CUCKAAAAA—
"Captain beak., you know I'm sleeping right?" Sylas yawned
Sylas emerged early in the morning to clear the sleep from his eyes. The wind was biting, the kind that heralded the coming of warmer days and the passing of spring. There was a villager chopping wood somewhere in the distance, while birds sang in the trees nearby. It was peaceful and still.
He squinted and stopped when he reached his garden. Carrots, onions, and the occasional snaproot beans were some of the crops he had planted in rows weeks before, and they had all sprouted.
"Finally," he grumbled, a small smile spreading onto his face. "They're ready."
He went down on his knees, examining them individually. The carrots were healthy, the onions firm, and the snaproot beans, whose thin twining stems, had ripened to perfection. For a moment, he stood there, letting it all absorb.
"I wasn't sure this was going to work," he muttered to himself. "But I guess the soil, the water. it all came together."
> [System Notification]
Crop Status:
– Carrots: 20 (Ready to Harvest)
– Onions: 15 (Ready to Harvest)
– Snaproot Beans: 10 (Ready to Harvest)
He got to work, yanking each vegetable out of the earth carefully and putting them in a basket. Soil stuck to his hands, but he didn't mind. This was his first actual harvest. It wasn't much in most people's opinions, but to him, it was a milestone.
Mira walked by, a small sack slung over her shoulder. She halted when she came upon him.
"You look pleased," she said with a grin.
"I am," Sylas said. "The crops actually grew. All of them." he's proud
Mira approached and peered over the basket, looking at the vegetables. "Not bad. These are better than what we used to purchase in town."
"I'm going to sell them," said Sylas. "Even if it's not much, it'll give us some coin. We can spend it on nails, tools, perhaps even seeds."
Mira nodded. "Good plan. The trading post opens later today. Do you want me to go with you?"
Sylas shook his head. "I've got it. But thanks."
Once he washed the vegetables and neatly packed them, he headed to the trading post just beyond the southern boundary of the village. It was a small wooden hut, with a sloping roof and a wide porch where traders came and went. Inside, a thick-bearded trader with tired eyes stood behind a wooden counter.
"Morning," Sylas said.
The man nodded. "Morning. Got something to trade?"
"Yeah." Sylas put the baskets down gently on the counter. "Twenty carrots, fifteen onions, and ten snaproot beans."
The trader whistled. "That's a good haul. Where'd you grow all this?"
"Just outside the village," said Sylas. "Small patch. I been working the soil myself."
The man started to sort through the vegetables. "Well, I'll give you ten copper per carrot, twelve for the onions, and. let's say fifteen for the snaproot beans. That work?"
Sylas did the math quickly in his head. It wasn't a fortune, but it was fair. "Deal."
> [System Notification]
Items Sold:
– Carrots (x20) = 200 copper
– Onions (x15) = 180 copper
– Snaproot Beans (x10) = 150 copper
Total: 530 copper
As Sylas reached for the small pouch of coins, another system message popped up in front of him.
> [Quest Complete: First Sale]
Reward: 100 XP, New Skill Unlocked
> [New Skill Unlocked: Greenthumb]
– Your knowledge about plants has enhanced. Crop harvest will be increased by 10%.
– Plants grow a bit faster.
– Passive Skill: Always active.
Sylas blinked, surprised. "Huh. That's new."
The trader lifted his head. "Something amiss?"
"No, just. thinking," Sylas said, shaking his head. He turned to go, the coin pouch securely bound at his waist.
But before he could even exit the doorway, another message flashed in front of his vision.
> [Bonus Skill Unlocked: High Roller]
– When selling crops or simple goods, doubled profits.
– This is only for direct trade.
– Passive Skill: Active under all circumstances.
> Updated Sale: +530 copper (original) x2 = 1,060 copper received.
Sylas read the message, then looked down at the now weightier coin pouch.
"What the hell. that's not right at all," he muttered.
At the village, Sylas spotted Mira by the well, talking with a couple of villagers. She looked up as he walked towards her, raising an eyebrow slightly.
"That was quick," she commented.
"I sold all of them," he said. "And got more than I thought."
He unzipped the pouch and showed her inside.
Her eyes widened. "That's. you got all that from vegetables?"
"Apparently," Sylas said. "I unlocked a couple of skills. One improves crop growth, the other doubles profit when I sell them."
Mira looked at him for a long time. "You're really making some changes around here."
"I'm trying," Sylas replied, then added with a modest smile, "But I'll need assistance to use this coin intelligently. Tools, nails, perhaps a cart. Whatever we'll need next."
Mira grinned. "You're not on your own here."
> [System Update]
Quest Unlocked: "Village Growth"
– Spend accrued money on the village infrastructure.
– Recommended Buyouts: Tools, Storage, Building Materials
> [Updated Stats]
Name: Sylas
Class: Builder and Warden
Level: 6
HP: 210
MP: 160
Skills:
– Creation Magic (Level 2)
– Foundation Magic (Level 1)
– Engineering (Level 1)
– Greenthumb (Passive)
– High Roller (Passive)
Gold: 1,060 copper
As the sun rose to its highest, Sylas stood by his old wooden house and looked out over the cleared garden patch. The earth was bare now, the crops gleaned, but it did not feel like loss. It felt like advancement.
More ground could be tilled. More seeds could be sown. And with his new training, all he'd grow would earn more coin—and with that, more tools, more improvements, and perhaps even more villagers who'd be willing to put faith in this vision.
He walked over to Mira, who was already discussing storage concepts with some of the others.
"Let's build this stronger," Sylas said. "And improve!!"
Note currency's:
30 copper = 1 silver
30 silver = 1 gold