Extra Chapter…(On Completing 1500 Power Stones)
….
"Hidden Quest Completed: The Deaconess's Attention."
"Distributing Rewards..."
"Reward Received: Imaginary Tree"
Imaginary Tree: A divine tree that grows in the Sea of Quanta beyond the darkness, supporting the heavens and earth. It contains a total of 129,600 World Bubbles.
What the heck?! What kind of god-tier reward was this? The moment Elliot saw the description, he was stunned. This Imaginary Tree instantly replaced his normal skill list, transforming into a literal skill tree.
All his previous skills, like [Tendo Bansho] and [True Man's Slash], now resided on the branches of this Imaginary Tree.
The reason Elliot was so shocked was because he remembered from Genshin Impact's lore that Teyvat itself was just one World Bubble existing on the Imaginary Tree.
World Bubbles were, simply put, like fruits or leaves growing on the Imaginary Tree, which provided them with energy, allowing the worlds within those bubbles to flourish.
If the energy within a world faded, the World Bubble would fall off and be extinguished in the Sea of Quanta below, causing that world to disappear forever.
The Archons who lost the Archon War back then, unwilling to live under the order of the Seven, fled to the Sea of Quanta, were influenced by powers from beyond their world, and became evil gods.
Interestingly, in Kumoko's world, Administrator D was also an Evil God, possessing power from outside her world.
Of course, Elliot didn't know if this was the actual Imaginary Tree, but the power boost it represented was undoubtedly enormous.
Even if this skill tree only possessed a fraction of the real Imaginary Tree's power, it would make him almost equivalent to the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles. He just wasn't sure how to use it yet.
And now, his skill list... or rather, his skill tree, was filled with countless new skills.
Barbara's "Let the Show Begin♪" (Water Ring).
Eula's "Glacial Illumination" (Lightfall Sword).
Hu Tao's "Spirit Soother" (Secret Rite).
Childe's "Havoc: Obliteration" (Ranged Burst)...
It wasn't exactly like the true Imaginary Tree he'd imagined. In the lore, each World Bubble on the Imaginary Tree was an entire world. On his tree, each World Bubble seemed to represent a skill.
And... Elliot gently closed his eyes. A mysterious aura filled his mind as the leaves on his internal Imaginary Tree rustled. He randomly selected a skill Childe's Ranged Burst. He chose it for a simple reason: it just looked cool.
Instantly, the skill deconstructed itself in his mind, and its corresponding "bubble" lit up on the Imaginary Tree. Just as he thought! He had quickly grasped the principles behind Childe's Elemental Burst, essentially acquiring the skill.
With the Imaginary Tree, he now had access to potentially all the skills in this world. With a little practice, he could master an unparalleled number of abilities.
And in this world, having more skills was always a good thing. It meant he alone could potentially trigger all sorts of elemental reactions like Vaporize, Melt, Freeze, Electro-Charged, and so on.
Of course, Elliot's ambitions didn't stop there. Right now, the skills awakened on his Imaginary Tree were only from this world (Teyvat).
The Ruler-class skills from Kumoko's world hadn't appeared yet. If he returned to the Elroe Labyrinth, would he gain access to those Administrator-level abilities?
Maybe, maybe not.
But regardless, this new power was a massive net positive for him. With the Imaginary Tree, he might even have the foundation to challenge the Archons of this world.
"Aren't you going to search for clues with the Traveler?"
Seeing Elliot just standing there after defeating the Stonehide Lawachurl, the young woman asked, her voice gentle and melodious, incredibly soothing to listen to. If you heard her voice when you were feeling down, all your worries would likely melt away.
Elliot's gaze softened slightly. She wore a pure white, elegant deaconess dress, a calming and comfortable color. It was graceful and cute, yet the slightly exposed shoulders added just the right touch of a young woman's subtle allure. Her face was pretty, almost dreamlike. Elliot smiled faintly.
"Aren't you going with the Traveler and the others, Barbara?" He remembered there was a Hangout Event for Barbara in the game.
Despite her pure and harmless appearance, she was actually quite wary of strangers. Unlike Noelle, she didn't possess overwhelming physical strength.
Although she had a Vision, she mostly used her voice to heal, a dedicated full-time healer. So, she wouldn't trust people easily, especially a giant dragon.
"Mm, I'm a little tired. I want to rest for a bit. Besides, the Traveler is very strong; she doesn't really need my healing that much," she said softly.
Barbara's deaconess dress also incorporated "idol" elements, yet they didn't look out of place, instead enhancing her lovely aura.
She wore pure white cotton stockings that perfectly accentuated her slender legs. Her figure was just as beautiful as her sister Jean's, but her modest attire made it difficult for anyone to harbor any disrespectful thoughts.
As Mondstadt's most popular idol, she had many loyal fans. The reason she became an idol was actually because Klee's mother, Alice, read about the "idol" profession in a book from another world and impulsively suggested Barbara try it.
Elliot could sense the young woman's strong spirit, but he also felt she carried some unspoken burdens. It was understandable.
As Mondstadt's idol, she had to maintain a perfect image of purity, innocence, and kindness.
Just like in Elliot's previous world, if an idol got a boyfriend or had any other scandal, her popularity would plummet. Idols had to be flawless. This meant she couldn't confide her true feelings to anyone.
Elliot asked curiously, "But we haven't walked very far. How could you be tired already?" As he said, although they had destroyed the Lawachurl's camp, they hadn't actually traveled much distance from the beach.
Called out, Barbara turned her head away, falling into a brief silence. She herself was a little confused about why she had lied. Maybe... she just wanted an excuse to stay near the Earth Dragon.
Like the Traveler, this Earth Dragon gave her a feeling of not belonging to this world, of being an incredibly distant, ancient being.
But unlike the Traveler, Elliot felt more composed, more mysterious. If she confided in him, he would surely keep her secrets. Paimon, on the other hand, was a blabbermouth who couldn't keep a secret to save her life.
Everyone has the desire to confide in someone, and she was no exception. But in Mondstadt, there was no one she could truly open up to.
In everyone's eyes, she was too perfect, without any flaws. People probably thought, How could Barbara possibly have any worries? But they forgot she was still just a sixteen-year-old girl.
"I... I'm a little lost," Barbara finally said, after some hesitation.
But then, she felt a bit embarrassed to continue. It was their first meeting; why was she telling him all this?
"Go on, I'm listening," Elliot said with a gentle smile. He actually knew about Barbara's troubles; after all, he'd completed her Hangout Event in the game in his previous life and had some understanding of her character.
Encouraged, Barbara began softly, "Actually, it's not a big deal. As you can see, I'm an idol. In Mondstadt, I often sing for everyone, and the people of Mondstadt really enjoy my songs. The Church also supports me performing everywhere. Later on, more and more people started coming to hear me sing..."
Barbara sat down gracefully on a nearby rock. Her upbringing was evident; even on a deserted island, her posture was exceptionally elegant.
She continued in a low voice, "Although I'm very happy, whenever I'm alone on the streets, people stop me. They might just want an autograph, or maybe just to say hello because they like me. It's just... there are so many of them. To avoid disappointing anyone, I try my best to fulfill everyone's wishes. But sometimes... I feel like I just don't have the strength."
"Do you think... people should live for themselves, or for others?" Barbara asked slowly.
Elliot didn't answer immediately. He understood Barbara's dilemma. It was the kind of problem only successful people had. Ordinary people wouldn't be troubled by having too many admirers.
Look at that little spider back in his world no one cared for her, no one loved her, she just entertained herself. She wouldn't have such worries.
Not only was she not liked, but she was also bullied. That little spider was the one truly suffering. If Kumoko knew someone was complaining about being too popular, she'd probably want to bite them with her LV 10 poison fangs.
Of course, people are different. Barbara's worries weren't just her being overly dramatic.
As a member of Mondstadt's noble Gunnhildr clan, a family of knights, she received a good education from a young age.
But due to her parents' divorce, she was taken by her father and separated from her sister Jean, the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius.
….
Next Extra Chapter on 1800 power stones (1502/1800)
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