For 30+ advance chapter: patreon.com/Snowing_Melody
"Attention all teachers and students: Temporary Permissions for World Interaction have been granted. You can now influence the Kappa Heavy Industries Stardew Valley Office and its designated perimeter."
"Reconfirming Mission Objective: Transform the office into the region's premier leisure and entertainment complex."
Inside the college, Nitori stood on a podium, barking orders like a general. The materials were prepped. The workforce was mobilized.
"Remember the Golden Rules: Clean up as you go, build fast, and withdraw the moment it's done!"
The passage to Stardew Valley swirled open. A river of Little Kappas, loaded with lumber and steel, flowed into the portal.
Watching from a distant rooftop, Aya Shameimaru lowered her binoculars. She smirked, spread her black crow wings, and crouched into a sprinter's stance.
"Ready... set... GO!"
Cyan wind magic enveloped her body, streamlining her aerodynamics.
WHOOSH.
In the blink of an eye, she drafted behind the last Kappa student and shot through the portal.
She emerged in the mountains of Stardew Valley.
"So this is the New World?" Aya touched down softly, hiding her wings. "Looks a lot like Youkai Mountain. A bit rustic."
She didn't fly. That would be too conspicuous. She merged into the bushes, becoming one with the foliage. The paparazzi mode was engaged.
"Spring Outing! Spring Outing!"
Chen skipped down the mountain path, a massive iron cauldron strapped to her back like a turtle shell. It didn't slow her down at all. She would occasionally dart into the bushes to snag a Leek or Wild Horseradish, presenting them to Leo like treasures.
"Is Leo going fishing today?" Chen asked, bouncing around him.
"No," Leo shook his head, scanning the bushes. "Today, the Salmonberries are ripe. We need to walk the entire valley to gather them."
"Lady Yukari sent me a basket of fruit before. I need to return the favor. I can't just take freebies. Besides, Salmonberries make great jam."
Leo demonstrated. He walked up to a bush dotted with red berries and shook it.
Pop-pop-pop.
Three ripe berries appeared in his hand. He tossed one to Chen and stashed the rest. They weren't valuable, but they were free energy. Quantity over quality.
"It's delicious!" Chen's eyes sparkled as she chewed the sweet-and-sour fruit. "Chen will help too!"
With the cauldron rattling on her back, the catgirl dove into the underbrush.
Leo didn't mind. He had given Chen a Residence Permit, which meant she shared his "Foraging Power." She could harvest berries just by touching the bushes, same as him.
High in a nearby tree, Aya watched the scene unfold. A notebook materialized in her hand.
Scribble, scribble.
Headline: SHOCKING! The Sage of Youkai's Pet is Intimate with a Strange Man! Subtitle: Who Exactly is the Master of Stardew Valley?
Early this morning, this reporter risked life and limb to infiltrate the mysterious 'Stardew Valley'. I believe everyone remembers the recent 'Parsnip Poisoning Incident'. Today, I met the mastermind.
But what shocked me most was seeing Chen—the cherished shikigami of the Sage's shikigami—acting intimately with this man. They are practically a family unit! This begs the question: Was the Poisoning Incident a premeditated conspiracy to lower our guard?
Aya pocketed the notebook and dropped from the tree, landing silently. Chen was old news; she was too pure to generate real scandal. The man, however... he was a goldmine.
She began to tail Leo.
"Good grief," Leo stopped at the Carpenter's Shop. "How many people did you bring? Are you planning to level the mountain?"
The area around the shop—now renamed [Kappa Heavy Industries Stardew Valley Office]—was swarming.
Hundreds of Little Kappas in yellow hard hats were scurrying around like ants. Supervisors in red, white, and blue helmets shouted orders. Nitori stood on the roof in a burgundy helmet, overseeing the chaos.
"Brother! You're here!"
Nitori spotted him and hopped down. "We're currently in Phase 1 Construction. Let's talk over here; it's safer."
She led Leo to a temporary break shed and poured him tea from a thermos.
"We plan to turn this into an integrated resort," Nitori explained, unrolling a blueprint. "Entertainment, leisure, vacation. In the future, you can hold your banquets here. You just pay a small venue fee."
Leo looked at the drawing.
He fell silent.
It was... beautiful.
His own farm design (in the game) was utilitarian Soviet-style efficiency: Rows of crops, stone paths, and fences. Neat, but soulless. The only "decoration" was his desperate attempt to grow a Giant Crop (a 1% chance event for 3x3 Cauliflowers, Melons, or Pumpkins), which usually ended up spawning one tile off-center and ruining his symmetry.
Nitori's design was art. It had the elegance of a Suzhou garden, with distinct zones that flowed naturally into one another.
"How about..." Leo pointed to a spot behind the office. "I lease that plot of land to you as well?"
"That cliff?" Nitori squinted.
"If you dig there, you'll find a blockage. Behind it is a railroad and a hot spring vent. Once renovated, it'll be a perfect Spa. A place to recover stamina for free."
Leo paused.
He looked at Nitori. He looked at the hard-working Kappas. He looked at the "Money solves everything" service model.
Hiss... wait a minute.
"Nitori," Leo narrowed his eyes. "You're basically JojaMart, aren't you?"
Extreme efficiency. Corporate hierarchy. A service model where money solves all problems.
"You wicked Joja capitalist," Leo muttered. "You've been hiding it well."