On the other side of the Elysian Realm, Mobius always believed in freedom. The Flame-Chaser who bore the imprint of [Infinity] shouldn't be confined to one place. She wanted to explore endlessly along the path of life, a feat that was impossible to accomplish within the Elysian Realm.
Her instincts and thirst for knowledge drove her, telling her that she needed to leave. Even without wings, a snake would still aspire to soar into a broader sky. At that moment, the Elysian Realm had become an obstacle for Mobius.
Aponia observed Mobius' determined gaze and sighed, saying, "Even [Infinity] can only submit to [Fate]."
Mobius frowned slightly, then smirked with a dangerous charm. "Aponia, do you know why everyone dislikes you and avoids you? Your attitude—aloof and detached, as if you've seen through everything—really irritates people."
Aponia remained indifferent to Mobius' sarcasm, as usual. Her emotions rarely showed.
"Fate is like that," Aponia continued, "Even if you try to resist, it always moves toward a singular, inevitable direction. Just like now, Mobius, every word you say, every thought you have, every action you take, all flows toward a predetermined fate."
Aponia paused. "Besides, I'm not completely without love. Little Feng will always love me."
"Little Feng?" Mobius raised an eyebrow, her voice dripping with amusement. "Such a familiar way of addressing him. I haven't seen you speak to anyone else like that, except for that annoying guy."
She added with a sly smile, "And you're actually explaining this to me? How interesting. So, this 'Little Feng'—did he help you leave the Elysian Realm?"
Aponia nodded, then shook her head.
To someone like Kiana, this nodding and shaking would be confusing, making her wonder, "Which one is it?!" But Mobius wasn't Kiana. She quickly grasped the key point.
"Ah, I see. So your exit from the realm was some sort of coincidence? A unique occurrence?"
"Mobius always knows how to precisely describe the phenomena of the world," Aponia said.
Mobius narrowed her eyes. "This could be tricky then."
She didn't believe Aponia was lying. Although their relationship wasn't great, there was no need for deception between them. Yet unique occurrences, while intriguing, weren't always scientifically appealing.
Aponia explained her process of entering the other realm.
"Prayer?"
When her body and mind were emptied, her consciousness would fall into the realm. Although Aponia couldn't control when she left, she could choose when to enter. Others, like Kiana and Mei, couldn't do this yet—they needed to be asleep to enter.
"You say 'prayer'... Isn't that basically the 'meditation' that psychic warriors often use?" Mobius questioned.
"That is correct."
Mobius' serpentine eyes glimmered with intrigue. "Teach me."
"...Alright."
"Oh? That easy?"
"Teaching you to meditate has only two possible outcomes. But either way, whether you enter that world or not, it won't harm Little Feng."
"Heh, you're really underestimating me."
...
Three days passed quietly. Kiana and the others received their custom Valkyrie battle suits. In two days, they would undertake their mission: exploring the Abyssal Ruins. Kiana was thrilled to finally be getting into action.
Even more exciting to her was that the number on her stomach remained above 90. The anticipation of defeating Ye Feng was even more exhilarating than becoming a B-rank Valkyrie.
"Hmph, what should I make that jerk do once I win? Maybe make him bow in apology naked? No, that's boring. Maybe I should have him lick my toes?" Kiana fantasized joyfully, completely ignoring Theresa's calls.
Mei gently tugged at Kiana's sleeve, pulling her back to reality.
"Huh? What is it?"
Theresa, with her arms crossed, lectured her, "This is your first mission. Remember your training, don't act on your own, and if anything unexpected happens, report immediately..."
"Got it, Aunt Theresa. If anything happens, I'll just punch it away," Kiana quipped.
Theresa jumped up and knocked Kiana on the head. "You silly niece, you haven't understood anything!"
Meanwhile, Ye Feng wasn't particularly concerned about the bet he made with Kiana. To him, teasing Kiana and flirting throughout the week was the real fun. He had no intention of losing.
Though the deadline was set for a week, Ye Feng could manipulate time—he could even stop time, reducing the number to zero instantly. He had said he wouldn't cast any direct effects on Kiana, but he never promised not to influence the world around her. If he wished, Kiana would never actually reach the seventh day.
Then again, even if he lost, it wouldn't matter. Making Kiana happy could be fun too. Ultimately, everything would depend on how Ye Feng felt at the time.
And today, Ye Feng was in a particularly good mood.
"Mobius actually came through."
Two days earlier, Aponia had mentioned Mobius' desire to enter the realm. Whether the meditation training had worked or it happened by coincidence, she had managed to come through. He would have to test it later.
For now, though...
Morning light filtered into the bedroom, illuminating the room in a serene glow. The girlishly decorated room featured a large pink bed, where a girl with long, dark green hair lay curled up, resembling a beautiful snake.
Her delicate feet peeked out from her long dress, bathed in the gentle light coming through the window, making everything seem peaceful and perfect.
Knock, knock, knock!
A gentle knock came at the door.
"Mobius, time to wake up."
Her long eyelashes fluttered, and Mobius opened her eyes.
'Where is this...?' she wondered.
A strange ceiling, a cozy, cute bedroom, and a warm, fatherly voice calling from outside.
"Father..."
For some reason, the word popped into Mobius' mind.
Her father had been a doctor who changed drastically after contracting Honkai disease, frequently abusing her. On Mobius' ninth birthday, after another beating from her father, young Mobius left home, vowing to never let humans become the disgusting monsters her father had turned into, and instead, to help humanity evolve.
In Mobius' memory, "mother" was a distant concept, and "father" was synonymous with "monster."
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