Chapter 55: Meeting a Rival Across Fifty Thousand Years
Until he returned to the dormitory, Chen Ran's head was buzzing.
Fire Moth was a very complex place, so he didn't think this was Vill-V's goodwill or affection. To put it simply: in this era, who among those who joined Fire Moth doesn't have a mental illness?
So, trying to interpret Vill-V's actions through the lens of typical female behavior was a thankless task.
But...
If he were to pretend nothing had happened, that would be too much to ask.
So, after Vill-V was back to her lively self, he ran away.
Well, a normal person's personality really isn't suited for Fire Moth.
Chen Ran couldn't help but glance at Kevin, who had just finished training.
Kevin stretched his waist and said, "I've already heard from Blanca that you'll be joining the first squad tomorrow, and I'll be the one to take you."
"That really puts you in a tough spot."
Chen Ran sighed and said, "I didn't expect that in just two months, you've already surpassed Instructor Elysia."
"The drugs at Fire Moth are good; you'll have a chance too," Kevin paused, then realized that Chen Ran's mood seemed a bit off.
He curiously asked, "What's wrong? Worried about training? Don't worry, I'll be very lenient."
Chen Ran weakly said, "Kevin, is your first kiss still intact?"
The big boy was taken aback: "First kiss? Why are you asking that? You don't have feelings for me, do you?"
He said, "I warn you, I'm devoted to MEI."
"Ugh, fine." He said, "I was going to say something today... but saying it would be a bit disrespectful to people's privacy, so I won't."
He had wanted to have a good chat with Kevin and vent his frustrations.
But Chen Ran suddenly realized that this was Fire Moth.
Perhaps it was because he had been simulating for too long that he had no sense of reverence for this organization. But the words "Fire Moth" actually represented treacherous political struggles, endless schemes, and the complex interplay of human hearts.
Although Kevin was someone he could trust, he couldn't casually spill Vill-V's secrets.
To put it simply: if he revealed Vill-V's secrets to Kevin, what would Kevin think?
Would he become wary of Chen Ran?
This was no longer the era of high school or college, where good friendships could be built on laughter; everyone was very realistic and wouldn't tolerate others' mistakes.
This was the downside of simulating for too long.
Even if the 666th could synchronize memories with him, that didn't mean the logic behind the 666th's thoughts and actions during their time in Fire Moth would also synchronize.
In other words, he only knew what the 666th did, but not why the 666th did it.
He lacked reverence.
Reverence for Fire Moth, and reverence for the entire apocalypse.
"I should probably adjust my mindset; I can't focus solely on simulation during this time."
Relying on the system for rewards was indeed fine; simulating after the cooldown ended was the most beneficial action.
But he felt that when the simulation ended, he needed to have his own thoughts.
Or rather, the system should only be a tool and not dominate all his thinking.
It was time to cool down his impatient heart.
Chen Ran hadn't always been simulating; it was just that during the time the system couldn't simulate, he was at the First Research Institute, and his understanding of the entire organization was still quite naive.
So, returning to the first squad this time was an opportunity to re-experience Fire Moth.
——
World Serpent, Elysian Realm.
Wendy gradually got used to living in the Elysian Realm, searching for answers from fragmented pieces.
Although the people she encountered were either riddlers or neurotic.
Or perhaps a combination of both.
Though there were only a few of them, she felt that Chen Ran must have had a hard time in that organization.
What could have made these people this way? The Honkai?
But thanks to Elysia, her mind slowly pieced together an image of Chen Ran:
A warrior from the pre-civilization era, later becoming Mobius's assistant at the First Research Institute, working alongside Klein for a time. Then, he and Kevin led humanity to victory in every battle.
But he died after the Finality battle.
Dissipating on the moon.
This was a very normal image, if her memory didn't include Chen Ran.
But now, it seemed that Chen Ran, like all the heroes she encountered, had his own secrets. And most importantly, there was no memory of Chen Ran in the entire Elysian Realm.
According to Elysia, when the group of Igniters was formed, Chen Ran had refused to join.
Even Kevin, who had a relatively good relationship with him, didn't know the reason, but no one advised Chen Ran against it.
For people of that era, advising was a form of arrogance.
However, after coming to the Elysian Realm, Wendy also learned not to listen to just one side of the story.
So she decided to find a few more people to understand Chen Ran more deeply.
Then, she encountered a masked man with a bad temper.
"Oh, Herrscher? What a rare guest."
The masked man's voice was like flames burning, saying, "Use your methods and fight me!"
Wendy felt a bit annoyed: "Sure, I won't lose to you either."
She had never been stingy with battles, especially with the recent series of experiences that had pushed her emotions to the edge of control.
Kalpas's words perfectly matched her thoughts; she also wanted to have a hearty battle.
That day, the vast Elysian Realm was filled with the intertwining of flames and storms, while a guy named Pardofelis hid behind Elysia, trembling with a can, and both Eden and Hua were also curious about the new visitor.
Even Mobius came out.
"Oh dear, this visitor has caused such a commotion, but considering her opponent is Kalpas, it seems quite reasonable."
Mobius's voice carried a hint of laziness: "Let me guess, how long can this visitor hold out? One minute? Five minutes?"
Elysia, with a glint in her eyes, said, "Oh, isn't this Dr. Mobius? Compared to Kalpas, I actually want you to guess the identity of the visitor; you will definitely be surprised by her identity."
Mobius scoffed: "No matter what her identity is, in the end, it will all come back to me. I'm not interested in the name of a lab rat."
Just then, the sounds of battle gradually ceased.
Wendy's face turned slightly pale as she returned to the lounge, feeling a bit unwell.
"Um, hey, Wendy, you're back?"
Elysia smiled warmly, supporting her hand, and said, "So, how was it? Didn't I tell you that Kalpas is actually easy to communicate with? As long as you can satisfy him, he can satisfy you too."
Wendy couldn't help but say, "Really? It's just that the way to satisfy him is a bit too strange..."
Her voice abruptly stopped.
Because a dark and uncertain gaze was fixed on her body, like a snake's stare, sending a chill down her spine.
Though she didn't know who she was, Wendy instinctively felt that she was very dangerous.
Even more so than Kalpas just now.
"Wendy."
Mobius's eyes held a hint of madness: "Tsk, this is quite unexpected."
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