Chapter 126: The Forgotten One
A vibrant green light spread across the cracked earth, the aura of death gradually fading under the influence of natural magic.
“Necromantic magic’s corrosive nature is fatal to plants and animals, especially [Abyssal Depths].” Lena walked over to Ka Ka, her gray hair swaying. “I shouldn’t have used the forest as a testing ground, I didn’t expect it to turn out like this…”
Mainly, she had been eager to try out her new skills.
Like a child showing off after finishing military training, the result was less than impressive.
The combined power of [Terror] and [Abyssal Depths] had far exceeded Lena’s expectations.
The two opposing forces, forcibly merged, had resulted in a terrifying transformation.
“Seriously, I’m sorry for causing such a mess…” Lena apologized sincerely. “When we return to the Falmouth mansion, I’ll compensate you with the highest honors. If you have any requests, just ask, the Falmouths will spare no effort.”
“…I don’t blame you, you’ve done enough.”
Ka Ka shook her head, her voice as clear as a mountain spring. “The ogre settlement was growing, the Banshees spreading miasma, their presence threatened the forest’s ecosystem… their demise was inevitable.”
Half of the lush forest had been destroyed by the ogres, then bombarded by Lena’s magic. She didn’t assign blame, only asking Lena not to dwell on it.
She wanted to sleep in her cozy cabin and forget everything, at least for tonight…
Angel stood silently beside them, watching her friend.
Lena also fell silent.
The chaos had started because of her, and she had ended it. This battle had simply occurred a few months earlier than it should have. Originally, the hero’s party would have been the ones to defeat Morgan, but Lena had taken their place, destroying Ka Ka’s beloved forest in the process.
Sigh, there was nothing she could say, only offer material compensation.
As Lena was thinking, a sweet, melodious singing voice caught her attention.
“Hmm~ hmm hmm hmm~ hmm hmm~”
Angel hummed an unfamiliar tune, her hands behind her back, a faint smile on her face.
Her voice was like a gentle spring rain, washing away the darkness and pain in Ka Ka’s heart.
Angel closed her eyes, enjoying the music.
Ka Ka couldn’t help but hum along, her sadness fading.
The singing softened, lingering in the forest.
A lament for the fallen forest.
No lyrics, no accompaniment, just a simple melody, yet it expressed the forest’s life and death, its rise and fall…
After a long while, the song ended, and Ka Ka opened her eyes, her gaze filled with contentment and acceptance.
“So beautiful…”
“It was nothing.”
Angel smiled shyly, handing Ka Ka a concert ticket, winking playfully. “Next week’s concert, you have to come.”
“Mm, I will!” Ka Ka carefully put away the ticket.
The stars twinkled in the night sky.
The moon illuminated Ka Ka’s face, her expression filled with reluctance and longing. “It’s been a long time since we sang together like this, today was an unforgettable day, in many ways…”
A faint green light emanated from her spear, the color of life, symbolizing growth and renewal.
Lena noticed the tender grass growing beneath Ka Ka’s hooves, like a soft carpet. “This is…?”
The grass spread rapidly, its growth astonishing, like ink spreading on a blank canvas, painting the earth with the colors of nature.
The little deer girl’s magic could purify the corrupted land!
Lena’s eyes lit up.
She had been planning to spend a fortune restoring the soil, but this unexpected discovery saved her a lot of money.
“What is this, what kind of magic?” Lena couldn’t help but ask. “Another Dryad trait?”
She wanted to study this new, unknown power.
“I love this world, the soft touch of grass beneath my feet, the fresh air, the fertile soil, it makes me feel connected to nature. When my soul weeps, the world blooms, when the petals fall, my dreams awaken.”
Ka Ka leaped, her spear pointing at the barren, corrupted earth.
[Bloom]
Vines erupted from the ground, reaching for the sky, carrying Ka Ka upwards.
Angel gasped. “Be careful!”
“It’s okay, Ka Ka is strong,” the deer girl’s voice came from above.
Lena then noticed that Ka Ka’s rank had reached the peak of rank five!
What was going on?
She hadn’t seemed that powerful before.
Lena was puzzled, then two thick vines emerged from the ground beneath her feet.
They weren’t hostile…
Lena sensed no malice, so she didn’t resist, her vision rising with the vines.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? It can be even more beautiful, an endless expanse of green.”
Ka Ka pointed.
It was the lake, its surface shimmering.
The place where they had encountered Molly, Molly’s territory, it had survived the chaos, but a part of it was missing, the water level lower.
The overflowing water had nourished the surrounding corrupted land, but it would take a long time for anything to grow there.
Lena: “…”
Ka Ka smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be sarcastic, I just mean, we have to work hard from now on.”
“You scared me.” Lena patted her chest dramatically.
The atmosphere lightened, and they exchanged smiles. Angel, shouting, was also lifted by a vine, the three thick vines intertwining, forming a small platform.
“A higher perspective, experiencing it firsthand, how poetic.”
Angel leaned against the railing, looking up at the sky, her gaze sweeping across the horizon. “This is the first time I’ve been so close to the moon, I feel like I can almost touch it…”
Lena smiled, nodding. “Without height, all you see are problems. Without perspective, all you see are trivial matters.”
“Then Lena must have a broad perspective,” Ka Ka suddenly said.
“Why?” Lena was curious.
“Because…”
Ka Ka hesitated.
She simply thought that someone who could admit their mistakes and take responsibility was admirable, someone with a broad perspective.
And Lena’s demeanor was different from any other noble she had met.
How to describe it… a well-mannered young lady?
And without any arrogance?
“You seem to be quite interested in me,” Lena joked.
Ka Ka nodded honestly. “Yes, you have many admirable qualities.”
The innocent deer girl loved learning and was a good listener.
Being friends with her was a pleasant experience; you didn’t have to initiate conversations, she would bring up topics and listen attentively, occasionally offering comments to show she was engaged.
“People used to call me a villain, a scoundrel, a monster, even a world-destroying witch, the Grey Robe Mage.” Lena’s eyes were filled with nostalgia, but she didn’t want to return to those days when everyone despised her.
Ka Ka and Angel looked at her blankly, not understanding.
“Forget I said anything…”
“Lena, you’ve piqued my curiosity.”
“Yeah! Stop being so cryptic!”
“Hehehe~”
Lena chuckled, tucking her hair behind her ear.
“The past is the past, let bygones be bygones, the future is bright, why dwell on the past? Who remembers who anyway…”
Lena’s words were still lost on them.
Perhaps, in this world, only Lena herself remembered those painful memories, discarded like old photographs.
After all, she was the only one who had been reborn, who would remember?
‘Grey Robe,’ a name long forgotten…
