Chapter 131: Ancient Ruins (Part One)

The immediate priority for Qin Fei and his companions, beyond finding an exit back to the surface, was to secure a new source of light before their fireflies ran out.

After leaving the plains inhabited by the rock lobsters and crossing a pond, Qin Fei and Xie Nainai arrived at the ruins of an abandoned, dilapidated village. The ruins were accessible only through a single passage; the rest of the village was surrounded by the Abyss. In the game, the Abyss functioned like the boundary of the map. It was a void of nothingness—anyone or anything that fell into it would simply vanish.

Entering the village, they saw broken walls and crumbling houses everywhere. Even in their ruined state, the structures hinted at the settlement's former prosperity. Qin Fei marveled at the sight; he had never expected to find remnants of an ancient civilization in these subterranean caves. Although Qin Fei was a veteran player of "Don't Starve," he knew almost nothing about the lore or the backstory of these ancient ruins. The game's narrative was incredibly complex and fragmented, with most of the story conveyed through images, notes, or hidden easter eggs. Even long-time players rarely grasped the full scope of the game's background.

While scavenging the ruins, Qin Fei found some discarded old gears. He knew these were precious materials in the world of "Don't Starve," used for crafting high-level items like refrigerators. Tucked among the gears was a round, purple pendant. Qin Fei picked it up and examined it.

Could this be... a Nightmare Amulet?

[Nightmare Amulet: Wearing it causes the user's Sanity to continuously drain, but removing it restores Sanity to its previous level.]

It was indeed a Nightmare Amulet. This was a rare magical item in the game, requiring nightmare fuel, purple gems, and gold nuggets to craft. In certain situations, it could prove to be incredibly effective. Qin Fei tucked the gears and the amulet into his backpack.

"Hey! Come over here, come over here!" Xie Nainai’s voice drifted from nearby. "There are bananas!"

Bananas? Qin Fei looked puzzled. In the underground world of "Don't Starve," bananas did exist; they grew on plants known as Cave Banana Trees. However, these trees were rare in the depths. He hadn't expected to find them here. He walked over to where Xie Nainai was standing.

He saw three short, stunted trees with clusters of bananas hanging from the top. They really were banana trees. To be safe, Qin Fei didn't eat one immediately; instead, he tossed a banana to the Caesar Pig. The pig took it and, without a second thought, stuffed the whole thing into its mouth, peel and all.

"Delicious..." A look of pure bliss crossed the Caesar Pig's face. It raised its arms and struck a bodybuilding pose, the kind a fitness coach might make to display muscle. This was a gesture pigs only made when they were truly happy. It was clear the pig loved the banana.

Seeing that the Caesar Pig was fine, Qin Fei relaxed and picked a banana to try. It tasted good—aside from being a bit smaller, it tasted just like a regular banana.

Suddenly, a glob of dung flew in from a distance. It moved with such speed that Qin Fei had no time to dodge and was struck squarely. From the nearby shadows, several monkeys emerged. Seeing Qin Fei hit, they shrieked with excitement, some even doing backflips in delight.

These were Cave Monkeys, creatures that lived in the depths. They often made their homes near banana trees, feeding on the fruit. The monkeys viewed the bananas as their private property; if anyone dared to pick them, the monkeys would pelt the intruder with their own feces. Though the throws weren't particularly strong, the smell was atrocious, and the sticky mess was enough to make anyone feel nauseated.

Annoyed by the assault, Qin Fei pulled his Tentacle Spike from his backpack and charged at the monkeys. The creatures weren't strong in combat, but they were incredibly agile. As soon as Qin Fei and Xie Nainai rushed toward them, the monkeys would quickly retreat, while the ones out of reach continued to throw dung, mocking the duo all the while.

After chasing them a few times and realizing he couldn't match their speed, Qin Fei pulled out his golden spear. He targeted a slightly pudgy monkey and hurled the spear with all his might. With the "Strength Enhancement Module" equipped, Qin Fei’s greatest advantage wasn't speed, but raw power. The golden spear flew with terrifying velocity, piercing the fat monkey through and pinning it to the ground, killing it instantly.

Seeing their companion die, the other monkeys shrieked in terror and scattered in every direction. Cave Monkeys were incredibly cowardly; the moment one was killed, the rest would flee in fear.

Finding their panicked reaction somewhat amusing, Qin Fei collected the monkey's carcass into his backpack. He and Xie Nainai left the village and returned to the pond at the entrance. The pond consisted of three pools, and in the center of them grew a massive purple mushroom. After washing off the filth at the pond's edge, they discarded their soiled clothes and changed into fresh ones.

As they cleaned themselves, the Caesar Pig and the Big-Nosed Pig trotted to the center of the pool and stood before the giant mushroom. They began to feast, and the mushroom was quickly devoured. At that moment, a low, guttural croaking sound began to echo through the area.

"Is that a toad?" Xie Nainai asked, immediately identifying the noise.

Qin Fei followed the sound to the center of the pond. In the spot where the giant mushroom had been, a hole had opened up, and the croaking was coming from deep within. Then, the ground began to tremble slightly. Realizing something was wrong, Qin Fei immediately ordered everyone to leave the pond and hide in the nearby brush.

As the tremors intensified, an enormous toad emerged from the hole. It stood over ten meters tall, with three eyes on its face. Most bizarrely, its back was covered in huge purple mushrooms—the same kind the pigs had just eaten.

Qin Fei recognized it instantly. This was a boss-level creature of the underground: the Toadstool. Toadstools usually lived directly beneath these ponds. When they slept, they would leave a single mushroom exposed on the surface. If anyone cut it down—or ate it—the Toadstool would awaken.

Qin Fei had been too busy cleaning off the monkey dung to pay attention to the two gluttonous pigs. Their snacking had triggered the creature's awakening. The Toadstool was even larger than a Treeguard; it was the biggest creature Qin Fei had ever encountered in the world of "Don't Starve."

Crouched in the brush, Qin Fei felt a wave of relief. He was lucky he had sensed the tremors and moved away from the pond in time. If they had been targeted by this beast, the consequences would have been unimaginable.