With Su's departure, the originally somewhat crowded gathering in the hall gradually thinned out. Eden raised her glass to Irene in a toast, inviting her to a wine party, before disappearing into the teleportation gate.
Griseo was gently led away by the hand by Kosma. Before leaving, she turned back and waved her small hand at Irene and Lixue, expressing her goodwill in her own unique way.
Although the vast majority of people did not say it explicitly, the current situation basically conveyed a single message: the gates of the Elysian Realm were open to her at any time. If she had a need, they would not be stingy with their guidance.
"It seems everyone is very friendly to Miss Irene~"
Elysia's cheerful voice broke the brief silence. She circled around to Irene like a graceful butterfly. Looking at Irene with her pink eyes, Elysia reached out and took Irene's hand.
"So, where would our beautiful tourist lady like to visit next in this wonderful land of the Realm?"
" The Considerate Guide Elysia is at your service anytime~"
From somewhere, she conjured a small, feather-adorned lady's hat and wore it tilted on her head. In her hand, she held up a small tour guide flag printed with the Elysia signet pattern in a proper manner, her face overflowing with an enthusiastic smile sufficient to melt ice and snow.
Mm, if the Mei of the original plot saw this scene, her face would definitely be covered in tears. In the early stages, she never received such friendly treatment; for her, the entire Realm was just a gathering of Riddlers.
The few Flame-Chasers who were willing to speak to her and express goodwill didn't actually provide much effective information. However, regarding Mei's performance in the early stages, it can only be said that her lack of preferential treatment and tolerance was deserved.
Irene looked at this energetic "guide" before her, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly upwards, and finally spoke the destination she wanted to go to.
"Miss Elysia, could I trouble you to take me to Dr. Mobius's laboratory?"
"I think there are some matters for which I need Dr. Mobius's guidance."
"Oh?" The smile on Elysia's face didn't change, but a trace of imperceptible surprise flitted rapidly through her eyes.
After all, Mobius's reputation... well, it could only be said to be non-existent. However, Elysia did not refuse; she would know what Irene wanted to do when they got there anyway.
"Is the target Professor Mobius's laboratory? No problem! Follow me~"
Subsequently, Elysia waved her little flag and walked to the teleportation gate to wait for Irene. Irene looked at Lixue, signaling that Lixue could move about freely. However, Lixue shook her head and followed Irene. After all, her Master from fifty thousand years ago was currently over at Mobius's laboratory. If she wanted to find someone, she could only find her Master, right?
Watching Lixue and Irene follow, Elysia leaped into the teleportation gate with a single stride. Irene and Lixue followed closely behind, entering the gate.
Under Elysia's lead, Irene and the others soon arrived before that iconic laboratory door gleaming with a cold, hard metallic luster.
Outside the door, Kalpas's tall and burly figure was leaning against the cold metal wall, his arms crossed. Although one couldn't see Kalpas's expression through the mask, an aura as suppressed as a volcano about to erupt permeated the surroundings.
On the other side was a somewhat hesitant Hua. Presumably, Hua had prepared to go find the two little doctors, but the result was likely that she was shut out. Given Hua's personality, she was too embarrassed to go in, so she just stood directly at the door.
However, Sakura, who should have been here, was nowhere to be seen. Elysia tilted her head, as she also didn't sense Sakura's presence inside the laboratory.
Then, looking at the overflowing aura of displeasure on Kalpas, Elysia seemed to understand something and cast a questioning gaze toward Kalpas.
Kalpas had no reaction to the inquiry in Elysia's eyes. He didn't even change his posture, as if they were just passing air. But Elysia seemed to read something from his attitude of extreme indifference. She whispered with a volume only they could hear, carrying a trace of helpless gentleness:
"It seems... you told her after all, Kalpas."
Kalpas remained silent, but the aura around him seemed to become a fraction more restless.
Just then, Kalpas seemed to finally notice Irene. His voice wasn't huge, but the threat contained within it could not be ignored:
"You! What are you doing here?! There is no business for you here, get far away from me!"
This could be said to be entirely impolite, and combined with the imposing manner Kalpas erupted with, it appeared full of terror. But Irene keenly captured a trace of extremely obscure... concern. Kalpas seemed to want to scare her away using this method, to keep her away from Mobius.
Irene felt a slight warmth in her heart. Just as she wanted to open her mouth to explain, the heavy metal door of the laboratory slid open at that moment. Mobius sat on her iconic floating chair, drifting out slowly.
She wore that cloying and dangerous smile on her face. Her green snake pupils locked onto Irene immediately, completely ignoring Kalpas, whose rage value was soaring beside her.
"Oh my, my~ My dear Lab Rat?"
Mobius's trailing note rose slightly, carrying an unfathomable meaning. "I wonder if you have some business coming here, or do you simply want to see Rin?"
Mobius's eyes held genuine mirth. She really hadn't expected that before she went to find Irene, Irene would come knocking on her door herself.
Irene took a deep breath, forcing herself to ignore the scorching gaze coming from Kalpas's direction that almost ignited the air.
"Dr. Mobius, I came specifically to find you. I hope to receive your guidance in biology."
"Hah—?!"
Before Mobius could say anything, Kalpas exploded first. "Did you not understand what I said? Scram right now! There is no business for you here, stay away from this woman too!"
Mobius gave a light snort. Irene had delivered herself to the door; Mobius didn't plan on letting Irene go.
"Kalpas, Miss Irene came to find me herself. I haven't done anything else."
"Shut up!"
Flames erupted from Kalpas's hands, and the surrounding atmosphere instantly became much heavier. Seeing this situation, Elysia hurriedly leaned in between the two to prevent them from starting a fight directly.
Then, Elysia looked at Kalpas, her tone carrying reassurance: "Kalpas, I know you are worried about Miss Irene, but look, this is Miss Irene's own decision. We should respect her wishes, right? I believe Miss Irene must have thought it through, regarding what she wants to do."
Subsequently, Elysia turned to Mobius again. Her smile remained bright, but her words carried a trace of imperceptible warning:
"Professor Mobius, Miss Irene came with the mindset of learning. You must teach her properly; you can't scare our precious and brave successor~"
Irene also looked at Kalpas and added seriously, "Kalpas, thank you for your concern. But I indeed need Dr. Mobius's knowledge. Please believe me, I know what I am doing."
Kalpas looked at Elysia, then at the determined-looking Irene. After taking a deep breath, he glared viciously at Mobius, the warning meaning in that look almost spilling over.
Mobius, however, was noncommittal about Kalpas's warning. She didn't need Irene's help, so how could she possibly do anything superfluous to Irene?
Kalpas crossed his arms and retreated to the wall, but that sharp gaze remained deadlocked on Mobius, acting exactly like a supervisor of the highest level.
Mobius paid no heed to Kalpas's state of being a door god; anyway, it wasn't the first time for this guy. She maneuvered the floating chair to clear the path, making a "please" gesture.
"Let's go, Lab Rat. Although I am a bit busy right now, if it is a request from a Lab Rat, I will make time to teach you properly."
"Mm, then many thanks, Dr. Mobius."
Irene nodded and walked into the laboratory together with Mobius. As soon as she entered, Irene saw Danzhu and Cangxuan burying their heads in hard work in front of the computers.
Hearing the commotion, Danzhu lifted her head to look at Irene entering, somewhat confused. "Mm, Miss Irene, why did you come over?"
"Mm, to learn?"
"Ah." Danzhu looked at Irene with some surprise. "Learning from Dr. Mobius? Not being... by Dr. Mobius..."
Danzhu's words weren't finished before she was stared back into silence by a look from Mobius. Mobius didn't want Irene to be scared off.
"There is no special reason. I just believe Dr. Mobius can teach me the things I need." Irene didn't mind Danzhu's unfinished words. She was still clear on what Mobius's reputation was like.
But Mobius had her own bottom line. She pursued that evolution. Compared to Dr. MEI or Vill-V, Mobius was relatively someone with a bottom line—although that bottom line wasn't much higher.
Cangxuan turned sideways slightly. She had already realized what Irene came to learn from Dr. Mobius and what it was for. If it was like that, then Mobius was indeed the best choice.
"My, my, two little Doctors, are you still busy?" Elysia also followed into the laboratory. "Oh my, Professor Mobius prepares to squeeze you dry as soon as she arrives."
"According to Dr. Mobius's phrasing, it is doing the tasks from the years we didn't come to work all at once." Cangxuan turned her head to look at Elysia. "But regrettably, there are no wages."
"Wah, Old Sister, would you be willing to do it if there were wages?" Danzhu turned back to look at Cangxuan with a face full of horror. Cangxuan nodded with a normal expression.
"After all, there is a saying that 'money can make a ghost turn the millstone.'" Cangxuan nodded, then pointed at herself and then at Danzhu. "Aren't the two of us ghosts right now?"
"I feel that saying isn't used like this." The corners of Danzhu's mouth twitched a few times. "That kind of mindset absolutely shouldn't exist."
"I say, you two look like you are very free." Mobius crossed her arms, looking at Danzhu and Cangxuan with narrowed eyes. "It seems the work I gave you two is still too little?"
"I originally thought I'd let your brains, which haven't exercised for a long time, have some activity. But it seems it isn't needed."
"Absolutely not, absolutely not." Hearing that more work was to be added, Danzhu and Cangxuan shook their heads immediately. They couldn't even handle the current work.
If more were added, they might die here today—though who knows what a ghost turns into when it dies.
"Dr. Mobius is wise." Danzhu opened her hands toward Mobius, then put her palms together above her head, making a gesture of begging for mercy. "Handling this level of work is just right for us."
"Hmph." Mobius looked at the pleading Danzhu. "Then why aren't you working quickly?"
"Understood, starting work immediately!" Danzhu heaved a sigh of relief after seeing Mobius had no intention of continuing to increase their workload. As long as the workload wasn't increased, anything was fine.
"Mm, Hua still didn't follow us in. Is she worried about disturbing the work?"
Elysia didn't cast her attention on Danzhu's clowning just now; after all, she couldn't persuade Mobius to let these two out either.
And Hua, at this time, also hadn't taken the opportunity just now to follow them in. Given Hua's personality, she probably still felt she wasn't quite suited to disturb the work.
Sigh, fortunately, Miss Lixue also followed along. As her disciple from fifty thousand years later, Hua should have something to say at this time, right?
Although Elysia thought so, given Hua's usual style and seeing Miss Lixue just now... aside from mentioning the other party, Miss Lixue barely spoke actively.
Sigh, as expected of a beautiful girl who looks exactly like Hua; her personality seems to be just like Hua's too.
If one thought about it like that, the two people were probably staring at each other outside the door right now, neither wanting to take the initiative to speak.
Elysia sighed silently in her heart, but she had no solution for Hua's personality. After all, Hua wasn't the type to strike up a conversation actively.
Since she couldn't solve this problem, Elysia shifted her attention to the next problem. For example...
Elysia looked at Irene with a face full of curiosity. "Speaking of which, I've wanted to ask since just now. Miss Irene, why exactly are you looking for Mobius? And why do you want to learn biology from Mobius?"
"Mm, well~"
Irene pretended to be deep in thought for a moment. Suddenly, the aura on her body underwent some subtle changes. Simultaneously, Irene's left eye was rapidly dyed with a smear of crimson, and the original pupil turned into the shape of a cross.
"Because aside from my current identity as a Valkyrie of the outside world, I have another identity~"
As Irene spoke, she spread open both hands. Black mist emerged on her left hand, while a pure white light emerged on the other.
"Which is the Herrscher of Death of this era. Oh, by the way, I am fighting for humanity~"
Hearing Irene's words, Mobius maintained her silence, simply observing the black mist and white light in Irene's hands. The smile on Elysia's face at the side, however, became increasingly gentle.
As expected~ Irene really is a Herrscher~ A Herrscher of Human just like me.
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