Chapter 23: Gathering of the Flame Chasers

She was tricked!

She should have known Elysia was like this; she had mentioned the matter of the dress before.

She thought that after refusing, Elysia would give up on the idea. But she launched a surprise attack from an unexpected direction! She was careless!

But there was no way around it; after all, what's said is said.

Actually, as long as it's not overly displayed in front of others, wearing some outrageous clothes isn't a big deal.

Yeah, it's definitely not because the other person is Elysia.

After Gwen's departure in the game, it marked a milestone.

When Gwen left, flowers bloomed in Stella's ship, representing Gwen's personality and life.

"Narcissus flowers have different meanings in different regions, but in the West, they symbolize self-love, passion, and challenge, as well as a hint of elegance and pride."

"Oh, I see..."

"Soul flowers are important items used to modify ships in the shipyard, right? If I remember correctly, next, we can modify the icebreaker, which will allow us to go to new areas."

While exploring the map, Eden noticed a sea area surrounded by ice to the north of the map. Without an icebreaker, it was impossible to progress there. To obtain an icebreaker, they needed a soul flower.

At that time, Eden didn't know what it was, but it seemed like every soul leaving the ship would leave behind a soul flower, just like how every soul boarding the ship would receive an Opal. So, after Gwen left, naturally, she left behind such an item—a proud narcissus flower.

"Yes, it's used for this purpose."

Bronie nodded, but he saw Eden put down the controller.

"If it weren't for Miss Bronie's commentary, Gwen's departure might not have affected me much, but now, I think we might need a break. But speaking of which, how many characters are there in this?"

Eden felt like she hadn't progressed much in the game, but Gwen's departure had indeed been quite impactful, along with Elysia's. She felt the need to digest it.

Strictly speaking, there are eleven characters.

"Wow, that's a lot..."

Elysia couldn't help but marvel. Reflecting on the lives of eleven people and their exploration of death, it was hard to imagine that this was something Bronie could create in just a few months.

"If you just want to clear the game, it'll take about thirty hours, but if you want to fully experience the details inside, you might need to spend over a hundred hours."

"Maybe we won't need that much time, but analyzing their past one by one is indeed a very patience-requiring task."

"I wonder if Kalpas can keep playing with us~"

Elysia's words made Bronie freeze.

"It seems unlikely."

"I think so too! Right?"

[Polite Blasting Fist: You're absolutely right.]

In the live broadcast room, it seemed that Kalpas had been waiting for a while. Neither Eden, Elysia, nor Bronie had noticed Kalpas's arrival.

"Oh! Sorry, Kalpas, I didn't notice you coming. When did you arrive?"

[Polite Blasting Fist: When the snake came aboard.]

Actually, Kalpas was quite easy to talk to when quiet. Whatever Elysia asked, the other party would honestly answer.

However, if he saw Summer boarding the ship, hadn't he been in the live broadcast room for at least two hours already?

Then Kalpas spoke again.

[Polite Blasting Fist: Gwen is a coward, always running away in her life, but when faced with her own death, she was quite straightforward.]

"Although I had anticipated it, hearing you say that still makes me a little sad. After all, Gwen was like a big sister to us and didn't treat us unfairly."

[Polite Blasting Fist: Oh, I see.]

Okay, Kalpas in this state is indeed quite easy to talk to.

Arguing with each other would only lead to a faster confrontation than direct combat. But Bronie has always been reluctant to start a fight, and he doesn't want to have too much conflict with Kalpas.

"Alright, everyone has their own opinions, and that's okay. After exchanging our thoughts, isn't it easier to understand each other? Kalpas likes fighting and doesn't like Gwen's approach. But Gwen was just a poor and fragile girl. The only way she could resist was by running away, which shaped her entire life."

Elysia probably understood Gwen's mindset, too; she had thought about resisting relying only herself. But Gwen, naturally weak and powerless, could only climb to the top alone in a male-dominated workplace. She had tried hard and achieved something. It's just that cancer had completely crushed her just when she was starting to achieve something. It was quite unfortunate.

Kalpas didn't speak anymore. When facing Elysia, Kalpas seemed more willing to give in to her and let Elysia do what she wanted.

"Alright, let's not discuss these things for now. Talking about them all at once can be tiresome, right? Next, our dear Bronie will host the biggest banquet in the Elysian Realm. She'll bring us cuisine from various regions! Who wants to come?"

Shouting from Elysia's megaphone, which seemed to come out of nowhere, startled Bronie. But Elysia just smiled, put away the megaphone, and approached Bronie, taking her hand.

"Let's go to the Elysian Realm together, didn't we agree on that before?"

With Elysia's invitation, Bronie had no choice but to follow her to the Elysian Realm. They also needed to explore more to prepare adequately for the future.

After the familiar dizziness faded, they once again arrived in this strange world composed of memories and cognition. Perhaps in Elysia's eyes, the world was just this dreamy and beautiful.

In this pink garden, there were no strange trial monsters, only a huge dining table.

"Uh, it looks like you were prepared in advance?"

"I asked Klein to set it up while we were playing the game, didn't I? Although it's a bit rushed, I'll leave the food for the banquet to you!"

Elysia was still very interested in the current modern civilization. The main reason was that Bronie had said the First Herrscher fought for humanity and even passed on its Herrscher Core to someone else. This meant that Elysia's decision was indeed correct and effective. So Elysia wanted to know more. Of course, the only way to do that now was probably through Bronie, right?

"Leave it to me! But what is this thing?"

Bronie looked at the hat on the table, which looked like a top hat used for magic tricks.

"What is this thing? Its full name seems to be the Successor Cognition Conversion Device of the Elysian Realm. It's portable, safe, and reliable, and it turns memories into real data!"

It's very much like Vill-V's style. But... is it safe?

Seeing Bronie hesitate, Elysia also picked up the hat and put it on her head.

"Would this beautiful lady like to taste the top-tier hand-ground coffee from the Mu Continent? It's a gift from my dear Eden! It's one of a kind in the world."

As if performing magic, Elysia suddenly produced a coffee from behind her and offered it to Bronie.

"It's bitter and sour, why isn't there any sugar or milk in it?"

"Hahaha! Isn't it wonderful? The first time I drank it, it tasted like this. Later, Eden told me we could add these! Here you go."

Seeing Elysia bring sugar and cream, Bronie quickly added them.

"I suggest adding only four pieces of sugar and a cup of milk. If you add more, it'll just taste sweet and milky."

This cup of coffee was actually made up of Elysia's memories. In other words, Elysia had tried it first every time before she added sugar and milk?

"That's much better..."

This actually matched Elysia's character. From these small details, one could see Elysia's curiosity about everything in the world.

"How is it? Although Vill-V's products have many functions, each one can be guaranteed to be top quality. She occasionally gives others a little surprise, but don't worry, there won't be any danger."

Taking off the hat, Elysia handed it to Bronie, who could see her concerns and vigilance.

Something of unknown origin with the ability to read memories will inevitably raise considerable caution. Bronie also activated her own abilities and scanned the hat briefly.

"Sorry, I've developed a cautious habit before. If one lets their guard down, they might end up being completely kidnapped one day, their organs harvested, and their remaining parts turned into cyborgs and sold to pleasure houses."

"It seems like you've had it tough too."

Elysia couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Bronie as she watched her skillfully examine the hat.

Being cautious is a sign of insecurity, but Bronie's survival tactics had indeed brought her to where she was now. So although these actions might hurt others, they were ingrained in Bronie's way of survival.

"Well, there are no external connections and no extra functions. By the way, isn't Vill-V one of your Fire Moth researchers? Didn't she leave any surprises in there?"

"It depends on the occasion, and she hasn't formally met you yet, so the items she developed are definitely serious ones. But once you get to know her, you'll definitely experience that unforgettable surprise."

Surprise? Probably more like shock!

But whatever. Anyway, the hat's functionality as shown on the information panel seemed fine, and if any major issues arose, she could handle them.

Putting on the hat, Bronie projected a cane and elegantly performed a gentleman's bow.

"How's that?"

"Is that a gesture from the current era? It's quite interesting."

Eden observed Bronie's actions curiously, and from her posture, one could discern the cultural background behind it.

"If you're really interested in the overall development of the current era, I can create a game with that theme."

"Oh? That sounds like it would have a lot of text, and wouldn't it be boring?"

Eden was indeed interested, but unfortunately, she usually relied on successors to collect some books for her to read. She only knew the general situation of current era.

Eden actually cared about details, but the things successors could do were limited, so she had always been somewhat satisfied with only glimpsing a small part of the iceberg.

And this time, Bronie, who could repeatedly come to the Elysian Realm, unexpectedly proposed to make a game related to her interests, which made Eden feel pleasantly surprised.

"The gameplay and fun are definitely my job, and as for the theme, you can completely decide."

"Are you not going to make those games that make people feel sad anymore?"

Elysia seemed to have some grievances about the game "Spiritfarer".

But this was indeed inevitable.

When memory replicas recognized their own death, discussing topics like death with them would to some extent have a greater impact on them than on ordinary people.

It's like all the heartbreaking stuff in the plot have cleave and crit.

"In fact, I think Undertale are fun heartwarming stories, right? The game 'Spiritfarer', to some extent, also denies the fact that you're already dead."

"Yes, after death, everything is nothingness, nothing exists. The world after death is just the imagination of the living. But the game is well made and can be considered a qualified game."

Mobius joined the banquet.

If Elysia had come alone, Mobius might not have come out with her. But apparently Elysia had figured out Mobius's personality, and by transmitting it to her in this broadcasting way, she aroused Mobius's considerable interest.

Of course, the main reason was that there was a little bunny here, and her special abilities might actually be able to help her leave the Elysian Realm.

"Hello! Mobius! Why aren't you wearing the pink dress I put in your closet?"

"Elysia! If you don't speak, no one will treat you as a mute. And I'm just a little interested in my little white bunny here."

"Mobius, Bronie is still young. Anyway, I won't just sit back and watch. The other agents of the World Serpent are one thing, but Bronie herself is special and shouldn't be subjected to destructive experiments at will."

At this point, Su also arrived at the scene.

With his squinting eyes, wouldn't he trip while walking?

It seemed that Bronie noticed Su's curious gaze.

Su turned to Bronie and said, "Bronie, the new game is very interesting, and the story inside is very deep. Thank you for bringing such a gift to the Elysian Realm. Unfortunately, I'm just a memory replica, and all I can do is try to protect your mind and body as much as possible in the Elysian Realm."

"Then I'll thank you in advance?"

Bronie readily agreed to Su's idea of protecting herself.

Having a bodyguard in the Elysian Realm was as good as it gets. Soon after, Kosma arrived with Griseo, followed by Sakura and Hua.

Elysia wanted to host a banquet, and most sims would follow her lead.

"Visitor, are you a friend or an enemy?"

Kevin also arrived, but as soon as he entered, he walked straight to Bronie and asked about her intentions.

"I really like Elysia and hope she can leave the Elysian Realm and have a more interesting life. So, am I a friend or an enemy?"

"I'll be watching you."

"Hey! Kevin, Bronie is a very cute kid! Hasn't Undertale proved everything yet? So, let's not talk about such boring topics~"

Kevin's icy demeanor was dispersed by a warm atmosphere.

"Ah, Kevin! Kalpas is on fire!"

"Kevin! Bullying children isn't a skill. If you really want to fight, I can accompany you!"

Kalpas also arrived at the scene.

Isn't it strange?

Elysia with only just her loudspeaker managed to have gathered all the Flame Chasers from the Elysian Realm.

"You see, Kalpas is still very gentle, isn't he?" Elysia whispered to Bronie.

"But I'd rather not spend too much time with him..."

"Yeah, Kalpas's excessive enthusiasm isn't something everyone can handle."

Watching the hall gradually liven up, Elysia felt quite happy. This also proved that she still had some weight in their hearts.

"Hello, unknown visitor."

The woman from the depths emerged from The Deep End! Hearing this very characteristic and somewhat gentle voice, Bronie felt the hair on her back stand up.

"Hi, hello?"

"This is Aponia, my good sister. I didn't expect you to come out of the depths today too! It seems that our guest Bronie is also very charming!"

"Hello, visitor. The gift you brought to the Elysian Realm has also touched me, but please...never mind. If you're interested in the truth about the Flame Chasers, you can try exploring The Deep End." Then Aponia looked at Elysia.

"Elysia, you know, I can't leave The Deep End for too long. If it weren't for this unknown visitor being so deeply guarded against everything, I'm afraid the way I met her wouldn't have been face to face like this."

"Is she really that powerful?"

Elysia was a little surprised. If it were Aponia, she would definitely guide the opponent's spirit into The Deep End for communication, but Bronie seemed to have used some special means to block this possibility?

"Just knowing the interaction principles inside the Elysian Realm, it's actually quite easy to create a firewall-like effect." Proudly puffing out her chest, Bronie felt like such a genius at this moment.

No matter how powerful the force, the effects they could produce as memory replicas still relied on data. And in terms of data, Bronie was naturally a genius!

"That's it, Elysia. I won't bother you anymore. I will take advantage of Kalpas not noticing me yet."

Or perhaps Kalpas hadn't deliberately paid attention to her yet. Aponia came hurriedly and left just as hurriedly.

And as the greatest magician in the world, Vill-V, finally made a dazzling appearance! Countless ribbons, gorgeous fireworks, and giant robots.

"Visitor Bronie, I see you're gifted. Do you want to become my magic assistant? We can negotiate the terms!"