“Phew… I’m so full.”
Hiro finished his quick meal with a convenience store lunchbox. It might have been from the convenience store, but it wasn’t to be underestimated. Nowadays, convenience store lunchboxes had such good variety that you could have a full meal for half the price of eating at a restaurant.
‘Paying 15,000 won for a bowl of sundae soup is way too expensive.’
In comparison, convenience store lunchboxes were around 7,000 won, making them much more affordable.
Hiro tidied up quickly and then checked the “Overlord” community on his phone.
“As expected, nothing.”
With millions of players enjoying the game, the community was massive. Thousands of posts were made daily, many of which were strategy guides. Hiro searched for topics like “Spirit Farmer” and “Spirit Realm,” but nothing came up.
‘So, I’m the first?’
“It seems good, but it might be equally risky.”
Being the first was exciting, but there was no information available, making the potential dangers unclear. He figured it was best to focus on farming near the temple, gradually expanding his territory while getting a feel for the surroundings.
“That’s it. As long as I can farm for now.”
Hiro let his meal digest before heading to his room and lying down in the capsule.
[Please select the game you wish to play.]
“Overlord.”
[Launching Overlord.]
***
Two weeks had passed in real-world time since then. Considering the 1:2 game-to-real-world time ratio, that meant four weeks in the game world.
Hiro looked at the completely dried-up well with a troubled expression.
‘I was barely managing with water… Now I can’t even farm, let alone drink.’
Water is fundamental to farming. Crops can only grow with a water supply, but the well had dried up, leaving him unable to access any water.
‘Is there a river somewhere?’
It wouldn’t be surprising if there was a river or small lake in the forest. However…
“No, it’s too dangerous.”
With no knowledge of what might be lurking in the forest, it would be risky to venture out in search of water. Hiro decided to put off the water search and headed to his field instead.
“Let’s see.”
He carefully dug into the soil with a beginner’s shovel, checking the state of the sweet potatoes.
Thick sweet potatoes shyly revealed themselves.
‘Maybe because it’s a game, the crops grow fast.’
“They look good. I think it’s time to harvest.”
The sweet potatoes were ripe and ready for harvest.
Ding!
[Quest ‘Sweet Potato Harvest’ has been generated.]
[Sweet Potato Harvest]
Grade: F
Description: The end of farming is harvest. Just as patience is bitter but the fruit is sweet, it’s time to see the results of your hard work. Harvest the sweet potatoes.
Success Condition: Harvest sweet potatoes.
Rewards: Job skill, experience points, beginner’s hoe.
Penalty for Failure: None.
[Do you accept?]
“Accept.”
Hiro accepted the quest and put on his gloves, a reward he received from clearing the Seed Sowing Quest.
“Check!”
[Farming Gloves]
Grade: F
Description: Gloves designed to protect a farmer’s hands.
When worn, they protect the hands.
Requirements: Farmer.
Durability: 468/500
Options: -5% stamina consumption during work; maintains cleanliness.
With his white gloves on, Hiro carefully dug into the ground with a shovel to harvest the sweet potatoes.
[You have used the Harvesting skill.]
[Harvesting Speed +10%]
[-10% stamina consumption during harvesting]
[Skill experience for Harvesting has slightly increased.]
[You have harvested sweet potatoes from the ground.]
[You have gained job experience.]
“Oh, they’re nicely ripened!”
Hiro smiled with satisfaction as he harvested the sweet potatoes. They were as big as his forearm, making him marvel at their size.
“So big.”
“Beautiful….”
The radiant sight of the sweet potatoes was mesmerizing. While he had grown and harvested sweet potatoes when he had gone back to farming in real life, this was on a different level. The fresh sweet potatoes looked delicious just from their appearance.
‘Come to think of it, these were called “Earth’s Sweet Potatoes,” right?’
“Check!”
[Earth’s Sweet Potatoes]
Grade: E
Description: Sweet potatoes grown under the attentive care of a Spirit Farmer. Infused with spirit energy.
When consumed, the effects last for 60 minutes.
Cultivator: Hiro.
Options: +10 Stamina, +5% Defense, +5% Vitality, +1,000 Vitality Recovery, +30% Fullness.
“What the…?”
Hiro was shocked by the sweet potato’s options. They were unbelievable.
He then compared it with other sweet potatoes posted by other farmers in the Overlord community.
[Delicious Chestnut Sweet Potato]
Grade: E
Description: A sweet potato carefully cultivated using good fertilizer and nutrients.
When consumed, the effects last for 15 minutes.
Cultivator: Rugel.
Options: +3 Stamina, +3% Vitality, +500 Vitality Recovery, +15% Fullness.
Though the grade was the same, Hiro’s sweet potato had far superior options. Even the duration of the effects was much longer, making it much more useful.
Ding!
[You are the first player to harvest sweet potatoes infused with spirit energy.]
[Earth’s Sweet Potatoes can now only be cultivated by Spirit Farmer ‘Hiro.’]
[No one can cultivate or breed Earth’s Sweet Potatoes without your permission.]
[You have obtained the title ‘Greedy Farmer.’]
[Greedy Farmer]
Grade: B (Unique)
Condition: Harvest a special crop infused with spirit energy.
Options: +10 Spirit Power, +10% Spirit Recovery Rate, Double effects when consuming exclusive crops.
Description: Hehehe… This is mine… No one can touch it! My Precious!
“Unique grade?”
In Overlord, titles had separate classifications of ‘Common’ and ‘Unique,’ apart from their grade. ‘Common’ titles could be obtained by anyone who met the conditions, while ‘Unique’ titles were given only to the first player to meet the conditions, making it unattainable for others afterward.
‘Unique titles are said to have the best options among titles of the same grade, right?’
The title’s options were indeed excellent for a B-grade. Not only did it raise his stats, but the double effects on exclusive crops were a major benefit.
“Not bad.”
With a satisfied smile, Hiro continued harvesting.
[You have used the Harvesting skill.]
He carefully harvested the sweet potatoes to avoid damaging them.
Ding!
[You have cleared the ‘Sweet Potato Harvest’ quest.]
[You have obtained the job skill ‘Seed Harvesting LV. 1.’]
[You have gained experience.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have obtained a Beginner’s Hoe.]
He completed the quest and received his rewards.
‘Seed Harvesting?’
Hiro checked the new skill.
[Seed Harvesting LV. 1]
Grade: F
Type: Active
Experience: 0.00%
Description: Harvest seeds from plants for cultivation.
Spirit Power Consumption: 50
Cooldown: 10 seconds.
Success Rate: 10%
Effect: +5% seed harvesting success rate.
“A seed-harvesting skill, huh?”
He was lucky. He had been worrying about how to continue farming after planting the sweet potatoes. Now he had the exact skill he needed.
‘I was even considering replanting the harvested sweet potatoes if needed.’
Even without seeds, it was possible to plant sweet potatoes again, though there were a few conditions to consider. But with this skill, it wasn’t necessary anymore.
“Alright.”
Hiro examined the harvested sweet potatoes.
He had around 300 sweet potatoes, with a germination rate of roughly 60%.
“Better than expected. I guess leveling up will help?”
Germination rate was crucial in farming since a higher rate meant more crops. While fertilizers and nutrients could boost it further, they weren’t currently available.
“Let’s see…”
In Hiro’s hand rested a heavy sweet potato, proudly displayed. He gripped it firmly and split it in half.
Crack!
“Oh!”
As soon as it was split open, a sweet fragrance wafted from the sweet potato, making Hiro marvel at the aroma. At the same time, he felt proud. From sowing the seeds to diligently watering and nurturing them, he had poured his efforts into cultivating this sweet potato. Seeing the result with his own eyes gave him a sense of accomplishment.
“This is why I farm.”
A satisfied smile spread across Hiro’s face. The sweet potatoes had grown to a perfect size for harvest.
“Shall I have a taste?”
It was a pity. If he had a fire, he could have roasted it, but he currently lacked any tools to start a fire.
Hiro ate the sweet potato raw.
Crunch, crunch.
“Mmm!? It’s really good!”
Even just biting into the raw sweet potato, he could taste its rich sweetness and nuttiness. The flavor was deep and satisfying.
Crunch, crunch.
“Mm-hmm!”
The more he chewed, the stronger the nutty flavor became, and the distinct texture of the sweet potato was delightful. It was delicious. No sweet potato he had ever tasted in real life could compare to this one. It was heavenly!
“It’s even tastier than Dangjin or Haenam sweet potatoes. Ah… this is it.”
[You have consumed the exclusive ‘Earth’s Sweet Potato.’]
[The ‘Greedy Farmer’ title effect doubles the effects of Earth’s Sweet Potato.]
[Effects will last for 120 minutes.]
[+20 Stamina]
[+10% Defense]
[+10% Vitality]
[+2,000 Vitality Recovery]
[+30% Fullness]
“Wow… these options are insane.”
The stats were so impressive that it was hard to believe they came from a crop. This was the power of a Spirit Farmer—an EX-class special profession, considered one of the best.
‘Now that I think about it…’
“My level increased, didn’t it?”
Hiro opened his status window.
[Status Window]
Name: Hiro
Level: 3
EXP: 32.98%
Job: Spirit Farmer
Title: Discoverer of the Spirit Realm
Vitality: 2,500/2,500
Spirit Power: 4,500/4,500
Fullness: 77%
<Attributes>
Strength: 5
Stamina: 5 + 20
Agility: 5
Wisdom: 5
Luck: 5
<Special Attributes>
Spirit Power: 5 + 40
Available Stat Points: 15
“How should I allocate my stats? Should I put them into special attributes?”
If he were an ordinary farmer, increasing strength and stamina would be the way to go, but for a Spirit Farmer, it was still unclear which attributes to prioritize. Once distributed, stat points couldn’t be reverted, so he had to be cautious.
‘Still, since skills require spirit power, maybe boosting spirit power is…’
“Hmm… I’ll decide later.”
Hiro closed the window without making any changes.
“First, let’s sort these sweet potatoes…”
Ding!
“Hm?”
[A new quest, ‘Offer Sweet Potatoes to the Altar,’ has been generated.]
[Offer Sweet Potatoes to the Altar]
Grade: ???
Description: Offer sweet potatoes at the altar of the forgotten god’s temple.
Offering the sweet potatoes might grant you a special gift.
Success Condition: Offer 100 sweet potatoes at the altar.
Reward: Job skill, EXP, ???
Penalty for Failure: An unknown being becomes dejected.
“What’s this?”
It was a sudden quest.
“By ‘altar,’ do they mean the one inside the temple?”
Hiro pondered for a moment. His original plan was to sell the harvested sweet potatoes for money. However…
‘It says I’ll receive a special gift, right?’
“But if I fail… an unknown being will become dejected? What the…?”
He wasn’t sure what that meant, but with the promise of a job skill as a reward, he had no reason not to try.
“Alright then…”
Hiro gathered 100 sweet potatoes and headed to the altar inside the temple, placing them upon it.
Ding!
[You have cleared the quest, ‘Offer Sweet Potatoes to the Altar.’]
[You have obtained the job skill ‘Spirit Contract LV. 1.’]
[You have gained experience.]
[Your level has increased.]
[The favorability of an unknown being has greatly increased.]
Cliche Novel 