I'm Scary Strong in the Elysian Realm!

"Vill-V, get the heck out here!" Lin Wei yelled.

Adopting the crude posture of someone breaking down a door, he rudely slammed his foot into the entrance Vill-V had presumably set up in secret, intending to give whoever was hiding behind it a nasty surprise.

Honestly, it wasn't hard to figure out.

Elysia loved playing pranks. She might conjure up something that looked ridiculously over-the-top just to startle him, then laugh herself silly watching him covered in dust.

But the "destructive power" she could unleash usually stopped right there.

Making such a big show of creating something so pointlessly obscure... that felt so unlike Elysia. Someone else had to have had a hand in it.

Besides, she'd dropped some rather... calculating hints in her words before...

Therefore, the real mastermind behind the scenes could only be her—the ultimate chaos-seeker who, despite being a Simulacrum in the Elysian Realm for fifty thousand years, was still obsessed with inventing stuff and stirring up trouble: Vill-V.

It couldn't be anyone else.

After all, even now, that woman spent all day pondering and developing various pointless "Anti-Kevin Armaments." She even had the wolfish ambition to invite Kevin Kaslana himself to participate in the experiments every single time.

Seriously, she wasn't even bothering to hide her intentions anymore!

Her crazy ideas and her drive to make them real were off the charts. She was audacious, completely reckless, and didn't give a damn about consequences.

This was the same Simulacrum who'd dared to casually shoot the breeze with the Herrscher of Corruption, not only managing to escape mostly unscathed but also managing to severely screw that Herrscher over in the process!

So, for someone like that to hear about something interesting from Elysia and not immediately dive into researching it and building some bizarre contraption she found "utterly fascinating"? Yeah, right.

That could only happen if Vill-V had suddenly developed a new personality that had "renounced the mortal world," or if her original personality had somehow crawled back from the dead.

With someone whose thoughts, ideas, and actions were this wildly unpredictable, and who also happened to possess significant administrative privileges within the Elysian Realm... combining those two factors meant you really couldn't be surprised by any kind of crazy stunt she might pull.

After all, the gadget capable of wiping out the entire Elysian Realm with a single click? That was something she developed and handed over to Elysia.

Thinking about it, Lin Wei strongly suspected that if Vill-V hadn't immediately given that dangerous device away after creating it, the other Flame-Chasers, probably led by Kevin, might have seriously considered... taking her out before this loose cannon had a chance to potentially obliterate the whole place.

It was precisely because he understood these Flame-Chasers so well that Lin Wei could quickly pinpoint Vill-V as the likely suspect and immediately launch a surprise offensive.

Lin Wei knew one thing for sure: when dealing with the mastermind he suspected, there was one golden rule you always had to remember, anytime, anywhere – never, ever fall into Vill-V's rhythm.

That woman was a master trickster, after all! Letting her seize the initiative? That would be asking for trouble!

The only viable option was to wreck her setup first and ask questions later!

Lin Wei's full-force kick didn't actually budge the massive door, but it acted like a starting pistol shot. The seemingly indestructible door shattered like a soap bubble, transforming into a vast, dark curtain that stretched from sky to ground.

It encircled Lin Wei and his companions within a radius of merely ten meters, hiding everything else behind the fabric. Then, the curtain slowly drew back, revealing a completely different scene, like a theater bathed in the light of dusk.

At the same time, a familiar, passionate, and resonant voice—unmistakably Vill-V's—echoed from all around.

"Welcome! My returning audience-slash-assistant..."

"Cut the crap! Yuno, attack!"

Lin Wei rudely cut off her dramatic speech, calling out to Yuno behind him, who had been on high alert since the moment the curtain appeared.

He casually summoned an electromagnetic cannon and stepped forward himself, ready to confront that woman and demand answers.

A boss battle, huh?

Fine by me!

"My, my! It's only been such a short while, yet your enthusiasm is as fiery as ever!"

In the center of the distant stage, bathed in converging spotlights, the figure of the girl, looking as if she were assembled from brass parts, gave an elegant bow.

She completely ignored the energy blast that had practically grazed her hair, seemingly unfazed by Lin Wei's impoliteness. Instead, she continued to shout with gusto:

"Well then! Let us skip the lengthy introductions and proceed directly to the climax of the show—"

Her voice seemed to resonate from the heavens above, yet also whispered from the void right beside his ear. It made Lin Wei briefly wonder if that voice he heard earlier, the one that sounded somewhat like Something, was also just her putting on an act.

But Lin Wei didn't have much time for idle speculation right now.

As Vill-V finished speaking, two curved platforms abruptly rose behind her. These multi-tiered platforms held hundreds of shadowy figures.

At first glance, they resembled a massive symphony orchestra, poised to perform a heart-stirring concert under the direction of Vill-V, the "conductor."

However, when Lin Wei took a closer look, the first glance had been misleading—those weren't human figures at all! They were clearly hundreds of cannon turrets of varying calibers!

Their dark, cold muzzles were all aimed directly at him, tracking his movements like grotesque, swiveling heads.

Wait a minute... didn't she say she was broke before? Where did she get all this stuff?

Lin Wei's expression instantly darkened—Damn it, she tricked me again!

"Now, let us—give a! Warm! Welcoooome!"

Vill-V announced with the booming enthusiasm of a game show host. She tilted her head back, looking skyward, arms spread wide and slowly rising as if to embrace the entire world.

But what accompanied this grand gesture wasn't an embrace—it was an overwhelming barrage of cannon fire, seemingly dense enough to drown the whole world!

She was in a very good mood.

Just like Lin Wei had wanted to mess with her, Vill-V, as a sort of fellow "practitioner" of chaos, had been itching to mess with Lin Wei for ages.

No particular reason. She just felt like it.

So what if he guessed her plan beforehand? So what if he tried to violently crash her party?

It wasn't just Lin Wei who could predict Vill-V's moves. As "partners in crime" who had shared deep conversations and operated on the same wavelength in certain areas, Vill-V could naturally predict Lin Wei's predictions!

"...Seriously, do all of you guys become this completely unreasonable after turning into a boss?!"

Seeing that even Boss Vill-V's phase one was this ridiculous, Lin Wei couldn't help but feel exasperated. The Vill-V in the gacha pulls isn't like this!

I want a refund!

Anyway, back to the matter at hand.

Vill-V's attack came too fast and hard, leaving no time for deliberation. Lin Wei yanked Yuno tightly behind him, both to shield her and to prevent her from rushing out recklessly.

With his other hand, he hastily summoned the Abyss Flower lance and slammed it point-down into the ground before him.

With a mere thought, in less than an instant, a magnificent, colossal tree erupted from where the lance stood. Its roots twisted together, its trunk and branches thick and sturdy, pulsating with vibrant green life energy.

This was a Divine Key creation, one that had once even withstood a direct hit from a Honkai fission bomb. Using it here was perfectly appropriate.

The overwhelmingly dense leaves and branches enveloped the two of them like a gentle embrace, steadfastly blocking the earth-shattering, ferocious barrage.

The reason it was just two people...

"Mr. Lin Wei..."

Yuno tugged at the corner of Lin Wei's clothes, sounding a little lost.

"Miss Elysia... she's gone."

That elusive girl had vanished the moment the curtain drew back. Lin Wei wasn't surprised in the slightest—she was probably off somewhere watching this whole thing unfold live, thoroughly enjoying herself!

Of course, knowing that didn't make him feel any less annoyed. He pointed towards Vill-V's direction and declared loudly, clearly irritated:

"She was captured by that woman over there! We have to beat her senseless, that's the only way to save Elysia!"

"...Oh."

Yuno responded rather flatly.

She was usually quiet, not stupid. Elysia was much stronger than her; how could she possibly be captured so easily and silently?

Besides, hadn't they said from the start this was a test? Even if there was fighting involved, they knew that beforehand. How could there really be an enemy?

Lin Wei, naturally, knew this too. In fact, his relationship with the Flame-Chasers in the Elysian Realm was actually quite good—but the more he thought about it, the more irritated he became.

He genuinely couldn't figure out what kind of trouble this Vill-V girl, with her utterly bizarre way of thinking, was stirring up this time.

Can't figure it out? Fine, then I won't bother guessing. He decided. Just give her a good thrashing, and she'll naturally start behaving. It won't be too late to interrogate her properly then!

In just the time it took for those few sentences, the defense conjured by the Projected Abyss Flower was already starting to buckle under the strain.

The once incredibly dense and sturdy shield of branches and leaves was visibly thinning, clearly unable to hold out much longer.

Despite this, Lin Wei wasn't too concerned. It had been a hastily erected defense anyway; blocking the initial onslaught was good enough.

Now, it was time to counterattack.

Lin Wei flipped his hand, summoning Pandora Box. Bending slightly, he pressed it into the ground near his feet. Ever since losing that... Blade, Lin Wei noted inwardly, using Pandora always feels a bit awkward.

In the next instant, several thick black clouds materialized high in the sky, coalescing into multiple aircraft—identical models to Vill-V's own.

The next second, these aircraft, personally designed and built by Vill-V, screamed down like bombers from various angles, heading straight for their creator's "stage." Simultaneously, they dropped several incredibly large bombs, clearly packing a massive punch.

"Ooh-hoo! It seems our assistant-slash-audience holds quite the fondness for the tools produced by the greatest magician of the Last Era!"

Vill-V, of course, had known for ages that Lin Wei had looted her precious inventory. This wasn't even the first time he'd used her own creations to leave her covered in soot and dust.

Therefore, Vill-V was utterly unfazed by the current scene; she was even prepared for it. With an elegant flick of her wrist, she pointed the conductor's baton she held firmly towards the sky.

Suddenly, nearly half of the hundreds of cannons that had been relentlessly spewing fire towards Lin Wei's position swiveled their muzzles, turning instead to intercept the incoming aircraft.

Well, she had no choice. As the creator, Vill-V knew better than anyone just how destructive her creations were. Getting hit by those things was no joke!

"That's what I was waiting for!"

Seeing the firepower directed at him suddenly halved, Lin Wei waved his hand again, summoning nearly a hundred more turrets—also identical Vill-V models—all around him.

With the vicious momentum of a "knockoff beating the original," they unleashed a torrential counter-barrage back at Vill-V.

Vill-V redirected the cannons that had finished their anti-air duty, bringing them back into the firefight against Lin Wei.

After a fierce exchange that felt like the end of the world, involving a brutal mutual bombardment, the artillery units on both sides were almost completely wiped out, with barely any left standing.

In response, Lin Wei let out a cold smirk. With another wave of his hand, he "refreshed" hundreds of identical turrets right where the others had been destroyed. Their dark muzzles issued a silent threat towards the now nearly defenseless Vill-V.

I might be average in the real world, but I'm terrifyingly strong here in the Elysian Realm!

The tables have turned!

Now it was Vill-V's turn to feel annoyed. But she didn't really have a better option. When it came to mobilizing resources within the Elysian Realm, she was no match for the power derived from the Key of Corruption that Lin Wei seemed to wield.

"Out of tricks? Then it's our turn!"

Lin Wei put away Pandora Box and summoned a different weapon: a pitch-black greatsword wreathed in ominous black flames. He called out to the girl behind him:

"Yuno, let's go!"

They weren't mortal enemies or anything. Beating this ridiculously overconfident woman until she couldn't stand seemed like a better outcome than outright turning her into scrap metal.

Of course, facing this particular opponent, Lin Wei wouldn't dare let his guard down. He advanced slowly towards Vill-V's position, greatsword held ready, concentrating fully, wary of another sneak attack from the trickster.

Yuno, however, didn't share his caution. The moment she received the command, she charged full speed towards Vill-V.

Having been subjected to that unreasonable barrage for so long, Yuno was extremely frustrated. She just wanted to violently smash something to vent.

However, Vill-V simply tapped her foot lightly. A flying machine, almost perfectly integrated with the stage floor, lifted her rapidly into the air, easily dodging Yuno's ferocious attack.

Then, Vill-V murmured to herself in a tone full of emotion:

"The Key of Corruption... it truly is an unrivaled existence within the Elysian Realm. It's just..."

Lin Wei frowned, halting in his tracks. What is this woman planning now?

The next second, Vill-V pulled out another black box from seemingly nowhere, holding it high above her head as if brandishing a trophy.

"It's just that I have a Key of Corruption too!"

Seeing the black box in Vill-V's hand, identical to his own Pandora Box, Lin Wei's heart skipped a beat.

Taking things from Vill-V never comes without a price. As an exchange for the items he'd taken from her arsenal, Vill-V had taken the Elysian Realm's copy of the Key of Corruption from him.

It had seemed like a win-win deal at the time, one Lin Wei had no reason to refuse. He never expected Vill-V to pull something like this...

Vill-V gazed excitedly at the black box in her hand, her voice ringing out passionately:

"Let the real show begin!"

As her words fell, Lin Wei suddenly felt a jolt. He whipped his head around just in time to see the hundreds of turrets he had left behind to intimidate (and maybe mess with) Vill-V... suddenly, half of them began moving uncontrollably.

Not only were their muzzles slowly turning towards his position, but the number of cannons even started to rapidly multiply.

"...Ugh."

A complex mix of emotions washed over Lin Wei, leaving a taste as foul as if he'd swallowed a fly. Talk about instant karma...

This retribution came way too fast!

Cursing inwardly, Lin Wei decisively issued a command: all turrets still under his control were to self-destruct immediately, indiscriminately destroying all potential threats in one go!

Rather than fight Vill-V for control over these Divine Key constructs, outright physical destruction was much cleaner!

Boom!

Another series of tremors shook the area. Though brief, the intensity far surpassed the previous exchange, making Lin Wei momentarily worry if this entire section of the Elysian Realm was about to collapse into dust.

"Tsk..."

Vill-V clicked her tongue. When this Lin Wei guy got ruthless, he really didn't mess around, leaving absolutely no openings to exploit.

The next second, before she could do anything else, another black box shot towards her like a meteor, radiating immense power. With a sharp crack, it smashed the Key of Corruption in her hand into smithereens.

The box then provocatively circled the stunned Vill-V a few times, showing off, before slowly flying back towards Lin Wei.

"....."

Vill-V looked completely bewildered. What just happened?

"....."

Lin Wei stared helplessly. Man, this Pandora really has a short fuse...

It turned out that the instant Vill-V had pulled out her Key of Corruption, the real Pandora Box had seemingly flown into a rage, suddenly activating itself. It had furiously shot towards the distant Vill-V like a guided missile.

Only after completely obliterating the counterfeit did it return, seemingly satisfied. It circled Lin Wei once before settling quietly back into his palm, as if nothing had happened.

What could Lin Wei even say about Pandora's actions?

Only... Nice job!

Lin Wei cheered loudly for Pandora in his mind, putting the box away again. He then looked up smugly at Vill-V hovering in the air, who looked absolutely livid.

Let's see what other tricks you can pull now!

"Hey, Vill-V—"

Lin Wei called Yuno, who hadn't been able to land a hit on Vill-V, back to his side. He then shouted up, wanting to see if she intended to drag out this charade any longer.

Honestly, he didn't mind keeping it going, but clearly, someone else had had enough...

"Enough! It's so noisy! Vill-V, how long are you going to keep this stupid show going?!"

An exasperated voice suddenly cut into Lin Wei's ears. The voice sounded as young as a little girl's, but it carried a strange, unique authority. Of course, it was also filled with barely suppressed fury—

"Also! How many times have I told you?! Stay! Away! From! My! Lab!"