In the System Space, Jiang Mumu was pondering Natlan's villain—her final adversary.
After Natlan, her Emotional Value collection should be nearly complete. At the current rate of accumulation, she might even have a substantial surplus by then.
The reason she chose Natlan for the final showdown was because Natlan possessed a unique bug—the Ode of Resurrection—that no other nation had.
Though the Ode of Resurrection in Natlan currently only works on a handful of individuals, Jiang Mumu had a plan to make it effective for every Natlanian.
The Natlanians were born warriors, and Natlan was a nation of war. Given this martial culture, conducting a full-scale war in Natlan would be entirely fitting.
Here, Jiang Mumu's Abyss forces could operate without restraint. As long as the Ode of Resurrection remained active, the Natlanians wouldn't truly die!
Since this was a total war, it wouldn't be acceptable for civilians to remain largely unaffected, as they had in previous conflicts with other nations. Divine Wars could shift their battlefields, but a full-scale war had to be fought in Natlan!
Let's review the villains:
- Gosoythoth: The true Abyss Avatar threatening Natlan, whom Jiang Mumu had recently discovered. Her own code surpassed his, allowing her to directly seize control for her own purposes.
- The Umbral Scion: The Doctor's latest creation, crafted using Chu Xi's body. By devouring the Doctor's splintered consciousness at the opportune moment, it could transform into a truly terrifying entity.
- A fragment of the Goddess claimed by the Abyss, utterly corrupted and defiled over its long immersion, had become a true creation of the Abyss. This entity, the Master of the eye that once appeared in Inazuma, was the Abyss's true vanguard.
And then there were the countless, overwhelming Abyss Monsters!
That was roughly it. The weakest but most troublesome were the various tiers of Abyss Monsters. Next came Gosoythoth, an ancient being warped and empowered by the Abyss.
Following that was the Umbral Scion, a being corrupted by the Abyss at critical moments through Forbidden Knowledge. According to their design, their strength had reached Archon-level, even subtly surpassing it.
Finally, there was "Jiang Mumu" (temporary designation), whom even the Heavenly Principles feared.
Such a lineup would be utterly insufficient against Teyvat's native forces, even if the Heavenly Principles were to awaken. However, Jiang Mumu had prepared a contingency: the Seven Pure Souls.
Before finalizing her plans, Jiang Mumu had also stockpiled ample Emotional Value to handle any unforeseen circumstances.
For instance, the intervention of the Hexenzirkel or the emergence of the Five Sinners. If such events occurred, she would correspondingly enhance her strongest combat forces, ensuring she maintained control.
After all, no matter what, she was operating on a higher dimensional plane than Teyvat... perhaps even more than one dimension higher...
In a room within the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, Ishkab finally awoke after being unconscious for hours.
Kinich was standing guard by her bedside, his arms crossed. Noticing his sister's awakening, he immediately leaned forward, squatting down beside her. "Sister, how are you feeling?"
"N-nothing too serious..."
Ishkab tried to move slightly, accidentally tugging at her wound and hissing in pain.
"Careful, your wound hasn't healed yet. Don't move so much."
Kinich gently supported her head with his hand. Ishkab glanced down at her body—she was almost completely wrapped in bandages, resembling a mummy.
"Are these... Chuychu's wrappings?"
"Yes, Sister. You've been unconscious for over six hours. Chuychu has already returned home."
Just then, Ajaw burst through the door, carrying a bowl of congee as he flew in.
Kinich: "You're too slow."
Ajaw's temper flared instantly, but he set the bowl down first before roaring at Kinich:
"Half an hour! You told me to get a new bowl in half an hour! Do you think it's just outside the door? If you're so impatient, get it yourself! Hmph! If this wasn't for Sister, the great Sacred Dragon K'uhul Ajaw wouldn't even acknowledge you, you lowly commoner!"
Kinich sat down with the bowl, scooped up a spoonful, blew gently on it, and held it out to Ishkab. "Sister, open up."
Ishkab opened her mouth. The porridge was warm, just right.
Kinich fed his sister spoonful by spoonful, while Ajaw, having vented his temper, also drew closer.
After half a bowl, Ishkab shook her head. Kinich set the bowl down and carefully wiped the corners of her mouth.
"Sister, rest well. I won't disturb you. I'll check on you later."
As Kinich turned to leave, Ishkab called out, "I'm not as tired anymore. It's okay, stay and talk with me."
From the look in her brother's eyes, Ishkab knew he had many questions for her.
Sure enough, after hearing his sister's words, Kinich pulled a chair from the corner of the room and sat by her bedside.
"Sister, was there something strange about this Night Warden War?"
Kinich had participated in several Night Warden Wars before. Typically, the Abyss's forces weren't too strong. But this time, the expeditionary force was unusually formidable, even including his sister. Yet the outcome was complete annihilation!
Ishkab: "You're right. This Abyss invasion was far stronger than usual. To ensure our victory in the Night Warden War, I had to push myself to the absolute limit."
"The Abyss's corruption is even more severe in the Night Kingdom. I fear, just as the Traveler said, that the Abyss's contamination has reached a critical threshold. Natlan is in grave danger..."
-
After leaving the Speaker's Chamber, Lumine and Paimon had visited Ishkab once, but she hadn't yet awakened.
Now, when they returned, Ishkab had finished her conversation with her younger brother and Ajaw.
"Ishkab, how are you?" Paimon exclaimed, startled by the sight of Ishkab completely wrapped in bandages.
Ishkab sighed wearily. "It's nothing, just some superficial injuries. Chuychu's overreacting."
Lumine approached the bed, her expression grave. "You should have crushed the flower I gave you at the critical moment."
Ishkab's unique status made it imperative that she remain unharmed. This time they had arrived in time, but Lumine couldn't imagine what she would have done if the Abyss had succeeded in capturing her.
They still hadn't gathered all six heroes of Natlan, nor had they reunited the seven Pure Souls...
"I'm sorry for worrying you," Ishkab said. "I accidentally dropped the flower on the Night Warden Battlefield."
During the battle on the Night Warden Battlefield, Ishkab and her comrades had achieved victory. As per custom, they were supposed to be resurrected by the Ode of Resurrection, but an unexpected incident occurred midway through the process.
After arriving in the Night Kingdom, the flower Ishkab had been holding disappeared.
Lumine paused for a few seconds, then produced another flower and placed it beside Ishkab's bed. "Get some rest. If you want anything to eat, we can get it for you, even from other countries."
"Thank you," Ishkab replied. "For now, I should stick to easily digestible foods. I'll be fine in about two days. No need to trouble yourselves."
Lumine nodded, her solemn little face shifting into deep worry, mainly due to Chuychu's wrappings.
A faint smile bloomed on Ishkab's pale face, her voice soft yet clear. "I'm really okay now. Don't be afraid."
She paused, then turned her gentle gaze to Paimon, who was hovering nearby.
"Actually, you two look more exhausted than I do. Paimon, were you really scared this time?"
Paimon immediately flew closer, nodding vigorously. "Of course! We were going crazy with worry! Next time—next time, we absolutely can't let this happen again!"
She waved her small hand, her voice filled with lingering fear and genuine concern.
"Alright, we'll listen to Paimon," Ishkab agreed readily, her lashes drooping slightly before she looked up at Lumine. "The Abyss's invasion is growing increasingly severe... We must find the other two Heroes as soon as possible."
"Rest and recover first," Lumine insisted firmly, quietly squeezing Ishkab's slightly cool fingers.
Ishkab's fingertips gently returned the pressure in Lumine's palm.
"Then... would you stay with me a while longer? Just... to be here, quietly."