[Thoma: The current Supreme Guardian of Belobog has been corrupted by the Stellaron? No way, if that were true, Belobog would have been doomed long ago.]
[Kamisato Ayato: Not necessarily. Even if the current Supreme Guardian has been corrupted, Belobog would still need a process to be destroyed.]
[Keqing: Unless the current Supreme Guardian recklessly releases the Stellaron, otherwise she can only destroy Belobog gradually. After all, the Supreme Guardian also has no way to fight against the entire Belobog. If people find her orders suddenly very extreme, they will definitely raise corresponding questions.]
[Bennett: But even so, there's no evidence that the current Supreme Guardian has been corrupted, right?]
[Lyney: If the Supreme Guardian has indeed been corrupted by the Stellaron and intends to destroy Belobog, I think she would choose to push Belobog into the abyss step by step. Since Belobog's Overworld and Underworld are separated areas, she would start by destroying Belobog's Underworld. It's clear that destroying the Underworld is extremely convenient. Judging by the living conditions in Belobog's Underworld, she wouldn't need to do much to cause the Underworld to be destroyed by a lack of resources.]
[Ningguang: A very bold speculation, but such a speculation is not without reason. Dividing the upper and lower layers in itself is almost equivalent to abandoning the people of the Underworld.]
[Lyney: Indeed, Belobog's Underworld is almost like a prison in another sense. Compared to Belobog's Underworld, where I am seems to be much better.]
[Alhaitham: If the Supreme Guardian is truly corrupted by the Stellaron, it would prove Acting Grand Master Jean's sixth point regarding Stellaron matters—that the Stellaron possesses the power to corrupt minds.]
[Nahida: I remember the Traveler once said she dreamed of the Stellaron's voice. The Stellaron... it wouldn't corrupt her too, would it?]
[Aether: !!!]
[Furina: So what if the sixth point is proven? Jean summarized seven characteristics of the Stellaron. If Takagi can prove all seven of these characteristics, then I'll believe him and Svarog's Stellaron.]
[Dottore: I think Takagi must have also prepared the necessary evidence for us Teyvatians to prove these seven points.]
"The current Supreme Guardian Cocolia corrupted?"
"How could such a thing be true?" Clara shook her head repeatedly, saying.
Hearing this, Seele said, "But if she wasn't corrupted, how could she have issued the order to divide the Overworld and Underworld?"
"Clara, you live in the Underworld, you wouldn't not know what kind of life everyone in the Underworld is living now, would you?"
"Many towns in the Underworld have been eroded by the Fragmentum and are uninhabitable, and the town I originally lived in is the same."
"Sometimes, for a bite to eat, we even need to risk our lives to search for supplies in towns eroded by the Fragmentum."
"The Supreme Guardian has completely ignored us all these years."
"This can completely be seen as her having abandoned us in the Underworld, right?"
Clara was speechless for a moment upon hearing this. Yes, the Supreme Guardian had blocked the path from the Underworld to the Overworld. It was completely letting the people of the Underworld fend for themselves. Seele's words were not without reason; this indeed counted as abandoning the people of the Underworld.
"Takagi, you seem to know a lot."
"Then can you tell me, has the current Supreme Guardian been bewitched by the Stellaron?" Seele looked at Takagi and asked. Before, she simply thought that Cocolia had abandoned the Underworld. But after learning about the Stellaron, Seele had to link the Stellaron's bewitching ability with Cocolia's abnormal behavior.
"You are right, Seele."
"The current Supreme Guardian has indeed been bewitched by the Stellaron." Takagi nodded and said.
"Damn it, that woman." Seele clenched her fists tightly. If Cocolia were in front of her at this moment, one might even feel that if Cocolia were here now, Seele would directly imprint her fists on her face.
"Takagi, no matter what you plan to do, as long as it is for the good of Belobog, then take me with you." Seele finally managed to calm her emotions and said to Takagi in an extremely solemn tone. She knew that perhaps the only one who could change the current situation of Belobog was Takagi, who could gain Svarog's trust.
"Well... I can take you, but I hope you can follow my arrangements. After we go to the Overworld, you cannot impulsively harm the soldiers of the Overworld, let alone look for trouble with Supreme Guardian Cocolia." Takagi said.
"Okay, I'll listen to you." Seele nodded heavily.
"Big Brother, are you going to the Overworld?" Clara asked curiously.
"That's right, the seven points about the Stellaron that Jean mentioned... I need to prove them for them." Takagi said. He had always paid attention to the relevant information on the Teyvat Forum. Since some Teyvat people, and even gods, felt that Svarog's evidence was not enough, he would use more tangible things to convince everyone.
"Besides, to improve the current situation of Belobog, just staying in the Underworld is not enough. After all, the Stellaron is not here. So, Svarog, can you tell me the route to the Overworld through the Great Mine? If it's you, you should have corresponding records, right?" Takagi asked.
In the original plot of Star Rail, Sampo led the Trailblazer team back to the Overworld through a special path in the Great Mine. At this moment, Sampo's whereabouts are unknown. Takagi did not expect him to lead the way. Furthermore, regarding Sampo, a person whose origins are clearly unclear, Takagi felt it was better to treat him cautiously.
Svarog: "I do have corresponding records here, I will give them to you now."
Takagi: "That's great, thanks, Svarog, please send the records to my phone. Oh right, please also send the records related to the Belobog Stellaron to my phone."
Svarog: "...Understood."
The Great Mine connecting the Underworld to the Overworld was not in the Robot Settlement, but in Boulder Town. After Takagi got what he wanted, he and Seele, Jean, and others walked back along the way they came. When the group passed through Rivet Town, Seele suddenly stopped.
"Takagi, can we take a slight detour? There's a place I want to go see." Seele asked.
Takagi: "Where do you want to go?"
Seele: "The orphanage where I lived when I was little, don't worry, it's not far."
Takagi: "An orphanage, I understand."
Seele: "Thank you."
Seeing Takagi agree, Seele proactively led the group towards the orphanage. Along the way, although there were some Fragmentum creatures, they didn't take up too much of everyone's time. Before long, everyone arrived at their destination.
"Such a big orphanage!" Paimon looked around and said in surprise.
"This was originally a wealthy merchant's mansion, so it's quite normal for it to be large. It's just a pity, because the Fragmentum appeared in this place, so it could only be abandoned. I am an orphan, and I lost my home on the day this place was abandoned." Seele said.
Paimon: "Um, I... I'm sorry."
Seele: "Don't mind it, that was a long time ago." Although Seele said this, Paimon still felt a bit embarrassed. So she could only awkwardly turn her head and look around.
"Huh, why is there someone there!" Suddenly, Paimon exclaimed, pointing forward. Everyone followed the direction Paimon was pointing and indeed saw a little girl about six years old.
"Isn't this place already abandoned, how could there be someone?" Jean frowned.
"Let's go over quickly, she seems to be in trouble." Paimon said, and flew over proactively. Everyone followed closely.
"Little friend, this place is very dangerous. Why are you here? How about you tell us where your home is, so we can send you back." Paimon said.
"Home? But the orphanage is my home." The little girl said innocently.
Paimon: "Ah?! But hasn't this place already been abandoned?"
Little girl: "No, I saw the dorm supervisor auntie just now."
"Dorm... Dorm supervisor auntie?!" Paimon scratched her hair and looked at Seele, "Is there still a dorm supervisor auntie here?" Upon hearing this, Seele shook her head at Paimon.
"More importantly, is that thing on you a device that can take pictures? Can you take a picture for me?" The little girl pointed at the phone on Paimon and asked.
"Of course." Although Paimon was a bit confused by the little girl's words, she still kindly took out her phone and found the camera option. However, when she pointed the lens at the little girl, something strange happened.
"Huh, where did she go?" Paimon looked at the empty screen in the lens and strangely put down her phone. "Huh! Isn't she right here? That's strange." Paimon saw the little girl who hadn't moved an inch in front of her and picked up her phone again. However, when she looked at the phone's camera screen, the little girl's figure was still not there.
"Arataki Itto: What's going on? Is Takagi's phone broken? Why can't it capture that little girl?"
"Charlotte: Could it be that Takagi's phone's photography function isn't perfect, not as good as our Fontaine's camera?"
"Clorinde: I don't think that's the reason."
"Hu Tao: A little familiar... Could it be a soul lingering in the human world? By the way, does Belobog have an organization similar to my Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?"
"Zhongli: Considering the information about the Stellaron provided by Takagi and Svarog, I think this little girl is not a soul in the true sense."
After Paimon repeatedly aimed at the little girl with her eyes and her phone, she finally realized the abnormality of the situation.
"You... are you human or a ghost?" Paimon looked at the little girl in front of her and asked in horror.
"Hmm? I'm human?" The little girl asked in confusion.
Paimon: "But, if you're human, why can't my phone show your figure?"
At this moment, Takagi stepped forward and patted Paimon's shoulder. "Don't be afraid, little Paimon. The little girl in front of you is not some ghost. She's just a product of the Fragmentum. That's also why the phone can't capture her." Takagi said.
"A product of the Fragmentum...?"
"She's an illusion created by the Fragmentum combining the memories and habits of people from the past?!" Paimon exclaimed.
Takagi: "That's right." As he spoke, Takagi used Paimon's phone to press the shutter button on the little girl. However, the photo naturally failed to capture the little girl's figure. Takagi took the phone to the little girl and let her look at the photo.
"Strange, I'm not in the photo? I'll just wait for others to take a picture for me." The little girl mumbled a few words in a low voice. Then, in front of Paimon, Lumine, and others, she transformed into Fragmentum energy and disappeared. Just like how Rift Monsters such as the Eye of the Outer Universe and Incineration Shadow dissipate.
"Dis... disappeared?!"
"It really is a Fragmentum Echo?!" Paimon exclaimed. Lumine, Jean, Klee, and Barbara also showed surprised expressions. Seeing this, Seele said:
"It's normal for you to be surprised, as this is your first time seeing such a situation. Actually, it's just as Acting Grand Master Jean summarized earlier. The Fragmentum can create beings that possess the original consciousness and habits of the creatures it has eroded. That little girl just now was such a being. If you stay in Belobog a little longer, you'll probably get used to such things."
As a warrior, Seele had been to the vicinity of the Fragmentum many times. Over time, she had seen such situations multiple times. Naturally, she wasn't too surprised by it.
"She was clearly just a little girl." Barbara pursed her lips and said somewhat sadly.
"The prototype of that little girl is probably long gone. Ultimately, it's just a Fragmentum Echo mimicking the original's habits." Seele said. Even so, Seele felt a bit down thinking that the little girl had been eroded by the Fragmentum.
"Zhongli: As expected, is this the result?"
"Mona: The scene before our eyes, coupled with Seele's words as a local, it's almost certain now. What Acting Grand Master Jean said, 'The Fragmentum can create beings that possess the original consciousness and habits of the creatures it has eroded,' is true. Although we've seen this ability of the Stellaron, the Fragmentum Echo before us still feels a bit regrettable."
"Lyney: If I hadn't understood everything before, I probably would have thought that little girl was a real person or a soul."
"Navia: Yes, I really thought that little girl was real just now. What a pity..."
"Hu Tao: Such an existence can't even be considered a soul."
"Yae Miko: It's like the illusions stored in the ley lines of the Teyvat continent; ultimately, it's just a string of data."
"Dottore: Considering the danger of the Fragmentum, even an illusion like the little girl might suddenly become extremely dangerous. Interesting, I really want to observe it more."
"Candace: It's hard to imagine how troublesome it would be if the Stellaron descended upon Teyvat and created Fragmentum illusions like the little girl."
"Dehya: Even if it's an illusion, if family members saw it, they would miss it, wouldn't they?"
"Nilou: But these illusions might also turn into fierce monsters, and if that happens, those who miss the illusions would be in danger."
"Candace: So, this is the danger of the Stellaron."
"Everyone, let's go. We should leave." Seele saw that Barbara and the others were a bit down and quickly said.
Takagi nodded and looked at everyone, agreeing: "Seele is right, it's time for us to go to the Overworld of Belobog and take a look. In that place, there are more things for you to face. When facing the enemies in that place, you need to be even more on edge."
As Takagi spoke, he couldn't help but think of the Rift Monsters in the Overworld, such as the Guardian's Shadow and the Decaying Shadow, which possessed the power of the former Supreme Guardian. Compared to the Fragmentum Echoes that Jean, Lumine, and the others had already faced, these monsters would be even more troublesome.
It just so happened that some people on the Teyvat continent doubted the strength of Fragmentum Monsters. Takagi thought it would be a good opportunity to let these people see what kind of power Fragmentum Monsters of the Guardian's Shadow level possessed.
Upon hearing Takagi's words, everyone also cheered up and continued on their journey with Seele. Takagi looked at Seele's back and couldn't help but think of Bronya's figure. Speaking of which, Bronya frequently appeared on the Fragmentum front lines in the Overworld. If he were to bring Jean and Lumine to challenge the Guardian's Shadow, he wondered if he could meet Bronya, the future Supreme Guardian.