"What a pity. This body was crafted using the finest materials and techniques, yet it is still mechanical—no match for a naturally born divine body."
The shattered body could no longer be repaired by its own power. It even had to rely on several thick and thin conduits embedded into the body just to maintain the transmission of consciousness and the circulation of energy. Nahida's objective evaluation sounded like the deepest mockery to the ears, and the massive mecha fell into complete stagnation. The Balladeer wanted to make it move, yet he was utterly powerless.
"Humans… how could I… be defeated by mere humans…!"
Without saying anything more, Nahida glanced at her own hands, then invoked her power, lifting herself into the air as she was enveloped by dense Dendro energy.
Fly…
She subconsciously glanced at Victor Wang, then quickly withdrew her gaze and flew toward The Balladeer—she could sense that there was another Gnosis within the chest of this massive mecha.
She reached out her hand. Though she was not adept at combat, the mecha—already unable to move—had no power to resist. The barrier on its chest shattered like glass, and a purple Gnosis inside was drawn by Dendro energy, slowly separating from the mecha.
"No… wait! Anything but the Gnosis—!!"
His own power had long been linked to the conduits and the mecha, tightly binding the two together. With the mecha paralyzed, The Balladeer had little strength left.
Yet he struggled and lunged toward the Electro Gnosis he had personally obtained—something that should have been placed within his own body. The conduits behind him that had once helped him ascend to godhood turned into chains at that very moment. Summoning all his remaining strength, he smashed through the already broken faceplate of the mecha, his entire upper body hanging outside it.
Nahida was taken aback and looked up, but the Akademiya's swollen ambitions, the danger faced by the people of Sumeru, and the notorious crimes of the Fatui meant that no matter what, she would not return this Gnosis. Everyone's efforts had led precisely to this moment.
The Balladeer's gaze was vicious, yet panic was impossible to conceal. He could only watch helplessly as the Electro Gnosis flew toward Nahida.
"That is mine… don't even think about… taking it away!!!"
The Electro Gnosis still fell into Nahida's hand. The Balladeer's eyes froze, despair overwhelming him. The chains behind his back finally snapped under the strain of his struggle, and he lost consciousness, collapsing to the ground.
Having obtained the Electro Gnosis, Nahida's expression turned solemn. "The most important matter has yet to be resolved. Irminsul still awaits salvation… Now, with another Gnosis, perhaps I can decipher the final memories of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata."
The powers of the Dendro Archon and the Electro Gnosis surged forth, compressing a memory hidden somewhere unknown into a single piece of canned knowledge.
Lumine and Paimon were full of curiosity, but Victor Wang took a step back. "This… I think I'll sit this one out."
Unaware of Victor Wang's concerns, Nahida reassured him. "There's no need to worry. This time, with the protection of two Gnoses, as long as you stay conscious, even ordinary people won't be easily corrupted by what lies within Irminsul."
"I…"
"Get ready."
As Nahida finished speaking, the very next moment, the canned knowledge that was supposed to transmit memories to everyone instead pulled Victor Wang, Lumine, and Paimon's consciousness inward.
The environment they perceived changed abruptly. The surroundings transformed into a crimson cavern—withered trees, wind-blown sand, a red sky beyond the cave. Even the sparse vegetation was crimson or an unhealthy yellow-green, with barely any vitality in sight.
Victor Wang instead let out a sigh of relief. "I thought… it would be a space filled with darkness."
"Why would you think that? Oh, right! Victor hasn't connected to Irminsul before, has he? It's actually just a really big tree! Although here… it doesn't seem like we can see that tree either?"
Paimon scratched her head, intending to explain things to Victor Wang, only to realize that this scene didn't quite match her expectations either. She turned to Nahida. "What's going on?"
"Irminsul is indeed our destination," Nahida replied, "but I didn't expect Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's consciousness to have suffered such severe contamination… That's why the scenery here has become like this."
"Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was contaminated… Greater Lord Rukkhadevata suffered… contamination?"
Lumine murmured absentmindedly, a conjecture forming in her heart. She then recounted to Nahida how, a thousand years ago, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had helped King Deshret deal with forbidden knowledge.
After hearing this, Nahida became certain. "Accompanied by Eleazar as well… there's no mistake."
"However, during that incident a thousand years ago, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was merely weakened. It was during the cataclysm of Khaenri'ah five hundred years ago that she truly passed away. Most likely, it was then that the forbidden knowledge also contaminated Irminsul."
"Even if she failed to eradicate the forbidden knowledge completely that time, she must have done something. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been so few signs of contamination over the past five hundred years…"
"This place is filled everywhere with chaos, madness, and suffering. Did she endure all of this… resisting the pollution of forbidden knowledge until her death?"
Nahida then shook her head. "There's no need to keep guessing. Since we're already here, let Greater Lord Rukkhadevata tell us the truth herself."
Within this disordered consciousness space, the group continued forward. Though they did not find Irminsul itself, there was a vessel symbolizing reason—the 'Ship of Consciousness.' Nahida personally adjusted its course, letting it guide them toward Irminsul's location.
The Ship of Consciousness set sail beneath the crimson sky, weaving through clouds and mist. Nahida reminded them, "You must remain conscious, or you may go mad."
"Remain conscious… remain conscious…" Victor Wang truly began to experience hallucinations. He saw two identical versions of himself locked in a swordfight—one brimming with killing intent, the other composed and skillful in his responses. Yet he felt that his true self was already quite lucid, and he had no idea how to become even more so.
"Staying conscious… I do sometimes have some strange thoughts…" Lumine said as well.
Only Paimon spread her hands. "Why does everything feel totally normal to me…?"
"As long as we can still talk, we're fine. Look ahead—that's Irminsul. We should be able to meet Greater Lord Rukkhadevata very soon."
Irminsul—towering like a mountain. Its leaves were a beautiful cherry-pink. In a daze, Victor Wang saw this scene, disembarked in a daze, and walked in a daze to the roots of Irminsul.
Paimon's voice drifted vaguely into his ears. "We're here to find 'Greater Lord Rukkhadevata,' right? But the one standing there looks like…?"
Nahida's words also reached him indistinctly. "Me…? Greater Lord Rukkhadevata…? She looks exactly like me…?"
After reaching this point, control over his body was lost. There didn't seem to be anything abnormal—he could hear, see, and think.
Nothing's going to go wrong, right?
Victor Wang silently watched everyone converse, watched Greater Lord Rukkhadevata explain why she and Nahida looked the same, explain what had happened five hundred years ago, explain how to eliminate the contamination of Irminsul…
"Let the world completely forget me," Greater Lord Rukkhadevata voiced this request.
Nahida embraced Greater Lord Rukkhadevata through her tears, and amid Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's farewell, erased her from this world.
"I will return all dreams to the people. Children of Sumeru, farewell… may you enjoy sweet dreams tonight…"
As the final voice faded, the outer world underwent tremendous changes due to the alteration of Irminsul. Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was forgotten by the people; all her deeds were replaced by those of Nahida. All Eleazar patients recovered at this moment, all Withering zones ceased their growth, and forever lost the 'roots' hidden deep within the desert.
And Victor Wang—his vision went dark. The two versions of himself that had been fighting endlessly in his mind shattered completely. The world turned into endless void, leaving only the faint sound of flowing water by his ears.
"Am I dead?"
"No way, right?"
===BREAK===
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