LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 95: The Eternal Paradise
A few days later, on Earth,
With Phyllis' affairs concluded, Kevin and several others returned, ensuring Griseo's safety. However, the return date for the Ark remained distant, unable to arrive before the Honkai endgame was resolved.
Griseo continued her interstellar journey, her route only changing once the Original World succeeded—or failed—at overcoming the Honkai.
The Ark, at its core, was both insurance and a vessel of civilization's legacy, a final seed of hope that would mature and sprout in the depths of the unknown cosmos.
But this time…
She wouldn't face the excruciatingly lonely journey alone.
As golden light shimmered within the Elysian Realm, a projection of an older Griseo appeared before them. She had cyan-blue bangs styled neatly, adorned with a dark blue flower. Its layered petals transitioned from deep blue to light blue at the center, where a white gem shimmered. Her elegant attire and well-proportioned figure contrasted starkly with her younger self. White stockings wrapped tightly around her legs, and her feet were clad in black leather boots.
The other Flame-Chasers had already met this version of Griseo several times. However, the memory construct that was younger Griseo hadn't yet encountered her older self. Projecting her into the Original World also turned out to be more complicated than expected, even with Su's omnipresent support.
Perhaps it was because the final victory against the Honkai had yet to be secured. Regardless, Vill-V had spent considerable time ensuring everything on the other side was prepared. The Ark's repairs were underway, eliminating the need for Griseo to manage it personally. Unmanned robots would handle everything as programmed.
"Oh, an upload system for consciousness? Cool!"
Pardo poked at the projection of older Griseo, startled when it felt warm to the touch.
"I never imagined Su had such capabilities. I wonder how much energy this consumes. Still…leaving Griseo to travel through space all alone is far too cruel."
Pardo sighed.
"Hmm…it's just a coincidence that today happens to be a big update for some game. I've never seen everyone care so much about one game before," Griseo said with a smile, glancing around curiously at the Flame-Chasers' shared home.
To be honest, she was startled when she first learned they all lived together now.
How did this even happen? Wouldn't it create constant conflicts?
After all, in the Elysian Realm, they each had their own quarters and rarely met. Now, of course, she understood that those were just memory constructs, including the younger version of herself.
Naturally, her concerns were unnecessary—they were always arguing anyway.
"Then I guess you've never played Honkai Impact 3, have you?"
"S-Sorry…even though Elysia and Vill-V mentioned it, I've been so absorbed in painting these past few days…"
Griseo blushed, sticking out her pink tongue in embarrassment and bowing repeatedly in apology.
She had only glanced at the game briefly. The three protagonists were unfamiliar to her. And why was Hua appearing in it? She hadn't gotten far enough to find out.
However, it did spark her creativity, and she had hurriedly begun painting in her free time.
As a result…
She hadn't been playing games much recently.
But does Sister Pardo also like playing games? Griseo didn't recall her being fond of games at all.
"No worries, this is the perfect time to watch! Up next... it's about a secret area in the Elysian Realm that even you don't know about~," Elysia said with a smile. She turned on the screen and began the latest story update—The Eternal Paradise.
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Unfortunately, the initial scene didn't align with Elysia's expectations.
It wasn't the small flower garden she had envisioned, nor the carefully prepared amusement park.
Instead, it was a peculiar website.
The opening scene didn't seem to seamlessly follow the previous chapter. On the screen was a white eye-shaped symbol with three concentric white rings interlocked inside. Then, strange, multicolored text appeared on the eerie website:
[I don't want to die.]
[I don't want... to just disappear like this.]
[Want to live, to leave... traces.]
[Leave traces!!]
[Yes, to live on. We must leave this place and survive!]
[Yes, this is our mission.]
[Mission...]
[.....]
Red, purple, blue, and green fonts appeared in succession, seemingly representing different individuals engaged in a critical discussion about life and death, about their final decision.
In the end, they reached a consensus—to live.
To survive at all costs.
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[Finally updated, so emotional... But what was that just now?]
[No clue, no clue—soon we'll meet the bad woman and ask her directly what the "Thirteenth Herrscher" means.]
[Honkai theorists, what's your take? ...Also, what's with that typo?]
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In the Golden Courtyard,
"Hmm... What do those lines at the beginning mean? I don't quite understand," Griseo asked, puzzled. She didn't know much about the game, but she was sure it wasn't supposed to be just this.
"Ah, Griseo, to be honest, I don't get it either. But I bet the boss is about to gut us again," Pardo said casually, her tail skillfully spearing a fruit from the table and offering it to little Griseo.
Taking a small bite, Pardo's eyes squinted in contentment.
"Gut us?"
"You'll see later. For now, these bits don't really matter. Speaking of which, Griseo, you're not afraid of tragedies, are you?" Pardo asked with sudden interest.
"In my paintings, there have been requests for tragedy before, but... I've always found it hard to understand. Until later, I think I started to get it. Most of the colors I saw in people's hearts were named tragedy," Griseo said softly, a hint of sadness in her voice.
As she recalled, when a civilization was on the brink of collapse, every emotion she could see was shrouded in gray-black fog, burying all beauty.
"I do feel that the scenes on the screen seem somewhat familiar."
"Of course they are—they were painted by you!~" Elysia chimed in with a smile, offering a clear explanation.
Just then, the doorbell rang, followed by three knocks. Alicia pointed toward the sound with her finger. "As for the boss who keeps gutting us... Look, he's here. How about saying hello?"
"Eh... Is it the one Aponia described as being able to foresee the future? What an incredible ability, even she can't do that..."
Griseo quickly checked her appearance. Though she had already tidied herself before heading out today, it had been a long time since she'd met any strangers.
Well, Vita was a little too enthusiastic to count.
With a click, the door opened from the inside. This time, it was Mobius with a sour expression, likely because she preferred staying in the shadows.
It seemed her experiment hadn't gone well.
Luo Mo tactfully avoided her without engaging in conversation—disturbing a moody snake wasn't a wise choice.
Following behind Mobius was a row of silhouettes. It seemed the whole recording studio crew had come over for team bonding. According to the boss, there was something good here.
Bronya and Seele initially didn't want to come. Their past experiences left lingering shadows, and they genuinely wanted to avoid this place. But upon hearing they might see a grown-up Griseo, curiosity got the better of them.
Honestly, Bronya had thought the boss would show off costume cards for everyone to see. But when she glanced around and noticed two Griseos, she knew something was amiss.
Still...
"Didn't expect you here either... Griseo's grown quite a bit," Bronya remarked with arms crossed, her gaze lingering on the older Griseo before glancing at the younger one, visibly surprised.
"Eh? Mei and Kiana, uh... and you are?"
Griseo froze when she spotted the two figures behind the others. They were characters from the game!
Since she had only just arrived from the other side and her internet connection was poor, she played a special offline version of the game... something Sister Vill-V had been working hard to improve.
However, judging by Velvie's occasional mutterings of how annoying the Herrscher of Finality was, it seemed a seamless connection through Uncle Su's systems would take some time.
For now, she couldn't play an online version freely and didn't want to bother Uncle Su further. She had only gotten as far as learning about the main protagonists in the game, so Kiana and Mei were familiar faces.
As for the silver-haired lady behind them... She seemed somewhat similar to Bronya?
"Bronya," Bronya said softly.
Griseo's pupils shrank as she looked at her in astonishment. Was this Bronya? ...Wasn't the resemblance a bit too far-fetched?
"Heh—too bad they didn't let me join the game. Otherwise, I'd show that Sa who's boss. I'd rescue Griseo myself!" The Herrscher of sentience strutted past, her gray hair bouncing as she walked, her smile full of confidence.
"Eh, three Hua sisters? One from the Elysian Realm, one from the world I know... and another one?" Griseo asked, puzzled.
"Oh, I'm the real Fu Hua. Don't let them fool you, little Griseo," the Herrscher of sentience said with a sly grin, snapping her folding fan as she cunningly tried to win her over.
Everyone else just rolled their eyes.
"...Got it. You're the fake one," Griseo replied seriously.
"Hey! I'm telling the truth!" Senti exclaimed in frustration.
"So... what's going on here, Luo Mo?~" Elysia poked Luo Mo with her finger. Looking at the strange eye and cryptic dialogue on the screen, she had an uneasy feeling.
What could it all mean?
A strange feeling, isn't it? Perhaps... it's just a matter of incompatibility?
"Just keep watching. Think of it as the story going off on a tangent," Luo Mo said casually, though he was already secretly looking forward to it. What he anticipated as a surprise, however, wasn't Griseo—though she was indeed a good friend.
The so-called surprise was something that could shake one's soul, something truly unbelievable.
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The subsequent plot seamlessly picked up. Mei, as promised, arrived at the deepest part of the Elysian Realm, where she stood before Elysia.
The one who was both the beginning and the end of everything.
It was she who had secretly guided Mei to explore this repository of pre-civilization memories. And it was also she who had genuinely and unreservedly offered her assistance to Mei.
Now, it was she who would reveal everything.
On a granite square surrounded by vibrant flowers and lush greenery, a beautiful paradise unfolded. The neatly arranged flowerbeds basked in warm sunlight, while a clear spring waterfall cascaded nearby, occasionally sending refreshing sprays of cool water into the air.
In the distance, towering white clock towers and spires reached skyward. The logo of Flame-Chasers adorned a nearby structure in vivid spray paint, alongside promotional posters for Eden's concert.
A lively voice brought attention back to the smiling girl before them,
"Welcome to the deepest secret of the Elysian Realm, preserved within the 'Deepest Depths'—"
"A world constructed entirely from Elysia's memories, perfectly recreating everything she loved in her life: Elysia's idealized inner world."
"As you can see, it's like a condensation of all beautiful things, a peaceful and eternal dreamland, a flawless paradise standing at the end of all ideals."
"I wonder... does the name 'Eternal Paradise' meet your expectations?~"
The pink-haired girl clasped her hands behind her back, leaning forward slightly, allowing her long pink hair to brush against the crystal flower at her waist. The curve of her figure was graceful, her cheeks flushed faintly, and her eyes sparkled with excitement.
With pride, she presented everything around her to Mei—the eternal paradise she cherished, hoped for, and dreamed of.
This place was everything Elysia embodied. It was a book meant to be read slowly, emanating a refreshing and alluring fragrance in this untouched corner of time.
Elysia, as the Elysian Realm, had built her paradise.
Just as she once explained her name, her heart harbored a beautiful paradise.
"Isn't it exciting? Among the successors, you're the first to arrive here, and the first to witness the entirety of Elysia's true heart."
Elysia tilted her head slightly, emphasizing Mei's significance and uniqueness. Many girls adored being someone's one and only, didn't they?
Her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. "Mei... it's okay to show a little more excitement, you know?~"
Mei scanned her surroundings. Quiet and beautiful, if this truly reflected someone's inner world, then she must be a person who yearned for beauty.
In the books Mei had read, many people's inner worlds were barren wastelands.
Emptiness occupied everything, let alone beautiful scenery.
But... this place...
Well, if a garden labyrinth was her idea of beauty, then Elysia certainly had a childlike heart.
"By coming here, will I learn the truth? Knowing you, I doubt it will be that simple," Mei replied coolly, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh my, why would you think that? Who turned you into this, Mei?~"
The pink-haired fairy's eyes widened in disbelief, as if unable to comprehend such a pointless assumption.
Why would anyone think that of her?
"Mei, you've already proven yourself to everyone... If I were to hide behind a veil of mystery any longer, wouldn't that be going too far?"
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[Who turned you into this? Answer: MiHoYo.]
[What? They're just going to reveal the answer directly? I'm not ready for this!]
[Eternal Paradise? Explain—what's your relationship with the Elysian Realm?]
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