Time slipped by, and four days passed in what felt like the blink of an eye.
Victor slowly opened his eyes, letting out a long breath. "Finally. That took forever."
It hadn't been easy. The consciousness of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and the World Tree had proven more fragile than he'd anticipated. To ensure they mastered the cultivation techniques properly without damaging their already weakened essence, he'd needed to guide them personally through each step. Every circulation of spiritual energy, every breakthrough in understanding, he'd monitored it all carefully.
That's what had taken so long.
Nearby, Rukkhadevata and Nahida opened their eyes as well, emerald depths now shimmering with newfound power.
"Is this spiritual power?" Rukkhadevata raised her hand, and a small sphere of luminous energy materialized in her palm. Though it appeared weak compared to Victor's effortless displays, the raw potential contained within far exceeded anything elemental energy could produce. "It's incredible."
She finally understood why Victor had been so confident about purging the forbidden knowledge from Irminsul. This force operated on an entirely different level. Before spiritual power, the corruption that had plagued them for so long seemed almost insignificant, like trying to poison the ocean with a single drop of tainted water.
Nahida stared at her own hands with wonder. "I never imagined such power existed in our world. How did we not discover it before now?"
"Whoever created this cultivation method must be extraordinary," Rukkhadevata agreed softly.
"With this, the Greater Lord won't need to erase herself from Irminsul." Nahida's smile was radiant with relief. "That's wonderful."
Rukkhadevata nodded, her expression equally hopeful. They'd both taken their first real steps on the path of cultivation. Eliminating the forbidden knowledge from the World Tree was now just a matter of time and diligent practice.
"Now that you've learned what you need, I should get going." Victor glanced around the realm. As expected, Lumine and Paimon had disappeared sometime during his teaching session.
Not that he was worried. With Lumine's capabilities, she certainly hadn't returned to Sumeru City. She'd probably jumped to another world entirely through the chat group.
"You're leaving already?" Rukkhadevata's face fell slightly. "Won't you stay a while longer?"
"Yes!" Nahida quickly added. "You've done so much for Sumeru. We haven't even properly thanked you yet!"
Victor reached out and gently patted both of their heads, smiling at the adorable gods. "Don't worry. I'm only leaving temporarily. I'll visit again soon."
Both of them visibly relaxed at that promise.
Victor pulled out a time-travel talisman, preparing to activate it, when both archons suddenly spoke in perfect unison.
"Wait!"
They looked at each other in surprise, clearly having had the same impulse. After a brief moment of silent communication, they both nodded with determination.
Victor turned back, curious. "What is it?"
"Could you... crouch down for a moment?" they asked together, approaching him hand in hand.
He didn't know what they had planned, but he obliged anyway, lowering himself to their eye level.
The two archons stepped close, one on either side. Before Victor could react, Nahida pressed a quick kiss to his left cheek while Rukkhadevata did the same to his right. They pulled back almost immediately, retreating two steps with matching blushes coloring their faces.
"That's our thank-you gift," Rukkhadevata said, her smile warm despite her embarrassment. "It can't possibly match what you've given us, but we hope you'll accept it."
Victor grinned, pointing playfully at his lips. "I really appreciate it. Though it would be even better if you kissed me here next time."
"Oh!" Nahida nodded seriously, completely earnest. "Okay, I'll remember that for next time. I'll kiss you on the mouth then."
Her pure, innocent response made it impossible to tell if she actually understood the implications or not. Rukkhadevata, on the other hand, turned an even deeper shade of red, clearly more aware of what such a gesture would mean. Yet she didn't refuse either.
After bidding the two archons farewell, Victor materialized back in his home's living room.
The sight that greeted him made him pause. "What kind of look is that supposed to be?"
Lumine and Paimon were sprawled across the sofa in completely unladylike positions, surrounded by empty snack bags and discarded game controller cables. Both had their faces practically pressed against their phones, fingers flying across the screens.
"Hey! You're finally back!" Lumine didn't even glance his way, too absorbed in her mobile game. "Paimon, we need to fight the dragon! Follow me!"
"On it!" Paimon squeaked.
Victor settled onto the sofa beside Paimon, who immediately shifted to use his lap as a more comfortable pillow without interrupting her gameplay. "You two haven't seriously been sitting here playing games for four straight days, have you?"
"Not much else we could do." Lumine's character performed some flashy combo on screen. "I thought about mooching meals from you, but when the women in your house saw you were gone, they all went into closed-door cultivation. Paimon and I had to fend for ourselves."
"At least the snacks were really good!" Paimon chimed in happily. "I like them a lot!"
"Oh, and the games on these phones are amazing too! Can we take a couple home with us, Victor?"
"Sure, help yourself. But there's no internet connection in Teyvat, so you won't be able to play anything online."
"What? Why not?"
"Damn it! Paimon, someone's backdooring our base! We need to defend!"
"No, it's too late!"
The main crystal on their screen exploded in a burst of light, ending the match.
"Ugh, we lost again!" Lumine groaned. "This game is so hard!"
"The enemy team plays dirty! We're trying to fight the dragon boss, and they're stealing our crystal instead!"
"One more round. We have to win at least once."
Victor shook his head, amused. "To be honest, with your skill level, I could beat you by just throwing rice at the screen and letting random grains hit the controls."
Paimon looked genuinely distressed. "What can we do? We've only been playing for a few days!"
"Why don't you play with us?" Lumine suggested hopefully.
"Absolutely not." Victor's refusal was immediate and firm. "I don't team up with beginners. I'm afraid of getting so angry I'd start cursing at my screen."
"Hey! We're not that bad!"
"Yeah! That's mean!"
After a few more rounds of bickering and blaming each other for their continued losses, Victor finally took pity on them. "If you really want to win that badly, I know someone who can help. She's a real expert."
Both girls immediately perked up. "Who?"
"Tinker, you there? Take these two and show them how it's done."
A cheerful voice emanated from the phone speaker. "Understood! Leave it to me, the world's number one Tinker will help you newbies claim victory!"
Lumine and Paimon's eyes widened in shock and awe.
"Wait, you're THE Tinker? The legendary Queen of Gaming who drinks yogurt without adding the lid?"
"Hehehe, that's me indeed! Your queen is here!"
The two girls immediately raised their phones like devotees presenting offerings.
"Your Majesty, please guide us to victory!"
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