"Kevin, from now on, you'd better just settle down with Su. Dating that girl... even a paramecium needs to know its limits."
Elias spoke to Kevin with a sincere tone.
He had zero guilt or concern about having inadvertently dissuaded Kevin from Mei. In fact, he even patted Kevin's shoulder like he was doing him a favor.
"If you want to remain human fifty thousand years from now, then Su is the only anchor you should choose to keep your humanity."
"Uh... fifty thousand years? What are you talking about?" Kevin scratched his head in confusion.
"Ahem, sorry, I got a little too into it." Elias coughed lightly.
He couldn't help blurting it out when he thought of how dead-eyed Kevin would look in the future.
Elias examined the weak and inexperienced Kevin in front of him with great interest. Everything about him was so fresh—no Signet of Deliverance , no Chimera, just an ordinary boy.
Even though he'd imagined this moment, Elias still hadn't expected to meet a pre-disillusioned Kevin so soon. And just like him, he was just a kid.
"Anyway, for your own good, Kevin, I advise you to stay far away from girls with purplish-blue hair."
Elias offered the advice with heartfelt sincerity.
Dr. Mei was a fixed point of human intellect—a genius beyond genius, the greatest scientist of the Previous Era, bar none.
In the future, she'd lead humanity to develop the Divine Keys, uncover the essence of five parallel truths, reveal the mysteries of the Honkai, and even mathematically predict the total number of Herrschers.
She was the pinnacle of human intellect. And Kevin—a noodle-slurping, basketball-playing primordial paramecium? They were simply not compatible!
Elias knew full well that if Kevin truly fell for Dr. Mei, it would only lead to a chain of tragedies.
In the end, he would become nothing more than a follower—a shadow—of that savior figure, never truly able to walk alongside her.
And when she was gone, Kevin would fall into complete obsession.
This was Honkai Impact 3rd, after all.
When has a straight romance ever ended well?
But Su was different.
Elias figured that if Kevin and that wise man actually formed a bond, maybe fifty thousand years later, Kevin wouldn't turn into a cold, dead-eyed ice cube.
After all, the [Bodhi] of the Flame-Chasers would also become a fusion warrior, with a nearly infinite lifespan, always able to stay by [Deliverance]'s side.
And when Kevin lost himself in his hatred of the Honkai, Su could be the beacon that guided him back.
With that in mind, Elias was more convinced than ever.
Yep, this primordial paramecium absolutely needed to pair up with that closed-eye seer.
Only then would they both have a bright future.
And if they had any... difficulties in that department, they could always ask Dr. Mobius for help. Or better yet, Elias himself could assist using the Herrscher of Rebirth's authority. He'd be more than happy to.
"Good luck, Kevin. Women only slow down your sword-drawing speed. A real man should be clashing swords with his bros."
Elias gave him an encouraging thumbs-up.
Kevin nodded half-understandingly, unknowingly taking his first step toward a whole new world.
After that, the three of them enjoyed a delightful noodle dinner. Kevin treated them to a meal at the best noodle house in all of Nagazora, and both Elias and Elysia were thoroughly satisfied.
...Later that night, in the hotel...
Elias and Elysia, as usual, shared a single bed. Elias was planning tomorrow's Nagazora sightseeing schedule, while Elysia was reviewing the photos she took earlier that day.
They were just two kids, and yet they already gave off the vibe of an old married couple.
"Elias, that boy named Kevin today... is there something special about him?" Elysia suddenly asked.
"Oh? Why do you ask, Ely?" Elias set down the pen he had been using to draw circles and marks on a map.
"Because Elias, you've never talked that much with someone you just met on our travels before."
"Huh, really?"
"I've been watching you closely, Elias. So there's no way I'm wrong." Elysia spread out a stack of photos she'd taken of him.
Was there anyone in the world who understood them better than they understood each other? From the moment of their birth, they had spent every day together. Any change in the other was immediately noticeable.
Elias scratched his head in slight embarrassment.
This pink-haired elf knew him too well. He couldn't help but feel that one day, he might not even be able to hide the fact that he came from fifty thousand years in the future.
But what surprised him even more was that instead of feeling anxious or afraid about it, he actually looked forward to Elysia figuring it out.
"Ely, some people are born with a set destiny. Those people are special. Kevin is one of them."
"Sounds impressive."
Elysia blinked. Elias sometimes said things that were hard for her to understand. She had no idea where he picked up this cryptic style of speech.
But even if she couldn't unravel his riddles, she knew how to respond to them with a counterattack of her own.
"No matter what, Elias, you are still the most special person in the world to me."
"Whoa~ Someone's been sneaking sweets again with that sugary mouth."
Elias broke into a joyful smile.
"But I feel the same way, my dear Ely. How could there be a girl as adorable as you in this world? Heh~ If it's for you, saving the world is no problem at all."
Elias recalled that in his past life, playing Honkai Impact 3rd, there had never been a character like Elysia. So he figured she might not be someone important to the Previous Era storyline.
But that didn't matter. She had already become the most important person to him in this era, one of his biggest reasons for wanting to save it.
And if she wasn't in the plotline, all the better.
At least that meant she wasn't going to get stabbed.
Elysia's cheeks turned red.
She pulled the blanket up to cover her face.
She too had a feeling that, if it was for this person in front of her, she could do anything!
Recently, Elysia had been secretly practicing her "magic." Creating pink crystal flowers by hand was just the basics. She had discovered something deeper.
Or rather... a power.
Whenever she made a wish with sincere, heartfelt devotion,
There was a high chance it would come true.
For example, ten days ago, their travel budget should have already run out. Seeing Elias distressed and troubled, Elysia had unconsciously made a wish.
Not long after, they found a super thick wallet. After taking the time to return it to the owner, the person insisted on giving them a wad of cash as thanks.
There was even a time when they arrived in a new city and planned to explore the next day—but got hit with a torrential downpour. Just as Elysia earnestly prayed for sunshine, a strong gust of wind blew in and scattered the clouds.
Elysia: (I really can do anything!)
However, such power didn't come without a price.
That time they found the wallet, Elysia just felt a bit mysteriously tired. But when the clouds were blown away, she got so dizzy she nearly collapsed, startling Elias quite a bit.
This wish-granting ability was convenient, yes—but Elysia hadn't dared to use it more than a couple times.
And she had a strange feeling in the depths of her heart.
That one day, she would use this power to do something truly unimaginable—something that would change the fate of many.
...
Several days passed.
It was rare for Elias and Elysia to stay in one city this long. Well, mostly because of Kevin's enthusiastic hospitality.
The cheerful boy invited them out for noodles every day. Especially after learning that Elias and Elysia were world-traveling adventurers, he made it a point to hang out with them daily.
Kevin: "Who knows when you'll leave. So until that day comes, I want to spend as much time as I can with you guys."
Through this, Elias also got to meet Su and Mei.
But what shocked and utterly floored Kevin was this:
Every time he tried talking to Mei, she was cold, barely responsive, and never once lifted her eyes from her book. The most he ever got was a disinterested "Oh."
Yet somehow, Elias could chat with her like it was nothing.
"Mei, did you figure out the problem I gave you last time?"
"Of course. It was quite interesting. I spent the whole night thinking it through before arriving at the answer. I'm a little surprised someone like Kevin has such a knowledgeable friend."
"Well, every Kaslana paramecium needs an external brain. Though, I guess Su's filling that role for him now."
Elias shrugged, then started explaining a few more problems to Mei like a miniature tutor.
As Elias rattled off formulas and theories that flew straight over her head, Elysia sat there, completely stunned by what she was hearing.
Elias, where the heck did you learn all this!?
They had grown up glued to each other since birth. She knew he had never attended any kind of school.
That's right! Elysia was technically illiterate!
She had learned to read, write, and do basic math at the orphanage. That was it.
Elias: "Oh man, I almost forgot. Looks like I need to start tutoring you at night from now on, Ely."
Elysia: "Nooo~! But it's okay, right? Even if I don't study, I'll always have you by my side, won't I?"
Elias: "That's not the point! And stop treating me like I'm everyone's external brain!"
Even if Elias only had a high school education, let's not forget he held the Herrscher of Reason's Core—the Gem of Wisdom—which had once powered Void Archives.
And Void Archives was a Divine Key that stored nearly all of the Previous Era's scientific knowledge—a literal super-encyclopedia.
All that data was stored in that Core. And Elias, its wielder, could access it anytime.
Granted, the sheer volume of knowledge made it impossible for even his parsing power to fully comprehend everything.
But still, with what he had mastered, becoming a top-tier scientist would be no problem at all.
"Thank you, Elias. You always explain things so clearly. Honestly, if I could, I'd ask my family to hire you as my private tutor," Mei said with admiration.
Watching her hardest problems solved with such ease, she couldn't help but be impressed.
She had always respected those with true knowledge.
The two had met a few days ago when Mei was, as usual, immersed in a book, puzzling over a problem. This boy had walked by, glanced at the page, and casually recited the answer. That alone had caught her attention.
And after consulting with him for several dozen minutes, Mei had been completely stunned by the depth of his knowledge.
It was the first time Mei had met someone her own age who possessed so much more knowledge than she did. Elias seemed to know everything, which made her extremely curious.
The Mei of now was not yet the future pinnacle of human intellect—the strongest scientist of the Previous Era who would lead humanity against the Honkai and single-handedly elevate the civilization's technological prowess.
Right now, Mei was not yet Dr. Mei.
She was still in the stage of learning and absorbing knowledge.
But Elias, with the entirety of the Previous Era's knowledge at his fingertips, was like an ocean of information, while Mei was a sponge—eager to soak it all up.
A capable teacher transcends age. Mei's earlier offer had come from genuine sincerity.
"So? Will you consider it? I'll talk to my father and make sure you're compensated well. You'd only need to teach me three to four hours a day. With you, my study efficiency would skyrocket by at least seventy percent."
"Uh, I..."
"No way!!!"
Before Elias could answer, Elysia had already snapped. She nervously clung to Elias, then turned a sharp, wary gaze toward Mei.
"Mei-chan, that's not allowed. Elias is mine!"
"But speaking from a rational standpoint, Elias doesn't belong to anyone, Elysia."
"Not listening, not listening~ Elias, we've already stayed in Nagazora long enough. It's time to move on. I'm buying the plane tickets now!"
The pink elf, full of crisis awareness, immediately tried to drag Elias away from Mei's grasp.
"That won't do. Elias already promised me that he'd teach me about quantum entanglement today—stuff nobody knows yet. So... how about this, Elysia? You go ahead first. After my lessons are done, I'll return Elias to you in a few days."
Mei smiled politely while holding onto Elias' hand.
Thus began a human tug-of-war scene—each girl pulling one of Elias' arms in opposite directions.
Elias: "Ah, I'm gonna split in half~"
Kevin: "Damn it! Elias, why do you look like you're enjoying this?! I'm so jealous! And you two! Let go of Elias if you dare! Let me join in!!!"
Although Kevin had decided to give up, seeing Mei—the girl he'd tried so hard to reach without success—fighting another girl over a boy...
Kevin felt like his very soul had taken a critical hit. His young heart suffered a 10,000-point combo.
He didn't think he could love again. Girls only brought pain. It was better to stick with his good bro, Su. Su would never betray him!
Kevin: "Su, why couldn't you have been a girl?"
Su: "Kevin, what are you trying to say?"
Kevin: (Let me see!)
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