Brand New Life Online: Rise Of The Goddess Of Harvest

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After the feast ended, everyone slowly left. Some stayed for the “afterparty,” celebrating by drinking liquor made from fermented fruits and seeds harvested from the farms. Elayne hadn’t brewed any herself, but she knew Sailor had started the practice, and it had become so widespread that she was able to try both Darkflower Seed Beer and Soul-Catching Tree Fruit Wine. Each had a unique flavor. The process still needed refinement, but they were surprisingly good. And because it was Ghostly Wine, even the Undead could get a little drunk and feel “happier.”

Elayne wasn’t a fan of alcohol, though she occasionally drank wine and enjoyed the taste of certain drinks. She could go months, even years, without drinking if the opportunity didn’t arise. She wasn’t someone who particularly liked drinking and would sometimes reprimand Rita for being a drunkard. But tonight, she didn’t feel it was her place to ruin the fun of those who simply wanted to reminisce about their days among the living.

Leaving the revelers behind, Elayne and Mark walked across the vast fields, holding hands. Mark was now so much taller than her—almost double her size. Elayne found it amusing and climbed onto him, sitting on his right shoulder.

“Hey, I wouldn’t mind sitting here from now on, haha.”

“Me neither. I’ll carry you like my princess.”

“Princess? I’m too old for that!”

“Well, my queen then?”

“You’re going too far…”

They fell silent, admiring the glowing crystals on the ceiling and the reflected light that nourished the farm, helping it grow slowly over time.

“I have this Spirit Crystal now… I think I know what to do with it,” Elayne said.

“What?” Mark asked.

“I’ll plant it here and fuse it with the Domain and my Roots, so it can grow and expand into a large mine of spirit crystals,” Elayne explained. “Over time, the Spiritual Energy we harvest will increase rapidly. Maybe this place can become the first sanctuary for spirits in the Netherworld. What do you think, Mark?”

“I think that sounds like a great idea,” Mark said, looking around. “But where will you put the crystal? Will you plant it like a tree? Grow it into a forest of spirit crystal trees? Or bury it deep in a mountain to form a huge mine?”

“Hmm, I think I’ll plant it close to the shrine. Can you take me there?” Elayne asked.

“Of course,” Mark nodded, walking toward the shrine they had built for her.

Once there, Elayne leapt down from his shoulders, leaving Mark briefly sad—he had enjoyed carrying her.

“Okay, what’s the best spot for the crystal…?” Elayne wondered, admiring the view as she walked around with Mark beside her. “Ah, this place? No, too densely packed… maybe here.”

After searching for a while, Elayne found the perfect spot. It wasn’t crowded with materials or plants, leaving enough space for the crystal to grow freely. She manifested a nail from her Soul Treasures and used its ghostly form to plant the crystal deep into the ground, connecting it with her soul spirit roots.

“Wow, you can do that now?” Mark asked.

“Yeah,” Elayne nodded. “The Nails… they became my Soul Treasures. I can use them like this. Crazy, right?”

“I never expected that, but it’s amazing!” Mark said.

“Alright, it’s done…” Elayne nodded. “I made sure the soil is good for the crystal too. Gardenia, can you help make the surrounding space suitable?”

“Yeah, okay~” Gardenia was summoned, her eyes curious as she examined the crystal. “This Spirit Crystal is very pure. It could corrode over time, becoming brittle and dying before it expands.”

“Wait, what? Really?!” Elayne panicked. “That’s not good…”

“Yeah,” Gardenia nodded. “We’ll have to work on that. But I think there’s a solution. You already fused the crystal with your soul, so it should be fine, but it can still weaken. I’ll sprinkle divine spirit essence into the soil, wrap the crystal with it, then inscribe runes and activate them.”

FLASH!

Gardenia’s magic surprised Mark and Elayne as a barrier of faint spiritual light manifested around the crystal, protecting it from corruption in mere seconds.

“Wow, that’s incredible. You’re amazing, Gardenia,” Mark said.

“Heh, I know,” Gardenia said proudly. “I’m well aware of my genius! With this, the crystal should be protected enough to grow big and strong. Once it’s large enough, corruption won’t affect it anymore. But seriously, where did you even get this?”

“Ah, I didn’t tell you about the giant lady?” Elayne asked. “I guess it’s time to explain…”

“G-Giant lady?” Gardenia raised a grassy eyebrow in confusion.

Elayne explained her dream in detail, startling Gardenia with a revelation she hadn’t realized—even though she resided within Elayne’s soul. Most of Gardenia’s being now rested inside Elayne’s new Spiritual Heart, limiting her ability to roam freely within the soul.

“Wow… I don’t know what to say. That’s insane,” Gardenia admitted. “I had no idea there was a deity inside your soul! But she spoke as if she barely knew anything. Is that because she was fragmented into three? I have my speculations about who she could be… but I’ll refrain from saying more. We should try to find her other half. As long as it’s within your soul, it shouldn’t be impossible.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Elayne nodded. “It would be better if we could find the second fragment… but the third, well…”

“Better give up on that one. We can’t even think about confronting that damn skeleton yet,” Gardenia said. “Not until you regain your powers or grow stronger than before.”

“Ugh…” Elayne sighed. “You’re right… but this second fragment… I remember Granny Yaga being frightened when she looked inside my soul. Was this entity the trigger, I wonder?”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Gardenia said. “What intrigues me most is that her world is real. You brought a crystal from there, and it resides inside the soul bubble where your belongings are. That doesn’t make sense—I monitor everything inside, and I can see it now! How can only you access this world, but not me, even though I’m inside your soul?”

“I-I don’t know! Relax…” Elayne sighed, calming her Great Spirit friend. “We’ll figure it out together, alright? So far, the Lady Giantess has been kind. She’s not evil, don’t worry.”

“Ugh, fine. But it’s still strange, bizarre even,” Gardenia said. “I want a way to look into that world, maybe even access it. Would you let me? Maybe if we go together, I could help you bring more things back.”

“That would be great, but I have no idea how,” Elayne admitted. “Other than using the Spell she gifted me—an Astral Projection Spell.”

“Hoh…” Gardenia studied the formula and copied it. “Okay, we could try going there together if I use this spell on myself… maybe even invite Mark to see if it works.”

“Alright,” Elayne nodded. “Let’s go back home for now, dear.”

“Sure,” Mark said, walking beside her toward their house once more.

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