"The Herrscher of Corruption's abilities are replication and expansion. It instinctively seizes data within the Elysian Realm to update and iterate itself. This means all the Flame-Chaser memory constructs in the realm are just fuel for its continuous growth."
Figuring out the enemy's true nature significantly advanced Mei's investigation, yet the sense of urgency brought by this enemy didn't lessen in the slightest.
"The Obsidian Concord mentioned I had less than ten days left. This likely means he knew what was happening back then. If I could ask him for help, perhaps we could handle the crisis in the Elysian Realm."
But it was obvious that choosing to remain an observer despite knowing the threat meant he wouldn't interfere.
Besides, Liuli had also said that finding answers required undergoing trials. If she couldn't even handle the Herrscher of Corruption, how could she possibly face the Herrscher of Finality? How could she stand beside Kiana?
Biting her lip, Mei forced herself to calm down. "Whatever happens, I can't let any more Flame-Chasers die."
It was clear that when the Corruption first emerged, it wasn't much stronger than ordinary data. But after devouring the data of four Flame-Chasers, it had already swelled to a point capable of destroying the Elysian Realm. Allowing it to grow further meant killing everyone was only a matter of time.
The problem was, the Herrscher had already infiltrated the ranks of the Flame-Chasers, making it impossible to distinguish. Acting rashly and splitting up would only lead to being picked off one by one.
Caught in this dilemma, Mei wandered aimlessly. When she snapped back to awareness, she found herself standing before the central tower in the Eternal Paradise town.
The magnificent, ornate white stone tower pierced the sky, standing as the town's tallest structure aside from the Ferris wheel.
Mei looked towards it and noticed the entrance door was slightly ajar, as if anticipating someone's arrival and ready with an invitation.
She paused, hesitation flickering in her eyes. Logic warned that trespassing might lead to danger, yet her intuition whispered that needed clues might lie within.
As she wavered, the tower door slowly swung open. When sunlight illuminated the interior, she realized the door hadn't opened automatically; someone had pushed it.
More accurately, it wasn't a person, but a petite, floating fairy with pink hair.
Having pushed open a door dozens of times her size all by herself, the little fairy was clearly exhausted. She stuck out her tongue, wiped non-existent sweat from her forehead with one hand, while the magic staff in her other hand waved sluggishly, trying to fan up a cool breeze.
"An ELF?" Mei was surprised. She had thought Klein was the only ELF; she hadn't expected to find another one in the Eternal Paradise.
However, she quickly realized this fairy was different from Klein. Although Klein existed within the Elysian Realm, she was fundamentally independent of it. With sufficient materials, her body could be reconstructed in the real world.
This little fairy, however, was clearly a product of the Eternal Paradise, born from Elysia's memories. This was evident from her appearance and color scheme, which strongly reflected Elysia's personal style.
"Oh my, a human!" While Mei was contemplating, the little fairy had already spotted her. With a flutter of her cute little wings, she zipped over.
"Did you wake me up, human?"
"Wake you up?"
"Yup! As the archive administrator, Fairy Ely is always in sleep/standby mode. It wasn't until the Flawless Realm opened again recently that someone woke me up."
"Fairy Ely, is that your name?"
"That's right! It's the name Master gave me. Just like hers!"
An ELF modeled after Elysia... Mei studied Fairy Ely, indeed recognizing familiar traces in her.
"Human, you still haven't answered my question."
"Sorry, I wasn't the one who woke you."
"Huh? That's strange. For so many years, not even Master has come here. The only one I've seen is you, human."
"Perhaps Elysia visited here recently..." Mei trailed off, suddenly realizing that if this ELF was created by Elysia, she might know Elysia's identity.
"Is that so? But according to the Typewriter's prompt, Master should already be 'dead'."
"...Elysia, dead?" Though she had suspected it, hearing it confirmed by this ELF, who looked almost identical to Ely, still struck her.
"The Flawless Realm is a domain Master constructed using her own name. It only opens when she dies. And my existence is to teach those seeking the truth how to use the Typewriter. Shouldn't you know this?"
Steeling herself, Mei pressed on, "What is this Typewriter you mentioned?"
"It's the core archive containing all the data of the Elysian Realm, just presented in the form of a typewriter. Whatever answer you seek, as long as it was actually recorded in the Elysian Realm, the Typewriter can tell you." Fairy Ely waved her staff. "This is the key to the archive room."
"Any answer... including your own secrets?" Mei looked up at the tower, murmuring to herself.
"Can you take me to the archive room?" she requested.
"Of course! That's my job. But first, you need to say Master's special wake-up phrase."
Wake-up phrase... Knowing Ely's personality, what would she set?
She closed her eyes, recalling every little interaction she'd had with Ely. Hazily, a sentence gradually became clear in her mind.
Mei let out a breath. When she opened her eyes again, the words spilled out involuntarily— "No matter when or where, Elysia will always respond to your expectations."
"Password correct!"
Fairy Ely giggled, twirled around, tracing an elegant arc in the air, then flew towards the tower.
Following her path, Mei stepped into the pure white tower.
The interior wasn't complex, looking much like an ordinary archive room. Reaching the top floor, Mei finally saw the legendary Typewriter.
"The Typewriter holds all the data from the Elysian Realm. Just ask it a question, and it can answer you. If no one asks, it automatically prints out recent major events."
As soon as she finished speaking, the Typewriter began to clatter. Soon, a sheet of paper emerged from the top.
Mei picked it up and read the words printed on it.
[Elysian Realm invaded by Herrscher. 80% of area damaged.]
It was indeed a recent major event. Mei's heart stirred; perhaps she could truly find the truth from this machine.
"How do I use it?"
"Simple! Just like this, and then like this." The fairy explained while demonstrating herself. After confirming Mei understood, she added a reminder: "Remember, the question must be specific, otherwise even the Typewriter can't provide an answer."
Taking a deep breath, Mei gently placed her fingers on the Typewriter keys and typed out her first question.
[What is Elysia's identity?]
[Member of Fire Moth, the second of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, the Thirteenth Herrscher, and the 'Daughter of God'.]