Nighttime.
After Nolan and Nahida agreed to cooperate, he brought her, Lumine, and Paimon back into the Wonderland.
"This place is pretty spacious… though it's a little too full of girls,"
commented Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, who had been staying here for half a day. She couldn't help but tease Nolan when he showed up.
"…Well, the conditions here are excellent. Just by living here, one can strengthen their soul. How are you feeling now?"
Nolan didn't mind the teasing and turned the topic to ask about her recovery.
"It's truly a rare sacred ground. Give it a few years, and I'll be back to my former self,"
Rukkhadevata nodded.
"A few years, huh? That's actually pretty quick."
Nolan thought her recovery speed was much faster than Raiden Ei or Salt God's.
After all, her lingering consciousness could still maintain a stable form, meaning her wounds weren't as severe.
And with the soul-nurturing effect of the Wonderland—enhanced by multiple spatial characteristics—it had become extremely potent.
For instance, his own soul strength had been boosted to the equivalent of his former Level 80 self just by residing here.
Of course, that kind of soul strength didn't mean much to him now.
But if a normal person were to stay here for just a few months and reach a soul strength comparable to Level 80 from nothing—it would be terrifying.
Even those who had been here longer, like Sucrose and Mona—though their levels hadn't yet reached 80—their soul strength already had. They could even freely manipulate external spiritual power.
Looking at Rukkhadevata, Nolan said:
"By the way, earlier we were discussing ways to utilize the Akasha System. Since you're its creator, do you have any suggestions?"
After that, he explained his goal of improving Teyvat's technological level.
"Oh? That's quite a commendable idea. Having someone like you—who comes from a high-tech world—serve as a guide for social development will certainly help Teyvat avoid many detours,"
Rukkhadevata responded with approval. But then she added thoughtfully:
"However, the current era isn't what it once was. If you plan on leaving Teyvat, you'd better be prepared to confront Celestia. That being won't let people leave so easily anymore."
In past eras, powerful individuals could more easily travel beyond the world of Teyvat.
But ever since Celestia sealed Teyvat, leaving the world meant passing through Skyfrost Nail's floating island—where Celestia's enforcer resided.
Thus, even if a spacecraft were successfully built, it was unlikely it would escape Teyvat without resistance.
"I've already considered that," Nolan nodded.
"The Tsaritsa of Snezhnaya is currently gathering the Gnoses—seems like she intends to challenge Celestia. Let's just let her go first and see what happens."
Even though he was confident in eventually growing strong enough to rival Celestia, he wasn't foolish enough to provoke it without knowing anything about its true strength or methods.
So letting the Tsaritsa make the first move was the more strategic choice.
Besides, due to Celestia's involvement, he didn't dare to hoard the Gnoses himself—letting her collect them temporarily was fine.
Still, since he hadn't yet reached the necessary strength, he couldn't just let her gather all the Gnoses too easily.
Otherwise, once she had them all, she might immediately go after Celestia. And if she lost—causing a catastrophe that spread across Teyvat—and he wasn't strong enough to protect those dear to him, it would be a disaster.
That's why he needed to stall the acquisition of the Dendro Gnosis in Sumeru for now. It couldn't fall into the Fatui's hands so easily.
Moreover, the Akasha System still relied on the Dendro Gnosis and couldn't operate independently from it.
"The Tsaritsa wants to challenge Celestia?"
Rukkhadevata was slightly surprised. The Seven Archons were once quite familiar with one another, so she hadn't expected this sudden change in the Tsaritsa.
"Say… if someone really did gather all seven Gnoses, could they truly challenge Celestia?"
Lumine asked curiously from the side.
"No one's ever tried it before, so I can't give you a definitive answer,"
Rukkhadevata shook her head.
She looked at Nolan and Lumine and continued:
"In my current state, I can't interfere with whatever the Tsaritsa plans to do. Let's return to the topic of the Akasha System.
"I agree with your vision. As for suggestions… I'm a little ashamed—even though I am the God of Wisdom, in this field...
"You two are likely more knowledgeable than me. After all, one of you grew up in a technologically advanced civilization, and the other has traveled across countless worlds in the stars.
"Your experiences far exceed mine—so feel free to proceed based on your ideas.
"That said, when it comes to researching the integration of elemental power into technology, I can lend a hand. I've got nothing else to do here anyway.
"Set up a lab for me and provide some elemental materials for experimentation. I promise you won't be disappointed."
By contributing in this way, she could at least repay Nolan for allowing her to recover in the Wonderland.
Hearing Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's words, Nolan's eyes lit up. Since the God of Wisdom was willing to help, he had no reason to refuse.
With Lumine, who had control over Geo powers, building houses was simple enough. But there was no need to rush. It seemed that Captain Jean, who had the day off, had already prepared dinner. It would be better to have dinner first.
Around dinnertime, Nolan suddenly remembered that Captain Jean, Raiden Ei, and Nahida were all present in the Wonderland. The actual rulers of three nations were gathered here, so perhaps it was a good time to discuss cooperation.
Hmm, and if he called Ningguang over, they would have the rulers of four nations here.
After all, to produce elemental technology products, there needed to be a market for them, a way for more people to use them, which in turn would promote technological development. Additionally, earning enough wealth would allow for product iterations!
There was no time to waste. Nolan sat on the sofa and immediately contacted Ningguang through the "Waymark," inviting her over for dinner.
Of course, Ningguang didn't refuse the invitation.
She quickly informed her secretaries and then teleported to the Wonderland.
Seeing the many girls in the room, Ningguang, wearing a cheongsam with snow-white shoulders draped in a cloud collar, raised an eyebrow. She helplessly looked at Nolan and said,
"Hmph, you have more women than my intelligence network has reported about!"
"Hehe," Nolan chuckled lightly, taking Ningguang's delicate hand and boldly wrapping his arm around her waist.
"Behind every hero is a girl who supports him silently, and my achievements today wouldn't be possible without the support of a girl."
"You smooth talker."
Ningguang pinched Nolan's cheek as punishment but didn't try to break free from his embrace.
Having worked alone for so long, someone as strong as her had never relied on anyone—this feeling was actually quite nice.
[Ningguang Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 200 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.9 (500/900)]
Nolan glanced at the character panel, noticing the unexpected increase in affection, and happily explained to Ningguang why he invited her over.
Upon learning that the actual rulers of four nations were present, including two gods, Ningguang was a bit surprised.
As expected of someone she favored, they were quite powerful.
Since the rulers of the four nations were all "allies," discussing cooperation would be much easier and smoother.
At least they didn't need to rely on political maneuvering, and they could speak more candidly during the discussions.
Moreover, they would be able to understand each other better.
After dinner, Nolan and Amber, along with Fischl, cleaned up the table.
Then they arranged for the actual rulers of the nations to have face-to-face discussions about the development of elemental technology and strengthening economic cooperation.
Ningguang, Captain Jean, Raiden Ei, and Nahida all sat at the four corners of the dining table.
Nolan, Lumine, Paimon, Lisa, and many other girls sat on the nearby sofas, watching—cough, I mean, observing.
After all, when would they ever have the chance to witness such a grand occasion where the rulers of several nations gather to discuss cooperation?
Although it was in their home, the discussions involved matters concerning multiple nations, so the meeting still had a formal atmosphere—at least in terms of ambiance.
However, since they were all allies, there were no sharp conflicts or competition for their own countries' interests. Instead, they focused on coming up with a cooperation plan that would benefit everyone.
After all, they were all "insiders," and mutual progress was the way to go. Even though they shared a common goal and understood each other, when it came to matters on a national scale, efficiency alone couldn't resolve everything in a single meeting.
By the time the meeting ended, they had only come up with a general cooperation framework between the nations.
The more detailed aspects would require further discussions.
Late at night, Nolan sent Nahida and Ningguang back. For Nahida, it was quite simple—she just had to open the Wonderland and exit, and she would be right back at the Wisdom Palace.
As for Ningguang, she had to first teleport to Shenhe, Yun Jin, or Hu Tao, but that wasn't a big problem either.
Just as they were about to leave, Ningguang seemed to remember something and said to Nolan and Lumine:
"By the way, my Jade Chamber has been rebuilt. According to Liyue customs, a new house always needs a celebratory banquet. How about you all come over in a few days to join me?"
"Oh? Jade Chamber has been rebuilt already? That was really fast!"
Nolan remarked with admiration.
"Hehe, Jade Chamber is a huge structure that can fly in the sky, so it's pretty efficient," Ningguang replied.
Paimon, upon hearing "banquet," immediately thought of a big feast, and naturally, food came to mind. Even though they had just eaten, she still had quite the appetite.
After sending Ningguang back and promising to attend the banquet in a few days, Nolan began to prepare to rest in the girls' bed. However, just as he was about to settle down, his character panel suddenly started flashing with notifications:
[A bright and sunny day with fresh air, you and your two companions, Lumine and Paimon, depart from the prosperous Liyue to the scholars' sacred land—Sumeru.]
[Along the way, you encountered many difficulties and finally arrived in Sumeru, where you discovered the 'Withering Zone,' a very dangerous place.]
[While dealing with the 'Withering Zone,' you met a local ranger named Collei.]
The following notifications described how Nolan agreed to help Tighnari clear the "Withering Zone" in the Avidya forest.
Afterward, "Lumine the Sword God" went to other Withering Zones to clear while Nolan went to Sumeru City, rescuing Nahida, who was trapped in the Sacred Chamber of the Great Sages.
They led her to infiltrate the secret lair where the Great Sages and the Fatui collaborated to create the "God of Correctness," and managed to defeat them all.
Finally, Nolan helped Nahida save the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata in the "World Tree" space and purified her memory from the forbidden knowledge pollution.
In the end, with the successful restoration of the World Tree, the "Eleazar" was cured, and the expansion of the "Withering Zone" in the rainforest stopped—a perfect outcome.
Nolan understood what this was about. Clearly, he had earned a new character specialization by having a significant impact on the world.
After all, saving Nahida, rescuing the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, and restoring Sumeru under the Dendro Archon's control was a huge accomplishment.
He continued reading the character panel to see what the new specialization was:
[What an astonishingly adventurous day! The history you've experienced and created will be remembered, and your character specialization is being formed—]
[Please wait]
The events of the past few days played out in his mind like a slideshow: clearing the Withering Zone, meeting Collei, rescuing Nahida, defeating "The Doctor" and "Scaramouche."
Soon, the memories ended, and all the history began to converge and anchor on Nolan.
[You have gained a new character specialty: Blessing of the World Tree]
Nolan looked at the name of the specialization with surprise. Being linked to the "World Tree" meant that this specialization was certainly not simple.
Curiously, he opened it to check:
[Blessing of the World Tree: Those who possess this blessing have enhanced luck and the ability to control and guide Dendro elements. To a certain extent, they can utilize the power of the ley lines.]
This new specialization was indeed impressive. After mastering Wind, Water, and Electro elements, Nolan now controlled Dendro elements as well!
Feeling delighted, Nolan opened his character panel:
Name: Nolan Walker
Level: Lv94 (0/940,000)
Race: Human
Titles: Honorary Knight, Outstanding Citizen of Liyue, Legendary Adventurer, Honorary General of Watatsumi Island
Innate Talent: Entangling Affection
Skills:
- Lumine's Authority: Divine Level Lv.10 (Starsea Manifestation, Boundless)
- Musou no Hitotachi: Divine Level Lv.10 (Musou State)
- Abysswalker: Arcane Level Lv.10 (Deep Space Warp)
- Flowing Sky Shot: Awakening Lv.10 (Frostglow Arrow)
- Anemo Manipulation Lv.10 (Max Level)
- Martial Arts Lv.10 (Subtle Mastery)
Specialties:
- [Descender]
- [Maiden Savior]
- [Monster Slayer]
- [Abundant Life]
- [The Gospel of the Sky]
- [North Wind]
- [Harmony]
- [Spiritual Threads]
- [Millennium Body]
- [Blue Vortex]
- [Battery Body]
- [Elemental Immunity]
- [Command Seal]
- [Spiritual Core]
- [Thoughtless Thunder]
- [Blessing of the World Tree]
Adventure EXP: 89,533
(End of Chapter)
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