The Entire Demon World is Fighting for My Favor: A Shura Field 42

Chapter 42

Lin Ran, relieved they had made it on time, arrived at the cove, finding Aurora already sitting on the rock, gazing at the sea.

“Cheep…” The cubs, captivated by her elegance, also looked at her with admiration.

“It’s starting,” Lin Ran said, and as the moon rose, Aurora’s gentle song filled the air. They all listened, mesmerized, even Abyss.

“Ossi? When did you get here?” Lin Ran asked, not noticing Atylanthos and Ossi until they were right behind him.

“A-Ran~” Ossi wriggled free from his brother’s grasp and flew into Lin Ran’s arms, nuzzling against him. Lin Ran stroked his soft, golden hair.

Atylanthos, watching, flicked his tail, trying to appear indifferent, though he was secretly anticipating his gift. Coming here specifically for the gift seemed a bit much.

“Ah…!” Ossi, though already aware of the plushie, still clutched Lin Ran’s clothes nervously as he presented it, a cute little merman with a shimmering tail identical to his own.

“It’s waterproof, so you can play with it in the water,” Lin Ran explained, then chuckled, seeing Ossi staring at it, speechless.

“I like it—!” Ossi finally exclaimed, hugging the plushie tightly.

“It’s my honor to be liked by you, Ossi,” Lin Ran said, hugging him back, then heard a cough behind him.

“Ahem!” Atylanthos, flicking his tail impatiently, was waiting for his turn.

“How did you know you had one too?” Lin Ran asked, amused by his tsundere act.

“Is it even a question? My tail is beautiful; a plushie is only natural. I won’t accept it if it’s ugly…” Atylanthos tried to play it cool, but his nervousness was evident.

“Okay, fine, I wanted one too. It wouldn’t be fair if only Ossi had one…” he finally admitted, blushing slightly. He sensed Lin Ran might hide the plushie if he continued this act. He was only getting one because of Ossi anyway. At least he was getting one, unlike that lion.

Lin Ran chuckled and handed him the other merman plushie. “This one is Little A, and Ossi’s is Little O. A matching set. Yours is slightly bigger, but his tail is rounder,” he explained, not noticing Atylanthos staring at him.

The moonlit cove, filled with Aurora’s song and the gentle sea breeze, was breathtakingly beautiful, calming even Atylanthos’s usual restlessness.

“…Thank you. I like it very much,” he said softly, his unexpected politeness surprising Lin Ran.

“Brother—!” Ossi, however, quickly covered his brother’s mouth, worried he would offend A-Ran.

Lin Ran chuckled and turned back to Aurora, her aged elegance reminding him of Atylanthos and Ossi.

The song ended.

“You can give it to Grandma now,” Atylanthos said, glancing at the last plushie in Lin Ran’s bag.

Lin Ran: ? “Were you peeking in my bag?” he asked, amused, then took out the last plushie.

Aurora, as if sensing something, looked at Atylanthos and Ossi, surprising him. She seemed to recognize them.

“Thank you for your song. It’s beautiful, and it helped Snowball’s ear…” Lin Ran said, offering her the plushie.

Aurora, after a moment, accepted it, then gently stroked Lin Ran’s cheek, surprising him. He didn’t pull away, sensing no malice.

She then looked at Snowball.

“Mew…” Snowball chirped nervously.

Aurora, seeming to notice its injured ear, made a few sounds.

“Mew~ Mew—!” Snowball mimicked her perfectly, surprising Lin Ran, who looked at Atylanthos for an explanation.

Atylanthos, however, was lost in thought. It reminded him of his mother teaching him music, a distant memory.

As Snowball continued mimicking Aurora, the plushie in her hand began to glow.

[Beep—Quest item activated! Special function: Time Rewind!]

“What’s that?” Atylanthos grabbed Lin Ran’s arm, worried it was a sign of his grandmother’s transformation. Transformed merfolk were dangerous.

“Relax, Atylanthos. It’s Grandma’s memories,” Lin Ran reassured him, guessing it was the Time Mirror’s effect.

The mirror showed two pink and gold mermaids swimming towards Aurora, their resemblance to Atylanthos and Ossi clear. Aurora’s usually calm expression softened as she reached out to the image of her daughters.

The lullaby resumed, now a trio of voices, so beautiful that fish leaped from the waves. The cove became a magical wonderland.

“She was waiting for her daughters, singing for them every day,” Lin Ran said, understanding. Was she worried they wouldn’t find their way home?

As Aurora embraced her daughters in the mirror, the light faded, and the cove returned to its peaceful state. It was like a dream. And Aurora seemed to awaken from a dream.

“Lans… and Ossi?” she said, looking at them.

“Grandma?” Atylanthos, the young clan leader, looked at her in disbelief.

“Ah!” Ossi also looked at her cautiously. He had few memories of her; she had started transforming after his aunts’ deaths.

“Ossi has grown so much,” she said, touching his ear fin, and Ossi felt a surge of familial connection.

“Are you… cured?” Atylanthos asked, worried it was temporary.

“No, my time is near. But I’ve seen what I was waiting for. I’m going to see your mother and aunt now,” she said, smiling at Lin Ran and Snowball. “I could hear your voices, but I couldn’t respond.”

“But for this little one’s ear, perhaps this will help. A small gift for waking me up.” She offered Lin Ran a pearl crown, which, with a flick of a switch, transformed into a beautiful music box.

“It plays various ocean sounds. I made it when I was bored. This little one can listen to it. Return it to Atylanthos when you’re done.”

“Thank you. But aren’t you awake now? Aren’t you staying?” Lin Ran asked, surprised.

“Of course not. I’m going to revisit the places I swam in my youth. And Atylanthos, come here.”

“?” Atylanthos swam to her.

Aurora touched his forehead, examining his magic. It was surprisingly calm, with little trace of the dark miasma. She then checked Ossi, who blinked nervously. The results were equally surprising.

“You’re both healthy, my dears. Perhaps it’s the Sea God’s blessing. May you and Ossi live long lives,” she said, then, with a final wave, disappeared into the waves.

“Just like her younger self,” Atylanthos said, his expression relaxed.

“I bet she was a cool adventurer, traveling the world,” Lin Ran said, envious of a mermaid’s ability to travel freely.

“This music box seems valuable. Are you sure I can borrow it?” he asked Atylanthos.

Atylanthos looked at him, his expression complex.

“Of course. Keep it as long as you need it,” he said, his attitude towards the human significantly softer now.

[Beep—Scythe Clan’s Friendship: 90%!][Bonus for over-level completion.][Bonus for special gift.][You are now a Friend of the Ocean, granting a 15% bonus to water magic.] Lin Ran’s relationship with the Scythe Clan had improved significantly.

“Your grandmother wished you and Ossi long lives. Are merfolk’s lives short?” he asked, remembering Aurora’s daughters.

“We’re born with great power, but it comes with impurities. The greater the power, the faster the corruption.”

“So… I might have to say goodbye someday. Don’t look for me then; I’ll be a monster. Not all merfolk can be like my grandmother, gentle even after transforming,” Atylanthos revealed, trusting Lin Ran not to harm his clan.

“But that’s not right. Like Snowball’s ear, if you or Ossi get sick, you can find a cure. Why hide?” Lin Ran said, seeing the pessimism beneath his pride.

“Ah…!” Ossi hugged Lin Ran’s waist, refusing to accept his brother’s words. He wouldn’t become a monster!

“That’s our Ossi,” Lin Ran said, hugging him back, wanting to kiss his soft cheek.

Atylanthos, for the first time, didn’t pull Ossi away. Perhaps things could be different. Why had “Demon World” introduced a human? He wondered if it was part of a larger plan. And if this human wasn’t an NPC, but a real person… he and Ossi might try to find him.

Snowball, like the other cubs, was fascinated by the music box, each jewel playing a different sound, even a whale’s song, which soothed its ears and seemed to purify its aura.

“Aurora must have been an adventurer,” Lin Ran said.

“Little Flame, come here,” he called, having learned how to care for the strange little creature.

“Ah~” Abyss, now accepting its new nickname, floated over.

“Try this crystal. How does it taste?” He offered it a pink crystal, which Abyss swallowed, its eyes lighting up. It was sweet!

“Different crystals, different flavors, right?”

“Yes!”

Lin Ran chuckled. “I’ll make you a snack box with different flavors.” The pink crystals, from a mine rich in brown sugar, had a sweet taste. He had found them in the system shop. Fortunately, his livestream earnings allowed him to afford these expensive treats.

Who was Little Flame’s previous parent? Had they abandoned it because they couldn’t afford to feed it? He pondered as he worked in the garden, Abyss now helping by incinerating weeds, a more efficient method than Sootball’s pulling. Sootball, slightly jealous, watched them.

Lin Ran was trying to cultivate a new plant that could grow in the dried riverbed, hoping to restore the River of Demon Energy. Water seemed to suppress the miasma. Perhaps restoring the river would eliminate it. He had cleared the miasma around his homestead, creating a sanctuary for small animals.

As he worked, a familiar golden figure appeared. Shao Mian, unable to resist, had found himself drawn to the human’s homestead again.

“Yuanbao? What are you doing, lurking on the hill?” Lin Ran asked, looking up.

Shao Mian: ? Lurking? He jumped down, approaching Lin Ran.

“Wait! Don’t crush my flowers…!” Lin Ran said, stopping him with a bamboo stick, then dragging him away from the flowerbed, like a stubborn golden retriever.

“Are you…” asking for a beating, Yuanbao? He sensed something was off with Yuanbao today. He was being unusually stubborn and avoidant. Whenever he tried to look at his face, Yuanbao would turn away.

“Fine, I won’t look. Come on, Little Flame, let’s go home,” he said, about to leave with Abyss.

Shao Mian looked at Abyss, who was glaring at him.

[You jerk! I’m not talking to you anymore…] Shao Mian was surprised. It had switched loyalties so quickly? He had raised it, hadn’t he? Well, Ser had done most of the feeding.

“You two know each other?” Lin Ran asked, noticing their interaction.

“Roar—” I brought him here, Shao Mian said, thinking Abyss would be safer with the human, a readily available magic source. And it wasn’t a big deal; he had plenty of flame sprites.

“So, you brought him here?” Lin Ran stopped, looking at the lion. Was he expecting gratitude? He hadn’t even made him a plushie. Shao Mian felt another surge of resentment towards “Demon World’s” unfair reward system.

Lin Ran looked at Abyss, who nodded miserably, and grabbed the lion’s ear.

“You’re so irresponsible, Yuanbao! You just abandoned him here?!”

Shao Mian was stunned. A human, touching his ear, and scolding him?! He was furious. He was a top-spending player! He had an unused S-Rank card! And now, this?! Was this considered an S-Rank interaction?!

Snowball and Sootball, nearby, covered their ears. A-Ran was scary when angry. He had already scolded the lion; they were safe… for now. [Wide-eyed, worried cubs.jpg]