Chapter 366

The Miss Pink Fairy immediately burst into tears as the man vigorously squeezed Elysia's ears. How could such a beautiful girl, as delicate as a flower, be bullied like this?

"I don't know the truth. I can only know if you let me taste it myself. Otherwise, how would I know if you are a man or a woman? Let me go! Whether in the past or present, a lovely girl is omnipotent. That's the only thing that will never change."

Elysia dodged away from Shen Gonglin and moved aside, while Mei felt much more relaxed. Unlike Shen Gonglin, who let things go in one ear and out the other, Mei gained a lot from Elysia's answer this time, and she felt like she understood a little bit more.

"Thank you, this is the first time I've heard you say so much."

"Hehe, are you still not used to it? Consider it a reward for beating me. Oh dear, I was actually quite nervous. I wonder if I conveyed what I wanted to say to you properly?"

She revealed a charming smile. When a beautiful girl like Elysia makes such an expression, it is extremely devastating. Mei felt that she couldn't resist it, so she silently covered Shen Gonglin's eyes. Mei wondered if it was just her imagination, but Mei felt that everyone was eyeing their own pig. Couldn't these little cabbages just get away from her?

"Nervous? I didn't see it at all. At least, I understand why you are the second, another leader of the Flame-Chasers ... You certainly have the foundation and qualifications to match."

This was Mei's heartfelt exclamation. Although Elysia gave people an unreliable first impression, she realized after getting to know her that Elysia truly lived up to her title of the second-ranked hero. She was one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, a hero without any exaggeration.

"Thank you, I think so too. However, I still don't like this formal and serious atmosphere. Let's forget how I was just now and go back to how we used to interact, okay?"

As if her previous radiant appearance was an illusion, Elysia reverted to her innocent and romantic self, leaving Mei speechless. "Truly, women are fickle..." Mei thought. "Oh, I guess I'm a woman too."

No, she should still be called a girl. It's all Shen Gonglin's fault. Why is he always so disappointing?

Mei glared at Shen Gonglin and Mei to Elysia; "Whatever, do whatever makes you happy."

"Hehe, I've been very happy. Who wouldn't be happy with you? Well then, I'll head back to the lobby and wait for you there. I hope you have a good time with Mobius."

Elysia waved her hand, and pink light gathered in Mei's palm, gradually forming the shape of a flower. Mei looked at the flower in her hand curiously. This is...

"Consider this a small gift, as a token of your temporary graduation from Elysia's. The question you asked today might elicit completely different answers from others in the future. It's a long journey, and you might stagnate or even achieve nothing for a long time, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Progress doesn't have to be measured by what you've accomplished or achieved... Oh, right, I forgot to prepare a gift for Shen Gonglin. How about this?"

While Mei was thinking, Elysia suddenly approached Shen Gonglin like a sneak attack, saying that this was the most suitable gift for him.

Chapter Seventy-Five: The Snake

A fragrant breeze wafted over. The previous actions were all rather sneaky, but this time Elysia's behavior was nothing short of blatant in-flight... cough cough, the battle just now was definitely a show of force. Even Mei, who has Herrscher -level reflexes, couldn't react to Elysia's actions this time. Under Mei's wide-eyed gaze, Elysia leaned close to Shen Gonglin and gave him a hard kiss on the cheek.

mua~

The sound was jarring even to Mei, who was standing nearby. The Herrscher girl's expression immediately turned cold. A flash of red light appeared, Mei gripped the Key of Punishment, slashing fiercely at Elysia. However, the fairy-like girl seemed to have foreseen this, having already dodged away before the blade could strike.

"So scary, so scary! But it was really exciting! I want it again next time!" The fairy patted her chest, looking at the knife in Mei's hand with lingering fear. But as Elysia, unrepentance was her true self, and this feeling was just too exhilarating.

"You're asking for it!"

Mei held a sword in one hand, pointing it at Elysia, while with the other hand she Shen Gonglin's face as if he had some kind of dirt on him. The fight just now could be described as a huge battle, but if they were to fight now, Mei was sure she would go all out. This Elysia was just too much!

"Oh dear, please forgive me for being wrong, Mei. I just couldn't help myself. I only prepared a gift for you, Mei, but it would be too pitiful if Shen Gonglin didn't have a gift. So I could only give Shen Gonglin this gift. Please don't mind. As a beautiful girl as a flower, don't be so stingy."

Just like a fairy, Elysia stood at a distance from Mei, keeping her distance. She needed to change the subject first, as Mei seemed a little uncomfortable... But it was alright, she could get used to it gradually.

"Emptiness, confusion, hesitation, self-doubt—these processes hold meaning for everyone's life, just like the experiences of these thirteen people here. Look, they lived with such pride, persevered to the end, and sang the hymn of civilization with their lives."

As if nothing had happened, Elysia continued to talk eloquently under Mei's gaze, which was as if she were looking at a dead person. This was her gift to Mei and Shen Gonglin. What had just happened was just a minor incident. As a proper beautiful girl, she shouldn't care about such things.

"This is the story of those known as Flame-Chasers, the unfinished journey of the thirteen fire chasers. But Mei, Shen Gonglin, your path will continue, won't it? So, follow your heart and move forward, along the path you've taken, to witness that journey of fire chasing... and finally, cross the final graves of the departed... to create the future we could not have anticipated."

The sound gradually faded into the distance. In that sound, Mei heard both regret and relief. However, looking in the direction where Elysia had disappeared, the girl with two horns on her head still angrily waved the knife in her hand. The instigator had disappeared, but there was still Shen Gonglin, who was implementing "non-resistance," here!

"Was that comfortable? It felt great to have a beautiful girl throwing herself into your arms, didn't it? You deliberately didn't dodge just now, didn't you?"

Mei stared coldly at Shen Gonglin. It was understandable that she hadn't reacted at first, but Shen Gonglin felt that Mei had done it on purpose by not dodging her. After all, Shen Gonglin was very good at this trick. Although he didn't take the initiative, he would never refuse. He put himself in the position of the victim to avoid being held accountable. Having been with Shen Gonglin for so long, Mei already knew his little tricks.

"Mei, how could you say that to me? I didn't even realize it. Who knew she would treat me like that? I'm so sad."

It was indeed very comfortable. After all, Elysia so beautiful and had such a great figure. For someone like Shen Gonglin, who was obsessed with looks, it was definitely very attractive. But how could Shen Gonglin admit it in front of Mei? He quickly put on a bitter and resentful victim's expression. It was not right to go after the abuser instead of the victim.

"Hehe, I hope what you're saying is true. I really don't know how the Class President taught you. How could she have raised you like this? She really doesn't know how to teach people at all, she only knows how to spoil them... Let's go, Mobius, it should be on the other side of the door."

Mei muttered to herself, shifting the blame to Fu Hua again. After all, Fu Hua always gave the impression of being Shen Gonglin's guardian, so his current distorted appearance must be Fu Hua's fault. Not being an immature girl, Mei knew she should focus on the important matters first and temporarily put the Shen Gonglin issue aside. She'd deal with him after resolving the immediate problem.

"Okay, let's go."

Seeing that Mei was no longer holding on, Shen Gonglin relaxed. He took Mei's hand and happily walked towards the door in the distance. Shen Gonglin had felt pretty good about Elysia's kiss earlier, but he certainly couldn't show it in front of Mei.

The two stepped through the doorway and into the deeper shadows. The scenery before them changed dramatically; a glowing green light filled the entire space. The sudden change made Mei and Shen Gonglin feel quite uneasy. After calming themselves down, Shen Gonglin and Mei observed their surroundings. Wait a minute, those pillars around them... no, they're fingers. Are they... being held in someone's hand?

"Oh my, you two are truly rare guests."

A light, ethereal voice suddenly rang out, instantly putting Mei on alert. Following the sound, Shen Gonglin and Mei looked up, only to see two pale green snake eyes appear in the air. The green mist vanished, and a green-haired girl with vertical pupils appeared before them. Shen Gonglin and Mei, held in their hands, stood ready. This was Mobius.

It's huge, huge in every way.

Mei stared silently at the two snake eyes in the air, while Shen Gonglin looked elsewhere. Proportionally speaking, they were probably the size of a normal girl's, but the feeling they gave was just so strong.

It felt like you could roll around on it. Okay, Shen Gonglin admitted that he was indeed afraid of snakes, but if it was a beautiful snake with a huge human heart like this, Shen Gonglin felt that he could force himself to do it.

"Herrscher sister, let's do something fun."

Mobius looked at the two people in his palm and revealed a chilling smile. This Flame-Chasers was different from the Flame-Chasers he had encountered before.

Chapter Seventy-Six: The Infinite Serpent

"What's interesting?"

Mei didn't speak, but Shen Gonglin, whose mind was completely focused on the giant heart, couldn't help but blurt out something. He suddenly realized that he had ways to overcome the things he was afraid of. For example, he wasn't afraid of heights if Durandal hugged him from behind; he wasn't afraid of ghosts if he was snuggled up on the sofa with everyone watching together; he was afraid of blood, but as long as it wasn't his own blood, Shen Gonglin could handle it; and as for his fear of snakes...

If this snake were a green-haired, eccentric beauty, Shen Gonglin felt she could tolerate it. After all, even Xu Xian dared to sleep with a snake, so what did she have to be afraid of?

"Shut up!"

Mei, unable to bear it any longer, grabbed Shen Gonglin's cheek. This girl really doesn't learn her lesson. She hasn't even gotten over being forcibly kissed and teased by Elysia yet, and now she wants to let loose again. Does she really think she's dead? How did Fu Hua educate Shen Gonglin? She's not qualified at all!

"Hehehe... Don't be so nervous, big sister. I'm not going to eat you all in one bite. Or are you actually thinking about how to eat me too, Herrscher?"

Looking at the two people in her palm with great interest, Mobius's snake-like eyes darted around, and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking. Mei, who had just taught Shen Gonglin a lesson, gave her a cold glance. This snake spirit, is there something wrong with her?

"Sorry, I'm not interested."

"Hehe... Big sister, you're really cold to me, but I... I've been watching you ever since you first entered this Elysian Realm."

She didn't care about Mei's attitude. They had finally come to her. If she used them, she might be able to escape from the Elysian Realm. It wasn't realistic to try to escape with Shen Gonglin's spatial abilities. She could give him all the marks and then use his body... No, she should choose the Herrscher girl. After all, she still wanted to live as a girl.

"Watching? I think it's more accurate to say secretly spying. What do you think, Mobius?"

Mei released Shen Gonglin's cheek, and seeing how pitiful he was, Mei even reached out to rub it for him. Then, the Herrscher looked directly at the tenth-ranked Flame-Chasers. Without a doubt, she was the one who had been watching her all along, Mobius.

"... Tch, boring. I'm trying so hard to make a good first impression... Hmm, wait... Maybe you just don't like this type? Then... Big sister, it's so dark here... It's so scary, big sister, please take me away from here."

Her tone changed again; Mobius screamed timidly like a little girl. This sound reminded Shen Gonglin of Seele in the Sea of Quantum, but Seele so petite and endearing enough; this Mobius, so much bigger...

Shen Gonglin looked at Mobius expressionlessly. "Please continue your performance."

That's enough.

Mei interrupted Mobius's performance, and Flame-Chasers's expression turned cold.

"Herrscher... Has no one ever told you that when you're a guest in someone else's home, you should show the host the respect you deserve?"

Mei frowned slightly. Home? Does Mobius call this place home?

"Herrscher, I see your confusion. Don't you already know who I am? Or is it that, apart from the name Mobius, they haven't actually told you anything else?"

A smile returned to Mobius's face. Had the plan gone very well? She hadn't even realized that the shadow had already spread.

"They didn't tell me much about you, but almost everyone warned me to be careful around you."

Mei was on guard against Mobius. For some reason, looking at the smile on his face, Mei felt increasingly uneasy. What was causing this inexplicable panic? She had been being very careful all along.

"If that's the case... then why are you here? Why... why are you talking to me so openly and without any reservations?"

A triumphant smile spread across her face, and then Mei's eyes widened in shock. She suddenly realized something, but... it was too late. By the time she reacted, the shadow had already crept over her entire body. What was this thing?!

"Come on, my lovely little white mouse..."

Mobius whispered, and shadows crept onto Mei's skin. The seductive whispers seeped into her thoughts like snakes. Mei wanted to resist, but the sudden dizziness made the girl weak all over. Mobius, what did she want to do?

"Hehe, come here. Let's go a little deeper, the Mark of Infinity... I'll give it to you, as long as you take just one more step forward, just one more step..."

The snake's seduction continued, and Shen Gonglin couldn't help but speak up. Mei's current state was not right; she didn't even react when Shen Gonglin secretly pinched her thigh earlier. It was probably because Mobius had used some tricks. So Shen Gonglin decisively reached out and chopped at Mei's neck. The Herrscher girl groaned and fell to the ground, and Mobius, who was imprinting Mei in an attempt to take over her body, was forced to stop.

"Do you think I'm dead? Doing this to my people right in front of me, do you really think I'm easy to bully?"

Reaching out to catch the girl as she fell, Shen Gonglin looked at the Mobius in front of her and said this. Although she didn't know what the snake had been doing to Mei, stopping it was definitely the right choice. Just now, Little Herrscher of Consciousness Shen Gonglin had warned her in her mind, telling her to be careful of this green thing. Although she didn't explain in detail why she should be careful, it was always right to listen to her.

[I really don't want to recall the old man's memories, but this time it's for you, Shen Gonglin. Be careful of this snake; she's wicked. She's conducted many experiments on the old man.]

"No, I just wanted to give her something, Mark of Infinity. Aren't there already many Flame-Chasers have given her marks? Why don't you want mine? Come on, accept it. My mark is so much fun."

The erosion was interrupted, Mobius seemed to have suffered a great injustice. The girl's figure instantly returned to normal and appeared before Shen Gonglin. She probably felt that this form was more likely to evoke pity, but Shen Gonglin's gaze became clear.

Sure enough, after returning to his normal size, Mobius... was just so-so.

Chapter Seventy-Seven: A Girl Needs to Grow Up

Is it fun? Shen Gonglin couldn't see what was so fun about this snake. Although it had a flawless little face, Shen Gonglin could only feel a strong sense of malice emanating from it. Mei's previous encounter with the Mobius proved that it was up to no good. Shen Gonglin remembered that she had encountered this snake by chance when she came to the Elysian Realm. It was this snake that had startled her back then!

"There's no point in saying more. Anyway, you're not the first Flame-Chasers I've fought. Come on, Mei said that when you Flame-Chasers are given an imprint, you usually have to fight, right? Well then, let's just go through the motions."

Using the Herrscher of Reason's abilities, she constructed a chain sword. Shen Gonglin swung the chain blade in her hand as if she were holding a whip. Meanwhile, the snake girl's smile vanished. No, with Shen Gonglin by Mei's side, there was no way to corrupt her, and she couldn't use Mei's body to escape from the Elysian Realm. She had to find a way to drive Shen Gonglin out of the Elysian Realm.

"Alright, as Flame-Chasers, you can't back down when faced with challenges. Perfect, you are the most precious test subject. There has never been anyone like you before. Big brother, please bear with it, it won't hurt much."

Mobius's serpentine eyes gleamed eerily in the dim light, and a fierce battle between the two was about to erupt. However, at that moment, a pink arrow pierced between them. It was true, he had only come to check on them out of concern, and now the two of them were fighting. But Mobius was right; with Shen Gonglin here, Mei wouldn't be on guard at all, which would defeat the purpose of the trial. Some things, she had to experience them herself.

"Take a break, Shen Gonglin. As a favor for the gift I gave you before, could you grant me a small request?"

Appearing before Shen Gonglin like a fairy, Elysia wore a fawning smile. With Shen Gonglin here, Mei would completely depend on him, as evidenced by the sneak attack and corruption by Mobius's mark. This wouldn't do. Being with Shen Gonglin would make the girl subconsciously prioritize Shen Gonglin, which wasn't the answer she should have received in the Elysian Realm. Some things, she had to handle alone.

"You mean you want me to ignore her?"

Shen Gonglin frowned as he looked at Elysia. He did trust Elysia completely. Although she was a riddle-maker, Shen Gonglin's intuition told him that he could always trust Elysia. And now that she was saying this... Shen Gonglin also had a slight feeling that with him here, it didn't seem to be the best solution for Mei.

"No, no, that's not what I meant. I meant, don't worry, Mei will be fine here. Everyone here is a very nice person, including Mobius... Look how small and cute she is, Shen Gonglin. I want you to believe that the Thirteen Flame-Chasers were the brightest stars of the previous generation. Can you believe in them as much as you believe in me? Elysia here assures you, Mei will definitely not have a wasted trip, okay?"

Elysia spoke so sincerely, completely ignoring Mobius's utterly indifferent face. Shen Gonglin tilted her head. Was their relationship really as good as Elysia said? It didn't seem so.

"Oh, please say yes. Besides, I think you must have something important to do, right? Even though you didn't say it, I can tell. So trust me, everything will be fine. Mei will be here and learn a story that will be passed down forever."

Reaching forward, she grabbed Shen Gonglin's arm. Elysia was acting so coquettishly; this fairy-like girl seemed to be able to read people's minds. How did she know she had other things to do? Shen Gonglin was indeed worried about Theresa's situation. Otto was not trustworthy, Kolosten must have a conspiracy waiting for them. But now... looking at Elysia in front of him, Shen Gonglin's sixth sense still reminded him that he could trust this girl. Moreover, not only her, Shen Gonglin also trusted Mei.

She is no longer the little girl who would just kneel on the ground and say that she couldn't do anything.

"You promise?"

Shen Gonglin had made up his mind. He stared at Elysia and said this. At the same time, in front of Elysia and Mobius, he placed his hand on Mei and left a golden mark on her. Unlike the marks given by the Flame-Chasers, Shen Gonglin's mark was purely a spatial coordinate condensed by the Herrscher of the Void. As long as Mei was in danger, he could rush over through this mark at any time. Although the duration was limited, it was enough.

"Okay! Don't worry, Elysia, I assure you. If you don't believe me, I can stamp it. Just don't tell Mei."

Elysia stood up straight with a mischievous grin and gave Shen Gonglin a rather awkward military salute. No one knew what this fairy-like girl was thinking. She glanced at Mei, who was still unconscious, and then suddenly pounced on Shen Gonglin lips. This action surprised even Mobius was just standing in the background, so much so that his mouth dropped open in astonishment.

Is this for real? Elysia would actually do something like this. Although she's incredibly frivolous, I've never seen anything like this before. I'm starting to really want to study Shen Gonglin. What kind of magic does she possess that would make Elysia do something like this?

"Can't you be serious for once...? There are people watching."

Shen Gonglin rolled her eyes at Elysia, but it wasn't a big deal. Mei was unconscious and knew nothing anyway, and this snake wasn't someone she knew, so she didn't need to care. She was utterly helpless with Elysia, who did whatever she wanted. The other woman was doing this simply to put her mind at ease.

"Oh? You mean Mobius? It's okay, let's show it to her. Just thinking about how envious she'll look makes me laugh. Shen Gonglin, how about we do it again!"

Like any innocent young girl, Elysia's face was flushed. The girl was eagerly whispering something to Shen Gonglin. Although it was a whisper, Shen Gonglin felt that she was talking to Mobius. Glancing at Mobius, whose eyes were becoming increasingly vicious, Shen Gonglin felt that there was really something wrong with Elysia's personality.

However, Shen Gonglin likes it.

"Let's skip it again. I feel like Mei will wake up if we do it again. So, Mei is in your hands now, Elysia."

Shen Gonglin refused firmly and reservedly. He hadn't "reacted" before, but now it would be a deliberate mistake. He should know that he was still a very innocent and reserved boy.

Chapter Seventy-Eight: Put Down the Gun

"Don't worry, Elysia promises you, if anything goes wrong, you can hit me anywhere, with anything you want~"

Speaking in a language that Shen Gonglin couldn't understand, Elysia assured Shen Gonglin again that she couldn't bear to see anything happen to such a cute girl as Mei. Seeing Elysia's earnestness, Shen Gonglin's gaze drifted slightly. She wouldn't really hit her, but...

"Whether I beat you or not is another matter, but your ears... no, let me touch them again, I didn't get enough of them last time."

Shen Gonglin reached out her hand directly to Elysia and pinched the fairy girl's pointed, elven-like ears. They were warm and there was actually blood flowing inside. How cute! Shen Gonglin was satisfied.

"Hey! How could you just touch a pretty girl's ear like that...?"

Startled by Shen Gonglin's actions, Elysia didn't dodge. This usually beautiful and generous girl now showed a shy expression. This attitude of Elysia gave the onlookers Mobius, goosebumps. Was this really the Elysia he knew? It must be fake.

"Okay, I'm satisfied now, so I'll be going... Wait, I almost forgot, there's still something I haven't done."