Chapter 264: Death and Decay
“Save the Wilting Life.”
Silently reciting the content on the quest panel, Jia Na discovered that as she gradually unveiled the layers of the Growth Law, Natural Affinity, and even the “System,” she was able to discern the truth of this world more clearly.
Everyone knew that the Primary Material World was a world coveted by Outer Gods.
However, with the rise of wizards and the long-term stable Life in the Wizard Gathering Place and Lower City, many people mistakenly believed that the crisis of the Primary Material World seemed to have been brought under control by the wizards.
Aside from the dark sun contamination outside the Wizard Gathering Place and the Dark Sun Cultists who occasionally appeared to harass everyone, Life now seemed no different from any other time.
Just like Jia Na, ever since her rebirth in this world, due to her initial environment being the relatively peaceful White Coral Academy.
Therefore, subtly, Jia Na did not feel that this world was particularly dangerous.
Even though she had read many, many books in the library and learned about the wizards' struggles against Outer Gods in the Ancient Magic History class.
However, the written records always made Jia Na feel that those were just very distant events—
So distant that it gave her a sense of detachment and a complete inability to empathize.
It was like her pursuit of strength; its purpose was not out of a sense of crisis like “this world is going to be destroyed, she needs to work hard quickly,” but purely because she didn't want to squander the opportunity of her second Life, carrying the dream of becoming stronger, simply pursuing the mysteries of the extraordinary and eternal Life.
Until—today.
The wailing of the Mist Forest still seemed to echo in her ears, and the smell of decay and death brought a faint sadness to Jia Na's heart.
This sadness did not originate from Jia Na herself, but was merely an emotional feedback she received from all things in nature under the influence of her Natural Affinity talent.
“Is this what you were willing to sacrifice yourself to protect back then—
Gently pressing down on her restless emotions, it was a long time before Jia Na, with downcast eyes, softly sighed to Evefresia in her dream.
“But this is not what I pursue—what I want has always been just to live well.”
With a resolute expression, after closing the quest panel, Jia Na looked at the time displayed on the mechanical clock, immediately closed her eyes, and continued her daily, unwavering meditation.
Only by becoming strong enough would she be qualified to be a chess player.
And only by becoming strong enough would she have the ability to tear apart those hidden enemies attempting to destroy the world and protect herself…
Inhale—exhale—inhale—exhale—
Accompanied by long breaths, Jia Na's consciousness gradually entered a state of deep meditation.
The wind outside the window, the snow outside the window, the clouds in the sky, the trees in the forest—
That night, Jia Na had another very, very long dream.
In her dream, she was no longer that tree, nor was she Evefresia—
There was no longer any third-person prying, nor was there any indifference of being a detached observer.
She was herself, a piece gradually entering the game, yet so involuntarily caught.
In the dream, she still had no choice; the path before her seemed to be only one.
That is, the old path that Evefresia had already walked.
“Is it already dawn?”
Waking from meditation, Jia Na looked at the sunlight outside the window and couldn't help but rub her slightly groggy head with her fingers.
The intermittent dreams throughout the night meant that Jia Na's meditation effect was not very good.
But Jia Na knew that this situation was not an anomaly.
It was purely because, after Jia Na had just acquired the Natural Affinity talent, her perception of plant-based magic particles increased, coupled with her chaotic thoughts, which led to her discomfort during the first night of meditation.
Once Jia Na gradually adapted to her identity as a “Child of Nature” and could control plant-based magic particles at will, she would no longer have this trouble.
“Hmm?”
Just as Jia Na was about to get up and wash, a sudden, unbidden telepathic sensation made her stop.
“By my will, I command you, summon—Thorn Flower Fairy.”
Buzz—accompanied by a humming sound, the unusually active Thorn Flower Fairy appeared in the center of the Contract Summoning array.
“It seems that the soul feedback brought by the activation of the Plant Affinity talent combined with the Growth Law Fragment has once again given Laura an opportunity for evolution—
Looking at the Thorn Flower Fairy, whose entire body was once again enveloped by a flower bud, Jia Na's eyes couldn't help but flash with a few unexpected surprises.
She had originally thought that after the Thorn Flower Fairy received its first evolution from Jia Na feeding it top-tier Plant-based essence, it would not evolve again in a short period.
However, because Jia Na, the contract host, was simply too powerful, she once again gave the Thorn Flower Fairy an opportunity for evolutionary advancement in a short time.
“After Laura completes her second evolution, her soul feedback is probably not going to be small.”
As a mutually beneficial contractual relationship, while the contracted creature receives soul nourishment from the contractor, the soul energy fed back after evolution will also benefit Jia Na, the contractor.
However, after its second evolution, the Thorn Flower Fairy's strength would be roughly at the level of a Third-level Wizard Apprentice. From a purely level perspective, it would indeed surpass Jia Na, the contractor. Although Jia Na also knew that even if the Thorn Flower Fairy's strength truly far exceeded hers, there would most likely be no danger of it backfiring on the contractor.
But, as the Thorn Flower Fairy's Contract Summoning Master, it was indeed a bit embarrassing for Jia Na's promotion speed to be surpassed by her own contracted creature—
After leaving the Thorn Flower Fairy alone in the dormitory, Jia Na, having washed up, quickly put on her wizard robe and headed downstairs.
Because she woke up late today, Jia Na didn't have time to eat breakfast in the cafeteria. After leaving the dormitory building, she walked directly towards the Magic Tower.
“Today's classes, besides Ancient Magic History in the morning, also include a Dragon Language class in the afternoon—”
Calculating the time, Jia Na found that if she were to set off for the Mist Forest after her classes, there definitely wouldn't be enough time.
After all, the content of Jia Na's Main Quest this time was to revive the dying trees in the Mist Forest.
From the shared will of the Mist Forest last night, the targets Jia Na could currently aim for, besides the trees outside the Magic Tower Barrier, were those trees at the edge of the Magic Tower that had not yet been completely contaminated.
Comparing the two, Jia Na's choice of quest target was clear: the trees located at the edge of the Magic Tower Barrier.
