🌫️ Chapter 20: The Hunger That Remains
(The mist has slightly receded, but a heavy silence still lingers over the valley. Xiao Feng is panting, wiping the sweat from his forehead. The demon has disappeared, yet a feeling of danger still remains.)
💭 Xiao Feng (thinking):
"It's over, right? I fed the demon, so why do I still feel like someone is watching me?"
(Xilià approaches from behind, her fiery red hair dancing in the wind, arms crossed.)
🔊 Xilià (with a teasing tone):
— "Chef, you fed the valley, but what about yourself? Have you fed yourself?"
🔊 Xiao Feng (confused):
— "What? Now's the time for riddles? A demon almost ate me!"
(Gu Tāng suddenly looks toward a glowing stone rising from the ground — a stone pulsing gently like a beating heart.)
🔊 Gu Tāng (in a serious voice):
— "That is the Soul Flame. A rare gift... but it's not without cost."
💭 Xiao Feng:
"A gift? I didn't ask for one—"
(The stone slowly flies toward Xiao Feng, surrounded by whispering voices from the valley.)
🔊 Voice of the Valley (softly):
— "The taste of truth… was delicious… In exchange, we grant you… a seed of power… but the price… is a part of yourself…"
(Xiao Feng's eyes widen as the stone approaches with a warm glow.)
🌀 System Alert:
"Cursed Item Detected: Gluttonous Memory Soul Flame
Grants: +Cooking Ability, +Inner Flame Control, +Demonic Resistance
Warning: Cost = Loss of one memory fragment"
💭 Xiao Feng:
"It wants a piece of my memory…?"
🔊 Xilià (with a mischievous smile):
— "If you won't take it, I will. I'm always hungry for power."
🔊 Gu Tāng (calmly):
— "Be careful. Some memories… shape who you are."
(Xiao Feng hesitates, then firmly steps forward.)
🔊 Xiao Feng (serious):
— "Fine. Take one… but I choose which one."
(He touches the stone. White flames crawl into his body, twisting around his heart.)
⚡ FLASH!
(A memory begins to fade — him as a child standing in the rain outside the closed gates of the Feng clan.)
💭 Xiao Feng (in pain):
"No… that's the day I realized they had no place for me anymore."
(The flame sinks deeper inside, the pain fades, and the memory vanishes.)
🌀 System Update:
"New Skill Acquired: Soul Flame Control Lv.1
Passive: Inner Flame now resists demonic influence
Memory Fragment Lost: "Day of Exile""
(Xiao Feng stumbles back, his eyes briefly glowing like embers.)
🔊 Xilià (smirking):
— "Now you're even more… delicious."
🔊 Xiao Feng (annoyed):
— "Stop saying that!"
🔊 Gu Tāng:
— "Let's move. The valley gave you power… but it remembers your taste. Next time, it might want more."
(They walk away from the valley. Deep in the mist, a shadow with antlers moves silently, whispering in an ancient tongue.)
🔊 Unknown Voice:
— "He carries the flame… The hunger has only just begun."
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🔥 End of Chapter 20