NOVEL NEXT Chapter 443: Untitle
A familiar figure entered her field of vision, and Mei felt a buzzing in her head, her mind going blank. Her eyes widened, filled with disbelief.
"Pardo?! But she..."
Her voice trembled with shock. She never imagined she would see Pardofelis again.
She vividly remembered that chaotic street, the girl's body growing cold in her arms. It was a memory she could never forget.
It was that experience, Pardo's fate, that had made her realize the true nature of the world, prompting her to join The Obsidian Concord and search for meaning.
But now, the person she thought she had lost forever was standing before her, alive. The painful memories, like unhealed wounds, were ripped open, searing her nerves.
"Mei-nee, they say there's a paradise called the Elysian Realm, where even those who have died can meet again..."
"The Elysian Realm... is real?" Mei gasped. She had thought the Elysian Realm Pardo spoke of was just a legend, but it was real.
Even if this was the Previous Era's Elysian Realm, not the paradise Pardo had mentioned, Pardo's existence was undeniable.
"Waaah! Why is it coming after me?" As Mei was lost in shock, Pardo's panicked cry brought her back to reality.
…
Within the trial grounds, not a single piece of ground remained intact. The monstrous beast's roars and the flames it spewed turned the area into a living hell.
She wasn't sure when the mark of The Obsidian Concord had appeared, but thanks to the Lamb's Respite, Mei's life had been spared, for the moment. However, this meant the beast's next target was undoubtedly the unfortunate Pardofelis, who had stumbled into this mess.
"Help!"
The poor cat-eared girl had happily opened a portal, never expecting such a terrifying "surprise" on the other side.
Normally, when a trial was underway, the Flame-Chaser providing the signets would be notified. But because Mei was testing her limits, she hadn't chosen a signet, meaning Pardo had no idea a trial was in progress.
As the weakest of the Flame-Chasers, Pardo was well aware of her limitations. Usually, she wouldn't even consider tackling the dangerous sixth or seventh floors; even the weakest first floor was a challenge.
But now, she was facing a monstrous beast capable of easily killing a Herrscher.
Pardo had never encountered such a situation. Seeing the beast closing in, she wanted nothing more than to run on all fours. But even that wouldn't be enough to outrun pure stats. Within seconds, the beast had narrowed the distance.
Fixing its gaze on Pardo's tiny form, the beast's eyes reddened. It leaped into the air, descending upon her like a falling mountain.
The shadow above her grew larger and larger. Pardo closed her eyes in terror, throwing her precious cat, Cans, away at the last moment.
"Cans, run!"
Boom!
Her words were cut short by a deafening crash. The beast landed heavily, and despite Pardo's desperate efforts, she couldn't escape its massive claws.
The entire trial ground shook, and even the surrounding data space glitched. The impact sent shockwaves rippling outwards, creating ground waves. The already fractured floor shattered completely, turning into countless fragments of rock.
When the dust settled, only a massive crater remained. Looking down into the depths of the crater, one could see the chaotic data streams of the void.
Everything seemed to fall silent, a deathly silence. Pardo and Mei's figures were completely hidden by the beast, leaving no trace.
"Mei! Pardo!"
In the control room, Elysia's eyes widened, her hand slamming down on the control panel. But no matter what she did, the trial's exit and termination programs didn't respond.
She didn't know why, but it was too late to call Klein for repairs. The only option was to bypass the program, like Pardo had done, and enter the trial grounds herself.
But unlike outsiders like Mei, Elysia was a memory construct living within the Elysian Realm. Without the protection of the Elysian Realm, if she was killed by data, her existence would be erased.
However, if she abandoned her companions because of the danger, she wouldn't be Elysia.
Just as Elysia prepared to force open the Elysian Realm's spatial barrier, risking the data streams to enter the trial grounds, the beast's roar echoed from the control room's speakers.
The beast was a simulated virtual entity, lacking any emotions. It would only roar under one circumstance – the trial-takers were still alive.
Realizing this, Elysia rushed back to the monitor. What she saw was an entirely different scene.
The relatively small trial space was now filled with crimson lightning. The massive beast roared at the sky,
And answering it was a light that severed all.
"Raiden… Mei…"
Elysia's purple eyes reflected the figure of the girl standing amidst the storm.
…
"*Uuuuh.*" A whimper escaped Pardo's lips. Curled into a ball, her body trembled. After a few minutes, her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
"I… I'm not dead?"
Recalling the terrifying image of the beast, Pardo shivered. She hadn't expected to be so scared she'd faint. That kind of terror was a bit too much for her timid nature.
"Meow~" The large brown cat padded over, nuzzling her leg.
"Cans, you're okay too! That's great!" Pardo felt a surge of relief, tears welling up in her eyes.
After a while, she calmed down and looked around.
All that remained was a desolate wasteland. The once-intact trial grounds were completely shattered, with fractured foundations and glimpses of chaotic data streams. But what caught her attention most was the injured girl lying beside her.
"Are… are you okay?" Pardo asked, her voice trembling. But the girl was clearly unconscious, gravely wounded.
Frantically searching her bag, she found only a pile of glittering gems, no medical supplies.
"I need to contact Elysia-nee and the others for help."
"Wait, where's that terrifying monster?"