Famine 115: Chocolate Lava Cake

Gurgle, gurgle…

The vine visibly began to boil.

This terrain lure seemed a little different from those before. Suddenly, the vine recoiled, winding tightly around Si Zhiyan, constricting in an instant!

It shuddered, as if it needed more time to digest what it had swallowed.

“Kh…”

In all his previous experiences, consuming a terrain lure had never produced such a reaction. Taken off guard, unable even to evade, Si Zhiyan’s body arched backward, his movement overturning the tea Kazuko had poured for him.

The tip of the vine stabbed into Si Zhiyan’s pale skin, squeezing him ever tighter, a hunger both greedy and desperate, clutching at him as though he were a final lifeline, until that pallid skin flushed with a physiological red…

Breathing became increasingly difficult. Si Zhiyan drew one long breath and slowly exhaled, lifting his neck, Adam’s apple bobbing as he fought to maintain a steady rhythm, chest laboring to keep up.

Even now, he wasn’t angry. Instead, he raised his fingers to gently stroke the vine’s knotted joints, his touch calming, as if soothing a guard dog’s bristling back.

Once, twice…

Cold sweat streamed from his brow, down his white throat and into his collar, only to be greedily lapped up by a questing tendril of vine.

Kazuko, worried, pushed herself partway up, but Si Zhiyan, his hands bulging with taut veins under the vine’s strangling grip, gave a trembling, suppressing gesture for her not to worry.

A strange balance, it seemed, had been struck between Si Zhiyan and the vine.

[Currently parsing data from Ashen Bloom—Lava…]

[Key obsessions detected: hope, refreshment, life, sweetness, paradise…]

[LOADING…]

[Ding! Signature dessert of Ashen Bloom—Lava generated!]
[Ding! Nursery #12 has produced: Lava Chocolate Cake!]
[Ding! Lava terrain unlocked, southwest of the farm.]
[Supporting S-level facility: Lava Moat unlocked!]
[Ding! A-rank lifeforms—Volcanic Red Sunbugs x200 deployed to the lava ecosystem. Please monitor ecological safety.]
[Ding! New building material unlocked—Lava Firestone! Can now be used in Imagination Paintbrush projects.]
[Ding! Farm integrity raised to 71%!]
[Farm core liberation deepened.]
[Farm core favorability towards you has greatly increased…]

As the system notifications chimed out, the disturbance slowly subsided.

The vine abruptly released him.

For a moment Si Zhiyan’s vision dimmed. He braced against the ground, barely managing to remain kneeling instead of collapsing altogether. As he caught his breath, the vine’s tip curled close with an almost guilty, uncontrollable affection, nuzzling along his skin to wipe up the cold sweat from his brow.

The core of the farm is being liberated… Just as he thought.

Only one more step, and the farm would undergo a new transformation.

But—favorability? When did that become a feature?

Composing himself, Si Zhiyan mentally asked the system: What’s the current core favorability?

A panel popped up:
[Current favorability: 999999999999]

Si Zhiyan: “…”
Did this really need to go any higher? Face blank, he closed the window.

Still, aside from that, it had given him quite a few fine new things.

About to stand and check them, he glanced up and saw Kazuko sitting primly across from him, shoulders shaking.

[Ah, sir, you’ve been enduring such pain all this time…]

Si Zhiyan: “…”

How was he supposed to explain this?
He subconsciously caressed the vine at his neck.
In truth, though being constricted was uncomfortable, he couldn’t say he really minded… Or that it was painful, exactly.

In the end, all he could do was nod slightly: “It’s all right. I’m used to it.”

[…!]
At that, Kazuko’s eyes brimmed with tears.

Si Zhiyan: “No…” Wait—wait, that’s not what I meant…

Kazuko, though, required no further words. She straightened her clothing and performed a deep, formal bow:

[Since sir bears such resolve and suffering, I, too, will do my utmost without fail, and not let your burdens go unrewarded.]

[That burning blessing has reached me as well. With its strength, I will continue my training, and open more sleeping hot springs for you.]

[I will go and make preparations. Tomorrow, you may come to the rear of the forest hot spring lodge to see.]

So many words crowded Si Zhiyan’s mind, but all he could muster was a weary: “…Thank you.”
Let it be. After all, it was a good thing.

Kazuko bowed three more times, reverently escorting him from the hot spring lodge.

First things first—what he wanted above all was…

To visit the nursery.

[Nursery #12—Lava Chocolate Cake]
Its molten core flows thick as magma.
On the surface, it resembles a volcano, kept at a gentle, ever-warm temperature.
It appeared it could even be mined for rock.

[Special Effect—Lava] Lava must shine! Your lava glows.
After eating Lava Chocolate Cake, for 2 hours, you emit a gentle luminescence.
This light cannot be extinguished or blocked; all creatures within two meters will be able to see you.

Ding! A slice of cake materialized in Si Zhiyan’s hand.

It looked just like a volcano, black and red, glowing faintly red-hot; the crust seemed tough, with uneven, finely detailed patterns resembling volcanic stone.

He tapped it with a spoon—the shell cracked with a click—and scooped up a bit of moist, soft cake, popping it into his mouth.

The crispy chocolate shell broke instantly. He realized, to his surprise, that the complex texture wasn’t sculpted; instead, it was formed from clusters of crunchy bits inside the chocolate—bits unlike any nut he’d tasted, but with a strong nutty aroma. Presumably, these were the “mined ore.”

As the spoon cut through, a rush of molten, warm chocolate lava flowed out, steaming and threatening to spill across the plate.

He gathered it up and tasted cake and lava together. The burning lava was almost like melted milk chocolate—rich, sweet, with subtle notes of liqueur and hazelnut. The cake itself was incredibly moist: the outside slightly drier, the inside so soft and tender it nearly melted on the tongue, with strong cocoa flavor, a touch of bitterness, and a sticky, luscious texture.

As he chewed, the two elements blended into each other, transforming into a flood of chocolate richness in his mouth.

The more he ate, the more he liked it.

Standing in the backyard, Si Zhiyan unconsciously finished the entire cake—from volcanic peak to base, leaving not a crumb, utterly satisfied.

Only, as he was eating…

A faint, orange-red glow, like living lava, radiated gently from his body…

Si Zhiyan: “…”

Plate in hand, standing in the open, he suddenly felt like a human lightbulb.

This… self-illuminating effect… What sort of logic was that?
He squinted as his own radiance dazzled him.
Well, fine. For nocturnal activities, this would surely be the best portable light source possible. No chance of malfunction, since you yourself are the light.

Just… it was a tad embarrassing.

Still, for the flavor…
He quietly swallowed the last bite of cake, wrapped himself in thick mist for a two-meter radius, and decided not to meet anyone until the glow faded.

He’d send the rest of the cake to Li Xuan, add it to the afternoon tea menu in the restaurant and make everyone else try it too. Come on, everyone’s going to shine—no exceptions.jpg

Then on to… the lava moat.

Si Zhiyan soared into the sky and, from his backpack, deployed the moat.

Buzz!

Beneath the [dangerous blackwood forest], a cascade of lava fell like a waterfall, churning as it flowed, then settled into a circular, ever-moving moat.

The lava pit brimmed with deadly intent—falling in would mean instant death—while above, a web of puppet wires set by Kazuko prevented anyone from simply flying across.
Trying to bypass the moat by air meant flying straight into a lethal net.

The farm’s power transported nearby players to the main road, setting up bridges for them to come and go safely.

No one was harmed; everyone gathered on the bridge, marveling at the moat below.

“A new construction on the farm?”
“What a deep chasm… It’s lava, but when you stand on the bridge, you don’t feel any heat. Amazingly crafted, such attention to detail…”

“Yeah, but it does look a little intimidating…”

Among them today was a newly arrived player, drawn by word of mouth.

He shivered, pulling aside a veteran who looked like a regular, and whispered, “Brother, is this farm really reliable?”

The old hand perked up: “Ah, you’re asking the right guy! Of course it’s reliable!”

This was Captain Zhai.

Back from a mission, he straightened up and shaded his eyes, giving the newcomer a full introduction:

“In the pitch-black forest, there’s a boundless river of lava encircling everything, bubbling away—this is the farm’s outer ring…”
“Cross the lava, and you’re in a jungle teeming with, well, not normal life… From time to time, you’ll hear chewing noises, and the grassy scent is tinged with blood. But that’s normal—what jungle doesn’t eat? Don’t worry about it…”

“As long as you stick to the main road, nothing will happen. See, the signs say so—‘Do not leave the main road’… And see, it also says, ‘If you have already left the road, forget the road exists.’”

“Go a bit further, and there’s the towering city wall. I’ve fought atop those walls—so many machine guns up there! Firepower like you wouldn’t believe, anything gets torn to shreds!”

With every word, the new player’s face grew paler. By the end, he looked waxen.

Captain Zhai, convinced he’d done a sterling job, smacked his lips and clapped his hands.

“And listen, once you’re inside, you have to obey the urban legend rules, right? They’re all written on the main plaza’s notice board—break one, you take your chances. But hey, who would break them… Hey! You all right, buddy?”

With a wail, the newcomer’s legs gave out. If Captain Zhai hadn’t propped him up, he’d have collapsed on the spot. “This—this—is this a farm or a demon king’s castle?!”

Captain Zhai slapped his thigh: “Don’t be shy! Come on! Let’s get you inside!”

The newcomer, miserably, muttered to himself, “Why did I come to a place as dangerous as this?”

At those words, the other players around them burst out laughing.

The newcomer, bewildered, could only look around, clueless as to what he’d said wrong.

[ Ding ding ding— ]

Just then, the farm’s loudspeaker rang out.

[Attention all residents within the farm:]
[Today at three o’clock, lakeside restaurant will serve their new afternoon specialty: chocolate lava cake.]

[150 points per serving, 500 available, sold at all lakeside restaurant buffet counters. Please come if you’re interested.]

And Captain Zhai, laughing heartily and proud, gave his answer with perfect conviction:

“Of course, it’s because our farm has so much good food! Cheap, plentiful, delicious, and way more variety than you’d expect—guaranteed to fill you up!”

New player: “…”
New player: “………………”

“Please, let me join the farm!!!”