Famine 76: Trial Operation
by Cristae[Mist World—Day Nine / 07:20 a.m. / Bone Ferry / Current Farm Completion: 51%]
[Six days until the Main God’s Eye Attack]
Zhong Manwen opened the door and stretched lazily.
Liu Zhengchu was holding a stack of documents, followed by three admin-uniformed service players, as they walked past her room:
“Commander Nie gave special instructions—population and industry statistics need to be expedited. It’ll be a long day for you all… Ah, Ms. Zhong, good morning.”
The group noticed Zhong Manwen, and each of them bowed courteously, their tone both warm and respectful.
“Hey.” Zhong Manwen smiled in reply, waving as a greeting.
After the Blood Pool Incident ended, Zhong Manwen took over Gu Haoping’s duties and became the Bone Ferry’s new head of internal affairs.
Zhong Manwen and Gu Haoping were entirely different kinds of managers. The elderly woman was kind and gentle, close to the service players. After all these days, she had developed unique insights into managing the various affairs of Bone Ferry. Her age set her apart—wise, mature, and perceptive in her actions.
A woman in her fifties or sixties—still very much in the prime of her working years.
In these past days, she had single-handedly led the post-disaster reconstruction and personnel allocations, issuing many new decrees that brought order and remarkable effectiveness to Bone Ferry. Whether among the ordinary base-level players or people like Sha Tong, all were convinced by her leadership.
She had worked herself to exhaustion for so many days—it was time for a well-deserved break.
Starting today, Zhong Manwen had a three-day vacation, though she hadn’t decided how to spend it yet.
At her age, lively barbecue games and such were only novel for a single try. She couldn’t outrun a hunt, nor cared for fishing, and for the moment couldn’t even think of anywhere she’d like to go.
Not sure where to spend her holiday… Zhong Manwen smiled wryly at herself: what a luxurious worry.
Just three months ago, she had wept over being a burden to her son, unsure where tomorrow’s food might come from… not knowing when—or if—she would ever finish living out this life.
Bone Ferry stood atop the Blackthorn Forest; from the edge, the view looked out on a sea of mist above the land. The scenery was not exactly beautiful, but had its own peculiar charm.
Zhong Manwen admired the view for a while. Suddenly, along the horizon, the sky began to shimmer.
Hmm? Zhong Manwen’s heart instantly tightened.
She recognized this effect—it was one of Commander Nie’s magical items, called [Heavenly Soldier’s Battlefield Communicator]. When used, if a person spoke before a bronze mirror, the mirror would broadcast both voice and image to a designated place in the cloud mist, going live for all to see.
There were two such communication mirrors. When Bone Ferry and the Farm formed their alliance, Commander Nie had presented one as a sincere token of goodwill. It had since become the global communications link between Bone Ferry and the Farm.
The mist flickered twice, and gradually, a thin figure in black emerged.
“Friends of Kongque Town and Bone Ferry, good morning. I have an announcement,” said the Farm Master.
The Farm Master looked just as inscrutable as ever—legs crossed, half of his face veiled by mist, with the faintest trace of a smile.
Bone Ferry, Kongque Town… thousands of players gazed up in reverence, looking toward the mist as if beholding a god.
The Farm Master folded his hands on his knees, lips barely parting as he spoke both simply and with authority:
“In the northern forest area, a new Forest Hot Spring Inn has opened. It is for everyone to enjoy—relax and warm yourselves.”
“The daily rate is about 300 points.”
Whoosh—
In just those two sentences, it was as if a boulder had been tossed into a still pool, sending ripples surging outward.
A Forest Hot Spring Inn!
For players who had survived famine and apocalypse afterlife and death…
There was now a safe haven: a peaceful and beautiful hot spring inn in the woods.
Just hearing it sounded almost too wonderful.
And a rate of 300 points—not expensive at all…
Everywhere Zhong Manwen looked, every Bone Ferry player had stopped working. Clusters of whispers broke out. Longing appeared on many faces the instant they heard the news.
Thanks to those two sentences, many had already begun making travel plans.
“A hot spring inn…” Zhong Manwen murmured, her smile nostalgic, “Before the game arrived, I used to go to the bathhouse for a good scrub now and then… Ah, it’s been so long since I last soaked. Let alone a hot spring.”
Liu Zhengchu said, “Only the Farm Master could announce something like this in such a calm tone.”
Then, in the same mild manner one might use for morning greetings, the Farm Master said another line:
“Special project announcement. The hot spring inn offers a unique milk bath. With a ticket, after abiding by set rules and soaking for at least thirty minutes, your defense increases by fifteen percent for twenty-four hours. For details, consult staff at the inn.”
——
If the prior words had stirred mere ripples, this sentence sent Bone Ferry into full upheaval.
Thud!!!
Nearby.
Sha Tong burst from his office with a single bound and such a booming voice that even his chair clattered to the floor.
Even Nie Du, midway through pulling on a shirt handed to him by a raven, glanced up in astonishment.
“Fifteen percent defense buff?!” Nie Du echoed. “Just soak in a bath? You get it unconditionally?”
Beside the corridors, the barracks shook with shouts of disbelief—enough to blow off the whole roof.
“Did I hear that right?!”
“Fifteen percent defense—a life-saving boon like that, even if it’s a temporary item, is rare. Anyone who had one would keep it to themselves, never letting it circulate.”
“Captain, with that buff, couldn’t we finally take that cave mission? It’s worth ten thousand points in rewards!”
“Can our whole team go? That’s amazing!”
“Ah—ah!” Sha Tong snapped out of it, quickly asking, “Wait, what are the rules?”
“They didn’t say! Are there side effects?”
Sha Tong was sure: “There must be. If not, couldn’t you just keep soaking endlessly? There’s no way it’s that generous.”
“Extra ticket? How many points does it cost? For a buff that strong, it has to be at least a thousand, right?”
“Can it stack with other effects?”
The eligible players were so excited they were almost at a loss, shouting question after question.
Of course, the Farm Master in the sky would not hear them.
His voice remained mild and serene, as if wholly unaware of the commotion he’d caused, and he finished with an understated final line:
“For the Forest Hot Spring Inn’s initial opening, there are three hundred guest rooms, available first-come, first-served.”
“End of announcement. We look forward to your patronage.”
Click.
The war zone broadcast winked off.
“Don’t go, sir?!” Sha Tong nearly shouted himself hoarse. “Three hundred rooms—too few!! Hey!! We can’t get there in time!!”
He was slower to react than some, for already several off-duty guards had turned and fled at once!
“Lao Liang, where are you going?”
“To the hot spring inn! To grab a spot!!” The player called Lao Liang blasted off, vanishing into a distant black speck on the horizon. “Their local players may be moving out, but if I’m fast enough, I can still make it!”
Another player, hair transformed into a bird’s nest by the passing whirlwind, stood stunned in the wind: “Uh…”
Zhong Manwen slapped her palm and buzzed in on the gap-comm: “Qinghuai? Qinghuai, go book me a room—get us a spot.”
In Kongque Town, the Farm Master’s words had barely faded when Hezhai was pounding on Liang Qingshuang’s door: “Hurry, sis—skip your crazy makeup today!!”
Liang Qingshuang hadn’t even gotten out of bed, but she threw off the quilt, flung on a dress, pushed open the window, and leaped out: “Less talk, more action! Let’s go!”
In the Xu Bei dormitory, Zhong Yanqing laughed as she dragged Shi He from bed: “Kiddo, don’t mope. Come on, we can’t miss out—my treat!”
Shi He hadn’t been in the mood for fun, his spirits joyless of late. Yet at the mention of “hot spring,” something warm flickered in his knotted heart.
After only a little hesitation, he couldn’t resist the lure of the spring—he nodded.
He, in turn, politely gripped Zhong Yanqing’s wrist through her sleeve, pushed open the window, curled his claw, and whisked them both outside with one movement: “Let’s go.”
“Yay!” Zhong Yanqing cackled with delight.
Players bound for the northern forest quickly formed a surging tide.
Nie Du recovered with a leader’s speed, grabbed his cloak, and opened the door. “Sha Tong, come on! Let’s coordinate with the Farm—we’re willing to pay full deposit if they’ll reserve us a few slots at Bone Ferry.”
…………
……
[At the Forest Hot Spring Inn Entrance]
“Sir, I’ve passed on all your instructions—everyone’s clear on their duties.”
Yun Zhong changed into a fitted waiter’s suit, leading a team of staffers and bowing to Si Zhiyan.
Si Zhiyan stood at the inn’s entrance, nodding slightly.
“Good. Thanks for rolling with the new tasks so early in the morning. After the first days of business, I’ll issue appropriate bonuses to everyone.”
Yun Zhong beamed, trying his best to look steady and mature, though his face couldn’t hide a spark of excitement. “Hehe—just doing our job… Thank you, sir.”
The tranquil forest inn rustled, leaves swaying softly in the breeze.
Si Zhiyan clasped his hands behind his back, gazing into the quiet woods.
[Side Quest—Miko’s Accord: Collect 5,000 smiles at the Tenman Shrine Hot Springs. Current progress: 423/5,000.]
[Node detection: Reach at least 50% progress before the God’s Eye Revenge arrives, or the quest fails.]
…Hmm. Progress couldn’t fall behind. Hopefully the three hundred rooms on opening day would be fully occupied.
If not, he would have to come up with some promotional events.
Suddenly, there was a faint dust cloud in the distance.
Hm? Guests already? That quickly? Unless it was a beast…
Si Zhiyan turned to look.
To his astonishment, a vast rush of players came barreling through the undergrowth, trailing smoke and torn leaves—a stampede, some running, some sliding, some mid-transformation. It was as if the locust plague of famine season had been let loose.
Si Zhiyan: “?!!”
Before he could react, a grappling hook shot down from above; Shi He and Zhong Yanqing rolled to a landing in the leaf-dappled grass, dropping to one knee in front of Si Zhiyan, fast and silent as shadows.
Yun Zhong exclaimed, “Wow!”
Zhong Yanqing, hair full of leaves, flashed a thumbs-up, beaming: “Shi Jin’s Hunt-Soul ability is really handy—time acceleration never lets you down!”
“Phew…” Shi He’s luminous gray eyes faded dimmer as he exhaled. “We made it.”
He glanced up. “So this is the Forest Hot Spring Inn… It’s really beautiful.”
Don’t use the first-ranked Chosen One’s ability just to race to a hot spring hotel!
If Si Zhiyan had been a cat, every hair would have bristled in shock.
Shi He looked Si Zhiyan in the eyes, declaring firmly, “We’d like two rooms, please. Thank you, sir.”
“Right this way!” Yun Zhong, sharp as ever, happily led them off. “Congratulations, you’re the very first guests of the opening—high honors for Team Xu Bei! Please come choose your rooms…”
In a blink, the distant crowd arrived.
“They’re so fast! Cheats!”
Hezhai fumed, “How do Chosen Ones race for rooms with normal folk? Unfair!”
Sliding through on her own ability, Liang Qingshuang found a second to kick him: “Shut up.”
“Bro, I need a room too!”
“Save me one, too! Uh—how much is a ticket for the milk bath?”
“Is there a rules sheet? Where are the rules?”
Yun Zhong hurried to say, “Everyone, please line up in order—room selection and payments are on a first-come basis.”
In moments, the crowd swarmed the staffers in a chaotic ring, all jostling to pay and sign for their rooms.
[Ding! You have received 300 points.]
[Ding! You have received 100 points.]
[Ding! You have received 400 points.]
[Ding! You have received 400 points.]
[Ding!…]
[Ding…]
…………
……
Si Zhiyan could barely hear the point notifications—they rang in chorus, a barrage of “dings” like a maniacal soundscape.
If this were a computer system, it felt on the verge of crashing.
Si Zhiyan: “……”
At this point, he began to seriously consider one pressing question:
Had Phase One been built… far too small?