novelraw Chapter 36: Trading Life Points? Absolutely Impossible!
Chapter 36: Trading Life Points? Absolutely Impossible!
After tidying up his System Backpack, Leon glanced at the five remaining tools inside and nodded with satisfaction.
With the cookies Penny had given him for breakfast, he had more time today to follow through with his plan—heading through the northern exit behind the farm into the remote forest, making his way to the northern foothills.
After all, he had already explored Pelican Town and the beach to the east, the Southern Forest to the south, and the west was nothing but steep, impassable mountains. That left the northern mountains as the only area he had yet to visit.
Since he had long since cleared the farm, Leon reached the northern exit without any obstacles. The path still bore the remnants of old climbing steps—worn, but still perfectly usable.
Near the northern exit, he even spotted a man-made cave dug into the mountainside. But without any lighting tools, Leon had no intention of going in.
Following the path uphill, Leon quickly noticed the steep slope. It made walking a little tiring, but with the steps giving him leverage, the journey wasn’t too difficult. About ten minutes later, he came across a hillside thick with trees.
Unlike in the game, where there were only a few trees connecting to the northern foothill path, this was a true forest in the real world.
The trees grew at different heights along the slope, with a small path winding between the hillside and the dense woodland. Bushes grew naturally on either side of the road, and when he looked up, the sky was blocked by a canopy of leaves.
It was a pristine jungle—far more untamed than the Southern Forest. Still, it had its advantages. Here, under the towering trunks, Leon’s Foraging Radar showed plenty of nature’s gifts hidden in the soil.
Naturally, Leon wasn’t about to pass up buried treasures like these. Without hesitation, he took out his hoe and began digging at the nearest flashing spot.The journey was made all the more delightful by digging as he went. Wild spring onions, leeks, and dandelions soon filled his pack, and Leon couldn’t help but regret not coming to explore the edge of the forest sooner.
“You’ve gained new insight into gathering wild plants through long-term foraging. Your Foraging skill has increased by one level.
Through your experience, you’ve mastered new crafting recipes: Spring Seeds and Field Snacks.
You’ve received nature’s blessing. When chopping wood, you may now obtain tree seeds.”
As Leon unearthed the eighth dandelion of the trip, the familiar system chime rang in his ears. Only then did he realize—his Foraging skill had actually leveled up.
Name: Leon
Farm: Red Star Farm (Activated)
Favorite Thing: CN
Farming: 0
Foraging: 1 (Bonus chance to obtain seeds when chopping trees)
Mining: 0
Combat: 0
Fishing: 0
Special Ability: Forest Magic · Rough Green Onion Handling Technique
Backpack Contents: Axe, Pickaxe, Watering Can, Scythe, Hoe, Leek ×7, Wild Spring Onion ×14, Dandelion ×8 (8/12, upgrade available)
Crafting Menu: Scarecrow, Chest, Campfire, Torch, Wood Fence, Wood Gate, Wooden Path, Stone Path, Spring Seeds, Field Snacks
Looking at his panel, Leon was overjoyed to see that one of his five skills had finally broken free from level zero. The special bonus from Foraging level one was particularly pleasing—it meant he no longer had to worry about over-harvesting trees and damaging the environment.
Not only would trees grow naturally, but he could also replant them using seeds obtained from chopping wood. This way, he could maintain nature’s balance while securing a steady supply of lumber.
The newly unlocked recipes were also quite useful.
Spring Seeds (Seeds): A mix of various spring wild plants (produces 10 Spring Seeds per craft). Takes 21 days to grow. Ingredients: Wild Spring Onion ×1, Daffodil ×1, Leek ×1, Dandelion ×1.
Field Snacks (Food): A quick snack to restore stamina when hungry. Ingredients: Acorn ×1, Maple Seed ×1, Pine Cone ×1.
Spring Seeds required just four seasonal wild plants to make ten seeds that would grow into one of those plants at random. Plant four wild items, wait twenty-one days, and harvest ten random wild plants—a 2.5x return for just the time and watering effort.
To Leon, who had the Foraging Radar, these seeds might seem a bit underwhelming. In twenty-one days, he could easily gather many times that number just by exploring.
Still, he wouldn’t give up planting them. Harvesting Spring Seeds granted both Farming and Foraging experience—something normal crops didn’t offer.
While Foraging XP wasn’t exactly hard to earn—woodcutting, grass cutting, and seasonal gathering could all raise it—Leon wasn’t about to turn down extra points.
After all, skill levels didn’t just unlock new crafting recipes; they also granted special abilities and benefits.
In the game, the higher your Farming and Foraging levels, the better your chances of producing high-quality crops and gathered goods. It was like becoming walking fertilizer.
Plus, each skill went up to level ten, with powerful perks unlocked at levels five and ten. These perks could massively boost your efficiency and even shape your long-term money-making strategy.
Given what he knew about the game—and what he saw in his current system—Leon was certain that the skill levels weren’t there for decoration. The bonuses and new recipes from Foraging level one only confirmed his theory.
If he kept improving his skills, those unique perks would be waiting for him at levels five and ten.
“Suddenly, my life’s starting to look a lot more promising. But… am I really about to fall into a 6-2-7 lifestyle in real life too?”
The thought made him recall his first days playing Stardew Valley. Back then, he had wrung every drop of time from his day, becoming a relentless, life-burning grinder without even realizing it.
Now, facing the real Stardew Valley, the idea of repeating that ordeal made his scalp tingle. Leon quickly shook off the terrifying thought.