The group eagerly steps into the newly discovered passage.
No matter where it leads, it's far better than sitting around waiting to die.
They're transported to a platform.
It's not unfamiliar to them; it's similar to the previous secret domain.
And in Mu Yang's stories, platforms like this often appeared.
Lumine is searching for a mechanism to unlock.
Suddenly, they hear intermittent voices from all around.
"…sacius… is… it…?"
Paimon instantly shrinks behind Mu Yang.
"Hey, did you guys hear that? It's so creepy!"
Everyone confirms they heard it too.
Then another voice comes:
"…No… shouldn't… wake up! Look clearly… don't force me!"
Yanfei frowns. "It sounds like someone's fighting. Who could it be?"
"Xiao," Mu Yang says with absolute certainty.
"Xiao?!"
The fragmented words continue to echo through the space.
Paimon and Lumine realize it's definitely Xiao.
Though Itto has only met Xiao once, he's immediately concerned.
"We've gotta go help him."
"But how do we find him?"
Paimon is anxious too, but she's clear-headed enough to see the situation.
The voice is coming from every direction, impossible to pinpoint.
Lumine ignores it and, alongside Yelan, cracks the platform's mechanism.
Four beams of light rise, pointing toward another platform.
The group steps through a small portal, and the world spins dizzyingly.
They appear on the platform indicated by the light.
— — — — — —
Guinaifen can't help but feel nervous for her livestream audience.
"Folks, anyone getting 3D sickness? You're in for a rough ride."
[It's fine. I never get dizzy with Genshin's models.]
[Same. The more realistic it is, the dizzier I get.]
[Just stare at Mu Yang, and you won't feel dizzy.]
[It's because the streamer's too noob, taking forever to solve puzzles.]
Guinaifen throws up her hands in surrender. "I'm unbeatable, and you're blaming me?"
"Fine, I'll get serious, okay?"
[You better.]
— — — — — —
At the center of the new platform is a massive, melted hole.
"The floor… it's melted? What's down there?"
Paimon tries to fly closer but is held back by Mu Yang.
Paimon has someone to stop her, but Itto doesn't.
"That Xiao guy—is he down there? We gotta help him!"
Yelan quickly speaks up to stop him. "Wait! Something's off."
"Boss!"
Shinobu's words carry weight, and Itto doesn't jump into the hole.
Just then, a new crack appears near the group.
It's similar to the portal Mu Yang sliced open with his sword,
but unlike his, this one doesn't show the other side.
And it's much smaller.
The group furrows their brows, about to ask Mu Yang what's going on.
Itto, laughing, approaches it.
"What's in there? Don't tell me there's a real person inside? Haha… whoa!"
Xiao's figure suddenly appears, startling Itto.
"Vigilant Yaksha?!"
[That's not Xiao. Xiao's not that tall.]
[?! You, you, you!!]
[No way Xiao's taller than Itto. Impossible, absolutely impossible.]
[Xiao fans: Heartbroken, at peace.JPG]
[Hu Tao: Let me handle this!]
Itto pats his pecs. "Phew… why you gotta scare people like that!"
Paimon reaches out to touch it but can't.
"It's just an illusion."
"Mu Yang, do you know anything?"
Mu Yang says he hasn't encountered this on his journey.
When he was fighting, Xiao hadn't yet entered this domain.
"Vigilant Yaksha, can you hear us?"
"Are you okay? What's wrong?"
"Hey, bro, snap out of it!"
The group tries to communicate with Xiao's illusion, but there's no response.
Mu Yang raises his hand, seemingly using his power to stabilize the passage.
The illusion finally starts to respond, though it's still fragmented.
They can only make out the word "you."
"It spoke!"
"Oh, oh, oh!"
"We followed your voice all the way here. Didn't expect to actually find you! But it's so weird—we can't touch you… why are you a shadow?"
"Shadow?" As Mu Yang pours in more energy, Xiao's voice becomes clearer.
The illusion gradually solidifies, revealing Xiao's full form.
The group explains the situation.
Itto laughs. "We just heard you were missing, and then we heard you fighting in this weird place. Talk about luck, haha. You're not hurt, are you?"
"Luck?" Xiao pauses, then says, "Something's wrong. Mu Yang, take them and leave."
"This domain is problematic… cough, cough…"
"You're hurt. Don't push yourself. We'll come find you." Mu Yang looks to the group for their input.
Everyone agrees—knowing Xiao's situation, they can't just leave him.
Xiao doesn't want them risking themselves for him. "No, your safety is the priority. This space seems to…"
Before he can finish, the illusion and the passage vanish.
The group looks to Mu Yang.
Mu Yang shakes his head, indicating he can't sense the direction anymore.
Lumine ponders Xiao's unfinished words. "What was he saying about this space?"
The group brainstorms. "The Yaksha seemed to react when Itto mentioned 'luck.'"
Yelan rests her chin in her hand. "In other words, seeing the Vigilant Yaksha's illusion here wasn't a coincidence…"
"It's likely this space did it on purpose." Kuki Shinobu shudders as she finishes the thought.
Could this space be alive?
The idea spreads rapidly through the team's minds.
That's terrifying.
It feels like they're inside someone's body.
If it can think, aren't they just fish on a cutting board?
[Whoa, I've got goosebumps.]
[Is this a horror story now?]
[Too creepy. My cabinet moved—I'm out.]
Lumine steps forward. "There are two points that support this theory."
She agrees that the space might have its own consciousness.
First, Mu Yang's landing spot.
They all fell at the same time, yet Mu Yang ended up miles away.
By the time he rejoined them, he was exhausted.
Mu Yang is undoubtedly the team's strongest fighter.
The space intentionally isolated him, picking them off one by one.
Even if it couldn't defeat him, it forced him to expend massive energy.
Second, their complete severance from the outside world.
The hole above was sealed, preventing them from retracing their steps. They can only move forward.
Then came Xiao's illusion,
delivering news of his distress.
Concern breeds chaos.
If they act rashly, they could fall into a trap.
After Lumine's analysis, everyone's hair stands on end.
Fighting an invisible enemy is already terrifying,
let alone being enveloped by it…
But right now, to save Xiao, the only option is that entrance.
The massive hole in the center of the platform…