Phainon's mind was a battlefield of conflicting thoughts; he didn't know where he had slipped up, nor could he understand why Elysia would think that.
"Why do you say that?"
Phainon's heart was filled with an indescribable mix of emotions: joy, nervousness, and confusion.
Joy because Elysia had actually brought up the matter herself, and nervousness because he didn't know how Elysia viewed it.
And the confusion stemmed from not knowing how she had figured it out, or how she had reached that conclusion.
Elysia tilted her head, looking at Phainon behind her. Although he had deliberately tried to show no expression, Elysia still gleaned some information, then flashed a 'just as I thought' smile.
"I knew it! How could someone so similar to Kevin suddenly appear? And so powerful too. More importantly, the power on you is completely different from Honkai energy. A single scan from an energy detector would reveal the difference between the two.
Plus, I have a friend who also isn't from this world, and he himself possesses immense power."
Phainon, however, picked up on different information within her words. If he hadn't guessed wrong from the start, Kevin was the person he resembled.
Though he now possessed the aptitude of a warrior, he showed no signs of training, yet the person before him understood Kevin's strength very well. While this could be explained by them knowing each other for a long time, Phainon's intuition told him this was no coincidence.
But there was another thing that greatly concerned him: the person who, like himself, wasn't from this world.
"Looking at your expression, it seems you're not worried about me spreading this news ♪"
Elysia said playfully, and Phainon, arms crossed, replied,
"If you really wanted to spread it, I wouldn't be able to stop you, and you wouldn't need to confide in me here. Instead, you'd directly tie me up and bring me to the base, not let me in.
But I need your help. I don't want others to know that I'm not from this world, so I need someone to help me fake an identity."
"So you want my help? If you want my help, you'll have to offer appropriate compensation, otherwise, I'm not doing it ♪"
Elysia pretended to refuse, turning away, but in her heart, she had already decided to have Mobius arrange a fake identity for Phainon.
"Naturally, you can ask for anything I'm capable of fulfilling."
Elysia's eyes lit up as she looked at Phainon.
"Really, any condition? ♪"
Seeing Elysia like this, a cold sweat broke out on Phainon's forehead. He felt as if he had made the wrong choice, but at this critical juncture, he could only agree.
"Yes, any condition, as long as I can fulfill it. However, I also need you to help me find a way home."
"No problem, that's just a small matter ♪"
"Then what are your conditions?"
Phainon asked the question again. After all, he was never one to owe favors; repaying them on the spot always made one feel more at ease.
But Elysia rested her chin on one hand, pondered for a long time, then said something that left Phainon feeling bitter,
"I haven't thought of it yet for the time being. Let's talk about it later. Remember, you still owe me a favor, so don't go back on your word ♪"
"Naturally, a promise made is a promise kept."
Although Phainon said that, he had a bad premonition. His intuition told him that he had definitely made the wrong choice; he should have stated a precise condition, rather than leaving it to the other party.
But it was too late to backtrack now; he could only take things one step at a time.
He hoped nothing would happen there before he found a way back, and he hoped to find a way back quickly.
"Oh, right, who was that person you just mentioned, the one from another world like me? Where are they now?"
Suddenly remembering this, Phainon decided to ask for clarification first.
Elysia didn't answer directly, merely continued skipping forward, humming a cheerful tune.
"We're here."
Phainon looked at the door in front of them, which clearly read "First Research Institute," and below it was a note saying, "Experiment in progress, do not disturb. No entry for a certain pink fatty."
Looking at the note, Phainon could imagine the resentment in the heart of the person who wrote it.
Although he didn't know who the "pink fatty" referred to, he glanced at Elysia in front of him and couldn't help but wonder if it might be her.
But that glance led to something that shocked Phainon. He had expected her to knock politely, but Elysia pushed open the door without hesitation, creating a loud 'bang.'
"Mobius, your most perfect friend is here!"
Because of the loud commotion, Mobius, who was recording research data, instinctively flinched. Due to this, the pen in her hand drew a long line across the paper.
Looking at the black mark on the report, Mobius's anger instantly reached its peak.
"A...ili...Xi...ya!!!"
Accompanied by the angry shout, Phainon vaguely heard the killing intent in her words. This made Phainon scratch his head awkwardly, unsure whether to follow in or wait outside.
Elysia turned her head and saw Phainon standing motionless at the doorway, then warmly invited him in.
"Don't just stand at the door, come in quickly. Relax and make yourself at home.
Mobius is very warm and hospitable, you know, and she especially loves making friends."
"Is... is that so?"
Phainon, in any case, doubted Elysia's statement. After all, he had truly heard the other party's desire to kill Elysia in that angry shout.
It was at this moment that Mobius, extremely furious, walked out of a nearby room. The first thing she did was glare fiercely at Elysia.
"Eh heh ♪"
Seeing Mobius's expression, Elysia could only try to act cute, but Mobius wasn't swayed. She sat at her desk, rubbing her temples with one hand, forcing herself to calm down, and said coldly,
"Elysia, you are not welcome here. Please leave quickly."
Elysia didn't seem to notice Mobius's expression. She skipped over to her side, bent slightly, tilted her head, and smiled sweetly at Mobius.
"Mobius, you seem even more beautiful than before ♪"
Hearing this, Mobius was clearly taken aback, but after scrutinizing Elysia from head to toe, she revealed a sarcastic smile.
"Elysia, have you gotten fat again?"