Although the flow of time in the simulation and in reality is not the same, by the time the simulation ended, a considerable amount of time had already passed in the real world where Yilan was.
He had finished bathing, stepped out of the tub, changed into a pair of pajamas, and lay on the bed, ready to sleep.
It had to be said—after Yilan left, Noelle had taken excellent care of his house.
Not only were the floors and furniture spotless, but after he returned, she had even thoughtfully lit a pot of incense in the room to help ease fatigue and promote restful sleep.
But now, he wasn't sleepy at all.
With his current mental strength of 25, it was impossible for him to suffer from auditory hallucinations—meaning someone had indeed just called him "Dad."
And that childish, ethereal voice was unmistakable.
He was absolutely certain—it was Nahida's voice.
—Nahida was calling him Dad?
What was going on?
Even with Yilan's spirit at 25, his thoughts were momentarily thrown into chaos. This development had caught him completely off guard.
But after the initial confusion passed, he began to analyze.
First of all, he was certain that the one who called him "Dad" wasn't the Nahida from the most recent simulation.
After all, he and Nahida hadn't interacted deeply during this simulation; their relationship was more like "companions who fought alongside each other." She had no reason to call him "Dad."
With that possibility ruled out, only one remained—the one who called him "Dad" was the real Nahida.
As absurd as it sounded, it wasn't entirely impossible.
Nahida is the rebirth of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, and naturally, she would be influenced by her predecessor.
In his second simulation, Yilan had intersected with the Greater Lord, and their encounter had likely altered her fate to some degree.
Following that thread, he could just about piece it together—
After Yilan had slashed the soul of the Heavenly Principles' Sustainer, his own soul had been destroyed. But the wise Greater Lord Rukkhadevata did not believe he was truly gone.
She chose to believe in Yilan's words. Even if she had to endure the torment of forbidden knowledge, she preserved her life and waited for him to return and save her.
But the forbidden knowledge within Irminsul needed to be suppressed. So, just as in the game's canon, she broke off the purest branch of the World Tree and gave birth to Nahida.
This time, to ensure Nahida would be healthier and stronger, she imbued her with all the vitality she had left.
And before disappearing, she told Nahida: she had a powerful father—one who could turn impossibility into reality—someone who would one day come back to save them and bring them happiness.
Then she offered herself to Irminsul, sacrificing her body to contain the forbidden knowledge at its core.
Nahida was discovered and taken away by the sages, beginning her five hundred years of imprisonment.
As overly idealistic as this theory might sound, it was the only one Yilan could arrive at.
And if it were true—
That would mean there were now two women in this world deeply connected to him, who had both waited five hundred years for his return and his salvation.
For a moment, Yilan was overcome by a swirl of emotions.
He wanted to reach out to Nahida and confirm it, but unfortunately, having already exited the simulation instance, he had no way to contact her.
The reason he had been able to hear Nahida speak in his mind earlier was because both of them had briefly entered a superposition—about to leave the simulation, but not yet fully disconnected.
Nahida's consciousness had likely overlapped in that fleeting moment, and she called him "Dad" just as the simulation ended.
Now that the simulation was over, with so many people across Teyvat, even if Nahida had regained her freedom, it would be difficult for her to locate him quickly.
Yilan had originally planned to go to Inazuma to meet Ayaka and the others after wrapping up matters in Mondstadt and solving the Black Fire case in a dozen or so days.
But now he decided to go to Sumeru immediately.
It wasn't that Nilou, Nahida, or the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata were more important to Yilan than Kamisato Ayaka in his heart.
The real reason was that the Greater Lord had suppressed the forbidden knowledge in the World Tree for 500 years—there was no telling what kind of danger she might be in now.
It was a matter of life and death, and naturally, it had to take priority.
The sooner, the better.
Still, before heading to Sumeru, Yilan needed to speak with Jean.
After all, he had just returned today and been promoted. If he left for Sumeru without saying a word, it would be far too irresponsible.
On the way to Jean's home, he suddenly remembered he hadn't yet checked the results of the most recent simulation.
[End of Simulation]
[Main Quest Completed: Nahida has successfully ascended as the God of Wisdom in Sumeru, and the people hold a high degree of faith in her. Congratulations, host, on receiving an A-rank evaluation.]
[Side Quest Completed: Host has defeated the Doctor's strongest segment. Evaluation upgraded to S-rank.]
[Congratulations! You have reached the ending: Master of Wisdom.]
Master of Wisdom: "False gods fall because of you. A true god is born because of you. Grass will wither, flowers will fade—yet your words will remain eternal. In today's Sumeru, you are the true Master of Wisdom."
[Do you wish to end this simulation instance with the current outcome?]
"Yes."
Yilan stroked his chin. This evaluation had revealed quite a lot.
First, he was now sure that the one who had called him "Dad" was definitely Nahida—otherwise, the system wouldn't have described him as the "Master of Wisdom."
If all the gods of Sumeru were his daughters, then naturally, he had the final say there—daughters listen to their father, after all.
Additionally, Scaramouche had likely chosen the heart Yilan gave him over the original Electro Archon's Heart, which explained the phrase: "False gods fall because of you."
But—
While he was still struggling to climb the political ladder in Mondstadt, he had already become the master of Sumeru after just one simulation?
Then again, thinking about it carefully, it seemed he now had the highest level of influence in Inazuma too…
Yilan shook his head and continued reading:
[Simulation Confirmed Ended. Instance Closed. Rewards Being Distributed…]
[Congratulations! You've received the reward: Dendro Elemental Power.]
Dendro Power: "Your wisdom has been recognized by the God of Dendro. She now bestows upon you the power of the Dendro element, a symbol of wisdom."
"Another new elemental power. So after four simulations, I've obtained four different elements. Could it be that after seven simulations, I'll gain control over all seven elements?"
[New Reward: Unlocking Teleportation Anchor Points]
Teleportation Anchors: "You can now use teleportation points as in the game. As long as you've visited a location before in the real world, you can instantly return there."
"I can teleport now?"
Looking at the rewards listed by the simulator, Yilan couldn't help but smile in surprise.