Stardew Valley’s Farming Master

Chapter 152: Lumberjack, Lumberjack, Lumberjack, Lumberjack

Leon nodded solemnly, indicating that he had taken note of it.

Only then did the brown bear, looking satisfied, sway its massive body toward the forest. The tightly packed trees ahead parted miraculously to either side, forming a clear passage for it to walk through.

Leon sighed.

It wasn’t regret over the bear’s abrupt departure—it was helplessness at that stubborn personality.

Even though it was injured, the big guy had insisted on chatting with him for so long, acting as if nothing was wrong. Who did it even learn that from?

Leon wasn’t a fool. The first time the bear brushed against him, he had caught a faint scent of blood. At first, he assumed it came from the monster the bear had fought. But on second thought, that couldn’t be right.

Monster corpses disappeared after death, taking every trace of their bodies with them. There was no way blood would remain on the bear. Leon had seen that scene enough times himself—he’d slain more than a few monsters.

So the scent could only have come from the bear itself. It must have been wounded in its battle with that cursed flying dragon.

Still, the injury couldn’t be too serious. Although there was a smell of blood, Leon hadn’t seen any fresh bleeding afterward. That was why he hadn’t said anything.

Part of it was to preserve the bear’s dignity. Part of it was to avoid making it uneasy—after all, a wounded wild beast was dangerous, especially if it realized its injury had been noticed.Even if the bear showed human-like intelligence, Leon still kept his guard up… until the moment the bear called him a friend. That completely erased his wariness.

He could feel that the words were sincere. It was an odd feeling—maybe it was the effect of forest magic—but Leon was certain he could trust the bear.

Still, he kept the bear’s injury in mind. After it left, Leon exited the Secret Forest and went straight to Rasmodius’s wizard tower, knocking on the door.

“What are you here for again?”

He had barely knocked once when the door swung open on its own. Rasmodius stood there, looking at Leon with exasperation.

“I saw the brown bear in the Secret Forest. It’s hurt. I want to get some medicine for it. I can pay, or take your next commission for free.” Leon explained his purpose.

“Oh, that? You don’t need to worry about it. Its constitution is far stronger than you think—it’ll heal completely after a single night’s rest.” Rasmodius reassured him.

“Oh.” If the wizard said so, Leon would believe it.

“It’s a good fellow. You should spend more time with it. If there’s nothing else, you should head home. I have experiments to conduct—don’t disturb me.” Rasmodius spoke firmly, making it clear he was sending Leon away.

“Alright. But, uh, could you teleport me back? I want to feel that sensation again.” Leon rubbed his hands together, hopeful.

The only reply was the tower’s massive door slamming shut. If Leon hadn’t been standing clear, the impact might have flattened him.

“Stingy,” Leon muttered.

The moment the words left his mouth, his vision blurred. When it cleared, he found himself standing at the door of his farmhouse.

So the wizard really was a bit tsundere.

Since he was already back, Leon decided to take a quick trip through the rain to the smelting area. The furnace had gone cold.

After all, a night and half a morning had passed. The copper bars were long finished. He stored four of them away, then loaded new ore and coal into the furnace, keeping it running.

It wasn’t like it needed rest—it wasn’t human—so Leon had no guilt about pushing it nonstop.

He also hadn’t forgotten Brother Bear’s request for a bottle of maple syrup.

To get that, he’d first need tree sap. Normally, that meant finding a maple tree, cutting a hole, and hanging a container underneath. How much you got depended on time. But Leon had the System, and if he remembered right, the Tree Tapper became available at Foraging Level 3.

He was only Level 1 now—two levels to go. The fastest way to gain experience, apart from gathering wild plants, was chopping trees.

That would also stockpile wood for later. The last time he’d cut trees was when he first came to Red Star Farm to clear land. His wood reserves were running low.

He decided to leave the logging for the afternoon—he hadn’t had lunch yet.

It was raining, so the outdoor firepit was useless. He rummaged in the fridge, threw together a quick vegetable salad, and ate. After a short rest, it was time to work.

He started with the farm trees. Apart from the area near his cabin, most of the land was wild, full of trees and weeds. He hadn’t bothered to clear it before, but now he had a reason.

Before chopping, he tried using his Galaxy Watermelon Blade as a logging tool. It easily sliced through trunks, but the fallen trees didn’t turn into lumber—they stayed as whole logs. Not what he wanted.

So he switched to his axe. The System’s tools defied reason—just a few random chops at a fallen trunk could break it down into neat, uniform lumber.

Leon didn’t care about the logic. With axe in hand, he started felling every tree on the farm. His stamina was more than enough to keep going without breaks.

A chime echoed in his mind.

“Prolonged logging has deepened your insight into foraging techniques. Your Foraging level has increased by one.

While logging, you noticed your stamina depleting too quickly. You realized you needed food that could rapidly restore energy. You have learned the recipe for Survival Burger. Recipe unlocked.”