The SSS+ Rank Hunter Who Farms

3. The Ability Needed for Survival

Farming World had two main types of content.

Base Content – Farming crops and managing land near one's home.

Hunting Content – Venturing into the unknown and exploring uncharted lands.

Of course, these were just broad categories—when broken down, the game offered an endless variety of sub-content.

And while these two main content types seemed separate, they were fundamentally interconnected.

For example, farming wasn’t just about watering crops and tilling fields. Eventually, players had to build automation systems, which required high-grade materials. But those materials weren’t readily available nearby—they had to be mined. And, naturally, mines were guarded by monsters that needed to be hunted.

Conversely, hunting wasn’t as simple as running outside and swinging a weapon.

Players needed to craft weapons and forge armor to protect themselves from monster fangs and claws. That meant setting up a blacksmithing forge, refining ores, and crafting proper gear—all of which required a solid base of operations.

So, while Farming World seemed to split into two paths, both were actually core elements of a single, unified gameplay system.

This was common in games of this genre.

RPGs focused on hunting monsters to level up characters and immerse players in a chosen role.

FPS games offered the thrill of smooth, satisfying gunplay.

Similarly, Farming World provided the meditative experience of cultivating crops while also allowing players to venture out and test their strength.

Since experiencing everything in the game requires twice or even three times the effort and time, most players split roles when playing multiplayer.

Passive "herbivore" players focused on base-building and farming.

Combat-focused "carnivore" players specialized in hunting and adventuring.

But I wasn’t like them.

I’d spent ten years playing solo.

I had mastered both roles.

Which meant I could analyze and compare the two objectively.

Which aspect was more crucial in Farming World?

Which one, when enhanced with an SSS+ ability, would have the greatest impact on the other?

“This isn’t easy.”

Even though my goal was just to clear the tutorial quickly, there was no obvious answer.

If the decision had been that simple, Farming World wouldn’t have the reputation for being brutally balanced.

Both were essential.

Especially in a high-difficulty, SSS+ rank map, it was nearly impossible to determine which content type held more weight.

A strong hunting ability was meaningless without a secure base to process and refine gathered materials efficiently.

That’s why, in this tough debate between efficiency and power, I decided to factor in my personal preference.

Farming World, as its name suggested, was a farming-based game.

It was a niche genre, yet at the same time, it didn’t completely fit the traditional farming mold.

Unlike typical farming sims, where growing crops was the central focus, Farming World’s difficulty increased by shifting emphasis to exploration and combat.

Even the resources weren’t just random in-game items.

The materials, monsters, and dungeons were all modeled after real-world elements.

And that applied to hunter abilities as well.

That was one of the top three reasons I had played this game for ten years, risking everything.

Even if I never awakened as a real Hunter in reality, at least in Farming World, I could live as an SS+ rank Hunter.

"Yeah… this is it."

Thinking about that, my heart leaned slightly toward hunting.

I was curious about what an SSS+ rank hunting ability would be like.

In reality, I was just a pathetic loser, immersed in virtual reality with no abilities whatsoever. But in this Secret Hidden Map, I could rise as an SSS+ rank hunter, something that didn’t even exist in the real world.

And honestly, choosing a hunting ability was the fastest and easiest way to get through the early game.

For farming to become efficient, an automation system had to be set up first. But to reach that point, I would need to discover a mine and gather at least D to C-rank resources.

Trying to take down monsters with nothing but a crude copper weapon? That would be absolute hell.

The moment I started rationalizing it, my 30-minute-long internal debate instantly became meaningless.

Now, the only question left was—

Which hunting ability should I choose?

This insanely high-freedom game didn’t limit hunting to just swords or bows.

Here, everything was possible.

I could romantically wield a sword, or brutally swing an axe.

Hell, I could even use magic—though that was only available in maps where B-rank resources or higher existed.

And if that wasn’t enough, the game even lets players craft guns.

Of course, higher freedom meant higher skill requirements. Mastering a weapon demanded an equal price, and in Farming World, that price was time and effort.

But now, with a single ability, I could skip all that grind.

"Sword... magic... summoning..."

There were so many options to consider.

Magic was tempting. But like I said earlier, I wouldn’t be able to use it right away—it would take too long to gather A-rank resources on bare ground.

Still, thinking about the real-world mages, I couldn’t help but want to experience it.

"So, it's between the sword and summons, huh..."

Technically, weapons were divided into melee, ranged, summoning, and magic.

But since I wasn’t a fan of greatswords or axes, if I went melee, it would definitely be the sword.

For ranged weapons, the bow was the most stable choice. And there was always the option to upgrade to guns later.

But honestly, I hated ranged weapons.

In Farming World, using a bow wasn’t just about shooting arrows—I had to craft them too. And in this high-freedom, pain-in-the-ass game, crafting arrows was way more complicated than actually shooting them.

If I didn’t retrieve them after a battle, their efficiency dropped dramatically.

I still remembered that nightmare all too well.

Convenience was king.

What was Farming World’s core philosophy?

Automation.

A world where endless grind and effort eventually built automation.

In the end, this was a game where you suffered for the sake of ease.

If I wanted a bit of romance, I’d go with the sword.

If I wanted a mix of practicality and my personal taste, summoning was the better choice.

"Hmm."

This final choice was completely up to me.

Both the sword and summons met all my criteria:

1. Good for early game? ✅

2. Useful for both hunting and base-building? ✅

3. Still viable in the late game? ✅

The difference lay in points 1 and 3.

The sword had the advantage early on since I could start fighting immediately with just a basic wooden sword.

Summons had the advantage in the long run, as they could be useful for both hunting and base-building.

This also tied into point 2—in terms of versatility, summons were overwhelmingly practical.

But for pure hunting, the sword was the safer choice. If I wanted to survive in the early game, wielding a sword was far more reliable than summoning creatures.

"Damn. This is a tough one."

If I could really choose an SSS+ rank ability in reality...

The sword or summons.

Which would I pick?

After all that agonizing, I finally made my choice.

[Upgrading melee weapons to SSS+ rank.]

"You idiot. Acting like you're seriously planning for the future."

I had nearly fallen for this damn game’s trap.

Of course, I had thought through the best-case scenario, but—

If I had chosen summoning, I might have ended up suffering unnecessarily during the tutorial.

"Well, summoning… I’ll probably get it later anyway."

Even if it wasn’t SSS+ rank, summoning was something I’d have to level up eventually.

[Tutorial Quest Activated]

[Tutorial Quest 1]

 > Check the provided equipment and explore the area around your home.

> Reward: Unlocks Ability (Farming F).

Finally, the tutorial quest had begun.

I immediately walked over to the wooden box beside the door of my small hut and opened it.

Inside was a variety of items, tightly packed in a cramped wooden chest.

A system message popped up, neatly organizing the contents into separate slots in front of my eyes.

[Wooden Sword] [Wooden Pickaxe] [Wooden Axe] [Wooden Watering Can] [Wooden Hoe] [Bread (F) x10] [Water Bottle (500ML) x10]

A basic supply chest with 10 slots, containing the starter items.

Despite the game’s high level of realism, it was still a game—so when I opened a chest, its contents were displayed like an inventory screen in virtual reality.

I took everything out one by one and attached them to the belt around my waist.

Just like that, they automatically stored themselves in my inventory, without getting in the way or adding any weight.

This belt was the default ‘Farming Waistband’, with 7 slots—

Basically, a small inventory meant for holding essential tools.

"Alright. Let’s get started."

I wasn’t exactly excited about this—

But I had to find my home.

So, I drew my wooden sword first.