"Doraemon? What's that?" The Scholar tilted her head slightly, her expression of genuine confusion utterly adorable. Of course, she wouldn't know about Doraemon; the series simply didn't exist in her world.
Elysia had only mentioned it on a whim. Gazing at the cute young girl before her, she couldn't resist rubbing her hands together. "Scholar, you're just too adorable! Can I pinch your cheeks?~"
"No," the Scholar refused instantly.
However, a male member of Shi Jun's team interjected, "Doraemon? You mean the robot cat from the anime?"
Elysia froze, her pink eyes widening in surprise. "You've seen Doraemon?"
"Of course!" the boy replied. "I'm a veteran otaku! I've seen every anime there is—especially classics like that! I haven't missed a single episode!"
Elysia's excitement surged. Could this Trial Arena World actually be the world she'd transmigrated from?
But then she paused. This boy claimed to be a veteran otaku, yet he clearly didn't recognize her. That didn't make sense. How could a veteran otaku not have played Honkai Impact 3rd? How could he not know Elysia?
Either this guy was lying about being an Otaku—he clearly wasn't—or the Trial Arena World had Doraemon but not Honkai 3rd.
Of course, it was also possible that this Veteran Otaku only watched anime and didn't play games. Regardless, Elysia was now deeply intrigued by the real world of this Trial Arena.
As Elysia pondered this, the Scholar's recently deployed Sky Fortress slowly descended. Blue flames surged downward from its wings, yet it moved with almost no sound, maintaining an eerie silence.
A ladder extended from the fortress, and the Scholar led the way, followed closely by the others.
Once everyone was aboard, the Scholar glanced back and said, "The sky is safer than the ground here. This Sky Fortress has everything we need: rest areas, a dining hall, a medical bay, and more. Take the wounded to the medical bay first. It has treatment pods inside. If their injuries aren't severe, the onboard AI can handle it automatically."
Although Shi Jun hadn't been particularly friendly at first, it was likely just an act to maintain his authority as Team Leader.
During their retreat from the house, Shi Jun had prioritized his team's safety, staying behind to carry the streamer whose legs had given out in fear. He had also been the one to carry the unconscious streamer onto the plane, demonstrating his genuine concern for the newcomers.
Shi Jun carried the unconscious streamer toward the medical bay. As the plane ascended, the others gradually began to relax.
One had to wonder, in a horror-themed map, could ordinary people really hide thousands of meters in the air?
The Scholar approached the Stone Army Squad, requesting some ghost-hunting equipment they had purchased from the Plaza: specialized bullets, talismans, and a wooden sword. She then scurried away with quick, hurried steps, clearly intending to study these items.
Meanwhile, the young man who had spoken with Elysia earlier approached her again, nervously stammering, "E-Elysia... Miss Elysia..."
"Just call me Elysia," she smiled. "What's on your mind?"
"It's still about our earlier conversation. Do you also enjoy watching anime and stuff?" Honestly, discussing such things in this terrifying environment felt utterly bizarre.
The boy was at a loss for what to talk about. After racking his brain, he decided to simply "continue the conversation."
As for why he had approached her in the first place? The reason was refreshingly straightforward: Elysia was stunningly beautiful.
Most people wouldn't strike up a conversation with a complete stranger on the street, no matter how attractive they were. At most, they might offer a fleeting compliment. But if there was even the slightest connection—like being classmates, teammates, or fellow alumni—approaching her suddenly seemed much easier.
As a perfectly normal teenage boy, seeing Elysia and deciding to strike up a conversation seemed perfectly natural.
Of course, there was another factor at play: Elysia exuded such warmth and approachability. The thought of approaching someone like Scholar filled him with terror.
"Anime? Of course I love it!" Elysia tilted her head slightly, tapping her cheek with a finger as she pondered. In her previous life, she had been quite the otaku. While she now embraced a vibrant social life, that didn't mean she had abandoned her love for anime.
Having four bodies effectively quadrupled Elysia's time. In her spare moments, she had devoured nearly all the anime and manga available in this world.
"Oh, have you played any games that left a particularly strong impression?" Elysia asked casually.
"Games? Where do I even begin!" The boy's eyes lit up, and he launched into an enthusiastic monologue.
He rattled off titles Elysia recognized—Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, Baldur's Gate—all acclaimed single-player masterpieces, but not a single mobile game.
"Wait a minute..." Elysia finally interrupted his rapid-fire list. "Have you heard of Genshin Impact?"
She deliberately avoided mentioning Honkai 3rd, instead choosing Genshin Impact, the most popular gacha game and a symbol of the Gacha genre.
The boy frowned in thought, then shook his head. "I'm not sure... Does that game even exist here?"
What? Elysia thought. Mihoyo doesn't exist, but everything else does? How is that possible?
Still, this world held an undeniable allure. After a polite parting with the boy, Elysia resolved to visit Scholar Codename to request some... materials.
After Elysia left, another bespectacled man approached and patted Lu Tianyu on the shoulder. "Lu Tianyu," he said, "don't tell me you're getting any... delusional ideas."
"Huh? What do you mean by 'delusional'?" Lu Tianyu retorted immediately. "I used to think love at first sight was complete nonsense, but now I get it! She's so beautiful and adorable, and we even share the same hobbies!"
"The fact that she was willing to talk to me for so long despite just meeting me means she doesn't hate me, right? Do I actually have a chance?"
"Tsk..." The bespectacled man clicked his tongue. "Have you even considered the difference between your level and hers? She's a powerhouse on par with that ice-cold 'Scholar'! Besides, after all that chatting, does Elysia even know your name?"
"Of course..." Lu Tianyu began, then paused, his expression faltering. "Wait... she never actually asked..."