Even when facing the cycle of the Sabzeruz Festival and the god-creation plan, Nahida had never been this tense. Lumine understood the gravity of the situation, but still tried to persuade her. "Calm down, Nahida. Since it hasn't happened yet, all we need to do is find the Dendro Dragon and prevent that outcome."
"Preventing that outcome…"
Nahida looked at her own small body. Repairing elemental voids for elemental lifeforms with Fungus-like bodies was something she could still manage, but repairing an elemental void for a Dendro Dragon capable of forming an entire world within itself—at her current state, even pouring in all her power might only give her a chance.
Victor Wang also spoke up. "There are still other surviving elemental lifeforms. Why don't we first see what clues they might have?"
"Yeah, yeah! Isn't there also Greater Lo—" Paimon stopped herself halfway, remembering that there were lives here that had once suffered forbidden knowledge contamination and unsure whether it might have an effect. She hurriedly corrected herself. "Isn't there also that crystal you left behind before you lost your memory? With your wisdom, when you made that agreement, you must've already predicted what would happen, right?"
"…You're right. Panicking won't solve anything," Nahida said after a pause. "What you said makes sense as well. I should trust 'that me.' Since she was involved in this matter, she must have left behind a solution."
After calming down, Nahida took out the crystal she had found in the Sanctuary of Surasthana and asked the two Fungi, "Have either of you seen this before?"
The floating Anemo Fungi answered briefly, "No."
The floating Hydro Fungi pondered. "This power feels very familiar… it seems to come from our homeland, but I don't know what it is. I'm sorry. It's because our memories aren't reliable enough."
"It's alright… we can keep looking for your other family members."
Nahida skillfully lifted everyone into the air, while Victor Wang skillfully pointed out the next direction.
There were two remaining living elemental lifeforms born of the Dendro Dragon. Victor Wang hoped even more than Nahida that they might remember what the crystal was for, but after making the rounds, none of them did.
"If we can't figure out the crystal's purpose, Apep will be in danger…" Nahida analyzed calmly. "But the fact that none of you remember anything about the crystal likely isn't a coincidence. Perhaps because it was too closely tied to forbidden knowledge, all related memories were uniformly interfered with."
"The crystal and the 'apocalypse'… the 'apocalypse' and memory…" The floating Hydro Fungi hesitated, then said, "If that's the case, Dendro King, we may have one family member who still retains their memories."
Nahida was puzzled by this lead. "Could you explain in more detail?"
"One of our family believed that the 'apocalypse' was also a part of us, and thus had value in being preserved. Back then, our entire clan disagreed with that view, and so it left on its own."
Hearing this, even Paimon noticed the contradiction. "Preserved? Does that mean there's still forbidden knowledge that hasn't been removed?"
Nahida shook her head. "That's unlikely. Irminsul's power covers every corner of Teyvat."
Lumine was curious as well. "Then what's going on?"
"Let me think…" Nahida asked the floating Hydro Fungi again. "Do you know where that family member went after leaving?"
"It said it was heading east of Sumeru, toward the unfathomable depths underground, to a turbid land from which there is no return."
"East of Sumeru… underground… The Chasm?" Nahida's eyes widened slightly. "I think I understand. Preserving forbidden knowledge under Irminsul's influence would be impossible, but if what it preserved was no longer forbidden knowledge… then it might be possible."
A new path opened up, and Nahida couldn't wait to lead everyone toward The Chasm.
Victor Wang hesitated as if wanting to speak. Paimon looked completely lost, while Lumine made a tentative guess. "In the information that Scaramouche gathered, there really was an elemental lifeform that went to The Chasm. But if I remember correctly… it already turned into black mud containing Abyssal power…"
"That's the one!" With her suspicion confirmed, Nahida grew even more excited, feeling as though everything was finally turning for the better. She said, "That elemental lifeform was very clever. To avoid transforming into the Withering due to forbidden knowledge contamination, it made use of a giant nail that descended from the sky."
"A Celestial Nail? There really is one in The Chasm… but…" Lumine looked at Victor Wang and saw his helpless smile.
Nahida, unaware of what they were about to face, thought Lumine was questioning the Celestial Nail's power and began explaining in detail.
"That kind of Celestial Nail is a tool used to combat the Abyss. In the distant past, it repaired the rifts of Teyvat. Against powers from beyond Teyvat, it can purify and stabilize them. When illuminated by its light, forbidden knowledge will be preserved in another form."
But… but… as long as Paimon and I don't say anything, no one will know that all the black mud in The Chasm was already purified by Victor.Besides, the black mud was similar to the Withering and endangered other lives. Clearing it out for everyone's safety shouldn't count as a bad thing, right?
And whether we say it or not, it won't change the fact that that elemental lifeform is already dead… so maybe it's better not to say anything.
Lumine blinked at Victor Wang, then tugged on Paimon's cape, preparing to quietly explain things.
However, Victor Wang said with a bitter smile, "The elemental lifeform that turned into black mud in The Chasm was already killed by me when I purified the black mud."
Nahida, who had been flying along cheerfully, suddenly slammed the brakes in midair.
The four Fungus-shaped elemental lifeforms were equally confused.
Victor Wang explained, "The miners of Liyue need to extract ore from The Chasm. Leaving that black mud there was extremely dangerous, so I cleaned it out thoroughly. I did encounter a Fungus trapped within the black mud. At the time, its condition was already abnormal and highly aggressive, so I… dealt with it."
"So that's how it was…" Nahida sighed weakly. "That black mud really was extremely dangerous. This isn't something you can be blamed for."
The floating Hydro Fungi also said, "It chose to become that form, which meant it had already lost the chance to be saved. It's just that now, no one knows the location of our homeland or the purpose of that crystal…"
"Don't panic. Let me think of a solution," Victor Wang said, trying to calm everyone down.
"You still have a way?"
"I have to think first… some way… some way… got it!" Victor Wang clapped his hands and said to the floating Hydro Fungi, "Teach me the language of the Fungi. As long as I can understand what you're saying, I can dig out more information from what I already know!"
The idea was so unusual that everyone was taken aback.
Only Paimon immediately agreed. "With Victor's memory… it actually might work! There were lots of scenes of elemental lifeforms communicating in the information that Scaramouche gave us. We couldn't understand or remember them. Victor couldn't understand them either, but he can remember them!"
"Mm. I also pick up new languages quickly. It won't take much time."
"Then let's give it a try. Hopefully, that information contains clues about the crystal," Nahida said, having no better option.
"And while I'm learning the Fungi language, let's continue on to The Chasm," Victor Wang added. "I don't know if that elemental lifeform left behind any elemental power, but if we can find it… let's bring it home too."
===BREAK===
Like the story and want more chapters?
Join and support me by joining my Patreon!
[email protected]/SiRoasa