Chapter 435

Lacking any conscience, Shen Gonglin used the power of the Herrscher of Reason to create a camera to preserve this image of Pardofelis. Such a photo must be preserved permanently.

"Hey! Shen Gonglin! Finally someone... Wait a minute, you, you're taking pictures? No! Shen Gonglin, you can't take pictures of this... Mei- nee? No, Mei- sama! Quick, help me!"

Finally, someone came over, but before Pardofelis could even be happy, she saw Shen Gonglin taking pictures of her from all angles. This guy has no conscience and can't be relied on, but if he's here, Mei must be here too. So the girl turned her head and sure enough, she found Mei. This is her real savior.

If it were Shen Gonglin, Pardofelis would actually be quite afraid that he would take advantage of her being stuck and unable to move to do something very strange.

The girl who was asking for help had a very sweet tongue. She gave Mei a sweet smile, trying to get her to lend Mei hand. However, Mei was looking at Pardofelis with her arms crossed and a very speechless expression. It was as if she was looking at a child with a slight intellectual disability. What should she do if she didn't want to get involved?

"Don't just stare, Mei- sama! You weren't this cold before! Aren't we comrades who would live and die together?! And Shen Gonglin... I feel like the places he's filming are getting weirder and weirder, hurry, hurry and save me!"

Seeing that Mei still didn't seem to be intervening, Pardofelis became anxious and shook her head, but this only made her grip tighter and did nothing else. The cat girl could only stare at Mei with her beautiful big eyes. She wasn't such a heartless girl.

"...I just don't understand why someone would get stuck in a treasure chest... Pardofelis, can you explain that?"

Mei Shen Gonglin was getting increasingly engrossed in taking photos, back to reality. She expressed her doubts, asking how Pardofelis could do such a thing. Mei felt that a normal person probably couldn't do something like this, Pardofelis was clearly not normal.

"Isn't it an adventurer's duty to open treasure chests when they see them? And isn't it only natural to go inside and inspect them carefully after opening them?! Mei, how could you ask such an unprofessional question? Haven't you ever played a game?"

Pardofelis answered confidently, and this reason was agreed upon by Shen Gonglin. She was right; it was indeed the duty of an adventurer. Shen Gonglin had done the same when she was a dragonborn, and she didn't spare even pots, pans, or rotten apples.

"I see, it is indeed a perfect trap for you... Curiosity killed the cat, I'll remember that. Shen Gonglin, remember this: never act rashly when you see a strange treasure chest in the future."

Mei nodded and began to teach Shen Gonglin. He had the same problem, so she would use Pardofelis's example to teach him a lesson.

"Please help me, Mei! This isn't the time for class... Oh, right, money... money! I, I'll pay... um... uh...? Ah... maybe I should try to figure something out myself?"

Feeling a bit uncomfortable being stuck, the unscrupulous merchant Pardofelis even considered paying Mei for help. However, when it came to actually doing so, Pardofelis hesitated. How much money should she ask for help? Damn it, no matter how much she paid Pardofelis felt extremely pained. So in the end, the girl simply gave up on asking for help. Asking her to pay money was like cutting flesh with a dull knife. Compared to that, Pardofelis felt it was better to continue being stuck.

Don't underestimate a shrewd businessman's obsession with money!

"...never mind."

Speechless at this behavior, Mei sighed and drew her knife. This action, however, startled Pardofelis so much that the hairs on her ears stood on end. What was Boss Mei trying to do? Was she planning to kill her just because she refused to pay? No, there must be another reason!

"Huh? Boss Mei, why did you draw your sword? I'm so sorry! I was planning to buy some goods from you tonight, but I haven't even made a move yet... I don't deserve to die... Ahhh!"

Seeing Mei raise her hand and swing her knife, the terrified girl blurted out everything with her eyes closed, trying to beg for forgiveness. However, a flash of light appeared, and Pardofelis felt a sense of relief. The box that had been blocking her was cleaved open by Mei. Pardofelis breathed a long sigh of relief. Thank goodness, it was just a box that was cleaved open.

"Ha... ha, what's this? So you're asking me to help you split the box open? I knew Mei was the best!"

Rescued, Pardofelis stretched and loosened her stiff arms and legs. The girl had a sweet tongue, and even her tail swayed and danced to please Mei. As expected, Mei- nee is the best, unlike some people who just watch the show.

Chapter 122

"Really? Then let's talk about what you just mentioned, about buying goods from me, shall we?"

Sheathing her sword, Mei crossed her arms and looked at the cat-like girl in front of her. This girl had just said some things that bothered her a lot. If she hadn't met Pardofelis here, she probably would have had more little creatures disappearing from her side tonight.

This wasn't the first time Mei had dealt with Pardofelis, and she roughly understood what Mei meant by "purchasing goods."

"Uh... this... oh well, let bygones be bygones! Mei, why don't we take a look at what's in this treasure chest? You saved me, so we'll split the treasure in half, but not Shen Gonglin... Waaaaah, Shen Gonglin, I was wrong, Mei forced me to say that."

Pardofelis was quite embarrassed after her actions were exposed. She then tried to change the subject by talking about the contents of the treasure chest to get closer to Mei. However, she forgot that Mei Shen Gonglin also there. Excluded from the Shen Gonglin Jingu snorted and grabbed Pardofelis's tail. This guy is a bit arrogant.

"Rin, you can bully her a little, let me see what's in this treasure chest... Hmm? This is... Vill-V's card?"

There was only one item in the huge box. Mei took the card out of the broken box, and just then, the card seemed to trigger some kind of mechanism. After taking the treasure, it would trigger a trap again. With so many layers of surprises, Mei probably already knew who had set this up.

"Pardofelis, step back..."

Seeing the enemy appear before her, Mei's thumb was already on the hilt of her sword; combat was nothing new to her.

"We've retreated to a safe enough place, Mei, keep it up!"

Before Mei could finish speaking, Pardofelis pulled Shen Gonglin to a safe place. Seeing this, Mei almost laughed. She had been so naive to worry about Pardofelis.

Despite these thoughts, Mei's hands never stopped moving. Amidst the flashing blades, she dispatched all the enemies that appeared around Mei. Her skill made Pardofelis, who was watching, shout excitedly, "Wow! In the blink of an eye, there's only one left! Mei, what amazing skills you have... Hey, why did it run away?"

Unexpectedly, the enemy would run away. This last enemy was different from the previous ones. Seeing the fleeing figure, Mei picked up her sword and chased after it. Seeing this, Pardofelis quickly pulled Shen Gonglin along to follow. Who knew what other dangers they might encounter? At this time, it was safer to stay by Mei's side.

"Wait for us, Mei- nee!"

Mei continued her pursuit, but more and more enemies appeared along the way, which puzzled her. More enemies? If this was all arranged by Vill-V Mei, there were just too many of them. And that strange individual that had just escaped... Oh well, in short, she should finish the battle at hand first.

Mei chased and Mei, but unfortunately, she couldn't see the figure of the monster that had just run away. It felt very strange. The girl stopped and recalled what the monster looked like. At this moment, Pardofelis and Shen Gonglin, who were trailing behind, finally caught up. It was because Pardofelis was there that Mei was able to chase without worry. If it weren't for her, Mei Shen Gonglin get lost.

"Wait, wait... Mei... let me... rest for a while..."

Compared to Mei's stamina, Pardofelis was panting heavily, while Shen Gonglin was even worse. Back in St. Freya, his stamina was among the worst. Luckily, he had Pardofelis as his mount. He had Pardofelis carry him halfway through the race, so now that they had run over, Pardofelis was so tired that he was sticking out his tongue. Did this guy think of him as a mount?

"I'm so tired... Mei, is that monster really that magical? You chased it for almost half a block... Hmm? It still got away."

Finally catching her breath, Pardofelis looked around. Mei had chased that thing for so long, but it still got away. What on earth was that thing?

"Hmm, it is indeed quite strange... I'm not sure either, I just have a strange feeling. Pardofelis, have you ever seen that kind of enemy?"

Mei couldn't quite explain the feeling in her heart, but she felt that the thing was very intriguing. After all, Pardofelis had been in the Elysian Realm longer than her. Mei asked Pardofelis if she knew what it was.

"Well... to be honest, Mei, you ran too fast. I didn't even get a good look at what that thing looked like. But in our time, all sorts of strange things are not unusual. It's normal that Mei hasn't seen anything like it before."

Pardofelis scratched her head. In fact, she hadn't even seen what Mei was chasing. Both she and the thing she was chasing were running too fast. As expected of Mei, those long legs made her run fast. Actually, she wasn't running too slow. It was just that she had to carry Shen Gonglin on her back. This short-legged guy was really not polite at all when he climbed onto her back.

"Perhaps."

Mei couldn't catch up with that thing, and she doesn't have a way to heat it up right now, perhaps just as Pardofelis said.

"Oh, never mind that for now, let's take a look at the treasure we found... Wow! It's a card with Vill-V's name on it! Wait a minute... Mei, judging from your knowing look, could this be yours? Well, let's return it to its rightful owner as a way of repaying the life-saving grace."

She showed a hint of reluctance, but Pardofelis still resolutely handed the card to Mei. Looking at the card with the name of Vill-V printed on it, Mei hesitated for a moment but still accepted the card. Well, it might be useful in the future, so she might as well keep it.

"You really know how to do business. This originally belonged to Mei, and now it's become your way of thanking you. You're such a shrewd businessman."

With Pardofelis saving him the trouble of walking, Shen Gonglin was now quite energetic. He glanced at Pardofelis with disdain, wondering who she resembled in terms of personality, but it certainly wasn't him.

"Who said that! I, Pardofelis, am known for my honesty and integrity! Of course, this is definitely not enough. As payment for saving me... Mei, I can take you all to plunder... cough cough, I mean explore this place. What do you think?"

Shen Gonglin wrinkled her little nose at Mei Pardofelis explore this place with her. Judging from what had just happened, there seemed to be a lot of good things here, but it was also quite dangerous. With Mei protecting her, she wouldn't be afraid at all.

"Just chasing after them, I spotted so many treasure chests! There must be many secrets hidden in this place that Sister Elysia hid. I know that Mei is always interested in anything related to Sister Elysia."

With her own agenda in mind, Pardofelis tried to invite Mei to join her in the looting, believing that with Mei's help, things would be much easier!

"... Perhaps. I care more about Eternal Elysium itself than the treasure chest. If we can explore it in detail, it's definitely worth a try."

Knowing what Pardofelis was up to was irrelevant to Mei. Although she didn't care about the treasure chest, Mei did need to investigate this Eternal Elysium in detail. Therefore, she agreed to Pardofelis's suggestion.

"Oh, then isn't that a win-win situation? Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for that monster for Mei too! So... is it settled then?"

Pardofelis reached out her hand to Mei and Shen Gonglin; if the three of them joined forces, they would surely achieve twice the result with half the effort.

"...All right."

He reached out and gave Pardofelis a high five, and the alliance to find the treasure chest and explore the Eternal Elysium was temporarily formed.

"So, why did we come back here?"

Looking at the familiar garden before her, Mei looked at Pardofelis with some confusion. This was the same garden that Elysia had taken her around before, and it was here that she met Kevin. She said she had to appease Kevin first before coming to find her. Now Pardofelis had brought her here again. What did she want to do?

"Because we need to explore each area one by one, thoroughly and completely! Don't worry, Mei, I'm a professional at this kind of thing, just trust me."

Pardofelis waved her hand dismissively. Mei was indeed very capable, but she didn't know much about adventurers' matters. Shen Gonglin, on the other hand, was different. Pardofelis saw the same qualities in him as she did. Didn't you see that he had already started searching? That's professionalism.

"... Alright, you two start then, I'll follow you."

Mei admitted that she wasn't very professional in this matter, and that she should listen to the opinions of professionals. So the girl could only obediently follow behind the two of them. But after going around and around for a long time, Mei finally couldn't help but speak up when she looked at the familiar scenery around her.

"Pardofelis... do you really know the way around here?"

Seeing Pardofelis happily humming a song, Mei didn't really want to interrupt, but she couldn't stay silent. There was definitely a problem; they hadn't come here for a walk.

"Treasure chest~ Treasure chest~ A golden treasure chest... Hmm? Why is Mei asking that?"

Humming a song she made up, Pardofelis was in high spirits. She looked around at every blade of grass and tree with great interest. Only after hearing Mei's words did she stand up and brush the grass clippings off her body. The cat girl looked at Mei strangely, wondering why she suddenly said such a thing. Was something wrong?

Chapter 123 The Universal Key

Why ask that? Looking at Pardofelis's puzzled expression, Mei felt her blood pressure rising. Did this girl really not realize it? Looking at the familiar scenery around her, Mei finally couldn't help but complain.

"Because we've walked this road many times before... Shen Gonglin, there's no need to look so surprised. I know you definitely didn't notice."

Mei was really helpless. Maybe Shen Gonglin had no sense of direction and didn't notice, but she knew very well that they had walked this road more than three times. Shen Gonglin was a bad navigator and definitely didn't know, but Pardofelis wasn't bad at directions, so she must have noticed.

"Huh, really? I was so focused on finding the treasure chest that I didn't even pay attention to the direction. Mei, don't you think the roads here are way too complicated? They're all so winding and turning, they're making me dizzy."

When Mei pointed it out, Pardofelis scratched her head sheepishly, but Mei wasn't so easily fooled. How could Pardofelis possibly get lost? The only reason she was leading her around here was because her exploration was far too thorough. It was as if she wanted to plow the ground, stepping on every single brick. What was wrong with her?

"Your exploration was too thorough. You've already entered this area from three different directions since just now. I have to remind you, no matter how many times you come back, treasure chests won't magically appear on this path."

Perhaps this is just the hobby of an "adventurer" like Pardofelis. Mei, who doesn't play games often, really doesn't understand why Pardofelis would stay in the same area for so long. Is it really okay to travel with her?

"I'm just afraid of missing something important. It's my first time here, so of course I have to explore every inch of this place before I leave. I'm determined to empty all the treasure chests here!"

With her hands on her hips, Pardofelis expressed her lofty ambitions. Mei, of course, didn't understand. What if there were hidden mechanisms here? Although Mei thought the work was a bit tedious, Pardofelis was thoroughly enjoying it.

"That's a grand ambition... but could you hurry? I'm in a rush."

There's not much to say about Pardofelis's grand ambitions. What Mei wants to do now is to finish the investigation as soon as possible. This Eternal Elysium is full of mysteries in Mei's heart. If she doesn't figure it out, Mei always feels that something unexpected will happen.

"Mei- nee is really impatient... but she's right, if only there were a way to get over these annoying walls... wait a minute, Shen Gonglin, what are you doing?"

Knowing that Mei was an impatient girl, Pardofelis also wanted to explore as soon as possible, but the garden was like a maze, and many doors were locked. If only she could just go in directly. While Pardofelis was still thinking of a way, she saw Shen Gonglin roll up his sleeves and rub his hands together as if he was ready to go. What was he planning to do?

"It's very simple. Just break into this kind of maze. Choose a direction and go straight ahead. I'll take care of clearing the way!"

Having summoned the ultimate arrow of the Universal Angel, Shen Gonglin took the jet-black longbow and prepared to clear a path. All he had to do was shoot through these walls and doors. This was a simple matter for Shen Gonglin, who was terrible with directions and mazes were especially difficult for him. Shen Gonglin had wanted to do this for a long time.

"Wait! Please, please leave this courtyard alone! This belongs to Sister Elysia. She's hiding it so carefully, she must value it very much. If it gets damaged, she'll definitely be angry! Mei, come and talk to your boyfriend! You can't do this! Let me think, there must be another way!"

Knowing what Shen Gonglin was trying to do, Pardofelis's tail bristled with fear at his actions. If she were to just stand by and watch Shen Gonglin act like this... It was fine that he was Sister Elysia's darling, but she couldn't. She had never seen Sister Elysia angry before, and Pardofelis didn't want to see her angry either. The girl grabbed Shen Gonglin's leg and began to desperately try to dissuade him. "And Mei, don't just stand by and watch! This guy is acting recklessly, aren't you going to do anything about it?"

"Wait a minute, Shen Gonglin, Pardofelis is right. This is Elysia's place. It's not good to destroy it like this. Let's hear what other ideas Pardofelis has."

Mei initially agreed with Shen Gonglin's method; dealing with this kind of maze required a simple and straightforward approach. However, Pardofelis was also right; this was Elysia's garden, and vandalizing it was not something a normal person should do. More importantly, the way Pardofelis referred to her as "your boyfriend" Mei, so she decided to offer some advice.

Since Mei had said so, Shen Gonglin could only put down his longbow. Actually, he had just acted on a whim. This place looked so beautiful, and it was Elysia's mental world. He didn't want to destroy it, so he just wanted to see what good ideas Pardofelis had.

"Let me think, let me think, I'm sure I have a way... That's right! Sister Vill-V's master key will definitely come in handy at times like this! How could I forget about that!"

Seeing that Shen Gonglin had put down the frightening longbow, Pardofelis quickly racked her brains and started thinking hard. She was afraid that if she couldn't come up with a solution, Shen Gonglin would destroy the house again. Under this psychological pressure, Pardofelis finally came up with a good idea. This was the time when the special key for purchasing goods came in handy.

"A universal key?"

Pardofelis actually has such a thing? Since it's made by Vill-V, it might really live up to its name of being omnipotent.

"Yes, it's a key that Sister Vill-V gave me. It can automatically adapt to all locks. It's been very useful when I'm getting supplies. Of course, there's a price for such a useful thing from Sister Vill-V. The price is that I have to find any goods that Sister Vill-V needs first."

The solution brought Pardofelis a sigh of relief. Thank goodness she came up with a solution; Sister Elysia's courtyard was saved. Pardofelis, I've really worried myself sick over this courtyard.

"Is this key really that powerful?"

Mei was highly suspicious of the key that Pardofelis praised so highly. If it was made by Vill-V, Mei would suspect that there was something fishy going on. Besides, Mei doubted whether it would actually be useful.

"You'll know once you get it. Come here~ I put it away beforehand when I was advising you, after all, it's such an important thing, we can't lose it."

With a confident stride, Pardofelis led the way, guiding Shen Gonglin and Mei out of the maze entrance. Indeed, after such a long delay, they were still lingering at the entrance.

Chapter 124 I'll Nourish You All Over

That said, these cards actually contain the power of Flame-Chasers. It's no wonder they were made by Vill-V; they actually have such abilities... Damn it, if I had known these things were useful, I would have accepted them when she offered them to me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have needed to do this. It is indeed the power of the imprint; Vill-V wasn't exaggerating.

Feeling the power emanating from those cards, Mei's expression became somewhat subtle. She regretted her decision, thinking, "What should I do? I was too hasty back then."

"Great, great! This gives Mei- nee another reason to explore with me! With me, a professional treasure hunter, I can find anything you want, Mei!"

Patting Mei on the shoulder, Pardofelis looked full of energy. After all, with Mei, such a powerful fighter, protecting her, she didn't have to be afraid of any danger. This was the legendary win-win situation.

"That's the only way... So where did you put your key? You haven't forgotten that too, have you?"

After putting away the cards and dealing with the enemies blocking her way, Mei looked at Pardofelis with a helpless expression. This girl was really unreliable, but it seemed that she could only rely on her now. It was really a headache. Was there no one more reliable among the Flame-Chasers?

"Don't worry, even if I forget my own name, I will never forget where the goods are hidden. That's my professional ethics as a businessman."

When it came to what she cared about most, Pardofelis emphasized very seriously that it didn't matter if people doubted her anywhere else, but when it came to goods and business, Pardofelis had a seriousness that no one else possessed.

"It's clear that you're really dedicated to your businesses."

Mei remained noncommittal. Perhaps Pardofelis might not be so reliable in other places, but in this place, Mei could entrust everything to this catgirl. This was the only thing Mei could be sure of after knowing her for so long: Pardofelis was someone she could trust in business matters.

"Hehehe, who would turn down money? Shen Gonglin, don't you think so?"