Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

The days passed, one after another, arduous yet peaceful.

Even after spending a considerable amount of time here, Lin Wei still found the Elysian Realm wondrous.

Though everyone here, except for himself, was a memory, and everything he saw – the furniture, the decorations, the lights – were merely solidified memories, not truly "material,"…

He could still sit down and rest in the grand hall when he was tired, and he had a bed to sleep in at night.

The lights in his room even turned off automatically at bedtime. How thoughtful.

If it were just that, it would be fine…

"Why is there even food in the Elysian Realm?" Looking at the bowl of noodles in front of him, Lin Wei felt a headache coming on.

Did Kevin make this? He's too kind…

As if!

(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Logically, he understood. Not every successor who came to the Elysian Realm was a Herrscher like Mei, capable of surviving without food or water. There had to be a way for them to maintain their basic physiological functions.

They couldn't expect World Serpent's operatives to go through the trials on an empty stomach, could they? What if they starved to death?

And Raven had apparently taken a "paid vacation" here for at least ten days, maybe even a month or more. Even with her augmentations, she was still fundamentally human.

He understood, logically.

Emotionally, however, he still found it odd.

Lin Wei picked up his chopsticks and started eating, his expression conflicted, the food tasteless.

How to describe it? It felt like…

Eating an offering to the gods, you know?

o(￣ヘ￣o＃)

Driven by curiosity, he had asked a few Flame-Chasers about this.

Hua had simply expressed her inability to answer, having never considered the question before. She apologized for being unable to help.

Lin Wei quickly assured her it was no big deal, just curiosity.

Then he resumed his daily training – balancing a stack of bricks on his head, holding bricks in each hand, wearing weights, practicing his stances…

Hua stood behind him, holding her retractable baton, watching him intently, occasionally correcting his posture with a tap.

"Pardo, just you wait!" Lin Wei gritted his teeth. If he couldn't get back at Hua, he could at least get back at Pardo.

He had also asked SAKURA a similar question during a break.

He remembered her looking at him strangely, then politely apologizing. "Ah, I'm sorry… You're the first successor to ask such a question. It's rather… unexpected…"

Of course it was. Other successors who came to the Elysian Realm were focused on passing the trials and gaining the recognition of a Flame-Chaser.

Or they were busy digging through fragmented memories for clues about the Previous Era's lost history.

A successor as relaxed and carefree as Lin Wei, treating the Elysian Realm like a vacation resort, was a first…

It was only natural for someone with so much free time to ask such idle questions.

The Flame-Chasers admitted it was a novel experience.

In the end, SAKURA couldn't provide an answer. After all, things had always been this way in the Elysian Realm for fifty thousand years. It was just how things were.

It was like how you never really thought about whether your arm was inside or outside the blanket when you slept…

That made sense.

Lin Wei didn't bother explaining further. He wasn't spending hours in the Elysian Realm every week for nothing. Were there any secrets here he didn't know?

Knowing didn't necessarily mean understanding, but the information he had gleaned was enough to extinguish his curiosity.

Too much trouble, too much trouble, I'm out!

Balancing a stick, a stack of bricks, holding a horse stance for an entire day… it was genuinely exhausting.

He glanced at the two figures, one red and one blue, engaged in their breathtaking battle in the distance. Yae Sakura's progress was remarkable.

Envious.JPG

"Visitor, you seem troubled…" Lin Wei, slurping his noodles, heard a calm, gentle voice. It had to be Su.

"Do you mind if I sit here? My apologies if I'm disturbing you."

They were in the former Golden Courtyard's banquet hall, a magnificent and opulent space. Lin Wei felt rather lonely eating his noodles here all by himself.

"Yes, I do have some questions for you," Lin Wei replied, gesturing for Su to sit down.

Su was elusive, not always easy to find in the hall.

Su smiled politely and sat opposite Lin Wei, remaining silent, not wanting to interrupt his meal.

Lin Wei quickly finished his noodles and voiced his minor concern.

"You needn't worry, visitor. All things are formed by the confluence of causes and conditions. Whether a memory or a visitor, it's all the same in the Elysian Realm."

That was as helpful as saying nothing. Lin Wei gritted his teeth. At least he understood Su's meaning:

Stop overthinking it, it's pointless.

"I'm just… not used to it yet," Lin Wei admitted honestly.

"There's no need to be concerned with such externalities, visitor. The gateway to enlightenment lies within your own heart."

"…Is this how you usually talk to people?" Lin Wei asked, exasperated. He didn't know how to respond to that.

"If my words cause you distress, I apologize." Su's voice remained calm and unperturbed. "However, I sense your true concern lies elsewhere, not with these mundane matters."

"Is it that obvious?"

"If you don't mind sharing, please do."

Lin Wei considered for a moment, then leaned back in his chair, looking up at the expensive-looking chandelier on the ceiling. He opened his mouth, his mind racing. "I am… lost. But not here. After I leave the Elysian Realm…"

Su remained silent, pouring Lin Wei another cup of tea.

Lin Wei glanced at the tea set, wondering where it had come from. Memories are truly wondrous.

"Every time I talk to you, it feels like I'm a 'visitor' sitting in front of a therapist. And you always call me 'visitor.' It's a strange feeling."

It was a comforting feeling, not unpleasant.

"Don't worry, visitor. I may have been a physician once, but now I'm merely a listener."

It was becoming increasingly true.

Lin Wei picked up the teacup and drank it all in one go. The tea was warm, fragrant, and sweet.

"Su, let me ask you something. Do you think the Su outside, the pioneer, feels any sense of belonging to this new civilization?" Lin Wei asked, examining the teacup in his hand.

"The human heart is complex and difficult to fathom. I am but a fragment of Su's memories, unable to answer for his true self. But… I believe I understand your concern." Su didn't understand why this person from the future would ask such a question, but the confusion and uncertainty he had just witnessed did indeed mirror their own experiences as pioneers.

"I imagine it's simply a matter of fulfilling a predetermined mission. As for what comes after? How to live after defeating the Honkai? I doubt he's given it much thought," Lin Wei answered for Su.

"I'm certainly not as noble as you pioneers. I'm just a lost traveler, with no sense of belonging to this world, this civilization. I was simply unlucky enough to be caught in the crossfire of the Honkai, swept into its vortex."

"My only 'mission' was to bring RIN back to the Elysian Realm. Since my existence is tied to her and Yae Sakura, I felt obligated to do something for them."

"Now, my mission is complete! Entering the Elysian Realm has allowed me to step back from the chaotic reality outside, giving me the time and space to reflect on myself, on others. But the more I reflect, the more lost I become…"

Lin Wei sighed, placing his teacup back on the table. Su refilled it.

"I don't want to get involved in all this, yet I've already stepped into the vortex… I haven't decided whether to play this game, to change the course of events… But my current position, the Divine Key I possess… I can no longer remain a bystander."

"I don't want to deceive myself, but I haven't made up my mind either. I'm hesitant, unable to move forward. Heh, how pathetic," Lin Wei said, feeling a sense of relief after voicing his inner turmoil. He stretched. "That's why… I don't even want to leave the Elysian Realm! It's aptly named… If I could, I would stay here until the end of time, until everything is over, and then leave, returning to my ordinary life."

"Yes, it's difficult," Su sighed, shaking his head. Without defeating the Honkai, everything else was moot.

"I know it's difficult… Not to mention how long I can exploit this bug, Gray Serpent will eventually come looking for me. Leaving here is inevitable…" Lin Wei didn't know what Su was thinking, but he wasn't ready to explain his real concern – his reluctance to interfere with the established storyline and steer it towards an unknown future.

"Forget it, let's take it one step at a time. At least for now, I'm enjoying my time here." Lin Wei picked up his slightly cooled tea and finished it in one gulp. He couldn't escape his destiny. He would have to face it eventually.

"Thank you for listening to my rambling." He couldn't help but feel a little self-deprecating. His mundane worries must seem ridiculous to a hero.

"It's nothing. For us, who cannot change the past, all we have is endless time." Su offered gentle comfort, nothing more. He sensed Lin Wei's hesitation, but not fear. He still possessed courage and, more importantly, compassion.

"…Visitor, you seem to have connections with the real Su, Hua, and Kevin?" After a moment of hesitation, Su couldn't help but ask about his friends and comrades.

Lin Wei shook his head, explaining briefly, "I've only met Hua and Kevin. As for the real you… that guy has locked himself away in the Seed of Sumeru. He's not exactly easy to meet."

"At least I know they are safe. That is enough." Even Su, despite his calm demeanor, still cared deeply for his friends.

Lin Wei looked at Su's beautiful, almost feminine face, his gaze lingering on his closed eyes. Then, he suddenly asked, "Su, don't you think you've kept your eyes closed for too long?"

"What do you mean, visitor?" Su was surprised by the unexpected question.

"You know I'm not a member of World Serpent. I just have some connections with the pioneers, so I know a little about your abilities, Su." Lin Wei didn't like being led in a conversation, especially by a psychic MANTIS soldier like Su. He decided to be direct. "So, let me ask you this. In your previous 'foresight,' who did you see becoming the pioneers of the new era?"

Su seemed to understand Lin Wei's intention. After a pause, he answered, "In my foresight, Kevin, Eden, Aponia, Mobius, and myself. Each of us carried a different mission, walking our own paths in the new world."

As expected, it matched his memories perfectly.

"So, Su, that's why I want you to open your eyes. Your foresight is inaccurate." Lin Wei looked at the Flame-Chaser from fifty thousand years ago, hoping to free them from the shadows of the past. "Kevin, Su, Hua, and a little girl who journeyed to the stars. These are the pioneers of the new era."

Lin Wei smiled, leaning forward and pouring Su a cup of tea. "If I'm not mistaken, your 'foresight' is more akin to big data analysis. You gather information, analyze it, and extrapolate the most likely outcome. The supervariable factor simply translates this into more vivid imagery, what you call 'foresight.'"

"That is generally correct," Su nodded.

Lin Wei sighed. "You're too rational, Su. Humans aren't machines. Rationality alone can't encompass the entirety of human experience. Perhaps your era was inherently more rational, but for individuals, emotions are also an integral part of our genes and souls."

He pushed the teacup towards Su. "How long has it been since you truly saw your comrades?"

Su shook his head, unmoved. "We Flame-Chasers were always together. We didn't need to rely on any particular sense."

And yet, your foresight was half wrong? Even Kalpas managed to outsmart you? Lin Wei was exasperated by Su's stubbornness. He sat up straight, preparing to deliver a harsh truth. "Want to hear about what happened between the real Su and Kevin?"

Su remained silent.

Lin Wei recounted the events of a thousand years ago. "Kevin sank into the Sea of Quanta, and Su shut himself away, desperately observing, as if seeking atonement."

Lin Wei finished, his voice tinged with pity. "Su, haven't you noticed? You don't truly understand your comrades. That's why your 'foresight' is flawed. If the information is incorrect, how can the outcome be accurate?"

"Look, Su attacked Kevin because he didn't truly understand him. But Kevin understood Su, anticipated his actions, and prepared accordingly, choosing to support his friend."

"You, the 'seer,' are just like the rest of us, trapped in your own perspective, unaware of your limitations." The side effects of being a psychic MANTIS soldier had given him a different perspective, one that saw too far ahead, neglecting what was close by.

Su remained silent.

Lin Wei poured himself a cup of tea. "Su, at least here, in the Elysian Realm, you're no longer on that cruel battlefield. Here, you don't need such far-reaching insights."

"So, try opening your eyes and looking at your comrades. They, like you, are not mere shadows of the past. You're all living here, isn't that good?"

Lin Wei raised his teacup in a toast. "Look, even I don't want to leave this place."

Su remained silent.

Lin Wei finished his tea, deciding not to push further. "It's getting late. I should go find Hua. I can't keep her waiting. I'll be going now."

He nodded to Su and stood up.

Su remained motionless, as if asleep.

Lin Wei walked towards the memory terminal in the center of the hall, accustomed to this routine.

He didn't regret breaking through that barrier. Even memories deserved a future.

His consciousness and vision blurred, the familiar sensation of memory transfer. He was used to it by now.

When the slight discomfort subsided, he was back in the Elysian Realm.

"Has anyone ever told you it's hard to get close to you?"

He stopped, hearing a clear, pleasant voice beside him.

"Oh! Did I startle you? I'm so sorry… Oh, and I haven't introduced myself yet!"