Carter was a candy factory worker.
This day, like usual, he dragged his exhausted body home after work.
He'd been working here for 20 years now.
Twenty years of work, and he'd managed to save up some money.
His income wasn't much, but he was extremely frugal, managing to save over 10,000 Baileys annually.
He did some simple math.
If nothing unexpected happened, in about another hundred years of work, he should be able to afford a house in Lunaria.
A hundred years!
That was still a very long time, even for an elf.
He'd originally been just a country boy from the south of Emerald City.
But he had a girl he liked, her name was Vivian.
Vivian had a dream: to have her own home in the city.
Deeply in love with Vivian, Carter made himself a vow, he'd work hard to buy a house in the city, then return home in glory to marry her.
For this wish, he'd thrown himself recklessly into coming to Lunaria.
But reality was cruel.
With no talent, no skills, he was utterly useless in this prosperous yet ruthless big city.
He could only do the most basic jobs, earning pathetic wages.
Day after day, year after year.
That once ambitious young man had long been ground down by harsh reality.
Now just a corporate drone trapped in repetitive work.
He often thought of his grandmother back in the countryside, and his loving parents.
He remembered those carefree times in the village as a child.
Though they'd lived in poverty back then, they'd been happy.
Maybe by the time he saved up enough money, the girl he liked would've long since married someone else! His mind always harbored such pessimistic thoughts.
Countless times he'd already wanted to give up.
But for her, he just couldn't!
Walking down the street, Carter noticed light coming from ahead.
"When did a new shop open here?"
"Dreamscape Entertainment Experience Center."
"What a strange name."
The sky had turned to dusk, pedestrians sparse on the streets, but this shop blazed with light.
Many people crowded inside.
At the entrance, magically projected images radiated brilliant light.
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One day, you'll feel crushed by the burden of modern life...
...Your once bright spirit will gradually dim, until emptiness fills your heart.
When that day comes, you can open this gift I'm giving you!
The screen slowly flashed by, showing Stardew Valley's promotional footage.
A warm small town
Babbling streams
Tranquil forests
Bustling farms
Adorable animals
Enthusiastic residents
Relaxing music
Finally converging into a massive poster!
[Stardew Valley] New Release Today - Price: '78'
Stardew Valley.
Watching this scene, seeing the warm imagery on screen, something deep in Carter's heart seemed to stir.
This appeared to be a story about rural life.
He walked inside the shop and bought a copy of this newly released Moonstone.
He hadn't entered the Dreamscape in ages, mainly because for him it was an unnecessary expense. Though not particularly expensive, he'd long grown tired of those boring old routines.
But this work stirred something different in him.
Returning home, he couldn't wait to unwrap the packaging.
He lay on the bed and activated the Moonstone.
The screen slowly scrolled past.
First appeared a character creation screen.
This was novel, he'd never seen this before.
A mirror image of himself appeared in the scene, allowing facial adjustments.
Plus some initial outfits to swap between, various clothing styles.
Next came name, hobbies, and pet options.
He made simple settings, then was prompted to choose an initial farm.
Standard Farm, Meadow Farm, Riverland Farm, and many more types. He was a bit confused, having never seen such, mechanics before, so he randomly picked Standard Farm, naming it Aura Farm after his hometown.
The game officially began.
You're a wage slave working at Joja Corporation in the city.
Daily busy work crushes you breathless. Some people have even died from exhaustion at their desks.
One day, you opened the letter your grandfather left you.
Warm music played.
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Dear Grandson,
If you're reading this letter, you must be in dire straits hoping for a turning point.
Long ago, I faced the same situation.
Back then, I was blind to life's most important things...
That being the connections between people and the relationship between us and nature. So I gave up everything and came to the place where I truly belonged.
I've placed the deed to that land in this envelope... it holds all my pride and joy:
Aura Farm. It sits in Stardew Valley, on the South Coast. It will be the perfect place to start your new life.
This is my most precious gift. Now it's yours! I know you'll make me proud, my dear grandson. Good luck.
With love, Grandfather.
P.S. If Lewis is still alive, say hello to the old fellow for me, will you?
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The scene flashed, you chose to leave the city and head to Stardew Valley to inherit your grandfather's farm.
A carriage raced down a spacious road.
Roadside scenery flew past, finally stopping at a place with a beautiful scenery.
An orange-haired female elf stepped forward.
"Hello! You must be Carter!"
"I'm Robin, the local carpenter. Mayor Lewis sent me to take you to your new home. He's already there cleaning the place for you."
"The farm's just over there. Follow me."
A virtual box appeared beside this woman:
Name: Robin
Of course, only the player could see this.
Inheriting a farm? Such a unique setup. Was this simulating farming? Wouldn't that be boring?
He used to help his family farm back home. Thinking about it made him somewhat nostalgic, though sometimes it had been exhausting.
Carter followed the woman to the farm with somewhat expectant feelings.
A farm appeared before him, overgrown with weeds, utterly chaotic. Beside the farm stood a small red-roofed wooden cabin.
Slightly more vivid than reality, stylized graphics, though currently somewhat messy, with various weeds and trees growing on the farm, it felt especially familiar to him.
"What's wrong?"
"Sure, it's overgrown with weeds, but the soil underneath is very fertile!"
"With a bit of patience, you'll clean it up in no time."
She brought Carter beside the farmhouse.
Right now seemed to be just the opening introduction. Carter couldn't do much action-wise, just silently experiencing the story.
"...Ta-da! This is your new house."
Approaching the cabin, an old man wearing a beret appeared.
"Ah! The new farmer's arrived!"