Famine 108: Water Carnival

The monster raised its twisted limbs, erupting in a light as blistering as the midday sun.
The one who should have died was Qiu Youqing, but Teacher Lin pushed her aside. The light detonated, and in the blink of an eye swallowed Teacher Lin whole.

“Lin Ma!!!”

Qiu Youqing used all her strength to try and shield Teacher Lin, but Old Shen’s hands clamped down like iron pincers, dragging her away.

As the brightness faded, Teacher Lin’s body, under the intense heat, charred and withered, twisting into a ghastly, blackened shape.

She had just a breath left, whispering, “Water…”

So thirsty, her throat felt as if it would split open.

Qiu Youqing knelt before her, desperately upending her flask, but not a single drop remained.

She could do nothing but watch Teacher Lin slowly ebb away.

Just like so many other friends already claimed by the Famine Game and searing hunger, lost forever, never to return.

Qiu Youqing stared with wide, trembling eyes. Don’t cry, don’t cry—if you do, you’ll lose water. Lose water, and you’ll die too…
No matter how she urged herself, tears still streamed down her face.

Around her came many muffled sobs.

But their tears were salty. They couldn’t save Teacher Lin…
Nor could they save themselves.

……
…

“Xiao Qiu, Xiao Qiu!”

Qiu Youqing started violently awake, sitting up, gasping for breath.

Lin Yanqing knelt in front of her, gently patting the girl’s cheeks.

Unlike the bookish, refined image of Shen Dongming, Teacher Lin did not look like the typical stereotype of an educator. Faint lines marked her eyes, her short hair was cropped neat and practical, her figure clad in activewear, eyes bright with warmth and energy at her fingertips.

From the very first day she’d been placed in Teacher Lin’s class years ago, Qiu Youqing had adored her.

Qiu Youqing gazed dazedly at Teacher Lin.

Suddenly, her eyes stung with tears, and she flung herself into her teacher’s arms.

“Oh, there there. Had a nightmare?”

Lin Yanqing, unfazed, hugged Qiu Youqing and patted her head with a smile.

“All right, get up, now. Have you forgotten? Today is the first day the water park opens.”

“Haven’t you been talking about it for days?”

Qiu Youqing wiped her eyes carelessly, nodding hard. Her two closest friends—Yang Ying with her neat bob and Gu Yingying with her long hair pinned up—were already waiting for her. Yang Ying darted over, teasing, “Get changed! Quick!”

All the teenagers in the cave were waking, a din of laughter in the air. After some playful wrestling, they were soon dressed in their swimsuits and tumbled out of the cave in a merry throng.

Boom!

A blue firework blossomed in the cavern, where tangled strings of colored lights hung overhead, glossy banners streaming, all aglow in festive radiance.

A long line had already formed at the cold drink shop, but the past few days had seen two new NPCs added, so the line moved quickly. No one seemed dismayed by the wait—they happily debated the menu, weighing if they wanted the new strawberry ice cream or an orange slush. Choosing was half the fun.

Most others, moving in groups of three or five, strode along in high spirits, chattering excitedly about the water park.

On the cave walls along the way were giant blue posters:

[FARM WATER CARNIVAL OPENING COUNTDOWN: 0 DAYS]
[Food Carnival in the Rest Area for Three Days Before Water Park Grand Opening!]

Yang Ying, arm in arm with Qiu Youqing, pulled her into the surging tide of laughter. Enthusiastic, she whispered in her ear: “Oh, we were so lucky to get tickets on opening day! Over four thousand people, only three hundred passes! Haha, thank goodness Mr. Farm saved us spots—he’s so great…”

“Yingying, Yingying, do you think there’ll be grilled sausages at the food festival? I haven’t had one in ages…”

“Xiao Qiu, hey, do you think the water park has a slide? One of those really high ones, like a waterfall…”

All sorts of hopes and wild guesses filled the air.

Gu Yingying walked between them, mostly silent, lips pressed in a gentle smile, listening.

Usually, Qiu Youqing and Yang Ying did all the talking, but today Qiu Youqing was a little out of it, so Yang Ying’s lively chatter stole the spotlight. Luckily, her energy was contagious and others eagerly joined in, keeping the mood bright.

Shen Dongming couldn’t help but give the girls a light tap on the back of the head: “There’s no way they had time to build something that big. If there’s a handful of pools for you to play in, you should be grateful.”

“Enough gossip, let’s move it—we’re late, you’ll have to wait forever to get in.”

“Okayyy!” Yang Ying giggled, grabbing Qiu Youqing by the arm. “Run!”

With a laugh, she dragged her two friends along, leaving Shen Dongming softly shaking his head behind.

All through the caverns, the farm had installed air conditioning and new ventilation, so the temperature was always perfect. Running beneath lanterns and garland, cool air and refreshing mist brushed their cheeks.

At 8 a.m.

By 7:50, groups of kids clustered at the closed blue doors of the water cave, listening to the gurgle of water behind them, excitement mounting with every minute.

“What will it be like…”
“There might even be a deep-water zone!”
Some laughed, “Probably not that big—the cave isn’t large. If we can get wet, it’s good enough.”
“…and if there are fish, that’s a win, too.”

Nearby, some older kids speculated, while Yang Ying sidled closer and whispered, “Xiao Qiu, have you ever been on a water slide?”

“No…” Qiu Youqing looked forward, her curiosity growing. “I’d like to try.”

Maybe—just maybe—they’d actually built one?

A player in a baseball cap nearby overheard, smirked, and shook his head, “Kids and their fantasy talk. The cave’s only a few meters high—where would they put such a thing?”

“That’s a rude thing to say,” Qiu Youqing bristled, “Mr. Farm is amazing—he could do anything!”

He snorted, “Sure, little miss.”

“If it’s there, then what?” Qiu Youqing challenged.

He drawled, “Then I’ll take off my head and let you kick it around like a ball.”

The crowd jostled in the cramped cavern, breathing hard in anticipation. A water slide? Ridiculous—there wasn’t space for that. He wasn’t worried.

Boom.

At exactly eight, the fireworks burst like clockwork.

All the chatter died; everyone held their breath.

A swirl of dazzling white mist gathered in front of the doorway, rising and coiling.

There, in the center of the mist, a dark figure stepped out, smiling, emerging from the shadows.

It was Mr. Farm.

“Welcome to the Farm’s Water Carnival,” Si Zhiyan greeted them with a smile.

The great doors behind him began to open with a creak.

No more words were needed—for an instant, everyone fell silent.

—The sound of running water expanded all at once, loud and clear. Behind him lay a vast, broad expanse, a cavern so large that its borders and ceiling could not be seen.

The gleaming floor was covered in flowstone, pools large and small scattered about like shallow lakes. The water was crystal clear, fish swimming here and there. There were colorful festive flags, pools covered with drifting bubbles, others churning with artificial waves, and one pool formed into a slide, its beginning and end lost from view…

But what truly captured everyone’s attention were the dozens of water slides, large and small, made of every material, suspended in the humid air.

Some were plastic, others seemed to be crafted of colored glass, each glowing with brilliant light. The winding, twisting chutes intertwined and looped in midair, sparkling in the cavern twilight.

Whoosh—
Deep blue water tumbled like waterfalls from the slides’ heights.

Echoing in the cavern, the water’s roar was amplified, scattering cool splashes everywhere.

In the distance, other attractions hid behind slides and pools. Some were gigantic—like giant rolling drums, their purpose unknown…
So many features, it was impossible to take them all in.

Eh…

Eh?!!

Everyone froze, heads tilted back, stunned by this wonderland of chill and color.

The kid in the baseball cap was utterly dumbfounded.

Could it really be this big?
Was this cave… always so tall…?

Mr. Farm’s genial voice sounded: “For the sake of building the facilities, I expanded the caves a little using my own methods. I hope you all enjoy the result.”

Expanded…expansion…

Some of the more experienced players were secretly swallowing nervously.
They’d all considered this before—after so long in this world—but soon concluded: the cave structures were incredibly stable. There was never a risk of collapse, but unless you had a special artifact like the [Jug], no ordinary player could reshape or significantly enlarge the topography. The most even someone like Wang Jinyu could do was blast away loose stone here and there.

Mr. Farm could create such vast space—and brushed it off as if it were nothing. What kind of terrifying power was this?

The glances in the crowd suddenly sharpened; some even showed a flicker of creeping dread and awe.

To wield power like that… just to build a theme park…?

Just how strong was Mr. Farm, really? It was almost unimaginable.

Si Zhiyan, holding the [Dimensional Plate: Imaginarium], gave only a faint smile, offering no explanation.
This was the legacy Imaginarium’s High Priest had left behind for his heirs, a gift after his passing.

Everywhere Imaginary Pond could reach, the High Priest’s ideals could transform the world.

No need to think of that now—no need to say anything. It was enough that he knew it himself.

“The water park is divided into three sections. What you’re seeing now is only the first: the shallow-cave slide zone.”
Si Zhiyan casually straightened his cuffs.
“The further sections, and the entrance to the next cave, are for you all to discover on your own.”

There…there was even more!!

Qiu Youqing’s eyes went wide, struck speechless.

This sparkling, dreamlike place was only the first floor?!

“Before entering, there’s a shower and disinfection area at the entrance; please rinse off before joining the carnival… If you notice a yogurt-like smell, it’s probably your imagination.”

“There are also special events and quests at the entrance. The first thirty guests to experience all the attractions, reach the third floor, and clear the challenge will receive a mysterious gift… a reward everyone is sure to love.”

Si Zhiyan smiled, pressing a finger to his lips, and said softly,

“I hope you all have a wonderful time.

Please—go on in.”

The cavern instantly erupted.

“Ohhh—!!”
“Long live the Water Carnival!! Long live Mr. Farm!!”
“It’s so cool in here, I’ve already been splashed in the face, hahaha!”

“Unbelievable, it’s so big! I thought I’d be happy with a rubber duck in a swimming pool, but this is…!”

“Hey, don’t shove, don’t shove!”

“There’s so much to do, we could play all day!”

“What are the mystery prizes? Damn, I have to get one, no matter what!”
“Let’s go, let’s go for it!”

Cheers broke out as kids surged forward in a rush.

In her ear, Yang Ying’s shrieks and laughter were deafening—even Gu Yingying could not help but join in with a loud, carefree laugh.

“Your head! Give it here, let me kick it around!” Qiu Youqing, clear-headed at last, smacked the baseball cap-wearing kid on the head.

“Ow! Don’t hit—don’t hit! I was wrong!” He turned beet red, mortified, ducking and running.

He begged forgiveness until, transformed into a marmot, he rolled on the ground, bowing to the three girls so fervently that Qiu Youqing let him go.

But he didn’t seem bothered at all—on the contrary, his face was aglow with excitement as he grinned and crowed, “Heh, it’s real! It’s really real!”

“It’s so beautiful, hey, totally worth it if my head’s a ball now!”

Yang Ying burst out laughing.

Lively friends, a healthy Teacher Lin, a water park straight out of a dream…

Qiu Youqing tilted her head back, eyes prickling with sudden warmth.
Compared to her nightmare, this really did feel more like a dream.

No hunger, no thirst, no deadly tasks to escape. No work, no bitter reality—just a long holiday, thirty fantasy days in this hidden cavern, cut off from the world…

It was an impossible, almost unreal, happiness.

Cool water mist blew in her face. She let out a tearful laugh, and, carried by the surge of the crowd, cheered as she dashed for the sparkling water.

Here we go! And there’s still half of these thirty dreamlike days left!