"Hurry up, hurry up!"
Elysia, dressed in her usual outfit, stood at the doorway of the room, waving energetically at Acheron inside.
"Is this really necessary? It's just a welcome party."
A somewhat resigned voice came from within the room as Acheron slowly emerged.
However, unlike her usual sharp and practical ranger attire, Acheron now wore a wine-red evening gown. Her tall, slender figure was perfectly accentuated by the dress, and her long, flowing hair was tied up in a high ponytail, revealing a smooth, fair neck like a swan's.
The crisp sound of high heels echoed in the room. Acheron looked at Elysia before her and couldn't help but sigh.
To be honest, she hadn't been interested in this party at all. Her original plan was to stay in her room and learn more about this world, but she simply couldn't withstand Elysia's persistent coaxing and eventually agreed.
As Elysia had put it, 'You're going to be living with Fire Moth for a long, long time. So of course, you should take this chance to get to know everyone!'
And then, under Elysia's gentle persuasion, Acheron found herself somewhat bewildered into changing into this evening gown.
"Come on, smile a bit, Mei! You look so beautiful. I guarantee you'll be the brightest star tonight!"
Elysia looked Acheron up and down, her face beaming with delight.
"Then why aren't you changing?"
Seeing Elysia still in her everyday clothes, Acheron gave a slight, wry twist of her lips.
"Me? Oh, I've got other plans later~"
Elysia waved her hand with a mischievous smile.
Seeing this, Acheron said nothing more and obediently let Elysia take her hand, leading her towards the banquet hall.
Although the Fire Moth didn't have a dedicated banquet hall, given their clearance levels, borrowing and decorating the main cafeteria was a simple matter.
Soon, under Elysia's guidance, Acheron arrived with her at the banquet hall.
"I'll leave you here to wait for a bit~ I'll be right back!"
With that, Elysia dashed off, leaving Acheron behind in a flash.
Acheron sighed and made her way to a corner of the venue.
She wasn't very comfortable in these kinds of settings.
However, even though Acheron tried her best to keep a low profile, her tall stature and stunning looks made her the absolute center of attention.
Still, this was an internal gathering, and everyone was restrained. Despite their curiosity about Acheron, no one came to bother her or probe further.
After all, they were just regular combat personnel, and they'd all vaguely heard that Acheron was a VIP.
In fact, these days, Acheron's reputation within the Fire Moth was quite high, being the powerful warrior who helped Elysia and Kevin defeat the Herrscher of Death.
They just hadn't expected Acheron to be such a beautiful woman.
Reaching a corner of the hall, Acheron headed towards a table with a pyramid of white peach puddings.
It was clear this pudding pyramid was specially prepared by Elysia.
Though she had left Acheron alone, she'd also placed an 'Acheron Lure' in this corner. It seemed that even after just a few days together, Elysia understood Acheron quite well.
However, as Acheron approached the table, she noticed a small figure had already reached it before her.
No, it was more accurate to say the other had been there all along, initially hidden behind the puddings, so Acheron hadn't seen her.
The girl was exquisitely lovely, with sky-blue hair and a pure white dress.
But at this moment, the little girl wasn't aware of anyone approaching behind her. Her delicate, porcelain-doll-like face was focused intently on the struggle with the pudding tower taller than herself.
She stood on her tiptoes, straining to reach the pudding at the very top, but her height was a limitation. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't succeed.
Then, the next moment, a tall figure blocked the light. A slender hand reached down, plucked the pudding, and offered it to her.
"Thank you, big sister. You're so kind."
Visible joy sparkled in the little girl's eyes.
Acheron naturally recognized her: Griseo, one of the original thirteen Flame-Chasers. Of course, the current Griseo was just an ordinary girl, without the immense power of a MANTIS she would later possess.
"Griseo, so this is where you were."
Now, Griseo sat beside Acheron, her bare feet dangling and swinging in the air. She seemed to be in high spirits, munching on the white peach pudding Acheron had peeled for her while swinging her little feet.
Nearby, a young man and a young woman approached together.
Seeing Griseo safe and sound, they both visibly relaxed.
They had only been chatting briefly, and when they looked back, Griseo had vanished.
How did this little one, running around barefoot, move so fast?
"Ah, Miss Acheron... Our apologies if little Griseo has troubled you. Let me introduce myself, I'm Kosma, and this is Dystopia. We're in the same squad as Mr. Kevin."
Kosma and Dystopia were noticeably respectful towards Acheron. As members of the same squad as Ato and Kevin, they were privy to more information than other squads.
"It's no trouble. She's quite adorable."
Acheron gently shook her head, then reached out and softly stroked little Griseo's head.
It felt fluffy. And, as if responding to Acheron's touch, little Griseo gently nuzzled into her hand.
As cute as a little white rabbit.
"My, my, seems my worries were unnecessary. I never thought you'd make friends so quickly, Mei, in the short time I was gone. That's our Mei for you!"
While they were talking, Elysia's voice came from behind Acheron.
"Ta-da~ So, how do I look? I dug out this outfit just for you, Mei, after so long."
Elysia, now wearing a black and white maid dress, spun slightly, lifting the fluffy hem of her skirt. From a certain angle, it revealed a 'zone of absolute territory' only Acheron could see.
The pristine stockings encased her slightly plump legs, and Acheron could even see the slight indentation where the stockings met her thighs.
"Very beautiful, Elysia."
After a momentary daze, Acheron nodded and offered her praise.
"Hehe, if you hadn't complimented me, Mei, I would have cried, you know? If a girl's heartfelt efforts in dressing up go unappreciated, she might never have the courage to wear that outfit again. But, I'll let you pass this time."
Hearing Acheron's praise, a smile as bright as sunshine spread across Elysia's face.
Then, she greeted little Griseo, Kosma, and Dystopia, before glancing at her wristwatch.
"Honestly, for such an important event, that Mei and Kevin are actually late. They should be punished! Absolutely punished!"
Though Elysia said this, her eyes held laughter.
Everyone knew Dr. Mei was incredibly busy. The fact that she and Kevin hadn't arrived yet surely meant they were tied up with work.
Lately, Dr. Mei had often been seen staring blankly at Kevin, lost in thought.
Others might not know, but Elysia saw it clearly.
Perhaps the relentlessly advancing Honkai was putting more and more pressure on Dr. Mei.
This welcome party wasn't just for Acheron; Elysia had another purpose: to help everyone unwind from their heightened tensions.
After all, they had all been on high alert for quite some time before this.
In fact, the Sixth Herrscher had been a sudden occurrence.
Recently, the Honkai energy concentration in Australia had spiked, and everyone in the Fire Moth thought the next Herrscher would appear there. No one expected the Herrscher of Death to appear earlier and with so little warning.
"Not a bad party. It's a good chance for me to relax properly, Elysia."
As they chatted, a brisk, hearty female voice approached from the side.
"Oh, it's you, Himeko. You must take this chance to relax properly today."
Elysia smiled at the red-haired, spirited woman before her.
"Don't have to tell me twice. Opportunities to unwind like this are rare. Even though this trip back was a bit of a wild goose chase, it wasn't all bad."
Himeko shrugged. As she spoke, she roughly pulled a somewhat silent girl from behind her into the group, throwing an arm around her neck.
"Little Hua, don't hide in the back at an event like this. Come on, get to know everyone properly. As comrades who'll be watching each other's backs in the future, if we aren't familiar with each other, it could cause problems in battle."
As she spoke, Himeko ruffled Hua's hair, messing it up.
The girl named Hua just nodded resignedly, letting her captain have her way.
This Hua wasn't yet the Immortal Tablet of Shenzhou she would become in the future, nor did she carry such heavy burdens. Her personality was just that of a slightly quiet and reserved girl.
Of course, due to her outstanding performance in recent years, Hua would likely soon be appointed deputy captain by Himeko.
The previous deputy had been seriously injured during a mission in Australia and, unable to continue high-intensity combat, had been forced to retire to a logistics role.
"No need to rush, Himeko. You're so busy, yet we had you come all the way back. Next, my squad will accompany you to stand guard in Australia, so take this party as a chance to really let loose."
Elysia chimed in with a smile.
Originally, Himeko and her Fifth Squad were stationed in Australia, but due to the potential Herrscher emergence here, the Fire Moth had urgently recalled them for support.
Who would have thought the Herrscher of Death would be defeated by Acheron shortly after its birth?
The situation was akin to just respawning in the starter village, stepping outside, and finding the final boss waiting right at your doorstep.
"But who knows what higher-ups were thinking? There are other squads available for support, yet they had to recall Captain Himeko, who has the most demanding mission. Aren't they just trying to make things difficult?"
Dystopia snorted coldly, frowning as she spoke.
"Who knows? I'm just a soldier. I follow orders. What the higher-ups think is none of my business."
Himeko shrugged, not taking the bait to continue on that topic.
"Sorry, I was out of line."
Dystopia suddenly remembered this was a public place with many ears and quickly apologized.
She was just a grunt, but if her words caused trouble for Himeko, that would be inexcusable.
"Still, thank you, Elysia. To be honest, over in Australia... I'm not very confident."
Himeko shook her head. The Honkai energy concentration there was increasing daily. While a major eruption hadn't occurred yet, it had reached a critical point.
Lately, many powerful Honkai beasts had emerged in Australia. Even a seasoned warrior like Himeko was feeling stretched thin.
Now that Elysia said she would actively lead her squad there for support, Himeko was genuinely grateful.
"It's nothing, really. After all, you came back to help us this time. And besides, we have Mei with us! The Honkai beasts might be scary, but with Mei here, there's nothing to worry about at all!"
Elysia's confidence wasn't without reason. It stemmed from her recent trips with Acheron to the training facility.
With just a slight effort, Acheron had broken Kevin's records.
And she did it effortlessly.
In terms of strength, Acheron undoubtedly surpassed everyone present.
"In that case, we'll be counting on Miss Mei's support when the time comes."
Himeko smiled warmly at Acheron.
She had heard some rumors about Acheron.
Himeko simply exchanged a brief greeting and didn't stay long. Soon, she took Hua and moved elsewhere in the venue.
However, not long after Himeko left, the door opened, and the entire venue fell silent for a moment.
"Klein, you're not telling me this boring party is the important matter you mentioned? Did you think being my assistant would stop me from getting angry?"
A voice tinged with annoyance rang out. Mobius, with her distinctive green hair, spoke coolly.
It was visibly apparent that the atmosphere chilled for a second after Mobius's arrival.
Clearly, her reputation within the Fire Moth wasn't the best.
"Doctor... Staying in the lab all the time... isn't good for your health."
Klein looked seriously at Mobius.
"Tch... I know my own body. Don't meddle."
Mobius shot a cold glance at Klein but then found a corner seat and sat down.
"Still, since I'm already here, leaving now would just be a waste of more time."
As luck would have it, the spot Mobius chose to sit was not far from Acheron.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.