He tilted his head, wolf ears bending. His oversized helmet slipped again. Morning light flashed off the shield icon below his character name. Pixelated grass brushed his boots. The world shimmered in that unmistakably digital way that always marked the start of a quest: too crisp, too bright.
[It's a quest.]
Her expression faltered as the answer dawned on her. Her eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in disbelief, tension chasing across her features.
"…you're a tank," she repeated.
He nodded.
"And you're farming weeds."
[Yes.]
Uneasy, she eyed him. "You're not even using your sword."
"…did you sell it?"
[Yes.]
"…for what?"
[Kitchen knife.]
She stared at him, "…a kitchen knife."
He nodded.
She paused. "You sold your starter weapon for a kitchen knife."
He tilted his head
[Yes.]
"…that's insane."
He turned and walked on, ending the conversation.
She matched his pace. "You'll die," more challenge than warning.
[Okay, I just want to cook]
Her brows drew together. "...That's not how that's supposed to go."
He crouched again, tension in his muscles. [Weed x11 acquired.] The system remained consistent. The world felt real, not like a game.
She stayed beside him, quieter now, gaze fixed as if she'd decided he was worth noticing. "...what's your name?"
He paused briefly, then typed.
[Little Tank.]
She read it, then read it again, "… that's so", she stopped, exhaling lightly. "…that's not helping you."
He tilted his head.
Softer now, she said, "You're weird. My name's Ellie."
He nodded.
[Yes.]
That seemed accurate.
She stayed rooted, gaze lingering. Her curiosity sharpened, a new tension settling as her interest grew. "...hey," she said again, quieter.
He paused, glancing at another patch before acknowledging her.
"Don't go too far," she said, softer, surprising herself.
He turned his head and opened the text window, pausing as if weighing her words, the gesture gentle and attentive to her tone [Why.]
The question appeared between them, simple and unweighted, and for the first time since she had approached him, she didn't have an answer ready.
"Because..." she stopped, frustrated, lips pressed tight.
He turned his head slightly and opened the text window.
[Why.]
The question appeared between them, simple and unweighted, and for the first time since she had approached him, she didn't have an answer ready.
"Because..." she began, then fell silent, searching for sense.
He waited until another weed was within reach, fingers pressing into the dirt. The roots gave way, and the system updated quietly in his vision.
[Weed x13 acquired.]
Ellie watched. "You're not even going to wait?"
He didn't look up another patch. [Weed x15 acquired.]
Her brows pulled together. "Are you serious?" she muttered, standing her ground.
He shifted toward a thicker patch near a crooked fence, crouched, and dug deeper, pulling at tangled roots.
[Weed x20 acquired]
The system paused longer than usual before updating, the new text appearing with a faint shift that felt different.
[Wild Onion x1 acquired.]
[Wild Carrot x1 acquired.]
Ellie watched, foot tapping, brows drawn. Her breath hitched, fingers flexing at her side, waiting for him to reengage.
He did a small, contained, completely uncoordinated little bounce in place. His armoured boots thudded softly against the dirt as his shoulders lifted slightly, as if his body didn't quite know how to express what had happened but tried anyway. Unmistakably, it was a happy dance.
Ellie blinked, "…did you just?"
He turned away, acting as if nothing had happened, then walked back toward the village without explanation.
"...you just did," she murmured, a reluctant smile softening her irritation as something warm shifted beneath it. She hesitated, then followed, her mood visibly altered.
Walking, he lowered his head and muttered, voice low and mismatched for his body.
"…nice," he said quietly. The word barely carried, but it wasn't the volume that made it noticeable.
The tone was deep and resonant, honeyed and out of place for a four-foot-five body with pigtails and oversized armor, a voice that lingered in the air.
Two NPC women standing near a stall froze mid-conversation.
"...what the?" one started, head jerking toward him, brows flying up in shock, mouth agape as suspicion quickly replaced surprise, her eyes raking over him in utter disbelief.
He kept his gaze forward, ignoring them, his steps slow and waddling.
Ellie slowed half a step, her gaze flicking between him and the NPCs. Something caught in her thoughts, not fully formed but refusing to disappear.
"…weird," she muttered again, but quieter this time.
Spring's stall reappeared, cluttered with jars, bundles, powders, and items whose uses weren't obvious. Warm, cooked, intentional scents lingered.
Spring looked up as he approached. Their expression shifted almost immediately when he saw what he was carrying.
"Oh, back already?" Spring said, tone light but curious, then paused as their gaze dropped to the bundle in his hand. "That's… more than I asked for."
He held it out, all of it.
Spring blinked once, then again, and broke into a wide, genuine smile that seemed far more real than any interaction he had seen so far. "Well, aren't you just delightful?" Spring said, taking the weeds with approval. "I only asked for ten, but I'm not complaining."
They counted quickly, their movements practiced, before nodding to themselves.
"Ten silver, as promised," he said, handing it over. He hesitated, then added, "For enthusiasm, I'll throw in something extra."
The system chimed softly.
[Quest Complete.]
+1000 EXP
+10 Silver acquired
[Cooking Kit (Starter) acquired]
That was… a lot of exp.
Spring observed his reaction, then leaned in, eyes bright. "Not many start with gathering," he said. "Most rush off swinging something bigger than themselves."
He nodded inefficiently.
The system updated again.
[Level Up.]
NAME: Little Tank
CLASS: Tank
Level: 2
SKILLS: Basic Gathering, Basic Cooking, Noob Streamer
HP: 100/200
STAMINA: 100/200
DEFENSE: 130/200
ATTACK: 2/200
SPEED: 20/200
EXP: 0/1000