Hua followed the direction Eden pointed and looked closely, only then noticing that Elysia's delicate and lovely face was currently sporting a pair of sunglasses—the style was identical to Kevin's Starry Five-Pointed Star Sunglasses, except the frames and decorative lights were a delicate pink, perfectly matching her hair color and temperament.
"She found this in some entertainment room."
Eden's tone carried deep helplessness. "After putting them on, she turned into what you see now. Of course, Elysia is naturally full of energy, but these sunglasses... seem to amplify that vitality to a... well, a whole new dimension."
She chose her words carefully. "I tried to remind her that perhaps she should rest, but she thought, 'This is so much fun! Dancing here, the lights and music are amazing!'"
Eden's vivid yet deeply helpless imitation of Elysia's tone made Hua want to laugh, yet she also felt that the scene before her truly defied conventional understanding.
Hua looked toward the center of the dance floor.
Elysia seemed completely immersed in the joy of music and dance. The pink sunglasses reflected slightly with her movements, and the smile on her face was pure and bright, as if she had no worries whatsoever.
Although her dancing was wilder than usual, it still carried her unique beauty and liveliness; rather than being out of control, it was more like a complete release.
After watching for a while, Hua felt that aside from being too noisy, there seemed to be no substantial harm.
Elysia looked extremely happy.
"There shouldn't... be any major issue, right?"
Hua said uncertainly, "Other than maybe needing to remind her to rest and not get too tired?"
Eden sighed again, raising her glass and taking a sip. "I hope so. Perhaps once she tires out from dancing, or the novelty of this new toy wears off, she'll be fine."
She looked at Hua. "Did you just come from the Training Room?"
"Yes, I'm preparing to go back to my room to rest." Hua replied.
"Then go quickly, it's... too noisy here." Eden said thoughtfully.
Hua nodded, took one last look at the cheerful pink storm, and turned to leave the noisy hall.
Walking on the way back to her room.
The corridor was quiet and clean, with soft lighting.
However, this quiet was broken upon approaching another public area.
A sound of clashing objects, rising flames, and... a low growl suppressing rage came from the direction of the small kitchen in the leisure area.
Hua paused slightly, instinctively glancing sideways.
In the kitchen area, which was usually not frequently used, a highly impactful scene was currently unfolding.
Kalpas was standing there.
This wasn't strange in itself.
What was strange was his current attire—he was actually wearing a crisp, white Chef's Uniform, complete with a tall white Chef's Hat.
The protective gear covering his face was still on, but one could still sense his exceptionally focused gaze.
On the operating table before him, ingredients like flour, frosting, unknown berries, and whipped cream were laid out somewhat wildly, yet strangely maintained an "order within chaos."
Kalpas himself was handling the dough in his hands with the momentum and force as if he were facing a Herrscher-level enemy.
Punching down, kneading, slamming... every movement was accompanied by the sound of rushing wind and the muffled groan of the metal counter under duress, along with a suppressed but still audible roar from his mouth:
"Damn it... squishy... annoying... precision... take shape now!"
Meanwhile, Aponia was standing quietly in the Tasting Area nearby.
Her hands were elegantly folded in front of her. She looked down at the semi-finished small pastries that Kalpas had "created" in a combat posture and roughly shoved into molds, and spoke in her smooth, peaceful, almost prayer-like tone:
"Kalpas, anger is the yeast for pastry fermentation, but too much heat will cause it to lose its soft interior. The shape of this batch seems to bear the wrath you held three seconds ago; the edges have slight cracks, which foretells that the taster might sense a trace of scorching fate."
"shut up! Aponia!"
Kalpas roared without turning his head, his hand movements becoming faster and fiercer, almost crushing the mold. "Who asked you?! Go taste your 'fate'! If you babble any more, I'll shove this thing into your mouth and see what kind of 'fate' it is!"
"If that is your will, I accept. But its texture might be as hard as rock, and this is not the way of hospitality."
Aponia's tone was completely flat, carrying even a hint of merciful pity.
"You—!"
Kalpas was so angry that his hand shook, nearly flipping the entire baking sheet.
Hua stood in the shadow of the corridor, watching this incredible scene, her mouth twitching uncontrollably a few times.
She felt that the amount of abnormal information she had received today was slightly excessive.
(Why does everyone seem to have become a bit strange?)
Hua muttered internally, (But...)
She glanced at Kalpas's back—who, despite his cursing, was genuinely focused on handling the ingredients—and Aponia's eternally calm profile.
(...It doesn't seem like a bad thing, though?)
She shook her head, deciding not to delve deeper.
Everyone had their own way of dealing with this new environment. As long as it didn't escalate into a real conflict, she would let them be.
She chose the "out of sight, out of mind" approach, quickened her pace, and just wanted to return to her quiet room quickly.
However, when passing another fork in the road, a chilling, sinister laugh faintly drifted from the direction of a certain workshop.
"Heh heh heh... perfect... the incomplete... will finally be mended... recreating the 'truth' that was scorched by wrath... heh heh heh..."
It was Vill-V's voice.
Unlike her usual excitement, this laughter carried a hint of pleased satisfaction, like a successful conspiracy.
Hua paused, a trace of doubt flashing through her mind.
(What is Vill-V up to now? It sounds like she fixed something?)
But she had no desire to investigate right now; she just wanted to get away from these increasingly abnormal companions.
She shook her head and quickly left.
Finally, she saw the simple yet vigorous "Fading Light" symbol on her door, which acted like a mental anchor, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief.
Pushing open the door, the ancient-style furnishings, permeated with a faint scent of sandalwood and books, came into view.
Elegant screens, wooden furniture with simple lines, landscape paintings hanging on the wall, and a sword rack in the corner—everything was generated according to her memory and preferences, making it her rare corner of tranquility here.
(It seems I just changed my clothes; I'm still relatively normal.)
The subtle anxiety Hua felt due to her companions' abnormalities subsided somewhat, and she even felt a little fortunate.
(At least I didn't end up like them...)
She closed the door behind her, isolating the noise and strangeness outside.
She turned around, preparing to pour a glass of water, and perhaps read a book, allowing herself to calm down from this series of "surprises."
The moment she turned, her steps froze, and her gaze fixated on the center of the room.
There, in the spot originally covered only by a plain carpet, an object had suddenly appeared—
emitting a faint, spectral blue glow—
a Sleep Pod.
Hua stood motionless by the door, instantly turning into a statue.
Her mind went blank for a few seconds. She merely stared blankly at the object that shouldn't have been there, completely out of place in her antique-style room.
She unconsciously swallowed, the sound of her Adam's apple moving clearly audible in the silent room.
(...What is going on?)
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