"Hey, Luis, you're late today!" "We've been waiting so long!" "Where's our gift? Where's our gift?"
Luis put on his best sad-puppy face: "Here's your gifts, guys! But starting tomorrow, I might not be able to swing by anymore."
"WHY?" the Harvest Sprites shouted in unison.
"The farm's gonna keep me crazy busy from now on. I'm afraid I won't have time to drop off gifts until next season."
"What kind of work?" "Can we help?" "We're super good at stuff!"
"Well, uh…" The Harvest Sprites fell right into his trap. Luis fought back a sly grin, keeping up the gloomy act: "Nah, it's probably too much. I wouldn't dare ask you guys!"
"We can handle it!" "Let us take care of it!" "It's no big deal!"
"Alright, fine. I'll have thank-you gifts for you. We start tomorrow, cool?"
"DEAL!" the Harvest Sprites cheered, pumped up.
One problem down. Luis wasn't sure how tough managing the Sprites would be, but it'd take some figuring out. This was a solid start. The three Sprites he'd gotten tight with over the past few days were Staid, Hoggy, and Nappy. The others weren't as close, but they were still on friendly terms.
Labor was sorted. Now for the cash flow. You need both to build a capitalist empire. Nobody gets rich on their own dime alone. Borrowing or finding investors is the way to go. This world had no banks for loans, just payment middlemen. To get more capital, Luis needed the right investor.
"Hey, Jeff! What's good?"
"Here for more seeds? You look beat, man. Take a breather!" Jeff said.
"Nope, I'm here to clear my debt." Luis flashed a grin.
"Took you longer than I expected. You've been harvesting like crazy, so I thought you'd pay sooner. That debt's been hanging around!" Jeff teased with a laugh.
"Man, I wanted to pay you back sooner, but I'm saving up to fix the chicken barn. I'm planning to level up the farm business."
"Smart move! So why pay me now? I'm not in a rush. The seeds you've been buying are already good business for the store."
Luis sighed. "Truth is, I'm short on cash. The repair costs are insane—basically rebuilding the barn from scratch."
He plopped onto a chair in the store, spilling his guts: "I'm looking for an investor to fix the chicken barn ASAP."
"Investor?"
"Yup. I'll split the profits 50/50 with whoever funds the barn. Money from eggs and chickens. Not huge, but steady. Know anyone who might be interested?"
Jeff thought for a second, then nodded. "Alright, I'll ask around."
Luis knew his pitch had landed. He paid off the 900 G debt from the past nine days and told Jeff to keep delivering breakfast, charging it straight to his bank account.
Jeff was his target investor. Luis got what Jeff wanted and was ready to help him out. A win-win deal made perfect sense right now. Jeff needed to prove himself to his family. Luis's offer was juicy enough to hook him, and he was sure Jeff would reach out soon.
No time to overthink. Luis headed back to the farm. Tomorrow, the Harvest Sprites would help water the fields. He seized the chance to plant eight more rows of turnips and eight of potatoes.
This season's goal: max out farm output with the Sprites, start raising chickens, and save enough to upgrade his axe to silver—the level where efficiency really kicks into high gear.
That night, he worked until midnight but didn't finish the sixteen new rows. When he hit the bed, he was wiped out.
8:00 AM, 11th - Spring
The patter of rain on the roof woke Luis. He dragged himself out of bed, exhausted. Yesterday, he'd pushed himself to the limit digging new rows for potatoes and watering turnips. He had to finish today, but the first spring rain had rolled in. What a bummer. The Sprites' first workday, and rain made it too easy for them. Tired as he was, he grabbed his hoe and headed out.
The spring rain wasn't heavy, but enough to soak anyone without an umbrella. Luis threw on the straw hat hanging in the house, getting drenched as he powered through. He finished planting twelve rows of turnips and twelve of potatoes. Staid helped harvest four rows of turnips from before, saving Luis a ton of energy. Hoggy and Nappy, though, dodged the rain, lounging under a big tree, napping and singing. Those little spirits had it made.
To keep Staid, Hoggy, and Nappy happy, Luis didn't rest. He trudged through the rain to the forest to find gifts for them.
Then it happened. His head spun, his steps wobbled, and he hit the ground. Everything went black.
…
In a daze, Luis heard a soft, clear voice: "Stay here with me! Stay here with me! Stay…" It echoed over and over.
He felt cozy, warm, lying on a soft bed. He wanted to keep sleeping, but a metallic clatter snapped him awake. His body ached, too weak to sit up. He could only open his eyes to find the noise.
He was in a stark white room: ceiling, floor, curtains, bed, sheets—all white. Clearly a hospital. A young nurse with short hair was fumbling to pick up tools that had fallen from a metal tray, looking flustered.
A man in a white coat rushed in, probably to check on things. The nurse stammered, "Sorry, Doctor! I tripped! I'll clean it up!"
"No worries, just be careful. Hey, you're awake?" the doctor said, noticing Luis staring.
"Yeah," Luis managed, trying to be polite, but his throat wouldn't cooperate.
"Alright, rest up. I'll have Elli get your meds ready."
The young doctor walked out, signaling the nurse to follow.
So, Luis was in the hospital. Days of overworking, topped off by a rainy day, had done him in. This body was too frail, he thought. He'd have to be more careful. In the game, he'd push through rain or shine to finish the day's work, only resting during storms. But here, working in the rain was brutal. His body ached, his mouth could barely move, and he couldn't even sit up for a sip of water. He tried, nearly falling off the bed. Luckily, the nurse rushed in to catch him.
"Hey! Don't move! Your body's totally shot!" she said.
"Just wanted some water," he mumbled.
"Stay put. I'll get it for ya."
Elli, the nurse, poured a glass and said, "Anything you need, just let me know. You're temporarily wiped out—don't move too much. Take this medicine. It'll help you bounce back quick."
Luis eyed the bottle: blue liquid, sharp smell, steaming like it was poison, not medicine. Seeing his doubt, Elli chuckled. "Don't worry, this is Doctor's special blend from local ingredients. Super effective for exhaustion!"
Luis braced himself and drank. It was bitter, burning down his throat. He grabbed the water, rinsing out the taste. His face twisted, and Elli giggled. "Everyone makes that face the first time, but they're always shocked at how well it works!"
"Oh, who brought me here?" Luis asked. When he passed out, no one was around the farm except the Sprites. No way those tiny guys could carry him.
"Some townsfolk. They said a dog led them to you. You're lucky to have such a smart pup."
"Glimmer?" Luis felt a warm glow in his chest. Since arriving, Glimmer had been by his side, worrying and playing with him. That dog was his only family in this town.
"Where's Glimmer now?"
"It's waiting for you outside the hospital, but I took it home!" a man's voice boomed. A chubby guy with a kind face stepped in, rocking a bright red suit you couldn't miss.
"Mayor Thomas!" Elli bowed to the town's respected mayor.