Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Forest Fairy

The sea of fire had devoured almost everything, leaving only a small patch of ground for Justin Jia and Wolf. Yet even this meager space was on the verge of being swallowed by the flames.

“I’ve leveled up again!” Justin Jia could barely speak, the lack of oxygen making every word an effort. His entire body was drenched in sweat, and he felt as though he would soon be reduced to nothing but a piece of dried, roasted meat. What use was it to have gained two levels after burning all the skeletons to ash? In the end, he too would be consumed by the inferno.

Wolf the werewolf did not reply, for he was reaching his limit as well. This blaze was as fierce as a grand fire spell; even the strongest would struggle to endure it.

All the nearby skeletons had been incinerated, including the massive triceratops skeleton. The main reason was that skeletons lacked intelligence; even when faced with deadly flames, they had blundered into the fire without hesitation. Even with all their efforts to avoid the flames, Wolf and Justin Jia had ended up in such dire straits.

“Care for one last coconut?” Although the skeletons were gone, the fire was now right upon them. With difficulty, Justin Jia cracked open two coconuts and handed one to Wolf, saying, “The very first night I hired you, and we're about to be burned to death together. I’m truly sorry!”

“Death is not the end for us,” Wolf replied, accepting the coconut and looking at Justin Jia. “If you die, we will answer a new master’s call and journey to another world.”

“Is that so? So I’m the only fool here?” Justin Jia couldn’t help but laugh, taking a deep swig of coconut juice. “I’m really not reconciled! To think my journey in this other world ends here—just when it had only begun, and I haven’t even had my fill of adventure!”

Wolf said nothing and simply tilted his head back, draining his coconut.

“Sometimes I confuse myself with a real game character, thinking as long as my health bar is full, I can’t die!” Justin Jia panted laboriously. “But I forgot, I’m just a human being in reality! A lack of oxygen can kill me, and a forest fire can kill me! Damn those reapers—if they were going to send me to another world, they could at least have made me a game character. Then I could have forced my way through the flames, at worst losing a bit of health! Poor Tina, she’s still waiting for me to come home… But now, I’m afraid I’ll never have the chance to return to her side. The time was brief, but to have won her affection was truly a blessing. I should have stayed with her and taken care of her for a lifetime…”

“Master, even on the brink of death, you still have so much to say?” Wolf couldn’t help but grumble.

“I’m dying—aren’t I allowed to complain a little?” Justin Jia’s vision was beginning to blur as the heat pressed in, and he could feel every inch of his skin cracking with dryness. “Wolf, do you think this world has reapers? Will they give me a chance to come back to life? If I’m resurrected, could I stay in this world? Or if I go to another world, will I still have this golden finger…?”

“Save your strength for breathing!” Wolf was nearly at his limit as well.

Justin Jia gazed up through the wall of fire at the sky. Though the towering, burning trees obstructed his view, the blood-red heavens and the sparkling stars above were still breathtakingly beautiful. In a haze, he suddenly saw a green light drifting slowly by.

“Maybe I’m hallucinating. Is this what happens before you die? The first time I died, I didn’t even notice, so I’m not sure…” Justin Jia murmured, watching the green glow in the sky. “I think I see a beautiful angel! She has butterfly wings, and ‘beautiful’ doesn’t even begin to describe her. Really! She’s so lovely, she doesn’t seem like a creature of this world. No, she’s an angel—she doesn’t belong here… Is she here to take me to heaven? I’ve been a good person; if this world has a heaven, maybe I’ll be allowed in?”

“An angel? Master, don’t be silly!” Wolf glanced up, and a hint of joy flashed in his eyes. “That’s a forest fairy!”

“A forest fairy? What’s that…” Justin Jia was bewildered. “It’s not just my imagination? You can see her too?”

“Of course. Perhaps we’re saved!” Wolf said.

“Why?”

Forest fairies were an extremely rare species that dwelled within the woods, living in and protecting the forest. If the woods were destroyed, they lost their home. We’re lucky—there must be a colony of forest fairies living here!

“That enchanting little creature would be lucky just to survive the fire…” Justin Jia said with effort. “In the end, it’s my fault—I destroyed this forest and her home, all for my own sake…”

“Enough talking! Save your strength…” Wolf panted.

“She’s coming back!” As the world spun around him, Justin Jia thought he saw the green light appear before his eyes once more. Within the light, the indescribably beautiful creature fluttered her butterfly wings, circling above his head. “She’s flying around me, trying to tell me something? Wow—she’s so tiny, just like a butterfly… Is it raining? Is this a hallucination? It feels like rain…”

“That’s not rain!” Wolf answered. “It’s probably fairy magic.”

“Magic…?” Of course! The sky was still full of stars; there wasn’t a cloud in sight. The water falling from above couldn’t possibly be real rain. Justin Jia stared in amazement at the beautiful fairy dancing above him. “The rain is getting heavier! The flames are dying down… Incredible! The fire is shrinking, and I can feel the temperature dropping! For such a tiny fairy to wield such power…”

“There’s more than one!” Wolf said.

“Hm?” Justin Jia turned and saw that indeed, many more green lights were swirling through the air. In each one, there was a breathtaking forest fairy.

With a rush, the rain grew even heavier, and the raging fire vanished beneath it, leaving nothing but a dead, charred wasteland.

With the flames gone, darkness and silence returned to the forest. Yet the fairies circling above were like lanterns, casting a gentle glow over the entire area.

“Look! The scorched earth is sprouting!” Justin Jia stared in astonishment at the miracle unfolding before him. Then he looked up and saw that not only the grasslands, but even the trees that had been reduced to charcoal were quickly shedding their burnt exteriors, revealing tender green shoots from within.

In no time at all, the land that had been blackened by fire was coming back to life. Though traces of the flames remained, green was beginning its counterattack—perhaps soon it would reclaim all that was lost!

“Don’t go!” Justin Jia, regaining his strength, called out as he saw the beautiful fairies twirl and vanish into the night sky.