required ingredients.

This must be how the game system implements experience points based on actions.

Couldn’t be better.

Just yesterday, I thought I’d never set foot on Earth again.

“Wow, seriously…”

Reaching into the empty air, I pulled out an axe, a hoe, and a pickaxe.

They disappeared somewhere, and I could distinctly feel their presence lodged in a corner of my mind.

“I should probably jot this down. Don’t want to forget and not be able to retrieve them later.”

It’s a drawback, sure, but the benefits far outweigh it. My body feels refreshed, my condition soaring through the roof. It’s truly fortunate that resting restores you; without it, I might’ve spent today incapacitated by muscle soreness.

Good.

—

Stepping outside, the remnants of yesterday’s intense battle lay scattered about.

Though honestly, it was just a few chopped-down trees and rocks near the house.

What amazed me were the planted crops.

Spring crops that mature in four days:

Water dropwort and sugar carrots.

Already, fresh green sprouts had broken through the earth, proudly displaying their vitality.

It was a miraculous sight.

Pulling out a watering can from midair, I watched as the dampened soil turned a deep brown.

Farming being this easy felt like a godsend.

No need to worry about soil fertility, fertilizer management, or pest control—it’s such a relief.

I tossed the scattered wood into the void, where it neatly broke down into uniform pieces.

Rocks followed suit.

When the number of logs reached past 30, I envisioned the storage unit I wanted to build.

Right next to the house, close enough for optimal workflow.

A blueprint appeared in the air, requiring only the insertion of wood.

“Wow.”

The investment was worth it.

This might’ve been the best use of the starting funds.

I stuffed grass, wood, and stones into the storage.

The quantity wasn’t large, maybe a dozen or so, but I firmly believed it would grow exponentially in the future.

Today’s farming work is done. After watering and organizing the storage, I’m heading straight to the beach.

—

The lifeline of the early stages of the Valley of Starwind.

The source of milk and honey, and the core income.

“Fishing” calls to me.

Ironically, I’ve never actually tried fishing before.

I roughly know the way.

The route through the village or the forest below the farm.

The village route is faster, so I hurried along without rest.

—

Hmm.

It was only then that I realized the seemingly short distance in the game actually takes 40-50 minutes in reality.

“Huff.”

Sinking sand welcomed my feet. A bit tired from rushing here, I adjusted my breathing.

The salty breeze filled my lungs as I spotted a man chewing grass leisurely in the distance.

It’s Uncle Maxim.

Surely, in-game he should have wrinkled skin and grizzled black hair, but in reality, he looks vibrant with shiny black hair and smooth skin.

Does transitioning from game to reality make people prettier and better-looking?

“Ah. So you’re the new rabbit farmer?”

“Yes, my name is Minho.”

“Ah, Minho, nice to meet you. Do you like fishing?”

“Not really, but I’m thinking of starting now.”

“That’s great news!”

Maxim’s eyes lit up.

“What a fantastic discovery!”

The dull tone in his voice suddenly brimmed with life.

“Do you have a fishing rod?”

“No.”

“Don’t worry. Don’t worry. I’ve got plenty of rods. Oh, no bait either? No problem, I’ll give you some. And do you know how to fish? Nah, it’s fine. I’ll teach you.”

Is he always this chatty?

In the game, he only gave me a couple lines of text and handed over the rod.

As my eyes fell on Maxim’s scarred hands, he smiled and handed me his rod.

“Use mine. It’s a pretty decent rod.”

“Eh… Is it okay to just take it?”

“Of course! What kind of grandson would refuse a gift from his grandfather? Besides, investing in the future fishermen is never a waste. People in this village don’t understand the charm of fishing at all.”

“Thank you.”

With a clicking sound, a sleek silver rod landed in my hand.

While I don’t know much about it, I could tell it wasn’t the basic [wooden fishing rod].

“Come, sit over here. Fishing is the ultimate hobby of catching time and a playful interaction with time itself.”

Maxim’s fishing lecture continued until I caught my first fish.

Though my ears tingled slightly, I nodded along, absorbing the valuable advice.

After all, I couldn’t act ungrateful after receiving the rod and bait.

“Whoa!”

Before too long, the rod twitched.

An instinctive sensation ran through my forearm.

The adrenaline rush coursing through my wrist was intense.

With a swift pull, a brown flat fish came flying out.

Was fishing really this easy? Feeling a bit bewildered, I naturally looked toward Maxim.

“Ah! Flounder! You’ve got talent, catching it so easily.”

The fishing rod flopped weakly as the fish thrashed.

Oh, this is kinda fun.

Unlike logging or mining, it doesn’t drain much stamina.

“This is interesting.”

“Really?”

Maxim’s eyes gleamed strangely.

It was a little scary, but I didn’t show it since he kindly lent me the rod.

“If you catch a lot, sell them to me. I’ll pay a fair price.”

“Thank you.”

“Yeah! See you around!”

‘It’s a shame I have things to do today.’

With those muttered words, Maxim left, leaving faint footprints in the sand.

He was a good guy.

I already knew the villagers were mostly nice, but experiencing it firsthand made it feel different.

“Now then, let’s put this in the bag.”

It was a perfect moment to reveal the existence of the bag.

Even if someone perceived it as magical, the convenience straddling the line between game and reality felt alien.

Pong!

The float dropped into the sea.

Ripples spread across the calm waves.

White foam gently lapped against the wooden pier in the distance.

I idly waited for about ten minutes.

At the tingling sensation, my hand instinctively jerked the rod.

A fish flew out with a swoosh.

The resistance was minimal, making me wonder how fishing could be this easy.

“What is this?”

A silver fish of moderate size.

Probably mackerel. Though I’m not entirely sure.

I briefly checked its status before tossing it into the bag.

Dropping the float again.

Catching.

Dropping the float again.

Catching.

The thrill of catching was immense, but waiting was unbearably boring.

Investing real-time hours into fishing was quite exhausting.

“Wow.”

Staring blankly at the blue sea, my eyes started to sting.

Rubbing them with my hands, I picked up the rod again.

Fishing, the core and sweet spot of the early stages,

was too heavy a content for beginners to enjoy for over ten hours in reality.

—

“Ah.”

Swoosh!

Mechanically, another fish came flying.

It had a brownish hue. I barely glanced at it before tossing it into the bag.

Darkness had already settled in, and the sea churned in deep blue hues.

Without a clock, I decided to stop after catching fifteen more fish once the night fell.

Massaging my sore arms, I stood up.

Today’s harvest was surprisingly abundant.

On average, one fish every 5-6 minutes, about ten per hour.

Compared to the game where catching 30-40 fish in a day was considered a lot, reality allowed for double the yield due to actual time passing.

If I had the stamina to fish all night, it could last even longer.

Today’s total harvest:

122 fish.

My lips twitched at the number.

Including the two meals Maxim gave me, it was 124 fish.

A miraculous achievement. I couldn’t help but feel proud of myself.

Wobbling back to the farm using the streetlights as guideposts,

even though I continuously ate to replenish my energy, physical fatigue was unavoidable.

My hands felt light.

Though I carried nothing visible, my bag was bursting with riches.

“I’ve gained another life-saving benefactor.”

Another person to repay.

Anne and Uncle Maxim.

Someday, when I become a grand farmer, I’ll definitely repay this kindness.

With that resolution, I moved my creaky body forward.

The path back home was dark.

Relying on the faint moonlight and the village lights, I carefully avoided stepping on the small water dropwort and sugar carrots in the yard before entering the house.

Fortunately, there was still light in the darkness.

The dim glow of magical lamps inside the house.

After a quick wash in the bathroom, I collapsed onto the bed.

Plans for tomorrow? Some sort of organization? No idea. I’m sleepy.

Time to sleep.

—

I worried I might not enter dreams, but thankfully, they found me.

[Mod Open]

[Convenience]

[Dream Coins]

The hologram flickering before my eyes confirmed it.

Convenience – falls under economic categories.

The convenience feature allowing me to sell owned items in my bag displayed its full power.

“Looks like individual prices aren’t shown separately.”

It’s disappointing.

Guess I’ll have to open a UI or something to check the details.

Still, I sold everything.

A jingling sound rang softly in my ears.

I already felt like a millionaire.

The total clean sale amounted to 5755 silver.

Converted to gold, that’s 57 gold and 55 silver.

[Mod Open]

Industrialization. 2M Gold.

Salivating at the cost of the most expensive mod option.

Well, you can’t get bloated on your first spoonful.

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