Pardofelis asked: "Oh, intel business? No problem! Go ahead—who's the gossip you want to know about?"
i said: "Raven."
"…?" Pardofelis froze. She really hadn't heard that na: "Who?"
i described: "Mm… she's about this tall, short hair, wearing all black, with red claw blades on her hands…"
Pardofelis thought for a mont: "Hm? Black clothes, red claws? Is there soone like that in the Realm?"
i: "…"
Pardofelis laughed: "But no worries! Hehe, i-nee, you might not know this, but I'm the best at finding things."
"People, objects, whatever you're looking for—as long as the reward is good enough, I'll definitely get it for you!"
i asked: "What reward do you want?"
Pardofelis said: "Hehe, super simple… I want to be friends with i-nee."
"To be honest, it's a bit embarrassing, but lately the Realm's been kinda chaotic, and running around is pretty dangerous. And at a ti like this, I lost Can."
"Without him, I really can't make it on my own. i-nee, since you're looking for soone anyway, how about… we travel together for a bit?"
"Looking for one person is looking; looking for two is still looking. Might as well team up—I'll guide you, you keep safe. That way I avoid a trip to hell's gate, and you save so pointless money. Win-win, right?"
i asked: "That's all??"
Pardofelis nodded: "Yep! That's it! Business isn't about short-term gains—you've gotta think long-term."
"Plus, when I wasn't around, my little shop still got plenty of care from i-nee. Consider it a thank-you to a regular custor."
i said: "Alright then, I'll trouble you to lead the way."
"Got it! No ti to waste—let's head out right now…" As soon as she finished, she rembered: "Ah, almost forgot! Since we're becoming friends, I'll give you my Signet too."
"It's not super useful or anything, but don't worry—it's free, no charge—"
i looked at the Signet…
Reverie's Signet… Pardofelis.
Pardofelis, walking ahead, urged: "Co on, i-nee, stop spacing out."
i had no choice but to follow.
Along the way.
Every Honkai beast and cha-type monster they encountered was taken care of by i alone.
Pardofelis exclaid from the side: "Wow, you really know your stuff. No wonder you could beat Snake-nee."
i asked: "Pardo, are you planning to just watch from the sidelines the whole ti?"
Pardofelis quickly said: "Oh co on, i-nee, I'm just a shopkeeper. Fighting really isn't my thing."
This actually surprised i—and all the viewers.
In the viewers' minds, the Fla-Chasers were heroes who fought to the very end. Even if so harbored ulterior motives, anyone who could face Finality wouldn't be weak.
And now there was a cat… Pardofelis saying she couldn't fight?
It really sparked curiosity, even… doubt about whether she was telling the truth.
Compared to the viewers' curiosity.
Inside the company, Pardofelis was extrely excited: "My screen ti! It's finally my turn! Even though the director forced to wear this outfit and it's super embarrassing, it actually looks really good on TV. The audience must like a lot, right?"
She wanted to pull out her phone to check the group chat.
SAKURA kindly said: "Pardo, let's just focus on watching TV for now."
Even Kalpas chid in: "Yeah… watching TV is way better than watching people chat!"
??
Pardofelis asked curiously: "Sakura-nee, Kalpas-ge, what's wrong with you guys?"
Li Sushang said bluntly: "Because your character just appeared. The audience still has so misunderstandings about you, so don't look yet. Wait until the plot develops a bit more—that's when you'll see their real thoughts."
"Ohhh~ Thanks! Then I'll just watch TV."
Pardofelis didn't disappoint everyone's kindness. Cats may be curious, but they don't self-tornt.
On the TV.
i asked: "By the way, the person you were looking for earlier… who was it?"
Pardofelis said: "Didn't I tell you? It's Can. He promised to watch the shop but then vanished… really makes worry."
"Ah, right—i-nee, are you allergic to cat fur?"
i said: "No, why?"
Pardofelis said: "Oh, good. It's just that my tail's been shedding a lot lately."
She asked mainly because among the Thirteen Fla-Chasers, SAKURA was the one allergic to cat fur.
"Hm? Wait!"
Pardofelis, following behind i, suddenly called out to stop her: "I can sense Can—he's nearby… this way, this way!"
Seeing Pardofelis dash off in one direction.
i imdiately followed.
After walking along the path for a while.
She saw Raven talking to a cat: "I'm telling you… do you actually know the way back or not? We've been circling this area for like ten laps already, right?"
The cat owed: "ow…"
Raven said helplessly: "Don't give that pitiful look… like I'm bullying you or sothing. Sigh, whatever—let's keep wandering…"
"…! ow!"
The cat suddenly spotted i and Pardofelis and rushed toward them.
"Hey, wait up!" Raven imdiately chased after and saw i: "…Huh, i? What are you doing here?"
"…" i was speechless and teased: "I should be asking you that, senior. You disappear for so long, and it turns out you're… playing with a cat?"
Raven looked utterly miserable: "Spare . Playing with a cat? More like getting played by the cat. If it weren't for him, how would I have gotten stuck here and unable to leave?"
At the sa ti, Pardofelis's voice ca from the side: "Alright, alright, Can, stop ssing around! i-nee and her friend are watching… ahh, that tickles, stop licking!"
Raven: "…"
i: "…"
Raven asked i: "So… this is your new friend?"
i nodded: "More or less. We ran into each other on the way."
Pardofelis imdiately said: "Ah! So this is the friend i-nee was looking for? And she's with Can—this is killing two birds with one stone… no, it's fate, the arrangent of fate!"
"Hi! I'm Pardofelis. Nobody really uses my full na. So call Felis, so call Pardo—whatever feels natural to you."
"Felis…" Raven rembered: "You're the owner of the Realm shop?"
Pardofelis said: "Yep! The last seat among the thirteen, the weakest Fla-Chaser in both status and strength—Pardofelis of Reverie, genuine article."
i said: "…Alright, Pardo. The person I'm looking for, and the… cat you're looking for… they're both here. Can you find a way to get us out of here?"
Pardofelis said: "Getting out? Easy! I'm a business runner after all—I've got plenty of experience wandering around."
"But… hehe, strictly speaking, this is a trade secret. So… could you two please close your eyes and cover your ears? No peeking, no listening?"
"It's not that I don't trust you! It's just… you know, this is how I make a living. If it accidentally gets leaked…"
i said: "We'll do as you say."
Pardofelis said: "Great! Thank you for your trust! Then, no ti to waste—Pardo's special service—"
A powerful sensation of weightlessness suddenly hit. Pardofelis's already sowhat fuzzy voice gradually faded away.
Her consciousness seed to struggle, wanting to detach from her body… wanting to reach the distant darkness ahead of it…
"Hehe… thank you for your patronage, you two~"
Thanks to Pardofelis's skill, i and Raven returned to the main hall.
Raven also carefully explained to i everything she had encountered in the Realm.
i said: "You said you saw a space that felt like a prison…"
Raven nodded: "Yeah… how should I put it? It just felt like a prison."
i asked puzzled: "Felt like?"
Raven said: "I don't know how to describe it, but from the mont I entered, I already accepted that it was a prison."
"But in reality, there was nothing there—just pure darkness—except for that mysterious woman."
i asked: "About that woman… Raven, can you recall any more details?"
"…" Raven carefully thought back to the situation: "Before I completely lost consciousness, she seed to say sothing to … and handed sothing—
"Ah! I rember! How could I forget that pendant?"
"Pendant?"
"Yeah, it's this… huh? Where's the pendant she gave ?" Raven looked at her chest where it should have been.
"…" i was speechless.
Raven said: "This is bad. That woman gave a golden pendant with a fairly large sapphire embedded in it."
"She said it would help bring the person she's waiting for to her—though I have no idea what that ans."
i said: "Maybe… if we can find it, we'll have a chance to visit that prison again."
Raven imdiately asked: "Did you think of sothing?"
i said: "Not sure yet, but don't we happen to know a friend who's really good at finding things?"
"Though it's just a guess, I feel like… she might know where that pendant is right now."
This so-called friend was, of course, Pardofelis.
And the way to find her was to go to Felis's shop.
Elysian Realm.
Felis's shop.
i arrived alone.
Pardofelis greeted her enthusiastically: "Hi, i-nee! You're back! What are you planning to check out today?"
"To be honest, I just finished inventory and dug up so old one-of-a-kind items from a few years back that didn't sell. I'm planning to clear them out cheap—see if there's anything…"
i interrupted her: "There actually is sothing I'm interested in—that golden pendant. It's pretty distinctive."
Pardofelis said: "Wow! i-nee, your taste is amazing! This pendant was one of the best-sellers back then. I hesitated for so long before keeping the last one…"
i asked calmly: "Oh, is that so?"
Pardofelis kept going: "Yeah, yeah! Whether Fla-Chasers or successors, everyone's bought those things that look useless but sohow feel really familiar, right? That's just eye affinity."
i said: "It does feel familiar. I recently promised Raven I'd help her find her lost pendant."
"A golden one, set with a sapphire—just like this one of yours."
"Uh… ah?" Pardofelis's eyes darted around, a bead of sweat on her forehead, but she still stubbornly said: "W-Wow, what a coincidence! Didn't expect Raven-nee to like this kind of pendant too. Great taste! Great taste!!!"
i looked at her with so interest: "Mm, quite the coincidence."
Pardofelis, under pressure, said: "…A-Alright, i-nee, stop thinking about weird stuff!"
"There's only one of these pendants left anyway… Mm, tell you what, i-nee—I'll give you a discount! Sell it to you cheap!"
Pardofelis shoved the pendant into i's hand.
i said: "This is basically forcing a sale now, isn't it, Pardo?"
Pardofelis quickly said: "Oh co on, i-nee, don't put it like that! Look—you need this pendant, right? One wants to buy, one wants to sell—how could it be…"
"It's you… you've finally co…" The gem on the necklace flashed with a glimr of light.
i's consciousness gradually faded, her body collapsing uncontrollably.
When her consciousness awoke again.
She was already in a pitch-black place.
Exactly as Raven had described.
"Co to , stranger traveler."
"The answers you seek are here."
"No need to hurry… Here, no one will rush you forward."
"You can slowly walk… the path you are ant to take."
Hearing this voice, i's body moved forward against her will.
Until she reached a certain cage, where she could faintly see a woman sitting inside.
The other spoke: "Stranger traveler, may I know your na?"
i answered uncontrollably: "Raiden i."
The other said: "i… a very warm na… I'm glad to et you."
i only asked: "Who are you?"
The other said: "…Forgive , i. Right now, I still cannot answer your question. It would only deepen your doubts, even lead to misunderstandings… which I do not wish. So please trust —neither I nor this prison harbor any malice toward you."
"Think of this place as a temporary resting spot… or perhaps… an empty space that exists solely for our eting."
"…???" i was puzzled.
The woman sighed: "See? A bit more doubt has appeared between your brows, but even more so—the fatigue this journey has brought you."
"You need a corner like this to rest for a while, need a friend to share your burdens with…"
"…"
i felt extrely strange!
Her instincts told her this woman in front of her was very dangerous, yet… she couldn't help wanting to affirm what she said.
What exactly… was the reason for this?
"It's alright, i." The woman spoke again: "I understand… between you and , there are still walls standing."
???
i's heart jolted—this person actually knew what she was thinking?
"But… as I said, no need to hurry. Here, no one will rush you forward. The sands of ti will naturally erode the walls; afterward, gentle sunlight will dispel the shadows between you."
The woman's voice continued.
But i felt her consciousness growing increasingly weary, and this weariness deepened further.
"Ah, as expected… for you, its burden is still too heavy… It's alright, i. Relax… listen to my words, close your eyes…"
"Imagine… an endless grassland, a gentle breeze blowing… mingled with the fragrance of earth and green grass…"
"You can feel… the sensation of grass blades pressed beneath you… those dewdrops moistening your cheeks and fingertips… Just like this… take a little nap on this grassland, i… completely release your body and mind…"
"When you wake, you will no longer feel any fatigue or pain…"
"Yes, that fatigue and pain… they never existed in the first place…"
Under her words, i gradually cald.
When she awoke again in shock, she was already back in the lounge.
After asking around extensively, i learned that this mysterious woman was Aponia, the psychic-control-type Fla-Chaser.
And from Eden, she learned that to re-enter the Deep, only Kalpas and Elysia could help.
Before she could find Elysia.
The other approached her first: "Hi, i. I heard you found Natasha and even made friends with Felis? Things are going pretty smoothly."
"And… let guess—you've already t Aponia, haven't you?"
i said: "Don't tell you figured that out from my aura too."
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