Having received permission, Mem let out a joyous chirp.
"Mem!"
It transformed into a streak of pink light, eagerly rushing toward the branch of the ancient tree that radiated a halo of life.
Lin Qingyue and Ilanier exchanged a glance and followed in silent understanding.
The closer they drew, the denser the mist of life became, so thick it felt almost tangible. Each breath carried a sweet, refreshing fragrance that permeated their very souls, causing their limbs to relax completely.
Mem reached the ancient tree but didn't touch it immediately. It circled the massive trunk twice, as if performing some ancient confirmation ritual.
Finally, it stopped before the trunk and closed its star-like eyes.
"Mem!"
A stream of pure, though not immense, life energy was drawn from the ancient tree, flowing like a gentle current into its small body.
Mem's body glowed faintly, the soft pink light flickering twice before stabilizing. The light wasn't blinding, but warm and gentle as moonlight.
Bathed in this sacred radiance, Mem's small form began to undergo a fundamental transformation.
Its fluffy body was slowly stretched and reshaped by an unseen force. Its long, wing-like ears folded upward, transforming into the elegant pointed ears characteristic of the Elven Race.
Its short limbs also stretched out, transforming into the slender arms and legs of a human child.
When the light completely receded into her body, Lin Qingyue felt her heart stop.
The fluffy pink pixie was gone.
In its place stood a little girl who looked about four or five years old.
She stood quietly on the grass, her small, fair feet bare, as if she had been born right there.
The girl had long, cherry-blossom-pink hair, the ends curling naturally in an endearing way. A pair of pointed ears peeked out from her hair, hinting at some mysterious connection to the Elven Race.
She wore a pure white dress, covered by a purple coat that was slightly too large for her. The ruby that had once adorned her chest was gone, replaced by a sparkling star-shaped sapphire on her belt.
The little girl's eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes.
They were a pair of pure blue eyes, but her pupils were two shimmering pink diamonds. The innocent confusion of her pixie form was gone, replaced by the lively clarity of a "human."
Her gaze bypassed the curious queen and locked precisely onto Lin Qingyue.
Her small lips parted slightly.
In a clear, soft, childlike voice, she uttered a single, distinct word.
"Hungry."
Boom!
Lin Qingyue's thoughts shattered.
Not "Qingyue."
Not "Who are you?"
Not even "Where am I?"
Just one word: Hungry.
Did she evolve from a broken record that only says "Mem" to an eating machine that only says "Hungry"?
Did her evolution go in the wrong direction? I just became a Summoner, and now I have to seamlessly transition into being a part-time mom?!
"Hungry? Oh, oh, oh, food! Food! Yes, yes, yes!"
Lin Qingyue instantly switched from tearfully emotional mode to panicked nanny mode, fumbling to open the entrance to her Storage Space in front of her.
She plunged her entire arm inside, rummaging like a hamster digging for food in its nest, muttering to herself, "Spicy strips... no, too spicy... biscuits... too dry... jerky... a bit tough... Got it!"
The next second, she pulled out two packages labeled "Soft Mini Cakes." With trembling fingertips, she tore one open and held it out.
The little girl looked at the cake in her hand, tilted her head, and sniffed it with her tiny nose.
After confirming it was harmless, she carefully took it and took a tentative bite.
Her eyes instantly lit up, sparkling like newly ignited stars.
She immediately buried her face in the cake, her cheeks puffing out like a little squirrel hoarding hazelnuts as she devoured it.
"Don't rush, eat slowly. I have plenty more, enough to fill you up!"
Lin Qingyue watched her, her heart struck in its softest spot. She tore open another package and handed it over.
Seeing the little one happily munching on a cake in each hand, Lin Qingyue crouched down and asked tentatively, in an almost coaxing tone, "Um... do you remember anything? Like... things from before?"
The little girl paused her chewing.
She looked up, her beautiful diamond-shaped pupils filled with innocent confusion.
She thought very seriously for a moment, then honestly shook her head and went back to battling the mini cakes.
Lin Qingyue: "..."
She finally understood.
This little one had simply used the Ancient Tree of Life's energy to create a body for herself and load a basic language pack.
As for her memory card, it was still in its factory-formatted state.
A Pure Children of Anāsrava of the Path of Remembrance who has amnesia the moment she boots up... System, I give this dark humor a perfect score.
"Alright, if you don't remember, you don't remember."
Lin Qingyue reached out, her fingertips gently stroking the girl's soft, pink hair. Her voice held a tenderness and resignation she herself hadn't even noticed.
"From now on, your name will be Cyrene. Got it?"
"Cyrene..."
The little one repeated the name in her sweet, childish voice before returning to her cake, as if the word, like the pastry, needed to be chewed and digested.
Lin Qingyue couldn't resist. She pulled the little girl into a tight hug, nuzzling her cheek against the child's soft, rosy face.
It's better this way!
She could talk, she had a human form, and Lin Qingyue could hold her—truly hold her—in her arms. This was already a massive win!
All her past regrets and lingering obsessions melted away in this moment, replaced by the warm, precious little girl in her embrace.
Totally worth it!
So what if I have to raise a kid? In my past life, I could carry clueless teammates through dungeons. How could I not manage to raise a cute little thing who only knows how to cry 'hungry'?
Nearby, Ilanier had finally recovered from her initial shock.
She watched the scene, so heartwarming it felt almost surreal. Her wine-red eyes sparkled with amazement and intense curiosity.
"Incredible," she murmured. "It seems to have used only a minuscule amount of life energy to reshape its form. This isn't magic... it's more like... instinct?"
As a queen, her focus always cut straight to the core.
"Qingyue, your companion is truly a miracle."
She gazed at the pure, unadulterated joy on Lin Qingyue's face and felt a pang of something she herself didn't recognize—envy.
To be cherished so completely, without reservation... it must be wonderful.
Just then, the clatter of armor and hurried footsteps echoed from the garden entrance.
A cool, urgent voice shattered the tranquility.
"Your Majesty! I have an urgent military report!"
It was Aeldara.
Ilanier's smile faded slightly as she regained her queenly composure. She glanced at Lin Qingyue and Little Cyrene in her arms but didn't ask them to leave.
To Ilanier, Lin Qingyue was already one of her own, and Aeldara was her most trusted confidante. There was no need for secrecy.
"Come in, Aeldara."
At her words, Aeldara's tall figure, clad in jet-black heavy armor, strode quickly into the garden.
She began speaking urgently as she walked, "Your Majesty, there's unusual activity on the Northern Defense Line! The undead—"
Her words caught in her throat the moment she saw the scene before her.
Her feet froze in place.
Her crimson eyes, usually as cold as frost, were now locked—utterly locked—on Lin Qingyue.
And...
...on the little girl with pink hair and pointed ears nestled in Lin Qingyue's arms.
Aeldara's mind went blank.
Time: Late at night.
Location: The Queen's Palace Garden—the most forbidden of forbidden zones.
Person 1: Her Majesty the Queen, dressed in a casual nightgown, looking... pleased?
Person 2: The otherworldly visitor, Lin Qingyue, also lightly dressed, looking... doting?
Person 3: A little girl with pink hair and pointed elven ears, looking about four or five, being held by Lin Qingyue while... gnawing on cake?!
Aeldara felt her worldview buzzing, on the verge of shattering.
The logical chains she prided herself on were being blasted apart by this bizarre combination.
Finally, her voice trembling violently from the collapse of her reality, she asked the earth-shattering question:
"You two... already have a child?!"