Ren let out a soft sigh. Of course, he wanted to enter the real Velvet Room and happily grind out Persona upgrades.
But in the current situation, entering the Velvet Room meant facing the final boss, the Evil God, head-on—a one-way drift straight into the Bad Ending branch.
Kaslana seemed to know of the Velvet Room's existence but not its name.
Judging by her earlier words, although her ability to assist with rehabilitation might fall short of the Velvet Room residents, she could still offer some help to Ren.
Realizing this, Ren's tense heart finally found a measure of comfort.
After all, the ability to cultivate Personas wasn't something everyone possessed. Even Yaldabaoth, disguised as Igor, merely observed with feigned profundity, leaving all matters concerning Personas and rehabilitation to Caroline and Justine, the original Velvet Room attendants.
Even if Kaslana could only offer partial assistance, that would still be a huge help to Ren.
"Indeed. If the goal is to remain undetected, going to that place now is not the optimal decision."
Kaslana pondered for a moment, nodding thoughtfully.
As Ren said, the Elysian Realm was the final legacy of the Previous Era, the only remaining proof of Kevin's former comrades-in-arms. It was the place Kevin valued most and guarded most heavily.
Only high-ranking World Serpent cadres, screened layer by layer by World Serpent, were permitted to enter the Elysian Realm and undergo the Flame-Chasers' trials.
And Kevin himself, one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, naturally had his peak combat data from the Previous Era recorded within the Elysian Realm space.
Compared to the real Kevin, currently exiled in the Sea of Quanta and suffering from energy depletion, the Memory Kevin within the Elysian Realm could actually wield greater power right now.
Although, given Memory Kevin's personality, even if Ren's true intention—to stop the Stigma Project—was revealed to him, Kevin likely wouldn't immediately try to annihilate Ren.
But there's always a chance of 'what ifs' and accidents. Compared to exposing himself to Kevin's gaze now, lying low and growing stronger in secret was undoubtedly safer and more viable.
However...
"I understand your desire not to expose yourself to the Evil God's sight. But by appearing here, you are already risking discovery. Is Kallen Kaslana truly that important to you?"
Kaslana frowned slightly, puzzled. Her gaze shifted towards Kallen, who looked utterly bewildered, unable to understand the conversation between Ren and the Stigma Will. She directed her question to Ren.
This was the Kaslana family's Stigma space. With Kevin's authority and abilities, he could potentially appear at any moment and seize control of the Stigma space from her.
Although Kevin hadn't paid attention to the Kaslana Stigma space in recent years, the possibility couldn't be ruled out that he might suddenly feel nostalgic and decide to take a look inside.
In other words, Ren, by being here, could potentially come face-to-face with the "Evil God" he spoke of at any moment.
This extremely risky behavior starkly contrasted with the cautious demeanor Ren had displayed.
If Ren truly reached his current level of strength in just four days, he should logically continue accumulating power, waiting until he was strong enough before exploring the Kaslana Stigma space—arguably the most difficult among all Stigma spaces.
But he hadn't done that.
Kaslana could only conclude that Kallen Kaslana held special significance for Ren, enough to make him willingly bear the immense risk of being discovered by the "Evil God," Kevin.
"Eh? I don't really get what you two are talking about, but Ren, you took a huge risk coming to find me? And you still say your heart hasn't been stolen and captured by this lovely phantom thief? Turns out you were just being stubborn!"
Kallen lightly placed her purple-gloved hand on Ren's shoulder, teasing him playfully.
"It's a necessary gamble. If I accomplish nothing by being overly cautious and end up lacking the strength to resist the future of domination and commands, that would be truly putting the cart before the horse."
Ren reached up and pinched Kallen's fair cheek as she leaned close, his fingertips applying slight pressure, pushing her soft, pinchable face away.
Ignoring Kallen's teasing, Ren gave his answer to Kaslana.
Ren wasn't surprised that Kaslana knew the "Evil God" had usurped the Velvet Room, taking it over brazenly, and showed no shock at this information.
Although the Evil God Yaldabaoth had set up the game pitting the Trickster against the Distorter, it never actually wanted the Trickster to win. It constantly manipulated things behind the scenes, attempting to drive the Trickster into deep despair.
The only reason the Evil God maintained the facade of a fair game was because Yaldabaoth wasn't the only pseudo-god in existence. It sought to use the manipulated game's outcome to prove to the other gods the righteousness of its own dominion over the human world.
Kaslana, being a collective consciousness, even if not a pseudo-god, could perhaps be called a demigod. It was perfectly reasonable and unsurprising for her to be aware of the Evil God Yaldabaoth's situation.
The Evil God's gaze could reach every corner of Mementos. As long as Ren appeared in Mementos, he risked being detected.
But this was a risk Ren had to take, bracing himself for it. It was a race against time, betting that the Evil God wouldn't discover his presence too quickly.
After all, only within the battlefield of Mementos could Ren grow strong at the fastest rate, becoming powerful enough to raise the flag of rebellion against the Evil God.
"I understand your resolve. Now, state your request. I will do everything within my power to help you become stronger."
Kaslana nodded slowly. Through her conversation with Ren, she felt she had gained a deeper understanding of him.
She sensed a strange charisma and approachability emanating from him, naturally drawing people towards him.
His special, unknown aptitude, in particular, made Kaslana feel as if she could genuinely see the hope of Ren eventually growing strong enough to launch a rebellious counterattack against the Evil God.
"I wish to know how to hold more Personas within my heart, as well as the techniques for executing Personas to perform fusion and itemization."