Chapter Twelve: The Land of Gluttony

[Lantern Aspect Triggered!]
[Following the merchant’s map markings, you advance along the path. In the depths of your mind, you hear whispers of hunger and the call of adventure.]
[You look ahead, and in the mist, towers built of flowers and fruit rise, scarlet delicacies fill tables, and heroes embark on their journeys amidst the cheers of the people.]
[Wandering soul, will you follow the call of the lantern within and move forward?]
This was the first time Dawnrise had triggered the Lantern Aspect. After some thought, he decided to press onward.
[You resolutely set out on the road. Without experiencing darkness, how can one reach the heights?]
[You pass by the place you traveled yesterday; the merchant’s corpse has vanished.]
[Yet you feel no fear—your thirst for the unknown urges you to quicken your steps.]
[Steadfastly moving forward...]
...
[You gradually slow your pace. When your mind clears, you are surprised to find yourself in a cave blooming with fresh flowers! The little donkey that had accompanied you along the way is nowhere to be found.]
“!”
Dawnrise widened his eyes. What’s happened? My reflection, have you lost your way?
A line of scarlet text appears.
[Wandering soul, you are in a place unprotected by daylight—be mindful of your sanity and life!]
[In certain special regions, your sanity will steadily decline—take care.]
[When the warmth of daylight fades, you awaken and realize you have entered a new realm.]
[You survey your surroundings. On the bluish walls bloom countless exquisite white flowers, yet the riot of color and fragrance seems to hum with hungry whispers.]
[You shake your head. These flowers are gnawing at your will.]
[Lantern Aspect Triggered! As an explorer, you must not lose your composure—even with the white light gone, your mind remains highly stable.]
[From the language of the flowers, you learn the name of this place. You recall hearing it from other Night Watchers—The Land of Gluttony.]
[You remember the idle talk of the other Watchers: a hungry avatar dwells here, able to command the man-eating earth; its voracious appetite knows no bounds.]
[You calm yourself. Ahead lies a narrow, winding entrance, serpentine in its twists. Make your choice.]
[First: Advance. Only by moving forward can you gain.]
[Second: Try to leave this place. The wall of flowers fills you with dread.]
Dawnrise pressed his lips together. Clearly, this Lantern Aspect has drawn him into a special dungeon called “The Land of Gluttony.”
At present, he knew nothing of its difficulty.
He decided to see if he could leave.
[You attempt to leave, only to find you cannot locate the way back.]
So it’s as expected? Dawnrise mused. The Blade Aspect triggers were great for gaining experience, very handy.
Yet this Lantern Aspect, so rarely triggered, had led him into a place with no exit.
It seemed the only way forward was ahead.
Advance!
[In the face of desperation, fear turns instantly to courage.]

[You muster your courage and press into the winding, narrow passage!]
[Advancing...]
A glaring red text flashes out.
[In the shadowy tunnel, some small, cunning “monsters” emerge from the dark crevices, launching an attack!]
[You strike back with the Shadow Dagger.]
[Critical hit! The enemy’s health plummets. You gain 2 experience points—current 3/50.]
So they’re dead already—clearly a weak monster.
[You examine the corpse on the wall: it is undoubtedly a “Hungry Flower Sprite.”]
Dawnrise taps open the Flower Sprite’s stats panel.
[
Name: Hungry Flower Sprite
Level: 1
Aspect: Flower (flowers are joy, the pursuit of supreme beauty); Cup (the cup is the beast’s desire, the primal urge to survive)
Description: Flower sprites are highly aggressive plants—on the surface, a vibrant, fragrant bloom, but when a plump creature draws near, it extends its roots and attacks with the dangerous thorn-tongue beneath its petals.
]
You call a man-eating flower a sprite?
Luckily, this was only a level-1 weakling, no match for him.
[In the darkness, the flower-studded cliffs stir restlessly—you sense countless flower sprites lurking.]
This... Dawnrise frowned. He’d been caught off guard.
[Wandering soul, though you hail from the land of poverty, your flesh remains succulent, arousing the gluttonous instincts of the flower sprites.]
Succulent flesh? Why do I have such a bizarre trait?
Dawnrise equipped his Nightwalker’s Garment. According to the text, the environment here is dark, just right to activate the “Concealment” effect.
[Drawn by the scent of a feast, flower sprites begin to stretch their roots, hungrily surging toward you.]
The text flashes rapidly—fortunately, Dawnrise’s hands are faster, and he puts on the Nightwalker’s Garment in time.
[You don the Nightwalker’s Garment and activate “Silent Shadow.” In the darkness, your form fades, merging with the shadows themselves.]
[Plants lack intellect. As your scent and shape vanish, tens of thousands of flower sprites slowly retreat into the cliffs, becoming harmless “flowers.”]
That was close. Dawnrise exhales; he had to admit, he’d underestimated the danger.
In exploring unknown and perilous dungeons, the Nightwalker’s Garment should always go on first.
[You continue forward; the flowers gradually disappear.
You arrive at a wondrously vast chamber, filled with discarded cookware and alchemical tools. The stench of alchemical materials and rotting food turns this flower-filled land into a garbage heap.]
[You are observing the room.]
In rooms like these, it’s best to use “Morningstar’s Quest” first, lest the game character waste too much time on investigation.
Dawnrise activates the talent.
[You activate Morningstar’s Quest. Current Spirit: 8/10.]
[The Morningstar leaps from your heart, illuminating the dim place.]

[Your gaze follows the Morningstar upward.]
Just as Dawnrise ponders what treasures might be hidden, a line of scarlet text bursts forth!
[Guided by the Morningstar, a colossal Corrosive Flower Sprite gazes down at you from above, spewing venomous thorns from its flower-mouth.]
[In the Morningstar’s light, you roll aside in time, dodging the attack.]
[You look up at the flower sprite in the heights. You realize you lack the ability to fly; you need a means of ranged attack.]
[The Corrosive Flower Sprite opens its maw, preparing to strike again.]
I need to launch a ranged attack!
Fortunately, he’d recently acquired a ranged weapon.
Dawnrise decisively equips the Ravenfeather Staff and expends four Spirit to unleash [Call of the Ravenflock]!
[This is your first time using a spell; you are unpracticed. The spiritual energy within you is instantly drained by the staff, and you fall into exhaustion (Strength, Agility, and Inspiration reduced by 20%).]
[Spiritual power surges through the staff’s intricate carvings. In an instant, ten shadowy ravens appear, attacking the Corrosive Flower Sprite aloft.]
[The ravens shriek as they burst from the shadows, heralds of death, gnawing at the sprite’s roots anchored to the wall.]
[Deals 1 point of damage, deals 1 point of damage...]
All the ravens’ attacks are mere scratches—1 point of damage each, popping up twenty-five times before the text reappears.
[The Corrosive Flower Sprite and the shadowy ravens wage a life-and-death struggle. When the sprite devours the last raven, its roots snap.]
Twenty-five points of damage!
Dawnrise compared the numbers—this attack was on par with his Shadow Dagger, though it couldn’t be used repeatedly.
[Enemy slain. Experience +8; Blade Aspect triggered, +2. Current experience: 11/50.]
[The Corrosive Flower Sprite falls to the ground. Guided by the Morningstar, you cut open its bloom with your dagger.]
[Acquired: Corrosive Flower Core.]
[Corrosive Flower Core:
A special flower core with corrosive properties, extremely rare as a potion ingredient.]
Potion ingredient—he wasn’t an alchemist, Dawnrise mused. Like with the ruby, he could find somewhere to sell it later.
With four Spirit remaining, Dawnrise once again activates Morningstar’s Quest.
[The Morningstar leaves the flower core, exits the vast chamber, and flies toward the end of the path.]
[You glance about and discover this is a dead-end.]
[You follow the Morningstar onward, winding through twisting underground passages, arriving at a grove of blooming flowers.]
[A marvelous fragrance surrounds you.]
[The sweet scent intoxicates you, the riot of color causes you to lose yourself.]
What strange place have I wandered into now?
Just as Dawnrise is pondering, the next line of eerie text makes him nervously bite his finger.
[You open your eyes and see a beautiful woman, flowers blooming atop her head, writhing in despair on the ground.]