"This husky is totally unfit to raise a child."
Elias looked expressionlessly at Kevin, who was gleefully swinging the Judgment of Shamash around, playing with it like a toy.
This guy had completely forgotten about his son.
Kevin: (Son? What son? Shamash is way more fun! Haha~ From now on, Shamash is mine! Totally worth it!)
Elias: (Damn it, this trade's a total loss. I gave this guy a son and a Shamash.)
The Flame-Chasers looked sympathetically at the baby named Kaslana, thinking: with a husky as a father... kid, your future looks grim.
Everyone tried to imagine Kevin raising a child—and the first image that popped into their heads was him slurping noodles with the little guy. As for cooking…
Kosma: "I once saw Kevin try to use Judgment of Shamash to grill meat. He lost control of the fire and turned it into charcoal."
Elias: "So that's where the Kaslanas' habit of using Judgment of Shamash for cooking comes from!"
Kevin: "Ahem! My cooking skills have improved a lot since then. At worst, I just burn things now. Besides, I don't really need to cook. As long as I have noodles, I'm fine. If not, Chimera can just eat Honkai Beasts—no one's starving."
Elias: "..."
Everyone: "..."
Kid, you're doomed. Once you finish the baby formula Uncle Kalpas bought you, you'll either be stuck with instant noodles or gnawing on Honkai Beasts with that white-haired husky.
Elias slapped his own face, suddenly overcome with guilt. Although he had done it to preserve history, he was the one who decided to create this child.
Thinking about how unreliable Kevin was and the rough life this kid might face, Elias decided he owed the baby some compensation.
So…
"Su, I'm leaving this little one in your care. Oh, right, I haven't told you his name yet—this is Adam, Adam Kaslana."
Elias solemnly handed the baby to Su.
"!!!"
Su's eyes shot open in shock.
Within Fire Moth, the severity of a situation was often measured by Su's reactions—there were four levels:
Su has no reaction.
Su reacts but doesn't open his eyes.
Su's eyelids twitch.
Su opens his eyes.
Right now, the [Bodhi] of the Flame-Chasers not only opened his eyes, but they were wide as saucers.
"W–why me?"
Cold sweat trickled down Su's forehead. He had just been enjoying watching the drama unfold, and suddenly, the fire was on him.
A moment ago, he had been pitying the poor child, but now his instincts told him he was the one who truly deserved pity.
"Because you're a healer, of course." Elias crossed his arms and said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Uh… Elias, I don't get what you mean…" Su looked completely bewildered.
"There's an old saying in Shenzhou—'a doctor has the heart of a parent.' I believe in you, Su. You'll raise him well!"
"..."
Su was utterly speechless.
"Well, this little guy was created from Kevin's genes, so he might end up a little husky too. But I'm sure calm, peaceful Su will have no problem handling that." Elias gave a thumbs-up and patted Su's shoulder.
But that only made Su's face twitch harder.
He glanced over at the white-haired husky enthusiastically playing with the giant flaming sword, then down at the baby in his arms—who shared that same husky DNA.
Su took a sharp breath. The pressure was immense.
"Elias, did it ever occur to you to maybe mix in some gentler genes? You know, to balance things out? Even turning a husky into a Samoyed would've helped."
"Uh, Su, you mean…"
Elias's eyes widened as realization dawned.
"Yes, I mean…"
"Add some of your genes to this child? Sure, no problem! Even though he's already made, I can still extract your genes and merge them in right now!"
Elias's eyes lit up as he spoke, already preparing to add some of Su's genetic material to Adam Kaslana.
"Relax, for the Herrscher of Death, nothing in biology is impossible! I just didn't expect you, Su, to be willing. So, are you planning to be the father or the mother? Uh, wait, forget I asked—you definitely give off mom vibes."
"I do not! Elias, stop right there!!!"
This time, Su completely broke down.
Him having a child with Kevin…
Su: "Ugh!"
Kevin: "..."
Though Kevin believed that every child's birth symbolized that humanity hadn't been abandoned by the world—a beautiful sign of hope—
It also depended on who the parents were! At that moment, Su felt that what he held in his arms wasn't an adorable baby, but a ticking time bomb.
Su looked around desperately, searching for someone else to dump the responsibility on.
"Kalpas, I know you like kids! Here, why don't you take care of little Adam from now on—"
"Wanna die? Get lost!"
Kalpas raised his flaming fist threateningly.
"Cough, cough—Kosma, I remember you like children under twelve, right? Come on—"
"I just remembered I have something to do. Goodbye."
Kosma decisively jumped out the window.
"..."
Su's face twitched violently as he turned toward the remaining few.
The other Flame-Chasers immediately took a synchronized step back, drawing their weapons in perfect unison. Their message was loud and clear—
Don't even think about it. Ask, and we'll hit you.
Su: "So this is the warmth of human hearts... so cold…"
Elias: "Look on the bright side, Su. When you raise this kid, won't it feel amazing when he calls you 'Dad'?"
Kevin: "What?! Su, I've always seen you as a brother, but you actually want to be my son's father?! Come on then! Today we settle this with Shamash Assault!"
Su: "... I'm done. Just end it all, Kevin, you idiot! Why don't you take care of your own kid!"
Everyone watched as Su ran around clutching the baby while Kevin chased after him with his giant flaming sword. They all found seats, pulled out popcorn from who-knows-where, and started munching.
"Hey~ do you think Su and Kevin will end up fighting for custody one day?"
Elysia asked with bright curiosity.
"Hmm, logically speaking, it's not impossible," Elias said, raising an eyebrow.
"Just imagine! It'd be so much fun! I'll be the judge!" Miss Pink Elf's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Then make sure to rule in Su's favor! Not only is he more responsible, but it'd be way funnier that way!"
The white-haired boy's lips curved high as he stuffed more popcorn into his mouth, his expression one of pure amusement.
After all, for Elias, as long as Adam Kaslana could carry on the Kaslana bloodline, that was all that really mattered.
The rest? As long as it was entertaining, anything went.
In the end, Su loudly clarified that he had no intention whatsoever of being the kid's father. Only then did Kevin lower the Judgment of Shamash. Still, everyone agreed that the two of them would co-parent Adam Kaslana together.
From a practical standpoint, it was obvious: Kevin would be the dad, and Su the mom. Everyone thought it suited them just fine.
At least in terms of appearance, it wasn't a problem—after all, Su would one day earn the title "Lady of the Lake." Even Hua's title was "Immortal," not "Fairy."
(Hua: "...")
"Hmph~ Boring. I'm out."
Kalpas coolly left after the show ended.
"I'm going back to work on the bubble world."
Mei also stood up to continue her planning.
"I'm leaving too. The final Divine Key—I hope I can complete it before Finality arrives."
Vill-V brushed the popcorn crumbs from her hands, grabbed the Gem of Corruption, and left.
The Flame-Chasers all had their duties—some busy moving the entire world, others fighting or researching—but for now, Elias and Elysia were free.
After everyone left, the two of them looked around the golden courtyard that once again belonged only to them. By now, though, this place could really be renamed as the [Elysian Realm].
Thanks to the Divine Key Codex of Truth, as well as countless ELFs and engineering mechs, Vill-V had spent days and nights constructing the [Elysian Realm] until it was finally complete.
"Ely, let's go take a look inside the realm."
"Mm! I'll give you a proper tour, Eli!"
Elysia said with a bright smile, grabbing Elias's hand and running toward the wine cellar. That place, which had once been Eden's wine storage, had now been converted into a passage.
Elias felt anticipation welling inside him. He was about to witness the [Elysian Realm]—a domain that would endure for fifty thousand years, existing between reality and illusion. The white-haired boy couldn't help but recall those "wonderful" memories from his past life.
Burnt-out effort, heartbreak from plot twists, and endless cryptic storytelling.
All of it summed up in one sentence: Screw the editor!
But unlike the version in the original timeline, this [Elysian Realm] was different.
Though it was still a virtual world built from memories, this time there were no memory projections—real, living Flame-Chasers would reside here instead.
A few minutes later…
"Isn't this elevator going a bit too deep?" Elias asked, watching the floor numbers continue to drop.
"Mhm~ Vill-V said the deeper it's built, the better it's protected from external interference. I think it's several kilometers underground. She even invented a massive drill-bot to dig it out—it took her forever!"
Elysia recalled with a laugh.
Depth, however, was only one of many defense measures. There were several unique protective systems in place. For example, the [Elysian Realm] existed in a space separate from the outside world.
That isolation was achieved through the power of the Gem of the Void. As long as the Earth itself wasn't destroyed, the realm would remain untouched—even if Finality arrived.
After nearly ten minutes in the elevator, Elias and Elysia finally reached the entrance to the [Elysian Realm].
"Huh? Did Eden help design this?"
When the soulium-alloy gates opened, Elias found himself inside a grand palace. It looked as though it had existed since the dawn of creation—elegant, classical, and full of artistic splendor.
He recognized Eden's style immediately.
"Bingo~ You guessed it! I didn't know Eden had such talent in architecture either. So, Eli, what do you think? This is the true entrance to the [Elysian Realm]."
"Perfect. And… strangely familiar…"
Elias instinctively placed a hand over his stomach.
The warmly lit lounge, the portal to the core of the realm, the display zone for the Vessels of Recollection, and the armory where weapons and suits were arranged—
Though he'd seen it countless times in the "game," seeing it in real life was a first. Elias was fascinated, curiously touching everything he saw.
Then, following Elysia's lead, he stepped through the portal.
They arrived in a space shaped by the Flame-Chasers' memories: Eden's golden theater, Kalpas's blazing battlefield, Griseo's dreamlike art studio. The Deep End had become Vill-V's domain, while Aponia's was a sacred cathedral.
"Amazing, isn't it~? Aside from the entrance palace, the whole realm is made from our memory data. That's why it can be so vast, and it feels no different from reality itself. Dreamy, right?"
Elysia plucked a white flower—one constructed from memory data. It was the same creation blossom that often bloomed when Elias used his Herrscher of Rebirth powers.
Whether in appearance, texture, or fragrance, it was identical to the real thing—and bloomed throughout each Flame-Chaser's memory domain.
(Elysia: Everyone really loves you, Eli~)
The only downside was that these flowers couldn't be taken outside the realm; after all, they were still just data.
"Yeah, it's truly dreamy and romantic."
Elias plucked one himself, recalling how back in Vostok Town, Elysia once became obsessed with weaving flower crowns.
Although Miss Pink Elf was nimble-fingered, her handiwork still couldn't match that of Elias, who possessed the Herrscher of Reason's precision.
The corners of Elias's lips curved slightly upward as he picked a few vividly colored memory-flowers and, with just a few deft motions, wove them into a flower crown that he gently placed on Elysia's head.
"Waa~ Eli, your craftsmanship is still as amazing as ever." Elysia exclaimed with delight, pulling out a small mirror to admire herself. A nostalgic glimmer shone in her eyes.
"Ely, you still remember," Elias said, visibly pleased.
"Of course. Every memory that involves you, Eli, I'll never forget—not even a single second." Elysia replied without a hint of hesitation.
"Yeah… me neither."
Elias gently pulled Elysia into his arms.
After walking a bit farther, the two came upon fifteen stasis pods neatly arranged deep within the realm.
"Looks like everything's ready. But… isn't there one pod too many? I won't be needing one."
"Even if you don't need it, we still have to keep yours here. Everyone insisted."
"…Alright."
After Finality was over, the Flame-Chasers would enter these stasis pods and sleep until the dawn of the Current Era.
Then, without accelerating civilization's progress, they would guide the new era by teaching humanity how to resist the Honkai.
After that, they would once again fall into slumber, awaiting the day Elias would return to awaken them.
But that didn't mean they'd be asleep the entire time. Thanks to Mobius's and Vill-V's research into the Herrscher of Sentience's powers, the serpent had developed a way to create "spiritual bodies" distinct from the usual "memory constructs."
These spiritual forms allowed the Flame-Chasers to separate their consciousness from their physical bodies while their real forms remained in stasis.
The greatest advantage of using spiritual bodies was that it prevented the "erosion" of time.
Everything experienced in spiritual form would become real memories, yet when they awoke from their pods, it would only feel like they had experienced a vivid dream.
That way, their minds would remain unburdened.
"As expected of Mobius and Vill-V—they really can invent anything," Elias said, clapping in admiration.
"Ahem! The technology might be theirs, but the idea was mine, you know. So…" Elysia puffed up proudly, clearly waiting for praise.
"Haha, alright, alright~ My lovely Ely really is a genius." Elias said, patting the pink elf's head affectionately.
"Ehehe~"
"But I'm curious—what does your memory domain look like? I've seen everyone else's already. Yours—or rather, our memory domain?" Elias asked, lightly poking Elysia's cheek.
He had already entrusted all his memories to her. The only memory domain left unseen was theirs.
It was pure intuition, but Elias was sure Elysia had merged both their memories into one—
A perfect, shared world.
"Oh my, you actually guessed it," Elysia said, both disappointed and delighted. "I was hoping to surprise you, but I guess there's no way I could hide something from the person who knows Miss Pink Elf best."
"Come on then, show me, Ely. I can't wait anymore—what does our realm look like?"
"Alright, then stay close to your elf guide and—welcome to the [Elysian Realm]!"
Elysia said cheerfully as she opened a radiant gate hidden at the deepest part of the Elysian Realm, proudly revealing the most dazzling, beautiful paradise—crafted from the shared memories of herself and the white-haired boy.