At the Longcheng Bureau of Anomalous Investigations, Lü Heng arrived at work with dark circles under his eyes, having barely slept the night before. Ikezawa had kept him awake with a barrage of anxious questions: "Any news yet?" "Did it work?" "When can you come rescue me?"
After all, Ikezawa's life was on the line, so his anxiety was understandable. But Lü Heng, hesitant to constantly pester Robin for updates, bore the full weight of the pressure.
After greeting Invincible Bro, who was sitting in the lobby, Lü Heng headed straight for the water dispenser. As he filled his paper cup, a strikingly beautiful voice suddenly rang out from the doorway: "Excuse me, is this the Longcheng Bureau of Anomalous Investigations?"
"Yes, it is. How can I help you?" Lü Heng replied automatically, turning toward the voice. He froze mid-motion, completely stunned.
The door swung open, and a young girl walked in, instantly recognizable to Lü Heng from the countless online posts he'd seen. Her soft, fluffy pink hair cascaded down her back in a low ponytail that reached her hips. She wore a crisp white short-sleeved top that exuded youthful energy, paired with an adorable pink pleated skirt. Beneath the hem peeked a pair of milky-white knee-high socks.
The tops of her white stockings left faint marks on her rounded thighs. On her feet were small brown leather boots with slight heels.
Who else could it be but Elysia?
Splash, splash...
Lü Heng instinctively touched his mouth, but he wasn't drooling. The paper cup he'd been filling with water had spilled all over the floor.
Lü Heng was completely stunned, wondering if he was dreaming.
The situation felt surreal. He had begged for help yesterday, and today the very person he needed was standing right in front of him. He couldn't help but suspect that some mischievous prankster like Sparkle had transformed into Elysia just to mess with him.
Get burned once, and you'll flinch at the stove forever, as the saying goes.
Invincible Bro felt the same way. Although Sparkle had primarily targeted Lü Heng in the past, his own reputation had suffered serious damage as well. So, the moment he saw Elysia walk through the door, he instinctively activated his ability, Data Vision:
Name: Elysia
Gender: Female (?? years old)
Class: Outsider (Level ??)
Abilities:
Flawless One: ???
Primordial &@*&: ???
¥%#...&: Data @@@¥% Deleted
As an Outsider, Invincible Bro's ability could only retrieve limited information. Still, he could discern that this wasn't Sparkle in disguise, but the real Elysia from White Eagle.
Even though much of the information was hidden, the phrase "Flawless One" still caught Invincible Bro off guard. He didn't understand why this term was classified as an ability or what its effects might be, but he certainly knew what the words meant.
The basic meaning was clear to him: someone without flaws, without shortcomings, a perfect person.
Invincible Bro's thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. At that moment, Elysia waved at them and said, "Hi~ Nice to meet you! I'm Elysia, what's your name~?"
Lü Heng's resolve wavered even further. He couldn't help but find Elysia, utterly adorable. Invincible Bro immediately apologized, "I'm sorry, Miss Elysia! I used my ability to glimpse some of your private information. My apologies!"
Elysia, of course, knew what Invincible Bro's ability was, but she feigned ignorance. "What ability?" she asked curiously.
Invincible Bro explained his ability and repeated his apologies several times. After all, while his original intention had been to guard against Sparkle, the result was undoubtedly a slight invasion of Elysia's privacy.
Elysia, on the other hand, seemed genuinely intrigued. She approached Invincible Bro with a curious expression. "What does my status panel look like? Could you write it down for me?"
Invincible Bro was taken aback. He'd expected a normal person to react with anger, forgiveness, or indifference. But Elysia showed no sign of anger, only curiosity.
Since she'd asked so directly, Invincible Bro grabbed a pen and paper and began writing. Lü Heng, standing nearby, realized this wasn't an imposter—it was the real Elysia.
Slightly flustered and nervous, Lü Heng stammered, "Miss Elysia, what brings you here...?"
Elysia smiled warmly. "No need for formalities—just call me Elysia. Robin told me a friend of hers needed help, so I came right away! How could a beautiful young girl like me ignore someone in need?"
"I heard that person is named Lü Heng. Do you know him?"
Swallowing hard, Lü Heng pointed a trembling finger at himself. "I... I'm Lü Heng."
As an ordinary citizen meeting the leader of another nation, Lü Heng was understandably incredibly nervous. However, Elysia's extraordinary social skills, combined with her familiarity with him—they were practically old friends—allowed her to effortlessly steer the conversation and put him at ease.
Within minutes, Lü Heng found his anxiety completely gone. The pink-haired girl before him no longer seemed like one of the White Eagle Eight, but rather his secret crush from high school.
The scene resembled a reunion between long-separated classmates, devoid of any awkwardness.
Meanwhile, Ikezawa was anxiously checking the chat group:
Daoist Wuwei: "@Red Cape Hero, bro! Any news yet?!"
Daoist Wuwei: "It's been so long without word. Did something happen?"
Shu Cat: "Yeah, the silence is a bit odd, but stop pressuring him. He's doing everything he can to help."
Daoist Wuwei: "Sorry, I'm just really worried!"
The next moment, Lü Heng posted a message:
Red Cape Hero: "Waaah~ Miss Elysia is so beautiful~ Her voice is so lovely~ What am I going to do? I think I'm in love~"
Daoist Wuwei: "?"
Shu Cat: "?"
Shu Cat: "Dude, I was just sticking up for you a second ago. Why are you suddenly acting like a maniac?"