After a deep conversation with Tighnari, Lumine learned about Irminsul and the Dead Zone, and also understood the origin of Collei's Eleazar. Tighnari said he didn't know if the Dead Zone would reappear, so he would stay here and continue patrolling. Everyone then planned to set off for Sumeru City the next day.
Early the next morning…
“Paimon: Hmm… Did we forget something?”
“Qixuan-jie: Lumine, do you still feel that discomfort?”
Lumine shook her head, indicating she was fine.
“Tighnari: That means you've adapted, so congratulations, you've recovered.”
“Collei: Hehe, that's great. These are little gifts I made. I hope you like them.”
Collei took out a few small pendants, all made from special rainforest materials.
“Paimon: Wow~ This one looks just like Lumine.”
“Lumine: Thank you.”
“Collei: I'm glad you like them.”
“Qixuan-jie: Since we're ready, let's go.”
“Paimon: Yay, let's go.”
“Tighnari: Please wait a moment.”
“Lumine: ?”
“Tighnari: Haypasia, the scholar you met before, if you can find him, I hope you'll help him. Also, please give him this letter. These are some rations I prepared, enough for him to return on his own.”
“Lumine: Okay, no problem.”
Subsequently, everyone embarked on their journey to Sumeru City.
Just as they passed a cave entrance and were about to rest, everyone seemed to see Haypasia. Paimon flew over, but then suddenly, he was gone.
“Paimon: Huh? Why is there no one inside? Did he go find something to eat? I'll go check nearby.”
Just after Paimon flew away, Lumine heard a faint sound.
“Lumine: What's that sound? Qixuan-jie, did you hear it?”
“Qixuan-jie: It seems to be coming from inside the cave. Let's go take a look.”
The two then walked into the cave and saw Haypasia collapsed on the ground.
“Lumine: (It's Haypasia. How is he?)”
At the same time, an Aranara darted out from nearby, which startled Lumine.
Then, in a moment of Lumine's daze, that Aranara disappeared again.
“Qixuan-jie: What's wrong?”
“Lumine: Was there just now… a strange creature?”
“Qixuan-jie: Huh? You saw it too? I thought I was the only one.”
“Lumine: What exactly was that…?”
“Paimon: Hmm? What are you doing here? Oh, it's Haypasia. How is he now?”
Weak Haypasia: “Ah… Ugh… So hungry… *cough cough*… Water…”
“Lumine: He seems more energetic than I thought.”
“Paimon: What kind of energy is this! But, let's find him some water first, he can't eat anything like this.”
“Qixuan-jie: Then I'll stay here and watch. You two go.”
“Lumine: Okay.”
Lumine and Paimon then went out, but they got lost shortly after leaving.
“Paimon: Hmm? Why has the outside of the cave changed like this?”
Just now it was fine, but now it was a thick fog, making it impossible to distinguish the path.
“Paimon: What exactly happened? Where are we now?”
“Lumine: Paimon, calm down.”
“Paimon: Hmm… You're right. Let's investigate the vicinity then.”
The further they walked, the more they realized how vast this space was.
“Paimon: Look at that cave entrance, it feels a bit special. Let's try to get over there and take a look.”
“Lumine: Okay.”
After some attempts, the two entered that cave entrance, and everything around them changed. Now they were in a wooden house.
“Paimon: Ah! What just happened? Why did the surroundings suddenly change like this?”
After walking around a few corners further in, the surroundings reverted to their previous appearance.
“Paimon: Ugh… It's getting more and more confusing.”
Then the two walked to a huge platform, or rather, a flower. They continued forward, and after passing through a few cave entrances, the surroundings turned into the appearance of a wooden house again.
“Paimon: Ah—! What is going on with this strange place?!”
After more twists and turns, the environment changed back again. The two walked to a platform, where an Abyss Herald stood in front of them.
“Abyss Herald: Hehehe… Traveler, we meet again!”
“Paimon: It's an Abyss Herald! Hey, what kind of conspiracy are you up to in this strange place?”
“Abyss Herald: Strange place? Conspiracy? Hahahaha… These things, you don't need to know yet!”
Lumine didn't waste any more words, drawing her sword and attacking. She struck it over ten times, and three elements bombarded it in turns, but it remained unfazed.
“Paimon: This… Why is it like this?”
“Abyss Herald: Traveler, even if you have survived countless crises before, your good luck will eventually run out. It's time to recognize your insignificance and powerlessness!”
(Lumine: I can't do anything?)
“Lumine: I won't fall here. I still need to find my brother!”
“Abyss Herald: Brother? Hehehe… Hahahaha! Traveler, Traveler, have you truly not perceived the truth, or are you unwilling to face reality?”
“Prince has long since abandoned you. Your existence, to Prince, is nothing more than an eyesore, a stumbling block!”
(Aether: You don't need to work when you come back, just resign.)
“Lumine: (Indeed… Brother is…)”
“Abyss Herald: The kinship you pursue no longer exists. Your journey is utterly meaningless! But you don't need to worry, for today is the day you will be buried!”
With a loud bang, Lumine squeezed her eyes shut. Before that, she seemed to see a crimson feather again. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself still in the cave.
“Paimon: Lumine, what's wrong? I kept calling you, but you were just spacing out. Are you feeling unwell again?”
Qixuan-jie, after feeding Haypasia some water, walked over and said, “The 【Featherfall】 I placed in your body was activated. What happened?”
Lumine recounted what had just happened.
“Paimon: Huh? I didn't feel anything.”
“Qixuan-jie: Hmm… Hmm? Let's talk about these things later. He's awake.”
The still unconscious Haypasia woke up.
“Haypasia: Hmm… Who? Is that Tighnari…? Ah!”
“Paimon: Haypasia, you don't have to worry. Tighnari sent us to bring you food. Look, this is his letter to you.”
After Haypasia read it.
“Haypasia: So that's it, you're Tighnari's friends. I'm so sorry for causing you trouble just now. Thanks to you for arriving in time to save me and bringing so many fruits.”
“Paimon: No, we didn't bring these fruits. They were already here when we came in, and we were wondering, you had so much food around you, and fruit juice on your lips, how did you manage to faint from hunger?”
“Haypasia: Huh? Is that so? I understand… In that case, my neighbor must have visited before.”
“Paimon: Neighbor? Are there other people living nearby?”
“Lumine: Is it a strange creature like a cabbage?”
“Qixuan-jie: (Hahaha, cabbage.)”
(Aranara: ? Bad Nara.)
“Haypasia: Haha… That's quite a curious description. But, you can actually see him too?”
“Qixuan-jie: I can too, you know.”
“Paimon: Eh? How come I'm the only one who doesn't know? But how could it be such a coincidence?”
Lumine told Haypasia about the dream she had just had.
“Haypasia: I think what Traveler said is true. I also sensed an unusual aura from this young lady next to me. I once accidentally startled this shy neighbor like this before. Don't worry, he has no ill intentions. He just dragged you into a dream to buy himself some time to slip away quickly.”
“Paimon: Haypasia, your neighbor—what kind of little creature is that?”
“Haypasia: I don't know their names either, but I know they must have a deep connection with the Grass God, because the first time I saw him was the day I successfully connected to Irminsul.”
“At that time… I opened my eyes from meditation, my mind still buzzing from the influx of knowledge, and my heart pounding. Suddenly, I noticed a tiny figure by the cave entrance. I walked over curiously. He must have been used to me moving around nearby, so he wasn't wary of me and was still happily doing his own thing.”
“It wasn't until I squatted down to look at him that he suddenly realized I could see him.”
“Paimon: And then!”
“Haypasia: And then… I had a dream. By the time I came to my senses, he was gone. I thought he would never appear again, but a few days later, I saw him nearby again, and his other companions too.”
“Recently, I can feel that he's not as afraid of me anymore, but what I didn't expect was that he actually came to save me just now.”
“Lumine: What a good neighbor.”
“Qixuan-jie: Could it be that these little guys are protected by the Grass God? :”
“Paimon: Huh? So you mean they are the Grass God's familiars?”
“Haypasia: That's not impossible. Hmm… Oh, right, Traveler, Tighnari said in his letter that you have many questions for me about Irminsul…”
At this moment, Haypasia's stomach rumbled inappropriately.
“Haypasia: Uh… Excuse me, although I've drunk a lot of fruit juice, my stomach still feels empty.”
“Paimon: Ugh… Then let's make some food first, I'm hungry too, hehe.”
Qixuan-jie took out ingredients, and Lumine heated up the rations Tighnari had given them. Everyone had a delicious meal.
Afterward, everyone started chatting.
“Haypasia: Although I've read Tighnari's letter and heard you recount it yourself, the fact that you connected to Irminsul the first time you smelled the Spiritual Essence Incense still shocks me too much!”
“It took me about three years, and among the scholars of the Akademiya, I was already called a genius.”
“Paimon: Why can this incense connect people to Irminsul?”
“Haypasia: Because the main ingredients used in Spiritual Essence Incense come from several plants created by Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. It can stimulate our perception of the Grass God's power. Since the root of the Grass God's power is Irminsul, we can occasionally glimpse a corner of the deep earth through her power.”
“Lumine: I seem to understand.”
“Haypasia: Hmm, as expected of someone who can connect with Irminsul. Your comprehension is very good.”
“Qixuan-jie: When Lumine first arrived, she felt uncomfortable with the smell of plants for a long time.”
“Paimon: Yeah, why is that?”
“Haypasia: This is mainly because her constitution is quite special. Under the stimulation of the incense, her perception of the Grass God's power was over-stimulated, leading to some disarray. Once she smells incense with similar components to Spiritual Essence Incense, her body will have a stress reaction. But you're fine now.”
“Paimon: Hmm… Tighnari's treatment really works.”
“Haypasia: Haha, it made Traveler develop resistance, right?”
“Lumine: Yes.”
“Haypasia: But honestly, I really envy your perception. Even if it means a lifetime of heart palpitations and headaches, as long as I can connect to Irminsul, I'm willing.”
“Paimon: Wow, I didn't expect you to be so determined about this.”
“Qixuan-jie: Miss Haypasia is a scholar, you know. A scholar's life is spent pursuing the knowledge they study.”
“Paimon: Ugh… Why has Qixuan-jie become so formal too?”
“Qixuan-jie: Hmm?”
“Paimon: Hehe, nothing, nothing.”
“Haypasia: Haha, I can't help it. I'm from the Spantamad Darshan of the Akademiya, mainly researching the connection between the stars and the fate of living beings. However, there are too many unsolvable mysteries about the stars.”
(Himeko: Humans never hide their desire to control the stars.)
“Haypasia: Therefore, I can only ask Irminsul. However, my perceptual abilities are limited. I can neither always find Irminsul nor guarantee that my mind won't be destroyed by it.”
“The Sages say that divine wisdom exists within Irminsul. If we come into contact with it when our own abilities are insufficient, our minds will not be able to bear it.”
“So, in order to stabilize our minds and not implicate others, we try to stay alone as much as possible.”
“Paimon: Obtaining wisdom from Irminsul is so dangerous! Isn't Miss Haypasia afraid?”
“Haypasia: Of course I'm afraid, especially on moonless and insect-less nights. But recently, ever since I learned that a little neighbor lives nearby, I haven't been so scared. Being able to see him must be because the Grass God is protecting me.”
“Hehe, it's strange to say, he's clearly an emissary of the God of wisdom, yet he uniquely possesses the power to make people dream.”
“Paimon: Why do you say that? That ability sounds quite fitting for a magical creature.”
“Haypasia: Because people of Sumeru hardly ever dream.”
“Paimon: There's such a thing?”
“Haypasia: Only children dream, but adults seem not to. The Sages say that wisdom also means rationality, and things in dreams are often neither rational nor logical.”
“Qixuan-jie: Is Lumine remembering something?”
“Lumine: That dream was certainly a mess.”
“Haypasia: Yes, in dreams, people are often troubled by their own anxieties. In the Sages' view, the fact that people of Sumeru don't dream is a blessing from Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, the God of wisdom, keeping us away from those ignorant delusions in our sleep.”
“I was born into a scholar family in Sumeru City. From a young age, my parents told me that when I stopped dreaming, I would become an adult. I studied hard, became a student at the Akademiya, and then a researcher. I indeed never dreamed again…”
“Paimon: But everything changed after you met this little neighbor, right?”
“Haypasia: Yes, that's right, it's truly amazing. Although I no longer remember what I dreamed, I suddenly felt like I was back in my childhood. Perhaps dreams aren't as bad as I imagined.”
“Ah, if you go to Sumeru City, don't say such strange things to others, or you'll be laughed at.”
“Paimon: So, does Haypasia have any thoughts on Lumine's dream in Irminsul?”
“Haypasia: I'm sorry… I haven't had the opportunity to enter Irminsul recently. However, there is indeed a saying about the existence of memories, 【World… forget me…】. If I can ascend in my academic progress, then you can come find me again.”
“Lumine: Thank you.”
“Haypasia: No need to thank me. You are my saviors, after all. And the thought of being able to eat your food again is quite exciting.”
After chatting about other things, everyone spent the night in the cave…