"Sylva! Don't, please don't go!"
Yanaki knelt beside her protector, desperate. She poured all her remaining MP into the covenant bond, trying to hold on to Sylva's fading life. But it was like trying to hold water in a shattered vase. The cracks on Sylva's body spread further, and the green spark in its eyes was now just a tiny, flickering dot.
Elara floated beside them, her beautiful face contorted with anguish. She also tried to channel her pure energy, but hers was the energy of souls and memories, not of plant life. It had no effect.
A sense of helplessness washed over Yanaki. The feeling of a life she was connected to, a friend who had sacrificed for her, fading away right before her eyes was a terrible torture. Her tears fell freely onto Sylva's cracked bark.
Just as the spark in Sylva's eyes was about to go out, a colossal shadow fell over them.
The Great Tree God, now fully revived, had been watching in silence. One of its largest branches, as thick as a pillar, slowly lowered itself. The air around them grew heavy, filled with an ancient and benevolent pressure.
From the tip of the branch, a single drop of sap emerged. But it wasn't black. It was a single drop of golden liquid, as brilliant and pure as sunlight, containing an unbelievably potent life energy.
The golden drop of sap detached, fell, and landed precisely on the center of Sylva's chest.
A voice that was neither male nor female, as ancient as time itself, echoed in the minds of everyone in the area, including Luna in the distance.
"One who sacrifices for life is worthy of life's gift."
The Essence of Life spread throughout Sylva's body. A miracle occurred. The countless cracks on its body not only closed but were filled with glowing, golden veins of light. The flickering spark in its eyes flared up once more, more brilliant and powerful than ever.
[Familiar 'Sylva' has absorbed the [Essence of Life] from the Great Tree God!]
[[Near Death] status has been removed. HP and energy fully restored.]
[The pure life force has triggered a hidden potential. Familiar 'Sylva' has undergone an evolution!]
[Sylva has evolved into [Guardian Treant (Rare-Rank)]!]
[Sylva's level has increased to 5. Skills have been enhanced.]
Sylva sat up. It wasn't just healed; it was reborn. Its body now looked slightly larger and more solid, its bark had the color of ironwood, sturdy and resilient. The buckler on its arm had also changed, now larger and adorned with glowing green leaf patterns.
Yanaki was stunned, then burst into tears of joy. She threw her arms around her friend. "You're alive! Sylva, you're really alive!"
Sylva gently patted her on the back, a warm, comforting gesture.
Yanaki quickly checked its new status. All of its skills had been upgraded. [Wooden Shield] had become the more powerful [Tree God's Shield]. [Binding Vines] had become [Root Prison], capable of trapping more targets. And most importantly, it had a new skill.
[New Skill: Countering Vines (Lv.1)]: When hit by a melee physical attack, has a 15% chance to automatically launch small vines in retaliation, dealing minor damage and slowing the enemy.
A counter-attack skill. Her protector now knew more than just how to defend.
On the other side of the clearing, Luna had witnessed everything. The condescension on her face was long gone, replaced by a silence, an indescribably complex expression. She watched as Yanaki, only after saving her companion, finally looked with joy at the [Shard of Growth] in her hand.
Her path, the path of absolute strength, would have resulted in a difficult battle with the Treant, and the reward would have been just the memory shard. But the other girl's path, the path of "foolishness," had yielded not only the shard, but also the respect of a god, a massive amount of reputation, and an evolved companion, now several times stronger.
Who was the real fool?
Luna said nothing. She couldn't say anything more. Her philosophy had been shattered by the reality before her eyes. With a slight shake of her head, as if to clear her chaotic thoughts, Luna sheathed her sword, turned, and silently melted back into the fog. She needed time to rethink everything.
Finally, true peace returned.
Yanaki raised her head, looked at the Great Tree God, and bowed deeply to show her gratitude. The giant tree rustled its leaves gently in response, then gradually settled into a state of majestic silence.
Yanaki stood up, flanked by a fully recovered Elara and a reborn Sylva. She held the Shard of Growth tightly in her hand. Two of the three major objectives were either complete or had clues leading to them.
They had won. And they had grown stronger, not just in level, but in their bond.
"Let's go," Yanaki said. "We have a citadel to visit."
They left the Whispering Woods, where there were no longer mournful whispers, only the sound of the wind singing clearly through the leaves.