NOVEL WEB Chapter 60: The Deep End
"Uh… about the cat's meowing in the video,"
Elysia frowned slightly, placing her small hand on her chin in quiet thought.
Was it Can?
It should be, right? There's no way the meows were made by someone else, right?
Given Luo Mo's consistent voiceover style, he always strives to maintain authenticity and fidelity to the original characters.
(TL:...then why he started using AI for substitute?)
"Come on, Can, meow for us. Meow~"
Curious, Pardo grabbed Can's four legs and lifted it into the air, inspecting it closely for a moment. She never thought it could be this intelligent.
"Meow! Meowww—"
"Huh? You're saying it wasn't you? Look, look at you, you've gotten even fatter than you were in the game! Who's responsible for this?"
"I know, I know! It's Kevin and Kalpas. They're always giving snacks and treats to Can. And Can…"
Elysia lips curled up in a playful smile as she looked at Canned, now being hoisted up by Pardo, and explicitly added, "...never says no!"
"What?"
Pardo turned to Elysia, shocked, as if trying to confirm whether she was serious.
Unfortunately, Elysia's expression showed no sign of lying, which meant it was probably true.
"Nooo, Can! You have to learn to say no! If this keeps up, you'll turn into a pig!"
She began shaking the now rather chubby cat, her expression turning despondent.
Her companion had always been prone to gaining weight, and now people were feeding it, even people she couldn't afford to offend...
"Meow!"
Can, angry now, struggled to escape her grasp. But this time, Pardo held on tightly, making escape impossible.
"Kevin, boss—Kalpas—"
Pardo now found the courage to glance at the two men standing nearby. Although she didn't say anything, her meaning was crystal clear.
"...Hmph."
Kalpas shot her a sideways glance. How was he supposed to know the cat always wandered near him? He thought it was looking for food.
"..."
Kevin remained silent, subtly shifting his gaze elsewhere.
The cat... always showed up when he was eating instant noodles. How could he let it watch him eat without giving it something?
Pardo opened her mouth but immediately faltered. The courage she'd summoned quickly dissipated, and reason took over. Reluctantly, she turned back to bullying Can instead.
"It seems the boys here aren't very talkative. None of them even bother saying a word. It's so frustrating."
Elysia sighed helplessly as she watched the scene unfold.
The girls here were still fairly normal, but the boys? Silent as the grave.
When it came to being quiet, they were absolute experts.
(TL: oh yeah... I just realize it now. Why HI3 boys always quite. Except for the villain, and Welt. No, I think it's only for the 13th)
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Meanwhile, Raven encountered a peculiar and plump cat on her journey, rumored to have become so chubby due to being secretly fed by the Flame-Chasers' boss.
As for the truth? That remained uncertain.
Its peculiarity, however, was undeniable. The cat led Raven through door after door.
In the game, if it didn't enter a door first, the player-controlled Raven wouldn't be allowed to enter. The cat would wait for her at the threshold, demonstrating incredible agility during battles, never getting hurt.
It guided Raven to unusual corners,
until she stepped through the final door.
Beyond it was darkness, absolute, pitch-black darkness. She couldn't see a thing, as though she'd stepped into a realm entirely separate from the previous Elysian Realm.
The Deep End.
If Raven had known this name, she would've immediately tensed up, turned around, and fled.
In the Elysian Realm, anything shrouded in mystery was almost always accompanied by danger.
This place was no exception, perhaps even more perilous than Mobius's laboratory.
Suddenly, in the pitch-black void, Raven "heard" a voice.
A whisper, soft and melancholic, carried a faint sense of pity.
It was weak yet powerful, gentle yet irresistible. Ignoring all of Raven's defenses, the voice drifted directly into her ears.
"You have finally arrived… stranger."
"Who's there?"
Raven looked around warily, trying to move forward quickly, but no matter how far she ran, she always ended up back at her starting point. A headache began to set in.
She clutched her head, forcing herself to keep moving.
"Are you the one who brought change to this realm?"
The gentle voice continued, echoing directly in her mind amidst the darkness.
"Ah, it seems you're not the one I've been waiting for."
The voice sighed, calm yet carrying an undercurrent of turbulence. It remained steady, unaffected by Raven's movements.
"But I can still feel it, the threads of fate intertwining you and her."
"Perhaps it is still too early for now."
In the blackness, a faint outline of a door began to emerge. A blurry, white figure took shape.
A pale hand extended slowly, as though offering a welcome.
"You will lead her beneath this sanctuary..."
"...and bring her before me."
The voice, soft yet commanding, compelled belief in its every word. It stirred something deep within, even in Raven.
Raven reached out, fumbling forward. Her vision grew hazy, darkness enveloping her entirely. Weakness spread through her body as if something inside her called her to rest.
Blurred images… dim shadows… a heavy slumber.
What was that?
She no longer had the strength to think.
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"Who's this Flame-Chaser now? Feels like yet another person targeting Mei."
Kiana rested half her arm on Mei's shoulder, leaning against her affectionately. She nuzzled close, acting clingy.
The nickname "Kiana the Cat" wasn't undeserved, she loved messing around with Mei.
"I'm not sure… but there aren't many candidates. The voice sounds a bit like Aponia's," Mei replied after a moment of thought, mentally running through the remaining Flame-Chasers. She quickly pictured the curvaceous older sister.
(TL/C: not older sister, but maam or Auntie. Mommy could work too.)
Although Aponia was usually quiet and composed, this kind of mysterious and cryptic tone was new, even for her in the game.
"Ohhh, that big sister? Doesn't Griseo sometimes call her 'Mom'?"
Kiana's interest was piqued. Aponia had indeed been referred to as "Mom" by Griseo on occasion, something that Kiana had always found curious, especially since they didn't resemble each other at all.
"But why do they look nothing alike?"
"Because it's just a term of endearment. They aren't directly related. Aponia was merely entrusted with taking care of Griseo," Bronya chimed in absentmindedly, her head down as she focused on her game. The battles on her screen were particularly intense.
Beside her, Seele pouted slightly, clearly a bit displeased with Bronya's gaming obsession.
Sigh... if only Bronya would play fewer games, Seele thought.
It wasn't the first time this idea had crossed her mind, but unfortunately, with Bronie's deliberate provocations, Bronya seemed to be fully returning to her old habits.
"How are things between you and Bronie?"
"Hmph—what about her? She may look identical to me, but her hacking skills… they're passable. Winning or losing in games is just part of it," Bronya said flatly, putting down her tablet.
Clearly, the other Bronya's skills were more than "passable." The two young girls seemed to argue over who was the more senior and competent among them.
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"Oh? We've reached Aponia?"
Elysia's eyes lit up. Her hand, which had been stroking Can, paused momentarily.
As for why Can had come over, it was likely due to a spat with its original owner. After all, a slightly chubbier cat wasn't a bad thing in Elysia's eyes, it made cuddling even more comfortable.
Its fur was warm and soft, each delicate strand shining like gold in the sunlight. It felt like the finest craftsmanship—flawless, though there did seem to be a bit more flesh compared to the last time she'd held it.
(TL: fat cats are not just fluffy, but Heavy.)
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"Mom…"
Griseo's paintbrush stilled for a moment as she slowly lifted her head, her calm gaze fixed on the screen.
Would the art she created… be liked?
The request had been rather demanding. To be honest, it didn't even feel like her usual Aponia.
But Yellow Brother's explanation and reasoning made sense. He said that people reveal different colors when facing different individuals.
So why had Sister Su Lu's colors turned gray? Black filled most of the canvas, leaving only faint traces of brightness.
Could the colors people showed differ this drastically depending on who they faced?
"Hmm… Griseo, I suppose it's my turn. Perhaps I'll be playing an antagonist," Aponia said softly, stroking Griseo's head with her usual gentle tone.
"But Sister Su Lu… her colors…" Griseo murmured, her bright eyes clouded as if covered in morning mist. She didn't know what to do.
"I believe in the art you create, Griseo. Even if our time together was brief, perhaps we must trust in the uniqueness of this civilization. Su Lu… has not fallen into the same fate as our previous one."
Aponia's voice was quiet, meant only for Griseo to hear.
She had placed a shackle on herself after discovering the situation. Her only hope now was that Su Lu wouldn't become like a lifeless puppet.
(TL: oh, Someone has already found out? To bad.)
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Mei went to assist Kiana and met the one called "God." It was an entity without form or shadow, indescribable. Its image reflected itself—a figure seemingly within reach yet impossibly far away.
The questions Mei asked received no response.
She had to keep coming here, to the Elysian Realm, seeking answers from those who had once fought against this divine will.
She voiced her conjecture to Kevin, but his firm response was that the Will of Honkai didn't exist, at least, not in his time.
After all, it was Fire Moth that first proposed such a concept, and it was Fire Moth that later refuted it.
Faced with Kevin's cold demeanor and resolute tone, Mei found herself even more confused. Her thoughts were like a tangled web, ideas rushing through her mind without clarity.
But she had to understand.
After organizing her thoughts, another piece of news left her stunned.
Raven was missing.
Eden, who was slightly tipsy, shared the information. She sipped on a wine born of the new era, not for its taste but for the essence of the times Raven had brought.
She told Mei not to worry; Elysia would be keeping an eye on Raven.
In this Elysian Realm, a world she had once roamed, Raven seemed to have ventured deeper. The reasons… remained unknown.
Eden's words brought Mei's attention to something else entirely,
Elysia wasn't here. Was it possible for her to miss a day?
However, when Mei found Elysia in a nearby room, she discovered that Elysia also had no idea what was going on. Apparently, after visiting Felis's shop, Alicia lost track of her.
This was strange, even for her.
So… Elysia decided to visit a friend to see if they had any new leads.
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[Don't kill off Raven—she's one of our rare sources of joy!]
[Exactly! Amidst all the heartbreak, her island villa brought so much happiness.]
[Teasing Raven is fine, but don't harm her!]
[Eden longs for the new era too. I wonder if she'll live to see it?]
"Hah—am I going to get written out?" Raven muttered as she glanced at the group of people present, Anna, Susannah, Su Lu… all high-ranking company officials who probably knew the truth about Honkai.
By now, the company's employees had more or less developed suspicions about this world.
When creating things with references from reality, it was hard not to come across certain bits of information, especially after the Thousandth Herrscher caused such a commotion.
Thus, an unspoken rumor circulated within the company, Honkai was a real phenomenon, existing right alongside everyone.
"Huh? Why would Natasha get written out?"
Susannah covered her mouth, her pupils contracting in surprise.
"Well… maybe because she's straight? But Raven hasn't done anything bad… I think," Anna said hesitantly, placing a slender finger on her nose while trying to recall what she'd learned.
(TL: PFFT! WTF! This "straight" rumor is real?! Are you serious!! There is Welt you F%@ing cringe community!!!
(There is also Otto- no, Sieg... Kev-, Su? no–Kalpa- Adam?.....F^#& You Mihoyo and your cringe simp community who likes Yu and Ya. I hope their girlfriends or boyfriends cheat on them with the same gender and vice versa.)
In truth, even she couldn't predict where the story was heading. The previous events had already shattered her expectations.
Recently, she'd received a request from headquarters, but considering her limited grasp of her Herrscher powers, she ultimately decided to step back.
She didn't want to be a burden, nor was she particularly keen on combat.
She left it up to fate.
"Natasha, you're so sneaky, tricking Susannah… Aren't you the one who knows if you're getting written out?" Su Lu said with a smile.
"Haha—voice lines don't necessarily mean anything. It could just be a feint," Raven replied nonchalantly, waving her hand apologetically and ignoring Susannah's reproachful gaze.
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