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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"As long as we use the Fire Seed to activate the Heart of the Oasis, we can replenish Apep's elemental power. With its formidable adaptability and vitality, Apep will gradually recover and ultimately regain its health."
Nahida took out the Fire Seed. This tiny crystal, condensed from an extremely high concentration of elemental power, pulsed with brilliant green light like a heartbeat due to resonance, as if it could hardly wait to fulfill its mission.
Paimon jinxed it, saying, "At this point, nothing unexpected should happen anymore… right?"
"There shouldn't be any accidents now, it's just…"
"Just?"
It had already been difficult enough for Apep to allow everyone inside. Making further requests at this moment would inevitably feel like coercion. Before activating the Heart of the Oasis, Nahida looked at Victor Wang. "The materials you need—after this is over, I'll help communicate about them. Is that okay?"
So, she was worrying about me… Back then, when Zhongli fought Azhdaha, the dragon materials he casually picked up had already ended back up inside its body. Materials imbued with the Dendro Dragon's power could practically be found everywhere now, but that wasn't something he could easily explain. Victor Wang smiled and shook his head. "No need. I'll handle it myself."
Nahida looked a little puzzled. To put her at ease, Victor Wang added, "If I can't manage on my own, I'll ask you for help. But I don't think that'll be necessary."
"Alright then. I'm starting."
The Fire Seed left Nahida's palm and floated in midair. The yellow flame within it began to burn fiercely, and the crystal shell slowly melted like a candle, transforming into a surging torrent of Dendro elemental power filled with boundless vitality that rushed toward the Heart of the Oasis. When the two made contact, there was no anticipated collision—the Heart of the Oasis absorbed all that power perfectly.
After absorbing a certain amount, the Heart of the Oasis burst forth with radiant light. Then a sudden mutation occurred—a massive Dendro elemental lifeform, gray-green in color, covered in numerous hands and grotesque in shape, treated the 'ground' like liquid. It swam out from within and lunged straight for the Fire Seed.
"W-What is that thing now?!" Paimon cried out in alarm.
"This is the Warden of the homeland…"
Seeing the former Warden of the oasis trying to stop the King of Dendro from restoring it gave the Floating Hydro Fungus an absurd feeling.
"What do you mean it's guarding something? The Dendro Dragon already let us in—why is it interfering?"
"It may have mistaken the foreign energy being injected into the Heart of the Oasis as an enemy. But in this form… it's more likely that it was forced to adapt under the devastation of the 'apocalypse.' Just like those family members who lost their intelligence, it too longs for the power of the Fire Seed…"
"In short, as long as we fight and stall until the Heart of the Oasis is activated, that'll do, right?"
A golden opportunity to openly collect Dendro Dragon materials had appeared. Victor Wang rubbed his hands together eagerly. However, he still needed to restrain those diseased Dendro elemental lifeforms and protect Nahida, who couldn't spare a hand, the fragile Fire Seed, and the four other normal elemental lifeforms in Fungus form. For a moment, he found himself surprisingly tied up.
With no such concerns, Lumine naturally took on the task of repelling the Warden of the Last Oasis. Asking her to help cut materials…? No matter how Victor Wang thought about it, that would be hard to explain. He decided to propose instead, "Let's switch roles. You handle the defense—I'll deal with that thing."
"Huh?"
"That thing must be left to me."
Lumine nodded in confusion.
The restrained diseased Dendro elemental lifeforms were released in an instant, then immediately restrained again in perfect coordination by Lumine. Although she hadn't learned the Jade Shield, an ordinary Geo shield with increased density was more than enough to protect everyone.
Freed at last, Victor Wang first used a streak of violet lightning to draw the Warden of the Last Oasis's attention. As it turned around, a thick rock wall rose up between it and the Fire Seed—both lending Lumine some defensive support… and blocking most of everyone's view.
"One, two, three… four, five, six. Six pairs, twelve hands. How many years has it been since you trimmed your nails? I'll help you out today!" Victor Wang muttered maliciously while gesturing with his sword.
The Warden of the Last Oasis clearly had no interest in trimming its nails. With massive palms that could slap two people to death at once, it lashed out left and right without mercy. Then its boneless body twisted like a slightly wider ribbon, borrowing the spiraling force as the foremost pair of hands came together and slammed down heavily.
Barely dodging in time, Victor Wang felt the ground tremble beneath him. Seizing the opportunity, he slammed another thick rock wall sideways onto the pair of hands the Warden of the Last Oasis had placed by his feet. Staring at those gray-green 'nails,' he raised his sword and stabbed down.
The sensation from the sword tip was peculiar. It wasn't hard, but it was incredibly tough—at least three times tougher than an ordinary Fungus.
To be more specific, it felt like the high-density foam inside a battered old sofa that people had sat on for five years—most of its elasticity gone, but not entirely. Now, it was being compressed to its limit by the Wentian Sword.
The sensation was awful. Thankfully, it really wasn't that hard. In the end, with a puchi sound, it was pierced through.
The force Victor Wang applied was so great that, at the moment of penetration, the sword plunged straight into the ground beneath. He switched to a two-handed grip, pouring in both sword energy and intent, and slowly drew the blade sideways. As the blade scraped against the Warden of the Last Oasis's 'nail,' a sharp geeech rang out. One 'nail' was secured.
The Warden of the Last Oasis didn't seem to mind the pain, but it couldn't help thrashing about. Several of its other massive hands braced against the ground, then it exerted force violently, wrenching its trapped hands free and even tearing the rock wall apart.
It was extremely resistant. The moment it pulled its hands free; it followed with a flip and a brutal tail sweep at Victor Wang. When that missed, it whipped around again. Unable to land a hit, it grew enraged, using both head and hands to slam the ground repeatedly in wide-area impacts.
But in terms of size, it was nowhere near the Dendro Dragon. And relying purely on physical attacks without control techniques, there was no way Victor Wang couldn't dodge it—he even had to deliberately get close just to trim its nails.
"These thorns on your palm look pretty good too. Want those trimmed as well? Let's take two… just two is fine. I don't even need all the nails—any more and I can't use them up."
The Warden of the Last Oasis refused. Its entire body pressed down, then it dove underground.
Victor Wang couldn't stop it. He could only dispel the rock wall blocking the Fire Seed and give chase. But whenever he found a suitable moment alone, he would once again raise a rock wall under the guise of protection, concealing his behavior—which might look a bit strange to others.
His actions went smoothly, and Nahida's activation progressed quickly as well. Before long, the originally yellow-green Heart of the Oasis turned a fresh green.
Influenced by this reborn heart, aside from the Warden of the Last Oasis, other diseased Dendro elemental lifeforms living in this homeland were also drawn by the vibrant elemental power, continuously gathering as the situation grew more troublesome.
Having already obtained five 'nails' and two spikes from the Warden of the Last Oasis, Victor Wang promptly stopped. While continuing to lure the Warden of the Last Oasis into attacking him, he diverted most of his attention to help Lumine restrain the diseased Dendro elemental lifeforms.
Soon, the Fire Seed was fully consumed. The Heart of the Oasis shifted from fresh green to emerald green, bursting forth with a joyful radiance that washed over this entire realm.
Wherever the light reached, yellow-green and gray-green were dyed emerald. Withered trees dissolved, flowers and grass bloomed, and the shells of the diseased Dendro elemental lifeforms melted away, returning them to pure elemental power.
Only the Warden of the Last Oasis—though it looked somewhat better—still clung stubbornly to the foreign intruders, refusing to let go.
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