At the end of their conversation, Lin Feng waited for the right moment—then casually scooped up the little Dendro Archon beside him and plopped her directly onto his lap.
For reasons he still hadn't quite figured out, Nahida always became unusually slow when dealing with him.
Every time, those clear emerald eyes would widen in innocent curiosity, watching attentively to see what he was going to do.
And only after realizing he was doing something strange… would her reaction finally catch up.
—Maybe it was inexperience.
—Maybe it was simply her overwhelming curiosity.
Lin Feng had tried analyzing it before.
And, as usual, this time was no different.
Only after he lifted her from under the arms and set her on his lap did Nahida finally realize what had happened.
The expression that appeared on her usually serene little face was a rare mix of fluster and helplessness.
As always, Lin Feng was promptly kicked out of her dream.
And, as always, he woke up in a great mood.
Still a little groggy, he noticed something moving outside his elemental barrier.
After rubbing his eyes, he recognized the shape—
A small green Aranara.
From its body color and the flower atop its head, he recognized it instantly:
Araramu. One of the first Aranara he had met in the forest.
"Nara Linfeng!"
"Come help Araramu! Bad barrier! Araramu can't get in!"
Hearing that, Lin Feng waved a hand to dispel the protective shield.
He stepped outside and asked, "Is the Festival of Carefree Joy ready?"
Once the barrier vanished, Araramu hopped closer.
"Mm! The festival is ready! Everyone is waiting for Nara Linfeng and Little White! Together!"
"Give me a moment," Lin Feng said. "We'll go together."
"Yes! Together! Festival of Carefree Joy!"
Araramu wiggled happily, clearly excited for the upcoming celebration.
After a quick wash, Lin Feng picked up Araramu and dashed into the forest, moving as fast as the trees allowed. Using vines and branches to propel himself forward, he moved like a bird gliding through the rainforest canopy.
But as he raced along, he couldn't help worrying—
Would the Aranara truly acknowledge him?
In the game, the festival took nearly seven hours of quests and emotional buildup.
In reality, he had only completed… what, five minutes' worth?
And the ceremony's essence was not trivial:
The Aranara gather their joyous memories and turn them into physical form—Sarva fruit—offering them to the great Sarva Tree so that the Tree of Dreams, mother of all Aranara, may bear a Harvisptokhm Fruit.
In the original storyline, the Tree of Dreams was badly corrupted by the Withering.
Ararakalari had to sacrifice his memories, fusing with the Sarva fruit to create a new Tree of Dreams.
But Lin Feng had already asked Nahida.
As long as the number of Sarva fruits was sufficient, memory sacrifice wouldn't be necessary.
And this time—with Nahida's help—the Aranara had managed to gather five Sarva fruits.
Now the only concern left was:
What condition was the Tree of Dreams in?
If meddling with the timeline meant it was less corrupted… that would be ideal.
Lin Feng tucked the worry into the back of his mind.
After half a day of full-speed travel, he returned to Vanarana.
Perhaps due to the little Archon's influence, the dream realm was livelier than ever—Aranara of all colors were running everywhere like excited children.
It was… a little overwhelming.
Lin Feng's scalp tingled.
—In the game, playing with just a few Aranara had already been tiring.
—Now there were dozens. Maybe hundreds.
He considered running away.
But then he looked at those bright, expectant eyes.
And the man who usually skipped cutscenes… surrendered without a fight.
He obediently joined their games.
After suffering through racing, riddles, hide-and-seek, high-jumping, cooking contests, and several games that defied understanding, Lin Feng finally collapsed onto a giant lotus leaf during the break.
Though he had complained the whole way, he couldn't deny something:
Playing with these sincere little creatures was strangely healing.
The Aranara were pure.
Win, and they cheered honestly.
Lose, and they still praised their opponent without jealousy.
And when they noticed Lin Feng looked tired, they immediately stopped, not wanting to trouble him.
—How could anyone dislike such innocent life?
While lying on the leaf, he noticed a dark-brown Aranara appear beside him.
Lin Feng sat up.
He recognized it instantly—this wasn't one of the childlike Aranara.
Aramuhukunda, the ancient elder of the Aranara.
The brown Aranara shuffled closer and spoke in a tone filled with nostalgia:
"How long it has been… The last time I saw Vanarana this lively must have been centuries ago.
To witness this dream again, with my own eyes… it is thanks to all of you."
Lin Feng noted that unlike the others, Aramuhukunda spoke with mature grammar, vocabulary, and a sense of time—almost like a human elder.
"It's good to meet you, Aramuhukunda," Lin Feng greeted politely.
"Just as Aranakin said… you know far too much. You are an extraordinary Nara indeed."
Aramuhukunda sounded genuinely surprised.
"Since we're celebrating the Festival of Carefree Joy," the elder continued, "we should be able to bear a Harvisptokhm Fruit again…"
Lin Feng didn't waste the opportunity to ask the ancient "living encyclopedia" what had been troubling him.
"I know the Harvisptokhm Fruit is the fruit of hope. As long as the wish helps others, the fruit will accept it."
"But… my wish is to gain the power to defeat the Withering.
Isn't that too selfish?
Would the Harvisptokhm Fruit reject me?"
The elder listened, then tilted his head slightly.
"There is no need to worry. The Harvisptokhm Fruit is born from our wishes. We have gathered the most Aranara in history because we heard a hero would challenge the avatar of Marana."
"For the sake of all life, to drive out the force of 'death' itself…
How could such a selfless wish be rejected?"
Lin Feng felt a heavy weight lift from his chest.
And he finally understood why so many more Aranara had showed up this time.
—In the game, it was just to save one person.
—This time, he was preparing to fight Marana head-on.
"Thank you," Lin Feng said sincerely. "That puts my heart at ease."
"If you are truly to fight Marana's avatar," Aramuhukunda said, "then please accept this."
The elder plucked the flower atop his head and offered it.
"Take it, our Hero. The Hero of all living beings."
"Thank you. I'll keep it safe," Lin Feng replied softly, placing the flower among the dozens he'd already collected.
"No thanks needed," the elder said warmly. "I have heard many stories about Nara Linfeng. To me, you are already a cherished friend. And for you to accept my flower—it is an honor. Thank you."
"We will meet again. And when that time comes, Nara Linfeng… Little White… may you both visit my home."
With that, Aramuhukunda slowly departed.
Feeling the quiet trust of the Aranara settling into his heart, and noticing his fatigue dissolving—no doubt thanks to the elder's subtle magic—Lin Feng took a deep breath, hopped off the lotus leaf…
And plunged back into another round of games.
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