Chapter Text
"125,000g?!" Y/N shouted upon seeing the money Lewis had left her for her products. She had never seen so much money before. While she had been confident her goods could bring in 100,000g, she hadn’t done the math and had simply stuffed everything into the shipping bin without a second thought.
Her hands and feet trembled as she sat down to double-check the amount she had received. Her hard work had truly paid off!
It was the last few days of summer, and Y/N realized that the moment she had been waiting for had finally arrived. She could now sell all the coffee and strawberry wine she had been stockpiling over the past two seasons. Deciding not to sell everything at once, she had spent the previous day brewing a large batch of coffee and filling the shipping bin to the brim, piling containers on top until it was surrounded.
"I guess this money is enough to do everything I’ve been planning," she said, already mapping out her errands: upgrading the barn with Robin, visiting the Junimos, improving her axe, and catching up with her friends.
Still struggling to process the fact that she now had both free time and financial stability, Y/N tended to her animals, gathered what she needed, and set off. First, she visited Robin to request the barn upgrade. Then, she stopped by Clint’s to improve her axe. Finally, she strolled casually toward the Community Center. There was still plenty of money left, though she knew a good portion of it would soon be spent.
"Alright, folks, let’s fix that cursed vault," she declared as she entered, showing the money to the Junimos.
The Junimos clapped and bounced around in excitement while Y/N placed the money in front of them. In return, they gave her several gifts, ranging from chocolate cakes to a crystallarium. Once all the funds had been deposited, she watched in awe as the vault magically reconstructed itself, jumping back in surprise at the transformation.
"I guess all that effort was worth it," she said, admiring the work of the forest creatures.
When she left the Community Center, she realized it was still only midday.
"Maybe I can take a walk through the forest. It’s been ages since I last visited," she thought as she headed toward the town. Along the way, something shiny on the ground caught her eye. Acting almost instinctively, she grabbed her hoe and dug up whatever it was. To her surprise, she unearthed a doll that gave off an unsettling vibe.
"...This looks like something Gunther would like," she mused, holding the doll by its arm. The discovery reminded her of a strange seed she had found in the mines months ago. She rushed home to retrieve it, eager to bring both items to the museum.
It had been so long that she had to rummage through several chests before finally remembering she had tucked the seed away in the drawer of her bedside table. There it was, still wrapped in that note from someone named Mr. Qi.
"And I still have no idea where I’m supposed to find beets," the farmer grumbled as she left the note behind and pocketed the seed.
She used the minecart at the bus stop to quickly reach the museum. The moment she walked in with the doll, Gunther adjusted his glasses excitedly.
"I see you’ve brought something interesting to donate," he said with enthusiasm.
"Actually, I have two things," Y/N replied, pulling the seed from her pocket and placing it on the counter alongside the doll.
"My goodness! Is this what I think it is?" Gunther exclaimed, carefully picking up the seed and examining it. "It certainly is!"
"It is?!" Y/N asked, still clueless about what was happening.
"What we have here is a petrified specimen. Based on its shape and origin, it might be an ancient seed. And it’s in remarkably good condition! I could send it to Zuzu City for study. They might even be able to bring it back to life."
"Is that really possible?" Y/N asked, astonished.
"I can’t guarantee it, but there’s a chance," Gunther replied enthusiastically. "If it works, I’ll let you know and see about giving you some seeds."
"That’s great!" Y/N said excitedly. "And what about the doll?" she asked, pointing at it.
"Oh, that. An interesting find. I think it might be haunted."
"...What?"
"Just kidding!" Gunther laughed. "But it’s quite valuable. You know, this is the 60th donation you’ve made to the museum. I think you deserve a reward."
Y/N’s eyes lit up at the mention of a reward.
"I have just the thing," Gunther said, rummaging through one of his drawers. "Here it is!"
Gunther pulled out an old, rusty key that didn’t seem particularly special. Y/N’s excitement immediately deflated as she accepted the key with both hands. She thanked him politely, though the disappointment was hard to hide.
As night fell, the crickets began to chirp, and Y/N could hear Robin hammering in the distance. She put on her pajamas and collapsed onto her bed, followed by her pet.
"I think today was productive," she mused. "I’m making a lot of money, I have time for myself, and I’ve been able to improve so many things. I even got another mysterious key."
She rolled over to her bedside table, where she had left the key, and picked it up to examine it more closely. Based on its size, she had a vague idea of where it might belong, but she was far too tired to confirm her theory that night.
"Tomorrow’s another day," she thought, placing the key back in the drawer and letting out a yawn. "It’s not like anyone’s pressuring me."
The next morning, Y/N opened her mailbox as usual and found a letter announcing that the bus had been repaired overnight. She immediately recalled the little Junimo who had pointed to a picture of the bus when she was complaining about paying them so much money.
"They really do work fast," Y/N said in amazement.
After tending to her animals, she headed to the bus stop, where she found Pam with a big smile on her face.
"Can you believe it? I got my job back!" Pam exclaimed.
Y/N didn’t know what surprised her more: the fact that she could now travel to a new place or the realization that one of the town’s heaviest drinkers would be driving the bus. Without overthinking, she decided to trust her adventurous instincts, bought a ticket—though she found it a bit pricey—and boarded the bus.
The ride wasn’t too bad, though it felt a little long. The road stretched straight ahead, and the scenery gradually changed into a monotonous desert. While the landscape wasn’t much to look at, Y/N felt excited to see something new. Suddenly, the bus stopped in what seemed like the middle of nowhere.
"We’ve arrived at Calico Desert," Pam announced.
As soon as Y/N stepped off the bus, a wave of scorching heat hit her, making her understand why Pam preferred to stay inside, reading a magazine. Trying not to focus too much on the blistering heat and the sun burning her skin, she scanned her surroundings for something to do.
The first thing that caught her attention was a merchant's stall next to a camel. After all, she finally had some money to spend.
When she approached the stall, she noticed many exotic items she would never have been able to find in Pelican Town. The merchant, dressed in attire that suggested he was from a faraway land, showed her his catalog. Many products piqued Y/N’s interest, but to her surprise, none of them could be bought with money—they were all available only through trade.
In the distance, she spotted what looked like a pink-roofed castle. Intrigued, she decided to investigate. She arrived at a large sign that read "Oasis." Without hesitation, she pushed the door open and entered, feeling immediate relief from the air conditioning.
"Oh! A customer!" exclaimed an excited woman with pink hair standing behind the counter. She approached Y/N cheerfully. "Welcome to Sandy’s Oasis! I’m Sandy!"
Y/N spent some time chatting with Sandy, who was thrilled to hear news from Pelican Town, meet the farmer Emily often talked about, and make a new friend. Sandy gave Y/N a tour of the small shop, explaining the products she carried while both women acted as if they didn’t notice the burly man in a suit lurking in the back of the store.
"Sorry, I’m not allowed to talk about that," Sandy said, her expression briefly serious before brightening up again. "Want to see my exotic seeds? They’re my specialty!"
"Of course I do!" Y/N’s eyes lit up instantly.
Sandy proceeded to show her the seeds, and Y/N carefully examined each packet until one, in particular, caught her attention.
"Beets! You have beets?! You have no idea how long I’ve been looking for these!" she exclaimed, unable to hide her excitement as she grabbed a generous handful of beet seeds, along with a few other packets that looked interesting.
"Whenever you need exotic seeds, just call me!" Sandy said, interpreting Y/N’s enthusiasm as a compliment. It was, after all. "If I don’t have it, I can get it for you," she added with a wink.
Y/N left the shop delighted with her new seeds. The urge to plant them immediately was strong, but she realized it was still early, and she hadn’t explored the area much.
Across the street, she noticed what appeared to be a lake surrounded by palm trees and decided to check it out. Although there didn’t seem to be any traffic, she still looked both ways before crossing the road. She wasn’t expecting to see much life, but to her surprise, she spotted some fish swimming in the water.
"Bingo," she muttered to herself, thinking about how well rare fish would sell back in the town. "I guess I’ll just need to grab a few coconuts and..." She paused, trying to recall the name of the other fruit nearby but came up empty.
In a corner on the far side of the lake, behind some palm trees, she spotted what looked like the entrance to a cave. Her first thought was that it was probably nothing, but her curiosity got the better of her. To her surprise, it wasn’t just an ordinary cave. Inside, a lamp illuminated a door she immediately recognized.
"This is the Skull Cavern!" she exclaimed with excitement, pulling out the key she had been keeping safe.
Noticing a darker section of the cave, she approached it to take a closer look, just in case. There, she found a massive skull with a button inviting her to press it. Though Y/N could be clumsy, she had enough common sense to shake her head and turn her attention back to the door.
The key fit perfectly, clicking softly as the door opened to reveal a staircase.
Cautiously, she descended the stairs and found herself in a well-lit room with an Egyptian-style décor. The first thing she noticed were some rocks containing precious materials. But before she could step forward, a strange green, flying creature lunged at her aggressively. Thankfully, she managed to block the attack with her sword out of sheer reflex, forcing the creature to retreat.
“Whoa!” Y/N exclaimed as she adjusted her stance, watching the creature come at her again. Her sword trembled slightly in her grip as it clashed with the creature, but she managed to hold her ground and win the fight.
When the serpent finally fell, it dropped a generous reward that made Y/N smile and exclaim, "I really need to get a better sword." With that thought in mind, she mined a few rocks, gathered the creature’s spoils, and headed back to the surface.
As she emerged, something massive caught her eye: a giant fossil resting on a hill.
“Holy crap…” she muttered, wondering if creatures that size still roamed the depths of that cavern.
Her curiosity got the better of her, and she climbed up to examine the mysterious remains, which were undeniably enormous.
"Its skull is almost as big as I am," she said, marveling at the creature’s remains. She then noticed an inscription carved nearby:
"‘Its jaws point to the desert sun. Even in death, it hungers for a bite.’"
"Morbidly poetic," she remarked, her fascination growing.
Satisfied with the discoveries from her adventure, she boarded the bus with Pam and returned to the town. She was brimming with excitement over the new adventures that awaited her and couldn’t stop thinking about upgrading her sword. Perhaps she should sell more products to afford Marlon’s finest weapon.
Before heading to bed, she made sure to refill her shipping box with freshly brewed coffee, plant and fertilize her beet seeds, and, of course, brush her teeth.
The next morning, Y/N woke up eager to check how much money she had earned and already excited at the thought of visiting the desert again. That’s when she noticed a letter in her mailbox.
"I see you’ve entered Skull Cavern. Well done.
That said, I’ve got an even better challenge for you: make it to level 25 or deeper.
I’ve got a hefty sum of money waiting for you if you can pull it off.
Your friend, Mr. Qi."
“Perfect spelling, as always,” Y/N said with a grin after reading the letter. Then, her smile widened. “Mr. Qi, you and I are definitely on the same page,” she said with a grin, though a question lingered in her mind: Why is he so invested in my progress?
The thought only made her more eager to take on the challenge, her heart pounding with a mix of curiosity and anticipation.