Chapter 570

【 SIGNING THE PACT 】

—

Ah… this is…

Who programed the AI behavioral-pattern of these Elemental Fairies?

Natsume wore a rather peculiar expression.

The Elemental Fairy was licking the nuts with great focus and care.

Natsume observed as her pink tongue circled meticulously around the edge of the nut. She licked it with a look of pure enjoyment on her face.

As she continued, the nut in her arms rapidly shriveled, its once radiant sheen fading to dullness.

This was a clear sign that the mana within it had been depleted.

Evidently, the stored mana within the nut had been absorbed by the little fairy.

Seeing this, a thought occurred to Natsume as a hypothesis formed in his mind.

Could it be… that these Elemental Fairies feed on magical energy?

Was she actually absorbing mana?

After she finished licking the nut, the Elemental Fairy displayed a contented expression, even smacking her lips as though savoring its aftertaste.

She casually tossed aside the now-depleted nut to the ground, let out a few giggles toward Natsume, then clutched an unpeeled nut—the first one she had picked—flapped her butterfly-like wings, and darted off again.

“Hey! Wait!”

Natsume quickly gave chase once more.

Of course, he didn’t forget to mark the location of this area, as he planned to return later on to collect the rest of the nuts, since these magic-infused nuts were highly sought after by players and could fetch a decent amount of contribution points.

Moreover, if he could befriend the little fairy, these nuts might prove to be excellent food for her!

This time, the Elemental Fairy didn’t soar into the sky. Instead, she flitted through the dense forest like a butterfly.

While the thick foliage posed no obstacle for the small-bodied fairy, it was a different story for Natsume.

Chasing her through the forest was far more challenging than pursuing her while riding a red dragon through the skies. Even with his natural elven agility, Natsume couldn’t quite match the Fairy’s speed.

Fortunately, her pace had slowed noticeably. She now seemed to be flying whimsically, as though playing a game while dancing through the air.

Natsume swapped into a pair of shoes from his storage ring—ones with a speed-boosting special effect—and cast a [Body Lightness] spell on himself to reduce his weight.

He managed to stay close behind her, even gradually closing the gap between them. However, every time he seemed just about to catch up, the fairy would suddenly dart forward with a burst of speed, effortlessly slipping out of reach.

And each time, a string of mischievous giggles rang out, echoing through the air like teasing chimes.

But once the distance between them had widened again, she would slow down, resuming her carefree and playful flying pattern, weaving between tree branches, and twirling in the air as if daring him to try again.

Natsume: “…”

After several rounds of this, even the dumbest person would have figured it out already by now.

This little creature… was clearly toying with him.

“She really is as mischievous as the official announcement had described…”

Natsume’s expression remained strange, yet the corners of his mouth were unintentionally raised in a smile. He realized he was growing increasingly fond of this charming little creature.

Whimsical and clever, mischievous and adorable.

But most of all—absolutely irresistible!

Elemental Fairies are the best!

After thinking it through, Natsume decided to employ a new strategy.

That is, playing hard to get.

Sure enough, the moment he feigned exhaustion and stopped actively chasing, the fairy also began to slow down, her playful energy seeming to falter in response to his indifference.

It was working!

Natsume allowed himself a subtle smile, careful not to break the illusion as he continued his quiet act of disinterest.

He reduced his pace even further… before eventually coming to a complete stop.

Upon noticing that he had completely stopped chasing after her, the fairy didn’t continue flying forward. Instead, she looped back and began encircling the “panting” Natsume.

What’s more, while hugging the nut with one hand, she placed the other on her cheek and stuck out her tongue in a playful, mocking expression.

However, the nut appeared to be a bit too heavy for her.

Her small hand couldn’t quite hold it securely, and as she made her silly face, the nut slipped from her arms and fell into the ground.

Startled, the fairy quickly descended, struggling to lift the nut again. She carefully wiped the dirt off its surface, sniffed it with her nose wrinkled in concentration, then broke into a delighted giggle, her face full of satisfaction.

Natsume: “…”

This is…

Far too cute.

He could hardly take it… his heart wasn’t ready for this.

Taking a deep breath, he began to approach her quietly.

But the thick carpet of fallen leaves beneath his feet, having accumulated who-knows-how-many years, let out a loud crunching sound…

Startled, the little fairy immediately reacted.

She lifted her head and glanced at Natsume once more, then stuck out her tongue and made a playful face while letting out a string of giggles. Clutching her nut, she fluttered away again.

Natsume: “…”

“She’s undeniably adorable… but just how long is she going to keep leading me around like this?!”

He sighed.

Looking up at the slivers of sky visible between the canopy, he noticed the the day’s light was beginning to fade. If he continued the chase, he would likely have to spend the night in the forest.

“First, I need to get her to stop.”

Scratching his head, Natsume cast every acceleration spell he had at his disposal and sprinted forward at full speed.

This time, however, the little fairy hadn’t flown very far.

Thus, Natsume quickly caught up to her.

But when he did, he found her perched atop a shrub, intently watching something.

As dusk fell, the forest grew darker, yet the little fairy—glowing faintly with a soft light—stood out like a pearl in the night.

And strangely enough, Natsume could sense a trace of concern upon her face.

Hmm?

A thought stirred within his mind.

He crept closer, carefully and quietly. This time, the fairy didn’t flee.

On the contrary, when he drew near, she turned to glance at him and gently placed a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture.

Hmm?

Natsume raised an eyebrow.

He quietly moved beside her and followed her gaze—only to discover a gravely injured magical beast lying in the underbrush.

It resembled a rabbit from Earth, but with a much longer tail and a small horn protruding from its forehead.

Natsume recognized the creature.

It was a Horned Rabbit, which was a common low-level magical beast here in the Elven Forest. Its meat was tender—er, no—its appearance was rather cute.

This one was clearly wounded. It appeared to have been attacked by another beast, with a bloody gash torn into its side, exposing some of its internal organs.

Looking at it, its injuries were severe and for a wild magical creature, this was essentially a death sentence.

Natsume looked at the fairy and saw clear worry in her eyes.

Clever and mischievous, but also kind-hearted, he thought.

Feeling a sense of resolve, Natsume crouched beside the injured rabbit.

“It’s badly hurt. It probably won’t last much longer if we don’t help it,” he said softly.

The fairy’s pointed ears twitched slightly, and her expression grew more anxious.

A faint smile touched Natsume’s lips.

Rubbing his hands together, he said, “But don’t worry. I’m a druid and I’ve learned some healing spells. I can definitely save it.”

With that, he stretched out his hands and began chanting an incantation.

A soft, golden light gathered in his palms and bathed the Horned Rabbit’s body. Seconds later, the little creature’s gaping wound visibly began to heal at a remarkable speed.

At the side, the little fairy watched with wide, unblinking eyes, utterly captivated by the entire process.

Before long, the wound had completely closed, and the rabbit was fully healed. However, it still looked weak, unable to move and utterly exhausted.

“Well, it lost a lot of blood. Though its wounds were already healed, it’ll still need time to recover,” Natsume explained.

He gently picked up the rabbit and cast [Whisper of Nature] conveying the message:

Don’t be afraid little fellow, I won’t hurt you.

The rabbit tensed for a moment.

But once the spell was received, it relaxed and nestled quietly in Natsume’s arms, falling into a deep sleep.

Seeing this, the fairy’s eyes widened even more.

She set down her nut and fluttered onto Natsume’s shoulder, gripping it curiously as she leaned in to observe the sleeping rabbit. Then, unable to resist, she extended a small, pale finger and gently poked the rabbit’s tiny horn.

Feeling the sudden weight on his shoulder, smelling the floral scent that lingered on the fairy, and the soft brush of her iridescent wings against his cheek…

In that moment, Natsume felt as though he were dreaming.

His heart soared, overwhelmed with joy. Only one word echoed in his mind:

Adorable!

No—he couldn’t resist anymore.

He was increasingly determined to bring this little one home with him.

Dragons? Elven girls? Forget all that!

These Elemental Fairies were superior in every way!

At this point, Natsume felt like he no longer needed any other magical familiars—just one Elemental Fairy would be enough.

As he pondered how best to invite her, a clear and youthful voice suddenly echoed in his mind:

“What’s your name?”

A thought stirred in Natsume’s mind as he turned to look at the little fairy.

She had already flown down from his shoulder and was now perched delicately atop a nearby shrub, her large, bright eyes fixed on him with curiosity.

In the dim forest light, the gentle glow radiating from her body made her appear like a fairy straight out of a storybook.

“What is your name?”

The voice echoed once more.

It was the fairy speaking.

Yet she hadn’t moved her lips at all as she gazed at Natsume with a furrowed brow.

Telepathic communication…

Natsume realized with a start.

“My name is Natsume. I am an Archdruid and a Chosen One of the Elvenkind,” he replied with a calm smile.

“Chosen Ones…”

Natsume noticed a faint sparkle in her eyes.

She knows what that means?

He was mildly surprised.

He had witnessed her birth from the World Tree and had assumed she was like a blank slate—pure and unknowing.

But clearly, that wasn’t entirely the case.

“That’s right,” Natsume confirmed. “I am a Chosen One—The Chosen, Natsume. And you? What’s your name?”

“…Me?”

The fairy tilted her head slightly, a look of uncertainty crossing her face for the first time.

She shook her head, and Natsume heard her reply in his mind, her tone tinged with a hint of sadness:

“I don’t know. I… don’t think I have one.”

For a brief moment, Natsume noticed her glow dim slightly, and her wings drooped just a little.

Adorable.

He nearly shouted it in his heart.

But outwardly, he kept a composed expression and said gently:

“Well then… how about I give you a name?”

“A name?”

The fairy lifted her head, curiosity shining in her gaze.

And in those clear, bright eyes, Natsume thought he caught a glimmer of hope.

Too cute.

He shouted again internally.

On the outside, he remained calm—though the corners of his lips were already struggling not to curl upward in delight.

“That’s right. I’m quite good at naming things. Let’s see… what do you think of the name ‘Ding-Dang’?”

For some reason, the name from a tiny character in a novel he once read came into his mind.

“Ding-Dang?”

The fairy tilted her head again, then burst into a series of cheerful giggles.

“It sounds lovely. From now on, I’ll be called Ding-Dang.”

“Ding-Dang! Ding-Dang! Ding-Dang!”

She soared into the air in delight, circling Natsume several times.

Then she pointed to him.

“Natsume.”

And then to herself.

“Ding-Dang.”

And with that, she resumed twirling joyfully in the air.

Too much adorable!

Natsume roared again for the umpteenth time within his heart.

She’s far too pure and too cute!

Just as Natsume—an otherwise composed young man—was overwhelmed with what could only be described as the stirrings of a youthful crush, the fairy suddenly stopped mid-flight.

Hands on her hips, she looked at Natsume with a playful smile.

“Natsume!”

“Hm?” he responded, still smiling a little foolishly.

“Since you’ve been chasing me this whole time, then maybe do you want to form a pact with me?”

Natsume: “…”

So, she had known all along!

Ahem… perhaps he had made his intentions a little too obvious?

Despite his nervousness, Natsume nodded vigorously in reality.

“Yes! Absolutely yes! I want to form a pact with you! To be friends—no, partners I mean!”

Hearing this, the little fairy burst into a series of light, cheerful giggles.

She gently pinched her chin in thought for a moment, then gave a small nod.

“Ding-Dang finds that acceptable.”

“You’re a good person, and besides, I quite like your magical energy.”

She likes my mana…?

Natsume was briefly taken aback, then recalled how his mana had been relentlessly drained back when the glowing blue orb latched onto him on the World Tree…

Natsume: …

It was definitely her back then! No doubt about it!

But the surprise quickly gave way to joy.

She actually agreed!

All his persistence had finally paid off.

He had waited for days at the World Tree and spent the entire day chasing her through the forest and only now did he finally receive her approval.

At that moment, Natsume was so overwhelmed with emotion he was nearly brought to tears.

“Um… so, how do we form the pact? What do I need to do?”

He was so excited that he could barely speak coherently.

“I’ll handle it.”

Her voice rang clearly in his consciousness once again.

Then, Natsume watched as the fairy floated upward, closing her eyes. The light around her began to intensify and gather.

Gradually, a magnificent magical array formed in the air.

“Please extend your hand,” the fairy said again.

Natsume complied at once.

He reached his hand into the array formation, which suddenly glowed brightly before rapidly condensing into a burst of light that sank into the back of his hand.

At the same time, a system chime sounded inside his mind:

【

】

【The Wind Elemental Fairy “Ding-Dang” has offered you a Companion Pact. Do you Accept? Y/N 】

Accept!

Definitely Accept!

Natsume confirmed his choice in the system without hesitation.

Immediately, he felt his magical energy being drawn rapidly from within him as a burning sensation began to spread across the back of his hand…

The extraction lasted several seconds, during which the light on the back of his hand continued to shine.

When the glow finally faded and everything returned to normal, Natsume noticed a mysterious runic symbol had appeared on the back of his hand.

At the same time, he sensed something subtly new stirring within his consciousness.

Checking the game interface again, he was delighted to find a new entry listed under the Companion tab, beneath the red dragon “Leylia” was now a second name: Elemental Fairy Ding-Dang.

The contract… was a success!

༺⟐༻

Time passed quickly in the game, and before long, another day came to an end.

Night fell.

Li Mu and Demacia returned to Grey Haven, physically and mentally exhausted. They exchanged glances and sighed in unison.

“Seriously… those Flower Fairies sure can really run, huh? We chased them all the way into the Dark Mountains and still couldn’t catch even on. We were just eating dust the whole way…”

Demacia grumbled with frustration.

“You know, I actually managed to catch up, and even caught a glimpse of one. But those Flower Fairies are extremely wary and every time I got close, they’d flee immediately…”

Li Mu replied with a wry smile.

“Huh? You actually saw one? Did you took any screenshots?”

Demacia asked excitedly.

“I did,” Li Mu nodded, then opened his chat interface and sent two images to Demacia.

“Whoa! It looks so cute?! I love it—I need one! I can already tell, the hype of dragons is over. From now on, it’s all about these Flower Fairies!”

Demacia beamed with enthusiasm.

“Well, dirst we need to figure out how to raise their favorability. These aren’t just wild beasts after all and they’re NPCs. Plus, considering how cautious they are, forming a contract is bound to be difficult. Not to mention, we’d have to actually find one first.”

Li Mu reminded him.

“Let’s take it slow. At least we’ve seen one in person now—well, I only saw a glowing orb, but still! We’re way ahead of most players. You know, the forums are still flooded with people complaining that they haven’t even seen a Flower Fairy since the update. Compared to them, our progress is lightning fast, hahaha…”

Demacia said with satisfaction.

“….That’s just the pot calling the kettle black.”

Li Mu shook his head with a wry smile.

Then he checked the time and frowned slightly.

“It’s getting late… has Natsume not returned yet?”

It was the weekend, and Heart of Nature always held its regular guild bonfire event around this time. Usually, all available online members would show up, especially Natsume, who specialized in life-oriented classes and rarely missed a gathering.

“Eh, probably got sidetracked. But the direction he chased after had the fewest Flower Fairies of all. I’d wager he didn’t even see a real one unlike us…”

Demacia chuckled.

But just as he finished speaking, a familiar voice rang out behind them, tinged with excitement:

“Brother Mu, Demacia, I’m back!”

It was the voice of Natsume.

“Ah, speak of the devil…”

Demacia laughed as he turned instinctively—

Then froze, eyes wide whilst looking at the small winged creature perched on Natsume’s shoulders.

“No way—!!”

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