Chapter 102: Reincarnation
A blur of consciousness, a descent into the void…
She had been here before.
But this time, there was no small, soft embrace to catch her. She could only fall, endlessly.
To face her “mother,” to lose… was not unexpected. But Bai’s trump card could withstand the price of failure.
However, she hadn’t expected her “mother” to be so powerful. Even with all her preparations, she had been defeated in a single blow.
But Zi had been there, had sacrificed herself to turn the tide.
The Authority of “Rewrite Reality,” with unprecedented power, had rippled through the river of time, severing the connection of the Word of Command “Wither.”
And in the end, Bai had fallen into the chaotic river of time, lost in the past.
After what seemed like an eternity, or perhaps just a moment, she awoke.
The first thing she saw was a canopy of green, the sunlight filtering through the leaves, dappling the ground.
The sound of birds chirping, of a clear stream flowing, a world apart from the silent void.
No, it was a world apart.
Gradually, she regained control of her body, and slowly, stiffly, she sat up.
She checked herself. “This is… a real dream body. It seems I succeeded,” she sighed in relief.
From the very beginning, she hadn’t expected to defeat her mother in their first encounter.
It had been an unequal battle. Her mother knew everything about her, had been watching her since her birth.
And Bai had known nothing about her.
So, she had used her Dream-Illusion ability, “Real Dream Body,” to enter the river of time, to meet her mother, not in her true form.
But she had underestimated her mother, and overestimated herself.
The Real Dream Body couldn’t withstand the Word of Command. Her mother’s words had pierced through her soul, her body, and had almost erased her consciousness.
Even with her “Rewrite Reality,” without Zi’s help, she wouldn’t have been able to turn the tide.
And to have escaped, to have fallen into the chaotic river of time, was the best possible outcome.
“But I can feel it. This space-time is rejecting me.”
She looked at her hands. Her dream body was fading, turning translucent.
Soon, her consciousness would return to the real world.
And time in the real world had not passed. She would return to the moment she had entered the river of time.
“So, in a way, this is a vacation. I don’t have to rush back. I don’t have anything I have to do… a rare moment of peace.”
She sighed. She had tried to compose herself, but the thought of her impending battle… her heart was still a chaotic mess.
As Zi had said, she had no hope of winning. Even knowing her mother’s abilities, her immense power, she couldn’t find a way to turn the tide.
“Oh well. First, let’s see where I am… wait?”
She stood up, and she felt a faint gaze on her.
“Who’s there!” she called out, her hand reaching for her waist, but there was nothing there—her dream body wasn’t equipped with her usual sword.
“Wah!”
A small figure, startled by her voice, leaped out from a nearby bush.
“…”
Bai looked at the little creature who had been watching her, her expression a mixture of surprise and… recognition.
“So, it was at this time…”
She looked around. The scenery was familiar, a place from her memories of the real world.
But in the real world, the lush green trees were now withered, grotesque.
—”The Bewildering Forest.”
And the little creature before her…
With short, vibrant green hair, a childish face, she looked like a young girl, just beginning to mature.
If she were a bit older, she would have been a perfect match for the “Green Lolita” she had fought alongside.
Yes, this was “Green Lolita,” in her youth.
Bai looked at her, and a memory of her final fate flashed through her mind, and she sighed.
“Huh?”
The green-haired girl, who had been nervous, tilted her head, confused. “Little sister, where… where did you come from? And why do you look like a fox…”
But she still found the courage to ask.
At this time, the Bewildering Forest had not yet made contact with the Savage Lands. Green Lolita had never seen a beastkin before.
She had only recognized her ears and tail as being similar to a fox’s.
“Little… alright,” Bai said, realizing that the Green Lolita before her, who was about the same size as Ara, was a child, and that she, in her current form, was even “younger.”
“As for where I came from, I’ve forgotten—ugh!”
The first words out of her mouth, and she was startled by her own voice. The lisp had returned. Even her dream body couldn’t correct it.
But Green Lolita just giggled, her eyes twinkling. “Oh, you forgot? Well, little sister, where are you going?”
“…I don’t know,” Bai said. She really didn’t.
“That’s okay,” Green Lolita said, even more cheerful. “Come, come, come with me, sister will take you somewhere fun!”
If Bai hadn’t known Green Lolita’s innocent nature, she would have thought she was a kidnapper.
Eleanor’s personality was a direct inheritance from her. And with Eleanor’s past actions, she knew Green Lolita was being sincere.
“No, thank you. I don’t want to play right now,” Bai said, shaking her head.
Green Lolita’s face fell, and she pouted. “Oh well…”
But just then, Bai remembered something. In the future, Green Lolita had led the Fairy race against the main branch, who had fled the Promised Land. She must know something about it.
If she wanted to defeat her mother, she had to learn more about the Promised Land.
So, her expression turned serious. “But I want to ask you something. If it’s not too much trouble.”
“Ah… of course!” Green Lolita’s face lit up.
“Do you,” Bai asked, her voice a low whisper, “know of a place called the ‘Promised Land’?”
