On the cover.
The more beautiful Rukkhadevata looked, and the more dreamlike the great tree was, the more miserable Gu Chen appeared in contrast.
[Nilou]: What happened to Mr. Gu Chen in this lifetime? Just looking at it hurts my heart! (Klee. Pout)
[Collei]: It's all Master Tighnari's fault for making me look at the keywords—ahhhh… I have a terrible, terrible feeling about this!! (Diona. Annoyed)
[Tighnari]: Hey, you can't blame me. The theme and keywords are right there—it's hard not to notice. (Qiqi. Collapse)
[Ganyu]: This feels… familiar. (Ganyu. Don't Pat Me)
[Paimon]: Paimon is already starting to feel bad!!
(Photo: Paimon hugging half of Gu Chen's head sympathetically while tugging his hair; Gu Chen's face full of dark lines)
[Gu Chen]: …You really don't have to do that. (Qiqi. Collapse)
[Heizou]: Question: what's the current situation of the Great Compassion Tree King?
[Nahida]: Unfortunately… the Great Compassion Tree King has long since passed. (Hydro Fungus. Cry)
[Nilou]: Ever since five hundred years ago, the Tree King fell. After that, the Sages retrieved the Little Lucky Grass King.
Speaking of which, I've never seen Her Majesty the Little Lucky Grass King before! (Paimon. Shock)
[Alhaitham]: Indeed. I've never seen her either. It seems no citizen of Sumeru has ever met the young Archon.
[Cyno]: No impression.
[Tighnari]: Some people know she exists, but no one has seen her… And given Sumeru's system, even if the Archon doesn't appear publicly, nothing changes.
So naturally, the Little Lucky Grass King faded from public view.
[Furina]: So, is the Little Lucky Grass King in the group? (Nahida. Curious)
[Nahida]: The sticker you're using right now is her. (Nahida. Thinking)
[Kaeya]: Huh?! You're the second Dendro Archon?! (Venti. Shock)
[Venti]: Goodness… with that avatar, I thought she was around Klee's size—totally didn't expect this! (Paimon. Shock)
[Klee]: Eh? So being the same size as Klee means you're already a big Archon? (Klee. Yay)
[Dori]: Eh??
[Nilou]: Aaaaaah!! I—I am a devotee of the Little Lucky Grass King!!! (Insane) (Distorted Crawling)
[Collei]: Miss Nilou, please don't lose yourself!! (Collei. No Response)
[Alhaitham]: Well, now we know.
[Cyno]: So every day in our chat, one of the people talking is actually the Little Lucky Grass King. (Cyno. Sweat)
[Furina]: Unbelievable!
[Nahida]:(Nahida. Thinking)
[Paimon]: Nahida, do you know about the Great Compassion Tree King? As the second Dendro Archon, you must be familiar with the first, right? (Expectant)
[Nahida]: Umm… I don't know that much. Apep probably knows far more. (Collei. No Response)
[Azhdaha]: @Apep
[Apep]: ?
[Kaeya]: Big guy, tell us about the First Dendro Archon! (Klee. Please!)
[Furina]: Our early understanding depends on you! (Klee. It's You!)
[Nilou]:(Klee. Please!)
[Apep]: First of all, I am not male. Second…
Why aren't you all asking the Tyrant of the Skies?
[Paimon]: Tyrant of the Skies? Who?
[Zhongli]: Speaking from universal rationality, that refers to my superior.
[Venti]: Yep~ The big boss living in the sky~
[Paimon]: Oh—the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles. Why is she called "Tyrant of the Skies"?
[Neuvillette]: Hmm…
[Heavenly Principles]: If you want to know about the Great Compassion Tree King, I suggest you simply watch the video.
[Kaeya]: Smells like a riddler. (Confirmed.)
[Venti]: Yo, very familiar phrasing.
[Lumine]: I know, right? Venti always does this—ask him something, and he tells you to "go explore" and "experience it yourself"! Riddlers are all like this! (Keqing. I Refuse)
[Paimon]: Can riddlers PLEASE get out of Teyvat?! (Angry)
[Heizou]: Since the Sustainer won't speak, we'll analyze based on the video.
Alright everyone—the video is starting!
The Video Begins
Kreeee—
A crimson hawk swept across the sky.
Crossing endless desert, it entered a sparse woodland area.
The hawk dove, launching a sudden attack on a rabbit drinking by a pool.
It seized the rabbit, dropped it from a great height, then landed beside the corpse to feed.
[Nilou]: Is this Sumeru?
[Dehya]: Not sure, but that desert certainly looks like it… an endless sea of sand. (Dehya. Flowers)
[Collei]: If that hawk crossed the boundary between desert and rainforest, then since there are trees and a water pool here—and I see water flow farther out—this should be the rainforest side…
But the trees are so sparse!
[Nahida]: I remember the Great Compassion Tree King created the rainforest. This area wouldn't count as a rainforest yet. (Nahida. Thinking)
[Tighnari]: Correct.
[Xingqiu]: Hard to imagine humans living in Sumeru then… breathing in that sand with every breath must feel horrible. (Paimon. Shock)
[Cyno]: That's not the point.
[Kaeya]: Then what is the point?
[Cyno]: The point is… desert sand burns your feet. (Seriously Certain)
[Furina]: Your angle is so strange—but yeah, imagining that blazing desert heat is tough. (Paimon. Shock)
[Neuvillette]: Just looking at it makes me not want to go. (Neuvillette. Elegant)
[Kokomi]: Judging from the hawk's flight path, ancient Sumeru's environment was truly harsh… The Tree King's creation of the rainforest was a monumental achievement! (Keqing. Thumbs Up)
[Jean]: Now that you mention it, ancient environments everywhere were terrible. In old Mondstadt, the land was pale as bone, snow everywhere—you could freeze to death at any time.
[Chongyun]: Seems like only ancient Liyue was slightly better? (Paimon. Shock)
[Gu Chen]: You really don't consider the hordes of demons and monsters as environmental hazards?
[Chongyun]: Ah… right.
[Baizhu]: Such a vast area… seems no humans lived there yet.
[Ei]: None visible.
[Nilou]: It's coming!
In the video—
The hawk suddenly raised its head warily.
A gust of sandstorm blew in; the clear pool was covered, small creatures fled in panic.
As the wind settled, the hawk continued feeding.
Moments later, it snapped its head toward another direction.
A figure was walking through the billowing desert.
Growing closer… and clearer.
Under the blazing sun, heat shimmered across the golden sands.
Yet the man seemed unaffected—walking calmly, unhurried.
[Nilou]: It's Mr. Gu Chen! The protagonist has arrived!
[Collei]: Yay!
Under the scorching sunlight, Gu Chen's short hair looked crisp and clean-cut.
He wore a black long coat draped over his shoulders.
Inside: a light-colored shirt, black trousers, and matte leather shoes.
[Kaeya]: Great, great—another heroic entrance, huh? (Nahida. Pointing)
[Venti]: At least he looks miserable on the cover. Very sympathy-provoking.
(Zhongli. Dragon-Smile)
[Azhdaha]: Come quickly, mock him! (Azhdaha. Roar)
[Gu Chen]: I'm remembering all three of you. Report to the Taixuan Sect for sweeping duty. (Hu Tao. Bad Grin)
[Paimon]: Why is Gu Chen always so handsome in every entrance scene? (Keqing. Question)
[Gu Chen]: Because I'm just naturally this handsome~ (Hu Tao. Cute Pose)
[Kaeya]: This video has definitely been beautified. My suspect? Gu Chen himself! (Hu Tao. Bad Grin)
[Furina]: No doubt. Absolutely done by him! (Certain)
[Lumine]: Stop slandering my husband. My husband is the most handsome at any moment! (Klee. Yay)
[Prince]: Lumine… you're starting to scare me. (Shaking head)
[Lumine]: Of course I'm different now—I'm married. (Paimon. Hmph)
[Kaeya]:(Mischief)
[Gu Chen]: Brother-in-law? Why so silent? (Hu Tao. Bad Grin)
[Heizou]: Gu Chen is heading through the desert toward the rainforest… The Tree King hasn't appeared yet. Judging from the sparse vegetation, this is before she created the rainforest—meaning the era is very ancient.
[Alhaitham]: At least two thousand years ago.
[Tighnari]: According to the Akasha System, maybe even three thousand or more.
[Nahida]: …Use the Akasha System less.
[Collei]: Huh? Why? (Nahida. Question)
[Nahida]: I… can't say. (Fungus. Afraid)
Meanwhile — In the Group Chat
Behind his bird-beak mask, Dottore raised a playful smile.
"I'll be keeping an eye on you, Little Lucky Grass King…"
"Please don't reveal our plan. At least not before it's complete. Otherwise, I can't guarantee what might happen to the citizens of Sumeru… hehe…"
His laugh made Nahida shrink with fear.
She feared what he might do to Sumeru's people.
"You're not afraid that the gods in the group will become angry if they find out? And the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles is awake!"
"The Sustainer?"
Dottore paused—then burst into laughter.
"She watched the collecting of the Gnoses, yet took no action.
You may consider that tacit approval… or simple disdain."
"In any case, the plan proceeds steadily. No need for you to worry."
"As for the other gods growing angry…"
He sighed theatrically.
"Truly something to worry about…"
"But sadly—"
"I won't let them know."
"Little Lucky Grass King… you also don't want the people of Sumeru to die from plagues and sickness, do you?"
Nahida froze.
Pure as blank paper, she had never been threatened like this.
She could only obey quietly.
"Do NOT try to private-message them~"
He pulled out a device emitting a strange aura.
"If I die or something unexpected happens, this detonates and destroys all of Sumeru City.
And this isn't the only one."
Another threat.
Nahida realized Dottore feared something—enough to layer threat upon threat.
"What are you afraid of?" she asked.
"You'll figure it out… God of Wisdom."
His smile faded the moment he turned around.
He truly was afraid.
A madman like him feared nothing—
Except the unknown.
The incomprehensible.
He once feared the Sustainer.
But now, something worse existed.
The Taixuan Sect Master—Gu Chen.
A being so unpredictable that Dottore dared not provoke him.
From observation, Gu Chen seemed uninterested in everything—only wanting to enjoy life.
That reassured Dottore.
Until the Exposure System chose Sumeru.
If anyone in Sumeru had ties to Gu Chen, then everything the Fatui were doing would be punished.
"The plan… must speed up."
The Electro Gnosis was not yet in their hands.
But the Dendro Gnosis was.
"How do I obtain the Electro… Gnosis?"
Behind the mask, his eyes narrowed.
The Little Dendro Archon could not answer.
No one else understood either.
Everyone was beginning to hate people who spoke only halfway.
[Lumine]: By the way, what exactly is the Akasha System?
[Tighnari]: Basically a system for retrieving known knowledge. If your permissions are high enough, you can find anything stored in it.
[Paimon]: That convenient?!
[Tighnari]: For Sumeru, yes. But across all Teyvat, its database is limited—so just consider it something useful only within Sumeru.
[Gu Chen]: Does the Akasha contain anything… nice to look at?
(Mischief)
[Kaeya]: Which kind? (Mischief)
[Venti]: Hey hey hey! There are kids in the group!
[Ayaka]: I didn't even notice until Venti said that—Gu Chen, what exactly are you trying to see?! (Ayaka. Shock)
[Kaeya]: Gu Chen:
"Oh? The Akasha brags so much, and I can't even look up something nice?"
[Gu Chen]: Kid, you understand me! (Mischief)
[Zhongli]: Hard to comment…
[Nilou]: What knowledge does Mr. Gu Chen want to obtain? (Paimon. Shock)
[Gu Chen]: Taboo knowledge!
(Zhongli. Dragon-Smile)
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