Chapter 26: The Palace of Casazale

Lin Feng had gained quite a lot from his half-day of interaction with the Aranara in Vanarana. To him, the Aranara’s home—a realm existing somewhere between reality and dreams—was truly miraculous. It was not technically in the physical world, yet one could bring material objects from reality into it. This quality of being both ethereal and tangible piqued his curiosity. After inquiring with Rana-Laja, the "village chief" who sustained Vanarana, Lin Feng realized that constructing such a dreamscape was inextricably linked to the inherent nature of the Aranara themselves. Even if he could not construct a dreamscape as vast as theirs, he did manage to obtain something he had long desired: a storage space.

Given Lin Feng’s level 7 dream protection, coupled with the Aranara's innate ability to share their power by gifting songs to others, he managed to strike a deal. In exchange for clearing out all the Pyro Whopperflowers in the surrounding area, the village chief bestowed upon him the song necessary to weave the power of dreams into a storage capacity.

Lin Feng, who had previously been burdened with heavy luggage, now felt like a Siberian husky that had suddenly broken free from its chains. He bounced excitedly through the forest alongside his companion, White, creating a rather eye-watering spectacle.

...

Once he calmed down a little, Lin Feng felt a bit embarrassed by his earlier behavior. He was grateful that no one had been around with a Kamera to capture the moment, or it surely would have become a dark stain on his reputation. He couldn't entirely blame himself, though. Every time he recalled how the Traveler in the game could run around without carrying a single item, and then retreat into a teapot at night to spend time with their companions, he—a man constantly weighed down by heavy packs—would seethe with envy. Carrying all that gear not only limited his movement speed but also hindered him in combat, and the food in his bags often turned soggy from the rain. It was, in a word, miserable.

While he couldn't fill his dream space with a harem like in the game, a capacity of several dozen cubic meters was more than enough for storage. Thinking that he would never again have to worry about losing items or running out of backpack space, it was no wonder he was so excited.

Unencumbered by baggage, Lin Feng traveled with lightning speed. Although the path was remote and sparsely populated, a few Forest Rangers on routine patrol were still startled by the blurry black shadow that flashed past them. In just half a day, Lin Feng had covered nearly half the distance of his journey. He didn't stay idle while traveling, either; he maintained a constant perception of the Dendro energy around him, clearing away any Withering Zones or unformed Withering tumors he encountered along the way. Having served as a Forest Ranger himself for a time, he held a deep aversion to the Withering.

Regrettably, these Withering Zones were not particularly potent, and the power returned by the leylines was negligible to someone of Lin Feng’s level 71 status. However, he figured that if he kept at it, the accumulated experience might be enough to level up by the time he reached Avidya Forest. After clearing a zone and exchanging greetings with some patrolling rangers, he pressed on.

...

While balancing his journey with grinding for experience, Lin Feng suddenly came to a halt. Before him stood a colossal palace—or perhaps a half-finished one was a more accurate description. Though the structure perched near the cliff edge was incomplete, its grandeur and luxury were enough to leave anyone in awe. Numerous craftsmen were hard at work on the building, and in the distance, Lin Feng spotted a young man with golden hair, directing operations with great spirit.

Wait... a massive palace located between Avidya Forest and Vanarana, overseen by a golden-haired youth... Lin Feng suddenly realized where he was. This was Kaveh’s place, and this was the Alcazarzaray!

Seeing the golden-haired youth still looking so full of vitality, Lin Feng knew that the building hadn't yet been damaged by the Withering, and that Kaveh hadn't yet been forced to sell off his assets to cover construction costs. Sensing a Withering tumor beginning to form nearby, Lin Feng felt that the idealist Kaveh had lucked out by running into him. Otherwise, at the rate the Withering was forming, the building would have needed to be rebuilt within a few months.

He casually cleared the Withering and intended to leave, but perhaps he had stared at Kaveh for too long, as the young man noticed him and actually began walking his way.

"Hey! You there, the guy in front, hold on a moment!"

Kaveh jogged over, panting. When he reached Lin Feng, he looked him over and said with some uncertainty, "Black hair, young, Dendro Vision, carrying a white pet... could you possibly be the legendary Withering Destroyer?"

Lin Feng: "..."

Hearing the overly dramatic and embarrassing nickname, Lin Feng was rendered speechless. Because he had been clearing the Withering along his route—often by launching massive amounts of Dendro energy from a distance—he hadn't bothered to hide his actions when rangers were nearby. Word had spread among the Avidya Forest rangers that a skilled expert had arrived who was not only exceptionally capable but possessed a supernatural knack for finding the Withering before it could even fully manifest. Thus, the title of "Withering Destroyer" had mysteriously come into being.

"Let's put the title aside for a moment. If you're looking for the person who has been clearing the Withering along this road, then yes, that would be me," Lin Feng admitted frankly.

"That’s wonderful!" Kaveh nearly jumped for joy.

"I won't lie to you, I've had a bad feeling lately. The construction of the Alcazarzaray is proceeding steadily, but I’ve heard that the Withering has become increasingly common in the Avidya Forest, and I’ve been quite worried."

"Could I trouble you to check the nearby areas for the Withering? I'll make it worth your while!" Kaveh explained his request.

"As for that, it's already gone, so you don't need to worry," Lin Feng replied honestly, seeing the sincerity in Kaveh's eyes and deciding against teasing him further.

"Thank the Archons for that!" Kaveh let out a long sigh of relief.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'it's already gone'?" Kaveh suddenly realized something.

Lin Feng: "..." This kid didn't seem particularly bright.

"I mean there was a Withering tumor nearby that was about to form, and it would have spread here in about two months," Lin Feng explained helplessly to the stunned Kaveh.

"Oh, by the Greater Lord, you really are my savior!" Realizing what would have happened had Lin Feng not arrived, Kaveh broke into a cold sweat.

He quickly pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to Lin Feng, saying gratefully, "Though it might have been a small effort for you, for me, it is nothing short of saving my life. Please, take this. If you ever have any need for architectural design in the future, please come find me in Sumeru City—it will be on the house!"

Lin Feng looked at Kaveh’s genuine gratitude, thought for a moment, and accepted the card. After declining Kaveh’s invitation to stay and chat, Lin Feng, in a good mood from meeting a familiar face from the game, continued his journey toward Avidya Forest.