Into the healing farming game

14th Day of Spring

All beginner levels have stopped growing, but fishing is steadily increasing.

I’ve achieved Intermediate level 6 alone, announcing a morning full of excitement. New information awakens my brain. The feeling of fishing—that unique, inexplicable sensation. The more you advance from the intermediate level, the more you gain.

Start your morning with a glass of cool water.

When I went outside, I saw a bright field. The crops were fully grown. All I had to do was harvest and make money, but I couldn’t reach the intermediate farming level, so I suppressed that desire. You can’t do that until you find painkillers.

Spray water liberally on crops that have not yet fully grown. Carefully plant the garlic you got in your dream into the ground. Planting seeds while crawling on the woven floor may look a little unsightly and make your knees sore, but it has the great advantage of keeping your back in good shape. Because my waist is important.

The morning schedule ended like this. The next thing to do is head to the dungeon. What I vaguely thought would happen someday is now today’s reality. Sweat is seeping from my forehead due to the intense tension.

The dungeon is located to the north, a little further away from the mine. It’s at the northern border, so close that it almost feels like it extends beyond the village. Since I’ve seen it before, there’s no need to find a new route.

Check your equipment before departure: potions, food, sword, armor, shoes, and ring. And a wooden shield made by picking up a tree. The shield was not treated as proper equipment because it was made too clumsily, but it could be equipped without consuming equipment slots. Though its protective power is unreliable, it was better than nothing.

It’s morning, the cool air of dawn still lingering. Crossing the slowly warming land, I headed north.

It’s a dungeon. The strong smell of alcohol and decay fills the air. An ominous purple portal.

A red, mucous membrane covered in haze.

I rushed to the dungeon entrance, where anyone can clearly see the danger that lies inside.

I hesitated, likely because the resolve I had built up overnight was still strong.

As I cross the threshold, I felt like I’m passing through something thick, and my vision goes dark.

Light spreads from my ring, illuminating the surroundings.

The dungeon has a staircase structure, leading underground like the mine. The level of monsters increases based on every 10th floor, and the monsters that appear are randomly selected. I remember the red sea spider as a monster that appeared between the 10th and 19th floors. I need to descend at least 10 floors to get the poison.

The first thing I encounter on the first floor is a giant rat. A rat about the size of a medium-sized dog. Its pink, fluttering tail felt unsettling.

Without being unnerved by its strange size, my body instinctively prepares for battle. I lower myself and aim my sword. It was truly bizarre to see a rat running in a straight line, drooling.

I retreat diagonally from the charging rat, raising my sword at an angle. A long cut appears on the rat’s side from the light swing. Since it leapt, it couldn’t twist its body in mid-air to avoid the strike.

“Keekeeek-!!”

The rat’s scream echoes through the musty room. Blood pours from the wound and spreads across the floor. The rat collapses as if it has no strength left, dying from shock due to excessive bleeding.

The battle ended with a single swing of my sword. It reminds me that fighting is dangerous—one strike from that rat’s sharp claws could have ended me. I must remain alert, knowing that combat is like walking on the edge of a sword. Though I’m only at Beginner Level 3, the combat knowledge flickering in my mind keeps me sharp.

The rat left nothing behind. Dungeons are like that—loot from corpses or rare items are acquired with a rare chance. The rewards are often stingy. It’s like a lottery: usually nothing special, but rare items are worth the effort.

More rats appear on the first floor. The battle method stays the same.

Wait for the rat to charge, provoke it to jump, and then strike it with my sword. Wait for it to bleed out. If it takes too long, maintain distance and stab it again.

Battle over.

With a set strategy, the fight goes smoothly without major risks. Being constantly ready and reacting faster also greatly reduced the danger. I was able to respond to all jumps and lunges.

I wonder if the sword’s blade will dull after drinking so much blood, but fortunately, it stays sharp. Equipment in this game-world has such benefits—my Level 21 short sword’s durability remains unaffected. There’s no need to clean the stains; the blood seems to absorb into the blade, leaving only its sharp edge.

The battle went smoothly without having to use a shield, and we headed to the second floor.

What came out was still a rat.

There were times when the two came out together, but in those cases, I reacted flexibly by keeping the distance between them.

If two of them charge together, do you block one with your sword, block the impact with your shield, and use 1:1 combat tactics?

Otherwise, I dealt with each of them 1:1, controlling the distance well.

The rat was really nothing special.

The problem arises on the 7th floor.

Skeletons appear on the 3rd floor, zombies on the 4th, bats and foul-smelling insects on the 5th, and large toads on the 6th.

But goblins appear on the 7th floor.

The battles until now have been mostly one-on-one. Even when facing two enemies, I could fight them one at a time by using narrow passages. Any injuries were easily withstood by my armor and protective ring. The smooth run of fights halts on the 7th floor.

A group of four goblins appears.

Dealing with multiple opponents introduces dangerous variables into the battle. That’s what makes this floor difficult.

You can’t just hope to pass the 10th floor and pray goblins don’t appear. At some point, I have to deal with them. And above all, I’m confident. I feel capable of handling them.

“Good.”

I slowly approach the group of four goblins.

In the past, I might have backed off and returned the next day. But something has changed. Gained experiences, memories, confidence, and ability have transformed me.

The unique intuition from fishing, the striking power from logging, the strong stamina from mining, the precision from trading—all of these skills are combining, creating synergy in battle.

“Gruk-”

The goblin’s guttural sounds echo as I approach. The fight begins with me picking up a rock and throwing it. A great start on rocky terrain. Luckily, the 7th floor is strewn with loose rocks. Engaging them at range first creates an advantage against their sharp weapons.

Splat!

Green blood splatters out.

A goblin with its head broken falls to the ground.

Hurry up and rush into that gap.

Unlike the previous battles where I fought back, this time I was the first to get attacked.

First, from left to right, go to the goblin standing in front of you.

The sharp blade of the sword and the powerful strength combined to cut the goblin into two pieces.

I saw two goblins who had not yet come to their senses and were aimlessly aiming their weapons at me.

In the meantime, he cuts with his sword once more.

Swing the sword tilted to the right again for a long time to bring the two birds into range.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t catch the one that rolled away and only cut down the one that was standing there blankly.

“Kyaaaaak!”

There is only one left.

The green blood dripping from the short sword feels quite sensational.

The goblin’s trembling hands are particularly visible. It’s probably proof that you’re scared.

Without wasting any more time, I rushed in again.

It felt quite laughable to see him holding a small knife and pressing the metal object against my blade in an attempt to somehow block it.

A destructive swing.

Powerful power that comes from the overwhelming difference in weight class.

The battle came to a lull after the goblin’s sword broke and the goblin flew away in the same direction it was swung.

All four goblins fall in under ten seconds. I exhale heavily, only now realizing I’ve been holding my breath.

“This is it.”

I look around at the remains of the goblins, feeling the lingering tension in my slightly trembling hands. It’s a brutal scene that would shock anyone in real life. But now it doesn’t faze me. The experience and memories I’ve gained, even at only Level 3, have matured me.

As expected, the dungeon’s rewards are poor. No complaints though, as I’ve grown used to it.

The battles continue similarly, even against larger groups of goblins.

The real trouble comes when I encounter six or seven goblins at once.

At this point, throwing stones isn’t enough. These goblins know how to throw things back—both stones and sharp weapons. Long-range combat introduces variables I don’t want to deal with, so I charge in, provoking close-range fights. Close combat is tough, but somehow feels more manageable, like fishing—I sense danger around me.

But dealing with six or seven at once is hard. If I don’t finish quickly, they scatter and attack from all directions. I can’t afford to get surrounded.

In situations like this, the shield proves invaluable. I use it to block the projectiles while luring the goblins into a narrow passage, taking them down one by one.

Thanks to the terrain and patience, I manage to reach the 7th floor.

It was naive to think I could avoid injuries. My armor is scratched, and my shield is ruined. My arms bear cuts and dried blood.

Despite using potions, my wounds don’t heal instantly. Covering my red-stained arms, I descend to the 8th floor.

Giant rats and bats appear on the 8th floor, skeletons on the 9th.

But I pass through easily, reaching the 10th floor, where red sea spiders dwell.

What I faced was a wolf, larger than a big dog. Three huge wolves, their green and yellow eyes glowing menacingly in the dark. Thick saliva dripped from their sharp teeth as they stared at me with pure hostility.

These were known as the most dangerous creatures on the 10th floor—dire wolves. Each of them reached a staggering length of 1.8 meters, their sheer size intimidating.

“Hm,”

I muttered to myself.

As always, I wasn’t the type to indulge in reckless courage or heroics. There’s beauty in knowing when to retreat.

The wolves growled low, their snarls reverberating through the space. Without hesitation, I began moving backward. The nature of dungeon monsters is such that they can’t ascend or descend stairs, making it incredibly easy to escape. Luckily, we had encountered each other right near the staircase, and if I turned around now, I could flee immediately.

Funny enough, I didn’t feel like I was going to lose. In fact, I had the strange sense that victory was within my grasp. However, it would be a costly win—one that would certainly leave me injured.

And therein lay the problem: suffering injuries would complicate my journey back. Facing battles on my way out with fatal wounds could easily lead to disaster. It was senseless to risk such misfortune by fighting these beasts. As much as I’d hoped for a red sea spider, I had to accept that they hadn’t appeared this time.

So, that marked the end of my first dungeon run. I reached the 10th floor, feeling both a sense of achievement and a tinge of regret for not pushing further. The battles had been long and exhausting, with ample time for rest between them. By the time I emerged from the dungeon, night had fully fallen, thick darkness blanketing the world around me.

It was only then that I realized my body was throbbing and aching all over. The rush of adrenaline had masked the pain, but now it surged sporadically throughout me.

With every step I took, my muscles screamed in protest. The cuts on my arm tingled with an almost unbearable stinging sensation. Aching, tired, but somewhat satisfied, I finally arrived home.

Once inside, I splashed water over my body to wash away the dirt and blood. As I did, tiny wounds—ones I hadn’t even noticed before—began to radiate sharp pain. “I’m hurting this badly?” I thought to myself in surprise.

Eventually, I gave in and poured a healing potion all over my body. It was expensive, but I’d bought it for times like this. The wounds began to heal, though the itching as they closed was an irritating, additional discomfort. The potion wasn’t a painkiller, after all.

Finally, I collapsed into bed. Despite the groaning pain that escaped my lips, exhaustion took over quickly. I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.