There was no doubt—the same thought appeared simultaneously in both women's minds.
So this was the source.
All the abnormalities occurring near Inazuma—the clustering monsters, their growing aggression, the attacks on travelers—
everything was connected to Kanriah.
But then an even more terrifying fact struck Raiden Makoto and Saiguu:
This catastrophe wasn't local.
Its reach was absurd—
spreading across all Seven Nations,
practically engulfing the entire continent of Teyvat.
According to reports from reconnaissance teams abroad,
similar anomalies were occurring everywhere.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Raiden Makoto took up her writing brush and began drafting orders.
Given the current situation, staying in Kanriah was far too dangerous.
She would recall all Inazuman envoys stationed there immediately.
No matter what, she had to protect her people first.
Luo Li agreed wholeheartedly.
While Makoto wrote, he turned to the guards outside the chamber and issued an order:
"Summon Chiyo of the Mikoshi Clan, Takamine, and the others to appear before me."
Now that Kanriah's hidden threat had surfaced, he no longer needed to maneuver in secret.
He could give open commands.
The first step was ensuring that Narukami Island itself remained free of internal threats.
If war and slaughter erupted, they must be kept offshore, minimizing casualties as much as possible.
Luo Li had a distinct feeling—
The war that would annihilate Kanriah was approaching.
Meanwhile — The Ancient Nation of Kanriah
Black Sun emblems covered the land.
If this continued, planting the Black Sun banner across all of Teyvat might not be impossible.
A nation powerful enough to challenge the gods was now facing numerous troubles.
Because of the spreading curse and rumors,
resistance toward the mysterious subterranean forces began to spread among the citizens.
If the Court's high council intervened—whether good or bad—they could suppress the unrest.
But strangely,
the upper echelons had taken no action at all.
Walking through the city, Dainsleif—known as the Twilight Sword, recently returned from the White Night Kingdom—
felt a flicker of doubt for the first time regarding the righteousness of his actions.
He wanted to understand what the alchemist "Gold" was doing.
More importantly, he needed to know the intentions of the Court.
However, since his mission to the White Night Kingdom had failed,
he had been reprimanded by his liege.
Though the punishment wasn't severe,
reentering the Court's internal affairs had become extremely difficult.
With his mood heavy and no answers forthcoming,
Dainsleif decided to ask the source directly—
Rheindottir the Golden.
They had met by chance in the past and maintained a relationship better than mere acquaintances.
Once he made up his mind, he abruptly changed direction, heading toward a secluded region outside the Court.
Contrary to what most would imagine,
Rheindottir's laboratory was not near the palace,
but isolated in a barren, deserted place.
Even with Kanriah's advanced alchemy,
failure was always possible—
and failure by someone like Rheindottir could result in catastrophic consequences.
After nearly half an hour, Dainsleif arrived at his destination.
At first glance, the location seemed unremarkable—just a facility deep underground.
There were no guards,
and he entered easily—too easily.
This alone startled him.
But once he stepped inside,
a faint, ominous feeling enveloped him.
Frowning, Dainsleif pushed forward.
His need for answers outweighed his instinctual unease.
The mechanisms that used to guard the corridors were dim and lifeless.
The clockwork sentinels didn't move—
it was as if the entire path to the inner laboratory had been deliberately opened.
After who knew how long,
a strange glow appeared ahead.
"What… is that?"
He quickened his pace.
The narrow darkness gave way to an immense underground cavern—
as if a giant pipeline had been sliced open.
Dainsleif froze in shock.
Countless incubation chambers—large and small—stood across the ground,
filled with thick, viscous green fluid.
Pipes extended everywhere, linking into unknown depths.
The sight drew him in—
but nothing was more overwhelming than the massive chamber at the center.
A capsule towering nearly a hundred meters tall.
Inside it coiled a monstrous black dragon-like creature,
its back and tail bristling with vicious, jagged spines.
Even dormant,
its mere presence radiated a dreadful pressure
that made Dainsleif's skin crawl.
"That thing… is alive?"
In the dead silence, his whisper echoed throughout the cavern.
At that moment, the figure standing beneath the massive incubator turned around.
Only now did Dainsleif notice someone else was here—
and their eyes met.
A woman, with cold features and a strict, austere air.
"Dain?"
She seemed mildly surprised to see anyone here,
much less someone familiar.
"Rheindottir… what are you doing?"
Realizing Dainsleif knew nothing,
Rheindottir glanced at him a few times
before returning her gaze to her project.
"As you can see,
I am completing a sub-branch of alchemical studies—
the creation of life.
It is almost finished."
Without her touching anything,
the gigantic dragon inside the incubator twitched slightly,
and several massive bubbles rose within the fluid.
A chill crawled across Dainsleif's skin—
he couldn't tell if it was from fear or the cold air.
"You haven't told me why you came."
Rheindottir continued working, not looking back.
"I came to ask about the strange events happening in Kanriah.
Rumor says… they're connected to you, so—"
"I see."
Her reaction was minimal.
Eyes stayed fixed on the incubator, analyzing its current condition.
Dainsleif hesitated.
"You have nothing you want to say?"
"No."
To a master alchemist like Rheindottir,
nothing mattered except her work.
Her answer frustrated Dainsleif.
He tried to speak again—
"It's complete."
"…What?"
With her sudden declaration,
he instinctively followed her gaze upward, toward the massive incubation chamber—
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