Chapter 5
When I roared, Ruby—who had already trotted up to me—slapped her tail against the ground and barked.
…What, did she get offended because she’s a beast too?
Looking again, those sharp little teeth of hers actually looked kind of fierce.
And she’s even a rare Epic-grade species…
Could my adorable Ruby secretly be a powerhouse in disguise?
I quickly clamped my hands over my mouth, trying to stop the stupid grin spreading across my face.
I might’ve… picked up something incredible without realizing it.
“Kkyuuuuung!”
“Aww, sorry, Ruby! You’re the strongest! The best!”
I patted Ruby’s sulking face over and over to soothe her.
So what if she’s a beast? She’s still my cute Ruby, and that’s all that matters.
Anyway, that reward—the Lucky Gacha Ticket…
Please, let it give me something I actually need right now.
“Alright, my mighty beast Ruby, shall we have breakfast?”
Using the leftover pumpkin from last night, I filled both our bellies.
Since today would probably drain even more stamina than yesterday, worry was already creeping in.
“Okay, come here, Ruby.”
I rummaged through the wardrobe in the hut, changed into something that looked more comfortable, and tied a cute little handkerchief around Ruby’s neck.
“Phew, time to go, then.”
Just as I was about to step outside, a quest window appeared.
[<SYSTEM> Quest Triggered! “Operation: My Very Own Garden!”]
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Reward: Farming Skill Unlocked
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Failure: Muscle Loss
No way—muscle loss?! Never!
Holding back tears, I threw open the hut door and marched out.
Destination:
The second inheritance my parents left me—the garden.
“Oh, so this is… the little garden, huh?”
I gasped in awe at the small patch of land behind the cabin.
“So this is where I’m supposed to farm…”
But it was a lot bigger than I expected.
So this is how the hellish labor begins…
The game Animal Park—the one I’d been playing—was a special limited-edition release from the same company that made a hit RPG series.
Before it launched, I’d seen an article headline that said:
“In an age flooded with flashy content, a healing RPG aims to win hearts with peace and comfort.”
Yeah, great concept.
And since their previous title had been a mega-hit, everyone’s expectations were sky-high.
But once it was released… the reviews were downright brutal.
[Pros: The animals are cute. Cons: That’s literally it. Uninstalling bye.]
[I bought it thinking it was the sequel to that last game and… what is this garbage? So boring;]
[Crazy pay-to-win scheme; but even if you pay there’s nothing to do lol]
And yet… despite all that,
I gave it a full five stars when the game asked for feedback midway through.
I even bought some premium items while drunk.
Why? Because the animals were cute.
That was it—the cuteness hit my weak spot dead-on.
But now, staring at this real-life garden, I finally understood one review that had stuck with me:
[Not even worth one star. Why am I farming every single day? The devs must really love agriculture;]
Yup. The problem was—the farming was too realistic.
In a normal healing game, farming is simple: plant seeds, water, harvest. Done.
But not this game.
These cursed developers had made the farming system 100% realistic.
That’s why I skipped the farming content entirely back then.
Why waste time plowing fields when I could be looking at cute animals instead?
But things were different now.
“Ugh, the whole area’s covered in weeds…”
I sighed at the overgrown field stretching around the hut.
Since I wasn’t used to this world yet, heading down to find some village on the map seemed risky—and even if I did, I had no money or supplies left. I’d have to beg to survive.
In short, the only realistic plan was to live off this garden.
And with the system threatening my precious muscles… there was no choice.
“Huff, huff! Kyuu!”
Ruby ran circles in the backyard, tail wagging happily. Watching her, I clenched my fists again.
Alright. I’ll shovel my heart out if that’s what it takes to feed this kid.
But despite my determination, no matter how hard I searched the hut or the yard, I couldn’t find any tools or seeds to start with.
“How the heck am I supposed to farm with nothing?! No tools, no seeds, nothing!”
…Maybe it was time to use that.
With a serious face, I opened my item inventory.
[Heartbeat, Heartbeat—Lucky Gacha!]
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Normal Tickets: 5
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Rare Tickets: 3
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Special Ticket: 1
These were the gacha rewards I’d gotten from earning the “Beast Tamer” title.
If I used them, maybe I could pull something useful.
Granted, my luck with gachas was historically garbage… but still.
“Whatever! Let’s do it!”
[<SYSTEM> Would you like to use Heartbeat Lucky Gacha?]
[ YES ] [ NO ]
Right on cue, the system window popped up.
Seriously—creepy timing.
When I hit YES, the air around me glowed bright as particles of light gathered and formed a floating sphere.
Poof!
When the light faded, there it was—a panda-shaped gacha machine.
“Whoa, so cute! It looks like my Lulu!”
The gacha was shaped like a chubby panda, round and soft, with black circles around its eyes.
Its fluffy paws looked just like little levers begging to be pressed.
“Hmm, I guess I’m supposed to press its paw?”
<Panda: “Heartbeat Lucky Gacha—give it a spin!”>
A cheerful little voice came from the panda machine.
“Alright… let’s start with the normal tickets.”
[<SYSTEM> Use Normal Tickets?] [ YES ] [ NO ]
“Yes! Let’s do a 5-spin combo!”
The tickets transformed into bamboo sticks as I confirmed the choice.
<Panda: “Press my paw with all your strength! Wooaah!”>
Following its directions, I pressed the paw firmly, and the bamboo sticks were sucked one by one into the panda’s mouth.
<Panda: “Yum yum yum!”>
“…This is somehow cute and horrifying.”
I couldn’t tell whether to coo or cringe as the panda devoured the bamboo.
Then—flash! Its eyes lit up.
[<SYSTEM> 5x Normal Gacha Results]
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Garden Starter Set (Mini Shovel, Hoe, Fertilizer, Scissors)
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Small Potion Set (2 HP Potions, 2 MP Potions, 2 Strength Potions)
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Crop Seed Pack
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Panda Apron: An apron with a panda face on it. Feature: Extremely cute.
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“Sweet Dreams” Aroma Candle: Improves sleep quality when lit before bed.
“Yes! A garden starter set! I can finally dig!”
I cheered, scanning through the rest of the loot list.
Panda Apron—feature: Extremely cute.
Wait, that’s… it? Just cute?
I sighed, deflated.
Was the developer a panda maniac or something?
Still, considering my usual terrible luck, this wasn’t bad at all.
Every item I actually needed popped out in one go.
Feeling confident, I used the rare tickets next.
[<SYSTEM> 3x Rare Gacha Results]
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Spirit Bedding Set: A white blanket and pillow embroidered with golden thread, made by the hands of spirits. Sleeping in it restores HP and mental stamina.
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Healing Handkerchief: Wipe wounds to accelerate recovery. Can only be reused after a cooldown period.
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Adorably Distorted Sunglasses: Makes even hideous monsters look cute and lovable.
“Oh my gosh—a Spirit Bedding Set! Finally, no more filthy bed!”
I cried out in joy, as if I’d just won four Olympic gold medals.
