In the end, Qingque called Bailu. After examining Sushang, she found it was only a minor problem.
Watching Sushang being carried away, Levi couldn't help muttering, "She was foaming at the mouth and still survived."
Hearing that, Bailu retorted, "Foaming at the mouth is foaming at the mouth. Dying is dying. They're two different things."
"It's like bleeding from all seven orifices and dying. Those are two different things too."
"Got it!"
"Doctor Bailu, you have to save Sushang!"
Guinaifen grabbed Bailu's little hand and pleaded. Bailu gave her a reassuring look.
"Leave it to me!"
"I guarantee I'll return a perfectly healthy Sushang to you tomorrow!"
"You're not planning to clone a Sushang and send her back, are you?", Levi suddenly asked.
Guinaifen, who had just relaxed, instantly became nervous again.
That was true. With the Xianzhou's advanced technology, cloning a living person didn't seem difficult at all.
"Oww..."
Levi hugged his foot and hopped around on one leg, his face twisted in pain.
Bailu pulled back her little foot, rolled her eyes at him, then turned to the worried Guinaifen.
"Don't listen to his nonsense!"
Although cloning someone was very easy with Xianzhou technology...
The cost alone was far higher than saving a person. On top of that, there were ethical restrictions, so very few people would ever do such a thing.
Besides, Xianzhou technology couldn't clone a person in just one night.
Not to mention Sushang was a long-life species.
And then there were messy things like memories.
To finish all those steps overnight... Probably only the Aeons could do something like that.
"So it's impossible!"
"Really?"
Bailu rolled her eyes.
"No. Pay the cloning fee."
Levi pulled out his jade abacus terminal.
"How many Credits?"
"Oww..."
Levi performed another one-legged hopping routine.
"I think you've been getting a little too obnoxious lately."
Bailu looked at Levi.
"I know a jerk called Master Yang. I think I can arrange for you to go see him."
"How do you treat that?"
Qingque became very curious after hearing that.
It was her first time hearing that being obnoxious could actually be treated.
"Electrotherapy."
The original plan to have Levi go explore the Fyxestroll Garden was postponed again because Sushang had collapsed.
"..."
Inside a brightly lit room, Qingque sat alone in a chair and opened a terminal she hadn't used in a long time.
Her slender fingers danced skillfully across it.
It really made people think, 'As expected of a master card player!'
Levi wasn't anywhere in the room. He said he had something to do tonight and ran off.
Qingque didn't mind. Without Levi around tonight, she actually felt more at ease.
"Daiqing... okay, search."
Specks of blue light reflected into her eyes, and Qingque's gaze began moving rapidly.
———
[Meanwhile]
In a quiet corner of a sparsely populated street in Exalting Sanctum.
A boy who looked like he'd run away from home was squatting on the ground.
"Are you done yet?"
[Elysia: Almost, almost!]
After replying, Elysia continued rummaging through her open wardrobe. Then she suddenly slapped her forehead.
"I forgot. I put it in the drawer."
She opened the drawer, revealing a neatly folded outfit. Elysia picked it up and looked it over, the smile on her face growing brighter.
[Elysia: Okay, come over.]
Seeing that, Levi submitted a request to enter Elysia's world.
[Ding! Levi has requested to enter your world! Accept?]
Elysia received the notification at the same time.
"Accept."
She didn't hesitate at all.
As soon as the word left her lips, Levi appeared in the girl's room.
He looked around.
The walls were pink.
The blanket was pink.
Basically everything was pink.
"How cruel. You actually like the color of blood."
"Blood is red. Mine is pink, just like my hair."
Elysia brushed a strand of hair by her temple aside with a smile, then stuffed the clothes into Levi's arms.
"All right, go take a bath."
After hearing what Elysia said and looking at the clean clothes in his hands, Levi froze.
'What?'
'She called me over...'
'To take a bath?'
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and wash yourself."
When he came back to his senses, Elysia was already pushing him toward the bathroom from behind.
"No, Levi! I'm not ready yet!"
"When does life ever give you time to get ready? Go wash yourself properly. You're not coming out until you're clean!"
Click!
The door was locked from the outside.
Just as Levi was looking around the bathroom, wondering what she was up to...
Elysia's voice came from outside.
"Hurry up and wash. Well, taking it slow is fine too. Just don't fall asleep in there."
"Oh! My clothes that I just changed out of are in there. You're not allowed to touch them!"
His eyes turned toward the laundry basket.
If Elysia hadn't mentioned it, he probably wouldn't even have noticed.
He shouted back through the door, "You say I'm not allowed to touch them, so I won't? I'm touching them anyway."
"You!"
"If you've got the guts, come in here and stop me. Just so you know, I'm already completely naked."
Hearing the rustling sounds coming from the bathroom, Elysia, who was sitting on the bed, felt her cheeks turn slightly red.
"What a pervert," she muttered softly.
"Thanks for the compliment."
"Who was complimenting you?!"
The voices soon stopped.
Then came the sound of running water.
A while later, Levi stood in front of the mirror wearing the clothes Elysia had given him.
The more he looked at himself, the more something felt off.
"This whole outfit is white..."
If it had a little blue mixed in, it'd look just like hospital clothes.
"Are you done yet?"
Hearing the lock click open, Levi opened the door and walked out, looking at Elysia, who was standing beside the bedroom door.
While he had been bathing, she had also changed out of her Flame-Chasers uniform and put on the clothes she usually wore.
She had even applied a light touch of makeup.
"Seriously, why did you call me over?"
Elysia simply smiled without answering.
Seeing his still damp hair, she stepped forward and helped dry and tidy it.
Looking at the arm so close to him, Levi moved his lips, intending to say he could handle it himself.
With just a thought, he could evaporate all the water on his body.
Feeling the hand busily working through his hair, he thought about it and decided to let it go.
'I'd better save my Honkai energy.'
Even though he wasn't short on it... Saving it was still the right choice.
After drying his hair, Levi asked again, "Stop keeping me guessing. Tell me why you wanted me here."
She had put on makeup, dressed up, and even made him wash himself and change into her clothes.
Could she be asking him out on a date?
Elysia still didn't answer directly. She only smiled mysteriously.
"Don't rush. You'll find out soon enough... Ah, I almost forgot. Here, put this on."
She took a wristband from under the pillow and fastened it around Levi's wrist.
He raised his hand and looked at the writing on it.
"L1?"
"An identity code. The Flame-Chasers' security is very strict. It wasn't easy for me to get this."
"Is that so?"
Looking at Elysia's back, Levi had a feeling something big was waiting for him.
He looked at her smooth wrist, then at the wristband on his own hand.
"Then why don't you have one?"
"Because I'm a Flame-Chaser, of course. They already have my records, iris scan, fingerprints, and all that. I don't need this to prove who I am."
With her back still to Levi, Elysia slipped on her shoes.
She walked outside, turned around to look at Levi, who was still standing in the room, and said with a smile, "All right, all right. Hurry up, hurry up."