Chapter 571

【HYPE FOR ELEMENTAL FAERIES 】

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“No way!”

Demacia suddenly exclaimed, gripping Li Mu’s arm with enthusiasm. As a tank specializing in defense, his unexpected burst of strength nearly caused the unprepared Li Mu to lose his balance.

Li Mu frowned, startled:

“What’s wrong with you? You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

He glanced speechlessly at Demacia, who was staring ahead with wide eyes and a look of intense excitement.

Subconsciously, Li Mu followed his line of sight and—

““No way!”

Even he couldn’t help but exclaim.

Not far from them, Natsume was standing by the door while holding a plump and delicious-looking horned rabbit, grinning foolishly.

A cloth pouch was slung across his body, which was filled with magically infused nuts that were particularly popular among players.

For some reason, he hadn’t stored them in his spatial ring.

Of course, while the horned rabbit looked tasty and the nuts were valuable, neither was the real reason the two veteran players were so shocked.

What truly made the two calm, battle-hardened players lose composure was the tiny presence on Natsume’s shoulder.

Perched there was a petite girl no more than thirty centimeters tall, dressed in a white dress.

She resembled an elf with her pointed ears and delicate, doll-like features, but behind her fluttered a pair of butterfly-like wings that shimmered with a mesmerizing glow.

Her body radiated a soft aura of light that stood out against the evening dusk, making her seem like a creature straight out of a dream.

She sat quietly on Natsume’s shoulder, leisurely swinging her long, fair legs while humming a tune and holding peeled nuts in her arms, a look of pure joy and contentment on her face.

Demacia: “…”

Li Mu: “…”

“A fairy?! Natsume, you actually caught one?! How did you do it?”

Demacia quickly ran over to Natsume, eyes wide as he ogled the tiny figure on his friend’s shoulder, his voice filled with excitement.

His tone, however, startled the tiny fairy.

She shot a wary glance at Demacia, quickly tossed the nut she was holding into Natsume’s arms, and beat her wings to swiftly hide behind his back.

From behind Natsume’s shoulder, she occasionally peeked out, gripping his clothes with her tiny hands as she curiously and cautiously observed both Li Mu and Demacia.

But each time they met her gaze, she would hastily duck back behind Natsume, trying to hide herself again.

Demacia: “…”

Li Mu: “…”

This… this is just too adorable!

At that moment, both of these high-ranking members of Heart of Nature felt a sour twinge of jealousy bloom in their hearts—

So bitter…

So envious!

Seeing the two so overwhelmed, Natsume chuckled and said with a grin:

“You see, Dingdang is a little timid. So Brother Mu, Demacia, please try not to scare her.”

As he spoke, he gently returned the nut the little fairy had tossed away, softly saying:

“Dingdang, these are my friends. The one with black hair is Li Mu, and the red-haired one is Demacia. They mean no harm, there’s no need to be afraid.”

Dingdang…

She even has a name already?!

Li Mu and Demacia were both stunned and even more jealous.

After hearing Natsume’s introduction, the little fairy seemed less tense. She slowly peeked out from behind his back, though her tiny hands still clung tightly to his clothes.

She appeared hesitant for a while, but when she saw that Li Mu and Demacia were only staring at her without approaching, she finally relaxed and flew back out.

She returned to Natsume’s shoulder and hugged the nuts tightly in her arms.

Though she no longer hummed or swung her legs, her gaze remained fixed on the two men—curious, but still somewhat cautious.

Adorable.

That was the unanimous thought running through both Li Mu and Demacia’s minds as they were completely captivated by her charm.

“I didn’t expect this… Natsume, you actually gained a fairy’s trust this quickly. How did you do it?”

Li Mu asked, both curious and eager to learn.

He prided himself on his dedication when it comes to matters related to NPCs, yet never even got close to earning the favor of these new fairies. As such, he was genuinely curious about how Natsume had managed to succeed before him.

Natsume simply smiled and replied:

“I’m just lucky, I guess.”

He then briefly recounted the story of how he had come to meet Dingdang. This included the prior occasion wherein she, whilst still in her orb form at the World Tree, absorbed his magical energy, as well as the pursuit that took place in the Elven Forest earlier that day.

After hearing Natsume’s explanation, both Li Mu and Demacia became even more envious.

“So… it really was just luck!”

Indeed.

Even before the these new NPCs were officially released, Natsume had already made contact with one.

It seemed they had lost at the very starting line.

No wonder Natsume was able to catch up to these nimble little beings…

Still, from Natsume’s account, the two also gained a general understanding of the characteristics of these fairy-like creatures.

For example, they were indeed mischievous, lively, and adorable—just as curious as they were clever. They were naturally drawn to sources of dense, pure magical energy and appeared to be innately kind-hearted.

Additionally, as their official description had stated, these creatures were not classified as magical beasts. Instead, they were NPCs with a favorability system.

As for Natsume, he had already formed a pact with the little one he named “Dingdang,” establishing a bonded partnership.

So envious.

Too envious…

What sort of divine luck was this?

This man was a walking embodiment of good fortune!

After briefly explaining his fateful encounter with Dingdang, Natsume added:

“By the way, Dingdang isn’t actually a flower fairy. Her species is technically called an Elemental Fairies, which was a very unique type of energy-based lifeform.”

Elemental Faeries?

Li Mu and Demacia were momentarily stunned and instinctively looked at the small creature.

So this tiny thing was a energy-based being…?

They glanced at the soft, glowing aura that enveloped her and the faintly illusory quality of her dreamy figure.

Suddenly, it all made sense.

No wonder.

She practically looked like a floating lantern in the dark.

Good thing Natsume had returned from the northern outskirts of the city where there were few players; otherwise, he likely would’ve been swarmed by others by now.

“What does she eat then? These magical nuts? Also… now that you’ve signed a pact with her, what kind of abilities does she have?”

Demacia asked with curiosity.

Natsume cast an affectionate glance at the little one sitting obediently on his shoulder, hugging her nut, and replied:

“It seems Dingdang feeds on mana itself. She’s a genuine Silver-rank lifeform.”

Previously, when Natsume used appraisal on the tiny creature, no information about Elemental Faeries was revealed. However, after forming a pact with Dingdang, her attributes and abilities became fully accessible through his system interface.

Along the way, at Natsume’s request, Dingdang had even demonstrated some of her powers, giving him a much clearer understanding of what Elemental Faeries were capable of.

First of all, Elemental Faeries were indeed genuine Silver-rank beings.

Though their physical strength seemed really weak and their bodies were rather fragile, that was only because their talent were focused elsewhere.

As beings of elemental essence, they were naturally attuned to mana. Therefore, they possessed exceptional magical control, powerful elemental spells, and an ability akin to the Druid’s “Whispers of Nature.”

Take Dingdang, for instance: Natsume discovered that her sensitivity to magic allowed her to easily locate all kinds of magical plants hidden within the Elven Forest.

What’s more, she could influence the flow of mana in a given area or even within another lifeform, including players.

Moreover, through experimentation, Natsume was delighted to find that Dingdang’s abilities could assist him with his meditation practice.

After she helped regulate the flow of his magical energy, the amount of time he could meditate in a single day doubled from two hours to at least four.

Additionally, her power could help players resist the adverse effects of magic backlash.

For instance, after consuming too many mana potions, her ability proved to be extremely effective!

This was an extraordinary benefit.

In Elven Kingdom, many mana potions carried irreversible side effects when consumed, primarily due to the backlash caused by foreign magical energy entering the body.

While minor backlash could be mitigated with purification spells, once it accumulated, it would cause irreparable damage to one’s body. When this occurs, players would find themselves unable to cast spells effectively, and their health and stamina regeneration would slow significantly. This not only impaired combat performance but also affected how much experience gain a player would receive from battles and quests.

Hence typically, when it got to that point, the only solution was to die and respawn.

This is why these rare, backlash-free magical nuts Natsume found on the way were so valuable.

During his chase with Dingdang, Natsume had consumed two mana potions to restore his magical energy.

And afterward, just by having the little fairy sit on his shoulder and adjust his aura, he was amazed to find that the hidden aftereffects of the potions were effortlessly resolved.

Her ability was truly overpowered.

With an Elemental Faeries as a companion, he could now consume mana potions freely without worry!

Moreover, Dingdang’s support abilities were only part of her talent and her magical aptitude was also quite exceptiona as well.

Although she currently possessed only wind-elemental abilities, Natsume discovered through their communication that she was capable of casting nearly all wind-type spells ranging from the First Circle to the Fourth Circle, corresponding to the Lower Iron through Lower Silver ranks.

Plus, she could use both offensive and support spells with ease.

And if provided with sufficient magical energy, she could even cast more powerful fifth and sixth circle spells.

These were spells that typically only Mid- or High-Silver-ranked experts could use.

Of course, casting such high-circle magic above her level came with significant risks. In severe cases, it could even endanger her life. Still, it clearly demonstrated the extraordinary magical potential of the Elemental Faeries.

Though physically fragile, Elemental Faeries possess formidable magical power. Truly, a divine creation marked by perfect balance!

The ability they possess, akin to the Druid’s “Whisper of Nature,” was also an unexpected delight.

Natsume discovered that this little being could use this ability to befriend magical creatures of the forest with ease.

It was as if she naturally radiated an aura of affinity.

One line in her ability description stood out in particular: “Even the most irritable and powerful magical beasts of the Elven Forest feel an innate sense of kinship when encountering an Elemental Fairy.”

She was practically a naturally born Druid.

And for someone like Natsume, whose class and interests aligned with nature magic, she was the perfect companion.

“Hehehe…”

Natsume chuckled in pure delight.

Li Mu: “…”

Demacia: “…”

༺⟐༻

That evening, the city of Grey Haven was abuzz with excitement.

Natsume who returned along with an Elemental Fairy caused a sensation within Heart of Nature.

No one had expected this, after all.

Since while most players were still trying to figure out where the new race mentioned in the patch notes might appear—or even what it actually was—someone had already managed to form a pact with one!

At that moment, the official forum were still filled with speculation about the mysterious new NPC race, with some users complaining they hadn’t seen any signs of it despite the update being implemented already.

Only a few players had noticed the brief moment when fairies fluttered down from the World Tree, and due to the great distance and height, only those specifically waiting at that location—like Natsume—had managed to get a clear view of them.

So when Natsume revealed the little fairy he had brought back, everyone was taken by surprise.

The Dingdang’s dreamlike appearance and adorably charming demeanor instantly captivated every player who laid eyes on her.

“What divine creature is this? She’s too cute!”

“Hey, keep your voice down! You’ll scare her!”

“Look! She’s licking that fruit… it’s so adorable!”

“So cute! I just want to…”

“No. No, you don’t.”

“What does she eat? Fruits?”

“Natsume said she only feeds on mana.”

“Pfft… how do you even eat mana?”

“By licking, obviously. Didn’t you see how the nut shriveled after she licked it?”

“Hmm… I guess that makes sense, but why do I get the feeling you’re being a total creep obsessing over how she ‘licked’ that nut…?”

“Hello? Yes, fbi? I’d like to report this guy…”

“So this is a Flower Fairy? I’m in love. That’s it! I must form a pact with one too!”

“Dream on. Didn’t Natsume say they’re shy and place great value on one’s reputation? Dude, start by fixing your terrifying character model first and wipe off that face paint. Every time I see you at night, I think I’ve seen a ghost…”

“Hahaha…”

The surrounding players’ enthusiasm was palpable.

And shortly after, the craze over Elemental Faeries spread rapidly across the whole server.

Dragons were no longer the most sought-after pact partners with the Elemental Faeries taking their place.

Cuteness is justice!

Adorability is truth!

What’s more, Faeries were not only visually appealing but also possessed incredibly strong support abilities. While they might not match dragons in sheer combat prowess, their passive buffs to the player were often more substantial.

Most importantly, they were beautiful, affectionate, and easy to care for!

They only required mana to survive, unlike dragons, some of which demanded gemstones or gold as sustenance.

It was even rumored that some high-level players had gone bankrupt just trying to feed their dragons.

Additionally, Elemental Faeries were capable of telepathic communication with their bonded partners.

Truly, they were the ideal companions.

As a result, massive numbers of players began pouring into the Elven Forest and the Dark Mountains that Li Mu and Demacia had mentioned, desperately trying to locate and befriend any Elemental Faeries they could find.

As more players joined the hunt, sightings and screenshots of more Elemental Faeries began appearing online. Many players even captured footage of them in the wild.

However, those who succeeded in gaining a Faeries’ trust and formed a pact—as Natsume had—were exceedingly rare.

These little creatures were extremely cautious and timid.

Without genuine patience and effort, it was nearly impossible to win them over.

Moreover, because Elemental Faeries were classified as NPCs rather than beasts, players couldn’t use force or coercion, which further increased the difficulty of forming a pact with one.

Yet this unprecedented level of challenge only fueled the players’ motivation even more.

Thus, Elemental Faeries quickly became a new symbol of prestige and status within Elven Kingdom.

Interestingly, it was soon discovered that native elves could also form pacts with Elemental Faeries and not just players.

In fact, it seemed that thesw Faeries were even more drawn to the natives.

Take Saintess Alice, for example. She merely visited the temple atop the World Tree to pray, and somehow, a fairy emerged from hiding and willingly offered to form a pact with her.

This left many players who had been tirelessly trying to court one feeling defeated.

However, it also inspired some to emulate the natives demeanor but Elemental Faeries were not easily deceived.

Without genuine sincerity, it was nearly impossible to earn their trust.

༺⟐༻

The arrival of Elemental Faeries sparked unprecedented excitement among the player base, even drawing attention away from the ongoing events in the dungeon of Shattered Divine Kingdom.

At the same time, the Elemental Faeries that had entered the Dark Mountains began working under Eve’s command to restore order to the chaotic magical energies within that region.

Everything was proceeding in accordance with Eve’s carefully laid plans.

But just then, an uninvited guest from afar approached the outskirts of the Elven Forest…

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