Famine 224: Chocolate Marshmallows

Qiu Hong’s voice shot up nearly an octave: “How many?!”

Why did those words suddenly feel so unfamiliar in Chinese?

Lü Buqing, clutching her baseball cap, was startled by the outburst. “Fifteen thousand! Fifteen K!”

Qiu Hong grabbed Lü Buqing’s shoulders and shook her wildly, teetering on the edge of crazed disbelief: “You brat, you didn’t misread that, did you? How many zeros?!”

“Hey, since we came to the farm, am I saying this line a tad too often…”

Lü Buqing was looking a little queasy from the shaking and retorted helplessly, “How could I mess up something this important?!”

“Don’t believe me? Feel it yourself!”

Lü Buqing raised both hands, instantly activating her groundhog [Empathy] ability. With a low hum, all the sounds around them—the trembling of the ground, the movements of the earth—rushed into their perceptions.

The cobbled streets of Fantasy Town were vibrating all over.

In the moment they hesitated, countless players were rallying their friends, charging down the streets, overtaking each other in a mad dash toward the farm exchange.

“Hurry! Hurry up!”
“Fifteen thousand gems sounds like a lot but it’s really not; those fresh players, wolfish and hungry, will snatch them up in no time—move!”
“I refuse to believe we mages can’t grab a single blue crystal!!”
“Master, cast Haste! Let’s rush together!!”

“……”

The din, the shouting, the noises of running water, the whoosh of low-flying currents, countless hurried footsteps… Every bit of activity from players using their various skills was clear as day.

Even after so many uses, Lü Buqing couldn’t help marveling at the wonder of [Empathy] each time she activated it.

Lü Buqing was a beast-type groundhog scout, in charge of team reconnaissance. Groundhogs had incredibly sensitive senses; to avoid unstable ground while burrowing, they could detect tremors within a hundred meters, and as lookouts, groundhogs could spot disturbances up to a kilometer away.

Before coming to the farm, this strange world had always belonged to Lü Buqing alone.

Groundhogs used specific, sharp calls to warn others; just a couple of short, shrill notes and every companion understood: predator, prey, earthquake, disaster… all communicated in moments. Humans were different—battlefields shifted, windows of opportunity opened and closed in an instant, and words always fell short.

That was until Lü Buqing bought the [Empathy] ability from the Lord God’s shop.

[Empathy] was extremely expensive, costing tens of thousands of points—once it would have been unimaginable for Lü Buqing.

But with the farm’s arrival, new missions issued, and thanks to captain Qiu Hong’s superior puzzle-solving skills, the team forged a path forward. Life steadily improved; points piled up… and Lü Buqing had finally redeemed the high-priced, long-coveted ability she’d always wanted most.

This was the skill she’d been yearning after since first entering the famine game!

The whole team’s power had jumped up a notch.

Lü Buqing was absolutely smitten—after over a month, she was still itching to flaunt it at every turn.

Now, hands on her hips, she grinned, waiting expectantly for praise from her captain.

But when she looked again, Qiu Hong was nowhere to be found—a small red speck already racing toward the horizon.

Only a distant shout drifted back:

“What are you waiting for?! Hurry up and grab some!!”

Lü Buqing: “…………”

How about you perform that “aren’t you too old to get this jumpy” routine again, hmm?

…………
……

In the Exchange Hall, a sea of people was already surging.

Though the space had been designed with plenty of margin, and the staff was experienced… there was no resisting Mr. Si’s relentless parade of enticing new goods—each one more irresistible than the last!

They’d expanded the hall time and again, revised plans, but in the end, both the designer Li Tingkai and all the exchange staff had, frankly, gone numb.

Flap-flap-flap-flap-flap…

A staffer, who handled the flying dogs, flew over the heads of the crowd with another dead-eyed employee, the two nimbly vaulting in through a window, right into their posts.

What kind of night shift was this, really?

Still, every time something hot and new was released, Mr. Si handed out excellent bonuses—so while nobody hesitated at more work, everyone was just plain numb to it by now.

Front door, back door—it didn’t matter at all; Exchange Night Shift was always “we take the windows.jpg.”

“This is just magical…”

In the crowd, Qiu Hong stared, enthralled, at the silver-white halo coiling around her.

The moment she saw these little stones, she’d paid without hesitation.

Her entire body was already a mechanical skeleton externalized, chasing that seven-kills-a-second burst as a speed-attack player. Direct boosts to movement and attack speed, plus an increase in dodge, was absolutely game-changing for her—truly like being reborn.

Qiu Hong’s hands trembled with excitement.

Still, as for the detail about the extra 5% dodge being tied to player affinity… what did that actually mean?

Qiu Hong couldn’t puzzle it out, but it didn’t dampen her excitement one bit. She wrapped the Feather Crystal around herself, studying it from every angle.

[Feather Crystal] wasn’t actually a solid jewel, but rather little fragments glowing with white light, flowing and shifting.

The moment her fingers touched it, the fragments instantly coiled round her. They refracted radiant, rainbow colors, and as she walked, left a shimmering trail behind.

Countless players, entranced by those dazzling afterimages, bought on the spot.

Liang Qingshuang, tall and slender in an ornate bridal gown, spun in circles atop ice skates, light-footed: “It’s beautiful—it’s honestly the most beautiful gear ever!”

Gazing at her fairy-like figure, Gao Zhai squinted beside her: “Hey, have you even checked the Feather Crystal’s stats…”

“Psh, it’s a new farm gemstone! How could it not be good?” Liang Qingshuang answered without a second thought.

As a rule, she wasn’t wrong.

But Qiu Hong looked closely at a single line in the description, falling into doubt.

[Players chosen by the Feather Crystal must bear other added obligations.]

…What did that mean?

As she wondered, the tiny crystals seemed to start vibrating.

[E…]

Hazy, fairytale-like white mist swirled, and countless ethereal, gentle voices drifted to all Feather Crystal users.

They sounded just like little faeries.

Qiu Hong held her breath, listening for those delicate voices.

They were saying:

[Hungry!!!!]

Qiu Hong: “…”
Liang Qingshuang: “…”

Every player who’d just bought a Feather Crystal: “…………”

[So hungry! So hungry! It’s exhausting just floating around in the sky all day!]

Crackle! Countless tiny crystals bounced on Qiu Hong like raindrops.

[Hey! Human! Got anything to eat!]

[Human—hello, human—can you hear us?]

[Don’t scare the human—human—]

Qiu Hong: “?”

It was like she’d just acquired a brood of hungry nestlings, chittering incessantly at her ears.

So these were the added obligations??

Qiu Hong bit her lips for a while, then couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Hurrying from the crowd, she cupped the little crystals in her palms and, bending low, asked, “What would you like to eat?”

The airy voices chattered in her ear.

[Ya! She heard, she heard us!]
[Um… is there anything sweet?]
[We want something soft and fluffy!]
[Don’t worry! We hardly eat at all! Just a little bit is enough!]

Qiu Hong mused, “Something sweet, something soft and fluffy…”

Oh, right.
And today, she actually had a reservation at the amusement park!

…………
……

Half an hour later, Qiu Hong stood in the grass of Alice’s Wonderland, dazed and staring skyward.

Before her, a swarm of glittering little crystals, moving at lightning speed, had stripped a two-meter-tall cotton candy tree bare.

[Amusement Park] received routine updates, and the latest theme was Candy World—Alice’s Wonderland sprouted numerous cotton candy trees. Each person-tall, offered in all sorts of flavors: strawberry, chocolate, classic… Sweet, plentiful, endlessly available for anyone to pluck and enjoy—they were a massive hit.

In the blink of an eye, one of those towering cotton candy trees vanished, leaving only a bare wooden stick.

The crystals flitted about Qiu Hong, chittering in delight:

[Yummy~ Yummy~ More!]

This was already the eighth tree…!
Not even eight players could finish that much cotton candy!!

The surrounding players were gawking openly. Qiu Hong, blushing fiercely, hid her face and used her thorough knowledge of the park’s terrain to zig-zag her way into a deserted nook behind a fake hill, finding the fifth surviving cotton candy tree.

This one was a chocolate marshmallow tree.

The air was redolent with chocolate and caramel—a great wad of large, fluffy, soft marshmallow perched atop the trunk like a crown, so light it was nearly weightless.

The little crystals let out a cheer and rushed in.

Unable to resist, Qiu Hong plucked a bit for herself, kneeling in the grass as she brought it to her lips.

The chocolate marshmallow’s hue was as rich as hazelnut toffee; every sugar filament glowed an amber shade. Before she could savor the texture, it melted instantly on her tongue, leaving only an ethereal trace of sweetness.

Like eating a cloud. Or a gust of chocolate-flavored wind.

So light, so soft. Like a dream.

Qiu Hong gazed upward, lost in thought.

In just a few seconds, the fifth cotton candy tree—gone without a trace.

The little crystals huddled together, chattering animatedly. Eventually, content, they bounced and skipped their way back to settle atop Qiu Hong.

[Yummy! Full now! Full now!]

[fuwafuwa…]

[So light, soft, sweet, we love it…]

Just like baby birds settling into a nest, each found a perch on Qiu Hong’s person. Some nestled by her shoulders, some in her hair, her hood filled with a whole pile. They were feather-light, only cool and soothing to the touch.

The leading crystal did a little hop on Qiu Hong’s forehead and said brightly:

[Human! You’re the best!]
[I like you!]

Qiu Hong burst into involuntary laughter.

[Ding! Initial assessment complete!]

[They really, really like you!]

[Your Feather Crystal’s dodge bonus: 55%.]

[Additional bonus: 10% attack speed increase.]

Buzz!

Qiu Hong flexed her skeletal claws, lowering her gaze to the swift, powerful mechanics of her bones, feeling the crackling speed and force running within them—almost dizzy with disbelief.

…Just like her new life at the farm.

She drew a deep breath.

Though she still hadn’t fully adapted, she knew this: if it were her standing again before the nightmare-haunted, silver-ringed sky-swallowing serpent…

She could win.

She could win!

She could save Xiao Qiu, and everyone at the Eighth Season Conference, and all those she loved—gone in the famine game or to mutual slaughter.

The thought thundered in Qiu Hong’s mind like a lightning bolt.

For eight years—eight long years—she knelt in the grass, trembling, weeping voiceless torrents of exhaustion and relief.

“Eight years, eight years…”

Now, finally faced with the calamity that had destroyed her whole world, she was ready for a true fight.

From today on, she could protect Lü Buqing, her believing teammates, those to whom she owed a mountain of gratitude, and the life she so dearly loved… Even if it was like an ant shaking a tree, she could still fight for her own fate, not just wait for someone to save her.

Clamor floated up from the distance. After all, this was the amusement park; plenty of people were bound to wander in soon.

As Qiu Hong collected herself, something suddenly blocked her vision—a soft tissue appeared before her.

A gentle, clear voice spoke:

“Need this?”

“Ah, thank you…”

Qiu Hong grabbed the tissue, raising her eyes in surprise.

In front of her stood a dark-haired, red-eyed figure in a windbreaker. Vines slowly unfurled behind, weaving a living wall to discreetly shield her from others’ gaze.

In that instant, Qiu Hong felt as though she had seen the owner of the farm. But she quickly realized—this was not Mr. Si, but the person she’d once spotted at the assembly, always by Mr. Si’s side…

The farm owner’s assistant.