Chapter 30: The Festival of Carefreeness

At the end of the conversation, Lin Feng took advantage of Nahida’s momentary lapse in attention, scooped up the little Lesser Lord Kusanali, and placed her on his lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

For some reason, Nahida always seemed unexpectedly slow when dealing with Lin Feng. Each time, she would widen those clear, limpid eyes, curiously observing what Lin Feng intended to do, only reacting with a dazed expression once she realized it was some peculiar gesture.

Perhaps it was due to a lack of relevant experience, or perhaps it was simply an overly exuberant curiosity—Lin Feng had tried to analyze it before.

This time was no exception. Held beneath the arms and settled onto his lap, it took a moment for Nahida to realize what had transpired. Her typically composed little face seemed to betray a rare flicker of panic and bewilderment.

As always, Lin Feng felt quite pleased after being kicked out of the dream.

...

Upon waking, a still-drowsy Lin Feng noticed something outside his elemental barrier. Rubbing his eyes, he realized it was a green Aranara. Given the color of its body and the flower atop its head, Lin Feng recognized the little creature as Arrama, whom he had met in the forest before.

"Nara Lin Feng!"

"Help Arrama, please. Bad barrier, it blocks the way, Arrama cannot enter."

Hearing Arrama’s plea, Lin Feng casually dismissed the protective field and looked at the creature. "Is the Festival of Utsava ready?"

Seeing the barrier vanish, Arrama approached and hopped in place. "Yes! The Festival of Utsava is ready. Everyone is waiting for Nara Lin Feng and Little White, together!"

"Wait a moment, we’ll head over together shortly," Lin Feng told Arrama.

"Yes. Return together, Festival of Utsava!" Arrama was clearly excited about the upcoming celebration.

After a quick wash, Lin Feng picked up Arrama and set off through the forest at top speed. Traveling in as straight a line as possible, he moved agilely between the trees, using the vines with the grace of a bird darting through the woods.

Recalling the proceedings of the Festival of Utsava, Lin Feng worried whether he could gain the recognition of every Aranara. After all, compared to the seven-hour process in the game, the tasks he had completed probably amounted to only five minutes of effort.

The essence of the Festival of Utsava was for the Aranara to condense their happy memories into physical form; these memories, imbued with power, would serve as an offering alongside three Vasara Trees to help the king of the Ashvattha Trees—the "mother" of all Aranara—bear fruit. In the original story, because the Ashvattha Tree had been eroded by the Withering, Arrama had absorbed the power of the Vasara fruit, and ultimately, through Arana’s memories, a new Ashvattha Tree had borne fruit.

However, Lin Feng had previously consulted the Lesser Lord Kusanali and confirmed that if the number of Vasara fruits were increased, no single Aranara would need to sacrifice their memories. With her help, the Aranara had managed to gather five Vasara fruits in total. The only remaining concern was the current state of the Ashvattha Tree. He could only hope that, because of his earlier intervention, the erosion had not yet taken too deep a hold.

Putting his worries aside, Lin Feng traveled at lightning speed and reached Vanarana in just half a day. Perhaps because the Lesser Lord Kusanali’s mobilization skills were so effective, the dreamscape was unprecedentedly lively, so crowded with scampering Aranara that it felt tight.

Lin Feng felt a slight tingle of apprehension. Playing games and solving riddles with just a few Aranara in the original plot had been exhausting enough; with so many, who knew how long this would take?

Although he had the urge to flee, he looked at the expectant faces of the Aranara before him. Lin Feng, who usually preferred to skip the grind, ultimately resigned himself to honestly playing games with the little ones.

...

After being battered by races, riddles, hide-and-seek, high jumping, and cooking competitions, a weary Lin Feng took a mid-session break atop a giant lotus leaf.

Despite his verbal complaints, playing with these sincere Aranara was actually far from boring. The Aranara were simple creatures; they were delighted when they won and never bitter when they lost, instead offering genuine, heartfelt praise for their opponent's strength. Upon noticing that Lin Feng was tired, even those who were eager to play with him would considerately stop, unwilling to cause him any trouble. Such simple, pure lives made it impossible for Lin Feng to dislike them.

As he lay on the lotus leaf, he noticed a dark brown Aranara appearing beside him. Recognizing this as Arumukunda, who had arrived via teleportation, Lin Feng sat up to face the eldest of all the Aranara.

The brown Aranara shifted its body to his side and said with a touch of melancholy, "How nostalgic. It has been hundreds of years since I last saw such a sight... To be able to see the dreamscape of Vanarana with these eyes once more is thanks to you."

Lin Feng noted that, unlike the child-like Aranara, Arumukunda’s grammar, vocabulary, and sense of time were almost identical to that of a normal human.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Arumukunda," Lin Feng greeted him kindly.

"Just as Aranaga said, you know many things; you are a truly remarkable person," Arumukunda said with a hint of surprise. Having regained his composure, he continued thoughtfully, "Since you are to hold the Festival of Utsava, you must be seeking the Fruit of Vasara."

Facing the oldest of the Aranara, Lin Feng did not want to miss the chance to consult this living encyclopedia. "I understand that the Fruit of Vasara is a fruit of hope, capable of granting any wish that helps others. But my goal in obtaining it is merely to gain the power to defeat the Withering. Will the fruit accept such a selfish wish?" Lin Feng asked, feeling a bit anxious.

Arumukunda chuckled strangely upon hearing this. "Do not worry. The Fruit of Vasara is the wish of the Aranara. We have gathered in unprecedented numbers precisely because we heard of a hero willing to defeat the avatar of Marana."

"To drive away the power of 'death' for the sake of all life—how could such a selfless wish fail to earn our recognition?"

Lin Feng felt much more at ease, and he suddenly understood why there were so many more Aranara here than in the game. After all, in the game, the goal was merely to save one person, and the subsequent events were accidental entanglements.

"Thank you for your validation. I feel much more at peace now," Lin Feng said sincerely.

"Since you are indeed determined to defeat the avatar of Marana, please accept this." Arumukunda offered his own flower. "Take it, our 'hero,' the 'hero' of all life."

"Thank you. I will treasure it," Lin Feng said, carefully tucking the gift away alongside the dozens of other flowers he had collected.

"No need for thanks. I have heard many stories of Nara Lin Feng; to me, you are a cherished friend. That you are willing to accept my flower is an honor for me. Thank you."

"We will surely meet again. When that time comes, Nara Lin Feng, Little White, I hope you will come to visit my home."

With that, Arumukunda departed. Feeling the trust of the Aranara and noticing that his exhaustion had been silently dispelled by Arumukunda, Lin Feng took a deep breath, jumped off the lotus leaf, and continued his journey of games.