"Is this... Irminsul? The aura of vitality is so dense..." March 7th murmured in awe as she gazed up at the massive, sky-piercing World Tree, its aura radiating a uniquely soothing presence.
"Huh?"
But March 7th quickly noticed something amiss. She pointed to a darkened area and asked, "Why has that part turned completely black?"
Amidst the tree's vibrant jade-green foliage, a patch of black had suddenly appeared, seething with ominous energy. This darkness clashed jarringly with the World Tree's sacred aura, creating an unsettling dissonance...
It was as if a gentle, virtuous Saintess, whose purity was as pristine as white paper, had one day accidentally been tainted by a sinister black stain. This darkness, filled with malice, ceaselessly encroached upon every part of her being, refusing to be washed away no matter how hard she tried...
"Just a minor issue. Nothing to worry about," Nahida replied calmly, her gaze following March 7th's pointed finger to the corruption-infested branch. Within her tranquil, water-like eyes, faint glimmers of an unfathomable light flickered.
Nahida withdrew her gaze from the corrupted branch and turned to face Lumina, who was walking beside her. She addressed the others, "We came here specifically to deal with this matter."
"However..."
Nahida suddenly stopped walking, turning to look at March 7th and the others. Her eyes were filled with complex emotions. "This matter doesn't concern you. I urge you to leave."
"Whether you explore Sumeru City or simply relax in your hotel room..."
"Hmm..." March 7th and the others exchanged puzzled glances, unable to understand why Nahida would say such a thing now.
We've already checked in, taken baths, and settled in. Now you want us to leave?
That doesn't seem right, does it?
Though the two statements carried vastly different implications, if you stretched the point, they were essentially saying the same thing.
As they stared at Lumina, who had stopped ahead and stood silently awaiting their response, March 7th pondered for a moment before asking, "Nahida, what's the reason?"
"This matter doesn't concern you."
"That's hardly a reason," March 7th retorted, refusing to accept Nahida's explanation. After all, Sister Lumina hadn't said a word. Unless Nahida provided a more compelling explanation, March 7th and her companions wouldn't budge.
While March 7th trusted Nahida, her trust clearly didn't run as deep as her faith in Sister Lumina.
Therefore, unless Sister Lumina and Nahida were united on the same side, March 7th and her companions wouldn't budge without a legitimate reason.
"Is there some danger? Or something you can't bring yourself to say? Or would our presence cause you trouble?"
For some inexplicable reason, whether it was March 7th, Stelle, or Little Swarm, they all felt a strange, unnamable connection to Nahida...
It was as if... as if the Nahida before them was truly a miniature version of their own Sister Lumina.
If it weren't for the fact that Sister Lumina and Nahida had appeared simultaneously and even fought side-by-side, March 7th and the others might have convinced themselves that Nahida was actually Sister Lumina in disguise...
Hearing this, Nahida shook her head with an impassive expression. "There's no danger, nothing shameful to hide, and no trouble for you to worry about," she said.
"This matter simply doesn't concern you. I merely wish for you to leave."
"Following us would only be a waste of your time."
Nahida's words were so flat that March 7th and the others couldn't even guess what she was thinking.
"So, what will you choose?" Nahida asked.
Instead of answering immediately, March 7th and the others turned to Sister Lumina ahead, as if seeking her opinion.
"It's all the same," Lumina said curtly, offering no further explanation.
Hmm...
Hearing this, even a fool would realize that Lumina and Nahida must know something they weren't revealing.
But Sister Lumina would never harm us, and since Nahida also assured there was no danger, why would March 7th and the others choose to stay behind?
The answer was simple. March 7th planted her hands on her hips, flashed a grin, and declared, "If it's all the same, then why wouldn't we go?"
(At this point, there are two choices. Choosing to return to Sumeru City ends the Version 1.7 storyline, and you board the Train for Penacony.)
"As expected," Nahida nodded, offering no further comment as she resumed walking.
Lumina smiled gently at March 7th and the others. "Let's go," she said. "Think of it as a pre-dinner performance."
"Sumeru City is incredibly lively at night," she continued. "After we're done, I'll treat you all to some Sumeru delicacies that are only sold after dark."
"Yay! Then the five of us can all go together," March 7th exclaimed, her thoughts already drifting to the promised feast.
"Sister Lumina, we haven't spent much of the money you gave us. Let us treat you to dinner this time!"
"Alright~"
Lumina kept her gaze fixed ahead, offering a drawn-out "Alright" in response to March 7th's suggestion.
At Irminsul, the green Great Book materialized in Nahida's hand, and the Phandrea, infinitely compressed to the size of a thumb, appeared in the air.
"There's a..."
As soon as the Phandrea appeared, a sharp voice erupted from within.
But before it could utter more than a few words, Nahida swiftly plunged it into Irminsul, silencing it completely.
A few seconds later, Irminsul suddenly radiated waves of afterglow, its sacred radiance starkly contrasting against the night's enveloping darkness.
The branch that had been completely corrupted, emitting black, unknown fumes, regained its original luster.
However, in the very next moment, the black fumes surged forth anew, corroding the branch at an even faster rate than before—a visible, rapid erosion.
"Hmm... It seems some unexpected developments have indeed occurred." Seeing this, Nahida showed no surprise. She turned her gaze to Lumina and said calmly, "You knew about this all along, didn't you?"
"Yes, I noticed it as soon as I returned," Lumina nodded, offering no concealment.
Upon hearing this, Nahida closed her eyes and pondered for a moment before saying, "Alright. Just hope you can stay rational."
"Remember to request a leave of absence for me."
With that, Nahida's form began to radiate waves of green light. Her features gradually blurred, her body dissolving completely into emerald radiance until she resembled the thumb-sized Phandrea from earlier, before merging into Irminsul.
Irminsul radiated a light even more brilliant than before, and the invasive black gas was completely purified under its divine glow.
Once again, Irminsul bloomed with its unique divine sanctity.
"Ugh... How's Nahida doing?"
"Is this finally over?"
After a while, seeing that Nahida hadn't emerged and Sister Lumina remained still, March 7th asked curiously.
"What did Nahida mean by 'request a leave of absence for me'?"
"Yes, it's over now," Lumina replied, nodding as she gazed at Irminsul. "Since Nahida needs to remain within Irminsul for some time, she's asked me to request a leave of absence from both the Council of Elders and the university on her behalf."
"Otherwise, Nahida will have her pay docked."
"..." Hearing this explanation, March 7th and the others were speechless. They had thought it was something serious, but it turned out to be just a fear of getting their pay docked...
"Don't let Nahida's high status fool you," Lumina said with a smile, observing their expressions. "She doesn't actually have much money."
"Half her monthly income goes just to rent. Plus, she has a 'book-buying' addiction, so her expenses are enormous."
"So even though Nahida seems glamorous on the surface, she probably doesn't even have ten thousand credits in her pocket."
With Nahida absent, Lumina launched into full-blown character assassination mode.
"A 'book-buying' addiction? What kind of illness is that? Is that even a real thing in Sumeru?" March 7th and Stelle exchanged glances, instantly understanding each other's thoughts.
Look, buying books = reading books, reading books = learning from books. So, buying books causes illness = reading books causes illness = learning from books causes illness. Therefore, for the sake of our health, we should probably avoid reading books in the future.
Not that they ever read them anyway...
"Don't overthink it," Lumina said with a light chuckle, noticing the changing expressions on their faces. "Nahida just enjoys collecting limited-edition books. It's not what you're imagining."
"Oh, oh! We thought it was some kind of illness you get from buying books," March 7th and Stelle replied, visibly embarrassed.
Lumina smiled and gazed up at the night sky. "It's getting late. Why don't you head back to Sumeru City and find a restaurant?"
"Send me the location when you find one. I'll join you later."
"Okay! We'll wait for you in Sumeru City!"
Hearing this, March 7th and the others glanced at their beloved Sister Lumina, then at Irminsul looming behind her. Without further thought, they nodded and left the area, returning to Sumeru City.
From the player's perspective, as Little Bear steered his character to the designated spot in Sumeru City, the camera angle shifted once more, returning to Lumina's side.
"You... could have... told them... everything..."
Lumina watched March 7th and the others depart until they vanished from sight. Once they were gone, a faint, ethereal voice echoed once more in her ears and those of all the Players.
"They're too weak. Even if I told them, they'd gradually forget."
"There's no point."
Lumina shook her head, her tone calm.
"This farewell... might be... forever..."
"They..."
The ethereal voice returned, now tinged with sadness.
"It doesn't matter. They'll gradually forget me." Lumina's expression remained serene as she reached out to stroke the Irminsul.
"..."
"Open the portal. I'll cleanse the Abyss completely."
After a moment of silence, a teleportation portal materialized before Lumina, connecting to the Irminsul.
"I... I'll help... help you..."
"Mm, thank you." Lumina nodded and stepped into the portal.
From the Player's perspective, the familiar Boss battle interface reappeared on the screen.
However, unlike previous battles, this time only Lumina could be used, with the other three character slots locked.
"This can't be the final Boss, right? Not a Weekly Boss, is it...?"
"Since when can you only use one character for a Weekly Boss?"
Little Bear stared at the character selection screen, his earlier tension easing slightly.
Earlier, seeing Lumina and that voice stacked with negative buffs, he had feared something catastrophic was about to happen, almost scaring him and some of the live stream viewers to death.
[At this rate, will Lumina get corrupted by the Abyss, and we'll have to fight her later?]
[Relax, I, the Galactic Baseballer, will redeem Lumina from the Abyss's corruption. Out of gratitude, she'll offer herself to me (smirks).]
[Who's got yellow pee? Wake this guy up with a splash!]
[We're heading to Penacony soon, so they probably won't stab us again, right...?]
[Don't worry, the datamine's already out. Lumina has tons of plot lines in Penacony. She's not gonna die.]
Although the pre-battle buffs carried a heavy, knife-like tension, some players remained completely unfazed.
The Version 2.0 datamine had already leaked. While the exact plot remained a mystery, the sheer number of dialogue lines hinted at Lumina's continued relevance.
Since Lumina was the only usable character, Little Bear immediately entered the battle...
-
(Spy-Another big author note. They really struggled with this arc apparently.)
P.S.:
I really can't continue writing this. Even if I forced myself, the preceding plot would make no sense.
I doubt anyone would want to read it anyway, so I'll just skip Version 1.7 entirely and jump straight to the end of the arc, setting up the Penacony story.
Consider it a lesson learned. I've written over 100,000 words—practically for nothing! I should have stabbed Lumina before even starting!
For the final Version 2.x Lumina arc, I'll definitely stab her before the story even begins! (Angry)
Though the plot is being skipped, let me summarize the final outcome:
The Player witnesses Lumina's memories, revealing her laziness and apathy. They realize she's not as perfect as she seems, harboring her own unique flaws—a facade for public appearances and a different face in private.
The Player also learns that Lumina isn't a selfless, altruistic Saintess seeking no reward. Her purpose in saving people is to gather Faith Power to combat the Abyss.
The "Eternal Garden of 73 Trillion Suns and Moons" refers to the Faith Power Lumina has collected. This power has crystallized into flowers rooted within the garden, resisting the Abyss's invasion.
Despite her flaws—far from the perfect image they once perceived—the Player finds her even more compelling, declaring their love for her has deepened.
Nahida was Lumina's childhood self and her original name. However, to confront a certain crisis, Nahida was forcibly separated from her, which led to Nahida developing a deep animosity toward Lumina. At that moment, Lumina lost all memories connected to her identity as Nahida, including her entire childhood. After becoming an independent entity, Nahida named herself Lumina, having lost her former self entirely.
During their recent confrontation with the Abyss, Lumina and Nahida reunited into a single being, prompting the Abundance Aeon to personally descend (not merely a fleeting glimpse) and guide Lumina to the end of the Abundance Path.
From that moment forward, Lumina became the sole being to walk alongside an Aeon on her destined Path.
Finally, with the combined power of Lumina and the Faith Power, they completely repelled, purged, and sealed away the Abyss.
This is the final outcome of the Version 1.7 storyline. I'm not sure if anyone wants to read it—it'll only be two or three chapters.
If you're not interested, we'll skip straight to Penacony for some cozy interactions in the next chapter.