Chant

"Tsk, it can only cover half?"

Within the beautiful emerald world, Lin Feng ignored the worshipful gazes of the Aranara around him, somewhat dissatisfied with the range of his domain.

The Vanarana of old seemed to have become two sharply divided worlds. On one side lay a fairytale paradise of lush grass and fragrant flowers; on the other was a desolate human wasteland filled with yellow sand, hordes of monsters, dead trees, and wreckage.

By Lin Feng's estimate, although the presence of the Withering suppressed Dendro elemental power, if the King of Trees himself were here, covering all of Vanarana with his domain would have been no problem at all.

His actual level was still too low.

Since he had to be careful not to upset the balance between the Authority and divine power within him, Lin Feng was still somewhat cautious when using his strength.

—But suppressing half of it was enough for now.

Watching the cabbages running wild throughout the domain, Lin Feng felt that compared with Laramoth's little circle, his domain was already more than generous.

At least he would not have to worry about these Aranara wandering too far and getting left behind.

Lin Feng did not want to count heads at the end, discover that two were missing, then scour the entire map for them.

Having established the most basic safety measures, Lin Feng began recalling the original sequence of events in this part of the Aranyaka.

—First, Laramoth absorbed the Awakened King Tree's memories and became the new "seed," then led the Traveler and Paimon to find the three scattered inscriptions and unlock the seal leading underground.

—Then, after entering the second layer, the Traveler encountered an indestructible Withering and endlessly reviving Ruin Guards. Laramoth resolved both crises himself.

—Finally, Rana's Memory, the oldest Aranara guarding the Withering's seal, gave all his memories to Laramoth as well, and the Traveler began the battle against the Withering Manifestation.

With the Aranara's flower wreaths and Laramoth's Blood C, the Traveler ultimately defeated the Withering Manifestation and watched Laramoth become the new Awakened King Tree.

After Aranana sacrificed her memories, the Traveler took the grown Vijnana Fruit and awakened the sleeping Rana.

—What a race of immortals who sacrificed themselves for others. Having recalled the entire process, Lin Feng could barely hold it together.

After that wave, practically every Aranara capable of fighting was gone. They had even stripped the tree that grew Aranara clean.

No wonder Lesser Lord Kusanali later recruited Scaramouche as muscle. The Aranara truly were a whole family of martyrs.

Having sorted everything out, Lin Feng did not forget the purpose of his journey: to let the little ones obtain memories valuable enough to matter, while also forming a certain degree of connection with him.

Lin Feng did not use any overly unorthodox speedrunning tactics. Instead, while maintaining his domain, he led the Aranara to search for the three inscriptions needed to lift the seal.

—At least let them feel involved. Once they went down to the second layer, these Aranara would only be able to stand aside and cheer, "Boss, 666!"

Watching the little ones running about, Lin Feng silently put on the flower wreath the Aranara had given him earlier.

Though the wreath's help was limited, Lin Feng still hoped that every Aranara who had once blessed him could witness the moment the Withering was cleared away.

"Laramoth found one!"

"Aranana found an inscription too!"

"Arabalika found one as well."

Lin Feng: "..." So fast.

Thinking about it, compared to the game, where they could only slowly follow behind Laramoth within a tiny circle, his enormous domain covering half of Vanarana was obviously far superior.

And with over a hundred little ones searching with all their might, it would have been strange if they had failed to find them all within a few minutes.

Lin Feng called back Ranbirika, who had been fighting Rift Hounds at the edge of the domain. He planned to study those cool-looking dogs after they returned.

Carrying the three inscriptions they had found, he arrived before a massive spiraling dead tree.

Judging from its appearance alone, this dead tree was very likely a Shalan Tree formed from an Aranara, but it had long since completely withered, devoid of even the faintest trace of life.

Standing before the downward-leading tree hollow, Lin Feng chanted the three discovered inscriptions alongside the Aranara.

At that moment, countless overlapping voices Gathered into an ocean of wishes.

All so that the final blessings of the departed could become a vivid and beautiful reality.

—"May new dreams never be eroded by Marana.

May old stories be forgotten alongside Marana."

—"May green plains and hills never turn yellow and wither.

May streams remain forever clear, and may flowers bloom forever."

—"Close friends will walk together once more through the dense forest.

All beautiful things will eventually return,

and all painful memories will drift away,

just as streams cleanse themselves and dead trees sprout new buds."

The little lives that had already perished had left behind their wishes and beautiful dreams.

On a day Five Hundred Years Ago, the Aranara gathered here once more to fight the death spreading across the land. At the forefront stood a youth brimming with the breath of life, as gentle and as towering as that figure from five hundred years ago.

Beneath the yellow sand lay a tiny dream.

Beside a cool, clear pool of water stood a light-brown wooden chair, while a book nearby rested quietly on a certain day five hundred years ago.

Rana's Memory stared blankly at the mural on the wall.

—Just as he had every day for the past several centuries.

He had guarded this place for far, far too long.

The King of Trees had left. Nara Varuna had left. Arandias had left as well.

Only Rana's Memory remained, using his own body as the final seal against the Withering.

The King of Trees' successor had been imprisoned by humans, while memories of death circulated throughout the land.

Even as one of the strongest Aranara, Rana's Memory could only feel despair growing day by day.

—But miracles of fate always appeared when least expected.

The moment he sensed that familiar power, even the steady Rana's Memory leaped up in excitement.

The brown leaves atop his head spun rapidly as Rana's Memory impatiently used his teleportation ability to move to the surface.

Yet the instant he appeared, Rana's Memory was stunned by the vast domain before him. A domain representing "life" had actually crushed every trace of "death" head-on. It was a divine miracle that no existence other than a god could ever replicate.

The clear chanting of the Aranara surrounded his ears as countless wishes and beautiful dreams Gathered in one place.

And the youth at the very front, wearing a flower wreath on his head, gradually overlapped with two figures from his memories.

"Wow, it's Rana's Memory!"

"Wow, it really is Rana's Memory!"

"..."

Before he had the chance to work up any emotion, the little ones who had suddenly met a legendary figure swarmed over like paparazzi encountering an idol, their round bodies wobbling as they crowded around him.

Rana's Memory: "..."

"By the way... why are there so many Aranara here?"

Having recovered from his emotion, Rana's Memory looked at his kin, who were clearly within the Withering yet seemed to be on a spring outing, and fell into deep Doubts.