"Should we… go inside?"
Paimon timidly floated behind Ryen, clutching the back of his clothes with her small hands.
"Ryen has to protect Paimon."
Ryen chuckled helplessly, just about to say something when Ganyu suddenly let out a cry.
"Over there! Hilichurls!"
At first, everyone was confused by Ganyu's alarm. It was just a stray Hilichurl—nothing to fuss about. They could deal with it easily.
But when they turned their heads, their expressions immediately grew serious.
There weren't just one or two, but four or five Hilichurls. Their behavior was strange.
Their entire bodies radiated a dark violet aura, the same eerie energy that lingered in this place.
They staggered unsteadily, yet moved forward with unsettling determination.
Tartaglia drew his bow, but Zhongli raised his hand to stop him.
His face grew heavy as he said in a low voice:
"Don't act rashly."
The Hilichurls seemed to ignore everyone, walking straight past the group.
When they reached the massive gate, they did something none of them expected.
"…Hilichurls… are they… worshipping?"
Lumine stared in surprise as the Hilichurls fell to their knees, bowing reverently. Their faces were hidden, but their devotion was unmistakable.
Every three steps, they knelt again, firmly pressing forward into the depths.
"How bizarre… Even at the Akademiya, I've never read a record of something like this!"
Lisa's eyes gleamed with the spark of research, though she stole a glance at Ryen first.
Ryen nodded.
"Let's follow."
No one dared be careless—they each drew their weapons.
This place didn't feel particularly dangerous, but it was unbearably strange.
Better to stay cautious.
Inside, the ruin was pitch black, lit only by the faint flickering of distant candles.
Everywhere, black-violet energy spread like creeping veins, and even the ground was studded with eerie crystalline growths.
The group followed the Hilichurls deeper, step by step through the dark.
After rounding a corner, everyone froze.
"More Hilichurls?!"
"They're all worshipping here? Is this… some kind of Hilichurl holy ground?"
Paimon peeked her head out nervously, muttering under her breath.
Lisa sighed helplessly:
"Though there's no proof… your guess does sound somewhat reasonable."
Not far ahead, several Slimes bounced toward them aggressively.
Tartaglia casually loosed a few arrows, felling them in silence. He whispered:
"Seems like Slimes aren't affected. Or maybe… only Hilichurls are drawn in like this? But… why?"
Zhongli exchanged a meaningful look with Venti, his voice low:
"Do you still remember how Hilichurls came to be?"
"I know!"
Lumine thought for a moment, then said slowly:
"Five hundred years ago, when Khaenri'ah was destroyed, the Heavenly Principles cursed its people with immortality… and they became Hilichurls."
"No, that's not right."
Ganyu shook her head.
"If they only appeared after Khaenri'ah's fall, then Hilichurls would be just five hundred years old. But in truth, even during the Archon War, Hilichurls already existed."
"After the Khaenri'ah incident, there were just… more Hilichurls."
Ningguang's brows furrowed as though she had recalled something.
"So… long ago, when Celestia destroyed many nations, the citizens of those nations all became…"
"Exactly."
This time, Venti nodded.
"The ancient nation beneath Dragonspine—because they glimpsed Celestia's secrets, Celestia sent down the Skyfrost Nail to destroy it. Its people were transformed into Hilichurls."
"The Byakuyakoku beneath Inazuma's Watatsumi Island, whose history far surpassed the era of the Archons, was also destroyed by Celestia…"
"Celestia has destroyed many nations. And Hilichurls, to be precise, only came into existence after Celestia appeared."
"All those Hilichurls… were originally human."
A strange chill crept over the group.
"When you think about it that way…"
Lumine pressed her lips together and whispered,
"Celestia seems even more evil than the Abyss."
"Ehe~."
Venti spread his hands, smiling mischievously.
"I've never thought of Celestia as being 'good people,' anyway."
"So what you're saying is… whatever lies here might even affect humankind itself?"
Ningguang's gaze grew heavy as she looked at Venti and Zhongli.
The two of them nodded.
"In any case, be cautious. Once we finish things here, we must seal this place away."
Fortunately, few ever ventured to Mt. Aocang. That spared them much trouble.
The group pressed forward, passing by Hilichurls who remained wholly devoted to their strange worship.
At one point, Diluc even gave one a push—but the Hilichurl didn't react at all. It was entirely immersed in its own world.
Tartaglia had wanted to kill one just to test things, but the others stopped him.
After all, Hilichurls were pitiable creatures at their core. Normally, encountering them meant killing for self-defense.
But now, when they made no move to attack, it would be cruel to strike them down.
Through winding passageways they went, encountering hundreds more Hilichurls. Just like before, all of them were the same—
kneeling devoutly, bowing every few steps, their unwavering piety only adding to the eeriness.
No one knew how much time passed before they reached a massive gate.
Strange symbols were carved into the door—not the script of Teyvat, and not even Zhongli recognized them.
The door was cracked open slightly. A blue barrier of light sealed away whatever lay inside, yet Hilichurls continuously entered through it.
"Should we go inside and take a look?"
Keqing glanced toward Ryen.
He shrugged.
"Since we're already here… let's go."
With that, Ryen strode in first. The others followed closely behind.
The barrier offered no resistance whatsoever. Without obstruction, they stepped into the chamber beyond.
Behind the great gate was a vast square. Here, purple-black energy gathered in oppressive density.
The Hilichurls stopped at the outer edges, kneeling reverently upon the ground, bowing again and again—
but not daring to go any further.
~~----------------------
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