[Inorin's Note: Hey everyone, quick apology for the quiet week here! Over the last few days, we've been working behind the scenes to officially launch our own dedicated reading site.
Moving forward, Elysian Reads (elysianreads[.]com) is going to be our primary hub for all novel releases. (P.S. Just swap the [.] with a regular dot . to open the link!) It's packed with some really neat custom features designed to make reading way more enjoyable.
That being said, Webnovel isn't getting left behind. I'll be dropping a mass release here shortly to clear out the missed chapters, and our regular updates will be right back on track. Thanks a ton for hanging in there with me!]
Chapter 208: Nicardoli's Reason
At the edge of the Suspended Edge Colosseum, a formation of golden stone steles hummed with silent power, absorbing and neutralizing the devastating repercussions of the battle raging within.
Outside the arena, Phainon, finding a rare moment of respite, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Zhongli, who was quietly observing the conflict. He glanced at his close friend, Mydei, locked in a deathmatch with a rampaging Titan, and then at the unfathomably powerful outsider beside him, whose presence was as steady and immovable as a mountain.
A deep curiosity stirred within him. He chose his words with care before speaking. "Mr. Zhongli, forgive my presumption... How did you, Miss Stelle, and your other companions come to know one another? What brings travelers from beyond our world to this place?"
Zhongli's gaze remained fixed on the battle, though he inclined his head slightly.
"All things in this world are governed by the threads of fate," he replied, his voice calm and measured. "Our meeting was simply one such fortuitous encounter." It was a clear, if polite, refusal to elaborate.
Phainon understood the subtle message. Though his curiosity burned, he respected the man's privacy and did not press the matter.
Instead, he changed the subject. His gaze swept over the vast, fragmented ruins of Hanging Edge City that lay beyond the barrier of steles, and then further, toward the unseen cosmos that lay beyond. "That world... the one beyond... How does it differ from our Amphoreus? What is it like?"
At this question, Zhongli did not demur. Though he had not known Phainon for long, he had observed the man's words and actions, witnessed the depth of his bond with Mydei, and felt his sense of responsibility toward the people of Okhema. The praises he'd heard from the populace only confirmed his judgment: this was an upright and dependable warrior.
There was no harm in describing the sights and sounds of Teyvat to such a man.
"The worlds beyond are wondrous and diverse, each governed by its own laws and graced with its own landscapes," Zhongli began slowly. "The world I call home is named Teyvat. It is a land where the seven elements surge, a place where all living things depend on these foundational forces to exist. There are also gods who walk the earth, guiding their people..."
He did not elaborate on his own identity or his past, but from a broad and objective perspective, he painted a picture of the continent of Teyvat for Phainon.
Phainon listened, completely engrossed. It was a world utterly different from the Amphoreus he knew—a world not shrouded in the Black Tide and dominated by the power of Titans, but one filled with vibrant colors and diverse cultures. Though Zhongli's description was calm and restrained, Phainon could still sense the grandeur and unique charm of that distant land.
"It sounds... truly enchanting," Phainon couldn't help but murmur, a new understanding dawning on him as to why the crew of the Astral Express possessed such peculiar powers and artifacts.
While Zhongli was painting a picture of Teyvat for Phainon, Stelle's exploration team was making new progress of its own.
Under Mimmy's guidance, Stelle, Castorice, and Gnaeus handled a hidden passage through the city's ruins, emerging into an ancient hall designated as the Soul-Forging Zone. The architecture here was even more archaic than the surrounding structures. The walls were covered in beyond understanding runes, and at its center stood a massive, complex platform that seemed designed for some arcane ritual.
It was here that their companion, Gnaeus, finally revealed a shocking truth.
"The truth is," he began, his voice heavy, "Nicardoli never succumbed to the Black Tide. On the contrary, to resist its insidious erosion and preserve the last shred of his lucidity, he resolutely performed the exceedingly dangerous Soul-Splitting Ritual."
"Soul-Splitting Ritual?" Stelle's eyes widened. Beside her, Mimmy let out a soft, questioning hum.
"Yes," Gnaeus affirmed with a heavy nod. "He separated the five qualities he held most dear: Glory, Courage, Sacrifice, Resilience, and Reason. It was an attempt to isolate the core of his consciousness from the Black Tide's corruption. However..."
His expression darkened. "The incompetent king of Hanging Edge City, Oliphan, was a foolish and greedy man. He attempted to steal the Titan's divine power for himself, and in doing so... he created the divine body you see now—an immortal shell that retains only madness and obsession."
Castorice keenly grasped the implication. "So, to truly put an end to the current Nicardoli, we must reforge these five fragmented parts of his soul, making him whole again?"
"Precisely," Gnaeus confirmed. "Only a complete soul can find a true end. But..." He paused, his tone shifting to one of grave warning. "As his soul is reforged, Nicardoli's power will also return. His strength will approach what it was in his prime, and perhaps become even more violent and dangerous after his prolonged entanglement with the Black Tide."
Hearing this, Stelle showed no fear. Instead, the familiar flame of battle ignited in her eyes as she patted the Flame Lance at her side.
"That's no problem at all!" she declared, her voice ringing with her characteristic confidence. "We've never shied away from a fight on our journey! The stronger the enemy, the more satisfying the victory, right?"
Without further delay, the attempt to reforge the soul began under Gnaeus's direction. He moved with an unnerving familiarity, guiding Stelle to activate the various devices within the Soul-Forging Zone.
However, shortly after the ritual commenced, undead monstrosities—remnants of Oliphan's early experiments—began to claw their way out of the chamber's shadowed corners. They shambled forward, intent on disrupting the ritual and destroying the platform.
"Leave them to me," Castorice said, stepping forward. A unique, ethereal purple power bloomed in her hand, an energy that symbolized both Death and Repose—one of the duties and authorities granted to her as a Chrysos Heir.
She began to continuously unleash her power near the monsters, "stabilizing" them in a state of permanent death, preventing their revival and keeping them at bay to buy Stelle and Gnaeus the time they needed.
Stelle and Gnaeus focused on the heart of the ritual. Ancient runes lit up in sequence, and the platform at the center of the Soul-Forging Zone began to hum with immense power.
As the process advanced, Stelle could clearly feel four distinct yet homologous spiritual qualities being drawn from across Hanging Edge City. Guided by the pinkish glow emanating from Mimmy, they converged one by one into the ethereal outline of Nicardoli taking shape on the platform.
The fervor of Glory!
The fearlessness of Courage!
The decisiveness of Sacrifice!
The steadfastness of Resilience!
As the four soul fragments returned, the phantom on the platform grew increasingly distinct. The energy fluctuations it emitted became terrifying, as if a slumbering behemoth was slowly awakening.
Yet, the most crucial fifth fragment—Reason—was still missing.
"What's going on? Where's Reason?" Stelle asked, looking anxiously at Gnaeus.
Gnaeus didn't answer immediately. He simply stared, transfixed, at the gradually solidifying phantom, which now exuded a suffocating pressure. After a long, heavy silence, he finally spoke, his voice almost a whisper, as if in a dream. "So... that's how it is..."
He looked up at Stelle, his eyes suddenly clear and filled with a stark, resolute light. "I am... the last piece. I am the Reason that Nicardoli separated from himself—the only part that was never corroded by the Black Tide. The meaning of my existence... was to await this day, to guide others to help Nicardoli regain his lucidity... or..."
His voice grew impossibly heavy. "...if necessary, to personally... end all of this."
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