"Sigh… failed again." Arya let out a long sigh, gathering magic in her palm to erase the scrapped Alchemy Array. Her face darkened as she prepared to start over. This was her thirteenth failure. But the progress she had made was undeniable. In the beginning, she would abandon the array after completing just two patterns, barely finishing the circles. Now, failing on the last stroke felt like a kind of success. At least, that's how she tried to console herself.
After countless attempts, as the afternoon slipped into evening, the Alchemy Array finally succeeded. A golden glow radiated from the iron base. The array itself was deceptively simple—an outer circle, an inner triangle, and a few symbols—but its successful activation filled Arya with exhilaration.
"Wow! Golden Legend!" she exclaimed, cupping her face in her hands as the faint golden-yellow glow shimmered across the array's surface. Suddenly, three stout, outward-curling legs emerged from the triangular points of the iron base. "Ah, so that's why the crucible didn't have legs—it's meant to be used with this base," she muttered to herself.
Glancing at the night outside her window, she checked the wind-up alarm clock on her desk. It was past eleven PM. "It's already so late. I should eat and then head out," Arya mumbled, turning to leave her workshop. She knew all too well that venturing out late carried higher risks.
Flying through the night sky, the wind brushing her face, Arya felt a thrill of freedom and vitality. But her attention was quickly drawn to something else—the unmistakable scent of a supply crate. In her arms was one crate, and her medicine pouch contained nine more. She resisted the temptation to cram the one she was holding into her pouch, fearing the herbs inside would be crushed and lose their potency.
"Hmm, there's another one over there too," she thought, spotting a crate. She descended silently, grabbed it, and used her momentum to lift off again. Her movements were fluid, honed over the past few days of deliberately practicing aerial maneuvers. After four days of adjustment, she had perfected her flying posture, learned how much force to use in different situations, and how far she could glide. Now, the only flaw was her legs, which inevitably dangled slightly whenever she landed. Even so, she could harvest herbs without fully touching the ground.
Knowing when to stop, Arya returned to her shelter, carrying a supply crate in each hand. Today's haul was impressive: eleven crates in total.
Food obtained: 4 loaves of bread, 3 instant noodles, 3 cans, 2 self-heating meals, 3 large meat buns, 2 steamed buns, 1 sausage, and a pack of 12 frozen leek and pork dumplings.
Water obtained: 3 mineral waters, 1 tea, 1 Sprite, 1 Coca-Cola, 3 canned beers, 1 student drink, 1 energy drink.
Miscellaneous items: 1 pack of sanitary napkins, 2 sets of pure cotton sports underwear, 1 box of tissues, 1 200ml enamel mug, 1 Northeast floral padded coat, 1 Bashu red vest, 1 memory foam pillow, 1 yellow duck crossbody bag, 1 100ml facial cleanser, and 1 pack of 10 stainless steel hangers.
Though seemingly random, every item was useful. The red vest alone was perfect for Alchemy—standing in front of the crucible, it would set the mood and prevent splashes of boiling potion from staining her clothes.
After organizing her loot, Arya went to her Magic Desk. She had to collect trade applications daily, an agreement she had made with Roy. Today, she received another twenty or so boxes of test tubes—a welcome sight. With enough test tubes at hand, she decanted all the potions from two days prior and placed them directly in the shop for exchange.
As days passed, Arya had grown more familiar with her Talent, and so had those around her. While her collection speed hadn't drastically improved, handling monsters and daily chores had become significantly easier. Monster cores began appearing in exchanges, though still at a 1:10 ratio for Magic Potions. Many people constantly urged Arya to refine more potions, as prolonged use of her Talent consumed considerable magic power. Yet, she ignored the pressure, moving at her own deliberate pace.
After stocking her potions, Arya checked the chat channel.
"It appeared! It appeared! The ghost is back!" a message read.
Arya clicked in to see a warning that the ghost from a previous night had reappeared.
"Are you looking for a beating or what?" an irritable old man replied.
"No, I really saw it this time! It was at the perfect angle with my Magic Desk, and I even took a picture as proof."
Arya viewed the attached image. In the dark night sky, a faint green glow outlined an unfamiliar figure. Good heavens… is that a ghost? she thought, breaking out in a cold sweat. She had just been out for over an hour. Lucky I didn't run into it…
"I saw it too, wearing a white dress, a little tattered and dirty, long hair, no face," another person reported.
"The faint green light illuminated her silhouette; probably a female ghost," someone else chimed in.
"Yes, and the flying posture is unusual."
"I saw it too. That silhouette is definitely number seven!"
"Faint green light? Didn't John say it was faint blue before?"
"Bullshit. The day before yesterday they said it was faint blue-green light."
Arya frowned, scrolling through the comments.
"Do you not believe the picture? What do you believe?"
"Does the Magic Desk even have a camera? Why didn't I know about that?"
"It's on the small screen. Study it when you have free time; it has many functions."
"Okay, thanks, bro. I'll check it out."
"Stop chatting. Arya is selling Magic Potions again. Good heavens, she put out hundreds of bottles at once."
"I'll be right back."
"Smart people buy first, then chat here."
"Damn! You guys are fast."
"@Arya, do you have more? Hurry up and restock!"
Arya's chest tightened. How could she focus on restocking when her mind was reeling? Silhouette seven, white dress, tattered, no face, faint green glow… Could this ghost actually be me?
She examined the picture more closely. As she squinted, realization dawned—it is me! The "ghost" everyone feared was none other than Arya herself, caught mid-flight with a supply crate.
So all that fear, all those hours spent hiding and worrying about the ghost… I was just challenging thin air? she thought, a wry smile tugging at her lips.
Arya couldn't help but laugh softly at the absurdity. Her nightly escapades, careful maneuvers, and strategic thinking—all for nothing more than the reflection of her own actions in a camera. The Abandoned Forest's green ghost had been her all along.
Yet, despite the comic revelation, Arya's resolve didn't waver. She organized her haul, planned her next batch of potions, and continued refining her Talent, step by step. The night sky stretched above, calm and quiet, bearing witness to her determination, her small victories, and the subtle humor of a witch unknowingly haunting herself.