Famine 96: The Witch’s Orchard

Si Zhiyan opened the shop and navigated to the [Forest Enhancement] section.

The forest spanned a vast area, yet it contained only two main functional zones: the hunting grounds and the hot spring inn. Both covered a considerable expanse, but compared to the endless forest itself, they still amounted to only a small portion. Even against the well-utilized farm meadows, their share looked modest.

Si Zhiyan circled a large plot near the edge of the main transport route and purchased the [Enchanted Witch’s Forest – Fruit Tree Edition].

Ding!

Instantly, the trees in the designated area were laden with heavy, ripe fruit.

[Enchanted Witch’s Forest – Fruit Tree Edition]
Such a large tree, and yet only birds can eat the fruit—it’s simply too much of a waste!
With that thought, the witch cast a spell on the fruit trees surrounding her cabin.
Of course, aside from turning yourself into a bird, you can also make those fruits suit your own tastes.

Upon consuming an entire fruit, you gained a random attribute bonus. The bonus ranged from 5% to 25%, lasting for one hour and not stackable.
Eating a new type of fruit would overwrite the previous bonus with the new fruit’s randomly determined value, but the duration would not reset.

How many times had he encountered witch-related enhancements by now?
It was as if this coven of witches roamed countless realms, their reach not confined to any single world.

The dried rabbit meat, the witch’s friend collar, the enchanted forest—she once even called an Imaginary Blue Whale a “friend,” raised small animals near graveyards, and exhibited a possessiveness over the trees by her home.

Si Zhiyan couldn’t help but laugh.

Walking among the fruit trees, he cast a cursory glance around. Every kind of fruit was there, and there were even things he had never known grew on trees—like mangosteens.

Si Zhiyan picked one and peeled away the dark purple skin, revealing inside the snowy white flesh, divided into plump segments, as pure and inviting as could be.
Drawing it close, he sucked the pulp into his mouth; the rich tang of mangosteen exploded in juicy flavor, delicate and refreshing, sweet and a little tart—the kind of tartness that sparked salivation and washed through with a crisp, lingering sweetness. The unique fiber texture beckoned him to keep eating.

[Ding! Speed increased by 6%!]

Well… he drew a 6% from a range of 5% to 25%—rather mediocre.
But the fruit was delicious regardless. Eating his fill, Si Zhiyan washed his hands and continued on his way.

The next moment, he came upon a tree hung with watermelons.
One after another, the hefty, perfectly round green watermelons, each as big as a human head, pressed so thickly among the leaves that the branches drooped under the weight.

Si Zhiyan: “……”
Well, even I know this much—watermelons don’t grow on trees, come on.

Witch, could you at least try to have some common sense?

Five minutes later.
Si Zhiyan put down his spoon, thoroughly satisfied.

The watermelons from this tree had extraordinarily thin rinds. When cut open, the brilliant red, sandy flesh glistened, and not a single seed was to be found. The heart of the melon was so sweet it bordered on saccharine, while the flesh near the rind was juicy and thick, without a single flaw—it truly was a melon worthy of gratitude.

[Ding! Defense increased by 17%!]

Well, perhaps common sense wasn’t strictly necessary.

Thank you, Witch. You have excellent taste.

That very afternoon, the lakeside restaurant began offering a fruit platter afternoon tea. All of Idle Town was drawn out of their homes by the promise of fruit long unseen.

Li Xuan even requested an extra batch from Si Zhiyan, selecting oranges, yellow peaches, and similar fruits, washing and preparing them before soaking them in syrup.

In a short while, fruit preserves would be ready for everyone to enjoy.

Meanwhile, the hot spring pavilion in the forest added a new option: [Chilled Yogurt Fruit Bowl] delivered right to the bath.

After soaking in the hot springs and feeling parched, nothing was more delightful than a bowl of rich, cool, sweet yogurt with fresh fruit.

Nidhoog draped a towel over his back, sprawled languidly in the pool, his damp dragon wings fluttering as he polished off all the fruit and yogurt at the bottom of his bowl.

Shi Yan sat at the edge of the pool wrapped in a towel, bare legs swinging, torn between laughter and exasperation. “Brother, you’ve already eaten thirty-five bowls.”

“So what? We’re not going to go bankrupt over a few more.” Nidhoog lazily tossed his glass bowl atop the growing stack, where it landed perfectly.

“Bring two more—no, five! And that… whatever it’s called… double-skin milk, bring another five of those too!”

Shi Yan tucked his head down, rubbing her brow against her brother’s damp wing, then got up to help him place the order.

… And so, not long after the forest hot spring opened for business, Yun Zhong received his first-ever “Supply Depleted” emergency notice.
The bathhouse staff watched, utterly dumbfounded.

There was another, unexpected reward beyond this.

The fruits sent out by the Holy Grail proved especially popular among the expeditionary team.

“This hellhole! Getting ice-cold watermelon out here damn near saved my life!”

Wang Jianguo shouted, greedily sucking down watermelon juice and devouring every bite.

Andersen, rather more refined, sat beside him using a handkerchief to catch the juice, his spine straight, but his mouth moving no less quickly. He nodded between bites, voicing his agreement.

This was the volcanic region.

Everywhere you looked: blazing red rock, fissures—

The surface temperature here was at least over forty degrees. Even the humid, doomsday fog had evaporated, replaced by a dry, searing, blood-tinged tropical dust that was hard to bear.

The lava fields went on and on, charred and desolate, vast almost beyond measure.

For as long as they’d pressed into these wastes, only traces of people could be found—uncanny signs, a collapse by the roadside.

It seemed the inhabitants had long since fallen into peril.

It was a relief for Wang Jianguo when the sandstorm finally abated; he was able to take a break, find some shade to set up camp, and indulge in some fruit.

“What a hellhole,” Wang groused, “Worse than that damned forest where every tree is a sentry—hot, dry, deadly. How’s a player supposed to survive being born in a place like this?”

Andersen shook his head. “The Main God wouldn’t design a dead end for the players. If someone’s born here, there must be a way to survive.”

“Yeah, right. So where is everyone? We’ve walked so far in and haven’t seen a soul. And don’t get me started about that… that so-called terrain-baiting little flower the gentleman mentioned.”
Wang sighed.
“A place like this—someone as delicate as me can’t even take root, never mind some little flower.”

Grumbling, he tossed his melon rind aside. @For the best novels, visit Jinjiang Literature City

“Have a little self-respect! Couldn’t you at least throw the rind in the tent?” one squadmate scolded.

“Sorry, sorry.” Wang hurriedly gathered up the trash and walked to the edge of the camp to throw it away.

Andersen shook his head with a smile and kept eating.

Suddenly, a startled cry came from outside the camp. @For the best novels, visit Jinjiang Literature City
“Hey… wait a minute!”

Wang Jianguo yanked open the tent flap, face grave.

“When the sandstorm stopped, it left a layer of sand on the ground.”

“Outside my camp, a footprint appeared.”
“Someone’s following us.”

Andersen immediately stood up. “Come on—let’s follow!”

“Whatever their intentions, where there’s life, there’s hope for news.”

…………
……

Over the next few days, Idle Town gradually settled onto the right track, holding its first public election, in which Li Cui’e was unanimously chosen as the first mayor.

She was a woman who could never sit still—she immediately launched into a flurry of work. Taxes, legislation, the assembly of a town leadership team, and her own business, which she had no intention of putting aside… She was so busy her feet barely touched the ground. Every day she ran from street to alley, her energy ceaseless, as if she were a sword drawn from its sheath—spirited and indomitable.

It was hard to imagine that just a few months earlier, this capable and formidable woman had lain in a labor player’s shabby tent, her fate hanging on Gu Haoping’s whim, and had been forced to eke out a living through a qualified player.

The famine game had truly buried too many worthy lives.

At first, Si Zhiyan had kept a close eye on her, but seeing how well she managed, he let go and left her to it, turning his attentions elsewhere.
He ensured overall control of the farm and left the rest to capable hands.

Of course, he provided the necessary checks and support.

Si Zhiyan skillfully flipped to the final page of the shop and dragged out the item he had long had his eye on.

[S-Class Facility – Domain Rule Creepypasta]
This facility appears as a battered, blood-stained notice board, which must be placed in a prominent position within the area of effect, unobstructed for one meter on all sides.
You can write any rules you like on the board and, if you wish, mix in up to ten percent deceptive entries according to your preferences.
Once finalized, beginning at 00:00 the next day, everything you have inscribed will become the Creepypasta Rules in effect within the domain.

Any violation will be treated as an offering to me.
I will collect my gift within 24 hours.
Welcome 🙂

Si Zhiyan understood this well—
Violence was the necessary precondition for all rules and order.
Law without the muscle to enforce it was mere paper.

The tragedy at the hot spring might serve as a temporary deterrent, but it could never keep everyone in check forever. The window for action was short—it was time to anchor true order.

Yet, sustaining a standing force for the farm would be unreasonably costly, and could easily breed unrest from within. One look at Nie Du’s cautious approach was proof enough.

The Rule Creepypasta was the first S-class facility—expensive, but worth it.

Of course, Si Zhiyan would never include any false rules.

Within days, Li Cui’e and her committee established a rudimentary legal code. A ceremony was held to mark the occasion, and with the utmost respect, they invited Si Zhiyan to write the rules by his own hand upon the notice board.

Before the eyes of the people, with a resounding thud, the Creepypasta board was set before the plaza’s fountain.

It was the heart of the town, directly facing the gate of the town hall. The bloodstained board towered over two men high, radiating a chilling, sinister aura—a formidable deterrent.

Whispers mingled among the crowd.

“The farm owner created an urban legend-rule…what power…”
“To enrage him is to court disaster.”
“I once encountered a Creepypasta Rule instance—nearly lost my life. Just thinking about it makes me shudder…”
“No matter how others are, I’m not breaking the law! I survived on keeping my nose clean—life on this farm is just too comfortable, and I’m not sick of living yet…”

Meeting the reverent eyes all around him, Si Zhiyan smiled inwardly. At last, peace and quiet for a while.

…………
……

The days went by, one after another.

Si Zhiyan kept a careful count, and as expected, in the dead of night, at precisely ten minutes past midnight, the prompt rang—

[Side Quest – The Shrine Maiden’s Vow: Collect 5,000 smiles at [Tenman Shrine Hot Spring Pavilion]. Current progress: 5002/5000]

[Ding!]

[Side Quest – The Shrine Maiden’s Vow] complete!

When the notification sounded, Si Zhiyan was in his study. He put down his pen, stretched lazily, and said with a grin, @For the best novels, visit Jinjiang Literature City
“Well then, I don’t have to swallow a thousand needles now, do I?”

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window before him, he didn’t know when the little shrine maiden doll had taken her place.

In the surrounding darkness, her charcoal-sketched face grinned with an eerie smile, fixing her gaze on Si Zhiyan.

Si Zhiyan did not shrink back. He looked at her with gentle eyes and began, “You…”

But before he could finish, a sudden chime sounded—

[The Divine Vein greatly admires you.]
[Thank you for all you have done.]