Chat Group: Starting by Swapping Bodies with Elysia?

Soulium, at its core, was composed of nanomachines made from a special metal with exceptionally high adaptability to Honkai energy.

This special metal wasn't naturally occurring; rather, it was a synthetic byproduct of Mu's research into Honkai—expensive to produce and incredibly time-consuming.

If it weren't for the pressing Honkai threat, Previous Era civilization likely wouldn't have considered using such a costly and impractical material.

"Soulium, huh..." [Elysia] mused, her chin resting in her hand. While the Herrscher of Reason could create technology using Honkai energy, that ability had limitations.

Short-term constructs were fine, requiring only a steady expenditure of Honkai energy to maintain their existence.

Permanent structures, however—like repairing the SELENE or the STARGATE on the moon—required an astronomical amount of Honkai energy.

Producing Soulium was similar. Moreover, due to its unique nature, Soulium couldn't be replicated like the True Self Crystal Flower, where a self-replicating source could be created directly through her authority.

At least, not at her current level. That kind of reality-bending power would only be achievable with mastery of the Herrscher of the Finality's abilities.

The creation of the True Self Crystals was a clever workaround. While they looked like Honkai energy converters, their core power source was actually the Imaginary Space behind the Herrscher of Origin.

The crystals came into being through drawing and channeling that power, combined with an infusion of the Authorities of Truth and Origin on an End-of-the-World scale, resulting in this miraculous "new material."

Well, not exactly new. In reality, it was more of an amplifier for the user.

[Elysia] pondered how to solve the Soulium shortage issue. Having her personally create it wasn't feasible. Even with the Herrscher of the Finality's authority, she couldn't continuously create permanent structures in such large quantities. 

And constantly poking the Cocoon with her authority would definitely draw its attention and potentially provoke retaliation—which required careful preparation.

That's why she rarely used this method—it was too short-lived and carried unknown risks.

To [Elysia], it was more of a last resort, a trump card for desperate situations.

Just then, a distinctly mechanical, yet subtly sweet, girlish voice chirped, "Doctor, you have exceeded your scheduled rest time by three hours."

[Elysia] looked up. On the screen, a familiar face popped up—Prometheus Unit 17, bearing a striking resemblance to the Duck ([Bronya])

MEI rubbed her forehead and sighed. "It's not the first time. Don't worry about it."

Ever since becoming the Fire Moth's leader, she had become accustomed to all-nighters. Working around the clock was practically routine.

"Doctor, I must remind you that your last rest period was 179 system hours ago," Unit 17 stated tonelessly.

MEI blinked, surprised. "Oh, has it been that long?"

She had been so engrossed in her work, she'd lost track of time completely.

[Elysia], listening nearby, winced internally. It was a good thing MEI was a Herrscher now. Any ordinary human would have succumbed to such a brutal work schedule long ago.

If he thought about it that way, he'd basically saved MEI's life!

With that thought, a sense of self-satisfaction warmed him. He had done another good deed.

However…

His gaze fixed on the Prometheus on the screen.

"Prometheus, the AI I created. She's my assistant," MEI explained briefly. With the Divine Key Project scrapped and all the other changes, there was only one Prometheus now, so the "Unit 17" designation was unnecessary.

While MEI could tolerate the intense workload, having Prometheus around certainly lightened the burden—for example, reminding her to sleep.

Of course, this well-intentioned feature often resulted in Prometheus issuing reminders repeatedly, only for MEI to begin another "beautiful new day" of relentless work.

"Oh, Prometheus," [Elysia] said, looking at the AI on the screen with a warm, almost predatory, smile.

He seemed to have found a solution to the Soulium shortage.

—With the help of the kind-hearted Mr. Jiang, Miss Prometheus acquired a physical body—complete with arms and legs!

MEI had intended to provide Prometheus with a body later, but this certainly simplified things.

And with a body…

"I cannot comprehend your intentions," Prometheus said flatly as [Elysia] fiddled with something at her chest.

Being newly created, she had little understanding of such concepts. However, recalling some data she'd processed, she made a disgusted face—according to her online research, this was the appropriate response to such actions.

MEI remained impassive. After all, it was just a mechanical body...

Surely, no one would have those kinds of thoughts about a robot, right?

Humans wouldn't. At least not in its current state.

However—

Unlike Kosma and Dystopia, who had already left after completing the tests, Elysia was still present. She had witnessed the entire scene.

Just a hunk of metal... just a hunk of metal…

She puffed out her cheeks, silently repeating the mantra to herself. But her anger only intensified.

"...I cannot comprehend this sensation. Search failed."

Prometheus's face remained expressionless, but a faint blush crept onto her cheeks. A strange feeling. Something was invading her body… swelling… uncomfortable…

System malfunction.

Prometheus attempted a self-diagnostic, but her body was still adjusting, unable to move. She could only watch as the man continued his actions.

Her crimson eyes glazed over…

After a while, [Elysia] nodded, satisfied.

"What did you do?" MEI asked curiously.

"I placed the Herrscher of Reason's core into Prometheus's body."

"Her systems aren't designed to handle a Herrscher core. Besides... that's incredibly risky!" MEI frowned. Honkai energy was highly corrosive, capable of influencing and even controlling machinery—the reason why Anti-Entropy's Titans in later eras had such poor cost-effectiveness.

Prometheus's body was ordinary. Inserting a Herrscher core could easily lead to disastrous consequences, with her potentially being consumed by the Honkai energy.

While Prometheus was simply a functional AI designed to assist her work, MEI still wouldn't want to see her creation so casually destroyed.

"Don't worry, this body is constructed entirely of Soulium," [Elysia] said, looking at the dazed Prometheus with a smile.

Just like a Divine Key—Prometheus was now essentially a Divine Key in disguise.

Her function? Converting Honkai energy and producing Soulium, using the Herrscher of Reason's authority.

While far less versatile than him, her endurance and practicality were unparalleled.

The First Divine Key: The Forging Furnace (Prometheus)!

"With this, we no longer need to worry about Soulium shortages."

As long as they had enough Honkai energy, they could continuously produce Soulium. They could even directly produce other metals, too.

Of course, there were drawbacks.

Because she functioned like a Divine Key, or rather, because continuous creation required sustained use of the Herrscher's authority, Prometheus would need to dedicate a significant portion of her processing power to the "creation program."

"Since her entire body is constructed of self-produced Soulium, there's no need to worry about metal fatigue," [Elysia] added, eyeing Prometheus with satisfaction.

To conserve Honkai energy, he had temporarily constructed Prometheus's current body using the Herrscher of Reason's authority. 

Creating such a large quantity of Soulium from scratch would have been too taxing.

He didn't have to worry about the temporarily constructed Soulium disappearing. After all, Prometheus now possessed the Herrscher of Reason core within her and could maintain—even create—Soulium, replacing his temporary creation with permanently constructed Soulium.

And the best part was that Prometheus, being an AI, didn't need to sleep.

What a perfect creation.

Just feed her cheap Honkai energy—which the Herrscher core could even extract from Imaginary Space—and she could operate as a self-sufficient, one-stop shop for Soulium production, from raw materials to finished product.

Truly a marvel of vertical integration!

"..."

Prometheus stared blankly ahead.

She didn't quite grasp the implications of this change. For a machine, continuous operation wasn't unusual.

But...

For some reason, looking at [Elysia]'s face gave her the urge to lash out—though according to her online research, the proper response to such behavior was to "hang him from a lamppost."

Conveniently, being made of Soulium, she could transform into various shapes—including a lamppost.

After understanding the situation, MEI was silent for a moment, then smiled.

Excellent! This would save the organization a fortune! And with the automated production and self-maintenance capabilities, they could also eliminate the projected "body repair period" and "maintenance costs" they had budgeted for Prometheus.

Well done, Jiang Qiao!

In this moment, a rare harmony emerged between them.

Even Elysia's anger seemed to dissipate. Not only was she not angry at Prometheus, she even felt a twinge of sympathy.

This cute robot girl was now a 24/7 production machine, capable of generating Soulium with just an "injection" of Honkai energy…

Elysia shuddered, imagining the scene.

However, while her attitude towards Prometheus had shifted, her gaze toward MEI changed subtly.

—I was here first! Why do you and Jiang Qiao get along so well?! (Rage!)

She seethed. She had known [Elysia] for much longer, their relationship already so familiar…

But when MEI appeared, she'd been relegated to the background.

Not only that, but the two of them were now on the same wavelength, their thought processes eerily aligned.

Elysia puffed out her cheeks, burning with jealousy.

Yet, she also felt a flicker of fear.

Witnessing Prometheus's tragic fate, she couldn't help but wonder if she, too, might be transformed into a similar "workhorse."

Dangerous! Stay away! Must stay away!

Not just from MEI, but from bad Jiang Qiao as well!

Otherwise, she worried he might become MEI's "workhorse"—and if anyone was going to turn him into one, it should be her!

Of course… she also worried that if Jiang Qiao spent too much time with MEI, he might be _corrupted_…

And then, she'd really be no match for him!

A flash of pink, a room, just the two of them…

Bad Jiang Qiao is already bad enough!!! If he gets any worse… I might really become his "workhorse"!!!

Her cheeks flushed, Elysia blurted out, "It's getting late. Let's rest!"

"Alright. But you don't have a room, do you?"

While MEI didn't prioritize sleep herself, she wasn't about to impose the same on others. She looked at Jiang Qiao.

As a military organization, the Fire Moth provided accommodations for its soldiers. The base originally had plenty of spare rooms. However, repeated victories against large-scale Honkai eruptions had led to rapid expansion, and the base was now at full capacity.

"Here's my room key. You can use my room if you want to rest," MEI offered.

Elysia's eyes widened.

Huh?!

"That won't do!" she exclaimed.

"Is there a problem? I don't plan on sleeping, and my room isn't being used," MEI replied, puzzled.

"Well..." Elysia stammered, at a loss for words.

She couldn't very well say, "Jiang Qiao can sleep in my room… with me," could she?

While she did harbor such thoughts, as a pure and innocent fairy, she could never be so forward—unless Jiang Qiao suggested it first!

Propriety! For the sake of a maiden's modesty!

She puffed out her cheeks, staring intently at [Elysia].

Get it?

Get it!

[Elysia] nodded, interpreting her gaze as a request for agreement.

"Let's do that then."

After all, men and women were different. Sharing a room was… a bit much.

Not that he was particularly interested. He was already intimately familiar with Elysia's body. With access to "Elysian Realm Elysia's" five millennia of memories, he arguably knew her body better than she did herself.

Of course, he could use the Authority of the Void, but for personal reasons, he preferred to live as a human for now, even if it held no real meaning.

—Elysia was fuming.

As they left MEI's lab, she glared daggers at [Elysia].

"Something wrong?" he asked, sensing her inexplicable anger.

Despite having "used" Elysia, he rarely delved into her thoughts. Prying into someone's mind, especially a girl's, felt intrusive.

"Nothing," she mumbled, quickly averting her gaze and forcing a smile, trying to play it cool. She was furious, but could she say, "I'm angry because you won't sleep with me!"?

Did he even understand how much pressure it was for a girl to invite a boy to share a room?! Jerk!!!

I was hinting so hard! Hmph! Bad Jiang Qiao!

She sulked internally, but she couldn't let it show. For the sake of her maidenly pride, she kept her thoughts hidden.

[Elysia] found her behavior amusing but didn't press the matter.

They stopped at MEI's door.

Elysia surveyed the tidy room. While she knew where MEI's room was, this was her first time actually being here.

Her gaze shifted. [Elysia] stood close beside her. Her cheeks flushed slightly…

As she looked at the neat arrangements within, a playful thought suddenly struck her—why not sleep here, too?

It was a spontaneous idea, but… it didn't seem half bad!

If she couldn't lure bad Jiang Qiao to her room, she would sleep with him in MEI's room!

Recalling MEI's earlier actions, the vengeful Elysia found this a perfectly appropriate form of "retaliation."

But how could she stay?

Ask directly?

Absolutely not!

Just like she wouldn't say, "Let's sleep together," she couldn't possibly suggest sharing someone else's room.

So… what about a meaningful glance?

Remembering her earlier failure, Elysia dismissed the idea. That jerk was immune to her charms!

A plan… a plan…

Aha!

I just won't leave the doorway!

Then, he'll definitely understand what I mean!

After all, he can't just leave me standing here, can he?

Pleased with her brilliant plan, Elysia put it into action.

And then—

"It's getting late. You should get some rest, too."

The next moment, with a soft click, the door closed, propelled by a gentle breeze courtesy of the Herrscher of Wind's authority.

Elysia, still standing in the doorway, was left with her hair ruffled by the wind…

It felt refreshing, but she was in no mood to appreciate it.

She stared at the closed door, dumbfounded.

He… he just closed the door on me?

Flames of rage erupted within her. Her glare could have melted steel, but sadly, it couldn't penetrate the solid door.

Not only had her plan failed spectacularly, she'd been locked out!

Sure, she'd encountered closed doors during her travels, but usually, the kindly old doorkeepers would relent, charmed by her cuteness.

After joining the Fire Moth and becoming a "social butterfly," she had it even easier. Everyone in the organization greeted her with a smile.

And now, today, she had suffered multiple setbacks!

Especially in her attempt to share a room with a certain jerk!

Elysia suddenly felt a pang of self-doubt.

…Could it be… that I'm not charming enough?

She walked back to her own room, dejected. She even bumped into a wall along the way, leaving a reddish mark on her forehead. Flopping onto her soft bed, she stared at the ceiling, questioning everything.

She examined her reflection in the mirror.

There's nothing wrong with me!

So!

It must be bad Jiang Qiao's fault! That jerk did it on purpose!

With that thought, she puffed up like a pink pufferfish.

Damn it, why am I so angry ever since I met that jerk?!

After venting her frustration by "getting angry," Elysia touched her cheek, a puzzled expression forming.

"Strange, where's Fairy Elysia?"

Due to their slightly differing interests and Fairy Elysia's restless nature, they often went their separate ways while at the base. But Fairy Elysia usually returned by nightfall.

Yet, it was already the middle of the night, and there was no sign of her.

Elysia briefly pondered the matter, then resumed her sulking.

The base was secure, so there was no need to worry about Fairy Elysia's safety. She must be having too much fun outside, perhaps even sleeping over at a friend's place.

"Honestly, she could at least tell me," Elysia grumbled, then blushed as she remembered something.

She hurried into the bathroom. Looking at herself in the vanity mirror, her hair still damp from washing, she put down her towel and examined herself closely…

There's nothing wrong with me at all!

Her gaze lingered on a particular spot…

Seventeen Duck.png (you can add)