Chapter 432

Like a master of maintaining a balance, Elysia clasped her hands together, indicating that there was indeed something between them that she didn't want them to know.

Chapter 111 The Only Well-behaved Child in the Elysian Realm

Does she have to appease Kevin first before she can explain this Eternal Elysium to herself? Why does she feel like a fish in Elysia's fishpond? Just how deep is this fishpond? But she's not one of her fish, though. Mei glanced at Kevin; the man leaned against the wall, silent. It was obvious they were about to discuss something they didn't want her to know. Mei wasn't that curious, and she hadn't expected to get the truth from Elysia so soon after arriving here.

The truth is more credible when you find it out yourself through investigation.

"It's alright. Now that you've revealed your identity to me, I don't mind showing a little more patience. I trust you, but don't keep me waiting too long."

"Okay, see you in a bit."

Mei was already somewhat surprised to learn that Elysia was one of the Thirteenth Herrscher, so she didn't mind waiting a little longer. After receiving Mei's reply, Elysia responded crisply, and then she pushed Kevin and disappeared into the lush foliage. Mei also withdrew her gaze. With Elysia around, it was inconvenient for her to move around. There were still many places here that would attract attention, so she could take Shen Gonglin and investigate them on her own.

Moreover, Kevin's presence here gave Mei other ideas. Besides herself and Shen Gonglin, he probably wasn't the only outsider to enter this place. Perhaps she could meet other Flame-Chasers. If she did, she could ask them about the Thirteenth Herrscher.

Thinking this, Mei Shen Gonglin on a stroll through the dreamlike garden. Mei paid attention to everything around her, while Shen Gonglin seemed rather bored. Actually, he wasn't particularly interested in scenery; he wasn't the type to appreciate it. He'd rather focus his attention on other things, like that fleeting figure over there...

"Huh? Isn't that the Class President... Oh, now it should be Hua."

Shen Gonglin muttered to herself. Mei, who hadn't noticed earlier, looked over in confusion, but there was nothing there. Had Shen Gonglin Flame-Chasers earlier?

"It's definitely the Class President. That figure is unparalleled in the Elysian Realm. It hasn't changed in all these years. I suddenly feel a little hopeless about the Class President's future... Look, isn't this the Class President?"

Pulling Mei along, they caught up with Hua at a lookout Shen Gonglin. The girl stood quietly, gazing into the distance, showing no reaction even when Shen Gonglin Mei her. This was quite unusual for the Class President; even when Class President was silent, her eyes always held a thoughtful glint. But like this...

"Hua, are you... just spacing out here? That's quite unusual for you."

Mei's words startled Fu Hua from her daze. The girl turned around upon hearing the question, her blue eyes glancing briefly at Shen Gonglin before turning back to Mei. Dazedness was indeed something she shouldn't be doing.

"Ah, sorry. I was just spacing out. I didn't expect that such an area was hidden deep within the Elysian Realm. So, this surprised me a bit."

Fu Hua looked into the distance, where it seemed like there was no bounds in the sky. Everything here amazed Fu Hua; she had never been to such a place before. Hua's words surprised Mei; judging from her tone, she seemed unaware of the existence of this Eternal Elysium.

"You don't know about the existence of Eternal Elysium? Didn't Aponia tell the other Flame-Chasers what lies on the other side of the Deepest Place?"

Mei originally thought she was the only one kept in the dark, but if Hua was also here for the first time, did this prove that Flame-Chasers also had many things Elysia hadn't told her "colleagues"?

"Hmm, maybe it's just because we don't interact much. After becoming a memory, Aponia always keeps herself locked away in the Deepest Place of her being. But she's not the kind of person who would deliberately deceive everyone. Since it's a secret that Aponia is determined to protect, it must have some important significance."

Fu Hua gently shook her head. She often felt out of place with the others in the Elysian Realm because she was too normal. Fu Hua didn't know if this was her problem or someone else's, but she believed that since Aponia was protecting this place, it proved that this place had a reason to be protected.

"Elysia says this is her memory space."

It seems that Hua knows even less than I do. Is it because I and Shen Gonglin came here that we opened the door to this place, so Hua can also appear here?

"I see, this place does indeed have Elysia's style."

Hua revealed a knowing expression. This was exactly what she had expected. This kind of radiant mental space was indeed quite in line with Elysia's image. It seemed that the fairy girl's heart was always so radiant.

"She also said that all her memories are kept here, including... the part about the Thirteen Herrscher."

After a moment's thought, Mei told the truth. She wasn't sure if Hua knew about it, but she needed to know the information.

"The Thirteenth Herrscher!? That's..."

Hua's expression was one of surprise, but Mei saw something else in that surprise. She wasn't surprised by Elysia's identity as the Thirteenth Herrscher, but rather by how she knew about it. In other words, Hua knew Elysia's identity Thirteenth Herrscher.

"What's wrong, Hua... Do you know anything?"

Mei still places great hope in this rare normal person in this Elysian Realm. Unlike those riddle people, the Class President is a very good person, and this can be seen from the current Class President.

"I'm sorry, that's not something I should be telling you. Or rather, since I also know very little about the truth, one-sided information might mislead you. Since you heard about this from Elysia, following her lead is definitely the best way. Although many things have happened in the Elysian Realm recently... I still hope you can trust her."

Hua pondered for a moment and then gave this answer: Mei wanted to seek the truth from him, but he was not the one who should tell her everything, because he knew very little about the matter. Irresponsibly telling Mei would only lead her astray. In short, he did not know about the matter, so she could not speak carelessly.

Chapter 112 Hua's Shock

Mei's eyes held a subtle emotion. At first, she thought Fu Hua had also become one of those riddle-solving people. However, after hearing her explanation, Mei was deeply moved. It wasn't that she didn't want to speak, but simply that she didn't know. She truly deserved to be the only well-behaved child she had ever seen in this Elysian Realm who spoke obediently. She was completely different from people like Kosma and Kevin. Although she didn't gain anything from her, Mei still deeply moved.

"Thank you, thank you so much. I hope you can keep it up."

Shen Gonglin and Mei sincerely shook Hua's hands to express their gratitude. They had been exhausted from being troubled by the Riddler for some time, and now they had finally found someone who was willing to talk to them properly. How could they not be moved?

Shen Gonglin even thought that once she was able to assist Schicksal, she would issue the first decree of the Archbishop of Schicksal: any actions of the Riddler would be subject to punishment.

What? Why are they reacting like this? I didn't tell them anything, I didn't say anything. They're telling me to keep going, keep going what?

The only well-behaved child in the Elysian Realm was full of questions. The girl pulled her hand away from Mei's hand with some discomfort, while she tried to pull away from Shen Gonglin but couldn't. So the girl just let Shen Gonglin be. In fact, Hua had always had some strange feelings about him, as if she couldn't help but want to be close to him.

"By the way, what did Elysia say to you?"

As if changing the subject, Hua casually asked Mei, and the Herrscher girl's expression immediately turned helpless.

"She told me to wander around on my own, and then she disappeared."

"... Ah, well, that's definitely Elysia's style. We were all drawn here, and perhaps we ourselves are the answer here."

Hua sighed, Mei didn't quite understand what she was talking about. Hua smiled and shook her head.

"It's nothing, I just had a few thoughts while I was daydreaming, and I thought about some things from the past. The other Flame-Chasers have also come here. Why don't you follow Elysia's train of thought and chat casually with everyone you meet, just like we did? This might be part of an important piece of the puzzle."

Hua offered such advice, and her straightforward manner delighted Mei. The Class President was truly a wonderful person, both now and in the past. Mei was deeply moved. She would clearly tell you what was the best thing to do right now. She truly deserved to be Shen Gonglin's guardian. If she were to marry Shen Gonglin in the future, she would definitely make her sit at the table of mothers-in-law.

"Understood, thank you."

You're welcome. See you later, Mei.

"Okay. See you later, Hua."

Having gotten what she wanted from Fu Hua, Mei turned to leave with Shen Gonglin, but Fu Hua spoke up again from behind.

"Um... Shen Gonglin, can I stay for a moment? I have something I want to tell you."

After hesitating for a moment, Hua called out to Shen Gonglin. Whenever she saw him, she felt a little excited. Hua didn't know what it was, but this feeling lingered in her heart. Fu Hua felt that she should do something, otherwise this feeling would continue and she didn't know what kind of impact it would have on her state of mind.

"Okay, Mei, you go first. I'll talk to the Class President... um, Hua."

Rin Shen Gonglin nodded without hesitation. What was there to worry about with the Class President? Mei had the same reaction. Although Hua wasn't the Class President they remembered, Mei trusted her character completely. It was definitely more reassuring than being with someone like Elysia.

"Okay, I'll wait for you over there."

Mei nodded and left. Of course, she didn't dare to go too far. This Eternal Elysium hadn't been explored properly yet. Given Shen Gonglin's terrible sense of direction, who knew what might happen if she left him to act alone? So she had to keep an eye on things herself. That was the only way out, Shen Gonglin would never get lost.

"Mei... she and you have a very good relationship."

It was clear that Mei cared about Shen Gonglin. Watching the girl's departing figure, Hua sighed and said, "Are they the kind of relationship I imagined?"

"Yes, we have a very good relationship. Of course, we also have a pretty good relationship with the Class President."

Shen Gonglin casually remarked that he had a pretty good relationship with everyone else, whether it was Schicksal or Anti-Entropy, he had quite a few good friends. He felt that calling her by her name was a bit too much, so Shen Gonglin decided to just call her "Class President" instead, it would be easier to say, after all, a name is just a code.

Was he and Shen Gonglin also on good terms in his time?

Seeing Shen Gonglin's unabashed intimacy with her, Fu Hua felt somewhat at a loss. After all, she had never been so close to anyone before. Even Shen Gonglin standing casually in front of her made Fu Hua a little nervous. This distance had exceeded the safe distance between people. Had she, who had lived to his era, already fallen to this level?

It seems that my future self often interacts with Shen Gonglin at this distance.

"Class President? In your world, is that what kind of relationship we have?"

This wasn't the first time Hua had heard Shen Gonglin address her as that. She was just a memory from the Elysian Realm, so even if she knew something, it wouldn't cause any spacetime paradoxes. Therefore, Hua had nothing to worry about. She and Shen Gonglin were Class President and classmate, and Hua thought they would be even closer.

"How could that be all? We're very close. We even slept together before I came here."

Seemingly intrigued by the floor tile, Shen Gonglin squatted down and tried to pry it off. However, his words shocked Hua. What was he saying? Sleep together? Did he hear me right?

"... Oh, it must be that we spend the night together somewhere during camping or group activities. There should be a lot of people there."

As expected of Hua, she quickly adjusted her mindset and tried to understand the scene that Shen Gonglin described. It must be like this; there couldn't be any other reason.

"Hey, Class President, how did you know? There are definitely a lot of people here. They're all in my room, including you, Kiana, and Bronya... There are just too many people, I can't even count them all."

Shen Gonglin looked at Hua in surprise. So Hua had been so smart all along. She hadn't even said anything yet, and Hua already knew there were so many people. She was really amazing.

Chapter 113 The Ignorant Girl Can't Accept It

How much did you go through to become like this in the future?

Stunned by Shen Gonglin's words, Hua stared at Shen Gonglin, speechless, hardly believing her ears. What had she just heard? Had she heard correctly? Why was her future self spending the night in Shen Gonglin's room with so many people, and all those names, if there were no surprises, should be girls' names?

Hua was utterly baffled. She was absolutely certain she wasn't that kind of person, but Shen Gonglin didn't seem fake; it was as if everything had actually happened. This made Hua feel a rift. Would she really become that kind of woman in the future? Suddenly, she felt a reluctance to grow up... not that she didn't want to live to see his era, but it felt like an incredibly long time had passed, long enough for her own civilization to have perished and for a new civilization to have already emerged. That meant...

In the course of millions of years, have I also changed like this? As expected, people always become the kind of people you hate the most. Is my relationship with Shen Gonglin really that kind of relationship?

"Jingu... In your time, was our relationship really that good?"

Hua felt she already had some answers in her heart, but she still wanted to confirm them again. Maybe Shen Gonglin was just teasing her. That guy was really wicked. Maybe there really was such a possibility. No matter what she went through, she would never become that kind of person.

"Of course, we're in a life-or-death relationship. If you don't believe me... well, I'll show you. Even though you seem to be just a memory, I think this method should still work."

Shen Gonglin reached out and touched Hua's forehead. The girl instinctively wanted to back away, since she wasn't familiar with Shen Gonglin yet. However, after hesitating for a moment, she remained standing still. She was confident that Shen Gonglin wouldn't hurt her.

Through the initial application of the Herrscher of Consciousness's abilities, Shen Gonglin can allow others to see the scenes depicted by his consciousness. So far, fragments of his interactions with Fu Hua have been extracted and transmitted into Hua's consciousness. Speaking of the Class President, Shen Gonglin can't help but think of other things. Whether it was when Little Herrscher of Consciousness occupied his body or when the Class President was in her true form, she is now particularly lenient with him. It seems that as long as he acts cute... cough cough, not cute, but a serious request.

The Class President will most likely agree.

Originally, he only intended to transmit snippets of his daily interactions with Fu Hua, but as Shen Gonglin's thoughts gradually strayed, some unspeakable scenes were also transmitted into Hua's mind. The girl, whose face was already slightly flushed, suddenly couldn't hold back anymore. What the hell is this? Is this how my future will turn out? This kind of treatment...?

I'd rather just die!

For the "young" Hua, those images were far too impactful. The girl's face turned as red as a boiled crab. She glared at Shen Gonglin, and then the valiant female warrior vanished in a flash.

This... does seem a bit awkward, like tricking an innocent girl into watching some indecent movie. The current Class President is undoubtedly an innocent girl.

Scratching his cheek, Shen Gonglin was a little embarrassed, but with his thick skin, the feeling quickly disappeared. By the time he reached Mei's side, he was completely back to being nonchalant. Mei looked at Shen Gonglin suspiciously; he didn't seem to know anything from his demeanor, but...

"What were you two talking about just now? Why did it seem like you didn't hear me when I greeted Hua as she ran over? You didn't bully her, did you?"

Seeing Shen Gonglin's nonchalant demeanor, Mei harbored deep suspicions. For Hua to display such an attitude, there was no doubt that only Shen Gonglin could do such a thing, but Shen Gonglin shouldn't be that kind of person... Well, he is that kind of person after all. Conscience has never been associated with Shen Gonglin.

Maybe he was just getting revenge on the Class President for being too strict with him, so he bullied the still-young Class President? Come to think of it, the Class President doesn't seem to have changed much; Mei was referring to his figure.

"How could I possibly bully the Class President? She's probably in such a hurry to go to the bathroom, Mei. What should we do next?"

Shen Gonglin Jingu denied it outright, but Mei didn't pay much attention to it. Her attention was drawn to whether the memory would need to go to the toilet. As for what to do now, Mei had already made up her mind.

"Let's go and meet the others in this Eternal Elysium first. The gate here seems to have been opened, and the other Flame-Chasers have also come. I wonder if they are also completely unaware of this place. While I was waiting for you, I think I saw Kosma. Although talking to him is indeed tiring, we can't pretend we didn't see him."

Having decided on their next goal, Mei led Shen Gonglin to the place where they had seen Kosma earlier. Sure enough, the autistic boy was there. He had obviously heard Mei's voice as she approached, but when Mei stood right in front of him, he just stared at Mei without saying a word. Heh, she was already used to this feeling.

"... Although it happens often, I still want to remind you, Kosma. Communication in the general sense is through language, not facial expressions. We are not close enough to be able to convey information through facial expressions."

If she didn't speak, this guy would probably just stare at her silently all day. Mei sighed and spoke up first. It was really tiring to talk to this kind of riddle-solving person. It was a stark contrast to talking to Yu Hua. She truly deserved to be the only good child in the Elysian Realm.

"...I just...never mind."

She finally managed to speak, but Kosma's words still made her blood pressure rise. Mei gripped Shen Gonglin's hand slightly tighter. Now she wholeheartedly agreed that when Shen Gonglin returned to Schicksal, she should issue such a decree that all the riddle tellers should be sentenced!

"It's just some trivial sentiment. I've only ever seen such scenery in photos before. The place where I was born and raised was never very peaceful to begin with, and it got even worse after the Honkai. I want to change that terrible place, perhaps... so that one day more people can see such scenery."

Perhaps sensing Mei's dissatisfaction, Kosma spoke quite a bit this time. "Is this Elysia's world? It's definitely much brighter than my own world."

Chapter 114 Sharing the Same Misfortune

"However, such wishes are just fleeting clouds. Everything has long since ended. We who are here are nothing more than a group of shadows caught in self-contradiction. In the end, perhaps only one thing has never changed... Elysia, I have never been able to keep up with her thoughts."

It was rare for Kosma to talk so much today, and he even brought up Elysia on his own initiative. Since Mei wanted to learn about her from other Flame-Chasers, Mei didn't hesitate to speak up.

"Because Elysia is a Herrscher."

"Who told you that?"

Kosma didn't suspect Elysia's identity. What he cared about was who told Mei about this. No one else should have told her.

"It was Elysia herself."

"Okay, if it's her, then it makes sense."

It seems that Kosma also knows about Elysia's identity Herrscher. This is not a secret. Mei can also read this information from Kosma's reaction. It needs to be investigated further. The Flame-Chasers all know about this, and their attitude... Mei thought about this. It is enough to get this much information from Kosma. He probably won't say anything more. Let's go and see what else is going on.

Knowing Kosma's personality, Mei turned to leave, but Kosma called her back. Having overheard some things in the Elysian Realm and seeing the horns on Mei's head, Kosma suddenly became curious.

"Wait a minute, you were also affected by Elysia..."

Mei noticed Kosma's gaze, but it didn't look her in the eye. Instead, it moved upwards, slowly upwards, until it stopped at a perfect angle. There was nothing there, except... Realizing something, Mei's gaze also settled on the top of Kosma's head. Like herself, it had horns. Given Elysia's personality...

The two remained silent, leaving Shen Gonglin completely bewildered. What were they doing?

"You also..."

After a long while, Mei spoke up, her eyes filled with a sense of shared misery, saying, "This is really not something to boast about."