Setting Out

Setting Out

By the pool in Vanarana, over a hundred Aranara had gathered.

Besides Aranajin, Ranjiru, and Ranaga, who had fought alongside him in Apam Woods, Aranana had also rushed back from the outside world.

As beings who usually appeared alone in the game, finding the scattered Aranara had once driven plenty of players who disdained walkthroughs to despair.

A scene like today's, with over a hundred cabbages gathered together, was a rare sight indeed.

Seeing that all the Aranara had arrived, Lin Feng briefly explained the purpose of the journey and reminded the little ones that he might need their help later.

Just as expected, although some of the Aranara trembled at the prospect of possibly coming into contact with humans, none of them chose to withdraw.

After giving a simple pre-battle speech and taking stock of the Aranara's numbers,

Lin Feng led the large group of cabbages behind him on the journey toward the Land of Lost Dreams.

The two Vanaranas were not far apart. They could even be called quite close.

Starting from the pool of their new home, Lin Feng and the Aranara followed the flowing stream southwest toward the Hall of the Awakened King.

Along the way, neither rushing waterfalls nor broad canyons—terrain difficult for ordinary people to cross—could hinder this clearly far-from-ordinary team.

Lin Feng deliberately slowed his pace and occasionally looked back to check on the little ones' numbers.

As expected, the Aranara, who could naturally travel short distances through flora, were not so easily left behind.

Other than occasionally having to call out reminders to the naughty ones distracted by roadside mushrooms and wild fruit, the little ones were remarkably worry-free.

—They felt like children, but in practice, over a hundred Aranara were far easier to manage than the same number of human toddlers.

Without needing to fret like a kindergarten teacher, Lin Feng's speed of travel was not greatly affected.

Although they encountered a few Fungi and Thorn-Crowned Crocodiles along the way, the Aranara willing to follow Lin Feng were generally rather brave.

There was no need for Lin Feng to act. Ranbirika led Laramoth and the crowd of cabbages, easily dealing with those weak enemies.

In less than half a day, Lin Feng and the Aranara arrived at their destination—the Hall of the Awakened King.

"1, 2, 395, 96, 97!"

"Okay, the numbers are just right. Nobody fell behind."

After finishing his inspection, Lin Feng clapped his hands, drawing every Aranara's attention.

"Everyone, look over here. Let me explain what happens next."

"I understand that you're excited to see 'Mother,' but don't rush to communicate with the Awakened King Tree just yet."

"We will soon face the most powerful Withering on this land. There will be plenty of time to catch up after we defeat it."

The little ones, who had been excited at the sight of the Awakened King Tree, all fell silent after sensing the aura of Marana in the air.

"Now, I will open the seal behind the Awakened King Tree and enter the Vanarana of the past."

"Do not worry about the Withering inside. I will use the power of the King of a Thousand Trees to shelter you."

"If you want this memory to be more meaningful, you may approach the edge of the protected area and try fighting the enemies ahead. But remember, do not force yourselves, and do not leave my protection."

After confirming that every Aranara understood his words, Lin Feng climbed over the ruined wall of the Hall of the Awakened King and approached the seal to the east.

The moment he drew near, Lin Feng sensed the unprecedentedly massive Withering beyond the seal.

—If an ordinary Withering covered, at most, an area equivalent to a small village inhabited by several hundred people, then the Withering behind the Awakened King Tree could swallow the entirety of Sumeru City by area alone.

Not to mention the Withering energy contained within it, countless times more dangerous than any biological weapon.

—It did not feel like much in the game, but seeing it now, compared to this thing's scale and intensity, every other Withering was nothing but small fry.

Thinking of the consequences if such a Withering suddenly descended upon a nation's capital, Lin Feng instantly gained a more concrete understanding of the Dark Disaster from Five Hundred Years Ago.

Once he had confirmed that all the Aranara were ready, Lin Feng mobilized his Authority and prepared to lift the seal.

As his power flowed in, the Vines that had tightly blocked the entrance gradually withdrew to the sides.

The yellow sand sweeping about beyond the seal gradually came into view.

At that moment, an anxious emotion suddenly entered his mind.

"The Awakened King Tree?"

Thinking of a possibility, Lin Feng asked in his heart.

"..."

No one answered Lin Feng.

But as Lin Feng completely awakened his dormant Authority, beneath that majestic aura of life, the anxious emotion gradually turned into delight and longing.

As if it trusted the owner of that power without reservation, the seal, which had only been opened halfway, instantly opened completely.

"..."

Still, no one answered. Yet the spiral-like Awakened King Tree at the center of the hall emitted a faint emerald glow.

"The power of the King of a Thousand Trees. The Awakened King Tree misses it very much. She is happy now, as happy as she was Five Hundred Years Ago, as happy as she was even longer ago."

Aranana came to Lin Feng's side and told him where that emotion had come from.

Lin Feng looked at the Awakened King Tree, which had not a single leaf and resembled a dead tree, and suddenly grew curious about the world as seen through the Aranara's eyes.

Perhaps every blade of grass and every tree in this world, even a leaf or a Spore, possessed its own will.

It was merely that such wills were too weak. Aside from the innately gifted Aranara, other races had no way to hear those tiny wishes and dreams.

Even with the Authority of Flora, Lin Feng could only barely perceive plants' emotions at present.

The Awakened King Tree had resisted the Withering here alone for five hundred years.

Without her here, the Withering Manifestation that escaped would surely bring immeasurable losses to Sumeru, and even to the entire world.

For the first time, he felt the joy and trust coming from a tree. Finding it somewhat novel, he infused a stream of power into the weakened Awakened King Tree.

"After I deal with the Withering, I will return and heal your body."

Lin Feng conveyed his promise to the Awakened King Tree.

His divine intuition faintly warned him that some sort of surprise seemed to be waiting for him at the end of this journey.

Unable to investigate the source of that premonition for the moment, Lin Feng noticed the Aranara around him trembling beneath the Withering's corruption. After activating his Authority, he fully spread his own domain for the first time.

—In an instant, it was as though parched earth riddled with cracks had received the long-awaited rain.

Fresh green grass sprouted beneath everyone's feet. Dewdrops on tender leaves gleamed crystal-clear, touched by the sun's radiance.

Like a holy spirit from myth descending upon the world, the Authority of Flora pressed against, repelled, and erased the deathly stillness filling the desert, inch by inch.

Within this green world, the gloomy, oppressive yellow sands all transformed into a vibrant landscape brimming with life,

and for a moment, it even gave people the dreamlike feeling of having wandered into a fairyland.

Thanks to Qing Tian 88945 and Maple Leaf 4088 for the tips~