I put in a good half day of work making small mana stones and selling them. It’s gotten to the point where they are never poor quality and nearly never unstable.

Now, the actual selling price of these “crystals” seems to vary each time…it’s definitely because I’ve been releasing them with one hour windows but I’ve been addicted to getting paid immediately and the cost to store them increases with larger windows so….one hour fast pushes it is. Maybe if I make something super high quality I’ll put it on overnight and try and get a better price. Maybe.

Now with enough money to buy simple non magical items – but not enough money to buy anything really cool – I finish my shopping spree.

A shovel – not the 50 money version a 119 money one that’s discounted from 200. Some long planks of treated wood. Nails. A hammer. The stack of 13 buckets because I have a problem. Some rope because who wouldn’t want rope. A loaf of strange sandy tasting bread and a sort of jam to spread on it…A raised mat thing that looked like it would be better to sleep on than the ground.

An of work, gone. Just like that. Snap – to ashes!

I’ve kind of totally spent nearly all the money I made on those mundane items but hey! Easy come easy go – I’m not afraid to put in some work at least to start.

…I don’t have a problem you have a problem.

I figured the first thing I should do to feel like I’ve started my journey is to plant my snow peas. Easy enough. Diggy diggy the ground and put them in.

Except farming is a bit more involved than that. Not that I have the experience but it seems like common sense.

I could just dig the grass, but I think you are less likely to get weeds if you put it in a bed? Peas also grow up a trellis, don’t they? Damn there’s more stuff I have to buy…

42 money later and I have a bundle of sticks. Okay now I’m out of money for real this time.

I pick a spot several steps away from the home base that is my system interface.

The great diggy!

Raising the shovel high above my head I jam it down like the ground said something not very nice about my favorite milk slime. Keeping my momentum, I rock back and launch myself upwards on the handle. I then and enthusiastically slam both feet onto the shovel head with all my weight.

Down you go.

Leaving the shovel completely embedded in the ground, I run around the pole then push with all my might. Timberrrrr!

That’s only for chopping trees isn’t it? Shovelerrrrrr…

Alright. One lump of grass mostly ripped out…I think I have to cut the hole out of the grass first then remove it?

Picking the shovel back up I put it slightly to the side of the first hole then jump once again.

Timberrrrr!

I don’t know the thing you are supposed to yell while digging a hole.

I continue on slowly but surely my playful jumps becoming more and more effective as I get the hang of things. It’s really hard work – after about a dozen holes I stop playing around as much, my progress slowly becoming straightforward and boring. Efficiency is satisfying in its own way. It's not that the exaggerated movements are making me tired.

I need both hands to hold the shovel – if only there was a way to make mana crystals at the same time.

“Hey dairy, why aren’t you helping huh? You ready to swap off?” I offer the shovel to my slime while catching my breath…I should really stop thinking of it as a slime, it makes the idea of drinking the milk that comes out of it even less appetizing.

I turn back to my messy churned section of grass with sadness.

Ahhhh! Okay. I’m going’ take a break and make some beds.

I stare at my treated boards. They are really nice and straight. Thick. Solid. Each are perfectly identical in length and thickness.

Good wood. I smack the wood to show how much of a handy gal I am.

Do I want to make a completely square plant bed? I was kind of imagining a long thin rectangle…but that would mean I have to saw the boards evenly and I forgot to buy a saw as well…

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Do they sell boards that are much shorter?

Checking the market I continue to procrastinate.

Uggggggggggggg. I just want to make the garden bed. Why are there so many steps?

Square bed it is.

Taking four boards aside I double check they are all the same size then put two in a parallel sort of spot and pull out my nails.

Tiny bit of lining up…stick my knee on this one to hold it in place…shove it over by accident then try again.

Suddenly I have the great Idea of sticking the boards together before I nail them.

I rub the one end up and down imagining it nice and sticky. I then rub the other board's face near the end, imagining I’m spreading super glue up and down them. Doodooododoooooo

If I’m doing this do I even need to nail them?

…its permanent sticky now right? It has to be permanent sticky.

Heck. Did I waste money on a nail and hammer? I think I did. I could have increased my food budget by skimping on the nails.

Rubbing it much more vigorously I suddenly wince. I’ve given myself a splinter…where’s tweezers when you need them? I just need so many supplies – how do people live with nothing?

Continuing to rub the two, I can feel them becoming more and more primed and ready to stick together. I don’t stop there however! I can go all day! Not really…I will be going to sleep soon, the lights above already dimmer.

Continuing to rub the board it begins to resist my finger's motion. I press onwards – I’m going to continue rubbing until it prevents me from continuing! I want the boards to stay forever!

I’m suddenly thirsty. Wow it’s like my body is telling me to stop with sudden dehydration. How can I go from not even thinking of water to my mouth feeling like the Sahara?

It already feels like I’m trying to push my fingers through tar, this is probably good enough… No! More!

…okay this is definitely enough. Pushing together the two boards I feel a satisfying sort of click to indicate it worked.

The boards almost suck together – that’s less ‘sticky’ than it is two magnets slamming together – wow!

That click…that click felt different. The way I’m thinking about the skill feels noticeably different. I’m really thirsty but I’m going to try another one real quick.

Picking a new side I drag a third board over and begin rubbing the two ends I want to stick together.

Permanent. Stay together forever. You are best of friends with that board over there.

The skill comes to me faster and faster – it feels like seconds of rubbing before they are primed enough to stick. I lie down on my tummy and stare at the corners then slowly press them together squinting in concentration.

Click.

Definitely a sort of “settling into place”. I’m positive that feels different! Sitting up once again, I push the boards gently then suddenly jerk with more force.

They really don’t want to budge. I think…I think these are pretty dang stuck don’t you? Only time will tell if they really are glued permanently but we’ll see.

Moving to the system interface I’m not very shocked when I see the line saying Tier 6. I could have told you I levelled up.

My skill has actually levelled up twice since I got it and ‘locked’ it into tier 2. I’ve been using it a similar amount to the mana crystal one and that hasn’t tiered up once yet. Do I remember when I get a third skill? Yes it was tier 4 wasn’t it? I’ve been able to get it since the goddesses cheat…at the time it almost felt like I hadn’t earned it myself yet. Now I have and I could do it right away… but if I use it as a treat it will motivate me to finish the bed first.

Is that a dumb reason to postpone a new skill?

Maybe…sometimes I need to hold off stuff I want hostage to get things done. I learned that after living on my own for the first time.

Moving to the inventory, I pop out my bottle of water and take a deep swig. That’s the stuff. H2O. Pureee hydration in a bottle.

Pushing it back into the system I run across to attach the final board. This one's a bit different. I want to attach both sides at once…my square bed is also kind of lopsided the edges sprayed outwards slightly? I could have sworn the corners were flush. The stupid space is just weird enough to warp the edges of my box slightly so when I try and complete the square I have to squeeze it in to fit. It's going to be hard to get in and rub the final side isn’t it?

Okay. I think I can do this…I start to rub one one side, both fingers making spirals up and down the two ends. It builds quickly – reaching a point of saturation. Taking a deep breath I throw the board down and race across to the other corner.

“Quick” I yell motivating myself as I throw myself down and begin rubbing these sides as well.

Damn, another splinter.

I can almost feel the other sides fading slightly as they aren’t being used. Come onnnn just a bit more.

Throwing my board down, I rush back to the first edge topping them up slightly and then carefully pull it up and slide it into place Pressing the boards together my hands a vice. I push past the weird bending and hold the sides in place until they no longer show any sign of breaking.

Beautiful. One square box of wood. Only slightly warped.

I lay back on the ground staring at my effort.

I did that. That was me. It doesn’t look very impressive but I did it didn’t I?

I’m flush with sweat like I just ran a marathon. Am I really that out of shape? No todays just been a lot. I’m not done yet am I?

Placing the garden bed beside my hole, I carefully pull out several lumps and stick them upside down in the box. Here you go, here you go. All my dug clumps of grassy dirt are placed in the bottom of the square just barely filling it completely.

I think I’m going to plant the seeds tomorrow – I also have to figure out how to get rid of the grass. I don’t want weeds…well I mean I can’t stop weeds, but it would be nice to minimize them from the start. You know?

I can see the sun setting. I had vaguely planned on making multiple beds but churning the ground and then building that one took everything out of me. The fake sun is falling behind the horizon rippling and shrinking rapidly as it falls faster and faster.

Well then. Seeds are a tomorrow me issue. I’m going to leave everything on the ground – because I’m too lazy to drag it back to my inventory…besides who’s going to touch it? Walking over to the panel, I pull out my bed and sleeping bag.

“Night night” I call to the slime.

“Rustle” I hear back.

“You too!” I laugh.

Dairy is a real joker.