Chapter 87: The Fairies’ Adulation!

Hearing the chief say this, Wang Chen felt a bit embarrassed. "I must admit I’m ashamed," he said. "I truly haven’t had much free time to visit you often, because soon there will be a very important competition for me—it will determine my future. That’s why I’ve been devoting all my time to improving my abilities."

"Once this busy period is over, I should have more time to visit the members of the Fairy Tribe," Wang Chen continued, a flicker of light appearing at his fingertips. "These are some human foods and technological devices—not of much value, but novel enough."

"Humans have all sorts of seasonings; I imagine there are flavors you’ve never tried. When you want a snack, you can give them a taste," he offered.

The chief stroked his beard with a smile. "You’re very thoughtful. In fact, there’s no need for you to bring anything. You are like family to our Fairy Tribe; who brings gifts to their own home?"

"They’re hardly gifts at all—just a small token of my regard," Wang Chen replied with a smile. "By the way, there seem to be quite a few new faces in the village—fairies I haven’t seen before."

"Yes," the chief answered, "they are fairies who’ve come from scattered tribes, drawn here after hearing that we’ve recovered the Fountain of Vitality."

"Tribes? So there are many different fairy tribes?" Wang Chen asked curiously.

"Indeed, it’s quite complicated. Mainly, there are three types: Forest Fairies who dwell within the woods; Highland Fairies who establish villages between mountains and plains; and Coastal Fairies who live by rivers, lakes, and seas, subsisting on fishing and hunting."

"So our tribe would be Highland Fairies?" Wang Chen skillfully used the word "our."

As expected, the chief’s birch-bark-like face creased into a smile. "Yes. Besides those three main types, there are scattered minor tribes, but they’re so fragmented that even I often have to consult the ancestral books to clarify."

"In any case, it’s good that the tribe is growing stronger," Wang Chen said cheerfully. "If there’s anything I can help with, please don’t hesitate to ask."

The old and the young discussed the tribe’s future plans for a while, and at last Wang Chen found an opportunity to bring up the true purpose of his visit.

He described his physical condition to the chief.

When the chief finished listening, his expression grew grave. "So Na’er has already bestowed her blessing upon you."

The chief sighed deeply. "I knew such a day might come, but I didn’t expect her to make the decision so soon."

Wang Chen was thoroughly confused. "Blessing? What is that? So the changes in my body are connected to Na’er?"

The chief looked at Wang Chen and asked, "On the night of the celebration, did the two of you…?"

Wang Chen’s face flushed with embarrassment, and he nodded stiffly.

"That is the blessing," the chief explained. "When a fairy gives her first time to another, she passes a portion of her life force to them."

"If this occurs between two fairies, it is a mutual exchange—a good thing, for each fairy’s life force is unique, and the exchange strengthens and enriches their vitality. But when it happens with a non-fairy species, the life force is given only one way, and the fairy loses a portion of her own vitality."

The chief’s deep-set eyes regarded Wang Chen solemnly. "You and Na’er belong to the latter case. The changes in your body are because a great surge of life force has entered you."

Wang Chen grew anxious—he knew how important vitality was to the fairies, or they would not prize the Fountain of Vitality so highly.

After all, when the fairies lost the fountain, black spots appeared on their bodies—a sign of grave danger.

"So Na’er has lost part of her life force—won’t that affect her greatly?" Wang Chen asked.

The chief nodded slowly. "First, her lifespan will be affected. For a fairy, living a thousand years is easy; now she may have only half that."

"And she’s already nearly three hundred years old," the chief added.

Wang Chen asked urgently, "Is there nothing that can be done to remedy this?"

"The Fountain of Vitality can restore what she’s lost, but the process is slow, and after-the-fact repairs are never as good as innate life force. Perhaps she’ll never regain her former lifespan," the chief explained.

Hearing this, Wang Chen collapsed in the armchair, dazed, as the image of the girl’s charming smile floated before his eyes. "How could you be so foolish…?"

"It’s done now, there’s no use regretting," the chief comforted him, then spoke with grave insistence. "You must become stronger as soon as possible. Na’er will surely—no, she will inevitably need you, and that moment will come soon."

Wang Chen was startled, then hurriedly asked, "Why? Will she be in danger because of the blessing?"

"It’s not time to tell you the specifics. To be honest, knowing now would not benefit you—it might even dampen your resolve," the chief replied.

The chief rose and walked to the window, gazing into the distance. "Just remember: the stronger you become, the better."

Wang Chen fell silent. He realized that there was much about Na’er he did not know, and those unknowns might draw them both into a vortex.

After a long pause, he looked at the chief with determination. "I understand. I will become strong enough to face any challenge."

The chief heard this and turned, smiling. "That’s the spirit."

The fairy elder returned to Wang Chen’s side. "There’s one more thing. The changes in your body may continue, and what you ultimately become cannot be predicted."

Wang Chen was puzzled. "Isn’t it just that my body gets healthier and my lifespan longer?"

"The effects of a fairy’s blessing are far from ordinary," the chief said. "Because you are human, your species is not considered long-lived among many races."

The chief walked to the cupboard and took out two cups, one tall and one short.

"If water represents life force, then how much you can hold determines your lifespan’s limit. This tall cup represents the fairies’ maximum lifespan; the short one, humans’."

He poured water into both cups, about two-thirds full. "Imagine this is the innate life force of normal fairies and humans. After the blessing, you will become like this."

He picked up the tall cup and poured its water into the short one, until it overflowed. "Do you see?"

Wang Chen asked, confused, "See what? The water’s overflowing?"

"Precisely," the chief set the cup down. "Because humans’ innate capacity is limited, the life force cannot safely support you for a thousand years—it will simply spill over."

"But how it spills over is an unknown. Life force will find ways to consume itself—whether it evaporates, or pours away, it is beyond our control."