Chapter 463

"I saw your memories of the night Kevin disappeared. You spent the whole night collecting goods from various places, and only fell asleep holding the goods when it was almost dawn."

Mei stepped forward, but she didn't let Shen Gonglin release Pardofelis. After all, what she had just heard from her was too disturbing. She knew that Padre had to keep things from her and Elysia. Although she was reluctant to say it, Pardofelis was in serious trouble.

"Yes, yes... After all, I found a lot of good things during the treasure hunt, so I'm a little excited. But does this prove my innocence? Shen Gonglin, let me go, it's uncomfortable to be on the ground..."

Pardofelis struggled slightly. For someone as agile as her, being caught like this was a first. What were the consequences of being caught as a thief? But the important thing was that she hadn't stolen anything this time.

"Mei, look, you said you checked my goods all night, which proves I'm innocent and cleared of suspicion. Now I can investigate with you, right? Or is this how Shen Gonglin is treating me, as part of the initiation ceremony? Then I strongly request that Vill-V -nee join the investigation too!"

The cat was clamoring that Vill-V should also enjoy the same treatment she received. If everyone had experienced it, she would feel more at ease. Mei, needless to say, had definitely been pinned to the ground or onto the bed by Shen Gonglin.

"But before you went to sleep, you said you were going to do something behind my and Elysia's back. Pardofelis, is there some other secret you're hiding from us?"

Mei looked down at Pardofelis. There were many suspicious points about her now, and if she didn't confess honestly, she wouldn't be able to clear her name.

"Oh my, I didn't expect there to be such a memory. I didn't expect Little Pardofelis to be as honest as I thought."

Vill-V pulled out a folding fan from somewhere and covered her mouth. She looked at Pardofelis with a smile, which was quite unexpected.

"Hey, Mei, what are you talking about? How could I possibly have any secrets from you?"

Pardofelis was shocked. This was impossible! Was the magic hat that Sister Vill-V made really that useful? She didn't expect Mei to be able to see something like this. Pardofelis suddenly felt a little guilty, but she still wanted to get away with it by being cute.

"Really not? According to what you said in the dream, this matter involves many Flame-Chasers, and you even want to involve Kevin as well. What could it be that's worth all this trouble?"

Mei asked her question directly. Pardofelis was definitely planning something, and it was probably related to her. If she didn't figure it out, it would be like a thorn in her heart.

"Oh, so that's how it is... Little Pardofelis, I advise you to tell the truth at a time like this, otherwise, you won't be able to clear your name."

Vill-V chimed in, saying that although she didn't think the kitten had any bad intentions, it seemed she couldn't keep the secret any longer.

"It's... it's just a little business... it really is just business."

It seemed she couldn't hide it any longer. Pardofelis wore a very conflicted expression. She knew that if she didn't give an explanation now, she would probably be accused of murdering Boss Kevin. She couldn't bear such a crime, and she couldn't do it. Boss Kevin could wipe out as many of her in an instant. What was the difference between that and falsely accusing a blind man of peeping at someone taking a bath?

"Business? What business do you need to hide from me and Elysia? Tell me the truth."

If she were to be holding a whip, it would look more like torture. Mei looked at Pardofelis, waiting for her answer. She was really not obedient at all.

Chapter 213 Renting Out Corners

"It's about... that... that... the horn on your head."

Pardofelis strained to lift her head and focus her gaze on the top of Mei's head. There were none now, but if Mei were to exit her power-saving mode and enter Herrscher of Thunder mode, there would be two horns there.

"Horn?"

Mei was surprised by Pardofelis's answer. The horns on her head? Is there something wrong with that? Apart from Shen Gonglin and Elysia, it seems no one cares about this. What does Pardofelis mean by saying this now?

"I'm planning whether I can rent out your horn to someone else to touch. If Sister Elysia finds out, she'll definitely spread it around, and you'll be furious. Also, Shen Gonglin probably won't agree either. I'm thinking of letting him touch my tail in exchange... That's why I'm keeping this a secret from you and Sister Elysia."

Pardofelis honestly revealed her plan, and this unexpected revelation left Mei speechless for a long time. So this was what Pardofelis had planned? Although it was quite serious, it was completely different from what Mei had imagined.

"Waaah, Mei, I was wrong! I'll never do it again!"

Pardofelis immediately apologized, saying that she had only thought about it and hadn't actually done anything about it, so she shouldn't be punished for it. She was innocent; couldn't she even think about it?

"Hahahaha, I didn't expect Ms. Mei's horn to be so popular. Little Pardofelis, you really are a genius."

Vill-V laughed until her stomach hurt. She looked at Pardofelis with amusement, really not understanding what she was thinking all day. This was too funny, even more so than some of her own magic tricks.

"Oh, Sister Vill-V, your hat is really terrifying. I only had a slight thought, and Mei saw it all clearly."

Mei's little plan was exposed, and now she was on guard. It would probably be difficult to carry it out in the future. Shen Gonglin released Pardofelis, and the cat girl stood up from the ground, dusted herself off, and looked at Vill-V with a bitter face. This magic prop was too powerful.

"Of course, the path I create always works ten times better. This proves that my consciousness collector is indeed effective. So, Ms. Mei... in times of emergency, we still have to rely on the tools. Next, let's use this method to examine the memories of the Flame-Chasers one by one and clear everyone's names. However... perhaps not everyone is willing to do this."

Vill-V held up her hat with great enthusiasm. This method could indeed clear Flame-Chasers of suspicion, but not everyone in Flame-Chasers has a good personality like Pardofelis. Many people probably wouldn't agree with this approach.

What has been will be again.

Through this irrefutable truth, he conducted numerous complex deductions, and his predictions were almost always accurate. Because of this foresight, he was called a wise man, and he deeply understood that... when all the components of a matter are settled, only one outcome remains. Just as Sue was certain at this moment.

He knew he was doomed.

With a sigh, Su "looked" at the beast in front of her, that man... that man who was walking out of the sea of fire and about to burn everything... how would he put himself to death?

"Waste."

In his collapsed state, Chakravartin looked at the two people in front of him and uttered these words. It didn't matter that he had been transferred to this place. No matter how many people there were, he could just kill them.

"As before, you can't stop me, you can't save anyone, and you can't even... save your own lives."

Standing beside Su, Hua remained silent, only breathing softly. In this intense heat, she could feel Chakravartin's rage. Su wasn't a combat-oriented Flame-Chasers, so only she...

"I won't deny that, Chakravartin, but it is precisely because there is no difference between us that we have come here. I believe you don't want to do it again..."

"Enough!"

Before Su could finish speaking, Chakravartin's irritable voice interrupted him.

"When you tried to stop me, you should have known what would happen next. You've wasted too much of my time... Come! I prepared a strike for that so-called Finality... You couldn't see it here, but now you have the chance. Use all your strength to try and catch it! If you can... then come and lecture me!"

The scene abruptly ended, revealing a peaceful environment. Su reached up and wiped his forehead, as if he could still feel the scorching heat. Faced with Chakravartin, this was how things were supposed to unfold. It seemed that such instant fame was unavoidable.

"Are you alright, Su?"

Just like the scene he had foreseen, Hua stood beside Su, watching the wise man withdraw from the observation. He seemed to be in rather poor condition.

"Yes, I have found Chakravartin's location. He is still nearby. I'm sorry, but due to the characteristics of the memory space, the Sumeru Mustard Seed cannot exert its original effect. I cannot trap Chakravartin in the World Bubble. I can only teleport him to a certain place in the Elysian Realm to restrain him until he calms down."

"In that case, why don't we just go see him directly?"

Hua raised this question: since he couldn't be trapped in other World Bubble, and he was somewhere nearby, why not just go and see him directly?

I'm afraid that if we meet, he'll just break us up.

"Given his lingering anger, even if conflict is inevitable, I still hope to leave room for maneuver."

Su paused, the deduction he had just made replaying in his mind. Sigh, his position of being trustworthy was more important than Chakravartin's attitude.

"In any case, among the Flame-Chasers, there are indeed those who harbor ulterior motives, and even those who were present just now cannot be entirely trusted. However, the traitor is certainly not Chakravartin; this is a consensus that can be easily reached."

Su reached this conclusion, and Hua nodded in agreement with his deduction.

"Indeed, so that means you did this... actually to protect him?"

Hua asked curiously, "Chakravartin is definitely not a traitor, so why is Su keeping him here to protect him?"

"It can't be called protection... but Chakravartin's words and actions just now, if used by someone with ulterior motives, could be used as an excuse to keep them out of the game or even eliminate them. But for us, people we can trust are crucial."

This was Su's own thought, and he believed Hua could understand it too. However, Chakravartin might not think the same way, after all, there were still irreconcilable conflicts between them.

Chapter 214 It's so good you're alright

A trustworthy person? Upon hearing Su's words, the first image that popped into Hua's mind was actually that of Shen Gonglin. If it came to trust, her intuition told her that Shen Gonglin was the most trustworthy. Although this trust seemed somewhat unfounded, it was indeed what her intuition told her. Now that Shen Gonglin and Mei were investigating together, there shouldn't be any problems... right?

Meanwhile, after verifying Pardofelis's "innocence," Shen Gonglin also became interested in the hat. If she knew about such things, could she try it herself? In any case, Shen Gonglin had nothing to be afraid of.

"Oh ho? It seems another audience member is also quite interested in my magic props. How about we have a go and see what he's been doing all this time?"

Vill-V, always eager for chaos, pointed her hat directly at Shen Gonglin. Before Mei could stop her, the memories had already begun to unfold. You can't just look at Shen Gonglin's memories! What if the scenes are all of him sleeping with her? He's so open and honest, but she can't do that. This is really not allowed!

"Huh?"

However, at this moment, something surprising happened. Shen Gonglin's memories did not unfold smoothly, and Vill-V's actions seemed to trigger some kind of protective mechanism. The entire Elysian Realm Space seemed to shake. When Mei and the others came to their senses again, Shen Gonglin had completely disappeared. What happened? Mei released her senses and even entered her full Herrscher of Thunder state, but Shen Gonglin was still nowhere to be found. Where did she go?

How come there's not a trace left?

"No law can be imposed upon me, "Shen Gonglin's memories are not so easily accessible. His body is immune to all negative influences, so after Vill-V did what she did, his "immune system" seemed to kick in, treating the entire Elysian Realm as a negative influence. Therefore, he is now...

In an unknown space, Shen Gonglin stared blankly at the fairy that appeared before him. He had just tried to use the power of the Herrscher of the Void to return to Mei's side, but he couldn't enter the entire Elysian Realm Space. This Elysia in front of him... wasn't she dead?

"I'm not dead yet. I'm not going to have my final curtain call so easily. I'm waiting for Mei and Rin to save me... But unfortunately, it seems that Elysian Realm can no longer keep you."

The pink-haired fairy girl smiled radiantly as she gracefully approached Shen Gonglin with her hands behind her back. Everything was proceeding according to her plan, but who would have thought such a mishap would occur? Shen Gonglin had been directly ousted from the Elysian Realm. If she continued to force him to stay there, the entire Elysian Realm might Honkai.

After all, Elysian Realm represents the past, while Shen Gonglin represents the present with far too many factors. For him, Elysian Realm was probably just a dream that put a lot of mental pressure on him.

"This place can be considered my mental space, and it's the only place we can talk now. If you want to know about Mei's situation, you can find out from me here. But little Rin, it seems you won't be able to continue participating in my trial. Tsk... I was still hoping that you, little Rin, would have a chance to be taken advantage of by the Herrscher of Corruption. It seems there's no way to do that for now."

The girl poked her pink lips in distress, but Shen Gonglin didn't quite understand what she was saying. In short, it meant that she couldn't enter Elysian Realm now and could only stay here with Elysia and watch Mei explore? That wasn't important. Shen Gonglin had a lot of confidence in Mei now. No matter what happened, Mei could handle it. What she needed to care about was...

"I'm so glad you're alright."

Looking at the lively girl in front of him, Shen Gonglin breathed a long sigh of relief. On the surface, he seemed to be completely indifferent to Elysia's situation, but when he saw the "death notice" on the typewriter, Shen Gonglin was also very conflicted. Now, seeing Elysia again, Shen Gonglin felt very relaxed. This feeling of seeing her for the first time was just so good.

"... little Rin, you can say things that make my heart pound."

Elysia was surprised that Shen Gonglin would say such a thing. This fairy girl, who always exuded a pink aura, showed a shy expression for the first time. Her slender fingers unconsciously twirled the pink hair at her temples. Being said that by someone suddenly made her really a little shy.

"Is Kevin's death real?"

Without giving Elysia a chance to remain shy, Shen Gonglin asked the question with great anticipation. It was so good that Elysia was still alive; it would have been even better if Kevin had died!

"... There's nothing left, and even if Kevin in the Elysian Realm dies, Kevin outside is still alive."

What grudge does he have against Kevin? I was hoping to hear some nice things from Shen Gonglin, but why did he suddenly switch to Kevin's side? That's all Elysia could say. At the same time, she wanted to encourage Shen Gonglin to say some more nice things, the kind of things that make people feel sweet inside. Now that Mei wasn't here, she could say a little more.

"Sigh, that's really boring."

Having received the expected answer, Shen Gonglin sat down on the ground in the vast white space. Elysia moved closer and sat down beside him. Now that they were alone together, they decided not to talk about anything unfunny and instead do something fun. It was perfect since Mei wasn't around right now.

"What grudge do you have against Kevin? Now that we have some time, if you have anything to say, I can tell you everything I know."

With her long, slender legs bent and placed to one side, Elysia snapped her fingers, and the white world around her transformed into a scene of birdsong and fragrant flowers. Her previous empty demeanor was not in line with Elysia's flower-like beauty; this was more in line with her temperament.

"There are many, like the Stigmata Plan. Mei told me a lot about it, but I just couldn't understand... Sigh, I have to pretend I understand even if I don't. Elysia, you don't know how much pressure I'm under."

The change in his surroundings also relaxed Shen Gonglin. He lay on Elysia's lap and sighed deeply. World Serpent Kevin's current plan was the Stigmata Plan, but Shen Gonglin had no idea what the Stigmata Plan was. This was really too difficult.

Chapter 215 The Herrscher of the Human

"The Stigmata Plan... let me think... how should I put it? It's Mei's project. Speaking of Mei, she looks a lot like Mei, but she's much Mei. In Mei's words, it's like... Heaven and Earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs; the sage is ruthless, treating the people like straw dogs. If that's the case... wow, little Rin, your eyes are so clear and foolish... yet wise!"

Since Shen Gonglin wanted to know, Elysia decided to tell him without reservation. After seeing Shen Gonglin's eyes, she couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "That kind of innocent foolishness is so cute."

"...Speak properly."

Shen Gonglin gave Elysia's thigh a light pinch. Now that someone was finally going to explain things to her, she wanted to understand what Kevin was trying to do.

"Yes, according to Mei's idea, there is no essential difference between humans and other creatures on Earth. It's just that humans happen to be chosen as the cornerstone of gene expression to represent Earth's civilization. So it's enough to just preserve the civilization carried by humans. The purpose of fighting the Honkai is not to protect humans but to protect civilization. What happens to humans themselves is not important. And this view gave birth to the Stigmata Plan."

It's quite rare that Elysia spoke so clearly this time, without any of the characteristics of a riddle teller. However, Shen Gonglin doesn't quite agree with this statement.

"Personally, I don't quite agree with this statement, or to put it more seriously, I think Mei's words are pure delusion. Isn't this what is called preserving the land but losing the people? According to Kevin's implementation, the current specific implementation of the Stigmata Plan should be that people will enter dreams and become part of the Stigmata Plan, while the Stigmata's thoughts will replace the humans outside and become physical entities... Ah, little Rin, it seems like you understand!"

At this point, Elysia looked quite surprised. She thought that Shen Gonglin still wouldn't understand, but this time he looked thoughtful. He's not simple.

"... What kind of wisdom do you think I am? Let me elaborate."

Shen Gonglin rolled her eyes, while Elysia blushed slightly, almost thinking he really wanted her to be careful... cough cough, let's be a little serious.

"To give an analogy, ghosts are ethereal and elusive, while humans are tangible. Now, a ghost has devoured a human, thus gaining a physical form, while the human becomes a phantom ghost inside the ghost's belly. The identities of the human and the ghost have been swapped. Because the ghost possesses the human's memories, it can inherit everything the human has. This ghost is the Stigmata and the civilizational memories and thoughts stored within Stigmata. These people are the ones who participated in the Stigmata Plan. The final fate of those who are devoured is to lose themselves and become part of the collective consciousness. To elaborate further, it is a swap of identities between the spiritual and material worlds."

Elysia slowly recounted the story, and Shen Gonglin's sense of déjà vu grew clearer and clearer. Wasn't this the Human Instrumentality Project? Wait, what exactly is the Human Instrumentality Project?

"As for why they do this, it's because humanity has been Honkai by the Honkai. No matter how hard they try, they can't escape the fate of the Finality. So they use Stigmata to replace human identities, sacrificing human self and freedom in order to deceive the Honkai and avoid the Finality. However, I don't like this plan."

At this point, Elysia sighed. She loved humans, she loved everyone, she loved everything about humanity. Living by confinement and cages like this didn't fit her aesthetic.

"I don't like it either."

Looking at the girl in front of me, she only spends time on people she likes, but she likes everyone. She only puts her heart into things that are interesting, but everything she does is interesting. It's understandable that she doesn't like this Stigmata Plan.

"I knew it, I knew you thought the same thing as me, so we must stop the Stigmata Plan."

Previously, Elysia had kept a low profile to maintain her mystery, but now she didn't need to. Shen Gonglin shared the same ideals as her, and now he had left the Elysian Realm. He liked interesting people, interesting things, and liked telling beautiful things to beautiful people. And now, the person in front of her was the most beautiful person.

Subtle changes occurred to her. Her pink hair seemed to grow even longer, and the Eden- designed, slightly tight Flame-Chasers she wore had transformed into a white wedding dress. Elysia appeared before Shen Gonglin Herrscher, revealing her true self to Shen Gonglin.

"True Self. The Herrscher of the Human, and also the Origin Herrscher. Rin, do you like me like this?"

She's not some self-proclaimed Thirteenth Herrscher; Elysia is a born Herrscher, born to be Herrscher. Seeing her always makes me happy, and it brings back happy memories. Who wouldn't like a girl like that?

"Um, I do like it, but... wait a minute, I think we should pair it with something like this."

Who could resist a girl who willingly puts on a wedding dress in front of you? Although the atmosphere was a little awkward, Shen Gonglin felt that this was the right thing to do. He quickly searched his body, trying to find something like that. Where was it?

Oh, I found it.