Chapter 1961: Dream Canvas
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Using the new materials she had obtained and more, Elayne began forging her dream weapon into a higher-tier dream weapon.
Erebus Junior had taken the form of a giant dream forge. With his help, she transformed her ordinary paintbrush into something far greater.
Yet as she worked, she could not hold back the flood of memories and dreams—the emotions shared by all those who had helped shape her life—which brought her to tears.
Amidst those tears, Elayne raised her paintbrush to new heights. Her tears of nostalgia and sorrow blended into the weapon as it evolved.
"I miss you... I miss all of you... so much... so many promises unfulfilled, so many people lost..."
"Master..." Erebus Junior watched her cry, deeply moved as he shared part of her emotions. Through her aura, he glimpsed countless memories unfolding like dreams. "S-So this is the life you led before? ...What a wonderful life."
"Pyguuu!" Obsidian seemed to agree.
"I will bring you all back," Elayne declared. "I will bring this world that was taken from me back. I promise..." She gripped the paintbrush, now adorned with gold and a pink jewel. The once-mundane brush had turned a soft pink. "I will find a way back. I will bring back those we lost... and those days will return. With this power, with everything I have... I will make it reality."
Ding!
[You have successfully evolved your Dream Weapon: [Ordinary Paintbrush (Tier 1)] into the [Dream Paintbrush Spirit: Memento (Tier 2)]]
[Your Dream Weapon: [Dream Paintbrush Spirit: Memento (Tier 2)] has Awakened the Abilities: [Dream Ink] [Nightmare Ink] [Soul Canvas] [Paint Projection]]
"It even has a name?" Elayne said, surprised.
"Incredible...!" Erebus Jr exclaimed in awe. "Your tears and emotions poured into this weapon have given it a name. It is alive! It has become a hybrid type—a Weapon and Spirit in one!"
"Is that so?" Elayne wondered as she watched the paintbrush float before her. "Oh wow... Hi."
A pair of dot-like eyes opened on the paintbrush. It drifted around her, leaving a trail of colorful, sparkling light in its wake.
Slowly, Memento settled into her hands.
"Nice to meet you."
"...!"
Memento seemed eager to test its abilities. Once Elayne had calmed down and cleared her head, she nodded and decided to try her new skills.
With a single thought, she activated one of her new Class Skills.
"Canvas Domain."
The air around her shimmered.
FLASH!
A vast, semi-transparent canvas of light unfolded across a hundred-meter radius, transforming the devastated battlefield into her personal studio.
The ground turned to parchment, floating monster ashes became drifting ink droplets, and the very atmosphere gained a dreamy, watercolor-like filter.
It was incredibly majestic. Somehow, it also felt like it was calling to her—as though this was exactly where she belonged.
Just as becoming a Farmer had resonated so deeply with her, being a Painter felt the same.
"Hahah... oh wow, okay. So it really is a Domain!" Elayne smiled brightly. She held Memento and gently dipped him into the air, drawing with pure spirit ink formed from her mana and the spirits of the environment. This majestic ink was nothing like the corruption that had infected Japan; it was far purer.
"Spirit Ink Creation."
Elayne moved her brush as if possessed. With slow, sharp strokes of vibrant color, she closed her eyes and let her imagination and body guide the art.
When she opened her eyes again, she was stunned by what she saw.
A beautiful, glowing cherry blossom tree had manifested in seconds, its petals formed of pink dream energy. The tree took root within the Canvas Domain and began releasing healing pollen that soothed the mythological creatures still accompanying her.
Around the tree bloomed a garden of flowers in every color—yellow, blue, pink, and white. A gentle wind stirred, and the blue sky slowly shifted to warm orange as the sun descended toward the horizon.
She had created a living painting, a small world inside her own Domain.
"Amazing... So this is what I can do now," she whispered, eyes sparkling with childlike wonder. "Then maybe I could... Can I do it?"
Erebus Jr and Obsidian watched in silence as Elayne wielded Memento’s powers. She created Dream Ink, mixed it with Spirit Ink, and brought forth something even more profound.
Sharp lines, gentle strokes, layers of color—she poured her mind, her heart, and her soul into the painting.
She spent a full hour immersed in this vision she longed to see again, the one she had missed so dearly.
"A-Ahh..."
Tears streamed down her face. She fell to her knees as the painting slowly came to life, moving on its own.
"Aahhhh..."
She kept crying, overcome by joy and despair, sorrow and happiness all at once—a mixture that shattered her heart into countless pieces.
It was a beautiful picnic with her friends.
Rita, Lily, Mark, Jenny, David, Camila, Luminous, Gustaf, Ambil, Acorn, Nieve, Titania, Erebus, Brisingra, her mother Mercedes, and many more—they were all there, enjoying a meal together beneath the cherry blossoms.
"Aaaahhh..."
Elayne broke down completely. She allowed herself to scream and sob, releasing all the pent-up emotions she had carried alone like an endless tide.
"M-Master..." Erebus was taken aback by the depth of her sorrow and the cries that would not stop.
She had endured so much pain, yet he had never truly understood how heavy it was. As a mother who always had to protect her daughter and the other children, she could never let herself cry or appear weak.
Before he could reach her, the painted figures came alive. Perfect replicas of those people, now Paint Spirits, walked toward Elayne and embraced her.
"Everyone..." She knew they were only spirits taking their forms, yet she still cherished their comfort. "I..."
"What are you doing there, crying out of nowhere?" Queen Camilla of Luminous sighed, crossing her arms. "Didn’t you promise me you would help my Kingdom? Where is your confidence? Come on now, stand up. Planta, you’re strong."
"It is as my wife says," King Luminous added. "Thank you for saving my Kingdom."
"Eh?" Elayne was taken aback by their words. It felt as if they were genuinely real, speaking directly to her.
She said nothing more. She simply listened in silence, her eyes brightening as she realized there was something truly special about them.
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