It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

"Higanbana" is the name for this flower. Manjusari, whose flowers bloom without visible leaves, and whose leaves grow without visible flowers, is also used to metaphorically represent unattainable love. It's often said that this flower grows near the Three Lives Stone at the end of the Naihe Bridge.

Unlike thorns, they simply stood still, unwaveringly blooming. Because of their associated meaning and their unusual growth pattern, Bai Lin believed that—

They are like tombstones, marking the passing of lives.

In this small space, these flowers and thorns are about to fill it up. A strange and cold feeling instantly spread throughout Bai Lin's brain nerves. She asked in a trembling voice,

"Fei'er, what does this mean?"

Fei'er turned around. Although the light was clearly coming from behind, Bai Lin couldn't see her face, which was shrouded in a haze. It was as if there was an invisible black hole between her and Fei'er, swallowing up the surrounding light.

"There are some areas of the mountains surrounding Camilantran that have never had any missions. We've been adventuring for so long, you're aware of this, right?"

Bai Lin felt some cold sweat on her forehead, but she still replied calmly without caring,

"Ah, yes. The official explanation is that ecological changes have caused these areas to become extremely harsh and unexplorable. Could this be the so-called restricted area?"

"That's half right. The restricted area does indeed refer to this area, but it's not due to any ecological reasons. It's because someone... no, it's something that deliberately did it."

Fei'er's tone seemed to be simply narrating, very calm, but in this environment, it was even more terrifying. Bai Lin continued to ask,

"What do you mean?"

"Bai Lin, you are a strong leader and a captain with great leadership. Your teammates trust you... they always follow your footsteps and believe in your words."

Fei'er didn't answer Bai Lin's question, but slowly took a step forward. Bai Lin suppressed the slight fear in her heart, stood still, and watched Fei'er approach. On the one hand, she didn't want to abandon her promise to accompany and trust Fei'er, but on the other hand, even if Fei'er really made a move, she felt that she would be safe.

Fei'er's face gradually emerged from the shadows, and it was very close. Her eyes were fixed on Bai Lin, just like when they first met, and she was looking at Bai Lin with a bit of helplessness.

"But honestly, you don't trust your teammates that much. After all, it's you alone who were chosen to save the world. You know full well that we will all reach the limits of ordinary adventurers one day, right?"

Bai Lin was shaken by Fei'er's words. She knew every word was true. From the moment she formed this team, she hadn't believed she could last long with this group of companions. Just like the night Xifa attacked them in the woods, if Xifa had decided to bring his own group instead of just the two of them, things would have been very different.

If Bai Lin were alone, he would have died. The support his teammates provided Bai Lin with was essentially a source of anxiety. During this year's adventure, Bai Lin's biggest concern was actually the safety of his teammates.

She always refused missions based on the degree of danger the team would face. This was because, unlike her teammates, although she could not use magic, she was born with the ability to transcend life and death.

The first "teammate" in the true sense sacrificed her life before Bai Lin had even grown up. After that, all the actions with Katie made Bai Lin feel at ease for a while, but when Katie died, Bai Lin also realized the problem.

She was afraid of separation and death. Adventure in this world was no joke. This was the root of her anxiety. On the one hand, she felt numb to the lives of others on her adventure path filled with countless deaths, and on the other hand, she became increasingly afraid of her teammates leaving.

Therefore, this led to his current "morbidity". Bai Lin's almost insane mental confusion was entirely due to this.

After trembling and gasping for breath twice, Bai Lin realized that cold sweat had spread all over her body. She raised her head and looked directly at Fei'er. The cool feeling like pouring ice water immediately calmed Bai Lin down a bit. She said,

"I still trust you guys very much, but more than that, I'm just worried..."

"Bai Lin."

Fei'er suddenly called Bai Lin's name. Bai Lin was stunned for a moment, then straightened up and looked at Fei'er. Fei'er slowly stretched out a hand and said,

"Heroes also need support. The reason you're so tired isn't just because of the long-term hard work, but more because you've been shouldering the difficulties alone all this time."

"Ask any of you on the team who hasn't had more adventures than you. We're simply entrusting a portion of our lives, which are already on the brink of danger, to you. Trust is our choice. You don't need to bear such great pressure."

Fei'er's words were undoubtedly meant to comfort Bai Lin. Bai Lin looked at Fei'er's outstretched hand with some hesitation, unsure whether to take it. Could he really accept this? They trusted him, so he would be extra considerate of them...wasn't that right?

Looking at Bai Lin's hesitation, Fei'er sighed again and weighed her outstretched hand before Bai Lin's eyes. Though she looked much younger than Bai Lin, she now exuded a sense of maturity. Her determination, her words, made her slender arm seem so reliable.

This time, it wasn't about one protecting the other. It was just a mutual assistance, extending a helping hand to each other to fight the storm.

Chapter 369: The Living

"This time, let me fight alongside you, Bai Lin. As you thought, I have a connection with this Le Tianxiang. Next, I will tell you everything I know."

The moment Bai Lin got the Le Tianxiang sample, she already knew the answer. She never asked, just waiting for Fei'er to tell her the root of the matter.

I really didn't expect... to be told this way.

"Of course, I also hope that you are mentally prepared..."

When Fei'er was looking at Bai Lin and saying this, Bai Lin suddenly took her hand, pulled Fei'er to her, hugged Fei'er tightly, and buried his head behind her shoulder. Fei'er's cheeks immediately turned red, and after a slightly shocked "ah", he continued to ask in the same calm and emotionless tone as before,

"what are you doing?"

Bai Lin closed her eyes, a faint smile on her face. Now she understood exactly why she had become so strange recently. They had relied on each other, their close confidants even outside of battle. Simply put, they were missing the spiritual support that was so close to them.

"No... nothing. I just felt that, after all, you were talking about fighting side by side. It seems that you are going to tell me something very important in a very frank way, and it concerns you."

Bai Lin released the hug and straightened her body. Her expression returned to her usual confidence, and she looked at Fei'er with a sunny smile.

"If that's the case, don't ask me to prepare myself mentally. I trust you unconditionally now, so go ahead and tell me what you want to say!"

If anyone else were to witness this scene between Bai Lin and Fei'er, they would surely marvel at how quickly Bai Lin's mood and attitude shifted. But to Bai Lin herself, she was merely like the ice cube in a glass of vodka, cooling the alcohol and altering its flavor.

And now, finally, under the response of the liquor, it slowly sank in. It not only adjusted the concentration of the liquor, but also blended perfectly with the liquor, and also reached the key point of just the right temperature.

At this moment, she and Fei'er established a "true collective" relationship. This state of mind, where everything was understood and at peace, made Bai Lin incredibly clear-headed. She naturally sensed the worry in Fei'er's faint voice.

So as the captain, she should give a trusting response! Although she was relieved by a little girl like Fei'er, she still succeeded when it was time to show off her captaincy!

"Oh? Does that mean you didn't trust me before?"

Fei'er gave Bai Lin a look as if he was looking at a corpse, but Bai Lin's state of mind was at its peak, and naturally he would not be shaken at all by this joking question. She shook her head and said,

"It doesn't depend on time, Fei'er. Trust or not is simply based on your actions. Mutual trust is true trust."

In the past, Bai Lin had only unilaterally protected Fei'er, pulling her into this world. But now, she had clearly developed a completely new understanding of Fei'er. All these changes were not caused by Bai Lin's change, but by Fei'er gradually opening up to her.

Fei'er also closed her eyes and said as if sighing,

"You're so cunning. Well then... let's get to know each other again, Bai Lin."

Fei'er opened her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. Bai Lin gave a satisfied thumbs-up and nodded approvingly. Perhaps this gesture seemed a bit silly, but the flower that spent its days cowering in the dark corner had already decided from the beginning—

The person who rashly broke into his own world is a fool.

The story begins with Fei'er's past.

She wasn't originally born in Camitlan. Like Katy Pelo, Faile came from another village. She had been traveling with three talented individuals. Each possessed a talent and, with youthful vigor, they were ready to enter the city and forge ahead.

"You three are the hope of the village, so you must work hard."

Of course the village chief said so, and everything happened just like an old-fashioned RPG plot, and the three of them walked out of the novice village.

That year, Fei'er was sixteen. She wasn't exactly taciturn back then, but like most young girls, she was shy and timid. As for the other two, one was the team's happy person, always cracking jokes and making the team laugh. The other was a brave warrior very similar to Bai Lin.

He is honest and has some brains, but he always makes people feel that he is a bit reckless and rash.

"Strange, even after all these years, I haven't forgotten his name. Back then, he was the strongest of the three of us, and I trusted him completely. He was like an older brother to me. Sometimes I'd worry about his recklessness, but most of the time, he was incredibly reliable."

Fei'er and Bai Lin stood side by side, looking at the sky, which was clearly bright but extremely blurry. Her eyes were lost in long-term thought, as if she was looking into the past.

"Can I be trusted?"

Bai Lin interrupted Fei'er's thoughts with a smirk on his face, as if he wanted to make Fei'er, who looked a little sad, feel more cheerful.

"…Has anyone ever told you that you look best when you're silent?"

Fei'er rolled her eyes at Bai Lin again and continued her story.

The journey to Camillan was the first hurdle Faile encountered in her life. Unfortunately, the three of them encountered a group of assassins. Two men died, but they successfully protected Faile, allowing her to escape alone.

The blow of losing her companions made Fei'er even more wary of the outside world. For a month or two, she became a very independent female adventurer, independently and aimlessly completing the most basic adventurer's tasks.

She wanted to go home, but she didn't know how to get there, how to tell the hopeful villagers that her two companions had died and she had fled alone. But after losing her companions, she felt even more confused about the road ahead.

Until the first person who barged in.

"I heard you're very strong, how about joining our team?"

This was the invitation extended to Fei'er by another brave fellow in the tavern. He and his companions had youthful yet immense confidence written on their faces.

Of course, Fei'er at that time naturally rejected it. After that, what she faced was——

Chapter 370 After the Dead

A harassment that borders on harassment.

There were always people from their team around the missions Fei'er had received. Every time she rested in the tavern, this group of people would "accidentally" appear. Even if she moved to another tavern, they would appear again after a while.

In the end, after failing to persuade them, Fei'er finally agreed to join the team. These guys' personalities weren't as annoying as their actions; their real intention was probably just to cling to Fei'er, a lonely person.

Their captain, the leader of this passionate team, was naturally even more energetic. This team wasn't always very thorough in their planning before taking action, but they always managed to complete their missions without incident under their captain's command. In a way, that was quite impressive.

On the eve of a difficult mission, which also happened to be the anniversary of the death of one of Fei'er's teammates, Fei'er sat on the windowsill, gazing at the full moon in the distance, drinking the alcohol she could never get used to, and missing her hometown and her friends and family.

That very night, her captain, Roxa, walked into her room. He moved a chair, sat next to Fei'er, and asked,

"What are you doing, Faye?"

After nearly a year of friendship, Fei'er has regained her youthful vivacity, even becoming more talkative than when she left the village. The bond between her and her teammates has also grown deeper. Under the moonlight and drunkenness, Fei'er told Locke about her past bit by bit. Locke replied,

"That was a truly dismal past... Thank you for your hard work. But you should still get some rest early, as tomorrow's mission is going to be very difficult."

As the captain, Locke gave Fei'er a warm reminder. Such simple words broke Fei'er's sad thoughts. She smiled slightly, nodded in agreement, and asked a question.

"Locke, why did you pester me so much back then? There must be many magicians stronger than me, and I didn't have any outstanding performance back then."

Locke pondered for a moment and thought about it. The sudden question obviously made him feel a little embarrassed. However, Locke quickly looked at Fei'er and gave an answer.

"It's not really about how good you are. I see you sulking at the table every day while we're cheering on at other tables. Some teammates urged me to recruit you, saying that the girl over there is so depressed, and maybe if you, captain, comfort her, you can... or something."

"But the moment I really wanted to recruit you was when we met eyes. I felt that a young girl shouldn't have such a misty look in her eyes. That's all."

At that moment, Fei'er felt the word "happiness." She thought her second life was about to begin. The team that matched her youth rekindled her cold heart.

Looking out the window, Fei'er's deep blue eyes were not like today. Instead, they were like a clean night sky, with bright stars blooming in the clarity.

But... this is just the beginning of the tragedy.

On the second day, their team was chased by monsters and scattered in all directions. Fei'er and Locke fell into the restricted area. At that time, a mysterious and strange voice asked in the fog,

"Only one person can survive, who will you choose?"

The invisible force oppressed the two men, and there were some fresh corpses lying around, making it almost impossible for the two young people to resist. But when Fei'er thought of the words last night and the past with her companions, she cast her hopeful eyes on Locke and cried out in a broken voice,

"Locke, think of a solution quickly! No one is sure whether they are alive or dead yet. We can't just give up our lives here!"

The look that responded to Fei'er was no longer as radiant as it was in front of his teammates. It was just Locke's desire to survive after being forced into a desperate situation.

"I, I want to survive... I want to survive! Let me live!"

He was like a dog, spitting madly, afraid that his master would go back on his word and not want to give up the meat in his hand. With his mouth open, he no longer had any trace of humanity.

The mysterious voice sneered at the two of them, wearing away their hearts. But Fei'er's heart had already been completely shattered the moment Locke opened his mouth.

The voice ordered them to kill each other. Finally, Faile fell to the ground, because she no longer had the will to fight.

Given hope, then destroyed again. Fei'er no longer knew why she had survived until now. She hated Locke, hated the thief who killed her family and friends, and hated this unfair world.

Ultimately, Faye was buried within this ominous thorn bush. But soon after, she emerged from the ground. Exuding an ominous, fragrant aura, she was reborn as an extremely alluring, yet poisonous, flower.

"Hahaha, very good. From now on, you will abandon your name and go seek your own revenge!"

Fei'er held the two swords from her hometown in her hands. But their functions were no longer the same as before. With a dim look in her eyes, she whispered back, like a roar,

"Yes."

A murderer, unknown by name, with unknown motives and a definite identity, descended upon Camillan. She assumed various identities, joined various groups of adventurers, and led them into restricted areas. And when they displayed their "unfair desire for survival," she would take their lives. One night, for unknown reasons, Faile once again gazed out the window at the bright moon, her hands tightly clasped around her two swords.

As a village prodigy, Fei'er's magic is exceptional. "Mirror Heart" is her unique spell. She can, to a certain extent, analyze the abilities of others, understanding them through magic, even recreating portions of them in unique ways. This allows her to wield spells of various elements.

This was the source of her unique martial arts. A mirror at different angles would reveal a different image. She could create a perfect illusion in the eyes of others, and changing her posture was effortless. She was a natural-born killer.

Including her pair of swords, which were designed specifically for this spell. It was on this night that Fei'er adapted to everything the mysterious voice had given her.

She regained consciousness, but it only brought her deeper, more lasting pain. The feeling of seeing the night sky again for the first time was completely different from before. She fell helplessly to the ground, her eyes clenched with the desire to cry, but she found she couldn't shed even a single tear.

Fei'er was no longer human. Whether it was her body or her actions, everything about her had stripped her of her human identity.

Chapter 371 Sin and

She thought about ending her own life, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. It wasn't just a basic human desire for "life", it was also -

Another revenge.

Having committed so many crimes, she shouldn't just give up her life in vain. This was Fei'er's opinion. So after thinking it through, the first thing she did was to change her appearance.

Donning a linen robe, she confined herself to a small room for most of her life. She perfected a magic circle based on her own magical "source" and placed it within her body, suppressing her unstable consciousness. Thus, a body capable of bringing harm to all was confined within the room.

"Ever since the idea of ​​atonement came to me, I was completely lost. Honestly, I didn't know where to begin. So, ever since then, I've been searching for ways to improve myself."

Although she was standing side by side with Bai Lin, Fei'er's sight was still in the darkness in the distance. At the moment when she finished speaking, she turned her head and glanced at Bai Lin.

"I thought I would be staying in that room for a long time. I never thought someone like you would come into my room."

Yes, how incredible. Someone destined to "save the world" suddenly enters the home of a redeemer and gradually opens her heart. Is this a fateful encounter... or perhaps a divine arrangement? That remains to be seen.