"..."
The air suddenly turned still—so quiet that even the cawing of distant crows sounded jarringly loud.
The fading rays of the setting sun spilled over the porch of the multiplayer cabin, casting long, stretched shadows of Suke and Elysia.
From a perspective only Suke could see, a status box, looking much like a name tag, floated above Elysia's pink hair.
[Farmhand 1: Elysia]
[Wealth: 100,000G]
[Mood: Happy♪]
[Extremely Low Expectations (Elysia is always full of enthusiasm for everything) +20]
[A New Beginning (Perhaps Miss Pink Elf is looking forward to retirement) +12]
[Delicious Food (Your cooking—pre-made meals—seems to have received a high rating from Elysia) +8]
[New Friends * 2 (Elysia likes pure and kind people) +4 +4]
[Farm Owner's Terrible Fashion Sense (Interpret that yourself) -1]
Suke felt his scalp go numb, his pupils trembling in shock. He momentarily doubted if he had entered the wrong game. How could a world as harmonious and peaceful as Stardew Valley feature something like the 'extraction of surplus value'?
Wasn't that the kind of inhuman behavior only 'Stellaris' war criminals or the efficiency-obsessed min-maxers of iMouseTV would engage in?
As a veteran player of management and farming sims, Suke had played far more than just Stardew Valley. He never knew that the multiplayer cabins had this kind of function.
While he used to jokingly call his friends 'serfs' when they played together, he never expected the game to take it literally!
'All value created belongs to the Farm Owner.' 'Must not disobey management commands.'
The character panel clearly looked like it had been stolen from some 'black-hearted' simulator, and as for these predatory terms—
"Oh my~?"
A soft cry, filled with a mix of amusement and surprise, broke the awkward silence. Elysia's eyes, as clear as crystal, narrowed slightly. She slowly turned her body, a playful smile curling her lips.
That flawless face leaned in close to Suke—so close that he could even smell the light, elegant fragrance of a young girl.
"Farm Owner... Mr. Suke?"
She intentionally drew out the last syllable, her pink eyes curving into crescents, her smile carrying an unreadable quality.
"I originally thought I was just a guest here, or perhaps here to experience a bit of pastoral life..."
"Who would have thought that Miss Pink Elf would be schemed against by a bad man and end up selling herself off♪~?"
This tease was devastating. Suke's face flushed red as he tried to explain away the sudden misunderstanding.
"If I said I didn't know this would happen either, would you believe me? I've lived here alone for a long time, and you two are the first guests to arrive, so I..."
"Pfft—"
Watching Suke's frantic attempt to explain himself, Elysia finally couldn't hold back a laugh.
"Alright, alright, I was just teasing you."
She clasped her hands behind her back and tapped her toe lightly against the ground. She leaned forward, her long pink hair sliding over her shoulders, looking breathtakingly beautiful in the glow of the sunset.
"Actually, I think this is quite interesting, you know?"
"Huh?"
"After all, I've already died once."
Elysia winked, her tone quite relaxed.
"After that final performance, being able to follow the arrangements of a gentle farmer in a world that doesn't require fighting or carrying the weight of destiny... working when the sun rises and resting when it sets... doesn't that sound like a wonderful retirement?"
When she said the word "gentle," she emphasized it specifically, a mischievous light flashing in her eyes.
"So, please take care of me from now on, my dear Master?"
Suke's heart skipped a beat. A fairy! Truly, even a pink elf was still a fairy! That upward lilt at the end of "Master" was more lethal than a succubus's whisper.
Suke took a deep breath, forcing down the agitation in his heart, trying his best to maintain his dignity as a 'Great Farm Owner.'
"Ahem, just call me Suke, or Farm Owner is fine. 'Master' is... a bit too strange."
Suke turned away, not daring to look into those eyes that seemed to see right through people. He pointed at the wooden cabin in front of them.
"So, Elysia, why don't you get familiar with your new home first?"
Elysia did as told and pushed open the door; this time, nothing strange happened. With a soft creak of the wooden door, the interior of the cabin was revealed.
Though it looked like a simple wooden shack from the outside, the interior didn't feel cramped at all thanks to the game's mechanics—it was actually quite spacious.
There was a single bed, a wardrobe, and an empty table. Though simple, it radiated a sense of coziness.
Most importantly, Suke noticed a new icon for the cabin had appeared in his vision. With just a thought, he could directly check all the inventory inside this cabin, and even view Elysia's personal items, allowing him to deposit or withdraw items directly.
This was originally a function that required going to the Mayor's Manor in town, but it seemed to have been simplified for him.
[Detected that Farmhand 1 (Elysia) currently has no items.]
[Would you like to issue the Beginner's Gift Pack (Hoe, Pickaxe, Watering Can, Scythe) to the target immediately?]
[Since the Farm Owner has successfully recruited the first Farmhand, 10 Golden Mystery Boxes have been sent to your inventory. Please open them at the Blacksmith.]
Watching the prompts pop up, Suke's lip couldn't help but twitch, and he ignored them for the moment. Good grief, what kind of 'Beginner's Gift Pack' is just a full set of farm tools? Even a serf gets better treatment than this!
He found it hard to imagine a beautiful girl tilling the fields. It was as difficult as imagining a beautiful girl... well, doing anything unrefined.
Especially since Elysia's current outfit was clearly her Herrscher of Human attire. Surely she couldn't do farm work in those clothes?
However, the ten Golden Mystery Boxes were an unexpected surprise. In Stardew Valley, Mystery Boxes were like gacha boxes, and the Golden versions were the upgraded tier that could drop various random prizes.
Since Golden Mystery Boxes only appeared in the late game, Suke—whose progress had been soft-locked by air walls—had never seen them. He hadn't expected to get them this way.
"The environment is quite nice~"
Elysia had already done a lap around the room. She sat on the bed covered in floral sheets and patted the soft mattress, looking quite satisfied.
"It's a bit cozier than the dorms in The Moths; there's no cold, metallic smell."
"I'm glad you're satisfied."
Suke leaned against the doorway, watching the pink-haired girl curiously exploring her new surroundings, the heavy stone in his heart finally dropping. But immediately after, another thought flashed through his mind like lightning.
Wait. If Elysia, who came by bus, is 'Farmhand 1'...
Then is Abigail, currently sleeping in his house, the 'Prospective Farmhand 2' that this Stardew Valley farm lured in for him?
Does this godforsaken place even recruit child labor? Does it really think he's some black-hearted plantation owner?
But even putting that possibility aside, they both came to this world on the bus after dying. Abigail's condition was clearly much worse than Elysia's.
Suke still didn't understand the criteria this sealed Stardew Valley town used to select outsiders, but now that people had come, there was a high probability more would follow in the future.
"Elysia, you settle in first. I'm going back to check on Abi."
Suke left those words and hurried away. Because of the earlier interruption, Abigail had been left alone in his house for nearly half an hour.
Her mental state was already fragile, and this was a completely foreign place to her. As a young girl of twelve or thirteen, something might go wrong if she was left alone for too long.
"Mm-hmm..."
Watching Suke's frantic departure, the smile on Elysia's face gradually faded, replaced by a gentle tranquility.
"A farmhand, huh..."
She murmured softly, then leaned back, falling onto the soft bed and staring at the unfamiliar ceiling.
"I wonder how everyone in The Moths is doing now... but since death wasn't the end..."
"Is there still a chance for us to meet again?"
___
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