Chapter 410

Pardofelis cheerfully tried to persuade Raven, and from her mouth, they heard another name they had never heard before: Griseo. Who was that? Mei was thinking, while Shen Gonglin took the opportunity to touch Pardofelis's ear. Pardofelis didn't mind being touched; let her touch her if she wanted.

"You'll have to ask Elysia about that. She promised to open the entrance to the Deepest Place for us, but the door ended up leading to this place. I now strongly suspect that she just opened this place randomly so she could touch Mei's horn... Ugh, ugh!"

Raven complained, and Mei, who had inadvertently exposed the secret, quickly covered the mercenary's mouth. She had never realized that Raven was such a big mouth. Didn't she tell her to forget about it? Why did she have to bring it up again?

"Touch Mei's horn? Tell me more, Shen Gonglin, tell me more!"

Pardofelis's eyes lit up; she was very interested in this.

Chapter Thirty-One: You Really Will Die

Because of Mei's gaze, Shen Gonglin didn't tell Pardofelis about this thing that interested her so much. The girl could only shake her head regretfully, but it didn't matter, she would figure it out herself in the future.

"Based on what you've said... I think I understand."

Sister Elysia opened the door and let them come to Aponia, but Kosma... understood, Pardofelis understood, the cat girl nodded, and then, facing the curious gazes of Mei and the others, Pardofelis clasped her hands together and lowered her head apologetically.

"Uh, well... um... there are some things, but... I'm sorry, Mei, no amount of money can solve this! I really don't want to cause so much trouble at once... Amo, Mobius, Sakura-nee, Jie-ge, Sister Nia, and maybe even Boss Kevin... they'll die, they'll really die! Absolutely not!"

After rattling off so many names, Pardofelis shook her head in refusal. She really had no way to help this time. The thought of so many people causing her trouble made Pardofelis, as the last of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, unwilling to get involved in this mess.

"So it seems you're not afraid of me. Let me tell you, I can beat Kevin to a pulp. You know Fu Hua? The one you guys call Hua. She has to bow down in front of me. So you think it's okay to mess with me, right?"

Shen Gonglin rubbed her hands together, threatening Pardofelis. Phyllis was so frightened by her ready-to-fight stance that the fur on Pardofelis's tail stood on end. She couldn't afford to mess with anyone. Rin Shen Gonglin was just too intimidating. Mei, help!

The cat-like girl covered her head and hid behind Mei, trying to get Mei to protect her. Mei so gentle; she wouldn't just stand by and watch her suffer.

"No, no, please... I think we should listen to Amo this time and go back first, okay? You can go find Sister Elysia and ask her what happened, right? That way, even if Amo is really angry, Sister Elysia will take the blame, and it won't be my fault... Ah, no, what I mean is... Let's go back first, let's go back and talk to Sister Elysia. It will be good for us, otherwise, Cat Cat will be scared!"

Seeing Pardofelis's uncooperative attitude, Mei sighed and stopped Shen Gonglin. Pardofelis's words made sense; she couldn't let her offend so many people just to help them. After all, Mei wasn't some kind of devil.

After all, it's Pardofelis. Nobody can afford to mess with Pardofelis.

"... Alright, Shen Gonglin, let's not make things difficult for Pardofelis this time. That's right, I should really go and have a good talk with Elysia again."

Seeing Mei make this decision, Pardofelis immediately smiled happily. The cat girl volunteered to take them back, while Shen Gonglin and Raven instinctively clutched any valuables they might have on them. Pardofelis smiled awkwardly, realizing that her little trick had been discovered.

"Let's go, Pardofelis of the Dream Weaver, I'll take you on a really fun trip!"

He's back again... I never expected to run into him this time.

Back in the main hall of the Elysian Realm, Mei saw someone who wasn't usually there. Raven instinctively straightened up, after all, she had met the big boss, although this big boss was probably not the one she knew.

"What's this guy doing here? Perfect timing! I'm in great shape right now, I can definitely have a fight with him that will determine who's better and who's worse!" Shen Gonglin saw the white figure and started rubbing her hands together, itching for a fight. Kevin, the matter of him calling on several people to gang up on me last time is still unresolved!

"Shen Gonglin, be patient, now is not the time to fight... Kevin, I just met someone who looks a lot like you, Kosma, that taciturn boy. I remember you two had some dealings."

Having stopped Shen Gonglin from using her Herrscher Authority to launch a sneak attack, Mei stepped forward to speak with Kevin. This leader of the Flame-Chasers seemed to have no intention of fighting Shen Gonglin this time either. Hearing Mei's words, he finally reacted from his silence. The Elysian Realm was full of riddle-makers, and Mei was already used to it.

"Kosma... Before we became Flame-Chaser, he was in my squad. When he first joined, he was just a naive boy. Everyone has witnessed his growth. Even when he was alone, he was already a warrior with a firm will. After joining the Flame-Chasers, he became even more so."

It was quite rare for Kevin to say so much in one go this time, which showed that he had a high opinion of Kosma. Mei nodded in understanding.

"Oh, I see. I can now imagine where your similarities come from."

As she said this, Shen Gonglin couldn't help but glance at Mei. It seemed that this girl had changed a little after staying in the Elysian Realm for so long, like... she had suddenly become much more wicked.

"..."

Kevin didn't say much, and his only response to Mei was silence. Mei became even more certain in her heart that Kosma and Kevin were very similar. No wonder they were once members of the same team. It's only natural that a captain like him would produce such a team member.

"Yes, that's also quite similar."

Perhaps the original Kosma was a normal, good boy, but following a captain like him, he eventually grew into a riddle-maker.

Kevin left with a cold face, but he always had that expression as if someone in his family had died, so it was impossible to tell if he was angry. After Kevin left, Pardofelis jumped on his back, the cat girl's tone full of surprise.

"Wow! As expected of Mei, you actually dared to talk to Boss Kevin like that. I really don't know how to express my admiration for you. No wonder you were able to beat Mobius. Mei, I declare that you are now the person I admire most!"

I've never seen anyone dare to talk to Boss Kevin like this before. Mei is really amazing. If she protects me in the future, what do I have to be afraid of? With Mei protecting me and Rin's Herrscher Authority of the Shen Gonglin power to help me, Pardofelis feels like she can expand her business to the entire Elysian Realm. In that case, who can't I steal... ah, no, I mean, who can't I get my hands on?

Chapter Thirty-Two

"Alright, Pardofelis... So, Pardofelis, what was that unusual place we just saw?"

Mei pulled Pardofelis off her back and began to ask about the place that had been clinging to her. She really didn't understand what that place was.

"What's different about it? Mei, which one are you talking about? Mobius's operating room? Su-ge's vegetable garden? Or... Jie-ge's wardrobe?"

Pardofelis tilted her head. The cat girl had suddenly brought up so many strange things, while Mei broke out in a cold sweat. What were all these things? They all seemed very dangerous, especially that Chakravartin wardrobe. It was best not to let Shen Gonglin and Chakravartin have any contact.

"... Okay, I really didn't know there were so many unique places in the Elysian Realm. I'm referring to that grassland, the place where I met Kosma before. The scenery there... is very special, like a painting."

Quite rationally, Mei didn't delve into the places Pardofelis had mentioned earlier. This girl knows so much; could it be that she's stolen from every single place? Having no intention of playing detective, Mei pointed out her own problem: that place from earlier was quite strange.

"Oh, there... Hmm, if I remember correctly, its name in the Elysian Realm should be the Dream of the Painter. It's like a dream, full of strange and wonderful things that could never exist in reality. And the person who created them and painted them is naturally the little painter that everyone likes, Griseo. But I think you two, Mei, haven't met her yet, have you?"

Pardofelis explained the situation, Mei nodded in understanding. Elysia said that the Elysian Realm was a place where the memories of thirteen Flame-Chasers converged, and that strange world should be Griseo's world.

"Hmm, I haven't seen her before, but I've heard you mention that name more than once. A painter... I suppose Griseo is one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers. But if that's her studio, then why would Kosma be there?"

It was pretty much as they had expected, but instead of Griseo, they encountered Kosma. Why was he there, and why was he preventing them from going any further?

"Hmm, Ah Mo... I think he probably just doesn't want anyone to disturb little Griseo, after all, she's a quiet child, especially when she's drawing."

Pardofelis thought about it and finally gave this reason, after all, Ah Mo liked little girls the most.

"Disturbing? We had no such intention, and he offered no explanation."

Mei shook her head. They just wanted to go to the Deepest Place world from there, but Kosma seemed unwilling to communicate. No matter what they said, he just remained silent and talked to himself. At least give us a reason.

"That's why I said Ah Mo isn't a bad person... He just doesn't like to talk. He's always thinking about a lot of things in his mind, and in the end... he might not know where to start, so he just stops talking, which is why he's often misunderstood. Actually, sometimes I don't quite understand it either, but that's what it says in Sister Elysia's book."

Pardofelis bluntly stated that she had read all of this in a book written by Elysia. Regarding the 100 Questions of the Silent Kosma, she had heard that Sister Elysia had written a book for everyone in the Elysian Realm. She wondered how Alicia could write about herself, since she had such a good personality and didn't need to.

The book... could it be "100 Questions about the Kosma Eye: From Beginner to Beginner?"

Mei twitched the corners of her mouth. She should go find Elysia after all. Although that woman was a bit unreliable, Elysia was probably the only one in the entire Elysian Realm who knew the most.

With these questions in mind, Mei and Shen Gonglin went to Elysia again. The pink fairy was sitting there doing nothing. When she saw Shen Gonglin and Mei, she smiled happily again. "You're back."

"You're back. How was it? Did you get along well with Aponia? Do you have any stories to share with me...? Hmm, something seems off. Was it not a good time? Your horns are all red. Is something wrong?"

Upon seeing Mei, Elysia couldn't wait to speak, but before they could reply, Elysia sensed something was wrong. She didn't see any happy expression on Mei's face. Could it be that things weren't going well?

"Yes, there is indeed a problem. We haven't reached the Deepest Place at all. Also, my horns are originally red."

Mei retorted expressionlessly, saying that she had trained herself to withstand high blood pressure in the Elysian Realm. Upon hearing Mei's answer, Elysia was very surprised. How could this be? How could she not have seen Aponia?

"Passing through that door, we arrived at a world within a painting, the Dream of the Painter. Even the name was told to me by Pardofelis."

"Oh, I see." Elysia breathed a sigh of relief. The fairy girl patted her chest, the throbbing curve of which made Shen Gonglin's eyes widen. Taking advantage of Mei's inattention, Shen Gonglin secretly glanced at her... twice, three times, and finally met Elysia's eyes. The fairy girl winked at Shen Gonglin and then deliberately puffed out her chest. "Do you like watching?"

Then take a good look.

"Oh... I knew it was a misunderstanding. Great, I almost thought my image was going to plummet in Mei's eyes. The Dream of the Painter, that's the only way to reach the Deepest Place. Hmm... how should I describe it to you? It's like... yes, like the winding mountain path leading to the Cloud Palace? And, judging from your expressions, you must have encountered the Kosma, right?"

Everything was going according to Elysia's expectations; her guesses were all correct. She truly deserves to be the person who knows Elysian Realm best. However, judging from what she said...

"That's right, but from what you're saying, there are times when he's not there?"

"Of course, Kosma has his own life too, but whenever Griseo wants to focus on painting, he gets serious and plays the role of a knight guarding the mountain path. This time... it should be considered a bit unfortunate."

Elysia stuck out her tongue. Seeing Mei's somewhat unhappy expression, the fairy girl couldn't help but comfort her again.

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Book Publishing Expert

"Alright, Mei, there's no need to look so troubled. It breaks my heart to see you like that. These are just little surprises that happen on the journey. Look, you've met another Flame-Chasers, made a new friend, and received the mark of Morning Light. There aren't many people who can inherit his legacy."

Elysia smiled ingratiatingly at Mei. Looking at the girl's elfin smile, Mei felt somewhat helpless, as if she couldn't bring herself to be angry with her. The girl could only sigh and change the subject, "Alright, is there anything else you can tell me about Kosma?"

"You've come to the right person. He's a very gentle and interesting boy. Although he doesn't talk much, he's incredibly thoughtful. He's like the opposite of Shen Gonglin. Actually, I can see right through him, but I still like to deliberately stay silent and watch them blush and carefully consider their words. It's a wonderful kind of enjoyment."

After saying such a malicious thing, Elysia winked at Shen Gonglin. He and Kosma were indeed two extremes, but they were both very interesting people. You could tease Kosma however you wanted and it would be fine, but Shen Gonglin... if you teased her too much, she would get angry.

I really want to see him yell at me; that would be really interesting.

No one knows what Elysia is thinking, but the way she's looking at Shen Gonglin makes Mei feel a little strange. Isn't this woman only interested in other women? Why is she like this with Shen Gonglin too? It's really too dangerous. At most, Pardofelis just wants to play around with Shen Gonglin, but she seems to really want to play around with Shen Gonglin.

This game has a lot of meaning.

"Ahem... Alright, so that Mei can also experience this kind of joy... Ta-da! 'One Hundred Questions for a Silent Boy,' it's from the same series as the previous one, Chakravartin Mask, and this one is even more popular. Here, it's for you."

Sensing Mei's unfriendly gaze, could it be that Mei had guessed her little secret? This girl really knows how to read a girl's mind. Elysia pulled out a book from somewhere and handed it to Mei. Looking at the book Elysia handed over, Mei was speechless. Just how many books has Elysia written? Did she write a communication guide for every difficult-to-communicate Flame-Chasers?

"... No need, I'll finish reading that book, 'One Hundred Questions about the Chakravartin Mask,' first."

He declined Elysia's offer, feeling that reading too many strange things wouldn't benefit him. How much free time did Elysia have all these inexplicable books? However, he thought that these books might actually be useful. Should he take a look at that book, "One Hundred Questions about the Chakravartin Mask"?

After saying goodbye to Elysia, Shen Gonglin and Mei continued to ponder how to reach the Deepest Place. They absolutely had to go there. To escape the predicament of being inexplicably pulled to other places and losing consciousness at any moment, Mei had even made a huge sacrifice, letting Elysia touch her horn. There was no reason to give up here.

"So, you better think carefully about what we should do now. You don't want me to lose consciousness all the time, do you? This isn't just my problem."

Mei sat on the steps deep in thought, looking at Shen Gonglin beside her who seemed completely unconcerned. Mei suddenly felt a little annoyed. Did this guy even realize how serious this matter was? How could he not feel any tension at all? If she and he were being intimate one minute and then the next minute he was unconscious as if he had died, Mei didn't believe that Shen Gonglin wouldn't be traumatized.

"It's not a big problem. We can just force our way in. With the two of us, that autistic boy probably can't stop us. We can just give him a good beating and then swagger past him."

Still savoring the touch of Sakura's ears, Mei's suggestion, followed by Shen Gonglin's direct approach, prompted Mei to frown and ponder for a moment before finally nodding in agreement. She was no longer the Raiden Mei of the past; the girl's personality had become noticeably more assertive over time. Shen Gonglin's suggestion was indeed a solution, albeit somewhat impolite.

"That's right... Let's go then. If negotiations are useless, we'll just take action. I'll make the first move, and then you, Shen Gonglin, will seize the opportunity to strike."

With such a battle strategy in place, Shen Gonglin was quite surprised that Mei would be so responsive. The small figure hiding by the door also trembled. She never expected Mei to be this kind of person. This really surprised her.

"Look what I just heard! Hey, Mei, Shen Gonglin, you two aren't serious, are you? Ama is a good kid, you two aren't really going to beat him up, are you?"

The cat-like girl jumped out from the shadows. It was hard to imagine that a gentle girl like Mei would say such a thing. After all, appearances can be deceiving. Pardofelis suddenly felt a little scared. She had tricked Mei countless times with her cunning business tactics. Was Mei holding a grudge and planning to retaliate against her someday?

Honestly, Theresa was genuinely a little scared.

"Yes, I have a reason to go to the Deepest Place. If Kosma still blocks my way, this is the only way. Pardofelis, if you want to tell him, do so as soon as possible."

Mei said very seriously, and the girl's attitude made Pardofelis realize that she was not joking. The cat girl stiffly tugged at the corner of her mouth. How could she dare to tell on them? If she did, Mei would probably cut her up. But she couldn't just stand by and watch them cause trouble for Amo. No, no, she had to think of a way.

"No, no need... It doesn't have to be so complicated. We can get there in another way. I think if we had someone like me who is very familiar with the Elysian Realm and speaks nicely, we could be your guides, and it wouldn't be so troublesome."

Pardofelis volunteered, saying that this was the only way to stop Mei and Shen Gonglin from fighting. Besides, Pardofelis was very shrewd in business, and this looked like a promising opportunity.

"Huh? Weren't you unwilling before?"

Mei was a little confused. Didn't this guy say before that he didn't want to offend others, so why did he change his mind now?

Chapter Thirty-Four: Kill someone, I'll be right back.

"The past is the past, and the present is the present. Back then, who knew if Ah Mo had left or not? If I had been on your side and he had found out, both Canned Food and I would have been in deep trouble!"

Pardofelis was very honest. As the last of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, she was aware that she couldn't beat anyone, so she had to admit defeat when necessary. Back then, who knew if Amo was eavesdropping, she had to be careful. But now it was different. If she didn't help, wouldn't the two of them beat Amo up?

Mei is someone who can even defeat Mobius, and Shen Gonglin is probably no weaker than Mei, so she's doing this to protect Ama... Hmm, thinking about it this way, Pardofelis suddenly felt that her cause was righteous.

"Aren't you afraid of running into him again this time?"

Mei relaxed a little upon hearing this. If possible, she wouldn't want to directly attack others. It would be great if Pardofelis could help. But wasn't this guy usually a coward? Why did he change his mind so suddenly? He must still be hiding his strength. Come to think of it, after all, he is one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers. How could he really be a weakling?

"It's alright. This time I'll take you on a different route. You don't know this, but there are actually many hidden paths in the Elysian Realm that no one ever uses. But for me and Canned Food, they are the only way to get supplies. Finding a way to get you around Amo is a piece of cake."

Pardofelis waved her hand dismissively. As a competent businesswoman, she must have multiple backup plans. Otherwise, how could she escape safely every time she was discovered? Pardofelis was very good at this kind of thing.

"I think I roughly know what those paths are for... But why don't you just take me to the Deepest Place? Surely there are other paths there too."

Having gained a deeper understanding of Pardofelis's shrewd business nature, Mei was also incredibly curious as to why Phyllis didn't take her directly to the Deepest Place. Upon hearing this question, Pardofelis immediately showed a very troubled expression. This question... it was indeed a bit embarrassing to say.

"Uh... well... how should I put it... if it's just Amo who's angry, then at most I'll just have to deal with the consequences. But if I take you guys to the Deepest Place, and Jie-ge and Sister Nia find out, then I'll really be torn into Pardofelis and Pardofelis..."

Pardofelis scratched her head sheepishly. It wasn't that she was a bully who preyed on the weak; it was just that neither Sister Nia nor Brother Jie were people she could afford to mess with. In comparison, Ah Mo was much safer, so Pardofelis wouldn't dare to provoke them even if you killed her.

"... I understand. So, you can only take me to the end of the studio?"

This guy is such a coward, Mei thought with a forced smile. She had nothing to say about Pardofelis's choice; she couldn't exactly hold a knife to her throat and force her... Hey, maybe this really is a solution.

"Hmm. But once you get past that, it's the real the Deepest Place, not too different, right? And, in case something unexpected happens and we really run into Ah Mo... I can be your translator. I've memorized the whole book that Sister Elysia wrote. Anyway, don't worry, let's settle the price first, the rest is no problem."

In the end, Pardofelis revealed her shrewd business acumen. She couldn't possibly help for nothing. She had put in so much effort, how could she not want compensation? In order to enrich herself and earn more money, Pardofelis even finished reading all of Elysia's books, all for the sake of making money.

"... So there's a charge... Okay, I guess so. Come to think of it, I haven't paid you for the pendant yet."

Pardofelis's behavior was not surprising at all; this cat girl was indeed a shrewd businesswoman, and Phyllis had known all along.

Mei felt she finally understood why Shen Gonglin and Pardofelis got along so well; they shared the same essence in this respect.