Chapter 419

Mei nodded in agreement. She had already met Flame-Chasers and the others had given her their marks. Only Aponia remained. As for the Riddler, Mei was unsure of how to deal with him.

"Congratulations! This is fantastic news. One meeting is enough. You should make your escape before you receive the Mark of Discipline."

Mei was caught off guard by Vill-V's words. She hadn't expected Mei to react this way, urging her to run away quickly? But she still had things to figure out, so she couldn't leave.

"This is the first time I've heard someone describe an engraving as something to be avoided at all costs."

Mei shook her head. She was actually quite curious about Vill-V's attitude towards the mark. In her opinion, it must be quite important.

"Really? Then do you think Mark of Infinity are a good thing?"

Vill-V immediately retorted, leaving Mei speechless. Mark of Infinity, Mobius... She was right.

Chapter Sixty-Five

It seems Mei shares the same sentiment. Imprints aren't all good things. Seeing Mei's reaction, Vill-V said with a smile in her eyes, "Let me put it this way, by my personal standards, Aponia is definitely a kind person. However, kindness doesn't always bring good results. The dramatic effect she creates is something I would need to spend a lot of time to achieve."

Vill-V spread her hands, looking somewhat helpless. The other person's casual actions were more dramatic than her carefully prepared magic show. It was truly some kind of unexpected talent that she couldn't match.

"But what does this have to do with the Mark of Discipline? Or... based on my past understanding, is it, like reality, some kind of psychological suggestion imposed on people and that they cannot resist?"

Mei pondered for a moment and asked. From her experience, Aponia's ability was probably of this kind: psychological suggestion, which could make people act in a way that she wanted before they even thought about it. This ability was very troublesome, and Mei had not yet figured out how to counter it. Perhaps it was because she could not influence Shen Gonglin, who had the ability of the Herrscher of Consciousness, that she directly placed a restriction on Shen Gonglin to prevent him from going to the Deepest Place with her.

"I didn't know that. Very few people have ever received the Aponia Crest. But you seem to know a lot about the Commandments. Since you do, you should be careful. Even the Commandment of never giving up hope against the Honkai ... can inadvertently kill a little girl. No one can predict how far a simple idea can go."

I never expected Mei to have such an understanding of the Mark of Discipline. Vill-V smiled and gave Mei this advice. Mei pursed her lips. If she could, she really wouldn't want to have such an understanding. It was because she had experienced it that she could say such a thing. She had been psychologically suggested to by Aponia more than once. As long as she said the word "please", Mei would unconsciously obey her. As for what Vill-V said about killing the little girl, could she be talking about herself?

"... Oh! It's finally open again? Ah! Are you another... um, that Sister Vill-V?"

Mei remained silent. Just then, Pardofelis's voice rang out. The catgirl climbed the stairs and looked around in surprise. In her memory, this workshop had always been closed. She didn't expect it to reopen today. She wondered if there were any good things inside. So Pardofelis wanted to come up and take a look. As a result, she saw Vill-V. She felt that she was different. Was this the Vill-V she was thinking of?

"Ha... I'm afraid it's not the one you're looking for. What's wrong, little Pardofelis?"

They were having a riddle-like conversation, but Mei had also learned quite a bit from Elysia, so she had a basic understanding of Vill-V's abilities. Pardofelis and she were talking about should probably be Vill-V's "other personality".

"Hmm... It's like this again... I've been looking for her for ages. Could you please tell her? I've found everything she wanted, and it's all in the usual place... Speaking of which, could she be hiding here to avoid paying her debt? My businessman's intuition tells me that's very likely!"

The cat-girl scratched her head in distress, and finally she thought of this possibility. Right, not all the other people in the Elysian Realm are as generous, silly and rich as Mei. It's very possible.

"Oh no... don't worry, Pardofelis... although it's difficult to communicate, I'll try."

Vill-V smiled helplessly, then blinked at Pardofelis as she assured her. What a jumpy cat! Hearing Vill-V's words, Pardofelis felt relieved; it was good that nothing would happen.

"Thank you so much! It's all yours now. Once it's done, just take it directly to Sister Ying! I won't make the trip again~"

After greeting Vill-V and smiling at Shen Gonglin and Mei, Pardofelis slid down the stairs using the railing. With other people around, it wasn't convenient to get supplies, so she didn't want to stay there any longer.

"What were you doing just now...?"

Mei hadn't interrupted the conversation between the two earlier, but now that Pardofelis was gone, Mei was a little curious. It sounded like Pardofelis and "another" Vill-V had made some kind of deal.

"Maybe it's some kind of deal with someone else. I'm totally confused too. Okay, I need to tidy up the workshop now. Want some help?"

Vill-V shrugged, and then she started moving the things piled up in the workshop again. Because it hadn't been used for a long time, the place looked messy, and it would be great if someone could help.

"Thank you, but never mind, we have other things to do."

Having obtained the necessary information from Vill-V, Mei declined her invitation for help, as she had no time to waste with others. So, she left Vill-V's workshop with Shen Gonglin. During this time, Shen Gonglin looked at Mei with a very surprised expression, making Mei feel somewhat uncomfortable. What was wrong with Shen Gonglin?

Is there something strange on my face? Why are you staring at me?

As they left the workshop, Mei asked Shen Gonglin, "Girls are always more concerned about how they appear in the eyes of the person they like. Is there something wrong with me that Shen Gonglin is looking at me like this?"

"No, it's just that I feel Mei, you've really changed. If it were you in the past, you probably wouldn't have refused if Vill-V asked you to do something."

Shen Gonglin nodded and said, "That's true. Mei used to be very helpful, and she would be happy to help anyone who asked. But things are different now."

"... Ah, that's true. I might have actually helped before, but now... I've learned to say no."

Mei was speechless. She hadn't even noticed this change in herself. She used to be a very kind person, and she would even put aside her own things to help others if they needed help. But now she was like this. This change was quite interesting. The reason she said that earlier was because Mei was absolutely certain that Vill-V didn't need her help.

"Oh, I see... Mei, you really have learned to say no. When we were playing together in the bathroom before, you kept shaking your head and saying no."

Shen Gonglin seemed lost in thought, while Mei blushed. She glared at Shen Gonglin, realizing that her words had only made her blood pressure rise. What good did it do? Shen Gonglin still forced herself on her. Although she had been somewhat reluctant, Shen Gonglin's desires had clearly intensified after she said no!

Feeling a little embarrassed at the thought of these things, Mei quickly walked down the stairs. After they both reached the bottom, they saw a strange sight. They couldn't pretend they didn't see it. Chakravartin was squatting on the bar counter. Mei was still thinking to herself, but Shen Gonglin had already walked over.

"...What is it now, Herrscher ... Hmph, two Herrscher."

Sensing their approach, Chakravartin spoke in an unfriendly tone. He had never given them a pleasant look before. Meanwhile, Shen Gonglin couldn't suppress her own questions; Chakravartin's posture...

"Nothing, I just wanted to ask if you're having diarrhea... mmm!"

Before she could even speak, Shen Gonglin covered Mei mouth from behind. She knew this guy wasn't going to say anything nice. Although Chakravartin's posture did look a bit like... well, Mei was afraid that if she said it, everyone would be embarrassed. Why was this guy squatting on the bar? If she remembered correctly, there were some good wines stored up there by Eden.

Anyway, I won't be drinking anymore... Although I don't drink to begin with, I'll try to trick Raven into drinking sometime.

"It's nothing. It's just that when I saw you, it suddenly occurred to me that you never seemed to mention how you survived before joining the Flame-Chasers. In that... place called Twilight Town."

Mei couldn't very well bring up the question that Shen Gonglin had just wanted to ask, that would be too awkward, so Mei could only bring up this topic: Chakravartin was also a member of Twilight Town before, how did he live during those days?

"Shut up... Anyone who mentions it dies!"

Chakravartin's reaction was rather intense. The masked man made this threatening sound, as if he really didn't want to talk about what happened back then. What a suicidal Herrscher! He actually dared to bring up such a thing. He really isn't afraid of death.

What a short-tempered guy, but thankfully, Mei had anticipated his reaction, so the girl wasn't surprised.

"But what if I already know a lot? And I'm not trying to pry into your past. I have no interest in the past of any man other than my boyfriend... I'm just curious about the other Flame-Chasers there."

Mei frankly said that this girl has indeed changed a lot. She is now so open about talking about boyfriends. After all, Kiana has said that she is going to marry Shen Gonglin. If she is to hide her relationship with Kiana, then she will completely lose to Kiana.

"That kitten? Hmph..."

Chakravartin sneered, "Are you referring to Pardofelis?" But Mei shook her head in denial. "It's not Pardofelis, it's Aponia."

"Oh? You want to fight her? Like you did with Mobius?"

A hint of excitement crept into Chakravartin's tone. Was this Herrscher, like himself, also thinking of fighting Aponia, just like when she beat up Mobius? He had already heard it from Elysia's loudspeaker—that this Herrscher had defeated Mobius, and now she was also thinking of taking on Aponia? If Shen Gonglin had the assistance, it might indeed be feasible. Having fought Shen Gonglin before, Chakravartin knew how troublesome Shen Gonglin was.

"To be precise, she took the initiative to find me and... released some signals that were very dangerous to me."

Mei explained Aponia's previous movements. After hearing Mei's words, Chakravartin suddenly burst into laughter. Mei patiently stood still, resting her chin on Shen Gonglin's head and waiting for Chakravartin to finish laughing. This guy is acting strangely, why is he laughing for no reason?

"Hahahaha... So, answer me, Herrscher, do you currently have any precepts in place?"

After laughing, Chakravartin posed this question: Did Aponia give this Herrscher the Mark of Discipline?

"I'm not entirely sure about the nature of the precepts, but based on my past understanding, there shouldn't be one."

This answer caused Chakravartin to burst into wild laughter again. Mei frowned and covered Shen Gonglin's ears with her hands. It was better not to let Shen Gonglin hear this kind of demonic laughter again. She felt that something was wrong with him. This guy's head wasn't quite right.

"Hahahaha... Okay, great! Just say what you want to ask, don't wait until I change my mind! As long as you can slap that haughty face to the ground and break those hands that everyone envies... I'll personally help you!"

For some reason, his answer seemed to please Chakravartin. This irritable guy was in a rare good mood. But what he said was chilling. If he remembered correctly, Chakravartin had said before that he and Aponia were friends.

Shen Gonglin and Mei exchanged a glance. Thankfully, this guy didn't consider them friends, or they would feel really uncomfortable.

"Um... there's no need for that right now. I just want to know who she really is."

Although Aponia said she would kill her in ten days, Mei didn't want to go that far yet. She just wanted to understand Aponia from other people's perspectives. She thought she could get some useful information from Chakravartin... right?

"Self-righteous, hypocritical, and deserving of death..."

At this moment, Chakravartin seemed to be rambling on and on. Undoubtedly, none of the words coming out of his mouth were pleasant. Listening to him curse seemed unnecessary. Mei interrupted Chakravartin's venting, "Alright, alright, I know, you don't need to say anymore."

"... Could you be more specific? Like... a porter or something."

Mei tentatively said, based on what she knew before, that Chakravartin used to be a porter at the Twilight Town Sanatorium, and then Aponia ...

"What's the use of that? She's just a nursing home employee, annoying... If she hadn't insisted on secretly sheltering those infected with Honkai Disease, I wouldn't have lost her a second time..."

At this point, Chakravartin's emotions seemed to reach another peak. He covered his mask with his hand, and his voice was extremely violent. Everything, everything was because of Aponia. He must, he must kill her!

Chapter Sixty-Six: Please Don't Die

Flame-Chasers's emotions seemed somewhat unstable. Hearing Chakravartin's increasingly irritable voice, Mei couldn't help but remind him. She didn't know what had happened back then, but judging from Chakravartin's appearance, Aponia must have done something very outrageous to him. This would explain why Chakravartin had that attitude towards Aponia. No matter who it was, he would always stand up for Aponia if they were fighting.

It seems that Flame-Chasers is not a monolithic entity, and is even somewhat fragmented. What is it that binds them together? Mei has no idea.

"Calm down."

Fearing that this hot-tempered man might suddenly act impulsively and kill someone, Mei protected Shen Gonglin and stepped back a little. Chakravartin's current state was clearly not suitable for communication; he needed to calm down.

"Undo my vows! I will tear Aponia to shreds with my own hands and show her just how stupid she has become!"

Chakravartin kept venting his anger. Seeing that his attempts to comfort her were futile, Mei could only shake her head and turn to leave with Shen Gonglin. Chakravartin became unable to talk normally again. It seemed that he became even more irritable and easily angered whenever Aponia was mentioned. However, according to what Sakura said before... Aponia herself was the one who took in those infected people?

Damn it, these tiny clues are making things even more complicated. Mei sat on the steps, deep in thought, but the uncertain information prevented her from coming up with the right answer. The girl sighed deeply. It's so hard. I just can't figure this out.

"Hmm... Mei, do you think it's possible that Aponia is the kind of saintly person in the apocalypse? She takes in people out of kindness, and then uses that kindness to kill even more people? I often see this kind of plot in the stories I read."

Shen Gonglin's eyes lit up as she said this. Mei first nodded and then shook her head. She had thought about it too, but there was no fact to prove it. Moreover, according to what she knew, Aponia seemed to have some ability to "see the future." If she had such an ability, she shouldn't have done something so brainless. She couldn't understand it; there were just too many uncertain factors.

"Oh, you're here! I've been looking everywhere... Mei, come and beg me."

Just as Shen Gonglin and Mei were sitting there deep in thought, the sound of high heels clicking on the floor rang out. A mercenary in black walked over. Ever since Griseo appeared in the Elysian Realm Hall, Raven, the king of the kids, had been hanging out with her all the time. It felt like it had been a long time since they had seen her. And now, as soon as she arrived, she arrogantly said such things to Mei.

Is this person in need of a slash? Mei silently placed her hand on the hilt of her sword and looked up at her. If she really was in need of a slash, she could help her.

"What do you want me to beg you for? To kneel down beside you and beg you not to die?"

Mei was already in a bad mood, and then this guy came over to make his presence known. She threatened him in a sinister tone. Mei had never been inferior to anyone in her life, and she would never ask anyone for help... except for Shen Gonglin, of course.

"... Where did you learn that lame joke from? I've heard some rumors that might interest you. Remember Sakura's sister? I never imagined that the reason for her death would be something we hadn't considered... Shen Gonglin, you didn't know that Sakura had a sister."

Startled by Mei's words, Raven spoke up. It seemed that the only way to get this Herrscher girl to behave was to find a different setting. Don't let her current cool demeanor fool you; she was incredibly soft-hearted when she was drunk last time, begging Shen Gonglin wondered if he could Griseo to draw that scene. Mei would definitely be devastated, but wouldn't that be a bad influence on the children?

"Sister? What's going on... Ugh, it's happening again..."

Before Mei could ask any further questions, the dizziness from Aponia's call surged into her mind again. Mei held her head, trying to resist the feeling, but as always, it was futile. Luckily, this time she was sitting on the steps and wouldn't fall. Aponia, that person, is really annoying.

And so, to Raven's astonishment, Mei's body went limp and she collapsed onto Shen Gonglin again. This ability would be absolutely invincible for faking accidents in the future.

Come this way, Mei.

The familiar space, before Mei could even soothe the discomfort in her head, Aponia's voice rang out. Mei pressed on, holding her breath. At the end of this narrow, dark passage was Aponia, "Imprisoned." How many times had this happened already? This feeling was anything but comfortable. She wanted to confront Aponia and demand to know what she was up to!

If you want to kill yourself in ten days, then just do it. Stop with all this beating around the bush.

[Mei, when you move around, please try to be as quiet as possible. The presence I store within me... is not entirely friendly.]

As if sensing Mei's emotional footsteps, Aponia's voice rang in Mei's mind once again. Upon hearing this voice, Mei unconsciously slowed her steps. The girl slowly approached the iron bars and looked at the woman sitting inside, who was barely visible. Looking at the woman's white hands, Mei inexplicably thought of Chakravartin's words.

I really want to break these hands... What a lame joke.

"You've come to visit me again, Mei?"

"Aponia, I didn't bring any pendants this time either, which means you could have brought me here at any time, at any time, based on your own will..."

Mei frowned as she looked at Aponia in the cell. She had wondered before if it was because she was wearing that pendant that Aponia had pulled her into this space so many times. But this time she had clearly taken off the pendant, yet it seemed to be the same as before.

"Mei, you've misunderstood. It simply fulfilled its mission. It's because of it that we're connected like this. You're much more clear-headed than before, and you're gradually adapting to this place, aren't you?"

Aponia's voice remained gentle. Although Mei couldn't see her face, she could still feel her gentle gaze upon her. She was right. Indeed, she seemed to be slowly gaining control of her thoughts and speech. Was this what she meant by adapting to this place?

"It seems so, Aponia, the Insignia of Discipline, I can finally talk to you like this."

Mei took a deep breath. At least she wasn't unable to control her language and thoughts like before, which was a good thing overall.

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Deep Hatred

"Is that so? I actually think Mei was more approachable before, like the children I used to take care of."

Aponia said this in a gentle voice that made people want to lower their guard, but in Mei's heart, alarm bells were ringing. Aponia was still in Mei's mind.

"There's no need for that. I've heard some things about you. Chakravartin's hatred for you... seems unusual. Did you burn his figurines? What else could have made him hate you so much?"

Just thinking about Chakravartin's attitude towards Aponia, Mei could feel the rage in that hot-tempered guy who wanted nothing more than to grind her to dust. Was this deep-seated hatred, the hatred of killing one's father?

"And it's not just him. I'm afraid... even one in ten people who don't hate me would be an exaggeration. Since I often bind the hands of others, then this day is only natural. Besides, Chakravartin is a beast by nature; no one hates cages more than him, right?"

Aponia sighed softly. Many people hated her, and Chakravartin was just one of them. Mei didn't know what to say about Aponia's honesty. So many people hate you, you must be amazing. Mei used to worry that Mei Shen Gonglin would offend many people because of her lack of emotional intelligence, but in the end she found that she had worried too much. No one really hates Shen Gonglin. As for Aponia... this woman doesn't seem to lack emotional intelligence, so how did she offend so many people?

And it seems like he has no intention of changing. Is Flame-Chasers just a problem child?

"... Since that's the case, you still did it anyway."

After struggling for a while, Mei could only blurt out this sentence: "This person often binds others; his hobby is really perverted, even more perverted than Shen Gonglin."

"Mei, you've been to the zoo before, right? Most of the cages aren't there to protect the humans watching from the outside, but to protect the animals themselves... Ah, could you, please, come a little closer?"

As if explaining her actions, Aponia suddenly said this. As always, when she uttered a certain word, no one could refuse her request. Her body reacted before she was even conscious. Mei moved closer to the cage, and then Aponia gently reached out again and placed her hand on the side of Mei's head.