Elysian Realm Trials (×) Embarrassing-Past Wholesale Dealer (?) / Heimdall: I'd Like to Request Friendly Fire

Flame Willow, who had already gone off to obediently line up, complained over the comms.

"More than that, I'm curious whether Chijie can even cook. It's hard to imagine what motivation he'd have to learn something like that."

(Chijie really can cook, though. Miss Fairy was lucky enough to taste his cooking once, and all she could say was that it was very good?)

(As for the reason, it might have something to do with the time Chijie spent in an orphanage. Sigh, it was rare for Little Xia Ling not to know something. Too bad she couldn't hear Miss Fairy's answer.)

"Hmm, a new face. Little girl, are you new here?"

Chijie, busy among the grills, paused and glanced up at Flame Willow.

"Hello, Master Chien." Flame Willow greeted him with a beaming smile. "I've long heard that your barbecue skills are exceptional, so I came specifically to give them a try today."

"Little girl, my surname isn't Chien! Who taught you to call me that?!"

"Okay, Master Chien. No problem, Master Chien."

"You Previous Civilization expletive, you're picking a fight on purpose, aren't you?"

Though his mouth showed no mercy, Master Chien's grilling efficiency was as high as ever. Before long, a huge platter of assorted barbecue was set before Flame Willow.

"Little girl, since you've heard my name, I assume you know the rules."

"Don't waste food, or I'll make sure you can't eat it all and have to pack it up!"

The moment she heard that, Xia Ling, sitting in the Elysian Realm's reception room, could no longer sit still.

"Quick, Flame Willow, pack some up and bring it back for me! Look, Master Chien even agreed that you can't eat it all and have to pack it up!"

"Are you sure that's what he meant...? Besides, I'm a Dracul. Do you really think I won't be able to finish it?"

"Oh, right... you're a big eater too. I don't care, I don't care! I want some, I want some, I want some~"

"Are you some kind of Spring Sprite?" Flame Willow sighed helplessly.

(Mhm, Little Xia Ling acting cute was adorable too.)

Elysia watched the scene beside her with a smiling gaze.

Elysian Trial (×) Black History Wholesale Dealer (?)

In the end, Flame Willow still asked Chijie for another serving of barbecue.

Of course, she would have to wait until Xia Ling provided support next time to bring this batch back herself.

After Flame Willow, who had truly achieved eating it all and packing some away, finished her barbecue, a portal to the next node appeared before her.

"Let's see which lucky Herrscher is about to have their image shattered this time." Flame Willow muttered as she walked. "Come to think of it, knowing this much won't get me silenced later, will it?"

"I can't say." Xia Ling replied over the comms. "Maybe just knowing won't do anything, but if I also gave you an Elysia loudspeaker, then you might really get silenced."

"Then I'd really be done for." Just imagining Elysia using her little loudspeaker in the Elysian Realm to publicize all the Herrschers' embarrassing histories made Flame Willow shudder. "Selling her that loudspeaker for three crystal flowers really was worth it."

"Yeah, but thankfully Elysia isn't here. Otherwise, with that leverage, she'd probably have us completely wrapped around her finger."

Was there a chance that even without that leverage, they would still be completely wrapped around her finger?

(Is there a chance that Miss Fairy is right here watching?)

(Hehe~ Cute little Flame Willow, you wouldn't want to... so come let Miss Fairy touch your horns and tail?)

"Hm? No, something's wrong. What is this place?" Flame Willow stepped through the portal, only to find herself looking upon a prosperous little town.

"Based on what happened before, we should generally just head toward wherever there are the most people." Xia Ling offered advice over the comms.

"Don't rush. I see a kid. Let me catch them and make soup—no, catch them and ask."

Flame Willow flashed forward, appearing before the child. She crouched down and gave them a kind smile. "Little friend, could you tell your big sister what everyone is going to do?"

The child was rather enthusiastic. Pointing toward one end of the square, they said to Flame Willow:

"There's a fairy big sister handing out red envelopes in the square ahead. You're a tourist, right? If you want one, hurry over, or there won't be any left later."

"A fairy big sister? Red envelopes?" Flame Willow froze for a moment, then heard Xia Ling's excited shout over the comms. "This is the part where Elysia hands out red envelopes! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, hurry and get one!"

(Oh, is it my turn this time? Let's see what Miss Fairy in the trial is like~)

"!" Flame Willow came to her senses as well. Without bothering to reply to Xia Ling, she immediately activated herself and sped toward the square.

Sure enough, more than a dozen people had already gathered in the square. Surrounded by the crowd, a pink-haired girl as dazzling as drifting blossoms sat at the edge of the plaza with a sweet smile. Dressed in peach blossoms and branch ornaments, she handed out New Year's red envelopes to the children lined up around her.

Data Turbulence

Within a torrent of data, you were swept into an unknown place. This place might have come from a certain Herrscher's fantasy or memories, or perhaps from a parallel world observed by Su. In any case, this region was highly unusual.

After some twists and turns, you arrived in a small town celebrating a certain festival. There, you learned that an adorable fairy big sister was handing out red envelopes in the center of the square. Faced with this scene, your mind became active as well. So, what would you do?

Line up and get a red envelope from the fairy big sister (I'm a child, send me 50)

Snatch other children's red envelopes (I'm the bully killer! But this may trigger unknown consequences)

I'm an adult, I don't need red envelopes (Would anyone really refuse Elysia's red envelopes?)

(That's right, that's right. Would anyone really refuse Miss Fairy? I'll cry, you know~)

"I'm curious what the unknown consequences in option two are." Xia Ling pondered. "Does it mean it might provoke Elysia into becoming hostile? I remember this part of Elysia was supposed to be locked in place."

"No, it has nothing to do with that." Flame Willow was already standing midway through the line. She tilted her head toward the square's entrance, where a white-haired figure could vaguely be seen. "You forgot how the story ends. Elysia and Theresa give Kevin red envelopes. If you pick option two, you'll most likely end up fishing for minnows and hooking a shark."

"Stealing Kevin's red envelope, huh? Boldest episode yet." Xia Ling leaned against Elysia and quipped.

"Wow, what a cute girl. And you're a new face too. Are you a tourist who just arrived here?"

As the line slowly advanced, Flame Willow finally arrived before the fairy big sister.

"Fairy big sister, I'm your fan! (Pounces)"

"Huh? So you're my fan? My, my, that really is..."

The fairy big sister showed a surprised expression, but it quickly returned to a sweet smile.

"Then, would you like some New Year's money?"

"Of course I would!" Flame Willow's eyes practically shone.

"Watch your image!" Xia Ling watched Flame Willow through the light screen and felt her integrity shatter all over the floor.

"Can you stay calm when facing Elysia?"

Thinking of how just a few voice lines from the Elysia beside her had made her blush and race inside, Xia Ling's voice turned guilty. "Uh, maybe?"

"You absolutely can't!"

At the same time, Elysia had already taken out a red envelope.

"Then, as long as you obediently say, 'Thank you, adorable fairy big sister,' you can have it."

"Thank you, adorable fairy big sister!"

Flame Willow did not care in the slightest that her height and image did not match that line. She was simply shamelessly outgoing.

"Mhm, Miss Fairy has received your affection for her~ Then, may all your wishes come true in the new year too."

As she spoke, Elysia handed the red envelope to Flame Willow.

"Ohhhhh, a red envelope personally given by Elysia!" Xia Ling and Flame Willow cheered together over the channel.

(Hmm... so Little Xia Ling likes me that much? I had noticed it earlier, but seeing it from a third-person perspective really did feel different.)

(Then, as thanks for that affection, should I prepare a gift for Little Xia Ling in the Elysian Realm?)

Unknowingly, Elysia's attitude toward Xia Ling and the system had changed from her initial vigilance to acceptance.

There was no helping it. Elysia possessed a certain ability to see through a person's essence, and the history of the Previous Civilization proved that her unique eye for people had never been wrong.

She could tell that this girl was absolutely not a bad person. Though she did not know why Xia Ling was trying so hard to enter the Elysian Realm, her affection for Elysia and for everyone else was genuine.

Besides, even toward Sakura, Aponia, and Vill-V, who had been wary of her to a certain extent, Elysia had been able to offer her sincerity in an extremely short time.

Elysia truly could not bring herself to stay guarded against such a cute girl who liked her so much.

Heimdall: I Apply for Friendly Fire

After reluctantly bidding Elysia farewell, Flame Willow stared at the boss-node portal before her, marked Perilous Enemy, and fell into deep thought.

"Why do I feel like the scene shifts are way too fast? One second I was celebrating the New Year in a small town, and the next I have to fight Schicksal's Heimdall."

"You're right, so remember not to activate support. This thing only enters Overload based on the number of hits it takes. At my current attack speed, I'd make Big Heimdall go red-hot in minutes."

Xia Ling recalled the painful scene from her past life when she used Teacher V against Big Heimdall and sent it into Overload in a second.

"Relax. I can directly handcraft a Big Boom for the boss. I can do high-frequency attacks, and I can do nuclear explosions. Only then can you call it well-rounded!"

Flame Willow showed no concern over her near-disaster with Huodou earlier. In truth, she had no reason to worry.

Although her usual combat style consisted mostly of throwing all kinds of fireballs, Flame Willow's ability was not fundamentally about creating fire. The various flames were merely byproducts of her control over activating small amounts of Honkai Energy. As a result, Flame Willow usually had little need to worry about consumption in battle, and with Eden's support, she became even more reckless.

But if she used enough Honkai Energy, the explosion caused by complete activation was far more powerful than the fireballs themselves.

Activating her full form and applying an activation buff to herself, Flame Willow stepped directly into the node.

Perilous Enemy · Divine Machine - Heimdall

A giant mech independently designed and developed by Schicksal, with outstanding combat capabilities. During high-intensity battles, it enters an Overload state, and its outer armor turns red to warn of danger. As for why this thing is here? You should ask miHoYo.

The moment she entered the node, the Divine Machine - Heimdall at the center of the arena immediately deployed its energy defense form.

When in doubt, cower first. This was important experience Heimdall had accumulated over its long career of getting beaten up.

Yet the attack it expected never came, because Flame Willow was silently charging up as well.

She extracted a portion of Honkai Energy, prepared an activation, extracted a little more, prepared another activation... While Heimdall had yet to begin attacking, Flame Willow raced against time to handcraft her Big Boom.

Now Heimdall was the one getting anxious. Though the monsters simulated in the trial did not possess human intelligence, they certainly were not idiots. It could naturally sense the consequences if the purplish-red energy sphere at Flame Willow's hand was thrown.

But Heimdall before entering Overload... If you said it had no skills, at least ten out of its dozen skills could be used outside Overload. If you said it had skills, you could not find a single one among those ten with a short wind-up.

Not to mention Xia Ling, even Flame Willow, who was not especially fast, could use heated air to propel herself into a quick dash and dodge Big Heimdall's attacks in time.

"I feel like this boss wants nothing more than to hit itself a few times and force itself into Overload."

Xia Ling, watching the show from the reception room, gave a sharp review of Big Heimdall's mechanics.

(Is this a mech from the Current Civilization? It feels... inferior to Vill-V's creations.)

Great idea, Host. Next time you encounter Sentinels in a high-difficulty roguelike, be careful that they might activate themselves.

"?" Xia Ling nearly spat out her mouthful of water. "What kind of bastard are you?! Even Ismara would praise you for being such a bastard."

Feeling the Big Boom in her hand becoming difficult to control, Flame Willow stopped. The energy sphere, now completely purple, flew from her hand, and she simultaneously released all control over the activation ability she had long prepared.

After throwing away that hot potato, Flame Willow went all out—but not toward the slow-moving Heimdall. Instead, she shot off in the opposite direction, gathering flames behind her in preparation to resist the coming shockwave.

After all, the sphere might not instantly kill Heimdall, but it would be more than enough to kill her. On top of that, its range was shorter than its explosion radius. If she did not run fast enough, she would be taking a bath in the blast alongside Heimdall.

With an earth-shaking explosion, Heimdall was completely paralyzed on the ground. Pitifully, it never entered Overload, even by the time the explosion ended.

Only after quite a while did the soot-covered Flame Willow run back from afar. Due to the trial arena's boundaries, even though she had fled outward with all her strength, she had still taken some of the blast damage.

But to Flame Willow, this sort of injury did not even count as a minor wound. So long as she had not lost a limb, she could regenerate herself in minutes.

There was no helping it. This was their healer carry, truly healing and dealing.

Elysia had been somewhat worried about Flame Willow's safety, but seeing her run back as though nothing had happened, she immediately relaxed.

(This child's fighting style... really is unique. She cannot keep doing this. Once she comes to the Elysian Realm, I must properly train her. At the very least, she needs to learn to cherish herself, right?)

After adding a little more damage to the still-paralyzed Big Heimdall, the massive Schicksal Divine Machine dissolved into motes of light, replaced by three portals.

Safe Corner, Battle, Battle

After thinking briefly, Flame Willow decisively entered a battle node.

Battle. Awesome!

It was not that Safe Corner could not support her growth, but rushing through battles was more cost-effective.

Most importantly, the positive buff granted by Eden's early node had already been used up. The next three battles would come with a negative buff increasing enemy health by 20%.

Flame Willow did not dare bring that buff into the final boss floor. A 20% health increase on minor enemies would not stop them from being instantly killed, but a 20% increase on a boss would be much harder to handle.

Especially since she planned to choose Elysia for the final Herrscher Trial. If the buff had not run out by then, Elysia's twenty-five health bars would instantly become thirty. She would truly become Miss Pink Tank.