"Get yer butt over here, Lloyd! Those seeds ain't gonna plant themselves! Grab yer hoe and get to plowin' already. Ya have until nightfall to finish yer assigned area or I ain't lettin' ya in the pub tonight!"
"Y-You mean, you can't see this blue screen in front of me?"
"The only thing I see is someone who will soon be out of a job if ya don't get yer butt movin'!"
"R-Right away, Boss!"
"That's more like it."
The man named Lloyd paused as the authoritative figure stomped off and went to go and bark orders at someone else's plot. He tightened his hand into a fist, and silently promised he would smack that guy one day. Not now, though. His eyes were drawn toward a series of translucent blue prompts that scrolled before his eyes one after another. Each one silent and invisible to everyone else present on this farmland. Lloyd did a double take and began to sweat, but sure enough, no one else could see it. Just him!
[Ding-Dong! You have been made aware of your new surroundings. The Harvester Log is now online. To help familiarize with your new abilities, the Harvester Log has issued you a Quest. Your Log is now available to view.]
"Harvester Log...?", Lloyd murmured under his breath, and scanned the fields again. His eyes then glanced back to the blue screen. It was still there. "I'm not seeing things, am I?"
Rows upon rows of unbroken dirt stretched into the horizon. It was several plots of land, all assigned to different people. Lloyd was included in that. Perhaps one day, more plots of land will belong to him, but for now, he only had one acre that he could plant seeds and cultivate crops to his liking. As long as he met the quota for his Boss, that is!
And judging by the ongoing activity of the other farmers who were just starting to till their respective plots of land, it was the start of a new season.
[That would be correct.]
Lloyd flinched, seeing this new message appear before him. He didn't actually expect a response to his question. Before Lloyd could react, the prompt continued.
[Based on the karma you have accumulated in your past life, you have been rewarded with the Harvester Log. In time, you will grow stronger and shine over other farmers. You even possess the potential to become a cultivator.]
"...What?", Lloyd whispered. This prompt really did answer his thoughts!
[Do not be alarmed. You may address me as the Earth Goddess, Gaia. I will only be able to speak with you for a short time. If you have questions, you should ask them now. My power is already dwindling. And before you ask, no I will not appear again. Consider this a final blessing from your rite of reincarnation.]
"Past life? Reincarnation?", Lloyd asked, pressing one of his hands against his head. A dull ache pulsed through. These words spoken just now felt heavy. They carried weight beyond meaning alone.
[It is as you presumed. You have died.]
The statement Lloyd read just now was blunt. It tore straight through him, hitting right at the heart.
[Your previous life on what you called Planet Earth has ended. From there, you have entered the cycle of reincarnation. After reviewing your memories, I noticed you spent quite a lot of time playing Farming Is Life. I went ahead and recreated its world for you, and added a little bit of flavor in the process.]
Lloyd's breath stirred as he saw these words appear before him.
"Farming Is Life...Is what you say really true?", Lloyd whispered again.
[It is not an exact replica. That game you are familiar with has ended. Like I said, I've added my own elements. I call it Solaris, and it is a world of swords and magic. I'm sure you've come across plenty of these stories on your own accord, haven't you?]
"I have. I enjoyed reading them while I wasn't working or playing games. But Farming Is Life was just a farming simulator. If you've added an entire new layer to that...Cultivation, right?", Lloyd asked.
[It would add a whole new difficulty, yes. And with that, comes danger. You could remain a farmer in this new life of yours, or you can choose to improve yourself. The choice is yours to take. I will not be there to influence you.]
"So if I want to tread the dangerous path of becoming those so-called Cultivators, the choice will be mine to make. This opens up many different paths to choose from.", Lloyd responded. He cracked a smile on his lips.
[It does. In response to that, I have accelerated your growth. Your current body is sixteen years old. You will not need to experience the process of growing up again. I do know that Cultivators start out young and that is when they experience most of their growth to strengthen their bodies. To combat this, you will have the Harvester Log. This alone should alleviate any gaps between you and them.]
"Understood. Growing up once was enough for me, heh.", Lloyd murmured again, and chuckled. He then shifted his stance, pretending to work the soil around him. He didn't want his Boss to notice he was presently conversing with his new System.
At the same time, Lloyd's heart raced. As he brought it up, he had read stories like this. System users. Reincarnators. Chosen protagonists to fight against the heavens and ascend over them. Cultivators!
Strangely enough, Lloyd couldn't remember how he died. There wasn't any pain. No accident. He just...found himself here on this farm. Whatever ties he once had, they were all gone. No family. No obligations. No workplace harassment. It was a clean slate.
[You will learn how the Harvester Log functions on your own. I will not guide you, or baby you. All Quests are optional. They exist only to aid you. If you feel one is not up to par, you can turn them down. Your life is neither bound to me, or the Harvester Log. There are churches spread across the continents in Solaris. Other gods and goddesses do exist. If you do decide to become a Cultivator, you may get a chance to meet them!]
"My life is mine to live...", Lloyd said, feeling these words are honest and true. He smiled again. "Thank you. I will treasure this second chance you have given me, Gaia."
[You are most certainly welcome. As far as the Harvester Log goes, it will have four primary functions. Log. Quest. Inventory, and lastly, the Farmer's Market.]
Lloyd chuckled again the moment he heard that last function. "I knew it. That auction system was everything in Farming Is Life. It connected players to each other. No one truly felt alone playing that game. That's one of its aspects I enjoyed the most!"
[In time, the Farmer's Market function will expand. For now, only you have the option to buy or sell. There's also a Beginner's Gift waiting to be claimed in your Inventory.]
"I think that answers any remaining questions I still have. You can leave all the research to me. I guess this is goodbye, then? Will we ever have a chance to converse like this again?"
[That will depend on the path you choose. As for my final parting gift, accept my personal blessing.]
Right then and there, Lloyd felt a sudden change. It wasn't just his body, or his thoughts. His entire being suddenly softened. It was like a rainstorm had just finished pouring down on the farm, and enriched its soil. After that, he felt warmth wash over him. Following that, another prompt appeared, causing Lloyd to look at it.
[Ding! The Earth Goddess Gaia has bestowed her blessing onto you. Gaia's Blessing has been added into the Log as a new Skill. It is now available to view.]
Before Lloyd could do anything, he felt the warmth surge again. It was sharper this time. It flew upward, only to settle behind his eyes. For a brief instant, his entire world flashed in a subtle amber glow.
"Eh?", Lloyd murmured with a gasp. It was a subtle change at first, but little specks of light started to drift through the air above his assigned field. They were all earth-colored. He stared at the dots as tags appeared above each one.
[Earth Spirit-Lv1]
[Earth Spirit-Lv1]
[Earth Spirit-Lv2]
"The heck...?", Lloyd cursed. These Spirits floated around aimlessly, releasing faint particles of light onto the untilled soil before they found another spot. They paid Lloyd no attention. At the same time, the blue screen vanished before him. Gaia's presence was now gone. Apart from the tilling in the distance, the silence felt heavier now.
Still, Lloyd steadied himself. There was an order to everything. This wasn't some game anymore. It's not like he could find some random glitch he could use to gain advantage over others. He will have to work hard from here on!
Lloyd glanced his eyes back toward the shed that was close by. He saw various items scattered around the small building. Each one had a tag over it now. Even the dirt and seeds had tags. Labels stacked over one another until his vision nearly spun in circles. It was a lot to take in at once.
And yet, excitement burned in Lloyd's chest. He knew this was a new life, but it really did behave like a game! Even the other farmers now have Levels over their heads! How could he not be excited by this?
It was then Lloyd recalled a Quest was issued by the Harvester Log to help him get acquainted with his new System. He decided to check the notification, and instantly chuckled.
[Ding! A Quest has been issued to you.]
Quest 1: Grab a Hoe
Task: Locate a spare hoe from the nearby shed.
Reward: 1 Stat Point
"...Of course.", Lloyd muttered, and rubbed his face. "Always have to start out somewhere. If this really is just the start, then I will work my way up. Crops. Medicine. Pills. Cultivation. The entire kit."
Still, Lloyd smiled. This was his life to live. He silently thanked the Earth Goddess one last time, and stepped forward.
Reaching out, Lloyd swore an oath to himself right then and there. This time, he would make it count. The only thing Lloyd didn't know at the time was the fact it wasn't just Cultivation that was added into Solaris!