[Kiana: @Levi, come quick and help me meet Mei!]
Licking the last bit of ice cream off her lips, Levi looked at Kiana's message and replied, [Can't help you with that!]
Right now, Levi was in the middle of publishing Elysia's post, so there was no way she could take Kiana's request, to go see Mei in her place.
Finishing the ice cream she bought along the way, Levi said, [You need to figure this out. The one who likes Mei is you, not me. You keep asking me to go meet her for you.]
[If I happen to start liking her one of these days, your Mei might not be yours anymore!]
At the moment, Levi didn't feel anything special toward Raiden Mei, but that could always change in the future.
A "Herrscher of Rice" who can cook two dishes at once is definitely attractive to Levi, who comes from the nation of fine cuisine.
After Levi said this, Kiana finally seemed to get it.
Instead of asking for help in the chat group again, she bravely decided to face things alone in real life.
That made Levi very satisfied.
That's more like it. You're the protagonist of this story, walk forward bravely.
Raiden Mei will eventually fall into your arms.
With that thought, Levi looked away from the chat and toward the luxurious-looking restaurant not far away.
'Now it's time to get lunch ready for Qingque.'
With a light step, she walked into the restaurant. Looking over the menu, she picked something that looked good and ordered it to go.
"Huh? Aren't you the girl who hit on Mei this morning?"
Just as she turned around, someone mentioned Mei's name.
Smiling, Levi looked in that direction.
Mei and her friends had come to eat at the same restaurant by coincidence.
Seeing their eyes on her, Levi waved with a bright smile.
"Hi~ Good afternoon! Didn't expect to see you again, must be the blessing of the goddess of fate!"
"Hmm, I remember I said I wanted to invite you to lunch, but I'm kind of in a hurry right now…"
With a finger on her lips, the very picture of a beautiful girl deep in thought, Levi said, "How about this!"
"Lunch is on me today. Next time when we both have time, let's go out and have a meal together, sound good?"
Mei adjusted her glasses and was about to politely refuse, but her friends immediately chimed in, "Hey, why're you only treating Mei and not us? Are we not cute enough or what?"
Levi laughed helplessly. "How could that be~"
Then, under Elysia's heartbroken gaze, she used her phone to pay for Mei and her friends' meals too.
After exchanging contact info with Mei, she picked up her takeaway and waved goodbye.
"Wow~ what a generous lady! If only I were a guy."
"Hehehe, the way she looked at Mei, I don't think it would matter even if she wasn't!"
"For real?"
"Too bad for you though, she clearly likes quiet, gentle beauties like Mei."
"I can learn to be quiet!"
"..."
Mei, sitting next to them, didn't join in their chatter. She quietly finished her food, wiped her mouth, and took out her phone to look at her short contact list.
Among them was the nickname of Elysia's account, "Miss Pink Fairy?"
Curious, Mei tapped into Miss Pink Fairy's page and found that she was actually a small travel blogger with a decent number of followers.
[Dingdong!]
Miss Pink Fairy had just updated her feed.
[Guys, today I met an adorable girl. I think I'm in love!]
'Adorable girl… is she talking about me?'
———
"Adorable girl… huh, quite bold of her to say that."
Smiling faintly, Mobius, back in the lab, noticed Blanca staring at her, and immediately shut her phone.
Seeing this, Blanca teased, "Doctor, you seem in a good mood today. Something interesting happen?"
"Nothing happened."
Mobius quickly said, then added, "Now hurry up and organize yesterday's experiment report. I have to go deal with those people."
Ignoring Blanca's teasing look, Mobius slipped into the lab and shut the door behind her.
"Hehehe, the doctor's embarrassed?"
Just what happened while she was out… 'I'm curious.'
In an empty corner of Pre-Civilization's Sky City, Levi sent out a double-message and felt that Elysia's future was now wide open.
Two of the three top scientists of Pre-Civilization are already on good terms with me, who would dare mess with me now?
"Now I just have to remind Elysia not to keep pestering Mobius about wearing those cute skirts, and nothing should go wrong."
Coincidentally, Elysia herself was curious why Levi had sought out MEI and Mobius.
So while explaining that to her, Levi also messaged Stelle in the Astral Express world.
[Levi: @Stelle, you there? You there? You there?]
[Stelle: What!?]
Seeing Levi ping her, Stelle was clearly annoyed.
The kind of annoyed that not even 2000 chat points could fix.
[Levi: Don't be mad~ Once you reach the Xianzhou Luofu, I'll open a green channel for you.]
But this stalling tactic didn't work on Stelle at all.
[Hmph! The Astral Express isn't scheduled to go to the Xianzhou Luofu right now.]
She'd already heard from March 7 that their next destination was Penacony,
To attend a once-in-an-era Charmony Festival of Amber Ages.
And the train was about to reach the jump point. Soon, they'd have their invitations ready, heading toward the dreamlike Penacony that so many yearned for.
"Can't wait!"
'Let's hope nothing goes wrong…'
Reading her message, Levi chuckled. "No matter what you say, Luofu is still one of your destinations."
'Those Stellaron Hunters won't let you reach Penacony that easily.'
[Levi: Please help me out, I need to go back to Luofu. When I send the request to enter your world, make sure you approve it.]
Stelle clearly knew Levi's situation.
Before finishing Elysia's mission, he couldn't return to Luofu on his own.
[Stelle: Fine, but promise me, you won't scam me like last time!]
[Levi: I promise!]
At that moment, Elysia asked curiously, 'So Mei and Mobius will become two of the top three scientists in this world?'
'And how do you know that?'
That was what Elysia was most curious about.
Even without mentioning earlier hints, just hearing the name Sky City made it clear her world also suffered from the Honkai.
But right now, MEI was just an ordinary student, and Mobius, though already a scientist, had a terrible reputation. Her projects were often shut down for being "anti-human."
From the present perspective, there was no way to imagine those two becoming humanity's greatest scientists in the future.
"Because I can see the future." Levi pointed to his eyes. "These eyes can see life and death, and glimpse the future."
'Then what does my future look like to you?'
"You?" Levi raised a brow. "A chubby pink lady, that's your future."
'@##￥#&**&!'
He didn't understand what she said, but by her tone, Levi could tell Elysia was swearing up a storm.
Covering his ears, he said, "Okay, okay! Don't be mad, it was just a joke!"
"Your future…"
"…is absolutely beautiful."
[Ding! Levi (Elysia) requests to enter this world! Approve?]
———
"Approve!"
On the Astral Express, Stelle tapped "Yes" after seeing the chat notification.
"Approve what?" March 7 asked curiously.
Suddenly, a shimmering portal appeared in the middle of the train car.
Levi stepped through it, and as soon as she entered, the portal vanished.
Seeing the unexpected girl, Welt adjusted his glasses.
He could sense something familiar from her, the aura of humanity's old enemy: Honkai.
Himeko looked at Levi curiously, recalling Stelle's earlier "approve" before this girl appeared.
"This young lady… are you a friend of Stelle's?"
"Mhm! Mhm! I'm Stelle's best friend!"
"You're not gonna eat me, are you!?" Stelle's eyes went wide in disbelief.
Levi's smile froze. "Oh, come on! Don't bring up the Lumine joke now!"
Everyone knew: Lumine calls Paimon her "best friend," and Paimon's hidden identity is "emergency food."
So Stelle had created her own formula.
Best friend = Emergency food = They're gonna eat me.
"Relying on formulas for everything will only hurt you!"
After playfully scolding her, Levi glanced around the train.
There was the conductor, Pam, cleaning nearby.
Himeko sipping her coffee at the table.
Welt sitting on the sofa.
Dan Heng by the window, looking over curiously.
And March 7 beside her, studying her with wide eyes.
Levi smiled sweetly and greeted everyone.
"Hi~ Hello everyone~ Let me introduce myself first…"
"My name is Elysia. As you can see, I'm a dazzlingly beautiful and adorable girl, as radiant as falling petals!"
"And also, Stelle's best friend!"
"Elysia…" Hearing that name, Welt frowned slightly. He felt like he'd heard it somewhere before.
After her cheerful introduction, silence still filled the car. Seeing everyone's gazes on her, Levi scratched her head awkwardly.
Looking dejected, she said, "Why aren't you saying anything? Don't tell me… you don't welcome me?"
Her disheartened tone made Himeko snap out of her thoughts and quickly respond, "Of course not! We're just amazed that a girl like you could exist in this world."
Indeed, even as a woman herself, Himeko couldn't help but be charmed by Elysia's beauty, she embodied everything lovely in the world.
"Hehehe, thank you for the compliment!"
Hearing that, Levi's smile returned. He glanced at the time.
"Oh no! I'm running late, see you all later!"
And under everyone's eyes, her figure moved straight through the train.
A pink manta ray shattered the void, carrying her away into the distant stars.
"I remember now!"
Welt, who had been frowning in thought, suddenly widened his eyes, he finally recalled where he'd heard the name Elysia before.