Chapter 78: The Gathering

Chapter 78: The Gathering

“I guess we once lived together very happily,” Bran said casually. “At least in your time, there was once such a wonderful period, a time worth remembering.”

“A nice guess.” The Old Fairy sat on Bran’s shoulder, leaning against his neck.

“The scent of a Northlander.” The Old Fairy whispered.

This sentence made Bran relax his guard a little. He heard too much nostalgia in that whisper. The Old Fairy didn’t say this through a mental link; she probably didn’t even realize it herself. A momentary lapse made this Old Fairy directly utter a clear voice.

“My name is Bran.”

“Emili. Earlier, they used to call me Whisper.”

…

According to the words of the Old Fairy Whisper: initially, the Fairies and the Northlanders lived together for many years. Living together caused the Northlanders to be deeply influenced by the Fairies—this reminded Bran of the Fairy’s Garden. At that time, the Northlanders gathered Mana into their bodies, making it a source of their own growth and power. After thousands of years, this behavior seeped into their Bloodline and became instinct. Later, the Fairies gradually separated from the Northlanders. The Fairies stayed in the Magu Forest, while the Northlanders went out and gradually occupied the outside Fertile Plains Grassland.

Based on the Fairy’s words, it could be inferred: perhaps the Northlander’s Trial did not necessarily require returning to the Wasteland. Maybe they would still grow to the corresponding height given enough time, but the Trial sped up this process. The memories in the Bloodline made the Northlanders instinctively return to the Wasteland. But the Fairy’s words could only be a reference for now. Intuitively, the Old Fairy seemed to have some unspeakable difficulties.

Just like Bran’s current feeling, he wasn’t unable to resist the call. At least, he had suppressed it for a time. His feeling about the Wasteland was merely that there was food there, something that could satisfy his growth needs.

Or perhaps there were other deeper reasons. He might understand these after entering the Wasteland.

The common origin and ancestral land of the two races should both be the Wasteland. Initially, the two races left there together. So, what was the reason that made the two races leave the Wasteland together?

…

Bran pointed at the Little Fairies flying around overhead and asked, “Whisper, will there be more joining?”

Hearing Bran say the name Whisper, the Old Fairy was stunned for a moment, feeling nostalgic and emotional. “Yes, it’s too rare for a Northlander like you to appear in the Northlands.”

“Let’s discuss it. Have everyone who wants to send something send it over. It’s just this small space, first come, first served.” Bran completely let go, or rather, performed a test.

The Old Fairy laughed. “It has nothing to do with size, since you’re so generous.”

“It’s not that I’m generous. I want to pull a group of people to share the burden. Whether one can survive the Trial and return is uncertain.”

“No one can guarantee anything.”

“What are these star clusters?” Bran asked, noticing that the Little Fairies, knowing they no longer needed to hide, began to occupy these star clusters.

“A kind of material, an intermediate form from the interaction between life and Mana. It seems you’ve killed many Wizards.”

“No, just a few. The others mostly came from the Fertile Plains Grassland. I found ones that could be assimilated and captured them conveniently. What’s the use?”

“It’s of no use to you. Under the washing of your Mana Tide, this Starlight will only become purer and eventually become part of your life. Oh, there is still some use. I forgot the lifespan of Northlanders isn’t very long anymore. It will increase your lifespan a little.

This Starlight is the best nest for Fairies. But don’t worry, the Little Fairies only live inside it; it won’t have any bad effects on you.”

Bran said with a slightly malicious expression, “I was thinking, what would happen if I took the Starlight into my body?”

Fairy Whisper gave Bran a sideways glance. “Once it becomes a nest, whether you take it into your body or release it outside, it makes no difference.”

“I had roughly guessed before, my body is actually just a channel. Some things are just appearances, but it still feels a bit strange.”

…

Bran didn’t know how these Fairies transmitted information, but in just a short while, Bran saw that in the Garden before him, thousands upon thousands of Fairies flew out from the large tree in the center.

Bran stared open-mouthed as these Fairies formed a whirlwind and gathered towards this direction. He wondered if one day his own body would also form a door and fly out so many Fairies.

Then, countless greetings from Old Fairies rang out in Bran’s Spiritual World. He felt a buzzing in his head and thought the next moment he would die. Then all his Mana, along with the Mana Web, instantly contracted into a ball inside his body, cutting off contact with the outside world. The Fairies seemed to notice his condition and all stopped their greetings. Bran felt silence fall, and two trails of blood flowed from his nostrils…

Bran experienced the feeling of those Wizards who had spied on him when they suffered a counterattack. Fortunately, that moment just now hadn’t exceeded his limit. Moreover, now his spirit and the Mana Web were tightly fused together. Even if he wanted to, like those Wizards, for his body to instinctively discard his ability to protect itself, he couldn’t do it. If at the initial Awakening, the ability was added as an extra part of his body, then his current situation was that his body had become part of the ability.

Now Bran knew the records were wrong. These Fairies were not harmless, at least not to him in his current state. If they had malicious intent, this group of Fairies could absolutely make him experience extreme torment. Although he could withdraw his Mana into his body, contract it into a ball to shield against external impacts, that moment just now still made him more vigilant. After his ability’s Evolution, he gained benefits and expanded his abilities, but also developed weaknesses. It seemed the Mana Web protected his entire person inside, but as his spirit gradually fused with the Mana Web, his spirit also let down its guard as the Mana Web expanded.

Most Fairies came to watch the excitement. According to the Fairies’ words: the last Northlander who could be entrusted with a child was probably about three or four hundred years ago. Even for a long-lived race like Fairies, that seemed too long ago. So when they heard a little Northlander wanted to meet everyone, they happily accepted the invitation.

Bran generously issued an invitation and treated all the Old Fairies and Little Fairies present to a meal. He extended his own Mana Tide to the limit. Don’t be shy, everyone, have a taste.

The leading Old Fairy gave a comment: “Permeation, perception, assimilation, feedback, memory, replication, vague control, compliance with Mana, and shape-shifting. This flavor is good, you all should try it too. When was the last time we ate that Northlander? That kid couldn’t take much…”

Bran could take it relatively well. The tides within his Mana Web rose and fell, pushing outward wave after wave. But gradually, these tides produced patches of mist that spread in all directions. The Mana Tide that Bran actively extended finally broke through its limit. Only this time, it wasn’t his Mana Tide, but the mist that rose from the tide. This mist was faint and indistinct. Although not as thick and solid as the tide, it still covered an area over ten meters around him.

Now Bran completely believed in the fact that these Fairies and the Northlanders once coexisted and lived together. Only mutual benefit is the basis for symbiosis. As the Fairies fed, the familiar feeling from deep within his Bloodline also began to gradually clarify. His Mana was not a one-way supply. His Mana began to exchange with the outside world, began to form breath, began to inhale and exhale. His Mana seemed to have gained life, no longer merely an extension of his will.

Mana does not come from nothing. Although the specific conversion process was unknown, his obviously increased appetite was the evidence. As Bran’s ability Evolved, his appetite grew larger and larger. And when Bran heard the call of the Wasteland, and the power of his Bloodline also began to Awaken, this sense of hunger had reached an uncontrollable level. Now he felt his hunger easing, and the Mana he consumed was also recovering through his exchange with the outside world.

This feeling is really good, Bran sighed in his heart.