The morning sun broke through the curtains, dragging Aster out of bed. He groaned, covering his face with a pillow.
"Not again…" he muttered.
A blue screen blinked in front of him. Daily Mission: Clean the house. Water the garden. Chop wood. Wash the laundry. Collect herbs from the nearby forest.
He sat up, hair a mess. "You're kidding me. More chores?" He sighed deeply, rubbing his eyes. "You're turning me into a housekeeper, not a hero."
The system stayed silent.
Aster glanced around his clean room and then out the window where sunlight glimmered across the pond. He sighed again, more gently this time. "Fine. Guess this is life now."
He strapped his bow to his back, whistled, and Little Puppy came running, tail wagging. "Come on, let's get this over with."
They walked into the forest, a place Aster hadn't really explored. He didn't expect it to be so… peaceful. The trees reached high above, green leaves glowing from the light of two suns. He blinked at the sky.
"Wait. Two suns? Great. Even the sky's overworking itself here."
The forest air smelled fresh and damp. Birds chirped above, and the river nearby shimmered like glass. Aster knelt, splashing water on his face. "Damn, that's cold… but nice."
As he started picking herbs, the system marked each one he collected. "Herb collected: Spiritleaf. Herb collected: Moonmint. Herb collected: Crimson Hibiscus."
He didn't care what they were. They looked pretty, and that was good enough. "You're going in the bag," he said, tossing each herb inside.
When he finished, he took a moment to breathe. "So this is what a slow life feels like. Not bad."
By the time he returned home, the sun was already lowering. He fed the fish, watered the plants, and leaned on the fence, looking over his land.
"This second life's not so bad. Boring, but calm."
He almost smiled—but then boredom struck again. "Hey, System. Are there villages nearby?"
"Affirmative. The nearest settlement is approximately 30 kilometers east."
Aster groaned. "Thirty, huh? Still better than sixty. Fine, I'll go tomorrow."
The next day, he packed a bag full of herbs and a few fruits from his garden. "You two, guard the house," he said to Little Puppy and Chirpy. The fish splashed in the pond as if agreeing.
Aster didn't know that once he left, the peaceful house changed. The dog's fur shimmered silver, its body growing larger—a Divine Wolf. The small bird burst into fiery feathers, revealing a Phoenix. The fish in the pond stretched, scales turning gold—a sleeping Dragon. Even the simple bow in Aster's inventory pulsed with faint light, its spirit awakening.
They all stayed silent, watching the path their master had taken.
Meanwhile, Aster trudged through the dirt road, sweat dripping down his forehead. "I should've stayed home. Why did I think this was a good idea?"
After a long walk, he reached the village. It was lively—humans and demi-humans moving through the streets, merchants shouting prices, the smell of food filling the air. Adventurers in armor passed by, their weapons shining in the sun.
Aster blinked, stunned. "So this world isn't as empty as I thought."
He stopped by a stall selling meat skewers. "System, what's the money here?"
"Currency consists of copper, silver, and gold coins. Ten copper equals one silver. Ten silver equals one gold."
"Got it," Aster said, nodding.
A few coins appeared in his hand. "Starter allowance provided."
"Wow, thanks for the paycheck, boss." He bought food and bit into it. His eyes widened. "This… this is good! So much better than the stuff I had on Earth."
After eating, he found an empty booth and placed the herbs he'd collected. He didn't know their value, so he decided to guess. "Let's see… five gold sounds fair. I think."
Minutes passed. No one came. Then an old man approached, eyeing a red flower with a green glow. "Young man, how much for this herb?"
Aster smiled. "That? Five gold."
The old man froze. "Five… gold?"
Aster smirked. "Can't afford it? It's okay, you don't have to cry."
The man's hands trembled, but not in anger. He quickly handed over the coins and ran off laughing.
Aster watched him go. "Weirdo."
A woman approached, carrying a basket of herbs. She looked around thirty, with long brown hair and calm eyes. "You sold that for five gold?"
"Yeah, why?"
She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "That flower's called Crimson Hibiscus. It can increase mana for ten years. It's worth at least five hundred gold."
Aster froze. "Wait. Five hundred?!" He grabbed his hair. "Why didn't the damn system tell me?!"
The woman laughed softly. "You're new here, aren't you?"
"Obviously."
She introduced herself. "I'm Angelia, an alchemist. Those herbs you brought… all of them are valuable. I'm surprised you found so many without knowing their worth."
Aster scratched his head. "I just thought they looked pretty."
She shook her head, amused. "You're lucky you weren't robbed."
They talked a little longer. She explained how herbs worked, where they grew, and how alchemists used them. Aster listened, trying to understand.
"So… this one heals wounds, that one restores mana, and this one explodes if you brew it wrong?"
Angelia chuckled. "Exactly."
Before she left, Aster asked, "So what should I price these at?"
"Ten gold per herb would be fair. Maybe a little more for rare ones."
Aster nodded. "Got it. Thanks for not letting me stay stupid."
She smiled and walked away.
When night came, Aster left the village, tired but satisfied. His bag was lighter, his pockets heavier. "At least I didn't screw up all the sales."
The road back was long and quiet. The stars above shone brighter than any he'd seen before. He looked up at them, feeling oddly small.
"Five hundred gold for a flower," he muttered. "Guess I've got a lot to learn."
By the time he reached home, Little Puppy and Chirpy were waiting by the gate. The pond glowed faintly under the moonlight.
Aster smiled faintly. "I'm back."
He didn't notice how the animals bowed their heads as he passed by.
Inside, he dropped his bag and lay on the bed. "This world's weird," he said softly. "But maybe it's not that bad."
He closed his eyes, unaware that somewhere far away, a powerful figure had felt the faint divine energy that surrounded his home.
And so, without knowing it, Aster's peaceful days were about to change once again.