Jacob stared in stunned disbelief at the Giant of Light, Rene's transformed form, towering before him.
The giant's physique resembled Rene's appearance as Master Narzissenkreuz, albeit with refined details that exuded an even more imposing aura—a kind of "plus version" of his former self.
Its body towered like a mountain, shimmering with translucent, watery waves, and enveloped in a radiant, blue-gold aura.
The power radiating from Rene now far surpassed anything he had ever displayed before. Although the object granting him this Authority wasn't as potent as the Holy Sword, it had been meticulously crafted for him, achieving perfect resonance.
With a mere thought, Rene fully mastered the use of his newfound abilities.
The rod Alva had given him was named the "Divine Light Rod." In his combat form, his appearance seemed to be a new design Alva had based on news reports. As for his normal state...
Rene closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and gradually suppressed the surging power coursing through him. Jacob watched as his body rapidly shrank until Rene stood before him, appearing as he had at the age of twenty.
"Monsieur Alva is truly a divine being!" Jacob exclaimed, genuinely awed by Rene's ability to change his size at will.
He wondered if there was anything Alva couldn't achieve. The fact that humanity had killed such a genius was a tragedy for the entire race!
At that moment, Rene shouted "Transform!" and shifted into his combat form. Crossing his arms across his chest, he unleashed a beam of energy from his forearms.
The beam effortlessly pierced through a nearby mountain peak, slicing off the entire summit, before streaking skyward into the distance.
Jacob stared in stunned silence, suddenly realizing he was becoming increasingly insignificant to Rene. It was clear Rene's power now far surpassed his own.
This newfound strength filled Rene with immense confidence, and he knew he hadn't yet reached the Divine Light Rod's full potential.
The stronger his faith in the light grew, the greater power he could draw from the Divine Light Rod.
By pushing his abilities to their limit, he could even break through the World Barrier.
However, Rene currently had little interest in such lofty goals. His immediate priority was to return to the military exercise site and rescue as many innocent people as possible.
"Jacob, we need to move," Rene said.
"First, we'll quell the chaos caused by the Cult of No. 6. As for those foolish nobles, we'll have plenty of time to settle accounts with them later!"
Rene's eyes held a cold sorrow as he continued, "They dream of becoming gods in a New World, don't they?"
"Then I'll scour the cosmos for a dying world and send them there."
"And we'll use the Primordial Sea Water to transform their bodies into immortal shells."
Hearing Rene's words, Jacob coldly added, "That way, their souls can savor every moment of their eternal suffering and torment."
"This way, their souls can savor the ultimate agony and torment even longer."
Jacob and Rene exchanged a glance. Jacob then settled onto Rene's shoulder, and together they hurried toward the military exercise.
Just as they were about to reach the site, a massive Magic Array suddenly erupted from the mountains, unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks.
Rene hadn't anticipated this trap. Shielding Jacob with his power, he began analyzing the Magic Array's structure.
Watching Rene calmly dissect the array's fundamental structure amidst the overwhelming onslaught, Jacob felt a complex mix of emotions. He, who had once been a god himself, now found himself hiding behind Rene. These attacks were clearly designed to target enemies of Archon-level power; not a single one could he hope to withstand.
Rene swiftly completed his analysis. A beam of light struck the array's crucial node, causing it to collapse rapidly.
With the obstruction removed, Rene and Jacob soon arrived at the military exercise site, gazing down at the scene below.
The soldiers on the battlefield, following Furina's instructions to tend to the wounded, froze in shock at the sudden appearance of the Giant of Light.
Furina stared at Rene, utterly dumbfounded.
Though his appearance had changed slightly, she recognized him immediately. Besides, Jacob was perched on his shoulder.
But what's with his current state?!
Sensing the overwhelming aura emanating from him, one that seemed to transcend all living beings, Furina was rendered speechless.
Good grief! He looks more like the Hydro Archon than I do!
Why is the competition for the Hydro Archon position so fierce?!
I heard the Anemo Archon hasn't shown up for centuries, yet no new Anemo Archon has tricked Mondstadt's believers!
Furina had initially believed her current strength was more than sufficient, but Fontaine's combat capabilities seemed to be evolving at an alarming rate...
Meanwhile, after temporarily imprisoning all the nobles in a nearby city, Neuvillette began his return journey. Just then, he suddenly felt his defensive array being triggered, his heart clenching in dread.
Neuvillette immediately accelerated his pace, but to his shock, he suddenly lost contact with the array altogether.
The only possible explanation was that the defensive array had been destroyed, a realization that weighed heavily on his heart.
Dark Furina's power had grown so much stronger—this was terrible! Furina was in danger!
Neuvillette desperately wanted to rush back, but he was already moving at his absolute limit, unable to increase his speed even slightly.
I hope everyone is alright!
Filled with anxiety, Neuvillette returned to the military exercise grounds.
Fortunately, his worst fears hadn't materialized. However, to his surprise, he found Rene and Jacob there.
Although Rene had reverted to his human form, Neuvillette recognized him instantly by his primal aura.
But the aura around him had completely changed. The previous sense of detachment from the world had faded significantly, replaced by an overwhelming tangle of complex emotions.
What has happened to Rene? Neuvillette shook his head slightly, deciding to set this matter aside for now. He turned to Rene and Jacob, asking, "What's going on here?"
"Monsieur Neuvillette!"
Seeing Neuvillette, Furina immediately ran to his side. Standing next to him felt much safer.
"The wounded have been properly attended to. I've sent people to tally the casualties; we should have a report soon," Furina said.
Neuvillette nodded at her words, then turned to Rene and Jacob.
"Monsieur Rene, Monsieur Jacob, I recall you were aboard the Noah's Ark with other researchers from the Academy, correct?"
"Are there any other survivors from the Ark?"
Rene shook his head at Neuvillette's question.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, I regret to inform you that only we survived the Noah's Ark. The Ark itself was destroyed by its self-destruct sequence."
Though Neuvillette had already received similar reports, the confirmation of this grim outcome stirred profound sorrow within him. The rain intensified suddenly, mirroring his grief.
"How could things have come to this...?"
Furina, hearing this news for the first time, was struck as if by lightning. She struggled to accept this outcome.
For years, she had desperately sought a way to save Fontaine. Now, after glimpsing a ray of hope, it had been extinguished just as quickly.
The immense psychological shock caused Furina's body to tremble slightly, followed by a surge of fury toward the nobles.
Because of these selfish, self-serving bastards, all of Fontaine's hopes have been dashed, and countless lives have been lost!
Through questioning, Furina discovered that the Cult of No. 6's devastating attack was directly linked to the nobles' earlier rebellion.
Had those nobles not diverted the Maison Gardiennage's attention, the Cult of No. 6 would never have found the opportunity to sow chaos. Under Neuvillette's strict orders, security measures had been meticulously implemented, and the Maison Gardiennage had long been prepared for such contingencies.
These utterly foolish nobles deserve to be dragged straight to the gallows!
Rene then provided a more detailed account of the events, explaining how he and Jacob ultimately survived the Noah's Ark.
The container holding Alva's corpse was brought forward. Through the transparent glass, they could see Alva's blood-soaked, battered remains. Neuvillette let out a heavy sigh.
He never imagined that his teacher, the Academy, and even everyone there, would rather die than surrender, even in the face of death.
What a noble quality! Though he wished they valued their lives more, for only then could the seeds of hope be preserved.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, have you located the nobles who fled?" Rene asked.
Neuvillette replied, "I've temporarily confined them in a nearby city."
Rene nodded slowly, a complex mix of emotions brewing in his eyes. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
"Then Monsieur Neuvillette rushed back here so urgently, he must be deeply concerned about the situation."
"Jacob and I returned here as soon as we escaped danger, eager to see if there was anything we could do to help."
Rene paused, then continued, "Earlier, not far from here, Jacob and I fell into a trap someone had set on our way back. We initially feared the Pseudo-God had already reached this place. Fortunately, things didn't escalate to the worst possible outcome."
Hearing this, Neuvillette was somewhat surprised.
"Monsieur Rene, where exactly was the trap you encountered?"
"Around that direction, I believe."
Neuvillette followed Rene's gaze, studied the area in silence for a moment, then sighed in relief.
"My apologies, Monsieur Rene. The trap you encountered may have been one I set up earlier."
"However, I sensed you completely dismantling my Magic Array in an incredibly short time. I'm quite curious how you managed that."
Faced with Neuvillette's question, Rene and Jacob exchanged surprised glances.
So, the Magic Array we encountered was Neuvillette's work? No wonder each attack felt so overwhelmingly powerful.
After a brief moment of surprise, Rene began to explain to Neuvillette.
"Artificial Authority?!"
Neuvillette stared at Rene, utterly bewildered, wanting to ask if he had lost his mind or if he had misheard.
This was the first time he had ever heard of Authority being artificially replicated. It involved the most fundamental aspects of Teyvat, and only beings of extraordinary power could even hope to create new Authority.
As far as he knew, Alva was just an ordinary person—at least physically, he was completely normal, showing no signs of anything unusual.
If this man could create Authority out of thin air, then mass-producing Archons would be entirely feasible.
Mass-producing Archons? What a mad, terrifying concept!
Before the advent of Noah's Ark, Neuvillette would never have believed such an absurd notion possible.
But now, Neuvillette was beginning to suspect Rene might be telling the truth—that Alva possessed this very ability.
If, with Alva's help, Neuvillette could regain the Great Authority of Water, he might be able to completely avert the fulfillment of the Prophecy.
The thought only deepened Neuvillette's fury.
What a catastrophic loss of talent Fontaine has suffered!
To better discern the difference between this Artificial Authority and true Authority, Neuvillette asked Rene to demonstrate his current power. Rene readily agreed.
Rene genuinely admired Neuvillette and naturally wouldn't refuse his request.
However, under the watchful eyes of Neuvillette and Furina, Rene pulled the Divine Light Rod from his chest pocket.
Neuvillette and Furina: "???"
The two froze instantly, staring dumbfounded at the toy-like rod in Rene's hand.
What is he doing? Is this some kind of icebreaker?
But when they saw the eager expression on Jacob's face, they realized the situation was more complex than they initially thought.
With utmost seriousness, Rene raised the Divine Light Rod above his head and shouted in an equally grave tone, "Transform!"
Neuvillette and Furina nearly lost their composure at the sight. The combination of his posture, expression, and the toy-like rod created an utterly bizarre spectacle.
Yet Neuvillette's expression quickly turned serious as he sensed a powerful aura erupting from within Rene's body.
Then, before their eyes, Rene's body gradually became enveloped in golden light, rapidly growing taller and larger.
Soon, when Rene appeared before Neuvillette and Furina as the Giant of Light, both were stunned by the aura emanating from him.
Neuvillette's heart was a maelstrom of conflicting emotions. He could undeniably sense the authenticity of this Authority, proving Rene's earlier claims true.
Someone had actually achieved the monumental feat of creating Artificial Authority, yet Fontaine had now permanently lost this extraordinary talent.