"The problem lies in the source of power used to modify the heart."
Lisa spoke as she lifted the manuscript she and Lin Mo had written together, reading it carefully.
"You mentioned that Khaenri'ah's bio-alchemy draws its power from ley line energy.
So when we performed the heart modification surgery on Xiao Hei,
we chose a material imbued with ley line power—the Ley Line Sprout left behind after an Abyss Mage's death."
"Although it is still ley line energy,
it's tainted by the Abyss's vile and corrupt aura."
"Even someone as powerful as Dvalin became violent and unstable after being contaminated by the Abyss—
let alone a little dog."
…
Lisa's explanation struck Lin Mo like a thunderbolt of enlightenment.
"That's it… the ley line power wasn't pure, which caused Xiao Hei's personality to change."
"So that means…"
"If we could use clean, pure ley line energy…"
Lin Mo grasped the key point instantly.
"So—we succeeded~"
Lisa's beautiful eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled.
A full month of effort.
At last, the two of them had succeeded.
They had finally recreated the "Super Heart" technology from years ago.
From now on, she would no longer suffer from the constant drain on her life force.
And Mondstadt's military strength would dominate all of Teyvat thanks to this technology.
"But… pure ley line energy isn't easy to find, is it?"
Lin Mo frowned.
"Mm, that's true," Lisa nodded.
"The gods of Celestia detest the aura of the ley lines.
That's why they destroyed the ancient kingdom where Dragonspine stands, and why they annihilated Khaenri'ah."
"On top of that, the Abyss Order has been collecting ley line energy all across Teyvat."
"So there isn't much pure ley line energy left on the continent."
…
"Yeah… that's true," Lin Mo said with a nod.
"At this rate, mass deployment of this technology in the army will still be difficult."
Then his tone shifted.
He smiled at Lisa.
"But if it's just to find enough ley line energy for your surgery, Sister, that shouldn't be hard."
"Oh? You've grown thoughtful, little brother~"
Lisa gazed at him, her eyes filled with warmth and gratitude.
The reason she was so lazy and carefree—
even dozing off while working in the library—
was because of the immense life force she had burned through back when she was the Witch of Purple Rose.
Unlike Rosalyne, she didn't have a Delusion mask to slow the loss of her vitality.
She could only rely on rest to reduce the drain on her life.
She never imagined that a problem which had plagued her for years
would be solved by this once-unruly little brother she met in a dream.
"You've always been so good to me. This is only right," Lin Mo replied matter-of-factly.
He didn't want to see Lisa continue suffering either.
"Then how should this sister repay such a great kindness?"
Lisa's crimson lips parted slightly.
Her lazy tone carried a faint hint of teasing.
Lin Mo jumped in alarm.
He knew it—this sister was definitely trying to make him say something embarrassing!
"Ahem… repay me? There's no need for that," he said quickly.
"If anything, after a month of nonstop work, just give me a day off!"
"Alright, alright~"
"You just want to see your beloved Eula, don't you~?"
Lisa saw right through him and waved her hand casually.
"Go on, go on. After working day and night for a whole month, you deserve some rest."
"Thanks! You should rest too, Sister. I'm heading out!"
With that, Lin Mo bolted out of Lisa's laboratory.
"Phew… mature women are dangerous," he muttered, letting out a long breath.
Under normal circumstances, being around Lisa was actually quite comfortable.
But what he feared most was that warm, teasing voice of hers.
Like just now.
Even knowing full well that nothing could happen between them,
his mind still couldn't help but wander.
Maybe that was the charm of a mature woman.
Fortunately, he had already left the lab.
Now that he was back at the Knights of Favonius headquarters,
he wouldn't have to face Lisa's irresistible allure anymore.
"Oh? Mr. Ganqing, you're finally done with your work?"
A knight on duty greeted him with a smile.
"Mm, thanks for your hard work," Lin Mo replied with a nod.
Then he asked, "By the way, I don't see Acting Grand Master Jean in her office. Where did she go?"
"Grand Master Jean? She went to Falcon Coast," the knight answered quickly.
"It seems she's overseeing preparations for the construction of Eagle Harbor."
"Oh? That fast," Lin Mo said.
He knew this was one of the key policies in the dream that would propel Mondstadt's commerce forward.
Since Jean was busy, Lin Mo asked instead,
"Then where are Noelle, Eula, Klee, and the Honorary Knight?"
"Oh? You knew they were together?"
The knight looked surprised.
"They left together this morning for Dragonspine, saying they wanted to look for Mr. Albedo."
"To find Albedo? For what?" Lin Mo asked curiously.
"Well… it doesn't seem like anything urgent…"
"I heard the Honorary Knight and Paimon wanted to ask Mr. Albedo to make some kind of device…"
"One that can preserve fresh fruit for a long time, I think."
"Since Miss Eula and Amber are familiar with Dragonspine, they offered to guide them.
Noelle and Klee thought they were going on a mountain vacation, so they tagged along."
"Um… that's basically it."
…
Lin Mo's expression darkened.
When did Lumine get to know Albedo?
Could it be that after resolving the dragon crisis, she went wandering around Dragonspine and cleared that storyline too?
But wasn't the Rite of Descension in Liyue only a few days away?
How do they still have the leisure to go to Dragonspine and mess around with fruit-preserving devices?!
No.
He had to push them—make sure they headed to Liyue as soon as possible.
They might not be in a hurry to progress the story,
but he was in a hurry to see Rosalyne.
But at that moment, a thought struck him.
"Dragonspine…"
"Durin…"
"Albedo…"
In an instant, everything clicked.
Wasn't Dragonspine one of the most critical ley line nodes in all of Teyvat?
Why did Rhinedottir create the dragon Durin there?
Because Dragonspine is one of the regions where ley line energy is most abundant!
Why is Albedo's laboratory on Dragonspine?
Because Albedo himself is an artificial human created through bio-alchemy!
The ley line energy of Dragonspine perfectly sustains his existence and actions.
"…Looks like this trip to Dragonspine is unavoidable after all."
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T/N:
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