Chapter 164: You're Still Far from My League, Ha Ha Ha

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In the Forgotten City, not far from where Raiden Mei and Kalpas clashed on a skydeck, Ana and Elysia sat side by side observing the battle.

"Ah, Mei is doing quite well!" Elysia chuckled lightly.

"What do you think, dear?" Turning her head, Ellie glanced at Ana beside her. "As her former teacher, your insights should be invaluable."

"..."

Ana remained silent, not out of feigned aloofness but because the image forming in her mind was simply too delightful. Indeed, she envisioned Master Kalpas wielding skewered barbecue against the Food Manipulator armed with a spatula.

Tsk, tsk, tsk—how peculiar for such visions to appear in her memory fragment. Just how much personal whimsy did her true self inject into this fragment?

How could she possibly share something like that with her beloved Ellie?

"Hmm, I'm really curious about what's going through your mind right now..." Seeing Ana's prolonged silence, Elysia scrutinized her with a hint of melancholy before softly speaking.

"It's probably best if you don't know." The corner of Ana's mouth twitched as she lowered her head and whispered quietly, striving to conceal her thoughts. No, no, it's just too absurd.

"Come onnn—tell me, please tell me, okay? I'm begging you! Darling."

Elysia resorted to her adorable charm offensive, but unfortunately for her, Ana was like a warrior with maxed-out physical resistance, barely able to withstand the enchantment of this fairy's magic.

"Hahaha—Master Qian and Herrscher of Food, only you could pull that off, my dear!"

With these words, Elysia doubled over laughing beside Ana, who wore a helpless expression. Could she really be blamed? She didn't want those thoughts either, but they were just there in her memories! It wasn't entirely her fault.

In this instance, the true self bears full responsibility!

While Ana and Elysia shared laughter and joy, on the distant battlefield, Raiden Mei continued grappling with Kalpas. Of course, everyone knew Kalpas was deliberately holding back.

One might say, when it comes to sandbagging, Kalpas is truly a pro. His approach involved suppressing his power while simultaneously striving to unleash its full extent within the imposed limits.

Honestly, it was quite ingenious.

Kalpas' all-out effort gave Raiden Mei hope that victory might still be possible, encouraging her to persist in the battle.

Raiden Mei was well aware that this is the Elysian Realm; if she truly wished to leave, she could depart instantly. Neither Ana nor Ellie would have missed their encounter, and in a sense, her involvement here might even be tacitly approved by them.

As the battle progressed, Raiden Mei gradually sensed that in terms of combat skills and experience, the unfamiliar Heroic Spirit before her clearly outmatched her. However, in raw power, he seemed slightly inferior, employing such a wild fighting style. It's safe to say, anyone normal would discern the issue after merely engaging with him briefly.

Meanwhile, Kalpas had also gauged Raiden Mei's capabilities fairly accurately.

For him, as a seasoned MANTIS warrior, assessing opponents came naturally, despite having never previously faced the Herrscher of Thunder.

To be honest, he felt somewhat disappointed.

Ana's presence had raised Kalpas' expectations, leading him to believe that the current generation's Herrschers, particularly the Herrscher of Human, would match Ana's level of strength.

Little did he know, Ana was indeed an exceptional rarity, while Raiden Mei herself represented another unusual case.

Finally, Kalpas grew weary of serving as Raiden Mei's sparring partner. Initially, he had no interest in such training sessions; his sole purpose was to assess the new Herrscher's capabilities. However, the results were profoundly disappointing.

In a real battle, this Herrscher of Thunder seemed far too weak. It was hard to fathom how she could have survived until now with such strength. In the previous civilization, she likely would have been swiftly eliminated.

Nevertheless, this did not diminish Kalpas' overall view of Raiden Mei. After all, they were within the Elysian Realm, where circumstances differed significantly. At least, Raiden Mei demonstrated rapid progress and showed promise, albeit just potential.

Ultimately, Kalpas' high expectations for Raiden Mei stemmed from Ana's extraordinary presence as a super Herrscher.

"Hmph, Herrscher, is that truly the extent of your power?" Kalpas crossed his arms, emitting a dismissive snort.

Seeing Kalpas halt, Raiden Mei chose not to continue engaging him. Currently, the gap between them was indeed substantial, seemingly insurmountable.

"Show your true capabilities! Prove to me that you're worthy of being slain by my hands!"

As Kalpas uttered these words, Honkai Beasts began emerging around the area, swarming towards Raiden Mei like a tidal wave.

On the skydeck, Ana's eyes flickered at this sight.

Hmm, amidst the horde, she spotted a thunder slime... Is that normal? In reality, immunity to elemental attributes is virtually impossible, but within the Elysian Realm, its underlying structure fundamentally mirrors that of a game.

The monsters charged at Raiden Mei, who frowned slightly. Forced to divert her attention from Kalpas, she turned to fend off the incoming creatures.

Kalpas remained stationary as raging flames erupted from his body, engulfing the entire battlefield. He laughed maniacally, standing at its center.

In truth, most of these beasts were targeting Kalpas, but due to the impenetrable wall of flames, they redirected their attacks towards Raiden Mei instead, creating a somewhat peculiar spectacle.

Typically, small enemies would strike first, followed by the boss's entrance. However, Kalpas, being anything but conventional, initiated combat to gauge the situation and subsequently attracted these monsters.

It must be said that as a Heroic Spirit guiding his successor, Kalpas was doing quite well. If only he were more communicative and had explained things beforehand to Raiden Mei, she might have relished the challenge instead of feeling caught off guard.

"Kalpas, sometimes, can be overly straightforward and enthusiastic," Elysia remarked thoughtfully beside Ana.

In the past, Ana might not have fully understood this sentiment, but now she comprehended Kalpas's character completely. To be honest, these Heroic Spirits often exhibit a hint of tsundere behavior—quite naturally so.

Therefore, understanding the mindset of Heroic Spirits requires one to possess some level of quirkiness themselves, much like Ana. Alternatively, it takes time, gradually unraveling layers of complexity until their essence is revealed, leading to comprehension and ultimately becoming a Heroic Spirit oneself.

Currently, Raiden Mei found herself on this path.

"That's right, Herrscher! Just as you've done elsewhere, transform this contentious Garden of Eden...into a true hell!"

Flames erupted from Kalpas' body, swirling with the wind to form a fiery tornado, with Kalpas at its center. With such power, even if Raiden Mei evaded diligently, she would inevitably be affected.

Once impacted, Raiden Mei could sense both her mental and physical strength being drained rapidly—essentially, a swift depletion of her spiritual energy.

This was merely Kalpas' indirect influence on her, not the suffocating direct confrontation earlier. Yet, it still wasn't the full extent of his capabilities.

As a result, Raiden Mei focused on close-quarters combat and maneuvering, conserving her stamina and spirit as much as possible. She remained cautious, determined to understand what exactly Kalpas intended.

However, her approach inadvertently infuriated Kalpas further.

"Why hesitate, Herrscher? Unleash your true madness! Conquer this battlefield with your Authority!"

"He's getting overly excited." Observing the situation on the battlefield, Ana shook her head.

"Hmm, perhaps sensing an opportunity to best you once has gone to his head. Kalpas is always driven by a fierce competitive spirit; it was similar during his battle with Kevin too. His relentless pursuit of victory can be quite exasperating," Elysia chuckled beside her.

"Indeed, this embodies an Alayna warrior, but he's taking it too far for our first encounter." With a soft sigh, Ana stood up.

The intensity of the current battle had escalated significantly compared to what Ana recalled, yet clearly, there was no need for such escalation.

As she initiated this conflict, it became her responsibility to intervene and resolve it.

Without further ado, Ana leaped down, unleashing a breathtaking iceflower mid-air.

The icy chill enveloped the battlefield, instantly freezing all monsters present. However, this wasn't solely due to Ana's immense power. It stemmed from the fact that these creatures existed within her memories.

Kalpas could summon monsters for combat and personal slaughter, while Ana possessed the ability to influence these memory-born entities, temporarily eliminating them.

As the monsters swiftly vanished under the blanket of ice and snow, only Raiden Mei and Kalpas remained on the battlefield. Naturally, the flames engulfing Kalpas were also cooled down and extinguished by the Powers of Ice.

The sudden appearance of these icy abilities momentarily unsettled Kalpas, not due to Ana herself but rather because it reminded him of the former Herrscher of Ice. Nonetheless, he felt somewhat disgruntled about her intervention.

"All right, Kalpas, that's enough for now. There's no need to be so harsh on the successor."

"Hmph, fine! This time, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt." With a cold snort, Kalpas reluctantly agreed. His discontent stemmed from his dislike of others dictating his actions; Kalpas had his own pride and desired to prove himself in his way.

"Just mere tricks, let's continue the fight!" However, despite Kalpas' concession, Raiden Mei seemed dissatisfied, which was understandable given the circumstances.

She had been peacefully residing in the garden when suddenly whisked away by Kalpas into the Garden of Eden, thrust into this unexpected confrontation, and forced into battle without any clear reason. The abrupt resolution left her feeling uneasy, as if things were being dismissed too lightly.

"Hmph."

Kalpas snorted and shot Ana a meaningful glance.

"If he truly went all out, you would likely be lying defeated by now."

Feeling somewhat helpless, Ana explained to Raiden Mei beside her:

"Even before becoming a MANTIS in the previous civilization, he single-handedly killed the Herrscher of Ice. Countless Herrschers of Dominance fell at his hands, and against the Herrscher of Binding, he endured until the end and survived."

Seizing this opportunity, Ana briefly outlined Kalpas's impressive battle achievements for Raiden Mei. Although, from Ana's perspective, only the last feat held significant weight.

"..."

Raiden Mei fell silent, having reviewed World Serpent's files and understanding the value of such accomplishments. If true, she indeed stood no chance against him, much like facing Kevin with zero odds of victory.

In a sense, Raiden Mei could be considered quite courageous, akin to dancing on the edge of a blade.

"My name is Kalpas, just like everyone else here, I am a MANTIS, bearing the title 'Alayna'. As for my rank, I've forgotten—it doesn't matter."

Kalpas chimed in from the side, his demeanor still unfriendly but with a noticeably softer tone, appearing much calmer now.

"It's indeed the sixth, Kalpas. How could you forget?"

A familiar voice echoed as Elysia jumped down from the skydeck above, landing steadily beside Ana.

"Hmph." Kalpas let out a cold snort without further comment.

Elysia turned her gaze towards Raiden Mei.

"Don't worry; do you remember what I said earlier? If there's any real danger, we'll protect you."

"Since you've passed the test, I'll give you a chance as well," Kalpas suddenly spoke up, breaking his silence, seemingly struck by a thought.

"Ha! You call that little trick... a test?" Raiden Mei scoffed, confronting Kalpas head-on. Initially hesitant, she now felt fearless with Ana and Elysia by her side. Being someone who sought immediate retribution, this was her moment to respond.

"Ha ha ha... Are you trying to provoke me, Raiden Mei?"

Observing the escalating tension between the two, Ana and Ellie exchanged glances, simultaneously shaking their heads with exasperation. How should they put it? Let them have at it; after all, no real conflict would arise now.

Elysia's perception deepened further. Initially, she found Ana's references to "Master Qian" and the " Herrscher of Cooking" amusing, but now, in a certain sense, they seemed quite fitting.

For a moment, Elysia even entertained the thought of pairing these two together, though she knew it was just wishful thinking.

It certainly made for an intriguing spectacle.

"I despise unnecessary complexities. The simplest battle is often the most effective test."

"Raiden Mei, I acknowledge your talent, but if this is all you've got, aiming for what you desire seems futile. My advice: leave while you still can."

As Kalpas spoke, he glanced sideways at Ana.

"In comparison to her, you fall far short, ha ha!"