Famine 149: Taming

Si Zhiyan plucked that flower, scooped up Sol, and left the field.

Later, the blood people awoke from their dreams. The farm staff, too, peeked carefully out of their rooms, gazing in awe at the masses of furry little creatures blanketing the grass.

The blood people were no longer blood people. Freed from [Friend], the players’ mutations would gradually fade, and before long, they would return to normal, human bodies.

Some, perhaps, felt a sense of indescribable loss—but for most, it was a relief.

Yan Cheng and Ye Xianqing embraced tightly, while Guan Wang’s cheeks bulged with cake as he raised a hand to touch his face, newly restored to five clear features.

Only now did Si Zhiyan notice that this athletic youth, upon close inspection, had delicate features—and even dimples when he smiled.

Meanwhile, Havana hugged HACK, absentmindedly stroking him while glancing toward the central courtyard.

In the midst of countless puppies on the grass, the largest minehound, ensconced in tendrils, lay at the very center, meeting his gaze.

An unspoken familiarity welled up from deep inside.

“Woof!” HACK bolted, stumbling as he dashed to his old friend. The two little dogs collided in a tangle, quickly rolling over and over until both were covered in grass clippings.

…………
……

Si Zhiyan built the largest training enclosure yet in the Abyss, right near the exit. He fenced it round with lava rock and filled it with small huts, adding a few toilets as well.

This was now home for the tendril puppies.

The fence could never truly contain these creatures, but Si Zhiyan had his own ways of giving them peace so they’d stay willingly.

“Feeding time, feeding time… Hey! Don’t lick me. Out of the way!”

Havana, lollipop in mouth, struggled through the sea of furry dogs with an enormous stainless steel pan in his hands.

When he finally managed to reach the right spot, Havana raised his hand and poured out generous helpings of chicken liver, pig liver, and poached chicken, all mixed with fresh milk and divided into neat rows of food bowls.

During those slow days when tasks were scarce in the Abyss, Si Zhiyan posted a notice board recruitment to hire managers for the kennels.

Havana likely set a personal record for running speed just to sign up.

Naturally, there was no competition. Havana got the offer, and was so pleased he spun circles in his room that night.

Si Zhiyan had nothing to worry about—dog feeding could safely be left to Havana. He knew exactly what the little animals needed. Even if the puppies had a few strange new “accessories,” aside from needing more food than usual, they really weren’t much different, were they?

Every day, Havana put out a variety of dishes, laid in two lines of separate food bowls.

Chicken breast, venison, and cooked chicken liver were minced and whipped into a steaming, aromatic meat mash. Pig hearts, diced small, were folded into the meat and mixed in for that special texture dogs love.

He chopped sweet potatoes, not too fine so there’d be some chewy, uneven chunks, then stirred in plenty of milk—set aside as a special treat.

The tendril puppies pressed eagerly forward, a furry sea of bobbing heads, devouring their food with delighted little snuffles.

With new flavors every day, the puppies even queued up for their turn—none showed any urge to wander back into the Abyss.

Honestly now, those creepy monsters—could they ever be as tasty as freshly made dog food.jpg

Sometimes, a puppy would eat so happily that—“pop!”—a whole bouquet of tendrils would burst out in a flower.

Havana was already used to it. With good temper, he patted the tendrils and treated it like a wagging tail.

At every mealtime, the scent wafting from the kennels was so strong that even passing players couldn’t help but take notice.

Take Guan Wang, for instance, leaning against the fence, peering inside hopefully.

After feeding, Havana wiped his hands on his apron and turned to find him. “It’s lunch break now. Today’s bonding activities start at two o’clock. Go rest, Xiao Guan, I’ll call you when it’s time.”

Guan Wang said, “I’m not impatient, but… just wanted to ask what all this food is. Smells amazing. Can I have some?”

Havana gave him a speechless stare, then good-naturedly ruffled his hair. “Be good, sit down.”

“Okay,” Guan Wang said.

He obediently pulled a bench over and sat quietly outside the fence.

Behind him already stretched a long line.

As for why so many were queuing up…

Anyone who saw Havana knew at once!

Guan Wang glanced up and saw Havana floating in midair, swaying as he tossed out piece after piece of tough jerky.

These were special snacks he’d requested from Si Zhiyan—scraps of pig testes, rabbit heads, and other farm leftovers, thoroughly cleaned and oven-baked to a crisp, tossed to the puppies for chewing.

At each toss, a crowd of puppies would surge up enthusiastically—

Yet no matter how lively, they never laid so much as a paw on him.

At Havana’s side, a dog enwrapped in tendrils spun its “propellers,” a smile at Havana’s lips as if dog and master were flying together.

What energy!

Unlike the dangerous [Friend], these tendril puppies were kind to everyone—high-spirited, clever, vigilant, and utterly reliable teammates anyone would want by their side.

But, ultimately, Havana’s [Friend]s were a rare case; not all puppies fully accepted every player as a symbiotic partner. Now, with old obsessions dissolved, if a player wanted a new puppy companion, both sides would need to pick each other and build new bonds.

That was all for the best. Guan Wang patted his chest, full of determination. Yesterday, a pure white minehound seemed fond of him, so today, he brought honey jerky as a gift—it was sure to be a hit!

And behind him, there were plenty of other players with the same idea.

…

Si Zhiyan, as the orchestrator of this new order, was more than delighted to see such spirit.

In time, his farm would have a several-thousand-strong, airborne, tendril-dog-wielding companion battalion.

That would be good.

Si Zhiyan put out a separate bowl of dog food, left it on the grass by the farm.

Sol wagged his tail, barked a cheerful “woof!”, licked his hand, and buried his head in, gobbling happily.

Sol’s back and limbs were golden-orange; his belly was white and fluffy, not unlike a Shiba Inu.

Si Zhiyan brought him home, kept him as family. In his bedroom, he laid out a plush dog bed just for Sol.

Yet Sol was not the type to stay put in a dog bed.

Chubby, lively, and outrageously sociable, he chased every bird and rabbit in sight. On his first farm day, he gleefully chased the Phoenixes of Ignis, scaring the birds into wild flight and leaving scorched feathers everywhere.

Si Zhiyan was about to intervene, but before he could, Sol had already tumbled onto a “surprise guest”—

A Frost-Horned Rabbit who didn’t much care for running.

Yet Sol did nothing but pin down the rabbit with easy joy and give it a massive tongue bath, licking until it was all damp.

The Frost-Horned Rabbit radiated chill, at first kicking slightly in token protest, but soon found the attention rather enjoyable, and simply lay there, lazily tossing its head and reveling in the pampering. Occasionally, it’d perk up an ear and nudge the dog with its ear tips.

Soon it was just a damp, flattened bunny pancake.

The Phoenixes hovered overhead for a while, and finally, realizing there was no real danger, alighted on the puppy’s back, curiously pecking at Sol’s head.

Tap, tap.

From a distance, some bolder players sidled up, extending tentative hands to stroke the puppy’s soft fur.

Si Zhiyan sipped his coffee with ease.

Well done, Sol—getting along with everyone perfectly.

That social charisma is even greater than mine.

…

In a spare moment, Si Zhiyan took Sol to Lava Land.

The mine-hamsters of the Mine’s Spirit surrounded Sol, chittering in animated discussion.

They had so many stories—they talked about the mine’s glory days, the land of lava and gems, the fireworks of the old ceremonial festivals, the people, industrious and joyful at every feast…

Sol lay on the scorched earth, tongue lolling, head cocked, tail softly wagging.

Perhaps he understood, perhaps he didn’t. He could only whimper faintly, lowering his head to touch that familiar land with his nose.

Times change, things die, yet some things endure.

Si Zhiyan didn’t want to disturb their reminiscence. He went off to his own affairs, and on his return found Sol fast asleep. The puppy sprawled out, limbs flung wide on the earth, his furred belly rising and falling, with heaps of hamsters snuggled across it—some stretched pancake-flat, others curled into balls—all sleeping deeply.

Just as in the days of the Gem Domain’s festivals: under the fireworks, tired hamsters would doze on the sides of exhausted minehounds, dreaming together.

This time, beside the dog’s furry cheek, nestled a sky-blue, frosty-horned bunny as well.

Si Zhiyan watched them with gentle eyes for a while, not wanting to disturb, and quietly slipped away.

That night, Sol left the Lava Land as cheerfully, and as unburdened, as always, nosed open the farmhouse window and flew inside.

The puppy wagged his tail, nudged the sleeping Si Zhiyan, and curled into his dog bed at his feet. Stretching luxuriously, he tucked himself into the soft cloth scented like home and drifted off content.

The next day, Si Zhiyan returned again to Lava Land.

Before him, all the lava crust seemed to turn transparent. As he looked out, hills and valleys gleamed with gems, a sea of dazzling, colored light everywhere.

This, millennia ago, was what the [Order of Gemlaying]’s bearers once saw—

The world’s parting gift.

He had obtained the mining rights to the entire [Gem Domain].

In Si Zhiyan’s palm, the outermost gemstone glimmered anew in its true shape.

[Crimson Crystal (Uncarved)]
Entirely red, with molten gold flows faintly visible within if one looks closely. This is a Crimson Crystal.
Containing explosive, searing fire-aligned magical power; once polished and forged, it can enhance the wearer’s strength and attack power.

[Unlocked Tier 1 Forging: Attack +10%]

The intangible lock above it had vanished without a trace.

These gems could now officially be put to use.

Si Zhiyan opened his operations panel and selected [Lava Land Upgradable Spaces].

[LV1—Mine]