Famine 121: Farmstead Glimmer Hostel

When collecting [Ember Flower—Lava], along with the gemstones from the lava field, he received a new type of building material.

Si Zhiyan had already experimented with its parameters back at the farm, and now it was just the thing he needed.

With a stroke of the brush, accompanied by the crisp “clatter” of falling stones, a twenty-centimeter square block of molten lava rock appeared above the abyss.

This was [Lava Firestone].

Its outer layer was fractured stone, but inside it sealed a reservoir of molten lava, slowly swirling. Through the cracks in the rock, it illuminated a small area.

The illumination wasn’t as strong as a lightbulb, but the warm orange light shimmered and flowed, much like a small, dim desk lamp.

Soon, the [Lava Firestone] covered the ground in a solid layer.

“So this is the hostel’s lighting?” Nidhogg sprawled atop the firestone, digging curiously at a crack in the stone. “I suppose it works—and it’s pretty nice-looking. But, boss, this little platform isn’t much room at all. Two people would struggle to even roll over, and you want to build a hostel for those hamsters?”

Si Zhiyan glanced down at him and ruffled his hair.

His gaze was relaxed, even tinged with gentle indulgence.

Nidhogg: “? Is that how you look at a human?”

Without pausing, Si Zhiyan took this platform filled with [Lava Firestone] as the center, and began laying down more stones outward.

Thunk! Thunk!

Two blocks of [Lava Firestone] extended outwards, following the line of the floor, stretching into the empty air!

As the [Lava Firestone] joined together, the magical lava within flowed and merged, defying the constraints of gravity. It moved as if alive, supporting the stones and projecting them further into the void.

It was like a building from a video game, endowed with a magical anti-gravity effect.

Block after block, patch after patch… Luminous stones grew and fused, seemingly out of nothing, against a backdrop of pure darkness. Under the guidance of Si Zhiyan’s brush, they formed walls, constructed suspension bridges, sketched the outline of rooftops, and gradually became a small, glowing house suspended in the air.

Then came a second, a third…
Connected by glowing lava-lit walkways that seemed to float, the small illuminated houses formed a network, perched at various heights in the abyss.

Just like that, in the pitch-black, ink-thick darkness of the abyss—where one could not see their own hand—a cozy cluster of glowing buildings took shape, intricate and warm.

The complex wasn’t large, centered around a small castle keep. Around it, several small towers were scattered, standing at different heights. All radiated a gentle, warm orange-red glow, with lava coursing beneath stony surfaces—a magical, tender pulse of life, diffusing a faintly luminous haze…

Like a lighthouse.

“Oh! It’s beautiful!!”
Nidhogg immediately brightened, his vertical pupils sparkling in the firelight. He sat up with Shi He’s support, his wings fluttering in excitement.
“Amazing, boss!!”

Shi He’s shoulder trembled under the strain and, barely maintaining balance, he hauled Nidhogg down, a look of exasperation darkening his face.

Si Zhiyan merely smiled, shook his head, and ignored them.

For phase one of the hostel, Si Zhiyan built two large and four small structures—five buildings in total—comprising a tiny castle cluster.

One of the large rooms, the one in the afternoon sun, was a single-level intended as the dining hall.

The largest and most beautiful was the castle’s main keep.

This would serve as the lobby and staff dormitory.

As the centerpiece, Si Zhiyan made it more imposing, dividing it into two spacious floors.

The lobby occupied an entire open space, with a floor-to-ceiling height of over ten meters.

Having learned from the convenience store incident, Si Zhiyan hadn’t planned for Nidhogg or the others to handle guests, so he skipped the reception desk. Instead, the lobby was furnished with soft lounge booths, thick carpet, and a small wooden table stocked with tea snacks and a candy jar.

He also hung a few leafy green plants with red berries on the walls—a subtle touch of vine décor.

On the keep’s second floor, half the space was left open to the lobby below, while the other half was sealed off for the staff dormitory.
The staircase to the dorms was a spiral, off-limits to guests. If Nidhogg or Shi He needed privacy and rest, the second floor was theirs, complete with all necessities.

A wooden railing ran along the hallway in front of the second floor. Beside it stood a small table and two chairs. Sitting there, one could survey the lobby below—handy for greeting guests as they arrived.

When all was set up, Si Zhiyan stroked his chin.

The lobby looked a bit too dark.

With the open floor plan, the interior space was vast.

As a result, the lighting seemed insufficient.

Other than the [Gemstone Collar]’s output, no other light source seemed able to last more than two hours in here. So, the hostel’s lighting relied mainly on [Lava Firestone] blocks lining the walls. Yet, the firestone’s glow was only softly luminous: fine for small rooms, but too feeble for the lobby.

How to solve this…?

Ah—he had it.

He disappeared.

When he returned, he held a large bundle of [Volcanic Crimson Sunbugs] in his arms.

These tiny, oven-like creatures radiated not only intense heat but a strong glow.

In the—, it wasn’t notable, but brought into the abyss, they were like miniature suns, a string of blazing lightbulbs.

Encasing them in a protective globe, with a two-meter perimeter like a hamster wheel, produced the effect of a beautiful chandelier.

Placed inside a glass enclosure, the place turned bright as day.

“Chirp chirp!”
The Crimson Sunbugs, perplexed, raised their upper bodies.

Si Zhiyan casually tossed in some feed, prompting the bugs to pounce in delight, happily chewing and immediately forgetting where they were.

Problem solved perfectly. Si Zhiyan felt gratified.

“Remember to feed them at regular intervals. Don’t let the lamp go hungry enough to eat the guests,” he reminded Shi He. “And don’t get too close.”

Shi He nodded nervously.

Unlike certain livestock, Shi He was reliable in handling tasks, so Si Zhiyan could rest easy.

He turned and walked toward the small rooms.

There were four small rooms in all. Each topped with a sharp little spire, clustered around the central tower at different levels.

They weren’t large—just over thirty square meters each—serving as guest rooms.

The basic amenities came first: each room had its own bathroom, which hardly needed mentioning. With the [Portable Extra-dimensional Fertilizer Bag], worries about waste disposal were a thing of the past.

To make the rooms a bit more comfortable, Si Zhiyan laid down a thin layer of wooden planking throughout, forming a wooden interior finish.

Around waist height on the walls, he left a row of square cutouts, exposing the glow of the lava within.

These functioned like miniature sconces, emanating a gentle light.

This way, the brightness was just right—enough to see, but not enough to disturb sleep.

Si Zhiyan had never liked sleeping in complete darkness. He preferred a bit of soft light.
Before bed, he would always light a warm night lamp.

Placed at the head of the bed, its gentle radiance would lull him to drowsy security until he drifted off.

Now, the room had just this sort of lighting.

Finally, the wooden little rooms were each furnished with two 1.5m beds.

For the mattresses, he had specially ordered the [Savage Goose Soft Down Bedding Set] from the shop. The beds looked puffy and inviting, the softness spilling out past the wooden frame.

As for the room rate, three hundred points a night would do.
Anyone who could survive in an abyss like this probably wasn’t short on cash.

With all in readiness, Si Zhiyan nodded contentedly.

He took a plank, dipped his brush, and wrote the hostel’s sign—

[Farmstead—Glimmer Sleep Hostel]

With a solid “thunk,” he hung it beside the second-story entrance.

Perfect.

Si Zhiyan nodded in satisfaction.

When he entered the small building and looked up, he found that Nidhogg and Shi He had already fallen asleep.

They were lying on the soft beanbag sofas in the lobby, shoes and socks off, clad in cozy loungewear, their legs stretched out over the fluffy carpet. Nidhogg, sprawled out across two beanbags, slept unreservedly, while Shi He was curled up small against his chest, head resting on his shoulder. Their breathing rose and fell in sync, skin pressed close, the faintest smile on their faces.

Like two small animals with a close bond, snuggled together as they drifted into dreams.

After such a long ordeal, even the farm’s two strongest warriors were spent.

No matter; there was still time before the first customer arrived.

Si Zhiyan watched them with gentle eyes for a moment before quietly leaving.

Sleep then. Sweet dreams.