Ian stepped into his room, the door clicking shut behind him. His mind was still buzzing from the day's strange events, but something else was gnawing at him, something that hadn't left since lunch. A faint, almost imperceptible light lingered at the corner of his vision, just like before. It wasn't bright enough to draw his attention, but it was there—persistent and undeniable.
Curiosity gnawed at him. He tried to ignore it, telling himself it was just his tired eyes playing tricks. But no matter how many times he blinked, the light stayed, flickering at the very edge of his sight.
Without thinking, Ian stretched out his hand, his finger inching toward the light. When his fingertip brushed against it, the light flared up, and four new windows suddenly popped into view in front of him.
The first window was titled Status, followed by Mission, Shop, and Chatroom. Ian blinked rapidly, his eyes trying to focus on each one, but before he could process it fully, his finger had already moved, almost instinctively, to the Status window.
The window expanded before him, revealing information he wasn't sure he fully understood. It was like looking at a game character sheet, but far more detailed and personal than anything he'd ever seen before. The information on the screen read as follows:
Name: Ian BlackmoresJob: FarmerSubjob: -Level: 4Exp: 456/800Mana: 100/100
Stamina: 200/200Attack: 5Defense: 15Intelligence: 10Endurance: 20
Free Attribute Point : 6
Free Skill Point: 3
Active Skills:
Water Conjure (Lv1): 10 mana/usageSummon 10L worth of water to irrigate crops, helping with watering during dry spells.
Breeze (Lv1): 10 mana/usageConjures a gentle wind, useful for chasing away pests or aiding in manual pollination.
Soil Enrichment (Lv1): 100 mana/10 square metersEnhances the soil's fertility, but the effectiveness depends on the type of soil. The skill can be used repeatedly to improve soil over time, but it requires multiple uses to reach full fertility, with varying intervals based on soil conditions.
Passive Skills:
Excavation (Max):While holding a hoe or shovel, gain 100% armor penetration, making digging and soil management more efficient.
Growth Enhancement (Lv1):Reduces crop growth time by 20%, allowing plants to reach maturity faster.
Efficient Yielding (Lv1):Increases crop yield by 20%, improving harvests and providing more produce per planting.
Survival Sowing (Max):Allows the user to plant any crop in any climate or weather condition, as long as the soil is fertile.
Ian stared at the screen, his breath caught in his chest. The details were overwhelming. His mind raced as he tried to make sense of it. Water Conjure? Breeze? What kind of skills were these? And what was this about soil enrichment? His thoughts flitted between disbelief and curiosity.
Ian stood there for a moment, his finger still hovering over the glowing pop-up window. He couldn't help but feel skeptical about everything that had just happened. It seemed too bizarre to be real, like something out of a sci-fi novel or an elaborate dream. But the information on the screen was clear. It didn't feel like a game, but the whole situation felt unreal.
He needed to test it.
His gaze shifted to the Breeze skill, the one with the least risky. Water Conjure felt like a step too far, especially inside his room. Conjuring ten liters of water could turn his room into a pond—or worse. But Breeze? That seemed manageable.
Ian sighed, rolling his eyes at himself. This is ridiculous.
Without thinking too much, he tapped the Breeze skill. Almost immediately, he felt the air in the room shift.
A powerful gust of wind surged through the space, sending papers flying off his desk and knocking over a chair. The curtains flapped violently against the walls, and Ian struggled to maintain his footing as the force of the wind picked up.
What the hell?
The wind howled through the confined space, rattling everything it could find. The small room—already cramped with the clutter of his belongings—was transformed into a mini hurricane. Ian, unable to keep his balance, was blown backward, landing hard on his bed.
His mind raced. This wasn't what he expected. The skill was supposed to be gentle, useful for things like chasing pests or helping with pollination, not this.
When the wind finally died down, Ian sat up, breathless and wide-eyed, his heart pounding in his chest. "It's real," he muttered under his breath. He could hardly believe it.
Just then, a loud bang echoed through the door.
"Ian? Are you okay?" Lucy's voice was filled with panic.
Ian quickly scrambled off the bed and rushed to the door, his mind still spinning from the chaos that had just erupted in his room. He opened it to find Lucy standing there, Mia and another woman beside her, all three with concerned expressions.
The other woman was a tall, slender girl with short, platinum blonde hair and sharp, striking features. Her name was Riley, and she was studying environmental science at the local university. Her glasses perched delicately on her nose, and her clothes—an oversized sweater and leggings—gave her a casual yet stylish appearance. Riley's cool blue eyes were wide with concern, matching the unease that lingered in the air.
When the trio looked into his room, their eyes widened in shock. The room was a mess—papers scattered, the curtains torn, the desk in disarray, and one of the chairs flipped over.
Lucy didn't get mad. Instead, she looked at Ian with deep concern. "Ian, did you... Did you get mad because of what happened this morning? Is that why you trashed your room?" Her voice softened, the worry evident.
Ian's eyes darted back to the room, feeling the weight of the mess and the truth of the situation. He was hardly in the mood to explain what had happened.
"I—I was just cleaning up," Ian said quickly, giving Lucy a nervous smile. "I was... trying to move some things around, and the wind from the window... just kind of, uh, got out of hand." He scratched the back of his head, offering the lamest excuse he could muster.
The three women stood there, still processing the sight before them. Riley raised an eyebrow but said nothing, while Mia looked at Ian with a mix of confusion and concern.
Lucy sighed deeply, but there was no anger in her expression. "Just... be careful next time, okay?" she said, her voice soft but firm.
Ian nodded quickly, feeling both relieved and embarrassed. "I will. I swear."