Zhongli:
Keqing: "What do you mean?"
Smith: "As far as I know, the Ice Queen wants to collect the Heart of God. However, if she were to take it directly from the Seven Gods, regardless of whether they care about it, it would still be an insult to both the gods and their respective nations.
But if the Fatui are the ones pulling the strings behind the scenes—acting as villains in the eyes of these nations while exposing internal conflicts—then they are essentially orchestrating a disguised transaction."
Nashida: "Is that really the case? The Doctor doesn't exactly seem like a good person, does he?"
Smith: "That's just my speculation. Regardless of their motivations, the Fatui have undoubtedly brought disaster to multiple nations. For Sumeru, the Fatui and the Kingdom of Winter are considered enemies, right?"
Zhongli: "Barnabas is a kind-hearted deity. Her original defiance of natural law was meant for the betterment of humanity. However, as you pointed out, the Fatui have strayed onto the wrong path. Whatever their ultimate goal, they have undeniably caused chaos in various nations."
Ningguang: "So, in the future, whenever we face the Fatui, we should intervene when necessary, correct?"
Zhongli: "Exactly. If the Fatui engage in actions that threaten Liyue, there's no reason to hesitate."
Nashida: "Their goal is the Heart of God, yet they haven't outright taken it from the Order. Smith's reasoning makes sense. @Zhongli, Morax, I may need to borrow your Heart of God at a crucial moment to cleanse the World Tree of its corruption."
Zhongli: "I have no issue lending it to you. But are you certain you can rid the World Tree of its corruption?"
Smith: "Let's discuss that later. From what I understand, the consciousness of the Great Compassion Tree King still lingers within the World Tree. The pollution is a result of forbidden knowledge. To completely remove this corruption, the Great Compassion Tree King must be erased from the World Tree.
If that happens, she will cease to exist, and you, Nashida, will fully merge with her. As an incarnation of the World Tree, you likely understand this dilemma better than I do."
Nashida: "Once the Great Compassion Tree King is deleted from the World Tree, everyone's memories of her will vanish. Her existence will be erased, and all credit for her deeds will be attributed to me."
Keqing: "That's terrifying. Does that mean history itself can be altered through the World Tree?"
Smith: "Actually, altering the earth's ley lines can achieve a similar effect. That's precisely why Celestia forbids humans from researching ley lines. However, since we're part of the Dimensional Guild, our memories are protected. Whether the World Tree or the ley lines are modified, it won't affect us.
Now, Nashida, I have a question. If you don't remember the Great Compassion Tree King's existence and all her accomplishments are attributed to you, will you still be you?"
Nashida: "That's an intriguing question, but I can't provide a definite answer. Our connection is deep—perhaps I can be seen as her reincarnation. If sacrificing myself will save the World Tree and Sumeru, then it's a price I am willing to pay. I believe the Great Compassion Tree King would feel the same."
Smith: "But now we have the Dimensional Guild. In other worlds, we might find a way to neutralize forbidden knowledge or even resurrect the Great Compassion Tree King. Would you still be so eager to erase her?"
Nashida: "I understand what you're saying, but if we delay too long, Sumeru's dead zones will only worsen."
Smith: "Then let's work together to find a solution. The root of the problem is that the Order refuses to return the Heart of God to you because they want to control the Akasha system.
In reality, everything is their fault. If you had the Heart of God, your growth would accelerate, and you'd be better equipped to contain the dead zones' spread."
Nashida: "That makes sense… but something about this feels strange."
Smith: "The truth is simple: the culprits are the selfish scholars of the Order."
Even though Nashida had grown significantly, she was still too naive in understanding human nature. Smith, with his strategic mind and Zhongli's occasional guidance, made sure Nashida wouldn't take the path of self-sacrifice lightly.
A ruler must not be too selfless.
Sacrificing herself over a few creatures was shortsighted. If she perished right after Sumeru was stabilized, the region would be thrown into even greater turmoil. With Nashida being Sumeru's sole god-level combatant, her loss would leave the nation vulnerable.
At the very least, before she even considered such a sacrifice, she needed to understand the weight of her own existence.
The Special Store Refreshes
With the establishment of Liyue Bank nearing completion, time passed swiftly. Soon, the long-anticipated special store refresh arrived.
Ten Senzu Beans: Treasures from the Dragon Ball world that instantly heal any injury. (Original price: 5000 points, now 40% off—3000 points.)
Peerless Sword: A legendary sword from the Fengyun world, one of the finest in martial arts. (Original price: 5000 points, now 40% off—2000 points.)
King of Thunder: A powerful robot from the King of Thunder world, capable of being controlled by three operators. Functions as a guardian. (Original price: 60000 points, now 35% off—21000 points.)
Keqing: "These are all excellent items, but only three appear every seven days. That's far too few."
Ningguang: "Limited items aren't the problem—our lack of points is. If something truly valuable appeared now, aside from Smith, none of us could afford it."
Smith: "You overestimate me. I don't have that many points."
Zhongli: "The number of missions has also been lacking. It has been over five days since the last one."
Smith examined the Senzu Beans in his hand. Keqing had been struggling with exhaustion lately, which had been making his days more difficult. Would it be possible to use a Senzu Bean to cure her fatigue?