Chapter 36: The Countenance of a God

Tighnari’s distress was, of course, entirely unknown to Lin Feng, who remained in a deep slumber.

As he channeled his powers for such an extended period, he suddenly realized that his consciousness was undergoing a sort of metamorphosis. During this process, Lin Feng gradually discovered that the consciousness he had linked to the Statue of The Seven had, unbeknownst to him, achieved a profound connection with the surrounding nature—the rainforest seemed to have become an extension of his own will.

Uncertain of what specific changes this might bring, Lin Feng focused his attention on the ground below, scanning it briefly. To his relief, there appeared to be no negative consequences; the changes were fundamentally positive. Assured that he would not cause trouble for the inhabitants of the rainforest, Lin Feng set his mind at ease and turned his attention inward. Sensing that his divine power was only at about half capacity, he couldn't help but sigh at the long road ahead, before immersing himself once more in the process of gathering elemental energy.

...

Gandharva Ville, twelve days after Lin Feng fell into his slumber.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Tighnari stood before a modest wooden cabin, rapping rhythmically on the door. After repeating this several times, there was still no response from within. Knowing the owner of the house was not there, Tighnari turned and left Haypasia’s cabin, intending to head into the nearby rainforest.

Having been busy for many days, Tighnari had finally completed the investigation reports regarding the others. Even to Tighnari himself, the fabricated excuses in the reports felt somewhat far-fetched—such as "spores released by mushrooms combined with tree shadows caused a hypnotic effect on lost travelers," or claims that "a temporary diversion of the ley lines caused hallucinations in passersby." Still, they were at least plausible explanations; as long as he didn't mention that the influence was caused by that fellow Lin Feng, no one would ever guess that there was a person buried beneath the Statue of The Seven.

Now, only the final step remained: providing an explanation for the "deity" Haypasia claimed to have sensed. Thinking of this gave Tighnari a headache. The anxiety of concocting these elaborate excuses had even caused him to lose quite a bit of fur from his ears.

"Sigh..." It was hard to say how many times he had sighed in the past few days.

Quietly returning home, Tighnari expertly gathered some nutritional supplies, intending to bring them to Haypasia, who had likely already fainted from hunger somewhere in the rainforest. After ensuring nothing was forgotten, Tighnari, who knew the terrain of Gandharva Ville like the back of his hand, soon arrived at the cave where Haypasia practiced.

Just as he reached the entrance, Tighnari caught the scent of Sumeru Rose incense. Surprised that Haypasia hadn't fainted from hunger this time, he softened his footsteps and slowly entered the cave. Since Haypasia was still meditating, Tighnari chose not to disturb her, instead quietly taking the time to polish and refine his investigation report.

A long while later.

"Thump."

The dull sound of someone falling to the ground pulled Tighnari’s attention away from his report. As expected, Haypasia, who had been meditating just moments ago, had fainted from hunger during her practice.

Looking at the young scholar face-down on the floor ahead, Tighnari, having long grown accustomed to this, actually felt a strange sense of relief—at least in the regard of starving herself, Haypasia was still "normal." Rising from the rock, Tighnari stepped forward, helped the fallen Haypasia upright, and opened the juice he had prepared. Adjusting the angle to ensure she wouldn't choke, he slowly poured the specially prepared drink into her mouth.

Before long, Haypasia, already experienced in the ways of starvation, woke from her stupor. She skillfully reached for the nutritional meal beside her and, controlling her hunger, ate the precious food in small, measured bites.

"Whew, I’m back among the living."

"I knew you wouldn't let me starve to death, Tighnari."

Haypasia finished the food and looked gratefully at Tighnari, who stood beside her with a look of helplessness.

"I wish you and Faibod would make things easier for me. The two of you—one is always fainting from hunger in the wild every few days, and the other, no matter how much I teach him, still insists on eating those dangerous mushrooms as if they were edible fungi. If you continue like this, I’m going to have to write you both into the *Rainforest Survival Guide* as cautionary tales." Tighnari criticized Haypasia without reservation. "Besides, aren't there plenty of wild fruits growing around you? How do you still manage to starve yourself?"

Tighnari pointed at the Sunsettias and berries with massive, ripe fruit that had appeared in the cave out of nowhere, looking at Haypasia in speechlessness.

"Ah, these fruits must be a reward from the deity for my devotion. How could I possibly eat them?" Haypasia said with a fanatic look in her eyes.

Ever since Haypasia discovered that whenever she felt hungry, she could simply continue her meditation and edible wild fruits would appear nearby, she became convinced that she had gained the attention of a deity. Consequently, not only did she refrain from eating the fruits, but she continued to practice on an empty stomach, eventually fainting from hunger in the cave.

Tighnari: "..."

At a loss for words, Tighnari fell into a rare, prolonged silence.

Haypasia skillfully ignored Tighnari’s speechlessness and said excitedly, "Never mind that for now, Tighnari."

"Hehe... let me tell you, I have already caught a glimpse of the deity’s visage in my consciousness."

"If you just give me a little more time, I will surely achieve the supreme accomplishment of connecting my consciousness with the deity!"

"...Oh? Really? Congratulations, congratulations!" Although he was highly skeptical of Haypasia's claims, Tighnari still offered his polite blessings. "My trip here was specifically to learn about the deity you speak of. Haypasia, would you mind describing the appearance of that deity to me?"

Tighnari took out his notebook, ready to record the details.

"Of course. It was, without a doubt, a true deity. The moment I glimpsed its face, it was an unparalleled, supreme experience..." Haypasia’s body trembled slightly, clearly reliving the sensation. "That deity, who appeared as a youth, possessed a heart as encompassing as the world itself, yet their body held the power of the heavens and the earth. Even catching a mere corner of their appearance brought me supreme wisdom!"

"They love all things in the world equally. The forest is their eyes, the earth is their body, and this greatness that is enough to make mortals worship is but the tip of the iceberg..."

"Wait, so other than knowing the deity is a youth, you don't actually know anything else, is that it?" Tighnari interrupted, ignoring Haypasia’s fervor.

"Ehh, well... while that may be the case for now, just give me a little more time—just a little—and I will definitely be able to communicate with the deity's consciousness. Believe me!"

"Right, right, I believe you," Tighnari said.

*—Due to extreme hunger and the influence of Sumeru Rose incense, the subject has experienced intense hallucinations. Deemed non-valid information.*

"Snap."

Tighnari closed his notebook, concluding the investigation.