In the end, Lumine still conceded defeat, her heartbeat faintly quickening as she walked into the kitchen to prepare the breakfast "he" wanted.
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[So? What's the connection between the Aether Anchor and a Gnosis?]
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The lively flames flickered in the small kitchen as Lumine busied herself.
At that moment, she didn't look like the gallant Honorary Knight of Mondstadt, but more like a gentle housewife with a touch of domestic warmth.
That aura shouldn't have matched her cute, slightly clumsy face—yet together, the contrast was so striking it gave Nagami a special kind of visual shock.
Inwardly, he shouted: Cuteness overload!
This was the very definition of gap moe.
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[I really am adorable, aren't I!]
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From the kitchen came the muffled clatter of pots and pans, followed by the frantic rustle of Lumine tidying up.
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[Stop teasing and get to the point!]
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Her flustered voice echoed in his mind. Nagami ignored it, smiling faintly as he leaned against the doorway, watching her slender back with great interest.
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[As I was saying—whoever can truly control an Aether Anchor could use it to manipulate all the laws of the world itself. Such a being could be called… a god.]
[But to command an Aether Anchor means processing an unimaginable amount of information—literally everything inside the world bubble!]
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His tone turned more serious.
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[For any single person—or even a lone entity—that's impossible. Not even the so called Celestia could handle it.]
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Strictly speaking, that wasn't entirely true.
The Herrscher of the End could easily do it.
Perhaps even warriors born from Nagami's fusion with spirit energy might achieve it.
But within Teyvat? No existence of that level was anywhere to be found.
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[You mean…]
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Lumine's movements slowed, and she instinctively reached into the unguarded depths of Nagami's mind, reading his thoughts.
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[Without a super-powered individual, there are only two possibilities for managing an Aether Anchor: one is a hive mind, like the Honkai virus; the other, some kind of special organization.]
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The two weren't all that different—both required many individuals operating in perfect unison to process the Anchor's data.
If such a system truly worked, then that hive mind—or that organization—would become the god of the world bubble.
With the Anchor, they could consume energy to create matter, shift tectonic plates, carve out mountains and rivers, even generate unique forms of life.
In all of Lumine's memories—and in Nagami's knowledge of Genshin Impact's lore—there was no evidence of a virus-like hive mind in Teyvat.
But there was an organization that matched the second condition.
"Celestia…" Lumine murmured.
If an Aether Anchor truly existed, then it could only be Teyvat's ley lines—the Silver White Tree.
Nagami dimly recalled the prologue of the official Genshin manga, when Vanessa ascended to Celestia and saw a structure resembling plant roots at its center.
Putting the pieces together, the conclusion was obvious.
The remaining gods of Teyvat were using the Aether Anchor to process the world's information.
Whispering this final deduction, Lumine plated the food and passed it to Nagami before turning to make the next dish.
"Mm."
Without a doubt, Teyvat was a world filled with gods.
Yet the "Seven Archons" known to mortals were merely rulers chosen to govern each of the seven nations.
The true number of gods was far greater.
If it were just one or two who withdrew from the world, personality quirks might explain it. But so many gods—choosing to remain in Celestia rather than walk among mortals?
To say there was no hidden reason would be absurd.
Nagami carried the steaming, fragrant dishes to the table, filling the air with an irresistible aroma.
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[And perhaps not just Celestia. You should be able to read this from my thoughts: in the Honkai world's Previous Era, there was a special existence—fusion warriors.]
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As he set the bowls and chopsticks neatly in place, Nagami looked every bit the model husband with perfect housekeeping skills.
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[I don't mean to belittle Teyvat's gods, but in terms of power, fusion warriors were in no way inferior. In fact, the strongest among them could probably cut down several ordinary gods as easily as slicing cabbages.]
[And if enough of such beings existed… it wouldn't be impossible to process the world's information. Honestly, I wonder if even a three-digit number would be enough.]
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Nagami sat down, his expression difficult to read as he watched the golden-haired girl's slender back in the kitchen.
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[We don't know exactly how many gods dwell in Celestia, but I doubt they number anywhere close to that.]
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He clasped his hands under his chin, lost in thought.
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[If their numbers fall short, then they must be compensating in some other way.]
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With Nagami by her side, Lumine's spiritual senses and mental strength were greatly enhanced.
Under the support of her "other self," she could multitask with ease—cooking while pondering deep questions was no problem.
And then, as if she had caught a flash of his thoughts, Lumine suddenly lifted her head, surprise flickering in her eyes.
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[You're saying… Visions?]
[Exactly. Those who bear a Vision are called Genshin. If these Genshin are "selected" and ascend to Celestia, they can become gods.]
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Nagami leaned back in his chair, fingers rhythmically tapping the armrest, his expression calm, almost casual.
It was common knowledge in this world: when mortals, powerless before fate, reached the breaking point of despair and their will—or perhaps "desire" was the better word—burned strong enough, then…
The gaze of the gods would descend, crystallizing into what mortals called a Vision.
But were these "gods" truly the Seven Archons of the mortal world?
From the story of Genshin Impact, it was clear that Rex Lapis's power—if not the strongest—was certainly among the top of the Seven.
Yet even Zhongli, with all his might, could not possibly sense the desires of every soul across Teyvat at all times, let alone channel that will across vast distances into a condensed Vision.
On the other hand, the ability to constantly monitor the will of all living beings on the continent was only possible through control of the Aether Anchor.
Nothing else could explain it.
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[Then what role do the Archons play in the granting of Visions?]
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Sensing Lumine's doubt, Nagami shook his head slightly.
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[I can only speculate…]
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In the known lore of the game, during the Traveler's journey in Inazuma, they encountered a girl named Erani.
She said something curious: "For about a year now, no one seems to have received an Electro Vision."
From that alone, it could be inferred that the Archons had the authority to restrict or halt the distribution of Visions.
Meanwhile, the gods of Celestia—while busy processing immense streams of information—likely had no time or interest to handpick candidates.
Nagami's guess was that Visions were issued from Celestia through a mostly automated process.
Once a mortal's will reached the required threshold, the Vision would be unlocked.
The Archons could suspend the rules, or simply allow the process to run without interference.
Otherwise, during Barbatos's long slumber, no Anemo Visions should have been born at all.
Thus, the Vision's elemental type was determined by Celestia's detection of human will and the authority of the corresponding god.
Whether the Vision was granted or not, however, depended on the ruling Archon of that element.
And one thing needed to be made clear: a Vision was not merely a source of supernatural power.
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[Speaking of which, I once asked around about how people view Visions…]
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Lumine lifted a delicate finger to her lips, her amber-gold eyes glimmering.
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[Lisa once told me: "If you demand too many miracles from the gods, you'd better consider whether you can afford the price they set."]
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Nagami nodded in appreciation.
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[As expected of Sumeru Akademiya's once-in-two-centuries genius witch. Perhaps she sensed something deeper.]
[And Zhongli, too—he seems to see Visions as a kind of contract: 'Every power has its price. A thousand rights come with a thousand responsibilities.']
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Lumine emerged from the kitchen carrying two steaming dishes, removed her apron, and sat across from Nagami.
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[But from the many Vision bearers I've met since waking in this world, I haven't seen any clear signs of them paying such a price…]
[Maybe the payment begins only after they accept the Vision.]
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Nagami shook his head gently.
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[Yes, it's like an external organ of magical energy—but it might serve other functions as well. Of course, this is only conjecture.]
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If only he'd delayed analyzing his Herrscher powers.
With the Alpha Stigma Eyes, seeing through such mysteries would have taken no time at all.
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[From the Vision selection process alone, it's clear the gods seek individuals whose will reaches a certain standard.]
[If that desire—this obsession with "wishes"—is continuously guided toward the Vision, then the collective force of such willpower might even rival that of the gods themselves.]
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Behind the system of Visions might lie hidden protocols unknown even to their wielders—agreements that, during idle times, siphoned their willpower or soul capacity to help process the Anchor's endless flow of information.
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[Celestia's gods, combined with the strongest willpower of countless Vision bearers… together, those two forces should be enough to stabilize and control the Aether Anchor of this world bubble.]
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Nagami remained deep in thought.
Across the table, Lumine—sharing his very same line of reasoning—almost absentmindedly lifted a spoonful of steaming broth to her lips, blew gently on it, and then held it up to feed him.
Nagami opened his mouth without hesitation.
Their timing was so perfectly in sync it was as if a single person were eating alone.
To an outsider, the two had not spoken a single word since leaving the kitchen. Yet their silent rapport went beyond anything language could convey.
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[Do you remember that arrogant Fatui Harbinger—the Doctor?]
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As Nagami posed the question inwardly, he recalled scenes from the Genshin manga, ensuring Lumine could glimpse them through his memory.
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[He once sneered that Vision bearers, proud as they might be, were nothing more than disposable, mass-produced parts…]
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Lumine lifted the piece of bread she'd already bitten twice and held it to Nagami's lips.
He accepted it without hesitation, even letting his lips linger, gently enclosing her pale fingers.
Her brows furrowed slightly, as though she had forgotten something important.
But the damp warmth on her tongue and fingertips quickly drove away that fleeting thought.
Then came Nagami's next thought—one that made her pause, her heart suddenly racing again, just when she had finally calmed from his morning narcissism.
Her golden lashes trembled softly, and in her eyes flickered a trace of shy vulnerability.
'This hopelessly conceited guy!'