Inside Raven's Tavern.
As the final truckload of furniture was driven away, Raven sat before the counter, looking at the two glasses and the wine in front of her.
After a long while, she raised her head and looked toward a private room.
"Gray Serpent, you've been watching for so long, it's time to come out."
"Heh, Raven, long time no see..."
Having been exposed, a gray figure walked out. Beneath the gray robes, a mask marked with two daggers was revealed, and a chilling red light emanated from the right eye socket.
"Cut the crap, Gray Serpent. If you hadn't sent the message, how could I possibly close the shop and return to the organization?"
Downing the wine in her glass in one gulp, Raven raised her head, revealing a challenging smile toward Gray Serpent: "Do you want a glass?"
"No need, Raven. You know such probing is meaningless." Gray Serpent shook his head, his gaze looking out the main entrance.
"Who is... that young man?"
"Called Fu Li. A transfer student. A very cute kid, isn't he?"
Raven didn't hide anything. Since it was meaningless to Gray Serpent, if he wanted to investigate, it would just be a matter of using his brain a little.
"Cute... heh..." Data streams flashed through Gray Serpent's eye. His tone was indifferent, betraying no emotion.
"I know what you are thinking." Raven shrugged. "He indeed looks very similar to that manager in the Elysian Realm, but that is impossible."
"In every era, several identical people will appear. I don't understand what there is to make a fuss about, to the point of making you run over here personally."
"Perhaps we are overthinking it, Raven." Gray Serpent spoke no further, placing a USB drive onto the table.
"World Serpent needs you. The Lords need you. It has now been confirmed: the first Lord to return from that place will be Lady Mobius. So Raven, do your best."
"Heh, I know. But don't forget, I am just a mercenary. I won't put my life on the line for ideals."
"Yes, but like me, you believe that humanity needs a [Leader]."
Gray Serpent shook his head, turned around, and left the tavern.
Raven poured herself another full glass of wine.
.......
"So, we're all here now. Is there actually a transfer student?"
Inside a certain restaurant on the weekend, Fu Li, out of boredom, had come here to work part-time along with Mei.
Watching Mei's practiced appearance, Fu Li really found it hard to imagine that the person before him was still a noble eldest young miss just over a month ago.
"Yes, I heard she seems to have transferred here. White hair, very pretty, European. She should be a girl."
Mei spoke about the rumors she had heard while making crepes.
White hair, pretty, European...
Isn't this describing a Paramecium?
Thinking of this, Fu Li subconsciously glanced at the calendar.
It was currently December. There was still a two-month window before the Honkai descended.
Calculating the time, Kiana should have arrived as well. Otherwise, how would she farm Mei's affection points?
It's just... it seems I've already helped Mei solve that group of bullying students. I wonder how Kiana is supposed to farm affection now.
But if it's the Bug, she should end up bonding with Mei regardless.
Just as he was thinking this, a figure suddenly darted into his peripheral vision. Looking up, he saw a white-haired girl with a silly smile on her face.
"Hello! Please give me a crepe!"
The girl possessed a pair of clear and transparent eyes. Just looking at them made people feel a comfortable sense of purity and hope.
It was just that, for such a pretty girl, her tone was rather憨 (hān - silly/naive/simple).
Hearing this familiar voice, Fu Li basically confirmed it. This pretty but goofy girl in front of him should be Kiana.
"Okay, please wait a moment." Mei wore a gentle smile on her face and immediately began preparing the crepe.
"Thank you, pretty Big Sister."
"Oh, not at all, you are also very pretty."
"Then... do you want to exchange contact info?"
"Huh? That's not too appropriate, is it?" Mei was stunned, her hand holding the crepe shrinking back slightly.
Truly a strange girl.
"Eh? Can't I... alright then."
After Kiana took the crepe with some disappointment and walked away unhappily, Mei finally snapped out of her awkwardness. She discovered Fu Li looking thoughtful.
"What's wrong? Mesmerized?"
Snapping back to reality, Fu Li chuckled lightly: "No, she just resembles a friend I had before."
"Is that so?" Mei nodded thoughtfully, not really believing him.
Generally speaking, this kind of phrasing was just a brush-off.
Just like saying "My friend wants to see those explicit pictures."
Moreover, that white-haired girl just now was indeed very good-looking. Even she, as a girl, was somewhat stunned for a moment.
It was a pity, she seemed like a weird... strange person.
Outside the crepe stand, the sunlight was still bright, but the boy and girl hidden in the cool shade were both thinking about other things.
Nighttime.
After escorting Mei back home, Fu Li half-closed the curtains and turned on the lights to make it look like someone was home, then carefully slipped out the door.
Nowadays, the Gem of Conquest was already buried within Mei's body. With his current conditions, he had absolutely no way to replicate the method he used on Rin.
Leaving aside the issue of resources, the energy properties of the Herrscher of Thunder and the Herrscher of Corruption were completely opposite.
If Corruption was a pervasive poison, then Thunder was violent and blazing energy.
If the Gem went out of control during surgery, causing an instrument failure, then even if Mei didn't die, she would end up with the same fate as Seele—lost in the Quantum Sea.
So, if this route was too risky, he had to try walking another path.
If he remembered correctly, the 3rd Eruption was artificially created, and the culprit behind the scenes was Cocolia.
And that giant Honkai Furnace seemed to be inside ME Corp as well.
Since I want to live, I must live brilliantly.
This was the spirit Eden had taught him. It made him realize that evasion couldn't solve any problems, but he could solve the people causing the problems.
Thinking of this, Fu Li used the Key to enter Mobius's Mechanical Laboratory. He looked at the suit of armor in the main hall, completely black and sporting a black mask.
This was what he had spent all his crystals to replicate—the junior version of Fu Li's exclusive armor, 'Shadownight Knight - Anti-Finality Type 1'.
There was no helping it; 800 Crystals could only buy this much material. If funds were sufficient, he could build a Gundam with his bare hands alone.
However, this set of armor still possessed the most basic stealth functions and amplification functions. Coupled with him piloting it, there were only three people he needed to watch out for.
That would be a certain S-rank Valkyrie currently on a mission somewhere unknown, Kevin who was still soaking in the Sea of Quanta, and Otto who had not yet become a False God.
As for Cocolia, that weakling who was solo-killed by Gray Serpent, in his eyes, she couldn't even withstand a single blow.
After activating the stealth function, Fu Li returned to reality, leaped out of the window, took a glance at Mei who was doing her homework opposite him, and then vanished directly into the night.
As for the matter of the Gem of Conquest, it would be better to discuss it after dealing with Cocolia.