Chapter 407

Chapter Twenty: Aponia

Feeling a bit uneasy under the girl's gaze, Pardofelis couldn't help but look away. Mei didn't seem easy to fool.

"Okay, okay, Mei, stop thinking about all that nonsense! We only have one pendant left... Hmm, how about this, Mei, I'll give you a discount, buy one get one free, I'll sell it to you cheaper!"

Still not quite giving up, Pardofelis reached out and stuffed both pendants into Mei's hands. At least she should get some money, right? Even though the pendants weren't hers, she had managed to steal them with great difficulty. A little reward for her hard work was acceptable, wasn't it?

"This could be considered a forced sale, Pardofelis."

Looking at the pendant in her hand, Mei glanced at Pardofelis with amusement, while the girl explained with a hint of bravado, "Hey, Mei, you can't say that. Look, don't you need this pendant? One wants to buy, and the other wants to sell, how can it be considered... Hey, Mei, what's wrong with you?"

Before Pardofelis could finish speaking, Mei's condition deteriorated. Shen Gonglin noticed Mei's situation as well. The girl staggered, rolled her eyes, and fainted. Shen Gonglin quickly caught Mei, and Pardofelis became anxious as well. What happened? Mei hadn't paid yet! How could she just faint like that?

"Hurry up and take Mei back to the Elysian Realm Hall. Maybe Sister Elysia knows what's going on. Hurry, Mei hasn't paid me yet. She can't not pay just because she's unconscious."

Pardofelis seemed even more anxious than Shen Gonglin. She quickly beckoned Shen Gonglin to come with her. Mei's safety was secondary; Pardofelis's biggest worry was that no one would pay if she fainted. As for Shen Gonglin, for some reason, Pardofelis never even considered the possibility that he would pay.

It's you... you've finally come...

The sound echoed in Mei's ears, and her body seemed to lose consciousness. When she came to her senses again, Mei found herself in another strange space. There was neither Shen Gonglin nor Pardofelis beside her, and the sensation on her body... was this some kind of spiritual world?

Mei looked around warily. The girl seemed to be in a pitch-black corridor, with only the path leading forward beneath her feet. Instead of walls, there was only the darkness of night on both sides of the path. This... was probably the place Raven had mentioned before.

Come to me, stranger, the answer you seek lies here.

Just as Mei was pondering, such a voice suddenly resounded in her mind, gentle and not sharp, but it made Mei frown. It came to her side... Did it mean she should continue down this path? Staying where she was wouldn't help, but what if there was a trap ahead...?

After a moment's thought, the girl stepped forward, and the voice rang out afterward.

No need to rush... Here, no one will urge you forward. You can take your time... to complete the path you are meant to walk.

Guided by the voice, Mei slowly walked to the end of the road, to a prison... This thought appeared in Mei's mind. No one had told her that this was a prison, but the thought suddenly popped into Mei's mind, and a figure gradually appeared before her eyes.

"Come closer to me... I have been waiting for you, stranger. Can you tell me your name?"

As she approached, the cold iron pillar blocked Mei, preventing her from moving forward. Not far ahead, she could vaguely see the figure of a woman sitting in the darkness. Although she couldn't see her face, Mei could sense that she was being watched. Without hesitation, Mei directly said her name.

"Raiden Mei".

After saying that, Mei realized something was wrong. It was strange; why did she blurt it out involuntarily when she asked the question?

"Mei, such a warm name... It's nice to meet you."

The voice remained gentle, but Mei's feelings were inexplicable; a sense of crisis rose within the girl. Who exactly was this person...?

"Who are you?"

Mei asked a question, but it seemed she had no intention of answering it. The voice continued to speak, and this time it seemed to resonate in Mei's head.

"Please forgive me, Mei. I cannot answer your question right now. That would only deepen your doubts, or even lead to misunderstandings... These are not my intentions, so please believe me, neither I nor this prison... have any ill intentions towards you. Just consider this place a temporary resting place, or... a completely empty space that exists solely for the sake of you and me."

The female voice answered Mei's question in this way, and with the emphasis on certain words in her speech, Mei seemed to no longer want to delve into it. This person...

"Everyone here is a riddle master! So who are you? Please, tell me, okay?"

However, at that moment, a voice that surprised both Mei and the woman suddenly rang out, and a red feather suddenly appeared in the dark space. Then, the feather transformed into Shen Gonglin. The boy stood upright beside Mei, looking at the woman in the darkness. He had noticed earlier that when the woman said "please," it seemed to give people a psychological suggestion, making them not to easily disobey her. However, this ability had no effect on Shen Gonglin Herrscher of Consciousness.

When it comes to issues related to consciousness, the Herrscher of Consciousness is the most suitable person. Back then, Little Herrscher of Consciousness even said that if she wanted, she could even modify Shen Gonglin's consciousness to make him only like her. This kind of ability is truly terrifying.

"...Outsiders, please...no, believe me, this isn't an answer I can give you right now. Look, Mei's brows are furrowed with more doubt, but more so with the weariness this journey has brought you. She needs a corner where she can rest for a while, a friend who can share her sorrows..."

Mei was somewhat surprised by Shen Gonglin's appearance, but the woman's voice, which was still deep inside, quickly returned to its calm tone. Under her voice, Mei... felt that what she said made a lot of sense.

Chapter Twenty-One: You can't die before you get the money!

Indeed, every word this woman said was imprinted in Mei's mind. It felt very strange. Mei's intuition told her that this woman was dangerous, but... she couldn't help... couldn't help wanting to confirm what she said. This state was abnormal. What was going on?

Mei was completely baffled, but the presence of Mei Shen Gonglin in this space gave her a sense of reassurance, and the woman opposite her spoke again.

"It's alright, Mei, I understand... There are still walls between us, but as I said, there's no need to rush. No one here will urge you forward. The sands of time will eventually make the walls crumble. After that, the warm sunlight will dispel the shadows between us."

The woman's voice was gentle and clear. Shen Gonglin felt nothing special about it; at most, he would just think that the woman's voice was pleasant. But to Mei, it sounded a bit strange. It was as if this woman knew what she was thinking. What was going on? As soon as she spoke, she couldn't help but feel a sense of agreement. From the moment she spoke, it seemed like something was wrong with her consciousness. No, she had to find a way to stay awake.

The girl grabbed Shen Gonglin's arm to keep standing. Shen Gonglin looked at Mei's current state and was a little at a loss. What happened to her? She had been watching her the whole time. When did she fall for it? Shen Gonglin held Mei's body. There were beads of sweat on the girl's fair forehead. What happened?

Shen Gonglin looked at the person behind the iron bars, puzzled. The only one who could possibly be up to something was her.

"Ah, as expected... it's still too much of a burden for her... It's alright, Mei, relax... Listen to my words, close your eyes..."

Although he couldn't see her face, Shen Gonglin could really feel that the woman opposite him was looking at him. It must be some kind of mental ability. It had no effect on him, who possessed the Herrscher Authority of Knowledge. But Mei was probably affected. The girl in his arms was breathing rapidly, while the woman's voice seemed to be calming down.

"Imagine... an endless grassland, a gentle breeze blowing... the fragrance of earth and grass mingling... you can feel the grass blades pressing against you... the dew wetting your cheeks and fingertips... just like that, take a nap on this grassland, Mei... completely release your body and mind... when you wake up, you won't feel any fatigue or pain anymore... yes, that fatigue and pain... they never existed..."

Under the woman's voice, Mei's state gradually calmed down, and the girl eventually fell asleep peacefully. She was quite surprised by this development. Was this the legendary talk therapy? Shen Gonglin had never seen a psychologist before, but he felt that this should be similar. Seeing Mei taking a comfortable nap now, Shen Gonglin was really incredulous. He felt that she hadn't done anything just now.

It was just a matter of having Mei imagine the desktop of a Windows XP system, and that calmed Mei down. It seems like this is quite effective at treating insomnia.

"It's so useful! Riddler, can you get me one too?"

Everyone in the Elysian Realm is a riddle teller, Mei told Mei Shen Gonglin. Not only are they riddle tellers, but they also seem to be class representatives for language arts, each one appearing very cultured. Shen Gonglin spoke casually, but his voice surprised the woman sitting behind the iron bars.

What's going on? I didn't just make that suggestion to Mei alone; she's now asleep from it, but he...

"Now is not the time."

Once again, such an ambiguous voice was left behind. Immediately afterwards, Shen Gonglin felt everything go black before her eyes, and her connection with Mei's consciousness was severed. When she came to her senses again, Shen Gonglin and Mei had already returned to the Elysian Realm Hall.

"Shin-gumi, Shin- Mei, how is Mei?"

Seeing Shen Gonglin open her eyes, Pardofelis, who was sitting next to her, quickly asked, "After returning to the hall, Shen Gonglin pressed her head against Mei's head and established some kind of mental link with her... How are you now?"

Upon hearing her voice, Mei, whose eyes were tightly closed, also woke up. As soon as she woke up, she saw everything familiar around her. This was... the rest room of the Elysian Realm. She had returned? Was everything that had just happened a dream...? No, it wasn't a dream. She and Shen Gonglin had indeed entered Elysian Realm and met Pardofelis. She had gotten back Shen Gonglin and Raven's necklaces from her.

A cool sensation came from her fingertips, and Mei realized that her right hand had been tightly gripping the pendant—this was it.

"Mei, Mei? Is that you, Mei? Is it really you? Waaaaah... Mei, you've finally woken up!"

Before the girl could investigate further, a furry creature rushed into Mei's arms. Pardofelis? Looking at the girl's worried expression, Mei rubbed her head, feeling that many things had happened that she couldn't understand at the moment. That space just now, and Shen Gonglin... What on earth happened?

"Pardofelis... calm down and tell me, what happened?"

Mei gently rubbed Pardofelis's head and pushed her out of her arms. What exactly happened after she lost consciousness?

"I don't know either! You just took my pendant and then you collapsed, and we couldn't wake you up no matter what we did. So Shen Gonglin and I had to bring you back! Waaaaah... Mei, I thought you'd never wake up again... When you suddenly fainted, I was so scared that the fur on my tail stood on end!"

The cat-like girl spoke with a sob in her voice. You could feel the girl's panic. Mei's expression softened a little. No matter what, it was good that someone was worried about her. So Pardofelis valued her that much.

"... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to faint. But... thank you for worrying about me, Pardofelis."

In this Elysian Realm, there are all sorts of strange people, and it's rare to find someone as worried about themselves as she is.

"Of course! You haven't paid me back for the pendant yet, so it absolutely can't go wrong!"

However, Pardofelis's next words instantly extinguished Mei's feelings of gratitude, making her realize that there wasn't a single good person in this Elysian Realm!

Chapter Twenty-Two: Changes in Aura

Having shaken off a certain incessantly chattering, unscrupulous merchant, Mei and Shen Gonglin began exchanging information from what they had just gathered. Shen Gonglin had entered that strange space with her, but he knew even less than she did. The two of them couldn't come up with any concrete answers on their own, so they had to ask for other people's opinions. If you were to ask who in the Elysian Realm was the most serious and who was the least likely to have fun, it would only be Hua and Sakura. However, before they could find the two of them, Shen Gonglin and Mei were stopped by a drunkard holding a wine glass.

Hmm, it seems like Eden has a good relationship with everyone in the Elysian Realm, so asking her might be a good option.

"Oh, a pitch-black space, like a prison? Mei- san, if I'm not mistaken, there should be a gentle and mysterious woman in that prison, right?"

Slightly tipsy, Eden had been holding up his glass, wanting to drink with Shen Gonglin, but with Mei around, it was impossible. He'd have to wait until Mei wasn't there. Unable to succeed, Eden could only answer Mei's question, saying that such a description could only be her.

"Yes, indeed... she is a gentle and mysterious woman."

Mei nodded. When she thought of that person, this feeling filled her heart. Although she gave off a very dangerous feeling, it was undeniable that she did give Mei that impression. She was very gentle and mysterious. To be specific, she was somewhat similar to Eden... but Eden did not have that sense of danger.

"In that case, there's no mistake, Miss Mei. The area you've stumbled into should be her residence, the Deepest Place, and she is Aponia."

Eden gave Mei the answer she had already guessed: it was indeed her. Mei had heard this name mentioned before; it was Chakravartin's "friend."

"... Many people have mentioned this name to me, but the woman I met was quite different from the Aponia they described."

She voiced her doubts, after all, this Eden... speaking of which, she gave Mei the most reliable feeling. Apart from wanting Shen Gonglin to drink, Mei actually trusted Eden quite a bit. After all, this woman didn't have any ill feelings towards Mobius and gave people the feeling of being a good-natured person, and Mei had always liked this kind of person.

"Miss Mei, differences are inevitable. Our impressions of others mostly come from our own memories. And memories are often too subjective. For example, the Miss Mei in my eyes and the Miss Mei in Chakravartin's eyes must be completely different people."

The woman before her was elegant and gentle. Mei had always thought she would become like that. Her words were reasonable and convincing, unlike the kind of convincing that Aponia had. This kind of convincing feeling was much more comfortable. Mei nodded. Eden's words were very simple and easy to understand. In Chakravartin's eyes, she must be a completely different person from the person in Eden's eyes.

Or perhaps Chakravartin never considered himself human? After all, that guy seemed a bit off. He said Aponia was his friend, but would a friend use such language? Killing her and throwing her hand into the blood... Thank goodness I'm not his friend.

Similarly, the Shen Gonglin in my eyes and the Shen Gonglin in Kevin's eyes must be two different beings.

"So, as to what kind of person Ms. Aponia really is, I may not be able to give a valuable answer to this question. As I said, she is a gentle and mysterious woman, and at the same time... somewhat dangerous. These very different aspects do indeed exist in her."

"I understand what you mean, and I have indeed felt her gentleness and danger... Moreover, unlike Mobius, I did not sense any malice from her... only the purest danger."

Mei truthfully expressed her feelings. After hesitating for a moment, she felt that she couldn't let this matter go unaddressed. It always gave people the feeling that she cared. There were still many suspicious things about that Aponia. Mei squeezed Shen Gonglin's hand. It was obvious that this guy wasn't paying attention to their conversation, but she couldn't be as carefree as Shen Gonglin.

It's enough if one person in a family is carefree.

"Eden, do you know a way to reach the Deepest Place? Shen Gonglin can't locate that place. I want to see her again."

I just asked Shen Gonglin. Although Shen Gonglin appeared in that space with the help of the Herrscher of Consciousness, she only succeeded by using herself as a medium. The Herrscher of the Void's power cannot locate her, so if she wants to see Aponia, she can only use another method.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't help you with this. The Deepest Place has always been the residence of Ms. Aponia alone, and only she can freely enter and leave that area. But if you Mei on going there, Mei, Chakravartin and Elysia ... they might be able to help you. After all, they know the Deepest Place and Ms. Aponia much better than I do."

Eden smiled gently at Mei, then downed his drink in one gulp. The answer to this problem shouldn't be something he could solve himself; he couldn't help her with it, but others might be able to.

"Let's go, let's take Eden back to the lounge first, and then go ask the others."

Watching the woman in front of her gradually progress from a light buzz to a full-blown drunkenness, Mei was slightly speechless. She really loved drinking. This Lady Eden was perfect in every way, practically Mei's ideal type for the future. But she was a little concerned about her drinking. She definitely didn't want to become a drunkard like her in the future.

"Hmm? That figure... is it Sakura?"

After escorting the nearly drunk Eden back to the sofa, he came out and saw a figure that caught his attention. Putting aside her graceful figure, her pink ears swaying with her movements made it clear who she was. He never expected to run into her here; it was quite a rare sight.

"Mei... and Shen Gonglin, it's been a long time."

The girl stopped, and upon hearing the sound, she turned around and greeted Shen Gonglin and Mei. She had heard that Shen Gonglin had returned to the Elysian Realm, which was why she had come to visit. She hadn't expected to actually run into him. Sakura was quite interested in him, but what caught her attention more now was Mei. Her aura seemed to have changed.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Let Me Touch It

"Long time no see. Can I touch your ears? Elysia already agreed to let me touch hers."

They were acquaintances, so it was quite natural for Shen Gonglin to greet Sakura. She had met Sakura when she first entered Elysian Realm. Not only that, Shen Gonglin had even fought those Flame-Chasers back then using the ice blade at Sakura's waist. Now that they weren't fighting, Shen Gonglin focused her attention on Sakura's ears, since those donkey ears were really too eye-catching.

Strictly speaking, Shen Gonglin felt that this was even more fun than Elysia's elf ears, since it was more impactful. Pardofelis had already agreed to let her touch her ears and tail, and Shen Gonglin also wanted to touch Sakura's ears.

"... Never mind, you two look so troubled. Can you tell me what happened?"

She decisively refused Shen Gonglin's request. After all, how could she let someone else touch such a private place as her ears? She wasn't Elysia or Pardofelis. Seeing Shen Gonglin's somewhat tempting eyes, the pink-haired fox-eared girl quickly changed the subject. Shen Gonglin and Mei must have encountered some problem. That's what she should be concerned about now, not her ears.

"Indeed... Sakura, could you tell me more about the Deepest Place of things?"

Upon meeting Sakura, Mei immediately voiced her questions. Mei knew far too little about the Deepest Place and Aponia, and felt it was a very important matter. Therefore, Mei wanted to investigate with everyone to find out what the Deepest Place was like in each person's eyes.

"The Deepest Place... Miss Mei, haven't you already visited that place yourself?"

Sakura's answer surprised Mei. She had just returned from that the Deepest Place and only met Pardofelis and Eden. How did Sakura know? News shouldn't spread that fast in this Elysian Realm.

"... I don't think I told you about this, how did you find out?"

Mei voiced her questions directly. The longer she stayed in the Elysian Realm, the deeper her doubts about this place became. Could it be that the Flame-Chasers all had their own way of communicating? Information sharing seemed a bit troublesome.

"It's a change in aura. You and Shen Gonglin both have it. People who have had contact with Aponia will have a unique aura. And now, the same aura is spreading on you. Since you have this aura, you must have already seen Aponia. I think you must have reached the Deepest Place, Miss Mei."

Sakura explained why she said that, while Shen Gonglin frowned slightly. He raised his hand and smelled himself. It was the same orange scent as always. He didn't feel anything different. Could it be Mei? Shen Gonglin decisively leaned over and smelled Mei. There was nothing wrong with it either. What was the scent that Sakura was talking about?

Mei also a little worried. What if she had a strange smell on her? This was a serious matter for every girl. The girl opened her arms so that Shen Gonglin could smell her. She didn't want to be called a beautiful girl with a strong body odor in the future.

"...I'm sorry, I didn't mean you had any strange smell or aura...it's more of a feeling..."

Seeing that Shen Gonglin was about to lift Mei's clothes to smell her, Sakura quickly stopped her. She knew that the two of them had a good relationship, but they didn't have to be so showy, especially in front of her. However, Mei looked so young, yet Shen Gonglin was still willing to do it. It seemed that this girl was more courageous than she had imagined.

"You're overthinking it, Sakura. I didn't mean that. It's just that your words reminded me of something. I was recalling the time I met Aponia ..."

Mei quickly pushed Shen Gonglin Mei, her face slightly flushed. The girl coughed twice as she explained to Sakura, while Sakura gave her a smug smile. She clearly had that thought; if she weren't there, who knows what kind of trouble the two of them might have gotten into. This girl always gave off a calm and collected vibe, and only when she was with Shen Gonglin did she seem like a normal girl. It was truly remarkable.

"Really, I really think so... Hmm, what's going on?"

Seeing her smile, Mei knew she didn't believe her. She wanted to explain, but a familiar dizziness rushed to her head. What was this feeling...? Her consciousness seemed to be fading again...

As she spoke, Mei fell down again, just like someone suffering from vertigo, fainting at the drop of a hat. If she wasn't around, who knew if something might happen to her? Shen Gonglin quickly caught the girl's body, and Sakura helped Mei sit down with him. Looking at the girl's unconscious face, Shen Gonglin frowned slightly. No, this situation couldn't continue. He had to come up with a solution.

Needless to say, Mei was definitely dragged to that so-called the Deepest Place by that Aponia again. She had to bring Mei back first. Shen Gonglin took a deep breath, her pupils flashing red light. With the power of the Herrscher of Consciousness, she brought Mei back...