WTARS 03

Chapter 3 …

“Ughhh! I’m done!”

Pulling weeds, picking out rocks, leveling the soil…

With my trash-tier stamina, it was absolutely exhausting…

Still, thanks to all that hard work, I managed to create a fairly decent field.

Since the land was narrow, I dug furrows at roughly 10 cm intervals and planted in two rows, keeping an appropriate distance between them.

Then I planted the cut seed potatoes one by one and covered them with soil.

Who knew all that random knowledge from farm games would come in handy like this?

〈Healing Farm Life〉 had been a surprisingly educational game—it even taught you how to farm.

Potato (Beginner Crop) planting successful!
Crop is growing. Time until harvest: 1%

Please designate a cultivation area.

‘Cultivation area…?’

Does that mean the field?

<Tip> Trace the outline of the field within your view with your fingertip! o(^ ^)o

What is this? Now it’s even using emoticons.

It feels like it has a personality…

Anyway, I did as the system instructed and traced the edge of the field with my finger.

The outline glowed blue for a moment, then went still.

“Ooh…?”

And then, the next instant—astonishingly—

“Jackpot.”

From the field that had been nothing but dirt, pale green sprouts began popping up everywhere.

Cultivation area designated!
A holy blessing is bestowed upon the crops.

If you wish to accelerate crop growth, try using the ‘Holy Touch’ skill.
※ Usage method is identical to the ‘Purification’ skill.

So that’s how it works.

I boldly stretched my hand toward the field.

“Holy Touch!”

I only needed to think it in my head, but my desire for potatoes was so strong that I shouted it out loud.

The effect was immediate. A clearly holy-looking light burst from my hand, and the moment the sprouts absorbed it, they began dancing as they grew.

They shot up rapidly…!

The stems stretched tall, and lush green leaves unfurled.

It looks almost fully grown—just a bit more…!

But unfortunately, just as the flowers were about to bloom, the crop’s growth abruptly stopped.

“What?! Why—?!”

Just as I was about to explode in fury, a status window popped up in front of me.

<Tip> Further growth requires uncontaminated water.
Please find a nearby spring and purify it.

“Oh.”

Now that I think about it, I completely forgot.

I didn’t even have drinking water yet…

Letting out a deep sigh, I looked around.

It said to find a nearby spring, right…?

“Spring… spring…”

Wandering around like a zombie, I headed into the forest behind the cabin.

It’d be great if there were a spring somewhere nearby… close to the cabin, too…

<Notification> There is a spring nearby! Walk ten more steps to the right.

Oh?

I followed the system’s instructions and took ten more steps.

Then—

I heard the sound of a small stream flowing beyond the thick grass.

Sp-spring water! This is definitely spring water!

Is this how someone feels when they find an oasis in the desert?

I hurriedly pushed through the grass and went deeper inside.

What came into view was clear, pristine spring water…!

…Or so I thought?

Instead of the transparent water one would normally imagine, there was a pitch-black pool that looked seriously wrong.

So the water is contaminated too, not just the soil.

And this forest as well… the trees, grass, and flowers were all an eerie dark purple.

“…Will I ever be able to purify all of this someday?”

For today, even this single spring felt like too much. Because…

Remaining Purification Uses: 0

I’d already used up the purification skill earlier.

“Haah… Isn’t it only fair to let me use it at least three times a day?”

Or is it because I’m such a lousy farmer that I can only use it once…?

My shoulders slumped under the weight of despair.

That was when—

Ding!

Special Support Incoming!

‘Special support?’

I stared at the status window with wide eyes.

To prevent you from starving to death, the system has activated ‘Purification Uses Reset’ under special authority!

Ohhh…?

Is this the legendary system favoritism?

Ding!

Today’s purification uses have been reset.
Remaining Purification Uses: 1

“Wow.”

Is it really okay for survival mode to be this easy?

System favoritism—this is insanely good!

I thrust out my hand and fervently shouted in my heart.

‘Purify!’

Paaash!

A radiant glow surged from my fingertips, enveloping the spring and its surroundings like a cloud.

When the light faded…

A pristine, untainted natural landscape was revealed.

Fresh green vegetation and crystal-clear spring water nestled among it.

“Wow…!”

I couldn’t help but gasp.

And suddenly, I was overwhelmingly thirsty. I hadn’t realized it before, but I must have been parched the entire time.

Drink. Now!

I couldn’t hold back anymore!

I hurriedly knelt down, scooped up water in my hands, and brought it straight to my mouth.

As I gulped it down, I clearly felt the cool stream slide down my throat and into my stomach.

“Ahh…”

I feel alive.

I’m still starving, but…

Thanks to drinking plenty of this obviously first-grade clean water, I felt much better.

Now if I scoop this water and sprinkle it on the field, I should be able to harvest the potatoes, right?

There was something like a basin lying around in the storage shed… I can use that.

Just as I stood up and turned around—

Splash!

“…?!”

Out of nowhere, a jet of water shot up into the air.

It quickly gathered into a large mass, and then—

“…!”

It turned into a hamster-shaped blob of water!

Wh—what is that?

Why a hamster?!

“Ah! I feel so alive!”

That wasn’t my voice.

The water blob was talking.

Moving its tiny hamster mouth…

“My goodness! Oh my! A purifier who appears once in a thousand years! Please, make me your slave!”

“…?”

What… what is this insane water blob?

The crazed blob started spinning around me at high speed. I’m getting dizzy!

“Master! From now on, you are my master! My savior! I thought I was going to rot and die like that!”

This thing talks way too much.

What are you, anyway? Introduce yourself first!

“Oh! I almost forgot my introduction! I am Ninabel, a water spirit! The owner of this spring!”

“A water spirit…?”

A spirit just shows up out of nowhere?

“Yes! I’m Ninabel! Please call me Nini, Master!”

“Why am I your master?!”

“Because you saved Nini’s life! Nini will devote herself to you!”

The hopping water blob beside me was completely overwhelming.

I just purified the spring for drinking water, and now I got a spirit for free…?

“Master, Master! What should Nini do? Just give me an order!”

“Uh, wait a second…”

Maybe because this noisy thing was nearby, my brain felt a beat slower.

Right. This thing… Ninabel, was it? A water spirit.

She must’ve been dying because the spring got contaminated…

So she survived thanks to me.

Hmm. A water spirit…

An idea came to mind.

If you’re volunteering to be a slave, well… I won’t refuse.

I grabbed the dancing water blob with both hands and grinned.

“From now on, you’re this farm’s sprinkler.”

“Huh…?”

It really feels like touching water.

Anyway, carrying my captured spirit under my arm, I returned to my (pathetic) farm.

Then I tossed her straight onto the one-pyeong potato field and ordered:

“Go! Ninabel! Water the field!”

“Aaah! Being used so roughly by Master makes Nini so happy I don’t know what to do!”

She has outstanding slave—no, spirit—qualities.

As the spirit splashed water everywhere, the soil immediately became moist.

<Notification> Nutrients have been supplied to the field!

‘Spirit Water’ Effect: Improves soil quality and replenishes nutrients.

“Ooooh.”

The performance of my free spirit was far better than expected!

Soon, potato flowers bloomed in full. I admired the surprisingly pretty white flowers, but they quickly withered and fell.

“Eh…?”

Before long, the leaves turned yellow, and the stems sagged.

It was time to harvest.

It’s like time was sped up several times.

Real farming could never be this simple, but…

With my cheat skills, I could obtain potatoes with minimal time and effort…!

‘Potato’ crop growth complete!
Harvest is now available!

“Waaah! Potatoes!”

“Potatoes?!”

“Potatoes!!”

The water blob enthusiastically echoed my shouts.

I quickly grabbed a tool—no, a hoe—and carefully began digging.

Potatoes…!!

When I grabbed the stem and pulled with just the right amount of force, plump potatoes came tumbling out in clusters.

My daily rations…!

I was so moved my eyes started to sting.

“M-Master…! Are you crying…?!”

“Nini…”

“Y-Yes!”

“They say dreams come true, don’t they…?”

“Oh…?”

“I’m going to purify this entire contaminated land and turn it into farmland!”

“Oooh!”

“Potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes—everything! I’ll grow it all and eat it!”

“Waaah~!!”

The potatoes I harvested were roasted over a campfire.

They were the most delicious potatoes I had ever eaten in my life.

By evening, I lit a fire in an old brazier I found in the storage shed.

Good thing I still had some flint and firewood left.

Enjoying the warmth of the fire, I decided to check my status while planning ahead.

Come to think of it, I forgot to check my stats.

I was too busy finding food…

Stats When I tapped the button with my fingertip, a new pop-up appeared, showing Muriel’s status.

Stamina: -12
Mental Strength: 43
Luck: -197
Charm: 22
Talent: -3
Mana: 0
Divine Power: 301

All stats MAX: 999

Having negative stamina wasn’t surprising.

Honestly, minus twelve felt like I got off easy. Muriel’s body is incredibly frail…

The real problem is luck…

Minus 197…? What kind of insane number is that?

At this point, it feels downright cruel.

With -197 luck… just how unlucky am I? I can’t even imagine.

The other stats were fairly average, but one thing stood out—

Muriel has divine power?

That was never mentioned in the original story.

Did something change because I possessed her?

“Next up…”

! Status Effect

You are currently married to ‘Raul Winterberg.’

Please gather coins as soon as possible and purchase the ‘Fate Distortion’ item to apply it!

…This had been bothering me.

“Huh? Wait…”

There’s more text below…?

※Warning!

If you fail to divorce ‘Raul Winterberg’ within the given time,
you will contract an incurable disease and die.

(D-day 99)