Chapter 7

It was a refreshingly rare morning.

The sensation that warmed my brain just right woke my tired body and mind with crisp clarity.

Fishing had reached Intermediate Level 2.

Thankfully, unlike when leveling up from beginner to intermediate, there was no excruciating pain this time. Instead, the pleasant warmth spreading through me made waking up all the better.

This was all I accomplished in a day without combining fishing with logging or mining. Sure, my fishing tempo had improved, and opening treasure chests was fun, but I didn’t have time for extra experience points. Though leveling up has slowed, I’m still managing one level per day—a commendable achievement considering I’ve only been here a week. With my past gaming experience, I’d say I’m progressing pretty quickly.

Starting today, it’s finally time to get serious about farming. While 100 seeds might not seem like much in game terms, it’s also not negligible. It’s a decent enough scale for the early stages.

When I realized those 100 seeds fit snugly in one hand, it felt oddly anticlimactic. The gap between games and reality occasionally surprises me, even now.

Tasks differ too. Fishing isn’t just about dropping a float into water and pulling with brute force; it’s more about patience and technique. It’s less about repetitive motions and more about wearing out the fish over long periods. That’s why logging and mining feel so unrealistically grueling by comparison—though they nearly killed me on the first day.

Fortunately, farming shares a similar rhythm with fishing: a mix of game-like mechanics and an almost surreal balance between reality and fantasy. If farming felt like logging or mining, I might have chosen a different path entirely.

Crops grow fine with minimal care as long as they’re watered. This is thanks to the magical life force flowing through Starwind Valley, which boosts everything from fish populations to crop growth rates. It’s truly miraculous how well plants thrive here. Long live Starwind Valley!

After roughly tilling the soil with a hoe, I planted the 100 seeds, spacing them generously despite their small size. Compared to larger-scale operations, it felt modest—but manageable. In-game, handling 600-700 seeds would take all morning and afternoon, but here, I could handle several thousand before lunch.

Without automation systems, I’m already earning several times more gold than before, which feels great.

[Musk Melon]

Selling Price: 1 Gold 80 Silver

Maximum Harvest Count: 3

Growth Period: 13 Days

At its best yield, each musk melon seed could net over 5 Gold, making it highly efficient compared to other crops. As I level up farming skills, premium-grade produce will further boost profits.

I’ll need to squeeze in some fishing during downtime, but first, I want to explore the village. Despite being dragged into this strange world, I realize humans thrive by connecting with others—even if I eventually reach the true ending and leave, ignoring everyone seems wrong.

There are already people I’ve interacted with: Anne who gave me life water, Maxim who gifted me a precious fishing rod, and Evangelin who provided a lantern for navigation. Looking back, I’ve only received favors so far—it makes me question my own conscience.

Traditionally, when moving to a new place in Korea, people distribute rice cakes. Here, though, giving gifts isn’t practical since I don’t know how many villagers there are or how to obtain large quantities of identical items. All I’m good at is fishing, but handing out raw fish feels impersonal. Perhaps cooked meals would be better? Despite never cooking before, I decided against it and opted to simply visit faces instead.

Between 9 AM and 10 AM seemed ideal to head out, so I spent the remaining time tidying up my yard. Clearing half-cut trees and rocks left over from my chaotic first days wasn’t exhausting anymore thanks to improved strength and stamina.

Drenched in sweat, I wiped my brow with my sleeve. Breaking down logs cleanly into inventory-ready pieces felt satisfying. Even if I won’t use them immediately, these materials will come in handy for future construction projects.

After timing myself, I entered the house around 9 to freshen up. Emerging clean, I faced lingering household chores—mainly laundry. My small wardrobe was empty after a week of heavy usage, leaving me with barely anything to wear.

Now came the problem: doing laundry. No washing machine, detergent, or washboard existed here. Only soap, meaning manual labor was inevitable. Gone were the days of tossing clothes into a machine and letting it do the work for me.

Exhaling deeply, I squeezed water from the damp fabric, noticing newly formed muscles in my arms—a subtle perk of skill leveling. Not bad compensation.

Once done, I realized I lacked a drying rack. Searching the house, I stepped outside and hung the clothes on the railing under the blazing sun. Dust didn’t concern me much; either way, my clothes would get dirty again soon.

Feeling refreshed, I headed toward the village—an area I’d grown familiar with. Larger than expected, it buzzed with activity, revealing far more than the 20-30 residents I remembered from the game. New faces mingled among old ones, many strikingly handsome or beautiful due to “reality enhancements.”

Though few names stuck, key figures like Mayor Arthur, scarred Dekker, shopkeeper Abel, Anne’s friend Alice, and singer Luna greeted me warmly. Their kindness made me feel welcome.

With nothing pressing, I strolled through the village before heading to the lake.

Time flew while chatting, but certain tasks demanded attention. Fishing called. Likely, I’ll keep at it throughout spring.

Under the blazing sun, humid air clung to me until the cool forest breeze refreshed my overheated body.

Why I prefer lakes to beaches became clear—the relentless sunlight during fishing would become unbearable, especially in summer.

With practiced ease, I cast my line beneath the shade of nearby trees. Nothing beats a cool patch of shade.

Nature thrives here despite my constant harvesting efforts. Magical forces accelerate plant growth, evident every time young saplings sprout where older trees once stood.

“Ddukkka!”

An involuntary grunt slipped out as I reeled in another catch. Checking above the splash for treasure chests became second nature, though sometimes disappointment lingered when none appeared. Still, dopamine surges kept me hooked.

Minute by minute, I matched fish types and opened countless treasure chests, occasionally checking my health stats as twilight approached. With endless stamina regeneration overnight, pushing myself longer paid off.

That said, logging and mining couldn’t sustain such endurance—not without driving me mad. Nighttime fishing, however, remained enjoyable thanks to added challenges and higher-value catches.

As night fell, I lit an orange lantern, casting crimson reflections across the darkened lake. Night fishing carried its own charm. Deprived of visual stimuli, heightened auditory senses sharpened my awareness. Every ripple echoed vividly.

Even though day and night fish varieties differed little in real life, Starwind Valley (Reality Version) skewed things slightly. My bag filled faster at night, likely because nocturnal species fetched higher prices.

Around midnight, my arms screamed in protest. Despite reaching Intermediate Level, nonstop fishing wore me down faster at night due to increased difficulty and value of nighttime catches.

Finally admitting defeat, I tucked my silvery-red fishing rod into my bag and headed home. The cool evening breeze perfectly cooled my heated skin.

Glancing at the clock, it was 11:30 PM. Though planning to stay till dawn, fatigue forced me back early. Back home, I gathered dried clothes, took a quick shower, and collapsed onto bed, drifting off instantly.

Would skipping dreams really happen if I missed a day?

Shaking off such worries, I hurried inside.

Back at my private shopping system, I allocated my 270 Gold wisely. After buying essentials like spices, cleaning supplies, and clothing, I invested heavily in seeds.

Though tempting to buy more seeds, basic human decency required maintaining hygiene standards. Still, most funds went toward farming investments—a solid decision for long-term gains.

Investment is key. Keep going, no matter what.