The Moment Elysia Confess Her Love, War Wages On the Ship

“I will mold you into the Captain’s image.”

Mei brought her hands together, looking fragile and pleading.

“…”

Elysia fell into contemplation.

She really hadn’t expected this approach from Mei.

She glanced at Luo Ming, hoping his “yuri radar” might pick up on what was happening here.

But it didn’t.

When it came to Raiden Mei, Luo Ming was completely at ease.

He yawned, “You guys have fun. I’m heading back to work. Ai-chan has wasted so much time, and the detectors are close to finding the next bubble universe.”

He had to work overtime; if he didn’t cleanse the nearby bubble universes soon, they’d be overrun by the forces of Honkai.

“Then, let’s begin.”

A faint, barely perceptible aura of lightning encircled Mei, pushing away the dust without a trace, creating a spotless area around her.

The large cafeteria was empty—filled only with pots, pans, tables, and chairs. It seemed like a good place for a fight.

“Oh, please. An elegant beauty like myself wouldn’t choose here to battle, would she?” Elysia said playfully, sensing the awakening of Mei’s Herrscher core. In response, fragments of past lives took form in Elysia’s hand.

She was genuinely curious about the current stage of Mei’s development.

After all, there are levels to Herrschers.

A newly awakened Herrscher is no more than a minor threat, hardly a powerhouse. However, a fully realized Herrscher would have “death marks”—energy markings on her skin—signifying her strength had reached its peak, capable of destroying the world.

What stage was Mei at now?

A Herrscher bound by emotion was certainly unusual. The very emotions that formed her precious bonds also shackled her power. Mei probably wasn’t very strong.

This was the intuition of a fusion warrior.

“You misunderstand.”

Mei’s current state was deeply contradictory.

She used the sternest tone to say the softest words, much like a stern diplomat hastily signing a surrender letter.

Her manner was so convincing that even Elysia almost believed her.

“I’m not skilled in fighting…”

Mei seemed worried about Elysia misunderstanding her intentions.

For Mei, simply creating a misunderstanding was troubling enough, let alone actually fighting someone.

A mask.

Beneath this layer of kindness lay dark, murky waters of maternal protectiveness mixed with a hint of possessiveness.

“I only want you and the Captain to have a better life together, so I thought I’d teach you some cooking skills. It’s not like I have much hope left. Whoever the Captain chooses, I’m fine with it.”

Her humility was so intense that Elysia almost couldn’t bear to press her further.

“Well, then, no time to waste.”

Mei clapped her hands and led Elysia to the back kitchen of the cafeteria. “Let’s start with a kitchen tour. This is a pot, this is a bowl, this is a ladle, and this is a basin. Before cooking, there’s one thing you need to shout loudly.”

“Pots, bowls, and ladles—submit to me!”

“Let’s start with the basics. As a Valkyrie on the Hyperion, I’ll first assess your knife skills, then decide how to teach you,” Mei said, setting out a block of tofu.

“This is a block of tofu. I want you to carve it into the Captain’s likeness, in three different levels—from the firmest tofu to the softest. Each piece must look like him.”

This was a test?

Mei silently observed Elysia.

No, it was a way to etch the Captain’s image into her mind, making it unforgettable.

<+>

Hyperion.

A peaceful, undisturbed place.

Unlike the high-tech surroundings elsewhere, this area exuded a sense of rustic simplicity.

Even the nameplate was carved from hardwood, reading: Fu Hua’s Garden.

The engraving was recessed, matching the width of a delicate girl’s pinky finger, with faint fingerprints—evidence of precise and powerful control.

Inside, electronics were banned, save for equipment suited for the elderly.

A radio, for instance.

“Old relic, I just went out for a while.”

A thin woman with gray hair and blue eyes gazed at the greenery in front of her, yet there was no joy of harvest in her expression.

Her mind was like a shattered ice lake; only these fragments kept the darkness within her heart caged.

Oh, but it wasn’t darkness. Just the presence of a Herrscher core—a simple power over consciousness, locked within the boundaries of her willpower.

Fu Hua sat at the edge of the field, gazing into the space before her, which should’ve been empty. Yet she looked as if she were conversing with someone.

She was, in a way—staring at an image of herself, projected onto her retina through the power of consciousness.

The figure was identical to Fu Hua, with loose gray hair streaked with exaggerated white highlights and casually draped clothing that somehow resembled swaddling.

The most striking feature, though, was her bright red eyes and the bold smile, exuding an intense arrogance and unrestrained joy.

The smile was the very sign of her health.

“Old relic, how long has it been since you heard that man’s voice? The moment the radio went off, there was a flicker in your mind, and then I… slipped out!”

“Are you surprised? Excited?”

“Once I’m out, I’ll alter his consciousness to make him think we’ve been together for a decade as husband and wife, hahahaha!”

Fu Hua shook her head.

Her own consciousness, along with that of the Herrscher of Sentience, shared this impeccable body.

Through considerable effort, she’d managed to suppress the Herrscher’s spirit.

Even though that voice caused a crack in her calm, it had already healed.

The Herrscher of Sentience couldn’t fully wield the Herrscher core’s power.

“And as for a decade as old partners—that’s hardly old, is it?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Old relic, you built this massive vegetable patch and sealed yourself away here to keep your mind steady and suppress me, didn’t you?” The Herrscher laughed with delight. “Well, it’s all in vain now. Soon, I’ll be out exploring with our body.”

“Excited?”

No response.

The Herrscher of Sentience, already subdued, posed no threat to the Captain.

“Oh, by the way, I’m a more perfect Fu Hua. When I slipped out earlier, I noticed something different about the Hyperion—a new member arrived. You remember, right? Because I remember, and I’m the better, stronger, more perfect Fu Hua.”

“That person is Elysia.”