"Delicious."
Beneath the pale mask painted with a bloody maw, a smiling face was hidden.
The smiling Caelus was currently shrouded in thick black smoke. Within that smoke, it seemed as if ghosts and gods were wailing miserably. Silent weeping seemed to constantly tell stories about endless fear, unyielding obsession, and hatred that could never be forgotten.
This terrifying smoke would cause an ordinary person to feel a splitting headache and lose their sanity with just a glance. Yet now it was being nibbled away bit by bit. No matter how the smoke resisted or wailed, it was useless. It was being swallowed bit by bit, like a child who had not eaten snacks for a long time reluctantly savoring the last potato chip.
He wanted to tear this potato chip apart bit by bit, hold it in his mouth, allow his saliva to slowly soften it, then chew and swallow it.
This slow chewing and swallowing was truly enough to send shivers down one's spine.
"What is this? It contains such rich emotions. Pain, hatred, anger, unwillingness, despair. Previously, when I accommodated All the World's Evils, I did not feel anything. But now, with the Eater of Emotions Mask, after eating this thing filled with negative emotions, I can actually perceive a taste. Is this salty, or is it spicy? This feeling is truly strange."
Based on fragmented and blurred memories, Caelus carefully tried to recall what kind of taste it was. Unfortunately, he could never remember. He could only nibble bit by bit and taste bit by bit, allowing himself to deepen his impression of this flavor while attempting to recall the past.
Earlier, while traveling toward Wangshu Inn, Caelus suddenly sensed an especially dense cluster of negative emotions. Because he wanted to try the taste of this dense negativity, he temporarily changed direction and came to a nearby riverbank, where he encountered this mass of something.
He did not know where this mass came from or what it symbolized. In any case, he immediately put on the Eater of Emotions Mask and began tasting the first delicacy of his life.
This extremely sinister scene was witnessed by a certain short adeptus.
Honestly, when he saw this scene, the spear in his hand had already been prepared to strike forward and slay the demon.
But after sensing the blessing of the Anemo Archon on Caelus, he hesitated. In the end he decided to observe for a while longer. Then he watched with his own eyes as the other party nibbled away the troublesome remnants of a god bit by bit.
When the adeptus named Xiao looked at the big mouth on the pale mask, he felt a dull pain in his head. An inexplicable unease rose in his heart, as if he had seen something incomprehensible and indescribable. Even the sound of chewing and sucking in his ears became louder and louder.
A terrifying feeling of being treated as food surged in his heart at that moment. Xiao's mental state rapidly declined. The negative effects caused by constantly purging remnants of the gods began to surface quickly. The grudges lingering in his body tried to force him to leave this place, because even though they were only remnants, they did not want to be eaten by a monster.
"You look like you need help."
Just as Xiao struggled against those grudges, a voice suddenly sounded in his ear. Then he saw the monster that had been eating the remnants of a god like a snack looking at him.
The bloody maw painted on the mask seemed to descend into reality at that moment. Xiao could even feel the hot breath from the mouth and the saliva dripping toward him. All of it made him feel that the other party wanted to eat him.
In Xiao's ears he heard laughter, the clinking of cups and plates at a banquet, the sound of knives cutting meat on dishes, and people enjoying food and wine.
Listen. That endless banquet was right before his eyes.
Familiar friends were inviting him.
Come. Join us. Join this endless banquet.
The door leading into the banquet looked exactly like the mouths opened by the diners while eating.
Just as Xiao was about to collapse completely, a hand suddenly pressed onto his shoulder. Golden light suddenly appeared. All the false sights before his eyes and the auditory hallucinations in his ears shattered at that moment.
Xiao gasped heavily as if he had just been pulled out of water. His entire body was soaked with sweat.
He looked at the large hand pressing on him. After seeing the newcomer, he hurriedly whispered.
"Morax!"
The Liyue god Morax, wearing a white divine robe, was currently staring at Caelus not far away with golden eyes that flickered faintly.
Caelus removed his mask and looked somewhat strangely at the young man not far away. Since the moment he saw him, the young man had been drenched in cold sweat, his pupils dilated, his body trembling constantly, looking as if he were about to go mad.
He could sense many clusters of negative emotions inside the young man that were similar to the thing he had just eaten. It seemed the young man had indeed suffered from too many lingering negative emotions. Just now he had looked extremely painful.
Caelus looked at the man who had suddenly appeared and asked,
"Are you the old man Venti mentioned, the Geo Archon Morax?"
Morax carefully observed Caelus. He did not sense obvious hostility or an evil aura that made him uncomfortable. After confirming the blessing of the Anemo Archon on him, he nodded.
"That is correct. May I ask, young friend, do you understand what you were doing just now?"
"I was simply eating those negative emotions, or rather the remnants of certain obsessions. Is there a problem?"
Caelus asked with some confusion. Was this really such a serious matter?
The All the World's Evils contained within a Holy Grail in the Type Moon world was far more terrifying than these scraps, not to mention the Warp in the Warhammer universe.
As for his own universe, the system described it as a world no different from Warhammer. There was no need to mention the level of impact so called evil intent could bring.
Why did the gods of this world look as if they were facing a formidable enemy?
Could it be that this world, or rather this cosmic system, was not good at dealing with emotional power?
"If you are not good at dealing with this kind of issue, I can help."
"It benefits me as well. At the very least, I can taste its flavor."
As if to demonstrate the credibility of his words, a pitch black rift opened behind Caelus. Several pitch black viscous tentacles resembling petroleum, condensed from All the World's Evils, extended from it.
"Alright, young friend, put it away."
You have already proven your proficiency in this field.
Caelus withdrew the tentacles. Looking at Xiao, who still seemed shaken, he said,
"This young man looks as though he has been suffering for a long time. Does he need my help?"
"We can discuss that matter later."
"Since you have come to Liyue, as the host I must properly entertain you."
"Why not accompany me to Liyue Harbor now? I will treat you to a meal, and we can talk while we eat."
Xiao wanted to ask the Geo Archon beside him.
Are you really going to bring this kind of monster to Liyue Harbor?
"That is acceptable."
Although Caelus originally intended to go to Wangshu Inn to meet the Traveler, considering that the Traveler's final destination was also Liyue Harbor, arriving there first and waiting was also possible.
Moreover, this Geo Archon possessed a long history and surely had many legends and stories to tell.
Seeing that Caelus was easy to communicate with, Morax slightly restrained the aura radiating from his body. Then, with a gentle smile on his face, he left the place together with Caelus.
(To be continued.)