Chapter 41

(Amane Pov)

I trailed behind the man named KeBin as we entered the Fire Moth facility.

Suddenly, a pink-haired girl with elf ears appeared, carrying a box full of makeup and girly items. "Oh, hello there, Kevin. Rare to see you here. Are you looking for MEI?" she asked as she looked at me. "I'm Elysia, and as you can see, my beauty matches my name."

There was something intriguing about her, beyond just her looks – it was her powers that caught my attention. "Why do you keep staring?" Elysia inquired, tilting her head in confusion. "Ah, I think I know," she said, crossing her arms with a gentle smile. "Is it because I look pretty?"

I couldn't deny it. "Mhm, you do look very pretty," I admitted honestly.

Elysia giggled. "Ara~ You're quite dangerous when you're so honest, Mr. Handsome. Are you a new recruit?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Well then, it's not too late for me. Fairy Elysia is here to be your tour guide!" She beamed, taking my hand and leading me away from Kevin who looked like he doesn't want to deal with Elysia.

"Hmm, now that I think about it, I never asked for your name," Elysia mused, looking at me.

"It's Fujimiya Amane," I told her, returning the smile.

"A lap in Wisteria Palace... What a beautiful name," Elysia giggled. "Now, care to guess the meaning of my name?"

"I'm not sure, but when I hear it, it reminds me of a certain legend," I said, recalling the tale of Elysium, an eternal paradise for people.

"Ara~ can you tell me that?" Elysia inquired.

"Elysium... A safe place for everyone," I answered as I walked alongside her.

"Oh my~ my name is something like that~" Elysia replied, pointing to the room in front of us. "This is my Room~"

"If you want to visit at night, feel free to do it~" Elysia said in a flirtatious tone.

I just smiled at her and replied, "I might do it or I might not."

Hearing my answer, she giggled.

"Do you want my help?" I asked, not wanting to make a bad move by assisting her with her things and going inside her room without permission.

"Oh my~ you want to see my room? Or do you want to do something else~" Elysia whispered, winking at me.

"Sure~" I flirted back as she smiled, opening the heavy sci-fi door and stepping inside, giving me a signal to follow her inside.

"This whole room looks cute and gorgeous," I remarked, looking at the pink walls and the decorations. There was a pink-colored bed with pillows, a desk with a mirror, a computer, a cabinet, and various other items that added to the charm of the room.

"Thank you," Elysia said, lying down on the bed. "How about we do something interesting~" She winked.

"Oh, okay," I agreed, placing a board game on the desk.

"We need more people if you want to play this game," Elysia noted, opening her phone and calling some friends.

The two of us talked for about 3 minutes until I heard a knock at the door.

"They are here," Elysia beamed as she opened the door of her room.

"Elie, what do you want to do this time?" A woman with long brown hair and holding golden cup filled with wine asked while looking at Elysia.

"Let's play, Eden," Elysia said, pointing at me. "This is a new recruit, his name is Fujimiya Amane. If you're looking for a boyfriend, feel free to have him~" She winked at Eden, who smiled back. "As a bonus, you can have me too~"

"Yahallo, Fujimiya Amane. You can call me Amane," I introduced myself and waved to her.

"You smell money, are you rich?" A cat girl with brown hair leaned on me. "You must be loaded like big sister Eden. I'm Pardofelis, but you can call me Pardo."

"I'm Eden," Eden said, giving me a nod. "Do you want a sip?" She offered me her wine, and I wondered how it would taste.

Nodding, I took a drink from her cup. The wine tasted wonderful, and I used my inventory to get some wines I had created using the fruit of my Imaginary tree.

"What a surprising power you have~" Elysia flirted, looking at me closely. "I sensed the presence of an Imaginary tree from you. Are you from another bubble?"

"So you noticed it... it's something like that," I said, surprised that she knew about the concept of a bubble universe. Given her strength, it made sense.

Elysia seemed to want to ask something, but our conversation was interrupted by another knock at the door. I saw a familiar-looking girl wearing a white lab coat.

"Mei?" I blurted out, looking at the girl with glasses. She glanced at me with an observing gaze. "Oh, sorry. I might have mistaken you for someone," I quickly apologized, realizing that I was in a different era.

MEI nodded, and it seemed she wouldn't delve further into the matter.

My attention shifted to the girl standing behind Mei, and I was taken aback. She looked remarkably similar to my cousin from the past. (A/N: She looked like Seo Nari from Land Lady Noona)

Could it be that the world I existed in before I was reincarnated was actually the past era?

"Fujimiya Amane, correct?" The familiar-looking girl asked, and I felt a bit exposed under her scrutinizing gaze. Uncomfortable as it was, I allowed her to appraise me in her own way.

Even though I had the option to ask Metis to create a level window to determine my strength, I decided against it. Trying to assess my power from my perspective alone felt like placing a limit on my potential growth.

I also stopped restraining my Adaptability. That's why I was curious to hear her opinion about my strength.

Her wide-eyed shock and visible trembling took me aback, leaving me puzzled.

'Why was she reacting this way? Wait, now she's crying. Am I really that strong to make her this scared?' I thought, glancing at Elysia and the others, who seemed equally surprised by her tears, They have similar reaction just like my own.

"Y-You," she stuttered, her voice trembling as she kept her gaze fixed on the floor.

"You?" I said, tilting my head in question.

"You idiot!" She exclaimed, lunging at me, causing both of us to tumble to the floor. She suddenly started slapping my face with force, leaving me perplexed.

The situation was baffling. Why was she angry with me? And Her slaps didn't hurt at all, yet I felt compelled to let her vent her frustration on me.

Similar to the feelings I had with my girlfriends, it was an odd blend of emotions that I struggled to articulate. However, her tears added an extra layer of confusion to my puzzledment.

"Why? Why? Why?" She sobbed, striking me as her questions punctuated her cries.

I glanced at the others, their shock evident in their expressions. MEI was bewildered by her best friend sudden emotional outburst.

Elysia, meanwhile, seemed curious about our connection, especially considering my lack of reaction to the hits I was receiving.

Pardo and Eden attempted to intervene, but their efforts were in vain as she remained on the top of me.

"Why did you marry other girls when I was here, trying my best to find you and become stronger?" She choked out, her head buried in my chest.

"Kou-Nii, why?" she whispered. Suddenly, the pieces fell into place as she addressed me by that name and recognized it.

Amane Kou was my name in my past life, a fact known only to Gu Yuena.

It appeared that she found out my past life's name from the appraisal she used on me.

Ah, she was really Anna. I had mistakenly thought she was a different version of herself.

I held her tightly, providing comfort as her sobs gradually faded. "It's truly you, Anna."

Upon hearing my words, Elysia's eyes widened, her mind likely racing to draw conclusions about our relationship.

_ _ _

A/N: The new semester is starting on Monday, and due to my schedule, I won't have the time to post chapters daily. I'll only be able to post when I have free time.