“To protect our clan, the Mother Tree used up the last of her power to transfer us here, then withered and died.”
After hearing Yinzhi's words, Qimeng raised an eyebrow and asked, “Speaking of which, where exactly is this place? I've never really thought about it before.”
“This is the Genesis Forest, also known as the Land of Beginnings.”
“While the forest's resources are abundant, the mana is very weak. Usually, only weak magical beasts roam here, and very few Spirits of Nature are willing to grow in such a place. That is why we haven't been able to find a new Sacred Spirit since we migrated here.”
“Without the nurturing of a Sacred Spirit, the strongest among our clan can only exert High-tier Novice strength at best.”
Qimeng listened quietly.
She looked over at the little Wood Elf girls running around in the distance.
Some of them emitted such a pitifully weak trace of mana that they were indeed no different from the Demon Rabbits outside.
“No wonder you couldn't escape at all when you were captured by that earth spider earlier.”
Yinzhi gave a soft, low reply. “Yes.”
“So, what exactly are you and that spiritual seed named Eve fighting over?”
“We are competing to see who can find a new Spirit of Nature first.”
A trace of earnestness appeared in Yinzhi's eyes.
“Whoever can bring back a stronger Spirit of Nature will become the new Spirit Maiden, earning the right to lead our clan away from this barren land.”
“That is why all the selected spiritual seeds were sent out this time—specifically to search for a new Spirit of Nature.”
“Tonight is the final deadline. The other spiritual seeds who went out have likely all obtained something. Yet I, the one who had the highest expectations placed on her, returned empty-handed.”
Qimeng glanced over at the treehouse walkway.
“Well, let's go join the gathering tonight and see what happens.”
Just then, Xiaomi asked in a dazed, quiet voice, “Master, what is the point of being the Spirit Maiden anyway? If you win, do you get to eat two more bowls of porridge?”
“It might be a form of authority, or perhaps it's a conviction to help the entire clan survive.”
“In any case... let's go take a look first.”
Night fell quickly over the tribe.
After sunset, lights flickered on across the treehouses and walkways throughout the entire valley.
Lanterns hung from the low eaves, emitting a warm yellow glow like fireflies.
The tribe seemed to float in the twilight.
From afar, it looked like a vast cluster of glowing mushrooms.
By the time Qimeng was invited to join, the sky was completely dark.
She walked along the edge of the narrow wooden walkway.
Yinzhi walked beside her, with Xiaomi following closely behind.
Most of the little Wood Elf girls they passed along the way were dressed in much tidier attire.
Some wore tasseled shawls.
Others had a small, blooming flower pinned in their hair.
They seemed to be in a hurry, crowding together on the narrow walkway.
“Is this some kind of festival for you all?” Qimeng asked casually.
“Yes, it is the important Sacred Spirit Gathering, and also the occasion where the new Spirit Maiden is chosen,” Yinzhi replied softly. “So it is more grand than usual.”
“I see,” Qimeng acknowledged and asked no more.
The gathering was held in an open clearing in the center of the valley.
The clearing was barely large enough to hold dozens of people.
Glowing stone slabs hung from the surrounding tree trunks, bathing the ground in soft light.
At one end of the clearing lay a wide, woven straw mat.
Several Wood Elves, about 1.4 meters tall, sat upon it.
The Chief sat right in the middle of the mat.
She had ash-gray hair, a serene face, and held a short staff in her hand.
Sitting beside the Chief was a young girl with long, silver-red hair.
She looked slightly older than the others in appearance and attire, and her gaze was exceptionally calm.
Yinzhi introduced her in a low whisper from the side, “That is the Chief's Head Spirit Attendant. She was the one who led the team to bring us back earlier.”
Qimeng nodded in understanding.
She had just stood still at the edge of the clearing when the Chief's gaze swept over the crowd and landed on her.
Though those eyes showed the weariness of age, they were still very bright.
After a moment, the Chief set down her short staff and bowed her head slightly toward Qimeng.
“Thank you for bringing our Spirit Maiden back.”
The surrounding girls, who had been chatting noisily, fell silent.
Qimeng had not expected this gesture.
She rubbed her neck a bit awkwardly and nodded in response.
“I was just passing by.”
“The Spirit Maiden rarely trusts an outsider.”
“So, what is your... origin?”
All eyes instantly converged on her.
Eve, who had been about to take her seat, also stopped in her tracks upon hearing this and turned to look back at Qimeng.
Qimeng crossed her arms, starting to spin a lie without batting an eye. “I am a humanoid magical beast, plant-type. She is a humanoid bee.”
She pointed casually at Xiaomi beside her. “We are just very ordinary monster girls. Your tribe must have seen similar existences before.”
The Chief did not press further, merely nodding.
“Humanoid magical beasts are indeed rare in the Genesis Forest.”
Qimeng shrugged and said, “There's nothing special about us, and we're pretty weak. We just happened to pass by that cave and pulled her out on a whim.”
“Regardless of your strength, you rescued the Spirit Maiden from the earth spider's nest. We Wood Elves will remember this favor.”
With that, the Chief raised her hand, gesturing for a nearby girl to bring over a wooden platter.
On the wooden platter lay several pieces of roasted bird meat, their skin slightly charred.
The rich aroma of fat rendered by the fire drifted through the night breeze.
Beside it was a small dish of deep purple fruit jam and a cluster of unidentified wild berries.
It was clear that this was already the best food they could offer.
Xiaomi's wings behind her back couldn't help but flutter. “Master, that's meat...”
“Do you want to eat some?”
“Can I?”
Qimeng picked up a piece and handed it directly to her.
Xiaomi caught it with both hands, immediately puffing out her cheeks as she nibbled on it.
Qimeng also picked up a piece and took a bite.
The skin was quite crispy, and the meat inside was reasonably tender. The fat melted in her mouth, carrying a hint of smoky wood fragrance.
She chewed a couple of times and noticed a clay pot sitting nearby.
The liquid poured out was a pale yellow, emitting a sweet and refreshing fruit aroma.
She took a sip, and her eyes lit up.
“What is this?”
“Fruit wine, brewed from wild forest berries,” Yinzhi explained from the side. “The alcohol content is very low. We usually just drink it as a beverage.”
Qimeng took another sip; it was indeed very sweet.
It wasn't astringent at all, and it had a slight tartness from fermentation.
It was countless times better than that bowl of porridge from earlier.
Without standing on ceremony, she poured herself another cup.
Just then, a young girl about a meter tall walked up to her.
She held out a deep black stone with both hands, offering it to her.
The stone was about half the size of a fist, with a smooth surface and no particular luster.
Qimeng took it and examined it for a moment, her expression shifting slightly.
She felt a weak but extremely pure flow of mana within it.
“What is this?”
The little girl spoke timidly, “A black magic stone. It was left behind by our tribe a long time ago. The Chief said you saved the Spirit Maiden, so this is a small token of our appreciation.”
Remnant of a high-ranking demon?
Qimeng's fingers squeezed the stone.
During her time in the Knight Order, she had also participated in battles to slay high-ranking demons.
So she was no stranger to this kind of object.
Rate on N.U.
