Back at the Grand Narukami Shrine.
Xia Zhi sat by the corridor, chatting with Shenhe and Ganyu while browsing the Shop.
Halfway through scrolling, he remembered something.
[Universal Syringe]
Quality: Diamond
Type: Auxiliary Item
Traits: Extraction, Injection, Healing
Effect: This item can extract any substance and inject any substance.
Hidden Effect: Healing skill effects +100%
Recyclable: 10,000 points
He'd used it to extract Forbidden Knowledge from Xia Ci, extract Archon Residue from Xiao, and extract the mixed corruption from Collei.
He'd also tried to extract the Supreme divinity from his eyes, but that had failed.
He rarely needed the syringe, but since it was a "Universal" series item, its uses should be just as wide as the Master Key.
Skills… might also fall under its extraction range.
Xia Zhi took out the syringe.
Ganyu saw the small tool appear in his hand, then watched him casually stab it into his arm. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"A simple test."
The needle slid in without leaving a wound.
Xia Zhi focused his mind. Extract skill — Forsaken by the World.
A system alert chimed immediately.
"Warning! Under the influence of the Universal Syringe, you are about to lose the skill [Forsaken by the World]."
So it really could extract skills.
Xia Zhi tightened his grip on the syringe and slowly drew it out.
A strange red liquid, like burning flame, seeped from his body into the syringe.
Soon, the extraction finished.
He pulled it out and checked his skill list.
The passive was gone.
He looked at the red liquid through its container, his expression amused.
Forsaken by the World, the cursed skill he'd copied from Bennett, was terrifying. Just activating it for a few minutes had caused Collei to run into The Doctor, and Charlotte to run into a Ruin Grader.
He'd sworn never to use it again.
Extracting it, though? Much more useful. He could inject it into enemies and let them taste what it was like to be relentlessly punished by the world.
As for the injection process, time-stop made it trivial.
Shenhe leaned in curiously. "What is that?"
Xia Zhi smiled. "Bad luck. The world-ending kind."
She blinked. "Huh?"
"It's similar to that omen you used to have, but way worse."
Shenhe gave him a very awkward look.
Xia Zhi took out a Universal Bottle and transferred the liquid inside.
Extraction complete.
The item's description said the extracted skill was a consumable and couldn't be recycled.
Didn't surprise him.
If skills could be recycled, he could steal skills from Xia Ci or Xia Zhen, extract them with the syringe, recycle them for points, and repeat infinitely. Zero cost.
Even so, the syringe had gained massive new potential.
Like the sealed ancient gods under Guyun Stone Forest. Zhongli sealed them to prevent their Archon Residue from harming the world. Now Xia Zhi could go down there, extract their skills and divinity, then finish them off cleanly.
His pocket buzzed.
He took out his phone and checked.
A friend request from Xia Ying.
He chuckled and accepted.
[Xia Ying]: Cousin, it's me.
[Xia Zhi]: Switched?
[Xia Ying]: Yup!
[Xia Zhi]: Perfect timing. I was looking for you two. Good news.
[Xia Ying]: What good news?
[Xia Zhi]: I found a solution to Ei's cooking problem.
[Xia Ying]: Great! Ei already knows.
[Xia Zhi]: See you at noon.
[Xia Ying]: (See you)
After chatting with her, he sent a message to another friend.
[Xia Zhi]: I have good news.
[Venti]: Are we having Gods' Temptation again for lunch? (sparkly eyes)
[Xia Zhi]: No.
[Venti]: (bye)
[Xia Zhi]: I can cure your cat allergy.
[Venti]: !!! Really!?
[Xia Zhi]: Of course. I'll fix you up when you guys get back at noon.
[Venti]: Yes!
Xia Zhi put his phone away and found Ganyu and Shenhe still staring curiously at the syringe.
He thought a moment. "Ganyu, when we first met, you seemed torn about your half-Adeptus nature, right?"
She nodded. "Yes."
"I can help now. With this syringe, I can extract your Qilin Bloodline and make you fully human. Or extract your human blood and make you a full Qilin. What do you think?"
Ganyu froze, uncertainty flickering across her face. After a long moment, she shook her head. "No… I want to keep both. They're from my parents."
Xia Zhi smiled. "Alright. As long as you want to keep them… Oh, Diona!"
Diona was walking by with a small jug of liquor.
"Boss? What is it?"
"That special trait you have, the one that makes every drink taste good no matter what you do… do you still want it? If not, I can remove it."
"Remove it!?"
She looked shocked.
She used to desperately want to get rid of it.
But now she ran a tavern in Mondstadt.
"Well… Boss… no. I need to keep it…"
"Really?"
"Yeah! I need to brew the best drinks in all of Teyvat!"
"Fair enough. And that?"
"My sake! Want some?"
"I'll have a little."
"Okay!"
---
In Araumi.
Xia Ying looked at her phone's screen.
Inside their consciousness, Ei asked, "Is he serious?"
"Since Cousin said it, it's definitely true."
Ei's voice carried clear excitement. "That's wonderful."
She thought she'd have to wait a long time before she could make a proper meal for Makoto.
She hadn't expected her cousin to solve the problem this quickly.
He really was amazing.
----
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