After tossing out those few sarcastic words, the petite figure departed swiftly, showing no reluctance. She silently melted into the distance, dissolving into a patch of shadow as thick and viscous as a swamp.
Immediately after, that patch of shadow churned violently yet silently, and then, the omnipresent, unsettling aura of pale green shadow receded rapidly like an ebbing tide, vanishing without a trace.
That aura belonged to Mobius's domain, giving one the unsettling feeling of being enveloped by shadow, watched by a predator lurking within.
And just like that, Mobius left.
As sudden as her arrival, her departure was equally casual, almost dismissive. She didn't even bother saying another word to Elysia, as if she truly found her that detestable.
As Mobius's domain faded with her departure, the surrounding area gradually returned to its original appearance under the sunlight.
The initially magnificent stage, along with the "theater" itself, was now reduced to unrecognizable ruins amidst smoke and gunpowder, littered with debris and fragments blown beyond recognition.
Any uninformed outsider stumbling upon this scene would surely assume an incredibly fierce battle had taken place.
They would never guess that, from beginning to end, it was all just a somewhat malicious but ultimately harmless farce.
All that can be said is, the Flame-Chasers in the Elysian Realm really know how to play... creatively.
"Oh dear, what a pity..." Vill-V turned her head, briefly surveying the disastrous scene that was almost too painful to look at. She then kicked at the shattered remnants of the "stage" beneath her feet, revealing more miniature, multi-colored humanoid wrecks buried underneath. With a look of regret, she said,
"To express my warmest welcome for your return, I had originally prepared even more programs as a surprise—like these thousands of combat puppets! Unfortunately, they took their final bow before even getting a chance to take the stage."
Though her tone conveyed regret, there was no real heartache in it. She was merely inspecting and assessing the actual damage caused by the battle, as matter-of-factly as recording data after any other experiment.
The Key of Corruption's brief test had, with almost effortless destructive power, wiped out all her deployed setups, both exposed and hidden.
The only counterattack that had any effect was the one she managed using her own Key of Corruption.
But perhaps because it was merely an appendage of the Elysian Realm, constructed entirely from data, or perhaps because its appearance angered Lin Wei's true Key of Corruption... the end result was that her Key was utterly destroyed after being used just once.
"Well, although it was an equally miserable defeat, at least it proved that the Elysian Realm's Key of Corruption can indeed be useful in this kind of battle. That point definitely needs to be recorded as crucial reference data for developing new 'Anti-Corruption Armaments' later," Vill-V muttered, seemingly switching personas in an instant to the Great Inventor.
She pulled out a clipboard from somewhere, glanced at its contents, and then ignored Lin Wei and the others still present. Lost in thought, she mumbled to herself, "Such a shame... Why couldn't this Key of Corruption have been forged by my own hands? Otherwise, things wouldn't be so troublesome now. Even just researching it requires extreme caution..."
"..." Lin Wei was left speechless off to the side. You call THAT cautious? I dread to imagine what you're like when you actually let loose!
"What's with that expression? Thinking about something interesting?" Elysia gently nudged Lin Wei, pulling his attention back before asking curiously.
She had just managed to soothe Yuno's emotions with a few words, only to turn around and see Lin Wei frowning at Vill-V with a strange, hesitant look on his face.
"I was just thinking about something very strange..." Lin Wei murmured, still wearing the same expression, as if talking to himself.
"Oh? What kind of strange thing?" Elysia played the perfect straight man, either very cooperatively or perhaps genuinely curious about what interesting thoughts Lin Wei might have.
After spending so much time together, she knew, of course, that Lin Wei, much like Vill-V, was an eccentric with a peculiar way of thinking.
Although Lin Wei seemed far more modest and reserved compared to Vill-V's flamboyance, that didn't stop this unconventional thinker from occasionally voicing surprising ideas.
Like right now...
"I was thinking, back in your era, how did a character as arrogant and lawless as Vill-V not get beaten to death by the more violence-prone members of your organization? Or locked away somewhere dark under strict surveillance, stripped of all freedom except for researching topics assigned by superiors?" Lin Wei asked, looking at the distant, utterly focused Vill-V, then turning his head back to Elysia with a baffled expression.
"I think I just found an answer that isn't quite an answer..."
Between the almost reclusive Mobius and the active, flamboyant, lawless, unscrupulous Vill-V who never seems to speak a truthful word, shouldn't the latter be the dangerous figure everyone avoids like the plague?!
And yet, from various perspectives, apart from Mobius and Dr. MEI having some complaints about her methods, everyone else seemed to quite like her? Even Kevin, who kept a wary eye on Mobius due to her perceived danger, seemed mostly lenient and cooperative towards Vill-V.
"Oh? And what kind of answer is that?" Elysia's curiosity, always immense, was instantly piqued. Her eyes lit up, and she eagerly pressed for details, once again revealing her true nature as someone who thrives on amusement—not that she ever tried to hide it.
"Hmm... how to describe it specifically?" Lin Wei frowned, thinking, then inspiration struck. He quietly pointed towards the preoccupied Vill-V and whispered to Elysia, "Guess what Vill-V would say if I went over right now, confronted her, and demanded she answer for what just happened..."
Lin Wei lowered his voice, imitating the Great Inventor's deep, listless tone, "'You have the wrong person. The Magician was responsible for those things just now. If you have any issues, wait for her to return and take it up with her personally. Now, please step aside. I'm very busy. Don't interrupt my work or waste my time.'"
What better excuse to pass the buck than multiple personalities? Especially when each personality is a master in its own field?
When she puts on a serious, earnest face and insists she knows nothing about it, what can you, knowing full well she has multiple personalities, possibly say except back down?
Then, once the heat died down and the incident blew over, Vill-V would emerge again, ready to stir up trouble...
"Pfffft— Hahahahaha..." Elysia burst out laughing, then quickly covered her mouth, pretending to be displeased. "Ahem, how could you make things up like that about a hero who made such great contributions to human civilization?" she said righteously, but the upward curve of her lips couldn't be suppressed. As if I don't know you perfectly well?
Moreover, Lin Wei himself really wanted to test the validity of this guess. So, clearing his throat, he called out, "Hey, Vill-V..."
"What is it?" Vill-V looked up, frowning, seemingly annoyed at being abruptly interrupted. Then, glancing at Lin Wei, she feigned sudden realization, "Oh, it's you."
"..." That flat tone made Lin Wei momentarily speechless again. What's with the 'just met you' greeting?
"Vill-V, look around you! Don't you think you owe us an explanation for what just happened?" Lin Wei demanded aggressively.
"Apologies. That was the Magician's doing. I'm just a researcher temporarily filling in. If you have any problems, please resolve them with her personally later." Vill-V replied with a completely deadpan expression, perfectly re-enacting the "performance" Lin Wei had just described.
"Pfft— Hahahahaha..." Nearby, Elysia collapsed onto Yuno's shoulder, laughing uncontrollably. This made Yuno flush with embarrassment; Elysia's boundary-less intimacy made her extremely uncomfortable.
She remembered Anna, back then, who was also very warm, but her inherent reserve was worlds apart from Elysia's fierce, almost invasive closeness. Even so, it took Yuno a long time to get used to Anna.
As for someone like Elysia, her behavior, akin to harassment, was almost giving Yuno a complex!
"What's she laughing at?" Elysia's laughter seemed to puzzle Vill-V. Shaking off the trivial distraction, she continued speaking to Lin Wei in that weary tone, reminiscent of someone overworked, "You've come at a good time. Regarding the power of Corruption and the 'Anti-Corruption Armaments,' I still have some questions for you."
She adopted the perfect demeanor of an impersonal, strictly-by-the-book researcher, showing absolutely no concern for Lin Wei's own feelings or attitude.
"Oh, really?" Lin Wei nodded understandingly. "Well, regarding those matters you mentioned, perhaps you should have the 'Great Magician' herself come talk to me personally later."
Trying to run? Not a chance! Sooner or later, I'll make you come crawling to me!
The current Vill-V persona, perhaps the Great Inventor, didn't push the issue upon hearing Lin Wei's words. She simply nodded noncommittally, indicating she understood.
Then, paying Lin Wei no further attention, she once again immersed herself in inspecting and recording the battlefield scene.
"...Whether she's acting or genuinely switching personas, she certainly looks the part," Lin Wei thought, somewhat speechless as he watched Vill-V dart here and there, completely absorbed, muttering incomprehensible technical jargon and scribbling in her notebook.
After a moment, she returned to Elysia's side and curled her lip. "Well, how was it?"
See? What did I tell you? I've got you Flame-Chasers figured out, damn it!
"Also," Vill-V added, glancing towards Yuno, "don't stand so close to Yuno. You'll scare her."
"Hehe, so obedient!" Seeing Lin Wei return, Elysia gracefully moved away from Yuno's side. Yuno immediately scurried a large step in the opposite direction, finally looking relieved.
Elysia didn't seem bothered by this. Instead, she offered a few quick, insincere-sounding apologies, then turned to Lin Wei with a smile. "Dr. Mobius didn't seem too keen on seeing you. What a shame, especially since you were so sincere... So, what now? Back to the main hall, or continue wandering around the Elysian Realm?"
As Mobius had correctly surmised, Elysia's involvement in Vill-V's little farce wasn't just about helping her good friend Vill-V; she naturally had other motives.
She knew that unlike Vill-V, who had multiple personalities and was practically invulnerable, Mobius possessed infinite talent but also an extremely proud and sensitive ego.
Because of Lin Wei, Mobius had been treated differently, even closely monitored, for a very long time. Although Mobius never showed it, Elysia knew this wasn't something she would easily forget.
Originally, due to prior arrangements, Lin Wei and Mobius would have kept their distance, like well water and river water. If things continued that way, it wouldn't have caused any problems.
However, when Lin Wei expressed a desire to meet Mobius, the entire situation changed drastically.
Once that news reached Mobius's ears, given her lingering resentment, it was guaranteed to instantly provoke the naturally solitary doctor, pushing things in a negative direction.
Therefore, the moment Elysia agreed to help Lin Wei with his request, she immediately started brainstorming ways to defuse the situation beforehand.
Looking at it now, the results weren't bad, right? Thanks to Vill-V's "splendid performance," Mobius likely wouldn't harbor such deep prejudice and hostility towards Lin Wei anymore.
Lin Wei himself realized this the moment Mobius appeared, which was why he had so actively joined forces with Mobius to "confront" Vill-V, united against a common "enemy." It was also for this reason that Lin Wei let Vill-V off so lightly just now, even feeling a subtle sense of gratitude towards both her and Elysia.
Hearing Elysia bring up the matter again now, Lin Wei didn't hesitate, smiling as he replied, "We're already right at Dr. Mobius's doorstep. It would be rather rude not to go in and pay a proper visit, don't you think?"