Failing to pacify Kiana, Zeke decided to check on Bronya next. She was busy with military affairs and couldn't spare a moment at the time.
Then, Zeke observed Sin's whereabouts... Hmm, she was sparring with Senti at the training ground; best not to disturb their practice session.
"Seems like taking in the scenery alone isn't lifting my spirits."
After receiving a cold shoulder from Kiana, Zeke felt somewhat disheartened, though not entirely distraught. Still, even the view failed to cheer him up. After pondering briefly, feeling slightly aimless, Zeke headed towards Mobius's laboratory.
"Klein... Klein... KLEIN!!!"
As Zeke entered the lab, he witnessed Elysia mercilessly squeezing Klein's chubby cheeks.
Mobius merely glanced briefly before pretending not to notice. Instead, his face flushed with excitement and wearing a manic grin, he fixated on Theresa and Himeko being manipulated by mechanical tentacles on the experimental table, emitting a spine-chilling, obsessive laughter.
"Herrschers, resurrected beings - incredibly rare test subjects! Heh-heh! Heh-heh! Heh-heh-heh..."
Zeke remained silent, turning towards Fu Hua, who stood nearby with a smile but said nothing.
Fu Hua nodded gently, explaining softly: "Dr. Mobius wants to focus on his experiments, so he tossed Klein as bait for Elysia, who was causing disruptions. That's essentially what happened. I've already examined their mental domains; Himeko is perfectly normal, while Theresa... well, Herrscher transformation has its pros and cons, it's hard to say definitively."
"I understand."
Zeke nodded, summarizing the situation succinctly.
With a swift movement, he grabbed the disoriented little Klein by his collar.
Elysia's hands flailed as she stared at the empty air before her, puffing out her cheeks and glaring at Zeke.
"You're trying to take Klein from me?"
"Here, have some wine."
A cup materialized in Zeke's hand. Although described as wine, its contents appeared dark and murky, bubbling ominously with bursts of foreboding purple-black vapor upon popping.
Elysia's pupils dilated, seemingly witnessing hallucinations within the "wine".
"You surely want to poison this adorable fairy maiden!"
"No, it's just wine. Fairy maidens never refuse a drink offered by others, right? Go ahead, sip it, and you'll find peace for a moment," Zeke said earnestly, advancing steadily towards Elysia with the "wine" in hand.
Elysia crossed her arms defensively, stepping back fearfully with each word.
"NO! NO! NO! From today on, the principles of the fairy maiden change: I will absolutely reject any wine from Zeke!"
In an instant, she darted behind Mobius, using her reliable old comrade's body as a barrier against Zeke.
As Mobius's body swayed from Elysia's grip, her serpent eyes narrowed, and she asked grimly, "What do you want now?"
"Dear Mobius, for the sake of preserving this adorable me and leaving behind lasting beauty in the world—would you please drink this 'wine' on my behalf?"
Mobius turned to see Zeke holding out the "wine," raising an eyebrow in surprise. Clearly, she had been too engrossed in her experiments and thoughts, completely missing the arrival of the protagonist in the laboratory.
A metallic tentacle swiftly snatched the "wine" from Zeke's hand and brought it to Mobius, who tilted her head back and gulped it down.
"Gulp gulp gulp... Burp! It's sweet..."
Mobius intended to swiftly resolve the issue and return to her research, but unexpectedly, the strange liquid in Zeke's cup was indeed wine—a sweet fruit wine that many girls enjoy!
However, what she overlooked was that despite her meticulously engineered robust physique, immune to all poisons—even capable of drinking nuclear waste like tap water—her alcohol tolerance remained exceptionally poor! This trait persisted stubbornly within her, unaffected by any transformations, akin to a tenacious genetic characteristic.
"Hmm? Why do I feel... a bit... dizzy..."
"Mobius? Dr. Mobius?"
Elysia's antenna-like hair shot up with a snap, momentarily forgetting to complain about Zeke's twisted sense of humor. Instead, she waved her hand in front of Mobius, assessing her condition.
Mobius swayed slightly, managing to lean against the flying device for support. With unsteady fingers, she pointed at Elysia and, flushed red, slurred, "I... drank... Get away from me... Huh? How come there are suddenly so many of you?"
Elysia, grinning playfully (?▽?), replied, "Because I've mastered the art of cloning, silly!"
Forget about Zeke! That emotionless, violent ice block paled in comparison to the intoxicated Mobius, who was far more entertaining.
With a radiant smile, Elysia looked at Mobius and took her hand. Mobius didn't resist; her finger still wobbled as it pointed towards Elysia. Shaking her head vigorously like a drenched puppy, she mumbled through a thick tongue:
"Nonsense! What do you mean 'clone technique'? Get out of my way already; I still need to...need to... Zeke, what was it I needed to do again?" Mobius's eyes swirled as she glanced at Klein held by Zeke, her question sounding dazed yet adorably confused.
Elysia swiftly pulled Mobius's petite body close, wrapping an arm around her slender waist and beaming brightly. "Of course, it's time for our dance together, remember? You promised to attend the ball!"
"Huh? Did I really?"
"Absolutely! The music is all set! Come on, let's twirl away—here we go~"
With a joyful grin, Elysia led Mobius in a spinning dance, while Mobius, slightly disoriented, followed along closely pressed against Elysia. At first glance, they truly appeared like partners in an intimate waltz.
The only odd thing was that the so-called music consisted solely of Elysia humming herself.
"Dum-dum-dum~~
"Now, step forward, backward, turn, turn!"
"E-Elysia... Elysia... I'm feeling dizzy..."
"Don't worry, don't worry! You're just not fully immersed yet. Follow the fairy maiden's dance steps, and together we'll become the cutest dancers in the world!"
Elysia enthusiastically led Mobius through their impromptu waltz.
Zeke exchanged glances with Fu Hua, both reflecting equal confusion and speechlessness on their faces.
"..."
In silence, Zeke dropped Klein to the ground.
Klein sat there momentarily torn between her work and Mobius. Eventually, she remembered that her current duty was to serve Mobius, so she scampered after them on her short legs.
"Doctor! Please tell me what my next task is. I've cleared my entire schedule for you today; I have no other assignments at hand!"
Bouncing beside the dancing pair, Klein's small stature failed to catch Mobius's attention, who remained intoxicated.
With mischievous intent, Elysia casually scooped her up, playfully squeezing Klein in one arm while continuing to lead Mobius in their dance with the other, utterly delighted.
In any case, Zeke ended up taking over Mobius's unfinished inspection work.
Afterward, seeing no major issues with the data results, Zeke carefully laid the unconscious pair on the lab bench and extended an invitation to Fu Hua:
"Want to take a walk together?"
"That sounds nice; I could use some relaxation too."
Fu Hua responded with a gentle smile.
The pair passed by the trio having fun nearby.
To be precise, Elysia was playing with Klein cradled in her arms while also teasing Mobius, who had endearingly crouched down next to them.
"Mobius, give me your hand!"
"My...hand..."
"That's right! Now say it!"
"Woof woof!"
"Say 'Elysia is Mobius' best friend; Mobius loves Elysia the most!'"
"Elysia is Mobius' best friend; Mobius loves Elysia the most! Heh heh..." Mobius giggled, her words sounding delightfully clumsy and adorable, as Elysia shared the same joyful laughter.
As Zeke walked past, he kept his gaze straight ahead.
'I'll save this synchronized footage for when Mobius regains consciousness. The doctor would surely appreciate preserving these happy moments between friends to cherish later.'
With this thought, the corners of Zeke's lips curved slightly upwards.
"Are you planning some mischief?"
Walking along a corridor with breathtaking views outside the window, Fu Hua stifled a laugh behind her hand, keenly aware of Zeke's mischievous tendencies.
Zeke defended himself confidently: "Just trimming out the most memorable moments from the footage to give Dr. Mobius as a keepsake—it's actually quite thoughtful."
"Pfft! Have you considered what Elysia might do about it?"
"That's why I've already prepared Rebirth Hall's contact details. When the time comes, we can simply send them directly to her too. Accumulating more merits could unlock better, premium services for her comfort."
"If my memory serves me right, before the Empire was established, Rebirth Hall was part of your business empire, wasn't it? Planning to profit off Elysia again? You sure know how to squeeze every last bit!" Fu Hua couldn't help but burst into delightful laughter at his jest.
Of course, this was all in good fun. Regardless of Elysia's antics, she remained one of the top combatants among the Thirteen Heroes. Most likely, Dr. Mobius would only end up furiously chasing after her without any serious consequences.
Nevertheless, the scene unfolding would undoubtedly be highly entertaining.
Listening to Fu Hua's laughter, Zeke chuckled softly and shook his head.
"She brought it upon herself. Besides, that idle troublemaker could use some humility."
"It's just her personality; she's still quite dependable when serious. Don't be too biased," Zeke countered.
"I understand. Speaking of which, wielding three instances of the Taixuan Sword Divinity single-handedly and clashing with the true God of Honkai—have there been any lingering effects?" Zeke asked solemnly as they strolled together.
Fu Hua's smile faded, and she shook her head, dismissing his concern lightly. "Just feeling mentally drained, along with some memory loss. But with Senti's help, I'll gradually recover. No need to worry about me."
"That's good to hear. If I recall correctly, you used to have a routine for clearing your memories periodically. Do you still maintain that practice?"
"No longer necessary. After obtaining the Knowledge Authority, I don't require such methods to alleviate burdens. Most importantly...I realized how precious each memory is. So, I've decided not to arbitrarily forget anyone anymore."
Clearing memories can be seen as a way to preserve one's purity, but isn't it also a form of escapism? It allows oneself to evade the pain of loss and sorrow, but for those forgotten, it represents a terrifying abandonment.
For instance, Fu Hua had once completely forgotten her dear friends Fuxi and Danzhu—how terrifying! If even Fu Hua couldn't remember them, who else would cherish their final smiles and aspirations?
Or consider telling Lixue, "I don't remember you anymore"—what unspeakable cruelty was that?
Fu Hua pressed a hand against her chest, unable to suppress the stabbing pain within.
'Lixue...'
To Fu Hua, this name represented a painful memory she dared not forget again.
"Let's visit the Hall of Heroes."
"Hm?"
"The Hall of Heroes was established early in the real world's inception. Many theories require fine-tuning over time, along with the need to perfect its regulations and procedures. Additionally, various responsibilities have kept me occupied, preventing its full utilization until now. Now is the time to bring back some individuals and simultaneously verify certain issues."
"You mean..."
"The Red Kite Immortal's contributions, as well as theirs, make them deserving," Zeke stated calmly but resolutely.
Fu Hua halted, one hand on her chest, the other covering her mouth, tears filling her eyes.