Among the thirteen Flame-Chasers in the Elysian Realm, a few were special. They possessed varying degrees of significant control over the Realm itself, like Vill-V or Mobius. Or, like Elysia, they held the ultimate permission to delete the entire Elysian Realm with a single command.
But compared to them, Aponia's case was even more unique. While the others dealt with permissions within the server, she was the server itself...
Aponia, having survived the final battle, chose to completely and utterly merge her entire being with the Elysian Realm to better protect it and the shared secret buried within.
She silently embraced the fragile construct, ensuring it could endure the vast expanse of fifty thousand years after the Previous Era's civilization fell, safely reaching the new era they awaited.
After this merging, the physical entity known as "Aponia" ceased to exist. All that remained was the memory construct, also named "Aponia," now one with the Realm itself, and...
...in the real world, the "server" known as the Elysian Realm.
Now that her spirit is completely fused with the Elysian Realm, if we consider the entire Realm as Aponia's body... then this Flame-Chaser who governs 'Discipline,' simply needs to impose a Discipline upon her own body. Wouldn't all the Flame-Chasers existing within it be bound by that same Discipline?
Lin Wei mused internally, feeling this guess was highly plausible.
After all, in the original timeline, when the Herrscher of Corruption had completely severed the connection between the Elysian Realm and the outside world, leaving almost no escape, Aponia still possessed the ability to break through the seemingly insurmountable barrier set by the Herrscher, sending Mobius back to Klein's side in the real world.
Although the price was being completely corrupted by the Herrscher herself, accomplishing such a feat under the Herrscher of Corruption's terrifying dominion was enough to demonstrate Aponia's formidable power within the Elysian Realm...
And now, without a Herrscher invading, Aponia only needed to hold onto the 'noble intention' of wanting everyone in the Realm to live peacefully and contentedly. With her usual spirit of grand 'self-sacrifice,' she could impose a few 'self-restraining' Disciplines upon herself—already self-imprisoned. Then, these memory constructs, already subtly constrained by her, would unknowingly fall into line.
Disciplines such as, "Memory constructs should not rashly attempt to return to reality," perhaps...
Although no one could truly fathom her thought process, Aponia had foreseen the Elysian Realm falling into ruin from the very first day it was built. To prevent the Realm from self-destructing due to conflicts among the Flame-Chasers, it was entirely logical, given her usual methods, that she would do something like this.
And what was the most likely source of conflict?
Some wanted to return to reality, while others fiercely opposed it, eventually leading to an irreconcilable, massive rift. Since that was the case, wouldn't it be better to eradicate this hidden danger at its source?
"If someone placed a 'Discipline' on the entire Elysian Realm beforehand," Lin Wei stated with a cold smile, "then Mobius, I'm afraid you really wouldn't be able to leave, no matter what!"
As long as the possibility of returning to reality didn't exist, that conflict wouldn't arise, and the Elysian Realm wouldn't descend into division and destruction. Although the logic sounded strange, this "headache, cut off the head; foot pain, cut off the foot" approach perfectly matched Aponia's consistently self-righteous way of doing things, didn't it?
Aside from Hua, none of these guys in the Elysian Realm are normal! Lin Wei thought indignantly. Dealing with this bunch all day, I'm starting to feel abnormal myself!
"....."
Mobius's previously intrigued expression suddenly turned ice-cold, as if coated in frost. Her serpentine eyes stared indifferently at Lin Wei, silent like a true snake.
Though she herself had long suspected some of these things, suspicion was one thing; hearing it confirmed by Lin Wei was infuriating nonetheless. It was an anger she couldn't quite parse—was it fury at finally confirming her long-held suspicions and identifying the true culprit?
Or was it simply anger at Lin Wei's "provocation"?
Mobius didn't know, didn't want to easily reveal her thoughts, and didn't want Lin Wei to see through her. Thus, after a long silence, she spoke in a sinister tone,
"How strange. Your clever little head seems full of such bizarre ideas. Who told you this?"
It was a question, but before Lin Wei could even open his mouth, Mobius continued as if answering herself,
"Ah, right. After all, she took countless bits of junk from the Elysian Realm. It wouldn't be surprising if some corrupted information and data polluted her pitiful brain. Ultimately, she's just a Herrscher..."
Mobius seemed quite certain of her conclusion, looking at Lin Wei with pity and disdain.
"What, don't tell me... you even believe what a Herrscher says?"
Although Elysia already knew some of Lin Wei's true background, she apparently hadn't had time to spread the word—at least, not to Mobius's ears.
"Herrschers, MANTIS warriors... aren't they all human, fundamentally? What's so unbelievable about them?"
Lin Wei mentally restrained the somewhat agitated Pandora, his expression unchanged as he retorted,
"What, in your mind, 'a fish that crawls onto land is no longer a fish'? Must humans always remain in their original, fragile, primitive state to be called 'human'?"
This was an exceedingly blunt reply, especially for Mobius, bordering on a direct insult—after all, she was the one who first proposed the shocking idea that "the definition of humanity can be revised" and "humanity need not be confined to its original form."
Hoisted by her own Logic—could anything be more insulting?
No!
"You—!"
Mobius was so furious she trembled, but the anger came and went quickly, fading along with the indignation stirred up by his earlier "provocation." Her body went limp like a snake again, and she let out a neurotic laugh.
"Hehehe... hehehehe..."
The sound was as spine-chilling as ever.
"Oh my, little lab rat, I'm truly starting to like you more and more~"
The laughter continued for quite a while. Once she'd had her fill, the icy edge in Mobius's voice vanished, replaced once again by an affected, theatrical tone. She drawled coquettishly,
"If this were back during the time of the Fire Moth, I might have gladly made an exception and let you join my lab as an assistant—even though your abilities probably wouldn't qualify you for even the simplest research tasks. But at least, the stories you tell are somewhat interesting~"
He's right. Biological evolution is precisely about carving out a new future from the impossible.
If even fish trapped in water knew to climb onto land and become leaders of a new era, why should humans, suffering under the yoke of the Honkai, be content with the status quo and refuse to advance?
Therefore, she quite liked this audacious fellow, Lin Wei. His thinking was unrestrained, completely unbound by worldly "dogma."
Perhaps it was because she herself was also audacious, her ideas equally unconventional, that she vaguely felt she had found a 'kindred spirit.'
And Lin Wei's earlier, seemingly shocking and unconventional arguments no longer felt infuriating or repulsive. Instead, she began to think that constructing such unique ideas from limited clues truly made him an interesting guy!
"Extraordinary people do extraordinary things. For him to defeat, even subdue, a Herrscher as a mere mortal, there must be some logic behind it."
Mobius thought secretly, starting to regard the young man before her with increasing seriousness. Of course, she wouldn't show this outwardly at all. Instead, she spoke with a rather playful tone,
"Well now, suddenly discovering you have such utility value, aren't you pleasantly surprised?"
"More than that, I'd rather know how plausible my personal conjecture about the Elysian Realm actually is."
Lin Wei remained completely unfazed by Mobius, instantly noticing her attitude had softened. He immediately steered the conversation back on track.
"After all, freeing the Flame-Chasers of the Elysian Realm from their data shells and letting them return to the human world is, in itself, a thrillingly romantic notion, isn't it?"
These were words he could only say in front of Mobius—or more accurately, in front of a Mobius whose favorability had reached a certain level. Otherwise, it could easily break the unspoken understanding between a "visitor" and the "Flame-Chasers," leading to unpredictable consequences.
Even Eden—normally so calm and magnanimous, even when tasting sour grapes—revealed a yearning, almost desperate look when she received gifts from the real world brought by Raven, a sight that made one sigh.
Even Raven, usually so precise in maintaining boundaries, stirred up such ripples. If someone were to cross the line further, it could easily trigger turmoil and backlash—something Lin Wei had always wanted to avoid.
After all, he had always considered many people here as friends—pure friends, untainted by conflicting interests. He didn't want to cause them unnecessary trouble because of a whim of his own.
"Oh~ So you do care that much?"
Mobius drew out the sound, speaking pretentiously.
"But, whether it's true or false, what difference does it make?"
Come on, open your mouth, beg me for the answer! Mobius was already reveling inwardly, popping champagne corks in her mind.
"You're right, Mobius. It really doesn't make much difference," Lin Wei said, nodding in apparent agreement. "Because whether my guess is true or false, I probably can't do anything about it either way."
"Whether bringing a memory construct out of the Realm requires the unanimous consent of all thirteen Flame-Chasers, or whether a certain Discipline prevents a Flame-Chaser's consciousness from leaving the Elysian Realm, both ultimately lead to the same result: Aponia must agree. And getting her to change her mind is harder than reaching the heavens. Therefore, if my hypothesis holds true, the only way for the Flame-Chasers to see the light of day again might be on the day the Elysian Realm itself is destroyed..."
After all, when the building collapses, the foundational pillars lose their constraints. Similarly, Aponia's "Discipline" would become ineffective as its vessel is destroyed. Thus, at least for a time, the Flame-Chasers would exist in a relatively free state.
"And if the real reason is something else entirely," Lin Wei shrugged, speaking nonchalantly, "then Dr. Mobius has researched for a full fifty thousand years without finding the correct method. What makes me, a newcomer who just arrived, think I could possibly surpass her?"
"If there's any difference at all, it's that under the premise of my guess being true, I might have another 'last resort' plan..."
"Hmph, such an arrogant fellow! Let me guess then, what is this 'last resort' plan of yours?" Mobius felt a wave of boredom wash over her and snorted coldly.
"I bet you're going to say you'll use that Key of Corruption in your hands to dismantle the entire Elysian Realm, and that's how you'll get us memory constructs out, right?"
Despite saying this, she didn't feel particularly angry, because she knew Lin Wei wouldn't actually do that.
"How could I? It's more like... an emergency plan?" Lin Wei unsurprisingly rejected the absurd suggestion, shaking his head.
"After all, if the current era's Herrscher of Corruption truly descends upon the Elysian Realm, everyone needs an emergency evacuation plan, right? And this is probably something only I can accomplish."
While I don't want to forcibly change the Flame-Chasers' lives, if the collapse of the Elysian Realm truly becomes inevitable, then rescuing them at that time wouldn't be objectionable, would it?
"Hmph, isn't that the same thing?" Mobius immediately scoffed, but Lin Wei cut her off cleanly.
"No, it's different!" Lin Wei looked at Mobius with a half-smile, speaking earnestly.
"Mobius, let me remind you of something obvious, yet easily overlooked—Yae Sakura, whom we just discussed. She is my Stigmata; but before that, she was a living human girl tormented by the Herrscher of Corruption for five hundred years."
"Hah, of course, I know that! What's so special abou—"
Mobius scoffed dismissively, about to launch into further mockery, but her words suddenly caught in her throat. Her expression shifted rapidly.
"Figured it out?"
Lin Wei chuckled lightly, revealing the answer.
"Integrating a human girl's consciousness, along with her power, biological information, and everything else, completely into my body, transforming her into a true Stigmata—this kind of event is likely unique to me in the entire world."
"The ability to do this probably isn't because I have some special constitution. It's more likely a specific application of the 'Power of Corruption' itself. Merging two humans at the level of consciousness, perhaps even genetics—isn't that a form of 'corruption'?"
Whether it was Theresa in the original timeline or myself in this world, being lucky enough to receive an 'external, natural Stigmata'—how could it have happened so easily without the 'assistance' of the Power of Corruption?
If I'm not mistaken, back when Rin was still living in the Fire Moth era, before becoming a Herrscher, she probably read quite a few research papers on 'Stigmata,' right? Lin Wei mused thoughtfully. A cultured Herrscher certainly has more tricks up her sleeve!
"....."
Mobius was silent for several seconds. This was a completely new perspective she had never considered before. She immediately asked disdainfully,
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying, since it's possible to turn a human into a Stigmata, then converting a memory construct into a Stigmata should theoretically be possible too, right? And reversing the process, from Stigmata back to human... well, that sort of challenge shouldn't be too difficult for our esteemed Dr. Mobius."
Lin Wei briefly outlined his proposal.
"Of course, this is just an idea of mine. The specifics would need careful research. But regardless, it counts as a viable approach, doesn't it?"
"...Are you saying," Mobius retorted, her voice dripping with implication, "that your 'payment' will only materialize after the Herrscher of Corruption of this era descends?"
Mobius was so annoyed she actually laughed. "Hmph, and how long will that take? A year? Ten years? Or a hundred years?"
This research path, one she had never considered, was indeed quite tempting, but why should I wait so long for you?
"Hmm..." Lin Wei said shamelessly, "Maybe because... Rin only listens to me?"
"Or," he continued cheekily, "there is a Herrscher of Corruption in this current era. You could always go ask it if it agrees when the time comes?"
---||---
"Oooh, so that's how it was~"
Elysia listened with keen interest as Lin Wei recounted the whole exchange, then immediately burst out laughing with delight.
"So she really did agree to a losing deal! No wonder Mobius looked so incredibly funny when she left just now!"