Lin Wei felt a headache coming on the moment he heard the voice.
I don't get it, I'm not even a girl, why does this one keep showing up?
He turned around to see a charming pink-haired girl standing there, hands on her hips, beaming at him. Her elf-like ears twitched playfully.
It's you, of course… Lin Wei started counting on his fingers.
"Huh? What are you doing? Counting something?" The girl was curious about his actions.
"Oh, nothing. Just counting how many people I've met here. I'm starting to think pink hair is unusually common in the Elysian Realm…" Lin Wei deadpanned.
Su, Hua, Pardo, SAKURA, Yae Sakura, and now this suddenly appearing pink-haired…
Lin Wei glanced at her, taking in her slender figure. Not chubby at all.
Shocking! According to a sample survey, the probability of encountering a pink-haired resident in the Elysian Realm is as high as 50%!
"How can you be so cheeky? Critiquing a girl's appearance the first time you meet her? That's very rude!" The girl puffed out her cheeks, feigning displeasure, then circled Lin Wei before breaking into a bright, dazzling smile. "But I forgive you! Don't let it happen again! Or I'll sulk."
Please, don't forgive me. Once Elysia latched onto you, there was no escape…
Lin Wei's headache intensified. He felt his peaceful Elysian Realm life was already half over.
"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet!" Her crystal-clear eyes widened, gazing intently into Lin Wei's, as if trying to peer into his soul. "I'm Elysia, and as you can see, a beautiful girl as dazzling as a blooming flower~"
Her shameless self-praise sounded perfectly natural coming from her.
Lin Wei refrained from commenting, knowing she wasn't finished…
"In Mu's common tongue, Elysia means 'paradise,' or 'Elysian Realm.'"
Right, the Previous Era spoke English, I got it.
Or maybe French? Latin? Lin Wei's mind wandered…
"…Are you even listening to me?!" Elysia noticed his inattention and pouted.
"Of course I am, Miss Elysia. It's a pleasure to meet you," Lin Wei quickly replied, shutting down his wandering thoughts.
"Mm-hmm, that's more like it" Elysia nodded, satisfied, her smile smug. Then, after a moment of thought, she added, "My friends call me Ellie! It's a cute nickname, right? Just like me So you can call me that too."
When did we become friends?
Lin Wei sighed inwardly. He understood Elysia's implication.
He had finally met someone even more presumptuous than himself.
He suddenly understood how Raven felt when dealing with him.
"Elysia," Lin Wei interrupted her, sensing she was about to launch into a lengthy monologue.
"Hmm?" Elysia clasped her hands behind her back and leaned closer, tilting her head, her neat bangs parting slightly, her wavy pink hair falling forward, covering one of her elf ears, while the other remained fully visible, as if straining to hear what he had to say.
He had to admit, she was truly beautiful.
"Is there something you need? I'm about to be late for my training with Hua." Elysia wasn't easy to fool. Who knew what about him had caught her attention?
He just wanted to escape. Hua, the honest and straightforward girl, was much easier to deal with.
Elysia's expression turned pitiful, on the verge of tears. "Oh, why are you being so insensitive, like Kevin? Don't you know that the easiest way to hurt a girl is to talk about other girls in front of her? Or do you… hate me, and that's why you're so eager to leave?"
"Stop!" Here she went again.
"Hee hee, just kidding! I talked to Hua, and she's giving you the day off! Ta-da! Surprise!"
"Really? That's great!" Lin Wei feigned surprise, and Elysia beamed, hands on her hips, clearly fishing for compliments.
"So…"
"Perfect! I'm still feeling sleepy. Thanks for letting me know! If that's all, I'll go back to bed." Lin Wei yawned, turned, and walked away, effectively logging off.
"Hey! Wait!" The sudden turn of events caught Elysia completely off guard. By the time she reacted, she was alone, stamping her foot in frustration.
Then, a mischievous smile spread across her face, and she skipped away.
Back in the golden hall, Lin Wei felt no sense of relief, only a growing headache.
Things couldn't possibly end so easily.
As expected, the lounge door suddenly swung open, revealing a pink-haired girl.
"Hi! Long time no see! So, how's your Elysian Realm adventure going?"
Her voice sounded muffled. Curiosity piqued, Lin Wei turned around and groaned inwardly.
Elysia was holding a rice ball bigger than her head, happily munching on it.
Despite her dainty, ladylike bites, she was devouring the food at an alarming rate.
Clearly, she had already paid Yae Sakura a visit.
"So delicious! Miss Yae Sakura is not only beautiful, but she's also an amazing cook! I want to eat her food again!" Elysia rubbed her flat stomach contentedly, not a trace of a bulge despite having just consumed a massive rice ball. Then, her eyes widened as she remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot! She asked me to bring you one too!"
I doubt it's that simple… Lin Wei thought, walking towards the lounge, bracing himself for whatever shenanigans she had planned.
The lounge was empty, as usual.
He turned to look at the sole source of potential chaos.
"Don't look at me like that! I really did bring you one, I didn't lie!"
"…So the one you were just eating by the door was…?" Lin Wei was speechless. Why don't you choke on it!
"Oh, don't be so stingy! Generous boys are more popular with girls, you know!" Elysia said smugly.
She was enjoying this little prank. He dared to stand her up!
This experience was both novel and nostalgic, reminding her of fifty thousand years ago.
In the bustling Flame-Chaser base, there were always interesting people who piqued her curiosity.
But in the fifty thousand years she had spent in the Elysian Realm, she had rarely encountered anyone who truly intrigued her.
After all, the successors who visited usually regarded the Thirteen Flame-Chasers with reverence and awe.
Elysia disliked that sense of formality and distance, so she rarely appeared before them, unless they were particularly charming girls.
After all, physical beauty was also a form of beauty, enough to capture her attention.
Lin Wei was different. Elysia had remembered his name before he even entered the Elysian Realm.
Bringing a Herrscher, especially the Herrscher of Corruption whom she knew so well, into the Elysian Realm was unprecedented.
What kind of person would befriend a Herrscher who wanted to destroy the world, and actually succeed in doing so?
Elysia was incredibly curious!
When Gray Serpent first delivered the news, the Elysian Realm was in an uproar. Literally. There was an earthquake.
Su and Kevin barely had time to evacuate the World Serpent operatives undergoing trials when Kalpas suddenly went berserk, tearing through the Elysian Realm, even breaking into the Deep End, roaring about sending Aponia to hell.
Mobius immediately ordered Klein to leave. Faced with the reluctant automaton, the doctor swore at her, telling her to get out, the farther the better.
Vill-V expressed great interest in the unfolding drama, wanting a front-row seat, but was unceremoniously dragged away by a stoic Kevin.
…
In short, those few days were pure chaos.
Ironically, SAKURA, who everyone expected to be the most distraught, remained unusually calm. She simply asked Pardo to gather all the fragments of the third Divine Key, requested Vill-V to reforge it, and then waited patiently.
Then, as promised, Lin Wei arrived, and Su, the calmest and most diplomatic among them, was tasked with receiving him.
Elysia had been watching and waiting.
That day, she saw RIN again, a sorrowful yet beautiful soul, weary yet radiant.
It was the first time she had seen RIN as a Herrscher.
It was a pity she hadn't had a chance to speak to her. Elysia felt a deep sense of regret.
They could have been great friends.
However, she was also happy for RIN, knowing she had finally escaped her nightmare after fifty thousand years and found solace in another radiant soul.
From that moment on, the Elysian Realm had changed.
Lin Wei's weakness surprised all the Flame-Chasers, including Elysia.
But she wasn't disappointed. On the contrary, her interest only grew.
Creating miracles from the impossible, turning despair into hope – he possessed a remarkable soul!
Elysia was instantly captivated.
From that day on, she had been observing Lin Wei, from a distance, silently, meticulously.
She was studying his soul, waiting for the perfect opportunity to make a lasting impression.
After Lin Wei's conversation with Su, she felt the time was right.
And so, the brave Elysia made her move!
Then, Lin Wei ran…
Ran…
…
It certainly was a memorable encounter!
For Elysia, at least.
But it only fueled her curiosity – because, in the moment Lin Wei turned away, she had clearly sensed that he seemed to know her from before?
This was even more intriguing!
"I say, Lin Wei, can you really bear to leave a cute girl standing here awkwardly?" Elysia protested.
"I just walked in, I haven't even sat down myself!" Lin Wei was overwhelmed by Elysia's overly enthusiastic approach. "Besides, isn't this your home? I'm the guest here. Don't get our roles confused!"
Someone, please, control her!
"So you agree then? Hee hee, I knew you were a sweetheart~" Elysia nodded, then skipped over, twirling gracefully before plopping down beside him. She draped an arm over the back of the sofa, leaning towards him, her eyes sparkling with interest.
Then, her expression changed, a thoughtful frown creasing her brow. "Lin Wei is such a mouthful! And using your full name all the time seems so distant. This is troubling… I've got it! You call me Ellie, and I'll call you Ah Wei, how about that?"
Lin Wei's eyebrow twitched. Before he could object, Elysia shook her head in disapproval, talking to herself aloud. "No, no! 'Ah Wei' sounds like 'Hey!' It's so impolite! That won't do, it'll make me seem rude…"
She continued pondering, still talking to herself. "How about… just 'Wei'? No, no, even more impolite… Then… 'Little Wei'? 'Wei Wei'? 'Little Wei Wei'?" She counted on her slender fingers.
This was getting out of hand. Lin Wei quickly interrupted. "Isn't Kevin's name also his full name? Do you call him 'Little Vin' or 'Vin Vin'? Or maybe just 'Little Vin Vin'?"
"Wow! That's an interesting idea! I've decided, next time I see Kevin, I'll tell him what you said! I can't wait to see his reaction!" Elysia exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement.
Don't you dare! I didn't say that! Lin Wei frantically denied it. He couldn't take the blame for that.
"Hee hee, just teasing! I wish you could see your own face right now, it's priceless~" Elysia was pleased with the success of her prank. "But seriously, 'Lin Wei' is so hard to say. Isn't there a more… intimate way to address you? Please, think of something…"
"Sorry to disappoint you, but these are the names my parents gave me. It's just a name, call me whatever you want."
"Geez, why are you being so boring like Kevin? You're not usually like this!" Elysia complained, then her eyes lit up. "I've got it! I'll go ask Hua and that adorable Miss Yae Sakura for ideas. Maybe they'll have some interesting suggestions!"
Elysia stood up, winking playfully and waving goodbye. "You rest up now. See you~"
And she vanished like a ghost.