Famine 151: First Intent

Boom!

The entire land of lava erupted in a frenzy.

Wu Jing, the blacksmith, flung his tongs to the ground, cursing loudly in excitement. Liang Qingshuang leapt half a meter into the air, elatedly hugging Gao Zhai. Lu Xingde could not restrain his wild instincts, tipping back his head and howling skyward, cries echoing like an ape’s call.

Nidhogg was uncharacteristically silent. Arms folded, he hovered at the rear of the gathering, his blazing golden eyes reflecting the miraculous mine and the sea of jubilant players, his brown-red hair tossing in the wind.

He was a clever man.

From this wondrous spectacle, he keenly detected certain bone-chilling ambitions amidst the revelry.

Si Zhiyan lifted his head and met Nidhogg’s gaze across the distant, celebrating crowd. His red eyes were elegant and profound, as though they could see straight into Nidhogg’s soul.

Nidhogg looked away.

“Never thought we could really pull this off?” Shi He asked.

Nidhogg smiled faintly, remaining silent. Only after a long pause, with his eyes closed, did he speak.

“Mother made us, used us, controlled us, and finally cast us aside. After all these years wandering, even in the hardest times, we never thought of declaring war on the Institute.”

“You, the Boss, those people below… you’re all stronger than us.”

“There’s no such divide,” Shi He gripped his hand. “We are all in this together. You’re with us now.”

“Brother, Xian asked me to tell you something. He’s quite busy today, but hopes you’ll hear it.”

Nidhogg opened his eyes, searching him.

Shi He was still a youth, head held high as he met Nidhogg’s gaze, his voice clear and calm, merging with Si Zhiyan’s soft whisper lingering in his mind:

“Never bow to fate.”

…

The day before the mine’s opening, Si Zhiyan received good news.

Wang Meng’s brewing was finally ready.

Upon returning from the Nest, Si Zhiyan had checked her progress and exchanged for a [Fermentation Acceleration Gear] on her behalf. Coupled with the convenience of the enchanted mill and the tireless devotion of Wang Meng’s team, the first batch of sorghum wine had been successfully produced.

Wang Meng brought Si Zhiyan a sample. He told her she could name the wine herself; perhaps she’d like to continue her family’s tradition and call it Wang Family Old Wine.

Wang Meng declined. Though the recipe stemmed from her family, it was Si Zhiyan who had made this possible. The new flavor was rich and unique, with only a faint trace of the old Wang Family spirit lingering within. Eyes rimmed red, she solemnly offered the very first jar to Si Zhiyan, pouring out a cup and hoping he would name the new brew.

Si Zhiyan drank it in a single draught, savoring the pungent rush of alcohol, and said, “Awakening.”

“Let’s call it Awakening.”

The gem mine’s very first harvest festival marked the debut of Awakening.

As a supplier, Wang Meng held a seat at the banquet. Dressed in her most formal attire, she stood at the rear of the crowd, looking up at the slim and upright figure of the farm master on the podium.

Si Zhiyan raised his glass and spoke:

“To you, to us, to all players, to the living and the lost, to those roused from slumber—may we all greet a new dawn.”

The crowd drank deeply, voices erupting in thunderous cheers.

Amid the chorus of praise around her, Wang Meng closed her eyes to calm her tumultuous heart. Someone stood and raised a glass as they approached—she recognized the innkeeper Wang. She knew that, when this banquet ended, she would step onto a new battlefield.

…

After several rounds of drinking, Nie Du led the delegation from the Bone Ferry to offer their congratulations to Si Zhiyan. Familiarity rendered diplomatic niceties unnecessary; Nie Du’s blessings were genuine and heartfelt.

In the course of their conversation, Nie Du made a semi-formal proposal for cooperation.

He wished for Si Zhiyan to set a price, for the Bone Ferry was ready to buy up the gem mine’s ore on a long-term, earnest basis.

Si Zhiyan smiled, toasted him, but rather than give a definite answer, simply invited Nie Du to meet the next day in the guest room.

On the following day in the farm master’s study, Si Zhiyan poured Nie Du a cup of tea and brought the question to the table—

“I hope the Bone Ferry can move its base to the farm.”

Nie Du stroked his cup, pondering for a while, then said, “Master, is this a condition?”

“No. It’s our request.”

Si Zhiyan said,

“Commander Nie, we need you.”

The farm needed the Bone Ferry.

Even after the turmoil caused by Gu Haoping, and with many players flocking to the farm, Nie Du’s Bone Ferry still housed the largest and most comprehensive workforce settlement in the existing world.

Especially the craftsmen.

Most of the farm’s full-time players had spent seven years struggling for survival in the Famine game, and only laid down their weapons after discovering the farm.

But for craft, if you don’t practice for a day, your skills slip; after seven years away from the workbench, one’s hands grow clumsy, and it takes a long time to relearn. Besides, in the old society’s highly specialized divisions, those able to leave the machines behind and retain traditional skills were very rare indeed.

Only Nie Du, only the followers of the Bone Ferry, had managed to preserve a precious group of devoted, skilled laborers.

To this day, the most reliable craftsmen at Si Zhiyan’s side—the team led by Wu Jing—all hailed from the Bone Ferry.

Now, heavily burdened with work, master leading apprentice, they labored furiously.

The [Weapon Compilation Subsystem] and [Armor Compilation Subsystem]—in essence, nothing but two intelligent forges—could automate much of the work, but with very low efficiency. They sufficed for high-precision modifications, but for largescale batches, human hands were still essential.

Thus, to launch manufacturing on a short schedule, they absolutely needed the Bone Ferry’s craftsmen.

Si Zhiyan laid out the stakes to Nie Du, and demonstrated his goodwill.

The Bone Ferry would keep its own rules, but also observe the farm’s laws. The enforcement system [Field’s Rule-Based Anecdotes] would no longer regard the Bone Ferry as a lawless haven.

The Bone Ferry would retain its army, its defensive forces—Si Zhiyan would not interfere with its internal affairs.

He would not assist Bone Ferry in hunting down those on its wanted list, nor stop any player, acting on their own name, from claiming its bounties.

On this basis, Si Zhiyan would set aside a large tract of land for Bone Ferry, provide all city defenses of the farm, and guarantee market access without tariffs or conditions.

No need to bother with trade requests; just say what you want to buy, for in truth, we are one family now.

And most importantly:

The craftsmen themselves needed this opportunity—they needed the farm, and the gem mine.

Nie Du remained silent for a long time.

Si Zhiyan awaited his reply, never rushing him.

He knew: every organization that joined the farm, would, in the end, become its people. Even if Si Zhiyan had no such intent, he could not prevent such assimilation.

Nie Du had built the Bone Ferry with his own hands; all had witnessed his effort through the years. After all his toil, now he stood on the verge of moving from leader of his own domain to vassal of Si Zhiyan.

It was not an easy decision.

Si Zhiyan was prepared, should he refuse.

At last, Nie Du’s sigh shattered the hush.

“Very well.”

“A craftsman is only a true craftsman when he has materials to work with, when he can create results. After so much hardship, everyone deserves to enjoy life and put their skills to work.”

“Besides… Zhong Manwen probably wants to drink soup here too.”

Nie Du slouched into the sofa, wiped his face, then looked up and smiled, his feelings tangled and complicated.

“The Bone Ferry was founded to save others—we cannot become a hindrance now.”

Si Zhiyan was moved.

After all the rivers and mountains, after every joy and bitter feud, Nie Du was still Nie Du, never forgetting the purpose behind founding the Bone Ferry.

Even after tasting the loss of power, he was still willing to entrust his faith and highest ideals to Si Zhiyan.

Having seen too many consumed by power, a leader like this seemed almost a rarity.

Si Zhiyan grasped Nie Du’s hand firmly. “Thank you.”

—Si Zhiyan was not Gu Haoping. He would not betray that trust.

After several rounds of land expansion, Si Zhiyan’s farm was vast, yet nearly filled to capacity. Although some land remained, all had been allocated.

So Si Zhiyan spent hundreds of thousands of points to exchange for a floating apparatus for the Bone Ferry.

It was called the [Childhood Dreamer].

A device consisting of tens of thousands of floating balloons, carefully distributed around the Bone Ferry’s perimeter, it could lift the entire compound like a floating island above the farm—now hovering on the southwestern edge, between lava and meadow.

It took up no ground space—just a few roads needed construction for access, and previously installed vertical transit from its former perch above the Blackthorn Forest could be reused.

It perfectly matched the aesthetic of the fantasy town, though obviously didn’t suit the tough tastes of Nie Du, Sha Tong, and company.

The “Childhood Dreamer’s” balloons had originally been brightly colored, but, mindful of their preferences, Si Zhiyan assumed the role of patriarch and painted them all white.

Truth be told, it was much more unified in this way, and did create a special ambiance.

Nie Du accepted it calmly. Sha Tong, on the other hand, frowned for a long while before pinching the bridge of his nose and giving in.

Lin Qiushui clapped Sha Tong on the shoulder, smiling. “We’ve poached each other’s people so long, and now we’re finally colleagues.”

Sha Tong snorted, “I hope you didn’t embarrass our troops with your defense array?”

The two locked eyes, then burst out laughing, vowing not to go home sober that night.

…

The Bone Ferry’s craftsmen soon threw themselves onto the production line.

Gems were now used for enchanting not only jewelry, but any item or equipment.

Especially weapons.

Though not professional enchanters, the Lava Folk’s handbook gave these craftsmen all the guidance they needed to forge, cut, and set simple gems into items for enchantment.

At the very least, they achieved the standard of [First-Tier Refinement].

[Red Crystal]
A deep crimson gem, with subtle, gold-bright lava flows visible within—this was Red Crystal.
It brimmed with explosive fire-aligned magic. After being cut and forged, it could enhance the wearer’s strength and attack power.
[First-tier forging unlocked: Attack Power +10%]

[Blue Crystal]
A gem of pure blue, which, when shaken, sounded like tiny splashes of water.
It carried a pure, harmonizing, water-aligned magic.
Less like a stone and more like a soft jelly, it was fragile, difficult to forge or preserve, and required expertise—only skilled craftsmen could handle it.
[First-tier forging unlocked: Caster Skill Power +10%]

Embed 100g of a gem into an item to yield the full enchantment bonus. The same type of gem enchantment could not be stacked.

Previously, Si Zhiyan had sold [10% All-Purpose Amplification Armor]—a similar boost—for 30,000 points.

But these preliminary-forged, raw gems—meant to be set and enchanted by players themselves—Si Zhiyan decided to price at 10,000 points for each 100g, first-tier gem.

He did not deliberately cut prices—mining came at a cost, and vast sums were needed to prepare for the coming war.

The mine could stably yield at least 13,000g of gems per day; after subtracting miners, craftsmen, machinery, and other costs, this was nearly 800,000 points in income each day.

The gem mine now surpassed every other facility, becoming the farm’s main source of revenue.

Pondering the figures, Si Zhiyan could not help but sigh—truly, a mine owner was a profitable role.

But then again, he had some concerns—10,000 points was no small sum. With the mine extracting endlessly, could the farm’s current population, with their points, absorb such a stream of gems?

He decided to test the waters.

Thus, Si Zhiyan placed the first batch of gems on sale, ready to gauge the market’s reaction.