CUCKAAAAA—
"Captain beak..., you know I'm sleeping right?" Sylas yawned
Early in the morning, Sylas went outside to wipe the sleep from his eyes. The air was cold, the sort that foreshadowed the arrival of warmer days and the end of spring. A villager was chopping wood somewhere in the distance, while birds were chirping from the trees nearby. It was calm and quiet.
He squinted and halted when he approached his garden. Carrots, onions, and the odd snaproot beans were among the crops he had sown in rows weeks earlier, and they had all grown.
"Finally," he muttered, a small smile creeping onto his face. "They're ready."
He knelt down, inspecting them one by one. The carrots looked healthy, the onions were firm, and the snaproot beans, with their thin twisting stems, had ripened just right. For a moment, he just stood there, letting it sink in.
"I wasn't sure this would even work," he said 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, pulling each vegetable gently from the ground and placing them in a basket. Dirt clung to his hands, but he didn't care. This was his first real yield. It wasn't much by most standards, but to him, it felt like a milestone.
Mira passed by, carrying a small sack over her shoulder. She stopped when she saw him.
"You look proud," she said with a smirk.
"I am," Sylas replied. "The crops actually grew. All of them." he's proud
Mira walked closer and leaned over the basket, eyeing the vegetables. "Not bad. These look better than what we used to buy in town."
"I'm thinking of selling them," Sylas said. "Even if it's not a lot, it'll give us some coin. We can use it for nails, tools, maybe even seeds."
Mira nodded. "Good idea. The trading post opens later today. Want me to come with you?"
Sylas shook his head. "I've got it. But thanks."
After he washed the vegetables and neatly packed them up, he headed to the trading post just outside the southern boundary of the village. It was a small wooden structure, with a sloping roof and a broad porch where traders entered and exited. Inside, a thick-bearded man with weary eyes stood behind a wooden counter.
"Morning," Sylas greeted.
The man gave a nod. "Morning. Got something to trade?"
"Yeah." Sylas placed the baskets 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," Sylas said. "Small patch.I been working the soil myself."
The man began sorting 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 picked up the small pouch of coins, another system message appeared in front of him.
> [Quest Complete: First Sale]
Reward: 100 XP, New Skill Unlocked
> [New Skill Unlocked: Greenthumb]
– Your understanding of plants has improved. Crop yield will increase by 10%.
– Crops grow slightly faster.
– Passive Skill: Active at all times.
Sylas blinked, surprised. "Huh. That's new."
The trader looked up. "Something wrong?"
"No, just... thinking," Sylas said, shaking his head. He turned to leave, the coin pouch tied securely at his belt.
But before he could step out the door, another message flashed across his vision.
> [Bonus Skill Unlocked: High Roller]
– When selling crops or basic goods, profits are doubled.
– Applies to direct trade only.
– Passive Skill: Active at all times.
> Updated Sale: +530 copper (original) x2 = 1,060 copper received.
Sylas stared at the message, then down at the now heavier coin pouch.
"What the hell... that's definitely not normal," he muttered.
Back at the village, Sylas found Mira near the well, speaking with a couple of other villagers. She looked up as he approached, eyes narrowing slightly.
"That was fast," she said.
"I sold everything," he replied. "And made more than expected."
He opened the pouch and let her peek in.
Her eyes widened. "That's... you made all this just from vegetables?"
"Apparently," Sylas said. "I unlocked a couple of skills. One improves crop growth, the other doubles profit when I sell them."
Mira gave him a long look. "You're really starting to change things around here."
"I'm trying," Sylas said, then added with a small grin, "But I'll need help using this coin wisely. Tools, nails, maybe a cart. Whatever we need next."
Mira smiled. "You're not alone in this."
> [System Update]
Quest Unlocked: "Village Growth"
– Use earned funds to improve village infrastructure.
– Suggested Purchases: Tools, Storage, Construction Materials
> [Stats Updated]
Name: Sylas
Class: Builder
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 reached its peak, Sylas stood near his old wooden house and looked out over the garden patch. The ground was empty now, the crops harvested, but it didn't feel like a loss. It felt like progress.
More land could be cleared. More seeds could be planted. And with his new skills, everything he grew would bring in more coin—and with that, more tools, more upgrades, and maybe even more villagers willing to believe in this dream.
He turned to Mira, who was already speaking with some of the others about storage ideas.
"Let's make this place stronger," Sylas said. "And advance!!."
Note currency's:
30 copper = 1 silver
30 silver = 1 gold