Although clearing out the Withering had delayed him a little, Lin Feng still managed to reach his destination within two days — the Dense, Dreaming Forest.
The moment he stepped beneath the towering glow-blue mushroom trees, he was once again stunned by Teyvat's surreal ecology.
Soft black earth stretched underfoot, from which countless mushrooms as tall as rainforest giants grew skyward. Their stems had long since turned to sturdy wood, rough to the touch like ancient trunks, and their massive caps could probably hold several grown men without so much as a creak.
Under the moonlight, those innumerable caps shimmered with faint blue bioluminescence — a scenery like something out of a dream.
But beautiful as it was, Lin Feng didn't forget why he'd come.
——He was here to open the passage to Vana Cavern and clear out the gigantic Withering Tumor festering inside.
He released a pulse of dream-energy, searching for the three little Aranara stationed nearby — Aranara, Aranakin, Aranakula.
"Found them."
It didn't take long before one of them responded. With a flick of his foot, Lin Feng dashed toward the source of the signal.
A small Aranara with a tan mushroom-cap hat and pink limbs hovered quietly in the air, its pink flower atop its head spinning like a little helicopter.
——It wasn't afraid of him at all. A rare trait.
"Hello there, little one. I'm Lin Feng, and this is Xiaobai. We're here by the Little Grass God's request, to help heal Vana Cavern."
"Aranara is not little one. Aranara is Aranara," the creature corrected, bouncing indignantly.
"Anyway," Lin Feng continued, "I'll assist you with clearing the Withering. Tell me your plan."
This little Aranara was surprisingly coherent for its kind. Looking at Lin Feng, it explained:
"First we must find Sura Mushroom. It glows like my song!
But to find Sura Mushroom, we need the Kusava.
Kusava is where Aranara keep memories—it gives Aranara strength."
"Okay, stop." Lin Feng raised a hand, already feeling the game-like quest chain piling up in his head.
"Let me guess. You have two friends named Aranakin and Aranakula. And they also want me to gather a couple of special plants, right?"
"Eh—Nara Lin Feng so smart! It is sap—juice—"
The little Aranara's eyes went perfectly round.
"If we follow your plan, this is going to take forever. Could you call Aranakin and Aranakula here? I want to try waking Yamta myself and entering Vana Cavern directly."
He intended to speedrun the "Aranyaka" questline.
"But without the medicines, you can't perform the Aranyaka Rite.
Without strength of 'tree' and 'grass', Yamta won't wake from beautiful dream."
Aranara seemed confused.
"Don't worry. I've got this. Look."
Lin Feng summoned the Dendro element, mixing in his will and breath, compressing it into a glowing green droplet of liquid.
The moment Aranara saw that drop, it practically exploded with excitement.
"Great! That is 'Grass' power! We don't need to eat Sura Mushroom's memories anymore!"
"I will bring Aranakin and Aranakula! When moon is highest—we do the Aranyaka Rite!"
Then it vanished in a puff of leaves.
Lin Feng sighed. He understood why it was so happy.
Originally, the Aranyaka Rite required three Aranara memories and three sacred herbs. After completing the ritual, the Aranara would slowly lose those memories — something unbelievably painful for a race whose very existence was tied to memory.
Forget friends, and their hearts would break.
Soon, all three little Aranara gathered before him — Aranara, Aranakin, and Aranakula.
Lin Feng stared at them. If not for his transmigration giving him a memory buff, just remembering their names would've been suffering.
"Aranakin, Aranakula — I'm Lin Feng, and this is Xiaobai. Here's what I want to use instead of the Aranyaka medicine. See if this works."
He handed them the glowing drop — essentially crystallized divine power.
"So strong! Grass power! Bija Flower is saved!" the green Aranakin chirped.
"Now no need to find 'Yaran Grass'!" said the yellow mushroom-like Aranakula happily.
"Perfect. If it works, and it's almost midnight… can we start?"
"Yes! No need to make medicine this time. When moon is highest, Yamta wakes!"
The three Aranara each handed him a flower — a heartfelt gift of friendship.
"Nara Lin Feng clears 'Nirutam'. Friend. Friend gets gift."
"I'll treasure them. Thank you."
He knew how precious these flowers were to them.
After a brief rest, midnight finally arrived.
Under the clear moonlight, the three Aranara began to sing.
And just like that, Lin Feng completed in one night what players normally spent an entire questline doing.
Power really was the most wonderful thing.
Puzzle solving?
What puzzles?
Just break them.
Raising his head, Lin Feng gazed at the massive mushroom-like Yamta awakened by the divine droplet, and at the now-exposed entrance to Vana Cavern beneath it.
He drew a deep breath.
——Time to face the final challenge of this mission:
the colossal Withering Tumor.
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