Chapter 393

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The Great Forest sprawled across the eighteenth floor, vast and expansive.

Towering trees grew lushly from the southern part of the floor all the way to the east, including the Great Prairie at the center. The area covered a full fifth of this level.

Blue crystals sprouting from tree corners emitted a faint, almost eerie glow.

“You didn’t have to follow me out here, Izay…”

Navigating the dense forest with ease, an elf girl cloaked in a wide overcoat whispered softly to the person trailing behind her.

“But I wanted to come out, and you couldn’t stop me~”

Izay’s lips curled into a smile as he responded with a somewhat mischievous tone.

Ryu pouted slightly, “Like Miss Anqi said, shouldn’t we just go back to sleep?”

Though inwardly happy that Izay had accompanied her, she felt a twinge of guilt for keeping him up late after his recent expedition.

At this, Izay shook his head, “If I could sleep, I wouldn’t have been able to rescue Beier and the others from Goliath in the middle of the night.”

“Hmm? What do you mean by that?”

“Cough cough, let’s just say I’m suffering from insomnia due to certain reasons, plus my skills make it so I don’t feel tired at all.”

“Mm…”

Narrowing her eyes slightly, Ryu sensed there was more to what Izay was saying.

However, Izay clearly didn’t want to dwell on this topic and changed the subject immediately.

“Anyway, I noticed earlier that you seemed afraid of the teacher? Were you avoiding her?”

“Teacher?”

“Riviria, she’s my magic teacher. She’s the one who teaches me many profound magical principles.”

Ah, so that’s why your relationship is so close?

It makes sense that a teacher would be kind to their student?

Upon hearing this, Ryu nodded in understanding. Then, addressing Izay’s question, her expression turned somewhat bitter.

“I am not afraid of Lady Riviria, I simply feel unworthy…”

As a race of elves with rigid thinking, they are etched with stubbornness and pride, which leads them to revere purity.

Not just material purity, but more importantly, spiritual purity.

Ryu had once said she was a “dirty” elf.

In the past, driven by revenge, she resorted to any means necessary, disregarding everything as long as the goal was achieved.

Even though her purpose was fulfilled years ago, Ryu still suffered from the guilt of her past sins.

Hearing her confess this, Izay understood.

Because Ryu was a stubborn and proud elf, she couldn’t escape the shadow of such guilt.

Just like psychological scars, some wounds linger forever.

But Ryu’s situation wasn’t quite as severe…

Looking at the melancholy girl before him, Izay reached out and ruffled her hair.

“There’s no such thing as being ‘worthy’ or not, Ryu. Maybe my words aren’t pleasant to hear, but I think you’re just having some issues with your mindset.”

“…”

The girl tilted her head slightly, enduring the head pat while waiting for him to continue.

“To achieve great things, one needn’t worry about trivialities. Choosing to use every available means isn’t shameful. Likewise, seeking revenge for your comrades isn’t wrong either. On the battlefield, countless warriors sharpen their swords for exactly this reason.”

“You need to learn to look at things from a different perspective. To me, you’re not dirty at all; rather, you’re beautiful.”

“And our teacher isn’t someone who blindly follows the crowd or lacks understanding. She wouldn’t judge you. She has a very open mind.”

Killing driven by hatred isn’t innocent, and “if they don’t attack me, I won’t attack them” is a universal truth.

This was the second time Izay was counseling Ryu psychologically.

Although Ryu’s condition had improved since the first time, Izay believed in treating the root cause directly, so he decided to intensify his efforts.

Izay’s psychological counseling class was back in session!

Version 2.0 Enhanced Edition!

However, halfway through, our elf had stopped paying attention.

“Beautiful… how can such a word apply to me…!?”

Izay’s words made Ryu lower her head, the usually spirited elf now resembling a shy young lady.

The hand resting on her head gently played with her hair, as if imbued with some mysterious power, sending tingles down her spine. Her body went limp, her thoughts scattered.

Under the moonlight, Ryu’s bashful beauty struck Izay’s heart.

Seeing the effectiveness of his counsel, Izay seized the moment, pulling her into his embrace and speaking softly.

“If possible, I hope you’ll stop dwelling on this issue. The word ‘dirty’ doesn’t suit you. Those who manipulate from behind the scenes are the truly filthy ones. So, killing them should bring you no guilt.”

“…”

Like soothing a child, Izay spoke to Ryu in this gentle tone.

Yet the effect was remarkably excellent.

In her bashful state, the elf buried her head into Izay’s chest, even her pale ears turning red. Every word he spoke sank deep into her heart.

Together with her budding youthful emotions, they were stored away in the most important corner of her heart.

The forest remained dim.

Several towering trees overlapped, obscuring the ceiling of the floor. Perhaps because it was “night,” the forest carried a slight chill.

Blue crystals clung to the tree trunks, emitting a soft glow. The faint blue light illuminated the two faces.

An elf and a human embraced under the stars, the scene serene and picturesque, the atmosphere growing warmer with each passing moment.

Their proximity accurately depicted their relationship.

…

After an unknown amount of time, the two finally remembered why they were there.

A hundred meters away from the memorial of their fallen comrades, Ryu was pulled along by Izay, feeling quite embarrassed. In her other hand, she held a bouquet of pure white flowers.

They spent some time paying respects to their departed comrades.

Afterward—just as they were about to leave—

“—ROAR ROAR ROAR…”

Suddenly, a roar came from somewhere nearby.

Was it a monster’s roar?

No, it sounded more like a scream of pain.

Their extensive combat experience led them to this conclusion.

“It’s no use staying in the forest forever. Let’s spend the night near the small town again. I know of an inn run by elves, it’s pretty good.”

Izay glanced toward the direction of the scream.

The forest at night is never a safe place to rest peacefully.

The monster’s cry indicated that adventurers or monsters were active nearby.

Though it might not necessarily be “adventurers.”

Regardless, it was best to leave the area first.

“Okay, I’ll follow you.” Without any intention to argue, Ryu nodded obediently.

Before long, the two had just left the area when a group appeared right where they’d been, moving forward.