Chapter 409

"I understand, don't worry, I'll do my best and keep my word. Let's set off when you're ready."

Elysia winked at Mei. A satisfied girl always looks very happy. Mei breathed a sigh of relief after getting this answer. There shouldn't be anyone else who saw it just now... Just like what Shen Gonglin said, as long as it's not discovered, it's as if nothing happened. If someone else had seen such a scene, she would probably have been socially dead.

Just as Mei relaxed, she turned around and saw a woman trying her best to make herself inconspicuous. Raven turned her head to the side, trying to pretend nothing had happened, but at this moment, no matter how well she pretended, it was useless. Feeling uneasy under Mei's gaze, Raven felt like she had accidentally bumped into an affectionate couple at school. This feeling... was quite subtle.

"Don't get me wrong, I didn't come here to watch the show. I just wanted to stretch my legs a bit after resting. And Mei, it's not just you who wants to go find that woman, it's me too."

If she didn't speak up, the red Tyrannosaurus Rex might draw its sword and chop her up. Raven quickly explained that she really didn't mean to see that kind of thing. Why did Mei look like she wanted to kill her to silence her? After all, they were comrades-in-arms, comrades-in-arms in every sense of the word. If Mei wanted to chop her up, wouldn't Shen Gonglin help stop her?

"Wow, what did Aponia do? Why is every girl so obsessed with her? I'm so envious. But I remember I only agreed to Mei. Shen Gonglin was a bonus. If other guests want to go, there will be an extra charge."

Elysia smiled and said, "Why does every girl want to go to Aponia? Is it because the mysterious and gentle type is more popular now?" Elysia felt that she would be more likable if she acted that way. Isn't it the most profitable way for unscrupulous merchants to raise prices and charge extra?

"Sorry, Elysia, I don't seem to have any horns for you to try out. I wonder if you'd be interested in my claws? They're red too."

The Raven brandished its claws at Elysia, not as a threat, but simply to demonstrate Raven will. Elysia's eyes flickered slightly, sensing that something particularly interesting might happen if this continued. As a fun-loving person from the Elysian Realm, Elysia thought it was a very good thing.

"I have a feeling something really interesting is going to happen. If I keep asking... am I being a bit insensitive? Well then, I'll let you off the hook. Have a great time in the Deepest Place. I've already figured out how to open the path to the Deepest Place. After you pass through the golden forest, you should be able to see the entrance. Good luck!"

Elysia opened the passage to the Elysian Realm and waved cutely to the three of them. Mei silently walked in, followed closely by Shen Gonglin and Raven. The enemies that greeted them in the Elysian Realm were the same as always, but Mei seemed somewhat indifferent at this moment. Although she had seen Raven, but... However, the girl couldn't help but feel a sense of hope. Maybe she had only seen a little bit, or maybe she hadn't seen anything at all.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Did You See It?

"What's wrong? Mei, is something the matter?"

She tore apart the enemy in front of her with her sharp claws. Raven was already quite used to the enemies in this Elysian Realm. Of course, she was even more used to Mei. So when the girl was acting strangely, she could always sense it very keenly. Right now, she seemed a little careless.

"It's alright... Raven, back then... did you see it?"

After hesitating for a long time, Mei Shen Gonglin saw it, since she and he had already been honest with each other. But if someone else saw it, Mei couldn't accept it just by thinking about it. She was still a little unwilling. Maybe Mei didn't see anything. People always have a Raven of wishful thinking.

"What did you see?"

The black feather dagger tore apart the enemy blocking its way. Raven turned back to look at Mei and asked, and her reaction rekindled hope in Mei's heart. She seemed to know nothing, perhaps she was just predicting something, but as long as she didn't see it with her own eyes, she could pretend it never happened.

"No, it's nothing."

The girl's tone became cheerful again. But Raven, the grumpy young lady, had no intention of letting Mei off the Mei. She loved seeing Mei so bewildered. Just as Mei seemed to be starting to relax, she spoke up again.

"I only saw the whole process of you being touched on the corner, that's all."

Raven said in a light tone, but as soon as she said that, Mei froze. She saw it, she was seen after all, everything was seen. The girl looked at Shen Gonglin with teary eyes. What should she do? She had said no, no, but he and Elysia had both told her it was okay. Now, they had seen her after all!

"Phew... Could you please forget about this?"

Taking a deep breath, Mei spoke to Raven with utmost formality. The girl's serious demeanor made it seem as if she were in the middle of a very serious meeting. Raven, on the other hand, waved her hand dismissively. It wasn't a big deal. Why was Mei acting like this? She had seen Mei make even more embarrassing mistakes before... Of course, she had also seen herself make even more embarrassing mistakes.

"It can't be that bad, I'm not going to tell anyone, so you..."

"Could you please forget about this?"

Without any intention of negotiation, Mei spoke again, revealing that she really cared about this matter. A playful smile crept onto Raven's face; she found Raven's attitude rather amusing.

"Oh dear, I'll have to think about this carefully, I might really forget it."

Mei is indeed a very interesting girl. Does she really want me to forget this? Well, I'm determined not to forget it. Ignoring Mei's murderous glare, Raven continued on her way with light steps, while the aggrieved Mei could only turn around and puff out her cheeks at Shen Gonglin.

I'm so angry with myself... I need to coax her properly.

"It's alright, it's alright. Ya Ya isn't the type to talk nonsense. Don't worry, she won't say anything out of line... Yes, that should be the case."

Shen Gonglin gently patted Mei's head, and that was the only way she could comfort the girl in front of her. Although Mei's personality seemed to have a queenly tendency after becoming the Herrscher of Thunder, she still often showed the same girl-next-door charm in front of Shen Gonglin. She was just too cute!

"It's all your fault!"

The comforting words only made Mei feel more aggrieved. The girl lightly stepped on Shen Gonglin Rin, knowing she had utterly humiliated herself.

Is this really the same place as the Deepest Place? The art style here feels a bit off. Looking at the scene before them, Shen Gonglin and the others couldn't reconcile this place with the pitch-black the Deepest Place. This colorful place is more like an art exhibition than the Deepest Place.

"Is this really the Deepest Place? I mean, you weren't fooled by Elysia, were you...?"

The Raven couldn't help but ask this question. The mercenary girl squatted down, broke off a blade of grass, and then examined it carefully in her palm.

"These grass blades on the ground are so strange. They don't feel real, and the color is uneven. It feels like... they were painted on?"

"Wait, Raven, there seems to be someone else here..."

Raven surveyed their surroundings, while Mei heard the sound of a harmonica. It seemed that there were other people around. The three looked in the direction of the sound and saw a boy sitting on the hillside. This was someone they didn't recognize... Who was he?

The man had clearly noticed Shen Gonglin and the others. He stopped playing his harmonica and just stared at them. Under that gaze, Shen Gonglin and the others didn't speak. They were waiting for him to speak first, but he... was he stuck?

After a long silence, Mei was the first to speak. After all, they hadn't come here to play a staring contest with him; they needed to solve the problem.

"Hello, my name is Raiden Mei, and this is my friend, Shen Gonglin, Raven."

They introduced themselves, but the boy with the harmonica just watched them quietly. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally spoke.

"... The ninth of the Flame-Chasers, Kosma."

Upon hearing his name, Mei frowned slightly. She felt like she had heard the name somewhere before, but the boy in front of her seemed completely different from the Kosma she remembered... Now was not the time for such things. The most important thing now was the Deepest Place.

"Hello, Kosma, although this is a bit sudden, do you know where we are? We were on our way to the Deepest Place, but we accidentally wandered into this place... Could you help us find our way to the Deepest Place?"

Mei made her request, but was met with silence. Kosma stared at them without saying a word, and Mei waited in silence as well. The atmosphere between them suddenly became very strange. Raven, on the other hand, moved closer to Mei and Shen Gonglin. This guy seems to be a bit withdrawn.

"Hey, Shen Gonglin, Mei, have you guys noticed...? This guy doesn't say a word, but he seems to be thinking a lot. His eyes keep scanning us, and his little expressions never stop."

The Raven noticed this and muttered under its breath, "This person is so strange."

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Reclusive Kosma

Mei nudged Raven with her elbow. This guy, he doesn't even know to whisper. He was so loud that the other person must have heard him. But it was just as Raven said. Although the other person didn't say anything, he was definitely thinking a lot.

"...Please go back, the Deepest Place are not a place for you."

Ignoring Raven's words, the boy's gaze swept over Shen Gonglin and the other two. They had no idea what he was thinking; he'd just said something like that—what did it mean? Another riddle-like answer, "Not a place we should go." But why shouldn't we go? Did everyone here talk like that?

Putting aside Mei and Shen Gonglin, even Raven herself couldn't stand this kind of treatment.

"Ah, here we go again... I mean, shouldn't the Elysian Realm be a place for trials and challenges? How can there be talk of places you should go and places you shouldn't go? Can't you just be clearer?"

The mercenary stepped forward and began to complain. She had been receiving this kind of treatment frequently since she arrived at this Elysian Realm. Aponia had also been treated the same way, inexplicably being taken to the Deepest Place, then told that she was not the person she was looking for, given a necklace, and kicked out. Now, a reclusive boy playing the harmonica had appeared in front of her. What kind of strange place was this Elysian Realm?

After Raven finished speaking, she waited for Kosma's reply, but he fell silent again. It wasn't just silence; he must have been going through a series of mental processes, which could be seen from his constantly shifting eyes. "I'm thinking about a lot of things, but I'm not going to tell you..." This feeling was driving Raven a little crazy.

Why are we starting again?

"You may step back... I'm sorry, Kosma, if you don't want to discuss this topic, we will find the answer ourselves."

This mercenary may be good at killing and carrying out missions, but he still has to handle things like negotiating with people himself. Mei stepped forward and tried to communicate with Kosma. No matter what's in the Elysian Realm, she has to explore and understand it herself. It can't be explained away with a simple "this is not a place I should be." Mei has her own understanding, and whether she should come or not is her own decision.

She needs to resolve her own issues first. Aponia keeps calling her over, and if this isn't resolved, Mei probably won't be able to sleep at all.

"... Please leave, all three of you. It's not too late to stop now. You... forget it."

Like a high-ping warrior, Kosma didn't reply for a long time after Mei finished speaking, and the content of his reply was as riddle as ever. Raven felt her blood pressure rising. However, before she could complain, Kosma stood up and left without looking back. What was going on? Was this really Flame-Chasers? What did his behavior mean? Did he agree to let them continue?

Or does he mean for them to follow him? Are there no decent people among these Flame-Chasers?

"Mei, what should we do now? Should we go after them...? Oh no, I'm afraid neither. What is that thing? Is it the monster that was next to him earlier?"

Before they could finish speaking, a strangely shaped "knight" charged towards them. The three of them immediately went into battle mode. They were used to any kind of battle, but when their attacks landed on the woman riding the strange creature... they all showed strange expressions.

The attack isn't working? Why is that?

"It doesn't feel like I hit anything at all, and the feedback from the slash is strange, like... it's not a living thing, but some kind of creation from a painting, like those grass-like things from before. What is this thing?"

Mei frowned slightly. Was this thing an extension of Kosma's ability? She didn't know enough about Kosma, this Flame-Chasers, and Mei didn't know the specific manifestations of his ability. But how should she deal with this enemy?

"Let me use spatial cutting, that should work... Hmm? Why is he here again?"

Shen Gonglin snapped his fingers, switching to his Herrscher of the Void form. He was about to open a spatial portal next to that thing to attack when the Kosma who had been playing the harmonica earlier walked over again. The thing that had attacked them earlier stopped moving. What was going on? Did it come out again as soon as it saw that he was about to kill it?

"... Why are you still here?"

Another eerie silence followed, then Kosma spoke as if quite surprised. He thought they had all left, which was why he had returned. Why were they still here? Should he have hidden for even longer?

"... Kosma, if I'm not mistaken, this monster is under your control, isn't it? In that case, this grassland must also be related to you. It seems that this is also part of the trial. If the prerequisite for asking questions is to prove yourself first, then I'm happy to. Just like I said before, Kosma, we have a reason to move forward."

Mei swung the long sword in her hand. She had gotten used to the current situation. Only by going through the trial could she find out her next goal. It was like playing a game. Since the normal methods of negotiation failed, Mei could accept this alternative.

"...All right."

As if pondering Mei's words, after a long while, Kosma finally spoke, saying something that made them feel relieved. Raven breathed a long sigh of relief. Thank goodness, this guy finally understood Mei's words. It felt really tiring in this Elysian Realm, not physically, but mentally. None of these thirteen Flame-Chasers were easy to deal with.

"I will engrave the mark of the Morning Light for you."

However, Kosma's next words made Raven stumble. What was going on? He was bringing up imprints again? Had they mentioned anything about imprints before? Was this guy deaf? They needed to get through here to the Deepest Place; what did that have to do with some damn imprint?

"No, Kosma, that's not what I meant..."

Mei also spoke up to explain, but Kosma in front of her seemed to have no intention of listening to anyone else. "You've passed the trial, so you should indeed give out the imprint."

"Consider that battle just now... as a way for you to pass the mark and qualify to obtain the mark."

Chapter Thirty: A Detailed Explanation

I cannot offer you guidance; this path is merely a trail forged from countless dead ends, a tiny ray of light in the dawn of salvation... nothing more than the so-called Morning Light.

A brief murmur, and a glimmer of light entered Mei's body. This was the mark called Morning Light. This wasn't the first mark Mei had received; every Flame-Chasers had their own mark, but this time...

The atmosphere suddenly fell silent. Mei, Raven, and even Kosma Shen Gonglin remained silent. It seemed that he still didn't understand what they meant, or perhaps he understood but didn't intend to listen.

Simply put, it means they're completely on different wavelengths.

"...Uh, thank you."

In the end, it was Mei who spoke first. If she hadn't spoken, the silence might have continued indefinitely. Although she was very grateful to him for giving Mei the mark, this mark... they really didn't come here for the mark.

"The engraving has been handed over to you. Go back now."

Just like finishing their work and waiting to leave, Kosma started chasing people away again. This time, Raven couldn't hold back anymore. Mei Shen Gonglin was lost in thought and didn't care about such things at all. It seemed that the job of complaining would have to be left to her. Raven sighed deeply. Fortunately, she was just here in the Elysian Realm for a vacation. If she had to face these people all day, she would probably go crazy.

"I'm saying, are you not listening to us at all... We didn't come here for your mark."

Raven said with dissatisfaction, but Kosma seemed to care more about it. The boy raised an eyebrow, thinking that they were the ones who weren't listening to anyone.

"You're the ones who don't listen to others, aren't you? I've said it many times, the Deepest Place are not where you should be."

After speaking, Kosma fell silent again, but this time the silence put pressure on Mei. It seemed that words could not persuade him, and a battle was inevitable. No matter what his reasons were, Mei herself had her own reasons for going to the Deepest Place. She was already mentally prepared for this outcome. When it was time to fight, Mei would never back down.

Raven nudged Shen Gonglin's shoulder. There was no doubt that the two of them were with Mei. If a battle were to begin, it shouldn't be difficult for the three of them to take down this Flame-Chasers.

"Ah... Achoo!"

However, just as the tension was building, an untimely sneeze drew everyone's attention. The area appeared empty, but Shen Gonglin's brow furrowed, and a golden halo unfolded before him. A small figure then fell from within it. Shen Gonglin grabbed the fluffy tail. This tail, this feel—there was no doubt about it.

The cat that fell into Shen Gonglin's hands was undoubtedly Pardofelis.

"Ouch! Shen Gonglin, don't pull my tail so roughly! You can touch it, but gently, very gently. You can't pull it like that!"

With her vitals grabbed by Shen Gonglin, Pardofelis quickly snatched her tail back from Shen Gonglin's grasp. Mei and Kosma's eyes also focused on her. How did she end up here?

"Pardofelis?"

Mei spoke up, and Pardofelis became nervous. She hadn't expected to be discovered, and this was a bit embarrassing.

"Ah... this... that... ahahaha... Mei, Ama, and Shen Gonglin... Raven -nee, hello?"

Somewhat awkwardly, Pardofelis greeted everyone, trying to ease the atmosphere with her cheerful attitude. How could she be so careless... And it was all Shen Gonglin's fault. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have been caught. The Herrscher of the Void's abilities are really annoying.

"Pardofelis, what are you doing here?"

Kosma was also curious as to why Pardofelis was there, and Pardofelis became even more embarrassed when asked this question.

"Oh dear, I... I smelled the gunpowder from a mile away and was planning to come over to see if I could buy some goods... Ah, no... I mean... to break up the fight, yes, I was planning to come over and break up the fight! Who knew you wouldn't start fighting yet... Ah no, this is a stroke of luck amidst misfortune!"

Hearing Pardofelis's flimsy excuse, everyone fell silent. Without a doubt, this girl wanted to take advantage of their fight to loot the equipment, then put all the loot in her shop and sell it. Now Mei finally understood what Pardofelis meant by "stocking up." This girl had a big problem too. Her so-called "mediation" was probably just encouraging others to fight.

She stole the necklace that Shen Gonglin and Aponia gave to Raven before. This girl is really shady.

"... Never mind, Pardofelis, you've come at the right time. Think of a way to get them away from here. I'm counting on you."

Having lost interest in continuing the conversation, Kosma turned and left once more after giving his instructions, prompting the Raven in dissatisfaction.

"Hey, wait a minute... What's wrong with this guy? He won't talk or listen to anyone. He's so rude."

I'm very dissatisfied with Kosma's attitude; this kind of autistic person is so difficult to deal with.

"Oh dear, you've misunderstood Ah Mo... Even though he's like that, he doesn't really have any bad intentions. He's much easier to get along with than Mobius. You'll get used to it, you'll get used to it. But speaking of which, what are you doing here? Are you looking for little Griseo?"