ICISEI Episode 186: Sumeru void terminal (X) // Huge computer creature? (√)
『 "Sigh, I told you guys this a long time ago," Nahida's voice, tinged with helplessness, entered their ears. "You two are special. Others can't see me, or Miss Dunyarzad."
But at this instant, Dehya showed a curious expression towards the empty space in front of her, and then her gaze shifted to the seemingly empty sickbed.
Her eyes flickered with confusion, as if she was studying what secret was hidden in the bed, unwilling to look away for a long time.
Time quietly slipped away…
Finally, she uttered a surprising sentence: "Wait, is it there?"
As if she had caught an unusual clue. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Dehya, can you see Dunyarzad?" ]
[ Dehya (Genshin Impact): "Probably not…" ]
[ Nahida (Genshin Impact): "Oh? This is a talent, too. Even without seeing, she can know Dunyarzad's location." ]
[ Nahida (Genshin Impact): "Congratulations, you've found someone who can help you." ]
[ Nilou (Genshin Impact): "Are we saved this time?" ]
[ Chika Fujiwara (Love Is War): "Amazing!" ]
[ Narumi Akiko (Kamen Rider): "Sugoi." ]
[ Chitanda Eru (Hyouka): "I'm very curious, what happened?" ]
[ Philip (Kamen Rider): "Curiosity + 1" ]
[ Aki Tomoya (Saekano): "Could it be that this is the legendary perception of a mercenary?" ]
[ .....]
『 "Wait, you can see Dunyarzad now?" Lumine stared in surprise at Dehya, who was acting strangely.
Just now, she firmly insisted she couldn't see Nahida and Dunyarzad lying on the bed.
How could she suddenly say it with certainty a few minutes later?
"Oh? Such powerful perception, truly rare!" Nahida also cast a curious glance.
"Could it be that you've grown an invisible antenna?"
However, Nahida's words failed to attract Dehya's attention—she didn't hear them at all.
Her gaze remained fixed on the bed, where Dunyarzad lay quietly.
"Is Dunyarzad here? How is she doing now?"
Although Dehya seemed to be able to sense Dunyarzad's presence on the bed, in her eyes, there was still nothing there.
To understand the truth, she could only turn to Lumine, who clearly knew.
"Sigh, she's seriously ill, almost unconscious." Paimon helplessly explained Dunyarzad's current situation, then curiously looked at Dehya. "By the way, how did you know she was on this bed?"
Even though she couldn't see, she could accurately perceive Dunyarzad's presence, which was indeed intriguing.
"Because…" Dehya's eyes were complex as she slowly explained, "I seem to be able to feel her aura, intertwined with regret and unwillingness. What story is hidden behind all of this?"
After hearing this, Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances.
They hadn't expected that Dehya could capture so much information just by this peculiar feeling.
Regret and unwillingness naturally referred to the incident at the Sabzeruz Festival.
The Dance of the Sabzeruz Festival was interrupted by that hateful Grand Sage. How could Dunyarzad, full of anticipation, not feel doubt and disappointment? 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Dunyarzad was full of anticipation for the Sabzeruz Festival, but she just happened to encounter such bad luck." ]
[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "It's truly despicable!" ]
[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "Who exactly dragged this beautiful day into an endless loop?" ]
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "By the way, what are those little gadgets on your ears? Some new treasure?" ]
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "Everyone has one, even the Traveler and her companion." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Oh yeah!" ]
[ Tighnari (Genshin Impact): "That's called an Akasha Terminal. In Sumeru, everyone has one of these high-tech devices. Depending on each person's identity, it can provide corresponding knowledge and information." ]
[ Tighnari (Genshin Impact): "When Sumeru residents come of age, they can learn more knowledge through this little thing, it's super convenient! Legend has it that it's a masterpiece created by the God of Wisdom…" ]
[ Himeko (Honkai: Star Rail): "That seems like a really useful tool." ]
[ The Herta (Honkai: Star Rail): "However, I think the safety of this thing needs to be considered." ]
[ The Herta (Honkai: Star Rail): "If it's directly connected to this location, it would be very convenient to do whatever one wants." ]
[ Kirigaya Kazuto (Sword Art Online): "….." ]
[ .....]
『 "Now you finally believe what we said, right? The Sabzeruz Festival is indeed repeating constantly." Paimon breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that Dehya finally believed them.
Fortunately, Dehya herself noticed the unusualness of the situation; otherwise, they wouldn't know how to solve this puzzle.
It was truly a blessing in disguise; even Nahida was greatly surprised by it.
Once the bridge of trust was established, both parties quickly began discussing the operation.
…..Discussion in full swing…..
The three quickly shared the information they had, and Dehya also freely expressed her insights.
"You mean, all of this could be the work of the Sages?" Paimon looked at Dehya in surprise, because this meant that the Grand Sages of the Akademiya, who held great power, had orchestrated the entire event.
But weren't those people from the Akademiya the rulers of Sumeru?
As leaders, how could they be so cruel to their own citizens?
This didn't seem logical, did it?
Dehya's lips curled into a mocking smile as she slowly explained the reason: "You're right, the Sages have always been against us, though I'm not sure if they would specifically choose this day to mess with the Akasha Terminal."
This well-founded analysis, coupled with countless past instances of witnessing the Grand Sage's actions, gradually led Paimon and Lumine to accept this view.
"Thinking about it carefully, you're right. Such a large-scale bizarre event, in Sumeru, besides the gods, only the Sages of the Akademiya could accomplish it." After Paimon finished speaking, her gaze couldn't help but fall on the emerald green adornment on everyone's ears.
"Could it be that this Akasha device hides some unknown secret?"
The two confused individuals placed their hopes on the little god present: "Nahida, how much do you know about the Akasha? Can you tell us anything?"
"Oh yeah, last time you helped us awaken our memories, it was like pouring water into our brains to instill knowledge. You must have quite a bit of research on the Akasha, right?" Paimon suddenly recalled that not long ago, Nahida had helped them recover all their forgotten memories.
The thing she took out back then must have been related to the Akasha, after all, it could store so many of their memories!
Facing their expectations, Nahida pondered for a moment, then revealed an important secret about the Akasha:
"The Akasha operates relying on the Gnosis. It is the concrete manifestation of the God of Wisdom's power, gathering the wisdom of all people and bestowing this knowledge upon the populace."…
With just that brief sentence, Nahida clarified the close connection between the Dendro Gnosis and the Akasha. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "What?!" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "So your Gnosis was used as the operating device for the Akasha Terminal!" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Then it's possible that the Grand Sages did this. Only the power of a god can accomplish such a thing." ]
[ Xingqiu (Genshin Impact): "But why do they need to make you fall into a loop?" ]
[ Nahida (Genshin Impact): "Keep watching." ]
[ .....]
『 Paimon was greatly astonished upon hearing this: "Eh? Gnosis? So Sumeru's Gnosis is used to drive the Akasha? Is there such a usage? No wonder this Akasha system is so magical!"
However, Dehya, who was beside them, was utterly confused by their conversation, completely unable to keep up with the rhythm, only seeing them suddenly talking excitedly about incomprehensible things.
Especially words like "Gnosis," which were like an arcane text to her!
"Uh, what exactly did Nahida say just now?" A bewildered Dehya couldn't help but ask.
Paimon then realized Dehya was present and briefly reiterated Nahida's words:
"She said the Akasha is driven by the Gnosis, symbolizing the power of the God of Wisdom. It compiles everyone's wisdom and shares this wisdom with everyone."
Upon hearing this, Dehya pondered: "Compiling everyone's wisdom and then transmitting it to people?… Wait a minute!"
Although Dehya didn't know what a Gnosis was, she became deeply interested in the "compiling and transmitting wisdom" mentioned later, seemingly realizing something unusual.
Seeing Dehya's sudden action, the confused Lumine couldn't help but ask curiously, "Did you think of something?"
After all, Dehya, as a native, might know some unknown secrets compared to them, two outsiders.
"Giving knowledge to the people, that's easy to understand. People in Sumeru are used to getting the knowledge they need from the Akasha." Dehya finished speaking, her brows furrowed slightly, revealing a hint of doubt. "But what does it mean to integrate the wisdom of all people? That's truly baffling." 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Xingqiu (Genshin Impact): "Miss Dehya is so smart, she went straight to the crucial point." ]
[ Dunyarzad Homayani (Genshin Impact): "I told you, Dehya is very smart." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "What does this integration of wisdom mean?" ]
[ Yelan (Genshin Impact): "Integrating wisdom, gathering everyone's wisdom in one place?" ]
[ .....]
『 "You mean, could it be that the Sages input their own knowledge into the Akasha system?" Paimon whispered her opinion from the side.
But this was immediately denied by Lumine: "It shouldn't be like that. Most of the knowledge in the Akasha comes from the Irminsul."
This question had long been settled and was clearly not the answer to their current confusion.
"Now that you mention it, that actually makes sense. So, do you have any other ideas?" Paimon seemed a bit helpless.
At this moment, Lumine began a new train of thought: "We haven't thought for long, but our heads feel unusually tired. What's going on?"
After thinking for a moment, she shared her doubts with everyone present.
"Are you saying that the Akasha is causing mental fatigue? When I pay close attention, I also seem to notice an unusual sense of mental exhaustion."
Dehya carefully felt it and also felt a little tired. "I remember when the people of the desert sought knowledge, the Sages once told them, 'Knowledge is never free.'"
"Could it be that the phrase 'integrating the wisdom of all people' means that the Akasha uses our brains for computation?"
Dehya's tone was calm, but she put forward a startling speculation. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Ooyama Minori: "Gathering the wisdom of all people, wait, doesn't that mean that thing directly becomes a giant biological computer?" ]
[ The Herta (Honkai: Star Rail): "Interesting." ]
[ Jing Yuan (Honkai: Star Rail): "Oh? A giant biological computer, in a backward world, can actually do such a thing." ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "It's really… to hear others say our world is backward." ]
[ Jing Yuan (Honkai: Star Rail): "Apologies." ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "It's fine. At least we know where our future lies. After all, perhaps in the future, we will enter an era of human governance." ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "And you have also shown us what the future of human governance looks like." ]
[ .....]
『 Although Lumine had a vague idea in her mind, she still scratched her head in confusion, unable to imagine how such powerful magic could silently borrow their brains to do things.
"What clever move did that enigmatic Akasha system pull to quietly take control of our knowledge?" She was full of questions.
Heh, I'm a Traveler who has crossed various worlds. A mere behind-the-scenes manipulator dares to play these games with me? Just you wait, once you fall into my hands, you won't even find peace in your dreams!
"Who can say for sure about this. Since the Akasha can let you learn desired knowledge out of thin air, using our little brains must not be a problem, right?" Dehya softly whispered, throwing out her guess.
But when it came to the specifics of how it worked, Dehya herself was stumped. After a long pause, she could only give a wry smile and shake her head:
"As for how it's specifically done, we're also completely clueless."
"What good does doing this do?" Paimon tilted her head slightly, confusion written across her face. After all, everything has a reason, whether it's for wealth, something treasured, or a grand purpose.
Paimon couldn't figure out the motive behind invading someone else's mind and taking some information for no reason.
However, Dehya, as the source of this whimsical idea, had a new thought flash in her mind:
"Let's think from another perspective. If we can gather the wisdom of all people in Sumeru, that would be equivalent to creating a super brain, one that's incredibly intelligent."
"If we encounter a problem that even the smartest minds can't solve, then such a vast intelligent entity would be needed to brainstorm, and the problem would solve itself."
Dehya slowly articulated her hypothesis. As soon as her voice fell, everyone was stunned, speechless by this bold idea.
The wisdom of all people converged into a vast treasure trove of knowledge, used to overcome challenges that everyday problem-solving couldn't handle.
Nahida nodded involuntarily after hearing this concept, her approval evident. "Indeed brilliant, especially the analogy of comparing the wisdom of all Sumeru's citizens to a merged brain; it deeply resonates with me."
"Well, if that's the case, let's quickly take off the Akasha Terminal. Maybe that will solve the problem?" Paimon suggested.
Lumine, however, looked doubtful: "I always feel like things aren't that simple. If it were that easy, someone would have tried removing this ear ornament after countless loops."
The fact that they were still in a loop indicated that this method might be ineffective.
Of course, it was also possible that this was the first time they had linked it to the ear ornament.
"Yeah, I was just wearing this thing for show. I didn't expect the Sages to scheme against me here. After this is over, I must find evidence and expose this matter to the public!"
Dehya directly took off her Akasha Terminal, and Lumine and Paimon followed suit.
After taking them off, Paimon curiously looked at the two: "How do you feel?"
Paimon herself seemed unaffected, regardless of whether Lumine and Dehya felt anything.
"Speaking of which, I also noticed something." Lumine suddenly thought of something.
Paimon asked Lumine what she had thought of.
"I remember hearing a 'beep' sound every night before going to sleep." 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "The Traveler has even thought of this, truly worthy of being the Traveler." ]
[ Lumine (Genshin Impact): "Worthy of me." ]
[ .....]
『 "That's right! I remember it too." Paimon suddenly realized. "It was a subtle and distant sound coming from the Akasha ear ornament."
Dehya seemed to catch the key: "Was that sound the Akasha ear ornament operating?"
Lumine's memory was also awakened: "Indeed, in Port Ormos, we also encountered similar strange sounds."
"This also seems to be a very important clue. We clearly didn't operate the Akasha, yet we could hear this sound." Paimon chewed on past events, full of confusion. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Port Ormos, where else have we been? What kind of place is it?" ]
[ Alhaitham (Genshin Impact): "It's our largest port in Sumeru." ]
[ Xiangling (Genshin Impact): "How does it compare to our Liyue Harbor?" ]
[ Alhaitham (Genshin Impact): "Liyue Harbor is the largest seaport in all of Teyvat. Of course, it can't compare." ]
[ Ningguang (Genshin Impact): "That's right, Liyue Harbor under the guidance of Rex Lapis is the most prosperous." ]
[ Zhongli (Genshin Impact): "....." ]
[ .....]
『 In the scene, while everyone was still thinking.
"beep—"
"What's going on?!" Lumine felt something was wrong.
"Did you hear that, Traveler!" Paimon was also a little flustered. 』
『 .....』