Chapter 454

Mei was already very satisfied that Mei was willing to say this to herself. The reason why Mei didn't tell her must be because there was a reason that she shouldn't know. Hua trusted Mei a lot, and similarly, she wouldn't hide anything from Mei when it came to her questions. She would share everything she thought Mei could know with her.

Is there any possibility of remediation?

"As far as I know, no."

"...I understand, thank you."

Feeling somewhat heavy-hearted, Mei nodded her thanks to Hua and left. She didn't forget to take Shen Gonglin with her when she left. Hua just stood there quietly watching them leave. Mei was hiding something from her... She seemed to have a vague idea of what it was.

[Visitor, please forgive my intrusion... but you don't usually seem to trust others as much as you do now.]

After leaving Hua, the previously silent voice resounded in Mei's heart again. Su could sense that Mei distrusted the other Flame-Chasers to varying degrees, but during her conversation with Hua, Su sensed a lot more. She trusted Hua very much, more than anyone else in the Elysian Realm. There was also something Su didn't say: it wasn't just trust, but he felt... there was also a bit of respect.

To me, she is no stranger, though a long period of time separates us, but... Hua is Hua, nothing more.

Mei explained that her trust in Hua stemmed entirely from her trust in the Class President in real life. You can always trust Fu Hua, and the Class President is Shen Gonglin's guardian, so Mei naturally wants to get along with her. These days, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships have become a social problem, and Mei cannot allow such a thing to happen to her, so respect is a must.

Besides, Hua is the only pure soul among these riddle-solving people in the Elysian Realm. Now, Hua is like a white moonlight in Mei's heart. How could Mei not respect her?

Poor Mei has no idea that Shen Gonglin's official guardian has arrived, and even the Class President, her former guardian, has started trying to please others. Now, with her like this... even the idea of taking a roundabout approach is no longer an option.

[I see.]

It seems that Hua is still active in the era of visitors.

"Mei, don't you feel that the monsters here seem to have gotten a lot stronger?"

Su concealed her voice, after all, Shen Gonglin and Mei were currently fighting, and too much communication would only affect their battle. Cutting through the enemy in front of her, Shen Gonglin felt a noticeable stiffness in her longsword. It shouldn't be that her weapon, constructed with the Herrscher of Reason's abilities, was inadequate; it was definitely because these guys had become stronger.

"Yes, that's true... but it's still within the scope of being resolved."

After clearing away the enemies blocking her path, Mei spotted a green figure ahead— Mobius. Meeting her was quite unexpected. If possible, Mei would rather interact with the other Flame-Chasers.

"Oh, isn't this the guinea pig? Didn't I say I didn't want anyone bothering me... Hey, Shen Gonglin, you're here too."

Mei waved at Shen Gonglin, and the two completely different attitudes made Mei want to curse her in her heart for being hypocritical. Besides, did she ever say that she didn't want people to bother her? She had no recollection of it at all.

No, she didn't say that.

Sue silently complained to Mei, and when his voice rang out, Mobius seemed to have noticed it as well. She turned to look at Mei, and after discovering something, even her eyes seemed to change.

"Huh? Su actually joined you? Hmph... his judgment is getting worse and worse..."

Mobius curled his lips. This Elysian Realm really is everyone's favorite place. Even Sue is following Mei. Is this what it means to be the most beloved by the group?

"You... can you hear Su's words?"

Mei asked hesitantly, wondering how she didn't know that Mobius had such an ability, that Sue's mental link with her could be eavesdropped on and captured by others.

Chapter 184 Reactions from All Sides

"Heared Su's words? Of course not, but knowing of his existence is not difficult at all. What did he say?"

Mobius denied it, saying that he wasn't Flame-Chaser with a mental perception ability and couldn't do that kind of thing, but it was easy for him to sense Su's presence. If he couldn't even do that, then he couldn't be called Flame-Chasers. Mobius looked at Mei with interest. Su would attach his spirit to Mei, so what did he say just now?

"He just said...a person of his age shouldn't speak in that tone."

Mei retorted mercilessly, knowing full well that such words couldn't possibly have come from Su. Mei was merely using Su's name to say what she wanted to say to Mobius. This Mobius girl's true age was not the girl form she was currently seeing; her real age was unknown. Even in this state, she still used that childish tone, which greatly annoyed Mei.

"You really can't lie, you little guinea pig. Don't bother me unless it's important. I'm not like you guys."

Mobius snorted lightly, seemingly not taking the matter to heart, but this girl was very vengeful. It wasn't that she cared that Mei hadn't lied to her, but rather... this girl had no intention of lying to her at all; she just wanted to say it out loud. Really, when did she become so wicked?

Mobius waved at Mei, no longer wanting to talk to her.

"Mobius. The typewriter has confirmed Elysia's... death."

Ignoring Mobius's order to leave, Mei updated her on the current situation. Unlike Sue, Mei couldn't sense the situation, so she could only relay it verbally. Only then did she realize that even just saying such things aloud was a burden for her.

"Hmph, this was just a waste of time. Is Su still here? Let him listen carefully... You're only now realizing your mistake, aren't you? If you had done as I said earlier, instead of repeatedly obstructing me... things wouldn't have turned out this way. That woman... she killed herself, otherwise I would have already sent you all to bask in the sun in reality."

Mobius seemed completely unconcerned. Shen Gonglin remained silent as an observer. He knew that this girl's words were probably harder than Kevin's Greatsword of Heavenly Fire, and what she had just said... No, the information was insufficient. It sounded like a complete riddle. Shen Gonglin truly had no idea what had happened between those Thirteen Flame-Chasers.

It seems unlikely that much progress will be made with Mobius.

With Mobius's attitude, it was clear that there would be no better development for her. Su's voice rang in Mei's mind, and the girl nodded in agreement. She could see that too.

"So, Mobius, you... are you completely not going to get involved in this?"

We need to ascertain Mobius's thoughts. Judging from her current state, Elysia's "disappearance" seems to have no impact on her at all. She doesn't seem to care at all, so does she not intend to take any action?

"Little lab rat, do you think we've only lost one person?"

Mobius's words were meaningful; this wasn't the first time something like this had happened.

"No, I don't think so."

"Then what else do you want to ask? I will neither turn back nor stop, no matter... who we lose."

Although the Mobius girl currently appears very cold, why does Shen Gonglin feel that she's just pretending? Elysia must hold a large place in Mobius's heart, and although Mobius has been trying to hide it, Shen Gonglin feels that her tone is a bit off, and what she's saying...

Finally, like a male protagonist, Shen Gonglin stepped forward. Under the surprised gazes of Mei and Mobius, Shen Gonglin placed his hand on Mobius's head. The hair ornament on the girl's head was a bit prickly, so Shen Gonglin adjusted his posture before he could smoothly stroke that head of green hair. Not knowing what to say, he simply stroked her hair.

"What are you doing?"

Perhaps Shen Gonglin's actions were too terrifying, because no one spoke after he did it. Even Su's spirit, which was attached to Mei, didn't utter a sound. After an unknown amount of time, Mobius broke the somewhat silent atmosphere. What was he doing?

"Hmm... I don't know why, I just wanted to do it this way. If there's anything wrong with it, just... bear with it."

Shen Gonglin couldn't explain why she acted that way, but Mei, who had come to her senses, quickly pulled her away. Mobius was very dangerous, and it was terrifying for Shen Gonglin to just casually reach out and touch him like that.

Even after Shen Gonglin Mei, Mobius was still in a daze, as if the feeling from just now was still lingering on his head. Had someone stroked his hair... no, patted his head? He had never felt anything like this before. This feeling... how should he put it?

Mobius didn't quite understand.

The girl sitting in the aircraft looked around and, after confirming that no one was around, she raised her hands and gently placed them on her head. Then, Mobius frowned slightly. No, this wasn't the feeling. It was completely different from when Shen Gonglin touched him earlier.

"Shingu, I warned you, Mobius is dangerous, and you can't just touch whatever you see outside. It's unhygienic and unsafe. Promise me you won't do it again. This time it's fine, but what if she bites or scratches you next time?"

After leading Shen Gonglin away from the area where Mobius was, Mei solemnly warned Shen Gonglin that with the Class President absent, she was Shen Gonglin's guardian. Shen Gonglin's behavior just now was far too dangerous. Although Mobius seemed to treat him quite well, that was no reason for him to act recklessly. It was very dangerous, did you understand?

Bite him? Scratch him? Does this visitor think of Mobius as some unruly kitten? Shen Gonglin Raiden Mei's, but is this how they interact? Also, the fact that Mobius didn't lose his temper just now is quite frightening.

Su remained silent, deeply shocked by what had just happened. What difference was there between Shen Gonglin's actions and touching a tiger's tail?

Chapter 185 Unable to Return

Alright, visitor, let's get down to business.

In the end, it was Su who spoke up to help Shen Gonglin, and after he obediently reflected on his actions, Mei also focused her attention on the problems that needed to be dealt with. She said that she should do the important things first, but there was still no progress. Even if she wanted to do them, she didn't know where to start and had no clue what to do.

There hasn't been much progress... after all, it happened suddenly and was unprecedented.

They're even keeping secrets from each other.

"In that case, Sue, I've decided to see how things go in person. Klein ... perhaps she can offer some technical assistance from other angles."

After thinking for a moment, Mei came up with this idea. Continuing in Eternal Elysium wouldn't make any progress, so Mei had to find another way. As the administrator of the Elysian Realm, Klein might be able to get some help from her.

Indeed, it's worth a try. In that case, visitor, I will help you return to the entrance to the Elysian Realm, and then... let us each do our part.

Sue didn't have any good ideas either, but Mei's suggestion wasn't entirely wrong. So this Flame-Chasers opened a passage to the Elysian Realm for Mei. She had her own way, and she had her own methods.

After a moment of mental blankness, Shen Gonglin and Mei found themselves back at the entrance to a passageway. Did all these Flame-Chasers possess such abilities? Pardofelis did, Elysia did, and now even Su...

This is as far as we can take our visitors.

Sending them here was already the limit. Sue now needs to extract the spirit she was attached to from Mei. The other Flame-Chasers should have already gathered together by now.

"That's enough, thank you. I won't be gone for too long."

Mei shook her head and gently placed her fingers on Shen Gonglin's temples, massaging them slowly. Such teleportation always caused some discomfort, and a massage would help her recover quickly.

Perhaps it would be wiser for you to leave and never return. But I will not interfere; your path... is for you to choose, visitors.

After saying that, without any warning, the power left by Su in Mei's body was suddenly pulled away as the mental link was severed. For a few seconds, a strong feeling of exhaustion lingered in Mei's body, and the girl's steps were a little unsteady. Shen Gonglin quickly reached out to support Mei. He looked at Mei's face with great concern. He was very worried because he didn't know what had happened. Is Mei alright?

"It's nothing, it's just that Su's spirit has left... Let's go."

Smiling at Shen Gonglin, the girl, having regained her composure, returned to her heroic demeanor. She walked forward, knowing that she would be able to return to the Elysian Realm Hall after passing through this narrow passage. She disappeared into the persistent darkness of the corridor, waiting for the light to shine again. Some of the influence of the mental perception Flame-Chaser still lingered in her consciousness, causing certain memories to surface inexplicably at this moment.

Shen Gonglin probably isn't used to this silence, so let me talk to him to relieve my boredom.

"Shen Gonglin, I remember when I was little, my father would sometimes read me a passage of unknown origin... Those we love will one day escape back. Back to a new world, to that dignified and glorious morning. We must take good care of them... But, will those people really come back? And what about that so-called morning...?"

Having uttered such ambiguous words, Mei Shen Gonglin the darkness. In the dim light, Shen Gonglin's expression was somewhat puzzled. Did he not understand? That was normal; Mei was simply speaking from her heart. She felt that every day was like a morning when she was with him.

"Alright, if you can't figure it out, don't think about it anymore. We should be here by now."

Light appeared ahead, and Mei pulled Shen Gonglin out. But what appeared before her eyes shocked the girl. It wasn't the familiar Elysian Realm Hall. Had she... returned to the trials of the Elysian Realm?

Before Mei think, a multitude of monsters that only appeared during the "Trials" rushed out from all around her. Elysia had said that only by going deeper could she learn more about the Elysian Realm, but hadn't she already passed the Trials?

In such a trial, if you are exhausted or want to return to the Elysian Realm Hall, even if you are defeated by the monster, you will eventually return safely in the hall. But what's going on now?

"In short, let's deal with the enemy at hand first."

Mei Shen Gonglin was ready for battle, and Mei drew her longsword without hesitation. Something was wrong. That passage was indeed the exit, but how did she end up here? Had someone interfered with her senses in her consciousness space? No... Su hadn't left yet at that time. It was hard for anyone to do something like that without his knowledge. She should try to return to the hall again.

The enemy before them seemed to have been greatly strengthened, and even Mei was having some trouble. She used some of her true abilities to temporarily clear out the monsters in front of her. After that, Mei and Shen Gonglin passed through the portal again, but the scene around them was exactly the same as before. What was going on? Had they entered the same trial as before?

Before Mei could have much time to think, the monster, which had become noticeably stronger, charged forward again. Shen Gonglin also frowned. He had already tried, but the power of the Herrscher of the Void could not be used smoothly. It was as if the familiar space around him had fluctuated and changed again. This was no longer the Elysian Realm space he knew.

It was as if something was infecting the space I was already familiar with.

And these monsters... are far more powerful than any monsters Mei and I have ever seen before.

Powerful monsters kept appearing, and Shen Gonglin and Mei had unknowingly fallen into a fierce battle. Their stamina was failing, and Mei's breathing had become rapid and erratic. The situation was not looking good; Elysia was missing, and they couldn't contact the outside world. If they died now...

Mei was unsure if she would reappear unscathed in the Elysian Realm Hall like she had before when she failed in her explorations. Her anxiety grew, and her vision blurred. At that moment, a different light appeared in Mei's eyes. This... wasn't this the monster she had encountered before, the one who didn't belong in the Elysian Realm?

Chapter 186

Seeing that incongruous color, Mei first saw it when she met Pardofelis in Eternal Elysium, and then it disappeared without a trace. But now... Mei keenly sensed that it must be something very important, but when she wanted to kill it, her body was too tired to do so. Shen Gonglin also discovered the trace of this thing, and just as he was about to make a move, he heard a sound of a body falling to the ground behind him.

"Mei!"

When Shen Gonglin turned around, she saw that the girl, overwhelmed, had collapsed heavily to the ground. Between chasing and taking care of Mei, Shen Gonglin did not hesitate to choose the latter. The enemies around them were still closing in, and Mei was in no condition to protect herself. She had to protect her.

"Fire!"

A blue light flashed, and the Herrscher of Reason's power created countless cannons around her. At Beiyue's command, the cannons burst forth with blue beams of light, clearing away the surrounding enemies. However, the previously concerning presence had vanished. Shen Gonglin's expression darkened. He shielded the unconscious Mei behind him. The enemies that had been cleared out surged forward again. It seemed that things were indeed a bit troublesome.

After an unknown amount of time, the enemies grew stronger and more numerous. Even Shen Gonglin felt considerable pressure, as his stamina was limited. Whether using the Herrscher of Reason's abilities or other powers, these methods ultimately depleted his energy. Moreover, he had to protect Mei while dealing with them, which made Rin Shen Gonglin somewhat constrained. Fortunately, although Mei was unconscious, it seemed that some kind of power was protecting her to a minimum. He could only hope that she was alright.

"Shen Gonglin Mei? What happened to Mei...?"

As Shen Gonglin cleared away the surging enemies once again, and he prepared for battle, the seemingly endless enemies did not appear this time. Instead, a girl dressed in black appeared. Fu Hua appeared out of nowhere and looked at the somewhat disheveled Shen Gonglin with curiosity. What was even more intriguing was the unconscious girl behind him. How could they have become like this in just a short time?

"Phew... Hua, you're here... First, help me get Mei to a safe place, I'm exhausted."

Seeing that it was Hua, Shen Gonglin breathed a sigh of relief. Whenever she saw Hua, she always felt a sense of security. With Hua here, she didn't have to pretend to be strong anymore. Shen Gonglin sat down next to Mei and breathed a sigh of relief. Hua, my superhero.

"What happened... Okay, let's get out of here first."

Knowing this wasn't the place to talk, Hua helped Mei up and reached out her hand to Shen Gonglin. Hua led the two back to Eternal Elysium. After placing Mei on a bench, she wanted to ask Shen Gonglin about the situation, but he had fallen asleep after relaxing. Looking at Shen Gonglin's sleeping face, Fu Hua hesitated for a moment but didn't wake Shen Gonglin up. He seemed very tired, so she decided to let him sleep.

As for Mei ... Hua looked at Mei, who was still unconscious, and suddenly felt as if she were gazing at her own distant past from another perspective. She herself had also fallen into a coma, fought bitterly, and been tested for various reasons, just like the girl before her.

Sigh, they're all... unpleasant memories.

She gently pressed her finger to her forehead. Those memories were certainly not pleasant. However, it was precisely these unpleasant memories that remained in her mind to this day, while the warm memories that she would rather recall in winter had all flowed away from her, leaving not a single drop.

Of course, when it comes to the so-called big picture, those painful memories are more important.

But which factor ultimately led me to where I am today? Was it the pleasant memories, or these unpleasant ones? Perhaps it was both. The happy and warm memories motivated me to fight to protect them, while the unpleasant memories were the price I paid for gaining strength. All of these are important components of who I am.

Just as the girl was pondering these questions, Mei, who was unconscious, finally showed some reaction. The girl frowned and opened her eyes. After a brief moment of blankness, she quickly recovered. Shen Gonglin, she didn't have the problem of low blood pressure when she woke up. After confirming that she was safe, she noticed the girl standing next to her.

"...magnificent?"

Sitting up, Mei spoke softly. Hua seemed to be thinking about something, but she was safe now. Looking at Shen Gonglin lying on the other side of the bench, Mei's last worry disappeared. It seemed that everything was alright.

"Ah, you're awake."

Awakening from her reverie, Hua helped Mei sit up, and the girl returned to her usual serious demeanor. Mei, now clear-headed, recalled what she had seen while she was unconscious—that indescribable thing. Mei felt that it had some important connection to the recent changes in the Elysian Realm.

"... Hua, how much time has passed?"