149: Conversation with Ellie (I)

Green was extremely conflicted.

This Mind Bottleneck was really pushing him into a corner.

In the past, Green had always buried his feelings for Ally deep in his mind, self-evading.

Like a turtle retracting its head, he was unwilling to face the cruel reality that might occur.

The yearning for beautiful love and the fear of rejection intertwined, making Green afraid to take a step forward.

Therefore, Green had always been very proper, treating Ally as a good classmate and a close friend with deep affection.

But now, that wouldn't do.

“Perhaps, it’s time to talk to Ally.”

…Green didn't specifically ask Ally to talk alone.

Instead, after their monthly friends' gathering in the middle of the month, Green suggested that he walk Ally home alone.

Ally seemed to have noticed Green’s preoccupied mind during the gathering.

Without prior arrangement, the two walked slowly along the paths built between the various Botanical Gardens of the academy.

Under the hazy moonlight.

The two walked slowly, listening to the chirping of frogs in their ears, and smelling the fragrant scents of various plants, either mature or growing… “Green, is there something you want to tell me?”

“Is the pressure from studying too much lately?”

“Or have you fallen into your so-called EMO mood again?”

“Tell me, I might be able to offer some advice.”

Ally’s beautiful sapphire eyes flickered, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, but her small, delicate face was filled with seriousness and concern… “Hoo…”

Green let out a long, nervous breath; he really didn’t want to lose this good friend.

Green knew that if he confessed to Ally, it would definitely leave an indelible rift in both their hearts, and their relationship would plummet to an all-time low.

The idea of not being able to be a couple but still remaining ordinary friends was just a lie to fool children.

Green had learned this from painful, tearful lessons.

To be honest, Green's feelings for Ally were very complex; there was both a vague affection left over from a previous relationship and the deep fondness accumulated over the years.

In their studies, they were like-minded individuals with agile minds and shared interests.

In life, they had a tacit understanding, maintained independent hobbies, and respected each other's living habits, eating habits, life choices, and so on… So—

When with Ally, Green could eat meat and drink alcohol without reservation, while Ally could savor her fruit salad and sip her freshly squeezed vegetable juice with relish.

They were like a pair of profoundly understanding and mutually respectful confidantes.

Green truly did not want any rifts or thorns to remain between them, thereby destroying this hard-won friendship.

So, Green decided to try a different approach to test Ally… “Ally…”

“I am indeed a bit EMO again.”

Green said in a lonely and desolate tone:

“I have a sense of fear, fear of the future, fear of unknown destiny. I don’t know what the future will be like, and I am also very afraid that the variables of destiny will be too great, turning into something I cannot accept at all.”

“Ally, have you ever felt this fear?”

“In the dead of night, on the path of climbing the Wizard’s Way, do you also have moments of bewilderment, moments of helplessness, moments of panic and confusion?”

“Uh…”

Ally, walking to Green’s left, pondered for a long time.

She finally criticized him in a faint tone:

“Green, your spiritual cultivation is a bit weak.”

“Teacher Joyce said that the longer a Wizard lives, and the further along the path of exploration they go, the more they need to maintain sufficient rationality and strong mental fortitude.”

“Only then can one stabilize their mental state, so as not to be taken advantage of by inner demons, gradually twisting their spiritual will and degenerating into a mad Black Wizard.”

“Ally…”

Green pressed on persistently:

“My spiritual cultivation is a bit weak, isn’t this why I’m asking you for advice?”

“When three people walk together, one of them must be my teacher. Just tell me about your personal experiences, so I can learn from them.”

…Ally rolled her eyes at Green and then carefully scrutinized his expression.

She seemed to be looking for something, but Green still maintained the appearance of a diligent student eager to learn.

After a while, Ally found nothing amiss and dismissed the doubts in her mind.

(Green breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. Fortunately, my acting skills, honed over these years, have reached a masterful level, otherwise Ally would have discovered me. A woman’s intuition is truly keen.)

Ally thought for a moment, then continued:

“Green, since you want to hear my story, I won’t preach to you.”

“My life experiences are actually very few, far less rich than Mentor Serena’s.”

“Many of the knowledge and life lessons I learned were from Mentor Serena.”

“So, I’ll start by telling some stories about Mentor Serena. These stories involve some personal privacy, Green, can you promise me not to spread them?”

“I promise you, I won’t let a third person know; I am not a talkative person,” Green replied.

“I know.”

… “Mentor Serena was also a young genius.”

“From the moment she entered Plant Heart Academy, she displayed extraordinary talent and was then taken as a disciple by a mentor ahead of time. Unfortunately, that mentor was a male mentor, and many things changed because of that.”

“Mentor Serena and her mentor, during their teaching, their affection gradually deepened, and the inexperienced Serena had the shadow of someone in her heart.”

“With his encouragement, Serena was full of confidence, overcoming obstacles and making rapid progress. In just thirty years, she reached the peak of Advanced Wizard Apprentice, reaching the threshold of a Formal Wizard.”

“Just as Mentor Serena was happily preparing to confess her feelings to him, a terrible piece of news arrived: he suffered a backlash while breaking through to a Formal Wizard and perished on the spot.”

“Mentor Serena, deeply in love, was severely struck by this bad news. Originally a peerless talent, considered by the academy to be the most promising candidate for a Formal Wizard in fifty years—Mentor Serena also fell at the final Mind Bottleneck.”

“Since then, Mentor Serena has secluded herself for cultivation, living a simple and ascetic life, diligently studying spiritual cultivation, and attempting to achieve certain accomplishments for the academy in the field of spiritual studies.”

…