It was a brand new day.
Bright and early, Marnie arrived at the farm holding a cat. She told John she hoped he could take in this poor little animal.
Honestly, Marnie truly loved animals. She likely saw this poor stray kitten and then thought of poor, lonely John living in that shack. She decided to find a home for the kitten while simultaneously adding a little joy to John's solitary existence. It was a true win-win solution.
John named the cat Leo.
After Marnie left, John checked his mailbox and found a letter from the Joja Corporation.
The landslide blocking the mountain pass had been cleared, which meant he could now access The Mines to fight monsters and gather ore.
However, John wasn't in a rush to go dungeon crawling just yet.
The Parsnips in the field were ripe; he needed to harvest them first, then prep the soil for the next batch.
After harvesting the parsnips, he chopped down enough trees to gather a substantial amount of Wood.
Carrying his wood and his Hoe, he exited via the north path of the farm, heading toward the General Store. He scanned the ground for Artifact Spots or forage along the way, but found nothing, which was a bit depressing.
Standing at the counter at Pierre's, he debated his options for a long time. Finally, he decided to spend his hard-earned gold to upgrade his backpack first.
With the upgrade, both fishing and mining would become infinitely easier. He would no longer have to worry about running out of inventory slots or agonizing over which items to trash when his pockets got full.
The backpack upgrade drained most of his gold. With the scraps he had left, John bought some Cauliflower Seeds. Although Cauliflower had a long growth cycle, the profit margin was high, and it required less daily maintenance.
Shopping done, he headed to the Beach. He used the wood he had brought to repair the broken footbridge leading to the tidal pools.
Across the bridge, a treasure trove of Coral and Sea Urchins had accumulated.
The coral was stunning. John made a mental note: When I get a Fish Tank later, I'm definitely using this coral to create a beautiful aquascape.
By the time he finished collecting the beach forage, the clock had already hit 2:00 PM.
It was too late to head to The Mines now. Without enough time to reach the first elevator at Floor 5, the trip would essentially be a waste.
So, John pivoted. He decided to head to the Sewers in Cindersap Forest to hunt for Spring Onions, then call it a day.
As he passed Marnie's Ranch, he bumped into Leah, the sculptor.
Leah was breathtaking. Unlike the timid and cautious Penny, Leah was sunny, cheerful, and radiated the free-spirited vibe of a true artist. John was instantly starstruck. He froze in place.
"Hello there, beautiful lady. It is my great fortune to meet you. May I ask your name? Oh, by the way, my name is John. You must have heard of me, right? I'm the new farmer."
Leah looked at John, paused, and replied politely, "Hello. My name is Leah."
John: "..."
Well, that fell flat, he thought. My goddess doesn't seem interested in chatting. Not wanting to embarrass himself further, he nodded. "Miss Leah, I look forward to seeing you around."
As he walked away, he mentally cataloged her preferences: Goat Cheese, Salad, Wine...
When I get rich, he vowed, I'll send these to her every single day. I will definitely win her over.
John didn't realize it yet, but he was quietly integrating into this world. He was already developing genuine emotions toward these NPCs.
He arrived at the forest near the Sewers and swept the area for Spring Onions. By the time he finished, it was 4:00 PM. Too late for a serious fishing session. Glancing at his pitiful energy bar, he decided to head home and burn the rest of it on the farm.
Back at the farmhouse, he started chopping trees near the clearing. As he worked, he noticed something moving back and forth in the tall grass.
Curious, he walked over to investigate. It was a Green Slime.
The slime spotted John instantly. It charged up, leaped into the air, and bit John right on the calf.
"Ouch!"
John wanted to stomp the little blob, but he didn't have a weapon equipped.
With his health chipped and his energy bar flashing red, he retreated into the house and collapsed into bed.
During the night, the crafting recipes for the Scarecrow and Basic Fertilizer were unlocked.