To the sound of a rooster crowing, John dragged himself out of bed.
Fighting off the last remnants of sleep, the hardworking farmer grabbed his Watering Can and began watering the fields. Fortunately, his plot of land wasn't very large yet, so he didn't expend much physical strength and finished the task quickly.
He stuck to his routine, taking a detour through the northern part of the farm. His luck seemed a bit worse today; there were no forageables to be found along the path.
He arrived at The Mountain.
Linus stood beside his tent. His clothes were ragged, but his posture was peaceful. His eyes were closed as he let the spring breeze caress his face.
A moment later, he opened his eyes and gazed into the distance.
"Hey there, buddy. What's on your mind?" John walked over to greet him.
"Oh, it is you? John! I remember correctly. I am just enjoying the beauty of spring." Linus paused, then continued, "Don't judge me by how I look now. Ten years ago, I was a much more respectable and high-spirited young man than you."
John observed the man's tattered clothing. Despite the tears, the material looked high-quality and the fit was tailored, indicating these weren't just rags picked up off the street.
He nodded sincerely. "I believe you."
Linus looked deeply moved, seeing the genuine belief in John's eyes.
"When I have time, I'd love to hear about your glory days. But right now, I have to get to work."
"Go on then. It is great to be young."
As he walked away, John heard the rhythmic clang of axes.
Looking down toward the river, he saw a Joja Corporation crew working to repair the bridge that had collapsed near the mines.
Passing the mountain lake, he happened to spot bubbles frothing on the water's surface.
He rushed over, ready to show off his fishing skills.
But just as he reached the water's edge—damn it—the bubbles vanished. Was the game mocking him?
He definitely hadn't checked the Fortune Teller on TV today.
He continued walking toward town, and this time, he bumped into Maru.
Maru—a girl with dreams, ambition, and the drive to reach for the stars.
He truly admired her.
"Hello. I'm the new farmer, John. And may I ask your name, beautiful lady?"
"Hello, I'm Maru. My mother mentioned you. Now that I see you in person, you really are quite handsome."
John felt a swell of pride. As a man of culture, he knew that mutual praise was a virtue, but he genuinely believed he was handsome and unmatched.
He cleared his throat lightly. "Miss Maru, where are you headed? May I walk with you?"
"I'm going to the General Store to pick up a few things."
"I happen to be going that way myself. Let's go together."
The two chatted and laughed as they arrived at Pierre's General Store.
"I have some errands to run, so I'll leave you here. See you soon, beautiful lady."
After saying this, John headed to the Beach.
He found a Lost Book lying on the sand. This was great; the knowledge would automatically be added to the Library, saving him a special trip to the museum.
He set up his spot and concentrated on fishing.
Today wasn't bad; he caught a Gold Quality fish, setting a new personal record.
By 3:20 PM, he frantically ran into the Fish Shop and sold his entire catch to Willy.
He realized he had made a mistake: he forgot to bring enough Wood to repair the broken bridge leading to the eastern tide pools.
He looked longingly across the gap at the Coral lying on the other side, separated only by a small stretch of water. He had no choice but to rush home, grab the wood, and come back to repair the bridge.
On his way back, John detoured to the Sewers to collect Spring Onions. Luckily, he discovered a forage item on the path.
He hurriedly cleared out his inventory at the farm.
Upon checking his chest, he realized he still didn't have enough wood stored up. He grabbed his axe and started chopping trees on the farm.
By this time, it was getting late.
As he felled the first tree, he noticed a silhouette flying out of the branches.
Just as he was thinking, That bird looks a lot like a bat, the "bird" lunged at him.
Damn, it really is a Bat.
He tried to fight back with his axe, but the tool was heavy and clumsy. Its attack power was pathetic, and facing three Bats swarming him at once was suicide.
Left with no choice, he retreated into his house and collapsed into bed.
Overnight, his Fishing skill leveled up to 2.