"I... I'm here now, aren't I..."
Lin Qingyue's voice carried a trace of indulgence and doting that she hadn't even noticed herself.
She raised her stiff hand and gently patted Ilanier's slightly trembling back twice.
The action was like soothing a large feline that had finally found its owner and was desperately acting cute.
It was just that the embrace was held far too tightly.
She felt as if her lungs were about to be completely squeezed dry by that breathtaking softness.
"You... loosen up a bit first, I can hardly breathe..."
Ilanier's body trembled slightly, as if waking from a dream.
She quickly released her arms, but her hands still tightly gripped Lin Qingyue's shoulders, terrified that she would vanish like a bubble in the next second.
Under the moonlight, those wine-red eyes were terrifyingly bright, locked dead onto her, as if wanting to burn a brand into her soul with her gaze.
"Sorry, I..."
Ilanier tried hard to calm her breathing, her chest tracing a heart-stopping curve, but the uncontrollable upward curve of her lips had already betrayed her wild ecstasy at this moment.
Lin Qingyue hurriedly waved her hand. "It's nothing, it's just that your sudden appearances are startling. Also, what are you doing? Why did you put so many layers of barriers around this place?"
"To protect it, of course."
Ilanier pointed to the Teleportation Anchor at Lin Qingyue's feet, her tone matter-of-fact.
"This is the only connection between us; of course I have to protect it with the highest level of defense."
After saying that, she asked again, her voice involuntarily softening, carrying a fragility like she was confirming a miracle.
"Can you really... come back anytime?"
"Of course."
Seeing her like this, Lin Qingyue's heart inexplicably softened, and she nodded vigorously.
"As long as you want me to, and as long as I'm free, anytime."
"That's wonderful."
The smile on Ilanier's face fully bloomed.
That moment of radiant beauty made all the moonlight roses in the garden pale in comparison.
She naturally took Lin Qingyue's hand, leading her to sit down at the white jade round table, her movements so familiar that it was as if they had been keeping each other company like this for countless years.
"It's so late, you're still not asleep?" Ilanier asked as she poured her a cup of hot tea that gave off an exotic fragrance.
"I had just laid down, but suddenly remembered I hadn't tried this teleportation function yet, so I came over."
Holding the warm teacup, Lin Qingyue felt the turbulent emotions stirred up by her cross-realm teleportation slowly being smoothed over by the rich aroma of the tea.
"I thought I would have to chant some spell or draw a complicated Magic Circle. I didn't expect it to just be a matter of waiting out a cast bar."
She looked at [As I've Written] in her hands, clicking her tongue in wonder.
"This Magic Artifact... is quite miraculous."
Ilanier's gaze also fell upon the quaint black book, her eyes filled with pure curiosity.
"It does not belong to any magic system in our world. I can feel that the power it contains is ancient, and... unfathomable."
She tilted her head, asking like a student with an eager thirst for knowledge, "Besides teleportation, does it have any other functions?"
"Other functions?"
Lin Qingyue froze.
Ilanier's question exploded in her mind like a bolt of lightning, instantly splitting through all her chaotic thoughts.
Right! I haven't even summoned Mem to let it breathe yet!
She hadn't forgotten; she just hadn't found the perfect "unboxing" environment.
Ever since she'd acquired the equipment, there had always been someone around.
Summon it in the dorm? Her sister would definitely pounce on it, bombarding it with questions and treating it like a plush toy to cuddle and squeeze.
In the wild? What if an elite monster suddenly jumped out of the bushes and ruined the reunion atmosphere?
She needed a place that was absolutely safe, completely private, brimming with energy, and preferably with a top-tier bodyguard standing guard nearby.
Lin Qingyue's gaze subconsciously swept across her surroundings.
The Elf Queen's Palace Garden... Absolutely safe.
Just her and Ilanier... Completely private.
The branch of the Sacred Ancient Tree nearby, radiating life energy so dense it felt like it could drip... Brimming with energy.
And across from her, a genuine, incredibly powerful Queen, watching her with curious eyes... Top-tier bodyguard (and sole audience member).
Wait... Isn't this the five-star luxury summoning chamber I've been looking for all along?!
Lin Qingyue had a sudden epiphany, feeling so remorseful she wanted to slap herself.
I'm such an idiot! To leave such a perfect VIP venue unused—what was I even agonizing over before!
"It does! Of course it does!"
Lin Qingyue's voice suddenly pitched up from excitement, her eyes shining startlingly bright.
"It... it can also summon a companion!"
"A companion?" Ilanier's interest deepened.
"Yes, a... very, very important companion to me."
Lin Qingyue took a deep breath, struggling to suppress the excitement surging in her chest.
Looking into Ilanier's eyes, which were filled with curiosity and anticipation, a thought arose in her mind.
Being able to witness the return of an old friend alongside this newly made friend was an incredibly meaningful thing in itself.
"Do you want to see?" Lin Qingyue asked.
"Of course!" Ilanier nodded without hesitation, her body leaning forward slightly in anticipation.
"I can feel it. When you mention 'her', your entire aura changes. She must be very special to you, right?"
"Yeah." Lin Qingyue's voice lowered slightly. "She's... an unresolved obsession of mine that I could never let go of."
"Then hurry up and let me see," Ilanier urged, looking even more impatient than Lin Qingyue herself.
"Okay."
Lin Qingyue stood up and walked to the open grassy area in the center of the garden.
She closed her eyes, sank her mind into [As I've Written], and touched the Skill she had been anticipating for so long.
[Memosprite Excursion]
She reached out her hand, palm facing up toward the void, and called out that familiar yet unfamiliar name softly in an almost devout tone.
"I choose you! Come out, Mem!"
The moment her words fell, the pages of [As I've Written] moved without any wind, fluttering wildly.
A handful of pink light flecks, as gorgeous as cherry blossoms, welled up from the crevices of the pages.
The flecks of light spiraled and converged in mid-air, ultimately condensing into a gently pulsating cocoon of light.
Ilanier subconsciously held her breath; in her wine-red eyes, only that miraculously born cluster of light remained.
The light cocoon slowly unfurled, its soft glow retracting inward.
A little pink fellow, about half a meter tall, floated quietly in mid-air.
It had furry, wing-like long ears.
It wore an exquisite little pink outfit, with a dazzling ruby embedded in its chest.
Behind it trailed a fluffy tail almost as large as its body.
In those half-blue, half-purple eyes, the pupils were two sparkling pink stars.
It blinked curiously, examining this unfamiliar world, as well as Lin Qingyue and Ilanier standing before it.
"Mi... mi?"
The little fellow tilted its head, its soft and sweet voice carrying a hint of confusion and curiosity.
This was the voice.
This was exactly how it looked.
Lin Qingyue looked at this little pink fairy that matched her deepest memories flawlessly, her throat feeling as if it were tightly blocked by something.
A scalding soreness suddenly rushed up her nose, straight to her eyes.
The world before her instantly blurred.
It hadn't changed at all.
Holy shit... System... you finally... you finally acted like a decent human being for once!
She screamed with all her might in her heart, her inner voice choked with tears.
Her heart, which had been shattered to pieces by the tragedy of the Amphoreus storyline, now felt as if a warm current had been poured into it, all its cracks healing rapidly.
It wasn't a false illusion.
It wasn't cold data.
It was the living, moving, talking little pink fairy.
Long time no see.
My partner.