The rain didn't wait for a dramatic pause. It just kept falling, heavy and rude, like the world itself was trying to wash him away.
Arlen Wicks stood in the middle of the muddy road, soaked from head to toe, boots sinking into the ground like even the earth had given up on him.
A sack over his shoulder. A letter in his hand. A heart cracked somewhere in the middle.
"We're disappointed in you."
He read the words again. Not because he wanted to. But because he didn't believe his own parents could say something that plain and cold. The letter didn't even bother with sugarcoating.
You're a disgrace to the Wicks family.
You waste your time crafting when you could be training.
We hoped you'd grow up. You didn't.
Don't come back. You're not one of us anymore.
No "love," no "take care," no "here's a sandwich." Just exile.
"Damn... guess I really was the family disappointment," Arlen muttered, wiping his nose on his sleeve.
His stomach growled. Loudly. Rude timing, honestly.
He wasn't strong. He wasn't magical. And he definitely wasn't the type to survive alone in the wild. He spent most of his life indoors hammering handles onto shovels, not stabbing wolves in the dark.
"Why'd I have to love building furniture..."
He shook the sack. A few tools clanked inside. His last pride—hammers, pliers, a half-made wooden bird that squeaked when you squeezed it. Useless stuff to most people. But to him, they were all he had left.
No home. No coin. No clue what he was doing.
"So this is rock bottom, huh?" he muttered, sniffing. "Cool. Guess I'll just find a cave to live in or something."
He didn't mean it seriously.
But the world, being the sarcastic jerk it was, took him seriously.
Because not even five minutes later—after stumbling down a deer path, sliding face-first into a puddle, and swearing at a squirrel—he saw it.
A cave. Hidden by vines and cracked stone. Dark, wet, suspicious.
Exactly the kind of place you shouldn't go into when you're alone, starving, and wearing shoes held together by guilt and hope.
So, naturally, Arlen went inside.
Because bad decisions build character.
The air inside the cave was colder than expected. Damp, but not unbearable. It smelled like moss, old rain, and something faintly metallic. The light from outside faded fast, so he pulled out a tiny torch—crafted it himself, thank you very much—and struck it alive.
The walls shimmered.
Weird.
They looked... carved. Not natural. Someone had been here before.
"Maybe someone lives here," Arlen whispered, heart picking up speed. "Please don't be a troll... please don't be a bear... please don't be both combined..."
He took another step. And another. Until he turned a corner—and stopped dead.
In the center of a small cavern, a stone pedestal rose from the floor. It held two things.
A plain bronze ring.
And a rusty, crooked hoe.
There was also a folded piece of paper lying beside them, perfectly dry despite the wet air.
"...Why does this look like a scam?"
Arlen stepped closer, half-expecting something to jump out. When nothing did, he picked up the paper and read.
To whoever finds this:
You're either very lucky or very desperate.
If you're the chosen one, take the ring and the hoe.
Don't ask questions you don't want answers to.
Just plant something. Anything. You'll know what to do.
—A fellow farmer
"…The hell?"
It sounded like something out of a bad adventure novel. No magical glow. No dramatic wind. Just a ring and a farming tool.
"Do I... look like a chosen one?" Arlen asked no one.
His stomach growled again.
"...Fine. Screw it."
He slid the ring onto his finger.
Nothing happened.
He picked up the hoe.
Still nothing.
He raised the hoe, waved it a little.
"…Maybe I gotta dig something up or—"
Suddenly, a blinding green flash exploded from the ring.
Symbols danced across the walls. His whole body felt like it was being scanned by a giant invisible librarian.
Then—ding!
A voice rang in his head.
[Congratulations! You have awakened the SSS Rank Farmer System!]
[Welcome, Arlen Wicks. Status: Weak. Sad. Wet.]
[System syncing...]
Arlen screamed.
Not a manly scream. A startled, high-pitched squeak.
"WHAT—who said that?!" He looked around wildly, hoe in hand like a baseball bat.
[System syncing complete. Starting tutorial...]
"No no no no no—I did not agree to any creepy voice-in-my-head crap!"
But the system didn't care.
[You are now the sole wielder of the Multiversal Hoe.]
[This tool can plant anything—from ordinary crops to legendary seeds lost in time.]
[You may now access: The Dimensional World.]
[This realm is infinite, isolated, and yours to shape.]
[Enter? Y/N]
Arlen blinked. Slowly.
"…Okay. So I'm either dreaming or dead."
He tapped the "Y" in the air, because what else was he supposed to do?
The cave shimmered—then disappeared.
He was standing in a green field. A horizon that stretched on forever. Rolling hills. Crystal-blue rivers. Trees taller than castles. And not a single person in sight.
It was beautiful. Quiet. Peaceful.
Also, terrifying.
"…Okay. This is fine. Totally fine."
The hoe glowed in his hand.
A prompt appeared again.
[Tutorial: Plant a Seed.]
[You may plant anything.]
Arlen glanced around.
No seeds.
Just grass.
He knelt down and plucked a few blades.
"…I'm gonna regret this."
He stabbed the hoe into the ground, dropped in the grass, and patted it like a pro. Nothing fancy.
fwshh—
The soil rippled.
Then—boom!
The ground exploded, launching Arlen back ten feet.
From the hole, a plant shot up—a massive stalk of wheat, ten feet tall, glowing gold, humming like it wanted to punch God.
"…What. The. HELL."
[Congratulations! You've grown: Divine Wheat of Endless Satiety.]
[Effect: One bite feeds a person for a week. Side effect: Minor hallucinations.]
Arlen blinked at the giant wheat.
Then at the hoe.
Then back at the wheat.
"…Okay. So. That happened."
He stood, brushing off dirt. His heart was racing. His hands were shaking.
But a smile crept across his face.
For the first time in weeks, he felt... good.
Not strong. Not powerful. But something had changed.
He wasn't trash.
Not anymore.
[System Activated.]
[New Functions Unlocked:]
Shop (refreshes weekly)
Crafting Table (requires resources)
Inventory (unlimited)
Quests and Rewards
Skill Purchase Menu
Pocket Bank
Dimensional Portal (Summon to enter/exit world)
Arlen whistled.
Long. Low. Impressed.
"…Okay, creepy ring voice. You win. This... this is insane."
He looked at the hoe in his hand.
It was still rusty. Still crooked. Still kinda ugly.
But now... it felt like his.
He grinned.
"I'm gonna build a kingdom out of potatoes."