Lu Chen roared with fury.
Even if what he saw was nothing more than an illusion—something he couldn't distinguish as real or false—he still charged forward with his sword, straight into that endless darkness.
He wanted to save Miko from being swallowed.
A faint sigh drifted through the air.
It carried both sympathy... and disappointment.
The vision finally faded. His eyes returned to the skies of Teyvat, the continent below shifting between day and night, with Sumeru already bathed in light.
But his body trembled uncontrollably, refusing to calm.
Perhaps because of his state, the mysterious voice stayed silent for a long, long time.
Only when Lu Chen tightened his grip on his sword once more did he force out words between clenched teeth.
"Is this what you wanted me to see?"
The voice returned.
"Yes."
"You're lying to me!" Lu Chen's voice was filled with defiance. "That future isn't real—you're showing me false visions to deceive me. What are you really after!?"
Another soft sigh.
"Why won't you believe me?"
"Is it because the one who died was someone precious to you?"
"You disappoint me... Too impulsive. With such a state of mind, do you truly believe you can carry the responsibility of saving two worlds?"
"Don't give me that nonsense!" Lu Chen snapped, his anger flaring. "It's not your family who died... it's mine!"
He sneered coldly. "You think I'll believe you? Don't you know about the Teyvat Gate?"
"If that vision was true, why wouldn't I just open the gate and escape to this side? Why would I stay there and die?"
The voice chuckled lightly, then answered in a low, drifting tone:
"As far as I know... you still haven't fully mastered that miraculous gate. Otherwise, you wouldn't be stumbling back and forth between the two worlds in such a rush."
"You know that too?" Lu Chen's eyes widened.
He looked into the empty sky. Slowly, his emotions—stirred into chaos by that nightmare vision—began to settle.
Calm down... I have to calm down...
I can't lose control just because I saw Miko die...
His mind cleared. Thinking it through, he realized: ever since this voice had appeared, his thoughts had been led along its path. This person had manipulated his emotions with ease.
He looked at that empty space and said flatly, "This ability to manipulate time... Are you Istaroth?"
The voice gave no reply.
Lu Chen pressed on. "Here's why I don't believe the vision: if you are Teyvat's God of Time, then why would you know the future of another world?"
After a pause, the voice answered, "That... even I don't fully understand."
"Heh." Lu Chen sneered. He wanted to see how she would justify it.
But the voice threw the question back at him. "I believe the reason lies with you."
"Me?"
"Yes. Ever since your arrival, the two worlds have begun to show signs of interference and fusion. If elemental power can seep into the other side, then why can't Teyvat's laws extend outward as well?"
Lu Chen frowned slightly. What she said made a certain sense, yet the devastation he had witnessed—the abyss consuming everything—was still hard to accept.
He had always guarded against the Abyss. He had prepared carefully.
Faith-powered gods—an enhanced Plus version.
A mechanical army of Primordial Energy constructs.
Ei had been working non-stop in Sumeru's Grand Library, already developing the first prototype of the construct swarms. Once they returned to the coastal city, Lu Chen intended to expand production immediately.
With the system, he had near-infinite resources and storage. If the Abyss attacked, he could summon a mechanical army to match them.
But what he saw in that apocalyptic vision... was nothing but one-sided destruction.
Is the true power of the Abyss really that terrifying? So overwhelming that there's no chance at all? If that's true... then everything I've planned was pointless?
Lu Chen's thoughts spiraled.
His plan had always been to use the instability of the boundaries and the threat of the Abyss as leverage—to strike a balance with the Heavenly Principles. The system's final mission seemed to be guiding him toward the throne itself, to take Phanes's place.
If he could destroy the Abyss Order's "Loom of Fate," he would gain the Ark Technology to repair the boundaries. What Phanes could no longer do, he would achieve—and Celestia would no longer dare underestimate him.
But today's revelation struck like a brutal blow. The Abyss was far more than he had imagined.
Perhaps the Abyss Order itself had already lost control—unleashing a calamity they could never hope to command.
As if sensing his doubts, the voice spoke again:
"This time, you will not be facing just the Abyss Order or those countless beasts."
"The Abyss Order is nothing more than a group of Khaenri'ahn survivors, foolishly hoping to restore their kingdom by borrowing Abyssal power like the Sovereign once did. And the beasts? They're merely creatures of the borderlands—lurkers in the void—nothing more than the vanguard."
"The true 'Abyss'... is far beyond your imagination."
"In that place, human courage means nothing. Even warriors wielding Visions to command the elements, even your world's greatest technologies—all will fail."
"The Abyss is unknowable, indescribable, and utterly corrupting. You saw those maddened people, didn't you? Human minds are so fragile—they can shatter in an instant."
Her voice grew solemn. "Lu Chen, what awaits you is an unprecedented, grueling war."
"But don't doubt my stance. Like you, I wish to protect this world—to defend the home we built with our own hands."
Lu Chen exhaled shakily. "So you want me to prevent all this from happening... Then what do you expect me to do?"
The voice, catching the heaviness in his tone, grew sharper, more earnest:
"All tragedies in this world, at their root, stem from one thing—insufficient strength."
"Stand tall."
"You don't want your family—your loved ones—to face that ending, do you?"
"Of course not!" The image of Miko and the others being swallowed by darkness burned in his mind, and his fists clenched until his knuckles cracked.
"Then tell me. Tell me everything!"
The ethereal voice laughed softly, as if reassured.
"Having the Light Realm Force alone is not enough."
"Here's a secret: the Phanes you think of as omnipotent... was not always as powerful as you imagine."
"It's been a long time, but I remember. He used to laugh. He pitied those who lived on the surface. He was powerless against the corruption of the Abyss. In truth, he was... a very human sort of being."
"...I see." Lu Chen was stunned. He had never imagined that the creator god of mankind could be described like this.
In ancient scriptures, in every tale, Phanes was portrayed as flawless and divine—a perfect, sacred figure without desire or weakness. But to her, he had been a lively, even amusing "person."
"Before Phanes arrived, there were only two realms: the Light Realm, which you might call the Dragon Realm, where pure elemental power existed and dragons and elemental beings lived... and the Void Realm, which you know as the Abyss. The two forces repelled one another, warring for countless ages before mankind even existed."
"When the First Human arrived, he opened a third realm—the Human Realm."
"From then on, the three realms became entangled."
"You know these stories already. But tell me—have you ever wondered why the Human Realm managed to endure in such a hostile world?"
"You mean..." Lu Chen murmured, "the power of humanity?"
"Exactly." The voice chuckled. "Your efforts weren't in vain."
"What do you mean?" Lu Chen wasn't sure if she meant his mechanical tide, or his faith-powered gods.
She didn't answer directly. "Sometimes, human wishes and dreams shine with their own brilliance. In a single moment, they may unleash a power greater than anyone expects."
"You said before that human courage is worthless," Lu Chen frowned. "And now you say human wishes matter..."
"They're not contradictory."
Her voice softened again. "Here's another hint: Irminsul is the data center of the Human Realm. Go to Nahida. Let her teach you how to use it. But remember: it can only alter memory, never true history. Use it wisely."
Lu Chen's eyes narrowed as he whispered, "You want me to project the belief of defeating the Abyss into everyone's hearts... Isn't that almost the same as my Faith Power plan?"
His thoughts shifted further. And if it works here... then why not in the other world as well?
If both worlds' beliefs could be united... perhaps the force unleashed would be unimaginable.
The weight of two worlds pressed heavily on his shoulders. Alone in the high skies, Lu Chen stood in silence for a long time before finally looking again toward the unseen voice.
"Thank you..."
"Hm?"
But the ethereal voice did not respond.
Lu Chen could no longer sense her presence. Clouds drifted lazily below his feet, and the sky returned to its original silence.