Stardew Valley’s Farming Master

Chapter 84: Damn You, System! (First Sub Request)

After reading the letter, Leon carefully folded it and tucked it into his pocket.

The contents weren’t long, but the hidden implications made him pause in thought.

It seemed the old man had realized he wasn’t the same grandson he had once known. Yet, he didn’t seem to care—in fact, he emphasized that he would still treat Leon as his own. Leon couldn’t figure out why.

From what little the wizard Rasmodius had mentioned when they last met, Leon gathered that the old man’s soul now resided in the Spirit Realm and was watching over him. That alone was intriguing.

According to what Krobus had once told him, the Spirit Realm was where the souls of Forest Magic holders went after death. If the old man was living there, it meant he, too, possessed Forest Magic.

Whether it was the same kind Leon had was uncertain, but it couldn’t be too different. Krobus had said Forest Magic users tended to live long lives. Yet Evelyn, who had shared a special bond with Leon’s grandfather, looked no more than eighty or ninety at most. So why hadn’t the old man outlived her?

Something must have happened—what exactly, Leon didn’t know. But piecing together all the clues, he thought of an even more intriguing possibility.

Perhaps his grandfather was somehow behind the Community Center restoration tasks.

After all, the offerings required for those tasks touched on nearly every aspect of what Stardew Valley could produce.

To gather them all, Leon had to explore most of Stardew Valley, experiencing its many ways of life—fishing in its waters, mining in its caves, even fighting monsters.At the same time, he couldn’t neglect his farm. He needed its agricultural and livestock products to fulfill the offering lists.

These requirements seemed designed to guide him—helping him grow familiar with Stardew Valley life and letting him experience both its joys and challenges.

The restored farm facilities would make his farming life easier. Meanwhile, repairing Pelican Town’s public facilities and the Community Center would earn him a great deal of local prestige and goodwill.

No matter how he looked at it, it seemed like his grandfather was using the offerings as a means to pave the way for him in Stardew Valley.

Whether his grandfather was capable of such a thing—Leon had no doubt. After all, Rasmodius had addressed him as an equal, and perhaps the old man was a big shot in his own right.

After all, how many people could still write letters to their grandson after death? His grandfather clearly wasn’t just any ordinary farmer.

Of course, this was all Leon’s own speculation. Whether it was true, he couldn’t be sure—but he didn’t think his logic had any holes. All the pieces fit together too well to be coincidence.

It was a pity he couldn’t speak to his grandfather directly to confirm it. Still, it was clear the old man cared deeply about him. Wishing him a good life on the farm seemed to be a genuine hope from the heart.

With that thought, Leon once again stood before his grandfather’s shrine and bowed deeply, before returning to the cabin.

He carefully stored the letter away. After a short rest in his chair, he pulled out the ten portions of Magic Essence he had bought from Krobus.

He poured them out of their small pouch. They rolled across the table, making Leon tense for a moment—only to relax when nothing happened.

“Almost forgot light and shadow are opposites. Good thing they didn’t react and blow up or something. Otherwise, I’d be stuck in a hospital bed for days.”

When he first poured out the Solar Essence and Void Essence, the risk had crossed his mind. His brain realized it, but his hands had already moved. Thankfully, no disaster occurred.

Even if it had, Leon wasn’t afraid of instant death anymore. Forest Magic would protect him from fatal blows, keeping him in a gravely injured state instead. Knowing this had dulled his fear of death considerably.

Still, the incident was a reminder to always keep a cautious, respectful attitude toward the unknown.

Even if death wasn’t on the table, the price for carelessness still had to be paid. Leon wasn’t a masochist, nor did he enjoy suffering.

The ancestors had a saying: “Reflect on yourself three times a day.” They weren’t wrong.

“System, I’ve got the materials. Let’s upgrade the backpack.”

Once he’d finished his self-reflection, Leon urged the System impatiently.

The moment he spoke, the ten portions of essence began to melt. Gold and black liquid merged into one and flowed toward him with purpose.

Leon frowned and instinctively moved to dodge—but the next second, he realized this was the System’s doing and lowered his guard, watching to see what the coffee-colored liquid would do.

To his surprise, just before it reached him, a sudden rift appeared in the air and swallowed it whole.

Then came the familiar System Prompt.

“System Backpack expansion task complete. Backpack upgraded. Capacity increased to 24 slots.”

“System Backpack Expansion (II) released.”

“System Backpack Expansion (II): Gather seven Prismatic Shards to upgrade backpack to 36 slots.”

“What?! Seven Prismatic Shards?”

If the materials for the 12-slot to 24-slot upgrade had felt like a bargain, the price for 24 to 36 slots made Leon realize just how twisted the System could be.

Prismatic Shards were not only hard to obtain—they were worth far more than the in-game upgrade cost. Clint had once offered him 2,500 gold for a single shard. If an experienced blacksmith like Clint was willing to pay that, the market value was likely higher, not lower.

Even at 2,500 gold each, seven shards would cost at least 17,500 gold. The thought alone made Leon’s heart ache.

And that was without factoring in their rarity. You couldn’t just buy them, no matter how much gold you had—let alone collect seven.

“Damn you, System. That price is daylight robbery.”

…

The System didn’t respond to his complaint. Or perhaps it simply wouldn’t speak unless it involved something critical.

Leon decided it was because the System knew it was in the wrong. But there was no bargaining with it, so he had no choice but to accept the absurd task.

Still, he had no intention of attempting the upgrade anytime soon. Gathering seven Prismatic Shards would take ages. Until then, he’d pretend the task didn’t exist.

Thanks to Demensen for the two generous rewards totaling 10,000 Qidian coins! Wishing you good health and smooth sailing in all things. Your boldness almost scares me—surely you’re not planning to play steel-ball juggling with me?

Just kidding. Thanks for the encouragement, big D. Love you.