Kaelen woke up to the sound of rustling.
Not wind. Not rain.
It was... whispering.
Soft, leafy whispering.
He sat up, instantly alert.
Then the system pinged:
[Crops Ready for Harvest]
Mood: "Confused. Violent. Hungry."
Bonus: Something's... off.
He groaned. "Why do I get the feeling these things evolved teeth overnight?"
He peeked out of the hut.
Three tall stalks stood where the seeds had been. They didn't look like any vegetable he knew. One looked like a carrot, but was purple. The second had vines twitching like it was stretching. The third... was just silently vibrating.
Kaelen stepped outside carefully, hoe in hand.
The squirrel was already up, chewing on a stick and watching with the kind of look that said, You're about to have a bad time.
"So, ready to meet your plant children?"
"Not emotionally."
He approached the first one, the purple carrot.
"You finally show up," it said in a dry, gravelly voice. "I thirst. For purpose."
Kaelen blinked. "Okay. That's not too bad."
The second one, the viney one, perked up.
"You abandoned us in the dark! I was alone with him!" it shrieked, pointing a leafy limb at the third.
The third one didn't speak.
It just hummed.
Menacingly.
Kaelen looked at the system.
[Choose One:]
1. Harvest manually
2. Use Hoe of Mercy
3. Let them "join you"
"What does join me even mean?"
"Probably something horrifying," said the squirrel. "Pick fast."
He selected Use Hoe of Mercy.
Kaelen raised his hoe, muttered an apology, and swung.
[You have harvested: Angry Carrot x1]
[You have harvested: Vengeful Beanstalk x1]
[You have harvested: Mute Root x1]
Mood: "Offended, mostly."
All three dissolved into bright particles, leaving behind strange loot.
[Item Obtained: Carrot of Rage – +2 Strength for 10 min, causes mild anger]
[Item Obtained: Beanstalk Vine – Can be used to craft rope or whip]
[Item Obtained: Root of Silence – Unknown effect]
Kaelen held them in both hands.
"Well… that could've gone worse."
Then the system dinged again.
[Quest Complete: First Harvest]
Reward Unlocked: Farming Skill (Lv. 1)
New Trait: Greenthumb (Crops grow 10% faster)
Bonus Skill: Trash Whisperer – You understand the emotional trauma of discarded vegetables.
"Trash Whisperer? Are you serious?"
"Fits you," said the squirrel.
Kaelen shoved the loot into his bag and returned to his hut. He sat by the small table and stared at the Root of Silence.
"What do you do?"
He sniffed it.
Licked it.
Nothing.
Then he bit it.
For a moment, the world... stopped.
The wind paused.
The fire froze.
Even the squirrel blinked slowly.
[Passive Activated: Root of Silence]
For 30 seconds, all sound ceases. You may act freely, but cannot speak.
Cooldown: 1 hour.
Everything returned to normal.
Kaelen wiped his mouth. "That was awful. I'm keeping it."
With farming done, he checked the system.
A new notification blinked at the top.
[New Quest Unlocked: Build a Farm Plot]
Requirements: Fence x10, Soil Patch x5
Reward: Upgrade to Farming Skill + Village Reputation
"Reputation? With who? The plants?"
"Or maybe squirrels," said the squirrel.
Kaelen stood, stretched, and started collecting sticks and stones. Building a fence wasn't the weirdest thing he'd done this week.
As he worked, he found himself... enjoying it.
Not because he was good at it—he wasn't—but because, for once, his life wasn't a total disaster.
No debts. No illness. No constant pitying stares.
Just him, his sarcastic system, plants with issues, and a squirrel that probably used to be human.
By evening, the fence was half-built. He sat back and admired the progress.
It wasn't perfect.
But it was his.
[You feel something shift inside you…]
Hidden Stat: Resolve +1
Kaelen blinked. "That's new."
The squirrel looked at him and, for once, didn't say anything.
The sun dipped low, casting gold light across the field.
Kaelen exhaled, leaned back, and smiled.
Tomorrow, he'd finish the fence.
Maybe plant something less angry.
Maybe.