Brand New Life Online: Rise Of The Goddess Of Harvest

"Elayne, I wanted to talk you about something… That has been in the back of my mind." Mark sighed, getting slightly serious.

"Huh? Yes?" I asked.

"It is about… what happened last night. When I was attacked by the demon king and my soul was hurt…" Mark sighed. "This morning I woke up like nothing, even when I logged off, I was completely fine. Yet I still can't forget that experience, it was traumatic. The pain, the despair I felt back then… I was sure I would die. And then… what happened? How did you save me?"

"Oh… Maybe your memories are a bit fuzzy?" I wondered.

"Kinda… Sorry for asking this." Sighed Mark.

"Oh no, don't worry dear." I smiled back.

"Dear?" Mark got a bit red.

"O-Oh, my bad! I just… that slipped off my tongue…" I sighed. "So anyways! What happened is… Err, well…"

"Come on! Just tell him already! Why are you getting so shy? Tell him "Mark I love you! Marry me!", it's obvious he likes you!!!"

The Great Spirit was annoying me through telepathic messages.

"Shut up!"

"Huh? Elayne? Did I said something wrong?"

"Ah! No, no, so anyways…"

I quickly began to explain Mark what happened. I had utilized the powers of my Magic, the Skills, and the Great Spirit's assistance to cut a piece of my soul and use it to patch his own soul, which had been shattered.

"So the Demon King ended eating almost all of my soul… Damn. I've never been this close to death before. It's kind of… scares me to go back into that world." Sighed Mark. "Ah, no, never mind. It's not like I won't go back."

"Honestly, I get it. I was also very scared. I tried many times to log off panicking about it… It was so scary, I thought I couldn't do it, that I couldn't do a single thing…" I sighed.

"Yet you did." Mark smiled back. "I know I am nobody to say this but… You should try to have a higher self-esteem from now on, you've accomplished so much it… just doesn't make any sense you don't."

"I kind of am getting a bit braver. Sometimes I just get so pissed off I lose my fear and just confront danger… head-on. But now that I've cooled down, I can't help but see what happened with a lot of fear." I sighed. "Sorry, I just am like this…"

"Makes sense, we're humans after all. Sorry." Mark apologized.

"Oh no, you didn't said anything wrong! You were right as well." I smiled back. "But well, let's leave that at the side for now… After that, I used a Skill and converted you into a Guardian of the Forest, provoking your evolution. It also boosted your stats temporarily."

"Yeah, I remember that but… My mind's a bit fuzzy, I remember that… when I fell unconscious, I had a very long dream." Mark said.

"A dream? How was it?" I asked.

"It was… strange. I was living inside a forest, and every day there would come this mass of darkness… Always attempting to devour the forest. Yet the forest stood its ground, protecting me and embracing me on its branches and leaves. It healed me slowly, protecting me from something malicious that was trying to devour me." Mark recalled the dream with a pained expression. "At the end, both darkness and the forest clashed, the darkness was defeated but…"

"But?"

"It cost the forest its life, as it slowly died, it left with me a small amount of light, which when I took it… It helped me wake up." Mark said. "I don't really know what it all meant but… it felt so magical yet so real…"

"Interesting… It probably meant that the power of the demon king was still trying to parasitize his soul! Yet your own soul fragment protected Mark and fought the demon king's power. It actually managed to fend him off but it also weakened in the end, losing the last bit of will it held." The Great Spirit explained to me.

I explained Mark what she said, and he found a lot of sense out of it.

"You're right, that might had been…" Mark said. "Well it also- Ah, no… never mind."

He suddenly was about to say something that might had happened there but then he held back… What could it had been?

"Well, its nice to know you're alright Mark, I was really worried." I sighed.

"Yeah… That I am alive is all thanks to you, I am… forever grateful." Mark smiled back, his smile made me smile as well.

For a moment, we ended staring at one another silently, before Mark quickly glanced back at the road.

"D-Don't worry about it! You can just… repay it with being at my side as the best friend you've always have been." I said with a smile.

"Y-Yeah!" Mark said.

This… totally wasn't awkward.

…Okay it was!

It felt like we wanted to say way more but… we held back.

Ugh, it feels a bit frustrating.

"So, anyways, I read you got… magic. Is this… is this actually true?" Mark wondered. "I did heard the demon king brought monsters, but they were promptly beaten. And all… Is there magic in this world too? I am like… super outdated."

"Yep there is… And the Great Spirit of Harvest is with me too!" I sighed. "She's like worse than Rita, she never stops talking inside my head, ugh."

"Woah, you're just… amazing, Elayne. You've got a great spirit with you and you can use magic… Aren't you like… I know this sounds cringy, but like a superhero?" He wondered.

"Uuuhhh… I really didn't wanted to think about it like that." I sighed.

"Hahaha, sorry, it just… my inner nerd just surges up." Mark laughed.

"No, its fine..." I giggled.

It's one of his cutest characteristics, to be honest.

"Hmmmm!" The Great Spirit suddenly began to scan Mark. "I can sense a lot of internal Mana within him! Especially inside his soul! The soul fragment you gave to him… might help him awaken Mana super easily!"

"She says I can awaken your Internal Mana pretty easily. You've got plenty of talent!" I told him.

"Huh? Me?! Really?" He felt so happy he looked like a child receiving his favorite toy at Christmas day.