IGPB 06

Chapter 6

“Ugh… Thank you, Mr. Panda!”

I blew an over-the-top hand kiss toward the panda.
Even after scrubbing all day yesterday, the grimy bedding still looked hopeless.
Honestly, that thing belonged in a landfill, not on a bed.

“Hehehe, this is a huge success.”

The rest of the items didn’t seem useful right now, but someday, I was sure they’d come in handy.
I mean, if the normal and rare items were this good…

I stared quietly down at my inventory window.

[Special Ticket x1]

Just how amazing of an item would this one give me?

Barely containing the excitement that shot through the stratosphere, I pressed down on the panda’s paw.
The moment I did, the special ticket transformed into a bamboo shoot.

<Panda: “Wooahhh! Delicious bamboo shoot!”>

As the panda’s ecstatic voice rang out, its body flared with blinding light.

“Gah! My—my eyes!”

I squeezed my eyes shut as an explosion of radiance threatened to burn my retinas.

[<System> Congratulations! You have obtained a Legendary (SSS) Ancient Item!]
— ITEM: Aqua Mystica
An ancient relic said to have been used by the Guardian of Ages.
Grade: SSS+
Power: ???
Infused with the mysterious energy of an ancient spirit.
No ancient record contains details about its use or power — an enigmatic relic.

As the system’s cheerful voice rang in my ears, I slowly opened my eyes.
“Did… did I just get a legendary item? Am I finally a total OP main character?!”

It felt like all the luck I’d ever had in my life had been concentrated into this single, perfect moment.
Tears of joy welled up as I gazed at the radiant item glowing brilliantly in my hands.

As the light gradually faded, its true form was revealed—

“T-this is the legendary item?”

The relic once wielded by an ancient guardian radiated an otherworldly beauty.
Its golden, round body shimmered like a scoop of moonlight floating on a tranquil lake.
The slender curves were entwined with bright teal vines studded with multicolored petals and thorns, forming an exquisite harmony.
Embedded jewels sparkled with shifting hues, creating the illusion of spirits dancing around it — a fitting sight for a legendary relic.

And yet, as I examined it closer, a horrible certainty dawned upon me.

Wait a sec…

“It’s just—a watering can!”

A very—no, ridiculously—pretty watering can, but a watering can nonetheless.

[<System> Thump-thump! Ending the Lucky Gacha Service.]

Frozen on the spot, I stared blankly at nothing.
Apparently indifferent to my despair, the system mercilessly shut down the gacha.

“W-wait! GM! System window, come back!”

I frantically called out, but the system stayed silent, as if nothing had happened.
This was it—utter, total crisis.

I thought getting a legendary SSS weapon meant I was destined for greatness…
But this—this was…

“No records exist describing how to use this item.”

“Oh come on! At least tell me how it works before vanishing!”

My anguished voice echoed across the wide, empty plains.
Of course. I should’ve known my clumsy hands couldn’t possibly get that lucky.

“Haa…”

I let out a long sigh.
‘No… it’s still SSS tier. It must have some use, right?’

Trying to keep my optimism alive, I carefully set the glowing, overly fancy watering can—er, Aqua Mystica—on the ground.

“All right, first thing’s first: time to dig.”

A perfectly reasonable decision.
After all, I had a little one to take care of. Ruby was still watching me with those expectant eyes.

“Heh-heh-heh! Kyuu~!”

“…Yeah, you look happy.”

While Ruby rolled around in the dirt, her fur now a patchwork of mud, I felt a sudden wave of quiet loneliness—
the kind only a weary head of household could know.

“Let’s see… Oh, nice, items can stay stored in the inventory. But how do I take them out?”

I tapped on the Farming Kit item to test it.

Poof!

A flash of light—and a box appeared in front of me.

“Oh wow, it really pops out! It’s just like a real game!”
Well… I was technically inside one.

“Then the Crop Seed Set should…”

I paused, finger hovering over the next item.
Unlike the farming kit, the crop seeds had no description at all.

“Why’s there no info? Don’t tell me… it’s random?”

An uneasy feeling crept up my spine.
What if it spawned some kind of toxic or man-eating plant?
What if one bite and I’d be high-fiving the Grim Reaper?

“…Well, once it’s in my stomach, food’s food.”

Better than starving, right?
With that desperate logic, I clicked on the Crop Seed Set.

[<System> Open Random Crop Seed Set?]
[ YES ] [ NO ]

I knew it. Freaking random again.
Would it kill the devs to just give me something normal for once?

“Please, GM, I’m begging you—just something edible! Please!”

With a silent prayer, I pressed YES.

[<System> Random Crop Seed Set Results:]
— Seed of Wishes (x100)
These seeds contain the mana of the Forest Guardian.
Plant them with your wish in mind, and they will transform into the crop you desire.
— Rare Crop Seeds (x20)
Special seeds that grow random plants with unique abilities.

“Wait—‘they turn into whatever I wish for’?”

The moment I read that, regret stabbed through me.
Why hadn’t I opened this first?!
The despair from the watering can vanished instantly, replaced with pure elation.

“Ruby, looks like we won’t be starving after all!”

“Kyuuuu!”

“Yeah, I’m thrilled too.”
I grabbed my shovel, brimming with new hope.

[<System> Zoe Blanche — Quest Complete: My Very Own Garden Project!]
Reward: Title — Novice Farmer
Farming experience increased. (Crop Growth Speed +10%, Yield +10%)
Stats increased: Strength, Vitality, Agility, Magic, and Luck +5

“I’m… completely burnt out.”

After planting all the seeds and digging all day, time had flown by in a blur.
It felt like déjà vu—the same scene as my very first day here.

“All right, time to water them. Wait… why doesn’t the farming set come with a watering can?”

I rummaged through the box, but there was none to be found.
Without water, everything I’d just done would be pointless.

“…Guess I don’t have a choice.”

My eyes drifted toward the elegant relic sitting proudly on the dirt—
the Aqua Mystica.

“…”

Well, it is technically a watering can.

Sure, I might be the only person in history to use a legendary weapon as gardening equipment,
but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Just as I was about to get started, another problem arose.
To water crops, you first need water.
But this abandoned hut had no plumbing, and whatever water I’d stored was all used up yesterday for cleaning and cooking.

sigh … Solve one problem, and another pops up.
The yin-yang balance of suffering, I guess.

“Pant, pant… kyuu?”

At that moment, Ruby padded over, tilting her head curiously.
I couldn’t bring myself to hug her muddy body, so I just stroked her head and muttered weakly,

“Ruby… your big sis lost all her gains digging holes all day with no food…”

“Kyuuu?”

“Why did I have to wake up in some abandoned hut with no plumbing, doing hard labor with a dog…?”

There was nothing here.
Well, there was—but also… no, there wasn’t.

As I sighed and ruffled Ruby’s fur, she suddenly seemed to think of something.
Then, without warning, she grabbed my pants leg with her teeth and began tugging me toward somewhere.

“R-Ruby?! What’s wrong?!”