Blue Grass, Feeding Animals

It took three full hours to walk through every corner of the farm.

"It's so huge. I've been walking for ages."

Daeren wiped his forehead, yet he didn't feel the slightest bit tired.

He had already mapped out the farm.

In the bottom-left corner of the Chicken Coop, there was a foundation of debris that looked like it had been left behind by a reinforced concrete structure; it was likely the locked Greenhouse.

Below that, the area was overgrown with shrubs and weeds, rich in Wood and Stone resources, and also home to large patches of blue and green forage grass.

In front of the cabin door was a patch of fertile soil suitable for cultivation, which would serve perfectly as his initial Farmland.

Separated by a stretch of uncultivable grassland, there was a pitch-black Cave further down, which hadn't yet been occupied by bats that cultivated mushrooms or ate fruit.

These areas occupied less than a third of the farm's total space.

Following the two paths to the north and west, and crossing the vast expanse of the farm covered in forage grass, one could find a small trail leading to the Beach in the east.

There was no path to the south.

A Waterfall cascaded down from the mountaintop behind the Chicken Coop, forming a clear River that naturally marked the southern boundary of the farm.

"The problem now is that the water source is a bit far."

Daeren pondered a solution.

Aside from the Waterfall and the stream, there were three lakes—one large and two small—located in the center and the bottom corners of the farm, but none of them were close to the cabin.

Based on his survey, the entire farm covered an area of up to 6 square kilometers.

For an ordinary person, just walking through it once would take half a day.

"I can start by fetching water from the Waterfall, and pet the Chicks while I'm at it every day."

Daeren had management experience, so he quickly made a plan.

The animals on the farm were not ordinary livestock; they could produce high-quality animal products.

They didn't eat feed or Bran, but only consumed the forage grass grown on the farm or hay dried from that grass.

The conditions for raising them were quite specific.

Except for winter, the small doors of the Chicken Coop and Barn had to be opened during the rest of the year to let the animals out to roam and graze.

Letting them roam would increase their affection.

Feeding them a bundle of fresh green pasture every day also increases their affection.

On rainy days or during winter, the animals will stay inside their shelters. During these times, you need to feed them the hay prepared in advance, which is also one portion per animal each day.

The convenience of raising animals once again highlights another major advantage of the Meadow Farm.

Blue Hay!

On other farms, this type of hay is a resource that can only be unlocked and planted in the very late stages of the game. By then, animal husbandry is no longer a necessity and mostly ends up as mere decoration.

Its effect is that animals only need to eat half a bundle per day, and their affection increases by an additional amount.

The higher the animals' affection, the higher the quality of the animal products they produce.

Naturally, the profit from selling them increases as well.

"Starting off with one Chicken Coop, two Chicks, and a large amount of pasture—I'm already ahead of many others."

Daeren's plan was to focus on animal husbandry, supplemented by crop cultivation.

A qualified Farmer must be able to handle both animal husbandry and farming.

Creeeak!

The dilapidated wooden door of the cabin pulled open, accompanied by a harsh, grating sound. Contrary to expectations, no dust billowed into the air.

Directly opposite the entrance sat a brown table and bench. Floral curtains hung on either side of the window, and sunlight streamed through the clear glass, illuminating an old-fashioned, bulky Television.

It was hard to imagine seeing a modern item again.

"Hmm, not bad."

Daeren nodded seriously.

After entering, to the right against the wall was a single bed fully made with bedding. Above the headboard was an old-fashioned Fireplace built from red bricks. In front of the unlit fireplace sat an old, light-brown Sofa.

One could imagine how cozy it would be for a Farmer, after a long day of hard work, to come home, rest, and sit back on the soft Sofa in the evening, warming themselves by the glow of the Fireplace.

"There's a box." Daeren cast his gaze toward it.

On the brown rug with white patterns in the center of the room sat an exquisite blue gift. He untied the red silk ribbon, and a large bundle of hay popped out.

It felt dry to the touch and emitted a faint, fresh fragrance.

"Because it's a Meadow Farm, the starting gift isn't 15 Parsnip seeds, but rather 15 portions of hay."

Daeren had been prepared for this.

Ding!

A pleasant, crisp chime rang in his ears, and the panel appeared automatically, displaying a line of small text.

[To become a farmer, you must first master the basics. Remember to feed the chickens every day. You can let them out to graze, or place hay into the Feed Hopper. Once the chickens are fully grown, you can harvest their eggs.]

--Harvest an egg laid by a chicken

A tutorial quest provided by the panel.

It looks like I'll have to stay here for four days.

After reviewing the information, Daeren mapped out his schedule for the coming days.

"Time to get to work."

Having decided on his course of action, Daeren readily accepted the magic of the panel. With a touch of his right hand, the hay vanished.

One of the panel's abilities: Inventory.

The Inventory functioned like a personal storage space. It started with 12 slots, and identical items could be stacked up to a maximum of 999 units.

The prerequisite was that the items must be ownerless; he could not pick up items from someone else's hands or pockets.

"I need to find a way to get some seeds."

Daeren wasn't discouraged by the lack of starter seeds.

The cabin came with two accompanying items: a Mailbox and a Shipping Bin.

The Mailbox was wrapped in sheet metal; upon opening it, he found a letter inside.

It instructed him to check the Shipping Bin, a box with a much broader range of uses.

Daeren followed the instructions in the letter.

He opened the large, beeswax-colored box, which was two and a half meters long and one meter wide and high. A wooden partition inside divided it into two sections.

The left side was for buying, and the right side was for selling.

It was quite strange; although the box was clearly empty, Daeren could see the items available for purchase through the panel.

Spring seeds of various types:

Parsnip: 20 Gold

Broccoli: 80 Gold

Green Bean: 60 Gold

Potato: 50 Gold...

There were also several types of seeds suitable for spring planting, as well as various Fruit Tree saplings, green pasture seeds, furniture, flooring, and the like.

"Time to get to work."

There was no rush to buy seeds; Daeren decided to clear a plot of land first.

The Inventory came with five complimentary tools: an Axe, a Hoe, a Pickaxe, a Watering Can, and a Sickle.

They had an ordinary appearance and felt very light in his hands, yet they possessed the property of being indestructible.

Thwack!

Daeren swung the Axe, chopping through a Log lying on the ground.

Inside the farm, including the tillable land in front of the cabin, everything was packed with Logs, Stones, and weeds, with large trees occasionally blocking the way.

He had tried clearing them by hand, but not only was it exhausting, he couldn't store the debris in his Inventory.

Using the tools was much more efficient.

With one swing of the Axe, the Log shattered instantly, leaving behind a piece of intact Wood.

The Wood could be stored in the Inventory.

"It's not entirely gamified?"

Daeren paused, feeling a faint, warm current surge into the arm he had used to swing the axe.

In that instant, he touched the threshold of Vitality.

When he drank that bottle of milk in the morning, he had already felt a subtle reaction in his body.

The swing he had just made allowed him to realize that the depletion of his stamina was precisely due to his perception of his own Vitality.

Ser Gerold the White Bull had once guided him, saying that a knight's mastery of Vitality was a long-term, imperceptible practice.

One had to first feel the existence of Vitality before they could attempt to observe, touch, and mobilize it...

"It seems my talent isn't weak; I haven't let my name down."

Daeren felt even more motivated.

He had a cheat code for practicing Vitality.

That was to use the high-quality Crops harvested from the farm to continuously nourish his body and keep his Vitality flourishing.

Others did not have such luxurious conditions.