Chapter 97
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Chapter 97: She’s Gone; You Must Grow Strong Alone
Perhaps because the three debuffs had been dispelled, the woman managed to get out of bed and move around in the following days, her complexion noticeably improving.
Jilly was ecstatic, believing the detoxifying herb had finally taken effect, and immediately wanted to return to the forest.
But the woman stopped her.
"Stay with Mom a few more days before going, okay?"
Whether she sensed something or not, the little girl’s expression froze briefly before she forced another smile.
"Mom always gets her way. I’ll stay a few more days then."
The woman seemed reluctant to remain indoors, accompanying her daughter on walks instead.
They played childhood games, shared amusing past anecdotes, and the mother playfully teased her daughter.
Later, in high spirits, she even carved two wooden swords with a dagger—one for herself and one for Jilly—sparring under the guise of testing her daughter’s skills until the girl yelped in pain, clutching her head and begging for mercy, prompting the mother’s delighted laughter.
This "normal" condition lasted five days before rapidly deteriorating.
That day, while strolling through fields with Jilly, the woman collapsed suddenly. Villagers carried her home.
Weakness, Inability to Act, Drowsiness… the debuffs returned abruptly.
Now… Blindness joined them.
She could no longer see her daughter’s face.
Neither tears nor laughter remained visible—not even the memory of Jilly’s comical retreat during their wooden sword clashes.
Only darkness remained.
"Jilly… Are you here?"
Panic surged through her.
"Mommy, I’m right here."
A warm little hand gripped hers as Jilly’s tearful voice answered nearby.
"Good… you’re still here."
"Mom…"
"If I’m gone, remember to find Sister White Feather."
"I know—you’ve said that many times already."
Many times?
The woman paused, realizing her memory was failing too.
Time blurred—half a day? A full day?
Then hearing vanished. No more village sounds, no daughter’s voice.
Only the fading warmth of a small hand in hers remained.
Until that too disappeared.
Her body cooled gradually.
She died.
…
Wails pierced the village air.
Jilly’s broken sobs twisted Lin Yu’s heart.
Through the Stealth Ant’s eyes these days, she’d witnessed every mother-daughter interaction.
Their bond radiated comfort and beauty.
Sometimes Lin Yu wondered—had she met them earlier, might things have changed?
But regrets couldn’t alter reality…
The woman’s final request resurfaced in Lin Yu’s mind: *Stop Jilly from seeking revenge.*
*Should I?*
Truthfully, learning how two male companions had betrayed the woman made Lin Yu herself thirst for their blood—especially after witnessing these tender moments between mother and child.
Jilly’s anguish must be…
No… she shouldn’t block Jilly’s vengeance.
The mother merely feared her daughter getting hurt. Solution: make Jilly powerful enough.
Though only partially explored, Granville Monster Forest could easily elevate Jilly to Class C—even Class B—with proper guidance.
It’s merely a matter of time.
There exists a method to assist Jilly without exposing one’s identity.
…
In the following days, the village conducted simple funeral rites for the woman.
After weeping for several days, the little girl remained in the vacant house for a few more.
Then, as if finally recalling the woman’s dying instructions, a faint vitality returned to her hollow gaze. She shouldered her pack, took the dagger, and set out toward the forest.
Villagers greeted her along the path, and she responded to each.
Yet her voice lacked its former liveliness.
At last, she arrived at familiar terrain within the forest.
"Is Sister White Feather present?"
「I am.」
"Thank you for helping me gather Ganerdor Grass these past days… But I’ll no longer trouble you with this task."
The girl bowed deeply, though her blindfold caused her to face the wrong direction.
"Mother has already…"
「I am aware.」
Though surprised by Lin Yu’s knowledge, Jilly simply nodded without questioning.
「Jilly. I met your mother before her passing.」
"Sister met Mother? When…"
「She implored me to dissuade you from vengeance.」
"No! I’ll never forgive them!"
The child’s voice trembled with sudden fervor.
「Very well. I shall not dissuade you.」
The clinical tone resonated in her mind, startling the girl.
"Sister?"
「Jilly. Do you truly desire retribution for your mother?」
"With all my heart!"
「What course will you take?」
"I’ll first visit the Adventurer’s Guild – they keep portraits of those criminals."
「Then?」
"Then I’ll track them using those images!"
「And thereafter?」
"Slay them!"
「Your premise is flawed.」
"Flawed?"
「Indeed. The outcome would be your demise at their hands.」
This dispassionate declaration jolted the girl to clarity.
"But… I’m too weak."
「You possess a dagger, do you not? Let it forge your strength.」
In this world, few dared claim the adventurer’s mantle, and fewer still ventured into monster-infested woods.
Such endeavors risked mortal peril – a single misstep invited lethal ambush by forest-dwelling creatures.
Monsters bore innate combat prowess, forged through survival in treacherous realms like these woods. Under equal conditions, they typically surpassed human adventurers in might.
The human race’s fragility bred fear and panic, injuries magnifying these vulnerabilities exponentially.
Thus, forest exploration demanded three essentials: weapons and armor (for unarmed entry spelled suicide), medicinal supplies like bandages and detoxifying herbs (with affluent adventurers carrying Health Value and Magic Value restoratives), and comrades-in-arms (as solitary adventurers were either peerless masters or death-seeking fools).
Jilly clutched only a dagger – barely adequate for herb-gathering at the forest’s edge, but paltry against monsters…
"Will you accompany me, Sister?"
Her whisper carried residual dread from the prior goblin encounter.
「No. You must cultivate strength alone.」
