Ch. 68 Guild Formation!
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 68 – Guild Formation!
Time had passed, and with it, our party’s strength had grown exponentially.
A week after the Green Tail field boss raid, Nyongmom had reached Level 50, while the rest of us had hit 45.
The Return Guild members who had stayed in Flocksheep Village had vanished at some point.
Whether their guild disbanded due to their leader’s death or they’d withdrawn for internal reasons, no one knew.
One evening, after finishing a hunt and dinner, I walked through the village streets. The usually quiet town was oddly lively tonight.
New players from the surface had arrived. From the snippets of conversation I overheard, word about how to reach the Sky Islands must have spread.
Our era of monopolizing the best hunting grounds was over. Watching the newcomers, I headed back to the inn.
When I entered my room, a faint breeze slipped through the slightly open window, brushing against my hair.
I frowned. I definitely remembered closing the window before leaving.
Unless my memory was playing tricks on me.
As I approached the window, I spotted a small, flower-adorned envelope resting on the sill.
[Moonlight Festival Invitation]
A fairy’s invitation to their closest friend.
When bathed in moonlight, a hidden path will reveal itself.
Maximum party size: 4
The envelope shimmered faintly, as if emphasizing its rarity. Peeling away the wax seal, I found a letter inside written in delicate handwriting.
To Supreme,
Hi! It’s Lily. Remember me?
Have you heard of the fairies’ Moonlight Festival?
It’s where we invite our closest friends to celebrate under the moon.
Since you’re my only human friend, I’m sending you an invitation!
Come visit the village if you’re interested~
Lily’s face flashed in my mind—the sweet little fairy who’d guided me before. She’d sent this.
This was likely a follow-up quest triggered by the favor I’d earned helping her. Perfect timing, too—I’d been thinking about leaving the Sky Islands.
If we went to the fairy village, we could get Fairy Dust, which would soften our fall.
No need to hesitate. I gathered the party immediately.
Once Isolin, Gladie, and Nyongmom were in my room, I shut the door and presented the invitation.
“Ta-da!”
“What’s that?”
“A fairy invitation…?”
“Since when were you friends with fairies?”
I explained—logical reasons only, of course. Not because I wanted to see tiny, adorable fairy girls.
To descend safely from the Sky Islands, we needed either Fairy Dust or a Sky Roc—but the latter cost a fortune, far beyond what any player could afford right now.
So, Fairy Dust was our only option.
“So, we’re going?”
At my question, the girls nodded. We packed up and met outside the inn.
“How do we even get to the fairy village?”
Impatient as ever, Isolin crossed her arms. In response, I held the envelope up to the moonlight.
Instantly, it glowed faintly, pointing in a specific direction.
“Looks like we follow this.”
The moonlight trail led us into the forest where I’d first met Lily. Despite the darkness, the path was illuminated, almost unnaturally bright.
The deeper we went, the more the forest changed. No monsters appeared, and even the usual ominous birdcalls were gone. Instead, the air was filled with the soft hum of crickets and a cool breeze rustling the leaves.
Then, the grass itself began to glow.
Gulp.
The sudden shift made me tense. Gladie and Nyongmom instinctively gripped their weapons—except Isolin, who was too busy swinging her staff at fireflies.
“Look! Fireflies!”
Past the glowing path, a vast lake stretched before us.
Dozens of enormous floating flower houses drifted atop the water, illuminated by moonlight, while tiny fairies flitted between them.
Gulp.
This time, for a different reason.
The fairies were adorable.
“Are those… fairies?”
“They’re like Nyongmom, but with wings.”
As we stood there gaping, one fairy—Lily—spotted us and flew over with a bright smile.
“Supreme!”
“Lily!”
She grabbed my hands and spun us around in midair. Her tiny white thighs fluttered as we twirled, and I couldn’t help grinning like an idiot.
After a dizzying moment, she let go and turned to the others.
“Are these your friends?”
“Yeah, the ones I told you about.”
She nodded, then zipped over to Isolin, seizing her hands next.
“Hi! I’m Lily!”
“A-Ah! I’m Isolin…!”
She repeated the process with Gladie, then finally Nyongmom—but paused, tilting her head.
“Huh? You feel… familiar?”
Probably sensing Nyongmom’s unstable reincarnation energy. Before I could explain, Nyongmom awkwardly smiled.
“I-I’m Nyongmom…”
“Nice to meet you! Perfect timing—we were just about to start the festival!”
Lily never stopped chattering. Her tiny lips sparkled under the moonlight, and I felt my brain short-circuiting.
“Come on! Don’t just stand there—follow me!”
She fluttered ahead, pausing occasionally to wave us forward. Too cute.
“What do we do…?”
Nyongmom whispered.
I smirked.
“We enjoy it”
We’d been grinding nonstop. A break was overdue.
As the leader, I took the first step—sprinting straight onto the lake.
Splash!
The giant lily pads held my weight easily. Hopping from one to another, I chased after Lily while the others followed.
She introduced us to the other fairies—though it felt more like she was showing us off.
The festival was a blast. Some guests misjudged their jumps and plunged into the lake, while others played tag with the fairies.
Eventually, hunger struck. The fairies served us a feast—moonlit rice cakes, warm honey tea, and flower-petal candies soaked in syrup.
After eating, the fairies started drifting off to the flower houses to sleep.
The moon was setting down. The festival was close to end.
Before leaving, Lily flew over and handed me a small pouch.
“This was fun! Let’s meet again!”
Inside was Fairy Dust.
With that, she vanished into the flower houses, leaving the lake silent under the fading moonlight.
The Next Morning
At the edge of Flocksheep Village—where the land dropped off into nothing—we stood staring at the endless blue sky.
Gladie, pale-faced, clutched my sleeve.
“A-Are you sure this is safe?”
“The item description hasn’t lied yet. We tested it in the village, remember?”
We’d already confirmed the Fairy Dust’s effects by jumping off tall buildings.
No one would get hurt—we just floated down gently, like feathers.
I sprinkled the dust into each of their mouths. Even Gladie, who protested, had no choice.
“W-Whoa… I feel light…”
“Like I’m floating…”
The effect wouldn’t last long. Hesitating would mean plummeting to our deaths.
Grabbing their hands, I jumped off the island.
“HYAAAAAAAH?!”
The Sky Islands shrank rapidly behind us.
Above, something massive moved through the clouds—a creature so enormous, Flocksheep Village looked tiny in comparison.
A Sky Whale.
Just like Raiza had described.
Vrslop_translator
0 Comments