The SSS+ Rank Hunter Who Farms

13. Yard Cleanup

An icebox isn’t something you can expect to function like a refrigerator. At best, it’s just a large insulated bag, and even then, you need ice packs inside to maintain even a slight cooling effect.

If I could use electricity here, I’d bring a fridge right away, but unfortunately, setting up power in my base requires farming at least A-rank resources. Electricity might be abundant in reality, but in the Farming World, it’s a high-tier, scarce commodity.

That’s why I have to eat the Big Rats meat quickly before it spoils.

Sizzle—

Ideally, I’d grill it on something like a large iron lid for that perfect rustic feel. But I packed in a hurry, grabbing only the essentials from home, so there was no room for that kind of sentimental touch. Still, at least I have a frying pan.

The sound and smell of meat sizzling in the pan, carried by the cool breeze, gave off the vibe of a real camping trip.

In the Farming World, a lot of people enjoy these little details.

Since the game takes place in nature, it means they don’t have to travel far to go camping, and in many ways, the nature here feels even more immersive than reality. With each biome offering a different environment, you could experience a new kind of camping every time.

Personally, I never cared much for that kind of sentimentality.

As someone more logical than emotional, I found the thrill of accomplishment far more stimulating than any healing atmosphere.

But standing here, grilling meat, I realized—I do have a sentimental side.

“So it was just because it was a game, huh.”

I never saw the point in chasing aesthetics in a game. But now that this was real, I could appreciate the atmosphere and the uniqueness of experiencing this alone.

Of course, even in reality, there are plenty of places that repurpose empty dungeons as campgrounds to recreate this sort of vibe. Still, doing it in my own personal dimension was an entirely different feeling.

"Hmm."

Big Rats meat was, essentially, rat meat. It tasted more like chicken than pork, but it had enough substance to be enjoyable even when grilled instead of fried.

I placed a few slices on a lettuce leaf, added garlic and a finely chopped chili pepper, then popped the whole thing into my mouth in one bite.

“Damn.”

Though it had cooled slightly, cracking open a can of beer and taking a swig made it feel like I was in heaven.

“Nom nom.”

Beside me, Lulu also picked up a piece of meat and eagerly nibbled on it with her tiny mouth.

"Is it good?"

"Yes! Nom nom nom!"

She ate like she was starving. Was she really a fairy?

“Do fairies eat meat?”

“Our main diet is vegetarian, but we also eat meat for nutrition.”

“…I don’t think that’s true.”

She hadn’t touched the lettuce, only devouring the meat.

Well, it wasn’t like I was short on Big Rats meat. She was small, so it wasn’t like she could eat much anyway. Besides, it was better to have her eat well since I’d be seeing her often from now on.

After finishing the meal, it was time for dessert—instant cup noodles.

That was the whole reason I had rushed to pack food into my carry-on case. How could I skip it?

I boiled water in a pot and poured it into the cup. After waiting three minutes, I took a sip—the rich, spicy broth instantly warmed me up against the chilly night air.

“Perfect.”

It would’ve been nice to have some bibim noodles with grilled pork belly, but unfortunately, I didn’t have any at home.

Lulu, now full, was flying around while patting her belly. But when she saw me eating, she slowly drifted over and hovered beside me.

“Want a bite?”

I pulled out a single strand of noodles with my chopsticks and held it out. Lulu took it with her hands and slurped it up.

"Cough, cough! It's spicy!"

Oh well.

She might not be all that useful, but having her chattering beside me was better than being alone. And with that, the long night of the second day came to an end.

---------------------

[Day 3]

Letting go of the past 10 years

A new map.

A new beginning.

To do that, I need to return to the basics.

Bba-bap ba-ba-ba-bba ba-ba-bap—bap bap-ba-ra-bap bap-bap bap bap-ba-ra-bap~

This is definitely the best alarm to get me up despite my fatigue.

[6 AM]

I’d like to start moving at dawn, but if I don’t sleep for at least six hours, I’ll have to go through the next 18+ hours with a debuff, so it’s better to sleep for at least six hours whenever possible.

After getting up, I did some light stretching, washed my face roughly, and immediately grabbed the watering can, filled it with water, and headed to the yard.

[Wooden Watering Can]

- Rank: D-

- Made to hold and sprinkle water.

- Can hold up to 5L of water.

Since the watering can is of low rank, I could feel the weight of the water directly in my hands.

Thanks to my high strength, it didn’t feel particularly heavy, but when focusing on farming, upgrading the watering can early on is always a good idea, as the performance difference is significant.

Shaa—

I gently soaked the small garden with the watering can.

Seeing the green shoots of the Healing Herbs sprouting after just a day brought a proud smile to my face.

Pretty little things.

Fill up my wallet nicely.

Since I hadn’t planted that many seeds, using about 1L of water was enough to moisten the soil. I put the remaining watering can back onto my belt. For now, since the farm is small, I can just fetch water from the cabin's bathroom. If I expand, I’ll need to build a well or open a waterway.

"I'll think about that later."

Since I had already dealt with the Big Rats once, there were no signs of them passing through, even without extra precautions.

Until I clear out the sewers, I’ll have to accept some losses unless I stay up all night guarding the crops.

At least I planted the Healing Herbs deeper inside, so I can only hope they get left alone as much as possible.

"Hey, Lulu! Let’s go!"

"Yes, Master!"

I grabbed my wooden sword, packed some simple snacks into the small backpack I had in my carrier, and called Lulu to set the direction.

I had thought Lulu was just a Manager that provided bits of information, but since it turned out I could take her along on explorations, there was no reason not to bring her.

"Do you know how to fight?"

"Uh… If Master invests in me…"

"Forget it. Just focus on guiding me properly."

Having even a navigation system is better than nothing.

With yard cleaning doubled as a mission to find the Level 0 Biome Village, the journey finally began.

I felt a bit nervous.

For what reason, I don’t know.

If this were any other map, I would’ve just charged ahead without a second thought, carving out a path. But this is an SSS+-rank map, and with the basic resources and monsters' ranks being high, I can’t help but be cautious.

Cutting through weeds to make a path.

Nothing much happened.

It’s not like the area around the cabin would be teeming with dangerous monsters in the first place.

Most of these were F~E rank, and compared to a regular map, they were certainly well-developed. But as expected, an SSS+-rank close hunting weapon never let me down.

"Wow, Master. You're amazing. Your swordsmanship is..."

"What was your previous master good at?"

I didn’t really want to ask, since it felt like prying into an ex’s past, but if I was going to keep developing this map, I needed to squeeze out every bit of information from Lulu's experience.

When I asked casually, Lulu took a moment to reminisce before chattering away with what she knew.

"My previous Master... was a mage."

"Hm."

"They had immense talent, but..."

"But they died early."

"...Yes."

"Idiot. How do you expect to survive the early game with just magic?"

Was that why I got this opportunity?

I insulted this previous owner, someone I didn’t even know, but honestly, I flinched a little, remembering when I had debated between a summon or a sword myself.

Would I be confidently cutting my way forward like this with an SSS+-rank summon?

It wasn’t impossible, but I probably would’ve been struggling like hell, desperately fighting for my life against Big Rats with weak summons, grinding my way until they were at least useful.

Some people say swinging a sword has no romance.

But no.

To me, this is romance itself.

With light footwork, I dodged the charge of a Big Rat larger than me and struck its eye with my wooden sword.

The blade plunged deep, and the massive body thrashed.

I held my ground, unwavering, and in one solid motion, slashed through its neck.

The mere fact that I could win battles like this without using any skills was both thrilling and moving.

It wasn’t just about handling a sword well—it was about becoming a true master of hunting with melee weapons.

The absurdity of this passive skill, making me a craftsman in close-quarters hunt, was something I appreciated every time I experienced it.

"Lululu~"

"Yes?"

"Not you, idiot."

Leisurely, I butchered the Big Rat, cut weeds, and mined rocks.

I chopped wood and slowly carved a path forward.

Progress was painfully slow, and even by noon when I turned back, my cabin was still faintly visible in the distance. But that was fine.

"This place is a fucking goldmine. Why the hell did they only give me this map now?"

Basic resources don’t make money. No one in their right mind tries to profit off basic resources in a farming world. They're called ‘basic’ for a reason. Weeds, trees, stones. The essential materials for all crafting.

D-rank stuff isn’t worth anything.

Of course, if I stockpiled a huge amount, I could probably make some money from it on the farm or even in reality, but the efficiency wouldn’t be worth it.

But the rare items that drop occasionally? Those are a different story.

I already mentioned how seeds drop sometimes when cutting trees or weeds.

And while mining rocks, there's a very low chance of getting ores of the corresponding rank.

Normally, when ores do appear, they’re just tiny specks—barely the size of a fingernail—so farming ores through mining is practically unheard of.

"...Wow, why is it dropping so well?"

After nearly half a day of yard work, my backpack was getting heavy with iron ore.

And then—

"Jackpot!!"

A gem, more radiant than iron.

A shimmering, grayish jewel had fallen.