Light flooded her vision, the world seemingly restored to life. Mei lay on the grass, staring blankly at the azure sky.
"I'm... still alive..."
She looked at her left hand, or rather, where it should have been. It was empty.
The battle with the Corruption had been too brutal. Towards the end, her consciousness had blurred; each swing of her sword relied almost entirely on instinct and conviction. Yet, even so, she hadn't achieved victory.
The enemy's abilities were too troublesome – not only near-infinite regeneration but also constant corruption.
"Did it invade my consciousness in the end...?" Fragmented memories echoed in her mind. Mei felt as if her brain had been put through a blender, leaving only mush. Yet, despite being supposedly unconscious, she remained awake.
She pushed herself up with her right hand, intending to assess her current state. But the moment she moved, a large amount of black, foul blood coughed up from her throat.
Mixed within it were fragments of ruptured internal organs.
Mei knew clearly: in that state, survival should have been impossible.
"And yet, I'm alive."
Coughing up the tainted blood actually cleared her congested breathing considerably. Sensing something, she reached towards her abdomen.
Just as expected, the massive wound was gone. Judging by the bloodstains on her clothes, the injuries sustained in the consciousness domain were perfectly mirrored in reality.
"Someone saved me." Mei's mind was sharp; she quickly deduced this conclusion.
Sitting up, she noticed something unusual in her pocket. Reaching in, she pulled out the mechanical crystal Ren had given her.
She didn't know what material the crystal was made of, but it had completely absorbed a large amount of her Herrscher of Thunder authority. After confirming she was entering the Elysian Realm, Ren had given it to her as a tool.
However, even during the fight with the Corruption, she hadn't noticed anything unusual about it. Yet now, it emitted a faint glow, and the Herrscher authority originally stored within it was gone.
"Herrscher authority... Corruption... Consciousness..." Biting her lip, Mei analyzed seriously.
The people of The Obsidian Concord always acted with purpose. What had Ren said when he gave her this?
["Sealed with a part of your aura. It can block some necessary trouble at critical moments."]
If this "trouble" referred to the Herrscher of Corruption, then wasn't it blocking the corruption of Herrscher authority?
Meaning, Ren had used her own Herrscher authority and part of her consciousness aura to create a decoy. If she encountered an attack on the consciousness level, it could even block a lethal strike for her.
Undoubtedly, during the Herrscher of Corruption's invasion, it mistook this crystal for Mei's core consciousness.
"He calculated the existence of the Corruption even back then?!" Realizing the truth sent a chill down Mei's spine. This was practically the ability to foresee the future. If he were an enemy...
Fortunately, she was currently, arguably, part of The Obsidian Concord. Given his character, betrayal seemed unlikely. Besides, it wasn't necessarily foresight; perhaps it was just thorough preparation in advance.
Regardless, this crystal hadn't just saved her life; it might even be the key to turning the tables.
After all, in the Herrscher of Corruption's eyes, she was already dead. It was unlikely to pay attention to her now. Conversely, Mei herself had gained crucial information, shifting her position from the open to the shadows.
"If that's the case, perhaps Ren gave the answer from the very beginning. Both the crystal flower and Elysia's title are related to 'REN'."
"And this 'REN' isn't the Obsidian Concord organization I always thought it was, but a specific person – the leader of The Obsidian Concord."
What I need to do isn't delve into the Elysian Realm's past, nor seek help from the Flame-Chasers, but find out the true identity of this person, REN, and his relationship with Elysia."
"Liuli once said my trip to the Elysian Realm was specially arranged by Ren. It seems not only am I searching for answers, but Ren himself is also searching for a certain answer."
A flash of insight sparked in her mind. Mei vaguely seemed to understand what the so-called answer specifically referred to.
"Elysia."
The endpoint of all connections, the core of the entire Elysian Realm incident, was indeed that girl like a scattering blossom.
"The Herrscher of Corruption said as long as it has backups, it will never die. Lecturer Vill-V also mentioned a tool in the Elysian Realm capable of deleting the entire realm with one command – Anti-Kevin Armor 666, and the activation key is held by Elysia."
So, the objective was now clear.
...
During the time Mei acted covertly, the atmosphere among the Flame-Chasers was equally somber.
Of course, perhaps the word "among" was no longer necessary. Because excluding Hua, who still hadn't shown up, the only living Flame-Chasers left were Kalpas and Eden.
In this situation, even the perpetually furious Kalpas fell silent. He spent a long time alone in the flower-filled garden, looking as lonely as a homeless child.
Tap, tap.
Footsteps sounded from behind. Kalpas didn't move, desolate as a stone in the cold wind.
"Hey, Eden. Griseo and Kosma... they're dead, right?" He didn't turn around, seemingly unwilling to let his comrade see the dejection beneath his mask.
"Yes. Half an hour ago, their signals disappeared completely."
"Is that so..." The man's voice was hoarse, like the embers left after a raging fire, rough and dry.
He remained silent for a long while before finally turning to face the still-calm Eden.
"Aren't you... afraid? Watching comrades fall one after another, while being unable to do anything yourself."
"The theater's curtain call won't be delayed by an actor's stubbornness. What matters is the glory during the performance. If this is our fate, the final bow is inevitable."
"Don't you feel even a shred of unwillingness? We don't even know who the enemy is yet." It was unclear if he was talking about Eden or himself, but Kalpas's voice trembled slightly.
He hunched over, slamming his fist violently against the nearby stone wall. The mask on his face trembled, seemingly about to fall off at any moment.
"It should have been me charging at the front, not those two kids... But now, I'm still clinging to life, like a coward."
Confusion, pain, sorrow – emotions that shouldn't exist filled this man's eyes. He questioned himself hoarsely.
"I swore an oath to protect those I cherished, yet I can only stand here, watching others fall before me... What exactly... have I protected?"
He was so strong, yet so weak. Strong enough to kill a Herrscher bare-handed, weak enough to be unable to protect those beside him.
"I can't do anything."
Eden listened quietly, listening to Kalpas's vulnerable confession, until a leaf fell, a breeze rustled, and the blazing fire burned down to its last spark.
"I haven't given up. On the contrary, I've always believed in her." She gazed towards the brilliant clouds in the distance, speaking softly.
"Elysia?"
"Yes. My best friend. My most trusted companion." Mentioning this name, Eden's expression softened, her wine glass swaying as if sharing a drink with someone.
"If it were her, she might indeed have the power to turn the tide. But we both know she died long ago."
Raising her glass, taking a light sip, Eden's eyes held a pinkish haze. "Even so, I trust her unconditionally. Because I know, no matter when or where, Elysia will always respond to my expectations."
"..." Kalpas looked at the slightly tipsy Eden, remaining silent.
He didn't understand why, even now, Eden still held expectations for Elysia. Her memory construct data had been completely deleted; Elysia was deader than dead.
"Expectations, huh..."
If you don't understand, then don't try to understand. A burning flame doesn't need to know why it burns, only that it must burn.
A breeze swept past. The tiny spark seemed poised to reignite into a wildfire. He stood up, clenching his fists tightly. Rising flames spread across his skin, converging at his cheeks, forming a mask of red fire.
"Tell me. What can I do? What can I believe in?"
Eden seemed to have anticipated this. She looked towards the distant amusement park, lit by neon lights, a captivating curve forming on her lips. "Ignite your fire. Illuminate the enemy's position for her."