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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"So that's how the 'apocalypse' came to be…" After hearing Apep's account, Paimon let out a sigh. "But among elemental dragons that are already at the pinnacle of elemental life, there was actually an even higher existence? The [Dragon King] Nibelung…"
This was history neither Nahida nor Lumine—who couldn't decipher the text of [Before Sun and Moon]—knew. Only Victor Wang had some understanding of it.
Based on Apep's words, when the [Dragon King] obtained power from beyond the world, Teyvat had already undergone vast changes. Before that, the dragonkind had fought a great war against the Heavenly Principles—most likely the forty-year war when the Primordial One first descended and contended with the Seven Sovereigns for dominion over the world, which ultimately ended with the dragons choosing concealment, escape, or submission.
After that, the [Dragon King] returned from beyond the world, wielded forbidden knowledge, and led the dragonkind in another war that swept across all of Teyvat.
Given the scale and timing, this war could almost certainly be identified as the battle between the Primordial One and the Second Throne. And since the [Dragon King] was revered so deeply by Apep, its power must have surpassed that of the Seven Sovereigns. There was a strong possibility that Nibelung was, in fact, the Second Throne itself.
But the [Dragon King] was already dead, and the Primordial One had also suffered grievous damage—its functions impaired, slowly dying. There was little point in dwelling further on this. What truly deserved contemplation was—what would Teyvat become in the future?
The Primordial One was not alone. It had four Shades. Even if the Primordial One could no longer endure, the side of the Heavenly Principles had not completely lost its power.
"The Sustainer is dying, the Creator has yet to arrive, but the world will no longer burn, because you will ascend to the seat of an [Archon]."
This was how someone—unknown—had once described Lumine.
Victor Wang quietly glanced at Lumine's profile. If Lumine were to inherit the position of the Primordial One, at least he had no objections. He only hoped nothing strange would happen.
At the same time, Nahida looked over. "The materials you needed?"
Victor Wang nodded. "I've already got them."
With that, the promise to escort the elemental lifeforms home, the salvation of the Dendro Dragon and Sumeru, and the acquisition of materials from the Dendro Dragon—all objectives of this journey had been completed.
Nahida said, "Next, Apep will need a very long period of recuperation to fully return to a healthy state. We should leave."
Hearing this, Paimon looked reluctantly at the four Fungus-form elemental lifeforms that had accompanied them all the way.
"We are the only ones left who still retain memories of the past and our rationality. We need to stay here and help rebuild our homeland. Fortunately, we already said our goodbyes to our family outside before coming here. Now, allow us to say goodbye to you as well."
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye, friends."
"Farewell."
The elemental lifeforms bid their farewells one by one. Apep spoke last. "Little Buer, and little humans, continue onward. I will keep watching. Let me see just how far the life cherished by the Heavenly Principles can truly go…"
As its words fell, Victor Wang, Lumine, Nahida, and Paimon were all sent back to the outside world.
Gazing at the hollow where Apep resided, Nahida said, "Apep's true nature wasn't as violent as it first appeared. Once its illness was cured, it indeed became much more reasonable."
"Ah… I really hope the elemental lifeforms' homeland will soon be full of vitality again. With only the four of them left, it sounds so lonely."
"It will be."
Seeing things through to the end, Nahida escorted Victor Wang and the others back to Sumeru City.
Normally, the party would have disbanded here. Victor Wang didn't leave in a hurry. After Lumine and Paimon departed, he communicated privately with Nahida. "One thousand Rukkhashava Mushrooms, the Dendro elemental crystal 'Quelled Creeper' obtained from the Dendro Hypostasis, and the materials acquired from inside the Dendro Dragon—they're all prepared."
"Understood. I'm ready to begin at any time. It seems you are as well… then let's do it now."
Nahida activated a do-not-disturb state for the Sanctuary of Surasthana, looking eager to begin.
However, she was not one of the original Seven Archons. Even though she was backed by Irminsul and possessed vast knowledge, Victor Wang still went through the operational process once more just to be safe. With practiced familiarity, he explained:
"First, you need to convert the Dendro Hypostasis and the Dendro Dragon materials into pure Dendro elemental particles. Then extract the Dendro elemental particles from my body, using the normal elemental particles from before to guide my abnormal ones so they don't dissipate."
"Next, you need to extract the life-containing but impure Dendro elemental particles from the Rukkhashava Mushrooms. Use those particles to temporarily fill in the missing parts of my body, preventing me from suddenly dying during the later stages."
"After that, you'll rely on the Dendro Hypostasis's Dendro element and the Dendro Dragon's Dendro element… The Dendro Dragon's elemental power seems to have some special property. Using it as a catalyst, you can reverse my abnormal Dendro elemental particles into normal ones… This step, I don't quite understand myself."
"Finally, extract the Rukkhashava Mushroom's Dendro elemental particles from my body and return the Dendro elemental particles that have already been reversed back to me. Then everything will be complete."
After humbly listening to Victor Wang's guidance, Nahida nodded lightly. "This aligns closely with the information I possess. I suppose this is what people mean by becoming a doctor through long illness."
"No choice…" Victor Wang gave a wry smile. "I don't want to be this long-winded either. But it'll be useful later on—consider it a rehearsal for me."
There really was no help for it. Fontaine had a true Hydro Archon, a false Hydro Archon, and a Hydro Dragon—but none of the three were originals. There was no 'elder sister' to pass on experience, nor an 'Irminsul' to investigate information. And the true Hydro Archon might not even have the energy to help cleanse elements. Without fully mastering the entire process and explaining it clearly to them, medical accidents were genuinely possible… even less reliable than Ei.
"That's not the case. You explained it very well. As for the part you're unsure about, I'll tell you my impressions after actually performing it."
"Allow me to thank you in advance!"
"Then shall we begin now?"
Relying on Archon-level divine power and the comprehensive, meticulous understanding of Dendro she had gained after mastering the Dendro Gnosis, Nahida demonstrated formidable control over Dendro, executing the process exactly as Victor Wang had described.
A large emerald cocoon enveloped Victor Wang. Of the seven elements, three were cleansed, three remained, and the remaining Dendro element was gradually extracted.
Compared to before, the pain didn't seem to intensify. Or perhaps he had simply gone numb. Victor Wang endured it in silence.
Two hours later, Nahida completed the entire process. Victor Wang's spirit lifted as a strange sensation rose from within. The elementalized portion of his body had finally exceeded half, granting him the true traits of an elemental being. As a result, the world revealed an entirely new aspect to him.
Most intuitively, he no longer needed Elemental Sight. With just a bit of focus, he could clearly perceive the elemental power between heaven and earth.
Moreover, he could see that this elemental power was eagerly and proactively replenishing his body—just like when he had been blessed with Granny Ping's adeptal power. There was no need for deliberate control; a steady stream of power surged forth on its own.
Although his body's capacity to store elemental power was limited, insufficient for unleashing excessively costly Elemental Bursts, with such rapid passive replenishment, this capped reserve effectively achieved infinite endurance. Elemental Skills could be used freely.
As for the other portion of controllable elemental power—his mental power—its upper limit had doubled once more. His mental power, already at the 'river' level, could now command a vastly greater total of elemental power. Many techniques finally had reliable support, allowing him to fight without holding back.
Building upon the enhancements to both body and mind, even the Delusion-fueled bursts that overdraw mental and life force could now exchange for exponentially greater power.
Feeling all of this, Victor Wang couldn't help but become intoxicated by it.
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