Warm sunlight streamed through the wide window cracks.
A high ceiling.
Luxurious artworks hung on the walls.
A soft bed that swallows the whole body and a blanket made of the finest silk signaled a refreshing morning.
“Ummm…”
[10:00 AM]
I rubbed my eyes and stretched while glancing at the system displaying the time.
“Yaaawn…”
Rather than going back to sleep, I got up, went to the bathroom, turned on the water at the antique-style sink, washed my face, and stepped back out.
My room was at the far end of the second floor.
When I opened the large door and walked out, the interior of a grand mansion unfolded before me.
As expected, countless artworks and porcelains decorated the walls and pillars.
The ceiling soared high above, with paintings adorning it.
In this enormous mansion—straight out of the Middle Ages—NPCs of various races managed the house as butlers.
“You’re awake, Master.”
“Good morning, Master! Did you sleep well?”
“Ah, yeah, yeah.”
I casually returned their greetings and made my way down the stairs toward the main entrance.
When I opened the door, a cool breeze blew away the lingering drowsiness, and an open, refreshing plain stretched out before me.
The view extending all the way to the horizon was dotted with beautifully arranged gardens, pleasant flower paths, small ponds perfect for strolls, and a stream encircling the mansion that harmonized with nature in a breathtaking way.
“Damn…”
You’d think I’d be used to it by now, but every time I see it, I can’t help but be awestruck—enough to let out a “holy shit” every time.
I have zero aesthetic sense, yet I managed to create such a stunning mansion and garden.
Sure, I got help from NPCs specialized in that field and mostly just provided the ideas, but since it’s my own unique mansion shaped by my own thoughts, there’s nothing to regret.
Ten minutes.
Even just looking around the mansion’s surroundings takes that long—it’s that big.
A wide road led straight from the open front gate.
There’s a tall outer wall to prevent outsiders from entering the garden, but even that blends in beautifully thanks to the natural elements mixed into the design to reduce visual clutter.
When I walked down a vine-covered path leading to the side of the mansion, a greenhouse larger than the house itself welcomed me.
And beyond it, an expansive automated farm.
Water was automatically supplied and sprayed every day, and the necessary nutrients and fertilizers for the crops were automatically dispensed too.
“Master, you’re here?”
Just like before, NPCs responsible for managing and growing the crops were stationed here 24/7, tending to the greenhouse—which could be considered the lifeblood of this estate.
“Everything going smoothly?”
“Of course! Harvest is in three days. Planning to ferment this batch into wine again?”
“We’ve got plenty in storage, right? Ferment whatever’s left.”
“Understood!”
The large warehouses next to the greenhouse were used to store harvested crops and gathered materials.
Over time, those warehouses had grown to five.
Alongside them were small, themed village-style setups like a forge, alchemy shop, and potion shop.
This village centered around my mansion was essentially my own world.
And from its center stretched the lands I had pioneered in this world.
I built roads, secured the surroundings, and developed mining sites.
[Farming World]
A game called Farming World, meaning a world where you farm items. It’s a virtual reality game that’s been out for quite a while.
You can play it solo or in multiplayer, choosing maps to farm and building your own kingdom.
With its immense freedom and realism, it even overtook RPGs, FPSs, and AOSs to rank #1 in VR games for a time when it launched—it was that popular.
Now, of course, VR games are practically dead, and its glory is in the past.
Still, I’ve been playing Farming World for a whopping ten years, ever since its launch.
Day and night.
Not for any particular reason.
Farming World is often played multiplayer, but its charm lies in solo play—where you can create your world as you please, without worrying about others.
Unlike RPGs, AOS, or FPS games that are stressful due to constant competition.
That’s not to say I was bad at games.
I wasn’t a top-tier player, but I did make a name for myself in RPGs and FPS games before Farming World came out.
It just wasn’t my style.
Once I started Farming World, I quit every other game.
It feels like I’ve lived my life just for this game.
With these thoughts in mind, I poured my life into Farming World.
I’m 26 years old.
If you exclude the time I can’t even remember from when I was very young, I’ve probably spent more time living in Farming World than in real life — maybe that’s an exaggeration, but just barely.
And this is the result of that.
Resource Reserves: SS
Resource Rarity: S
Map Size: SS
Overall Difficulty: SS-
These are the achievements I’ve raised in the highest-difficulty map of this game.
Unlocking the map only costs 9,900 won, so you can open it even when you first start the game.
I chose this final-difficulty map from the very beginning and have been playing for 10 years.
Naturally, survival wasn’t easy due to the difficulty level.
Sure, now I have a massive mansion with a large farm, warehouse, blacksmith, and even a hand-built village full of NPCs — but at the beginning, I started out with nothing but a tiny hut on a desolate plain.
I died.
A lot.
There were tons of resources and high rarity, but the corresponding monsters and traps meant it took an extremely long time to gather anything.
I did a lot of grinding.
So in the end, this mansion and farm represent ten years of my hard work and achievement.
“There’s nothing left to do.”
And only then could I say that phrase in this game.
I wonder if there’s anyone else in Farming World as qualified as I am.
After monsters began appearing in real life, not just in wastelands like this game, games like Farming World and Legend of Requiem (a MOBA-type game) were destroyed — even sports genres collapsed.
In a time like this, it’s rare to find people healing through VR games.
Still, I feel proud.
I no longer have to grind.
Sure, there are still unexplored places on the massive map, but I’ve left those alone — like saving a snack for later.
A map in a finished state, one I could quit at any time.
Of course, I have no intention of quitting.
I poured so much time into reaching this point — why would I stop now?
Reality may be trash, a miserable existence, but at least in this haven, I’m the king over NPCs with infinite money cheat codes.
Just waking up in my mansion and enjoying a leisurely routine is happiness for me.
So I had absolutely no intention of giving this map to anyone.
[Hello, Suhyun. I’d like to purchase your Farming World.]
A message I received not long ago.
Not through email — it was physically placed in the mailbox at the entrance of my mansion, where I receive quests.
That mailbox had become just a decoration after I completed all the quests, so I was excited to find something new in it — but that excitement quickly faded.
[We will offer you a hidden map called the Secret Farming Map. This map has: Resource Reserves – Unmeasurable, Resource Rarity – SSS, Map Size – Unmeasurable. It will be linked to your world and provide suitable compensation. You have seven days to consider. We look forward to your reply.]
Is this a quest?
It felt like a secret hidden quest that unlocks something beyond the final-difficulty map — the kind of thing you get only after achieving everything.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t curious.
Even this current map is overflowing with resources of such rarity that they can bring the unimaginable to virtual reality.
So what kind of amazing resources must a map with “Unmeasurable” ratings and “SSS” rarity have?
But the idea of selling the map made me uneasy.
If it was simply being offered as a new unlock, I would’ve gladly started it.
I could keep this one as a vacation spot and go there once or twice a day for healing while I challenge myself in the new map.
But to give up this map and receive a new one in return?
This is a world built from ten years of my life.
Farming World is my life.
Yes, I want to take on the new hidden map —
“But maybe I’ve gotten old.”
Ten years.
If the new map is even harder, it might take even longer to build it up.
Can I really start over with the passion I had when I was a teenager — now that I’m headed into my mid-30s or 40s?
“Regretfully…”
I no longer have room in my life for that grueling grind.
The seven-day deadline is today.
Ding-dong—
The bell marking noon.
“I’ll decline.”
That’s what I thought — I’d just ignore the offer.
I thought—
[Thank you for your cooperation. Suhyun’s Farming World 1 has been retrieved. The Secret Farming Map is now being delivered.]
“…What?”
The whole world went dark.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.