Chapter 563: 41. The Elf in the Mind
“Miss, let me help you out first.”
Outside the great egg of nirvana, Heidi Lin didn’t have time to catch up or express her gratitude. She quickly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, ready to reach in and pull Valentina, who was curled up inside the egg, out.
Valentina gasped for fresh air, but every breath she exhaled was filled with extreme cold, as if she contained the entire winter of the Northern Region within her.
As Valentina’s breath met Heidi Lin, her hand grew red from the freezing temperature, trembling as it touched the cracked eggshell beside her. It was as if something had triggered a switch; the entire eggshell began to shatter with a crisp sound.
“Crack, crack, crack!”
“Miss!”
Heidi Lin’s fragile human body seemed so weak in the face of the extreme cold of the phoenix. She had no choice but to take several steps back, watching helplessly as Valentina slid out from the broken shell, revealing her current appearance entirely to Heidi Lin.
Gazing at the large wings that seemed powerless due to being a little unaccustomed, and her legs that were perfectly intact, sprouting some bluish fluff.
“I’m fine, my legs can move.”
Valentina was still adjusting to this body; after all, it seemed she had been asleep for a long, long time, and it was typical to feel a little disoriented upon awakening.
“Yes, Miss, you are now a true phoenix—the kind all the races in the Northern Region look up to.”
Heidi Lin was moved to kneel on the ground, hurriedly picking up a huge blanket beside her to wrap around Valentina, who was naked on the ground. As her body gradually adjusted, the uncontrolled cold no longer spread outward.
Heidi Lin’s voice carried sobs, tears of joy spilling forth as she held Valentina tightly, prompting Valentina to smile and pat her back.
“Ah, I’m back, Heidi Lin. Wait, your hair…”
While being embraced by Heidi Lin, Valentina’s peripheral vision suddenly caught a glimpse of some white strands intertwined within Heidi Lin’s black hair, bound by her emerald hair crown. This detail stood out to Valentina, who was no longer an ordinary human and had ascended in rank.
Heidi Lin froze momentarily at her words, then looked at Valentina, quickly realizing what Valentina meant. She awkwardly smiled, covering the base of her hair crown with her hand, and replied, “People age, that’s just how it is, and the weather around the Parasol Tree is cold, so white shows up a bit faster.”
Valentina sharply noticed the signs of time on Heidi Lin’s face, quickly realizing something; she immediately asked Heidi Lin, “Heidi Lin, how long have I been asleep?”
“Four and a half years. Miss, let me help you to bed for a while. You need to rest, and I will go out to tell them you’ve awakened and bring you something to eat. You haven’t eaten for four and a half years; you must be very hungry, right?”
“Four and a half years?”
Valentina repeated in disbelief, allowing Heidi Lin to painstakingly help her up as they slowly made their way toward the bed in the room.
“Ah, I didn’t expect you to sleep for so long either, but luckily they’ve been here all these years, and nothing happened; they are all waiting for you to awaken.”
“They?”
“Yes, the six tribes of the Snow Mountain: the Slime Race, the Moon Rabbit Tribe, the Cangniao Tribe, the Snow Fox Tribe, the Troll Race, and the Cloud Cat Breed. Although there’s only Ilos the nun from the Moon Rabbit Tribe now, she also came to the Parasol Tree.”
“Heidi Lin, can you tell me in detail what happened while I was asleep?”
Heidi Lin helped Valentina onto the bed and tucked her in with a blanket, then began to think back and tell Valentina everything that had happened over the years.
The curse of the Parasol Tree was lifted, and Balzak and Phyllis left the Northern Region to pursue their paths. Heidi Lin had been anxiously waiting at the Snow Fox Tribe’s settlement for news until one day, the Slimes came to find her, taking her along with the entire Snow Fox Tribe to Sema Snow Mountain, where they gathered the remaining bloodlines of the six tribes and awaited Valentina’s awakening.
“So, the family matters…”
“Ah, Miss, unfortunately, the six tribes have remained in Sema Snow Mountain all these years to preserve their strength, only repelling several attempts from the family to ascend the mountain and enter the Parasol Tree. They also know that the curse has disappeared, and once freed from it, they finally dared to leave the Snowflake Fortress. I’ve heard that in these years, they have become quite close to Nali.”
Thinking about how that group had thrived because of the curse she and Fisher had fought so hard to resolve made Valentina’s expression darken.
By the way, Fisher, her husband!
Where has he gone?
She had been asleep for a full four and a half years, and he had waited for her for just as long, yet Heidi Lin hadn’t mentioned him trying to find her. He was still being hunted by Nali, and if the Turan family was colluding with Nali, then where Fisher was in the Northern Region…
“Heidi Lin, what about Fisher…”
“Knock, knock, knock!”
At that moment, a weak knocking sound came from the door, as if the person knocking lacked strength.
Heidi Lin immediately looked back. She first tightened the blanket around Valentina, then stood up and asked outside the door, “Who is it? If you’re here for news, tell them Valentina has awakened, but she needs time to rest, so please don’t disturb her for now.”
“Ah? May the Mother Goddess bless, has Miss Valentina awakened?”
A soft voice came from outside the door, causing Heidi Lin to pause and then ask, “Ilos the nun?”
Heidi Lin opened the door, revealing the remaining Moon Rabbit Tribe member, Ilos, dressed in a nun’s robe.
She first glanced at the shattered eggshell scattered on the ground, then looked at Valentina on the bed, smiling as she greeted, “Miss Valentina, it’s so good to see you again.”
“Ilos the nun!”
Heidi Lin seemed to have a good relationship with Ilos, and upon seeing her, she let her in and then closed the door again.
Ilos made a prayer gesture for Valentina, then smiled as she assessed her current state. Behind her, Heidi Lin asked, “Did they not send anyone to inquire?”
“As long as Valentina has been gotten out from near the roots of the tree, the birth process is no longer dangerous. Since it is no longer dangerous, they are not in a rush. Right now, they are discussing matters with that Ice Mountain Queen.”
“That’s good. I thought they would be so crazed as to barge in as soon as Valentina just woke up.”
Valentina looked at the two talking in confusion and asked softly, “Roots? What happened before I emerged from nirvana?”
“Ah, well… Miss Valentina’s phoenix egg was initially leaning against the roots of that World Tree at the bottom of the Parasol Tree. They hadn’t checked that out before and didn’t anticipate that the roots had grown shoots that entangled the phoenix egg. It was actually that Ice Mountain Queen who used all her strength to sever the branches around you to pull you out.”
“Branches, huh…”
An image of the foul-mouthed little girl dressed in elegant robes flashed across Valentina’s mind. She felt a certain connection between that process and when she had been injured before.
Where had that self-proclaimed “Peach” gone now?
“By the way, Ilos, did you come to check on the Miss’s condition?”
“Well, yes and no. I wanted to confirm whether Miss Valentina had awakened or not. If she had, I had something to discuss with her.”
Ilos waved her hand, and the pair of rabbit ears atop her golden bangs swayed slightly. After saying this, she added, “It’s about Mr. Fisher.”
“Fisher?!”
“Is it him?”
Valentina sat up quickly, her wings behind her slightly flaring involuntarily, bringing a chill reminiscent of the northern wind that caused Ilos to press her lips tightly together, hurriedly clutching her nun’s robe to prevent the flaring skirt from being disturbed by the wind. But Valentina persistently continued to ask, “Ilos, do you know where he went, where he is now?”
“Oh, my Mother Goddess, I don’t know! But over four years ago, he came to my Healing Rot Church. At that time, it was already a bit after the curse had been resolved, and one night, he suddenly visited, along with that talking relic.”
“And then?”
“Mr. Fisher’s condition was very poor. When I found him, he was collapsed at the entrance of the Healing Rot Church, looking like a skeleton, practically buried in snow. It was only because that book called for me that I knew he was there. In short, it seemed that Mr. Fisher sustained some fatal injury in the Parasol Tree and was in a very strange state, like an old man close to death. He said he was being chased by death and that he might die at any moment.”
Ilos nervously fidgeted with the hem of her nun’s robe, and meeting the incredulous gaze of Valentina, she continued, “Mr. Fisher made a call to Nali from the church, almost like he was discussing his last wishes. Before making that call, he told me he might go back to his hometown. I asked him if he would return, but he said nothing. Soon after, a strange member of the Cardu appeared in the church, seemingly an enemy of Mr. Fisher. They talked about God knows what, and not long after, Mr. Fisher left the church.”
“And then?! Is there any news about Fisher over these years?!”
Valentina pressed for answers.
Only then did the ominous premonition gradually spread through her heart. She suddenly recalled her last conversation with Fisher before her slumber, and upon recalling his words now, they suddenly seemed laden with meaning.
Perhaps at that time, he had already sustained severe injuries but just did not tell her.
Where could he be now? What did it mean that he was being chased by death? Did it mean he was about to die? Has he found a way to resolve it?
Ilos pursed her lips, looking over at Heidi Lin, who seemed to already know the contents of what she was about to say. The expression on Heidi Lin’s face was somewhat hesitant.
But facing Valentina’s extremely agitated gaze, she couldn’t help but speak first, “Miss, please rest for a bit; eat something, and then we can talk about this.”
“Heidi Lin, I need to know his news.”
“I understand, Miss, but I need to ensure you—”
“I am no longer a member of the Turan family! On Snow Mountain, I’ve married him, and that was witnessed by those trolls! I am his wife, and I need to know where my husband is!”
Heidi Lin found herself at a loss for words and sighed, closing her eyes as she said, “After Fisher left the Healing Rot Church, the Slime that was supposed to transport him to Nali looked for his traces. But they only found that he seemed to have clashed with an organization known as the Sorceress Research Society, and he went missing.”
“Missing? What does that mean?”
“At that time, his condition was very poor, very weak, and he had to face dozens or even hundreds of members of the Sorceress Research Society alone. The Slimes didn’t hold much hope for his survival. In the end, they found a pool of Fisher’s blood and his belongings. He had killed all the members of the Sorceress Research Society, but he was gravely injured, and during the extreme cold of the Northern Region’s night, he hadn’t found a place to land. We lean towards thinking—”
“That’s enough! Heidi Lin! You all…”
Valentina suddenly burst into tears, as if countless crystalline teardrops were slipping down her face. The entire room began to frost over, startling Ilos.
Looking at the highly agitated Valentina, Ilos quickly tried to console her, “Calm down, Valentina! But the Slimes searched the nearby areas afterward and found no trace of Mr. Fisher’s body. He may still be alive; it’s just that we don’t know where he is.”
Heidi Lin looked at Ilos, who still wanted to comfort Valentina, and after a moment of silence, she couldn’t help but confess, “Miss, while you were asleep, I, along with the Slimes and the Trolls, did everything we could to search for Fisher’s traces. You know, the Slimes have their borders; they have an intelligence network throughout the world that could provide certain information. But there was no news of him, not even a trace of him making it back to Nali!
“After that, Nali also sent people to search for his whereabouts, but came up empty-handed. At that time, he was not well enough to go anywhere; he relied on the Slimes to reach the Healing Rot Church! He absolutely couldn’t survive the extreme cold of the Northern Region while seriously injured! For these four and a half years, in the whole world, it’s as if he had disappeared completely; he…”
Heidi Lin’s eyes opened wide as she had no choice but to reveal the entire truth to Valentina.
She might have wanted to delay things, but given Valentina and Fisher’s relationship, she had to tell her no matter what. She couldn’t keep lying to her about Fisher’s whereabouts, letting her search the world filled with hope for so long, only to later inform her, “Actually, your husband has long since died.”
Which way is more cruel?
Ilos didn’t know, but Heidi Lin thought the latter was far more brutal, so she had agreed with Ilos in advance to tell Miss Valentina the truth once she awakened, allowing her to decide what to do.
But just as Ilos thought that saying all this would lead to a more terrible froststorm, the room fell into a dead silence, with only the sounds of Heidi Lin and Ilos breathing.
Valentina was left staring blankly at the two before her, watching as they hesitated, avoiding her gaze and the emotions she might express upon knowing the truth.
She blankly lowered her head to look at her hands, as well as her legs, perfectly intact under the quilt, and fell silent.
She turned her head, her long, long white hair, which had grown over the past four and a half years, cascading down, isolating all her expressions. The only signs of her emotions could be guessed through her slightly trembling wings behind her and her droopy ears covered in fluff.
“Miss Valentina.”
“Miss.”
But Valentina merely bowed her head, speaking softly, “You both leave now; I want to be alone for a while.”
Heidi Lin raised her hand, seemingly wanting to approach Valentina but ultimately let it fall weakly.
She silently glanced at the equally saddened Ilos beside her, then softly said, “We’ll go, Miss. We’ll come back later to bring you food. You… rest well.”
“….”
Valentina kept her head down, offering no response.
“Crack.”
Only when the door closed did the breaths of Heidi Lin and Ilos drift away little by little, and only then did Valentina’s drooping white hair part to let a few distinctly visible crystalline tears fall.
The place where the ice crystals fell matched exactly where she had been looking all along, falling squarely onto her empty ring finger on her right hand.
So she had been looking there all along.
The delicate ice crystal tears seemed to possess immense power, and ever since they fell, Valentina’s whole body seemed to tremble because of them.
Her head bowed lower and lower, and a trembling voice came out softly, “Liar.”
“You clearly promised to give me a ring.”
“You clearly promised to take me to see the Rainbow Wing Whale.”
Yet along with this reproach, there was not a hint of complaint or anger—only an inexplicable sense of despair and sorrow.
Her legs had healed; she could not only run but had wings now, capable of flying far away.
All of this was what she had longed for, yet for some reason, now that she had obtained it, her heart still felt empty.
Her body began to tremble faster, accompanied by an increasing number of tears streaming down her face. She curled up in pain, trying to alleviate the agony arising from her heart.
“Whimper… whimper…”
It was as if the wings behind Valentina felt her anguish, folding in slowly until they completely enveloped her.
But it still wasn’t enough.
Suddenly, she felt that what she had gained meant nothing, as if escaping the Turan family, exorcising the curse, and restoring her body were not sufficient for happiness. It was not enough for that ephemeral joy she felt that night solely through the dream magic left by her mother.
Was that illusion so beautiful that one becomes nostalgic?
No, perhaps it was just because, at that time, those who accompanied her in that illusion were real. And at this moment, everything she possessed was real, yet the only person beside her had retreated into the illusion of memories, leaving her unable to grasp his presence.
“Whimper…”
She lay crying on the bed, her heart aching as if it were being pierced through. The more she recalled, the more painful it became, and the more she thought, the more it suffocated her.
She sobbed, regretting wanting to return all that he had promised her.
“I… don’t want the ring anymore; I don’t want to see the Rainbow Wing Whale anymore, Fisher.”
Naively, she thought she might be able to deceive herself—if she returned everything she had demanded, then the price of those demands would be returned to her.
But the empty room was so quiet, facing her repentance and sadness, without a single sound to reply.
Only the fate of the ancestors that once favored her responded.
In the depths of that heart-wrenching despair, Valentina’s heart was shrouded in darkness, yet her vision became increasingly bright, as if “reality” had generated an extra change in her eyes.
“Buzz, buzz, buzz!”
In the gradually brightening view, Valentina seemed to see a flourishing city rising like the sun, where the flag of Nali waved.
She saw ominous mechanical beings moving there like blood, and a creature using its tail to extract some substance from a middle-aged gentleman lying on the bed. She saw a golden sword broken into several pieces, held by an incredibly powerful being.
Coming toward her was a tsunami of calamity, a multitude of figures floating in the sky ready to change the colors of the world. They looked expressionless down below, but Valentina couldn’t make out their faces or what they truly were.
“The prophecy of the apocalypse is coming; no one can escape.”
Soon after, she heard a desperate shout that seemed to come from nowhere.
“May the Mother Goddess bless! Mother Goddess!”
Then she heard thousands of fervent prayers, smelling delightful wafts of fragrances.
“Ware s sunawati hi sninsshuj s.”
In the end, it seemed she heard a series of chaotic, incomprehensible, frenzied murmurs.
As she attempted to follow the sound’s direction and discovered it came from the heavens, she raised her head, wanting to see what was producing the noises.
But what met her eyes was a crimson force struggling and twisting in a pitch-black starry sky, as if it aimed to swallow everything.
“Ah!!”
In an instant, Valentina’s brain felt as if ten thousand silver needles had pierced into it, inducing intense pain.
That crimson power was so overwhelming, seemingly flowing along the lines of fateful illusions, striking directly into Valentina’s body.
She agonizingly clutched her head, her entire brain repeating that insane murmur, as if that murmur was about to erupt from within Valentina’s consciousness.
“Ding ding ding~”
Just as she was in such pain she wished to die, a clear ringing suddenly rang in her ears.
Flowers of dazzling pink opened all over her body. As those pink flowers disappeared once more, Valentina found her state instantly warming back up, as if she had returned to a minute earlier, before witnessing that prophecy.
Yet the content of those prophecies was already deeply engraved in her mind.
“What… did that fish see… to provoke the chaos of the spirit realm, cough cough cough.”
“It was a prophecy, the prophecy of the phoenix. Wait, you—”
Right at this moment, a weak childish voice suddenly emerged in Valentina’s mind—a voice she was extremely familiar with, as if she had seen it just recently.
No, she felt that she really had seen it!
“Peach?”
“…It’s me.”
“You—how are you—wait, you’re in my mind? And still talking? Is this a hallucination?”
“No, I’ve temporarily transferred my consciousness to you from my mother’s roots because of necessity.”
“So you’re a ghost now?”
“Pretty much. In fact, I died a long time ago, relying solely on my mother’s affection and that damned chaos, inadvertently, my branches grew out again from my mother’s roots.”
“How specifically? How did you manage that?”
“Specifically… it’s none of your business; why are you asking so many questions?”
“My husband, my husband is dead. I want… Is there any way to bring him back to life?”
“You want me to revive your lover?”
“Yes!”
Valentina immediately grasped at hope, sitting up from the bed, not even questioning why Peach was in her mind, and instead hurriedly asked this, which left the Peach in her mind speechless.
After a moment of silence, Peach, in a resigned tone, said, “When did your husband die? How did he die? Please tell me the specifics.”
“My husband is Fisher Benavides, and he…”
“Wait!”
But before the words could finish, the voice in her mind suddenly became agitated, seeming incredulous, as it heavily emphasized the name to Valentina, “Fish Phoenix, say that again, your husband’s name is what?”
“Fisher Benavides, what’s wrong?”
“….”
A strange silence descended in her mind.
“…Peach?”
After several seconds, Valentina couldn’t help but ask again, “I… I continue.”
“You don’t need to say it, fish.”
Peach coldly snorted in her mind again, but Valentina keenly noticed that the tone had slightly changed, almost as if it were gritting its teeth while saying this.
“…Chased by death… the chaos upon the Trans… tears of the World Tree…”
“So that’s it, so that’s it.”
In her mind, Peach muttered to herself, as though coming upon a realization that greatly concerned Fisher. Thinking she had grasped onto hope, Valentina couldn’t help but ask, “What do you mean? What are you talking about?”
“I know, fish, don’t interrupt me while I think. Right now, there are two pieces of news; one good and one bad. I want to tell you the good news.”
“Good news?”
“The good news is, your deadbeat husband is still alive and doing quite well.”
“What?! Fisher is still alive? Where is he? How is he? How do you know this?”
“Don’t rush me, there’s also bad news.”
“Tell me.”
“The bad news is that even though he might still be alive, he’s not far from death.”
At that moment, Peach’s normally taunting words suddenly became very serious as she stated, “Chaos may have already set its sights on him.”
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(End of Chapter)
