TN: And we're back! sorry for the week long hiatus, it was not intentional since I had to get my right leg in a cast after tripping 3 floors down a stairwell (like an idiot ://) and be unable to use my PC setup upstairs BUT I should be OK now.
Anyways, Thanks for Arcanic Madness, WeissAkumu and WolfWTF for becoming as Supporters!
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"These things… what are they? I've never seen anything like them before?"
The Floating Hydro Fungus replied, "They are family."
"Eh? Things that look like this are family too? Aren't they all supposed to look like Fungus creatures?"
The Floating Anemo Fungus spoke in clumsy yet highly distinctive human language, "Appearance. Different. Essence. Same."
The Floating Hydro Fungus added, "The elemental power that makes them up is completely identical to ours. That proves they are also residents of our homeland."
Paimon showed that she understood, and Nahida continued, asking, "Is this the form you would become after experiencing the 'apocalypse'?"
"Mm. This is also a kind of adaptation, just an extremely tragic one… Many of our family members didn't manage to escape. In order to survive within the 'apocalypse,' they were forced to change form and became like this."
"Do we really have to fight them? Is there no way to communicate?"
"No… they've only retained the instinct to survive. Everything else was discarded during the process of adaptation. They're gathering here most likely because they were drawn by the kindling. Only power similar to the Heart of the Oasis can briefly ease their pain."
"So this is forbidden knowledge… If even elemental life suffers like this, fragile humans would find it even harder to endure…"
As the conversation continued, that group of diseased Dendro elemental lifeforms had already drawn close. Lumine stepped forward and said warily, "Either way, we have to drive them back first."
The Floating Hydro Fungus pleaded on their behalf, "But please show mercy. Their essence isn't evil—they just want to live."
Victor Wang also stepped forward, preparing to engage. "Just restrain them, right? Easy enough."
In less than two minutes, those diseased Dendro elemental lifeforms were either swept up by the wind or trapped within stone shells, completely unable to move.
The Floating Anemo Fungus said, "They. Want. Go home."
Seeing this, Nahida pondered and asked, "Is there a way to return them to a state of pure elemental power?"
The Floating Hydro Fungus replied, "I'm afraid only the kindling or the Heart of the Oasis can save them. But the kindling is unstable—if something goes wrong…"
According to the original course of events, the kindling was used once to save the elemental life of The Chasm, used once again to save this group of diseased Dendro elemental lifeforms, and would be used yet another time when entering Apep's body later. Using the kindling three times caused it to shatter due to instability, which in turn forced the saved elemental lifeforms to offer up all their power to serve as kindling. In other words, they were saved for nothing.
Knowing this, Victor Wang naturally wouldn't allow the kindling to be abused again. He said, "The kindling should be used to activate the Heart of the Oasis. Once the Heart of the Oasis recovers, the elemental lifeforms will recover as well, right? There's no need to take unnecessary risks by using the kindling here. We'll just bring these elemental lifeforms back to the homeland together."
Victor Wang's proposal was reasonable. It merely meant bringing along some additional, less-than-friendly companions who were currently restrained. No one raised any objections.
"Then let's set off. There's only one last stretch of the road left."
Under Nahida's guidance, this final stretch was completed very quickly.
When everyone stopped, they found themselves inside a massive cavern. At the end of it was an even larger hollow, within which only light could be seen—there was no sign of the Dendro Dragon.
"What a huge cave. Should we go inside and take a look? The Dendro Dragon might live in that hollow."
Nahida shook her head. "To achieve our goal, we don't just need to find Apep—we also need to enter the world inside its body. Without securing its cooperation, that's impossible."
"But with that kind of attitude… how are we supposed to make it cooperate…" Paimon was practically worried sick.
"I'll try."
Nahida called out toward the hollow:
"Apep, though you and I stand on different sides, we were both born from elemental power, and we have both suffered deeply from forbidden knowledge."
"Opposing forbidden knowledge is something we share in common. On that point, we should never refuse to communicate due to prejudice."
"No matter what you think, whom you hate, or what you've done, I don't care, nor do I expect your gratitude."
"I came here to save you—but not only you. Your people, my people. Once your power collapses, it will be two worlds that suffer."
"I know you don't care about humans, but after leaving you, your people have been searching for a way to save you all this time. They truly want to save their homeland. They truly want to go home."
"You are heading toward your end. When that happens, all hatred will disappear. If so, what meaning does hatred even have?"
"Rather than opposing us, you should face the life you yourself nurtured."
The four elemental lifeforms that had followed along, together with the hundreds of family members they carried—now reduced to elemental power—looked toward the hollow with hope-filled eyes.
"Go home. Want to."
The hollow answered only with silence.
Nahida frowned deeply, her mind racing as she analyzed the situation.
Apep knew that once it died, everything would come to nothing.
But it could not accept help from Archons and humans. If it did, even if it survived, it would never be able to cast aside the debt of being saved and pursue vengeance with its dignity intact.
That was why she had already stated she did not seek its gratitude. How much that could move it was uncertain. All that remained was to ignite its desire to live…
Nahida spoke once more toward the hollow:
"After forbidden knowledge vanished and the elemental void formed, you must have been doing everything you could to cling to life. Otherwise, you would have collapsed long ago."
"Why is it that you want to live?"
"Since you pride yourself on having lived longer than us and knowing more than us, then think it through properly!"
"…"
Lumine sighed. "Still not working…"
However, in the very next moment, a tremendous suction force erupted from within the hollow. Even from so far away, the group found it hard to resist.
Already prepared, Victor Wang lightly stepped forward. From the ground, three layers of Jade Shield rose in succession, closing back in around everyone like blooming flowers folding shut, forming a semi-transparent sphere.
The suction force was blocked by the spherical shield. Though they were still being pulled toward the hollow, everyone managed to steady themselves. Nahida also helped everyone float, preventing them from bumping into one another inside the shield.
As they flew closer and closer to the hollow, the light within grew increasingly brilliant. In the end, everyone's vision was completely consumed by blinding radiance, and nothing could be seen.
Then, just as suddenly as it had erupted, the suction force stopped. The Jade Shield crashed heavily onto a 'ground' covered in yellow-green vegetation.
"This is…?"
"This is our homeland… Although the 'apocalypse' is gone, the scenery is in such terrible condition…"
Looking around, Nahida said, "So we've already arrived in the world inside Apep's body. It has accepted us."
Victor Wang pointed at the dome formed of green plant-like structures overhead. "And we've arrived directly at the location of the Heart of the Oasis."
Everyone looked up. At the very center, there hung something that looked like a lump of jelly.
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