Arlen sat in the grass, legs stretched out, staring at his hands. They were covered in scratches, dirt, and blood from the corrupted wolf. His knuckles were still sore from gripping the hoe like his life depended on it.
Because it had.
He hadn't even realized how fast his heart was still beating until he tried to breathe normally. The portal behind him shimmered softly, a quiet reminder that the world on the other side wasn't exactly friendly.
"Okay," he said to himself. "So… maybe living alone in a cursed field isn't going to be as chill as I thought."
The air was quiet again. No wolves. No danger. Just him, the wind, and the weird plants he'd dropped into the ground like he actually knew what he was doing.
He didn't.
He was winging it, like always.
And somehow, it was working.
He stood up and dusted off his pants, which did absolutely nothing because the pants were beyond saving. Then he checked his System Menu.
Loot Gained:
• 50 Points
• Corrupted Beast Fur x1
• Cursed Pumpkin Seed x1
He eyed the seed in his hand. It pulsed faintly, like it was breathing.
"That's not creepy at all."
[Cursed Pumpkin Seed – Rare. May attract danger. Effects unknown.]
He stared at the glowing little warning message.
"'May attract danger'? That's not helpful. You could slap that on half the food at the market."
Still, he was curious. It was probably a bad idea. But he wasn't exactly known for making good choices.
He found a spot far from the Dreamleaf and the scarecrow, dug a hole, and planted the seed. The Hoe of Origin slid through the soil with that same satisfying hum. Even if it didn't make sense, it felt right.
Once it was buried, he stepped back.
For a few seconds, nothing happened.
Then the soil twitched.
And bulged.
And exploded.
He stumbled back as a small orange shape burst out of the ground and landed with a soft thunk in the grass.
It was a pumpkin.
A fat, round, grinning pumpkin.
Arlen blinked.
The pumpkin blinked back.
And then—God help him—it talked.
"Sup."
Arlen stared. "Did you just—"
"Yeah," said the pumpkin. "I talk. Deal with it."
He squinted. "You're a fruit."
"Vegetable."
"You're not supposed to speak."
"You're not supposed to plant cursed seeds, but here we are."
Arlen stepped back and instinctively raised his hoe. "Are you… evil?"
The pumpkin gave him a tired look. "Do I look evil?"
"You just clawed your way out of cursed dirt."
"Again, you planted me."
The system pinged.
[Cursed Pumpkin – Rare. Not hostile. Mildly annoying.]
"Great," Arlen muttered. "That helps."
"Name's Gourd," the pumpkin added, "since you're obviously about to ask."
"I wasn't."
"Too late. You've already got the face of someone stuck with me."
"I don't even like pumpkins."
"Then this relationship's gonna be rough."
Arlen gave up on logic for the day. He turned his attention back to his other problem: survival.
He checked his Shop. He had 65 points.
[Basic Well – 60 points]
A simple stone well. Provides clean water. Restores minor HP. Boosts crop growth by 5%.
He didn't even hesitate. Click.
A glowing circle formed in the grass. Moments later, a thick stone well rose from the ground like it had always been there.
He walked over and cranked the rope. A wooden bucket surfaced, full of water that sparkled like it had a filter on it.
He drank. It was clean. Cold. Maybe even… good?
He wiped his mouth. "That's probably the best thing I've tasted in a week."
"Better than dirt," Gourd called from his sunny patch.
Arlen ignored him.
[Structure Built: Basic Well – 1/3 for Farm Builder I Quest]
He sat down beside the well and opened his Status Menu.
[Arlen]
Level 1 Farmer
Stats:
STR: 2
DEX: 3
INT: 4
CON: 2
LUCK: ???
Points: 5
Energy: 58%
Skills:
Plant Whisper Lv.1 (sense plant mood)
Basic Crafting Lv.2
Tool Handling Lv.1
Inventory:
Hoe of Origin
Corrupted Beast Fur
Random junk from his backpack
He sighed. These numbers were trash. Even in a farming world, he was below average.
But he wasn't dead. And that was something.
He got up and walked around his little camp. Just a handful of plants, one well, and a talking gourd with an attitude problem.
It was pathetic.
But it was his.
Later that day, he opened his crafting tab and found he could build more structures. He scrolled through the low-tier ones.
[Wooden Storage Shed – 35 points]
[Small Animal Pen – 50 points]
[Tool Rack – 25 points]
He didn't have animals. He barely had tools. But he needed to keep junk organized.
He picked the Tool Rack.
A small wooden stand popped into existence next to the well. He set the Hoe of Origin on it carefully.
[Structure Built – 2/3 for Quest Completion]
He sat down on the grass again and rubbed his temples. The ache behind his eyes was back.
He hadn't eaten real food in over a day. Dreamleaf didn't count. His body needed calories, not clarity.
He stared at the cursed pumpkin.
"What happens if I eat you?"
"You die. Slowly."
"Thought so."
That night, Arlen used leftover branches and vines to build a rough lean-to. It wasn't much, but it would keep the wind off. He didn't even bother checking if it counted for the quest.
He was too tired.
He lay down on the dirt, staring up at the sky.
The stars here were different. Bigger. Hungrier.
"Maybe tomorrow'll be better," he said quietly.
"You say that every day," Gourd replied.
"Shut up and go photosynthesize."
[Quest Complete – Farm Builder I]
Reward: +75 Points, Tool Upgrade Token x1
[Tool Upgrade Available – Hoe of Origin]
He didn't use it yet. Not tonight. He wasn't ready.
He closed his eyes, hoping his dreams wouldn't involve wolves or sarcastic pumpkins.
They did.