Chapter 81 Entrance Examination ② Entrance Examination Part Two, ...
Chapter 81
What cannot be awakened is not that which is asleep, but that which is already dead.
When all the sunflowers surrounding the withered tree melted into golden light, the light transformed into dazzling particles that shimmered around the weeping, dead tree. The surrounding spirits chanted hymns in unison, but it was all in vain; the mother tree remained asleep, as if dead.
Until the song stopped, all they could see were the same sad expressions on the faces of all the elves. The young elf who had led them there sniffled, his eyes red from crying, and though he choked up, he tried to appear calm: "I'm sorry, we wasted the sunflowers you brought. The chieftain will give you money."
Enid's expression turned sad for a moment after hearing the word "patriarch," then she gently tiptoed and patted the boy's shoulder.
"It's alright, we don't need gold coins. It would be great if we could have some spring water."
The boy nodded and ran out. Enid, Tim, and Barbara exchanged glances, found a secluded spot nearby, and waited. Seeing that no one else was watching, she began to speak in a very low voice: "Elves are usually queens, and the Mother Tree is the root of the elves... It seems that this should be the end of history."
She had witnessed the history of this world, knew how the elves had fallen from their lofty positions, and knew that the elves no longer held any special significance. Yet, she still felt a pang of sadness, but only for a moment. Just before the exam, her teacher had said that this was history that could not be changed.
"Let's go see the forest once we get the spring water."
"good."
Barbara patted Enid's head, earning a sweet rub in return. Enid only now understood why the Elf Kingdom had disappeared, leaving only ordinary elves in the human world, having lost the power to awaken nature. But Enid now knew it was because of the Mother Tree's slumber and an impending great fire.
She didn't continue speaking, but waited for the boy to bring the spring water. Then she gently bid them farewell and left the Fairy Spring with Tim and Barbara, walking along the previous path to the edge of the desolate forest.
“Looks like we’ll have to wait here until nightfall.” Enid looked towards the elven settlement and the stained-glass windows they hadn’t yet set foot in. Tim, noticing her gaze, recalled the legends about fire… He seemed to understand. “That’s where the fires happen, isn’t it?”
“Is it the boy who spoke to us?” Barbara offered the most reasonable guess, which earned her a surprised look from Enid. “Actually, I don’t know either, but it’s very possible… Witnessing history feels a bit strange. Don’t worry, I’m fine. I was just thinking that maybe Barbara is right.”
Based on the stories she had read, there wouldn't be any character descriptions without a reason, just like there wouldn't be any useless NPCs in front of them. Of course, Enid's guess was correct. They waited there until noon. After lunch, the distant flames scorched the clouds on the horizon, turning the entire sky a crimson color. Enid looked at the flames and stood up.
She walked in the very middle of the forest, facing the scorching red sky and the faint glimpse of despair, and quietly sang a hymn of praise, very similar to the one they had just heard sung before the mother tree, yet with a completely different melody, thus forming two entirely different hymns.
The hymn was also paused after the flames stopped. Together they drank from the spring of spirits, and the next second a completely different branch of the mountain appeared in the forest. In the secluded path, only the bright red sun could be seen.
"Let's go, we should return to the Fairy Spring."
Barbara and Tim had no objections and followed Enid back to the Fairy Spring. It was different here; the vines had been burned, and only the garden and house with stained glass windows were still shining. Everything else, including the dead mother tree, had become a crimson funeral.
Enid's white dress contrasted beautifully with everything else. She walked to the stained-glass window and sang the hymn again, with soft, hoarse echoes coming from behind her. Only when the music ended did the ash-covered elf boy emerge.
"The forest has awakened, hasn't it?"
"Yes, there are no sleeping forests that cannot be awakened; they were just asleep, but they have now awakened."
"Great, then I should go chase the sun."
The boy finished speaking and left, heading back the way they had come. At that moment, the stained glass window suddenly shattered, breaking inch by inch with a crisp sound, until the remaining glass formed the shape of colorful trees. Only then did Enid push open the garden gate. Without saying a word or offering any explanation, she calmly walked forward.
She bypassed the still-breathing vines and crossed the path covered with white gravel, arriving at the back gate of the garden. This was once a wrought-iron gate kissed and embraced by roses, but now it was just rust.
A gust of wind blew open the gate, revealing a straight path before them. On either side of the path, withered grass struggled to stand, trying to overwhelm them but failing, for the strong wind exposed them completely. This path, silent except for the sounds of the wind, the grass, and Leila's voice, led towards a somewhat dark crevice in the mountains.
"Shall we go?" Enid finally spoke at this moment, without turning her head, she said somewhat nervously.
Before they could reply, Enid heard footsteps first, the sound of their approaching footsteps and the soft breathing beside her, along with Barbara's body temperature. Enid turned her head and looked into Barbara's beautiful blue eyes, which reflected her pale, translucent face.
"Do you need to rest for a bit? Luckily, Afu prepared a lamp."
Tim's voice carried a hint of humor as he shook the flashlight in his hand. It was a solar-powered flashlight shaped like a lantern, not very big but just enough to provide illumination. Enid glanced at the light, then at the spot, and smiled slightly.
“It’s a pity I can’t summon fireflies.” She tried her best to put on a relaxed smile, but Barbara still saw through her. Her voice was as gentle as ever, with a reassuring calmness. “Don’t worry, just do what you think is right. Tim and I believe in you. You’re doing very well.”
"Let's set off then. I guess this road will take at least two days to travel."
Today is noon on the fourth day. They still have one afternoon left, plus three nights, two days, and the final day of the seventh day. However, Enid is slightly surprised that their journey is actually quite fast, because they might find the answer along this route.
“Very well, it seems we still can’t ask animals for help on this path,” Tim said calmly.
“Yes,” Enid shook her head. “No wonder they say large pets are prohibited from entering. It seems that physical strength is the most serious test in this place.”
Chatting and laughing, they continued on their way, though to be honest, the road was more difficult than they had imagined. The rugged path was full of stumbles and falls, and as night approached, all the lights suddenly began to flicker faintly.
Enid's breathing was becoming rapid; her stamina was the biggest problem. "Sorry, it looks like we might need to rest for a bit."
Barbara helped Enid up, and then Tim quickly set up the tent. This tent, which had been made with magical inspiration, had three rooms: a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom—just enough for them to rest, and it could be quickly set up and dismantled. They relied on this tent the entire way, and even the proctors started to envy it, considering ordering some wilderness survival gear from Enid for their journey.
Stepping into the tent, Enid sat down and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Barbara, seeing that her complexion had improved slightly, said softly, "It's good that you rested early tonight. We can set off earlier tomorrow. Didn't Lyra see a checkpoint ahead?"
As the sound faded, a video projection appeared on the screen, combining information from Lyra. Thanks to the Bat family's drones' excellent night vision capabilities and the two individuals' outstanding computer skills, the video was quite high-definition, clearly illuminating the road formed by flames and glaciers in the distance.
There are two gleaming stones at the entrance that seem to exude an unsettling aura; the video ends there.
"The red stone needs to be placed in the blue river, and the blue stone needs to be placed in the flames, so that the door can be opened, right?"
Okay, she knew it was her test. Enid carefully analyzed it and then looked at them. Tim glanced at it and shook his head. He then magnified and circled two other details, including the color of the stone ground.
"Take the redstone to the cold zone and the bluestone to the hot zone, and press this switch at the same time to open the path."
"Huh?! Doesn't that require good teamwork, since many switches need to be coordinated... Will the communication equipment work?"
She looked at Tim and Barbara with concern, only to receive a shake of the head. Enid also tried to see if there was any way, but Lyra brought some bad news. Lyra's message could only be passed to her, and her magic was also restricted. After explaining this with some sadness, she saw Barbara's knowing look and Tim's "I knew it" expression, and their faces were full of confidence.
“Don’t worry, watch how well Timmy and I did. But I think this is quite interesting. Maybe we can build one at the training ground next time?” Barbara patted Enid on the shoulder with a smile. Enid was a little embarrassed. “But I don’t think I can help.”
Barbara shook her head at Enid's words: "It's normal for everyone to have their own strengths. Compared to regular night patrols, I think this is more like a game. If it were training, it would need to be a bit more difficult."
"I agree. We can show it to B when we get back and rebuild it."
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Author's note: I don't deny that the final level is similar to the Fire and Ice Man type (whispering).
Almost there! Just two or three more chapters to go. I'll definitely finish this unit this week!! I swear!
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