"It's ready, you can come down!"
Shiki finished speaking and waved towards the suspension bridge. Seeing this, Xavier put the purification device on his back, then climbed down the ladder from the suspension bridge.
"Now, it's time to test the results."
Xavier adjusted the purification device, then held the detector in his hand, pressing the switch during the countdown.
"3… 2… 1…"
Buzz!
Accompanied by a buzzing sound, the purification device began to rotate at high speed, then emitted a light beam about a person's thickness into the sky. Simultaneously, in a sight invisible to ordinary people, layer upon layer of ripples Swirl outwards.
Beep beep beep
The readings on the detector began to drop rapidly, finally stabilizing within the harmless range.
"It worked! It worked!"
Xavier danced with joy, turned off the purification device, and immediately began to inspect it.
Meanwhile, Shiki saw a different scene through her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception; the curse gods that were originally floating in the air near the blast furnace, after the purification device was activated, seemed to have grown tired of floating and landed on the ground, unmoving.
'Is this what they call inertization?'
Shiki squatted down and gently touched the ground, which had a slightly different texture than the soil of Narukami Island. Perhaps related to Orobas's clearance, the ground here had a high moisture content and a damp, salty smell.
Although the curse gods could not be completely removed, once they were inert, they would no longer infect living beings on their own, much like a virus refrigerated in a laboratory; as long as it wasn't thawed, no infection would occur.
At this moment, Xavier finished inspecting the purification device and, unfortunately, found some minor flaws. It was fine for small areas like this, but it wouldn't hold up in the core zone.
"It seems one isn't quite enough. I'll have to make two more," Xavier said.
"Then when can you make them?"
"Including the improvement time, it'll be done by three in the afternoon at the latest. With reinforced bearings and three devices purifying interactively, the calculated data shows absolutely no problem!"
"What about the crystallized marrow?"
"I still have half of what you gave me last time; it's enough."
Shiki was relieved to hear this, grateful she had collected a whole bag just in case, otherwise she would have had to make another trip to Yashiori Island today.
As for why the first one needed half the amount while two now would be completely sufficient, it was obvious Xavier had used one portion for data analysis first!
"Um..."
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Shiki looked at the suddenly hesitant Xavier with some confusion.
"I've discovered something quite awkward. The curse Archon protection device seems like it won't last until I get back," Xavier scratched his head, a sheepish smile on his face.
"So? Since you brought it up, there must be a solution, right?"
"That's right, so could you help me find three Electrograna? These things are the batteries for the protection device."
..."Alright, wait for me here for a bit."
After a moment of silence, Shiki nodded, then transformed into lightning and plunged into the Thunder calamity.
Compared to the movement speed of an Thunder Sphere, this method was a bit slower, but the advantage was high maneuverability, allowing her to change direction freely.
Thunder Spheres were more suitable for aerial movement, as she truly couldn't fly.
Electrograna were very easy to find; Inazuma was full of them. In less than five minutes, three Electrograna appeared in Shiki's sleeve.
Returning to the blast furnace, Shiki reached into her sleeve, then pulled out the Electrograna and handed them to Xavier.
"Here, the three Electrograna you wanted."
"This should be fine. Let's head back!"
Xavier said, opening the back cover of the badge protection device and pouring out the dim, gray Electrograna inside, then inserting the three new ones.
"Can you tell me about Fontaine, your homeland?" On the way back, Shiki asked about Fontaine.
"Fontaine, huh..." Xavier pondered for a moment: "Actually, I come from a small town called Petrichor. While Fontaine is technologically advanced, the gap between the countryside and the cities is quite large."
"Moreover, due to the many factories, the sky can be foggy at times. Of course, that's only a small portion of the time; most of the weather is quite good."
Listening to Xavier's description, Shiki inevitably thought of the famous Foggy City, both being polluted due to industry.
However, in Teyvat, there was the Hydro Archon who could purify, which is why, as Xavier said, the weather was clear most of the time.
Of course, it also didn't rule out the possibility of continuous rain, like in the Pure Water Spirit's territory, referencing the thunderstorms surrounding Inazuma's outer sea; this was entirely possible.
Just like Pain in Naruto, turning rainwater into his eyes to observe the entire country, thereby ensuring the absolute impartiality of the court.
Fontaine was a country that highly valued law; Shiki had learned this early on from the [Footprints] PV. However, according to the riddle-speaking Dainsleif, the current Hydro Archon was very likely on the side of the Heavenly Principles.
It was possible that when the Traveler arrived in Fontaine, he would be arrested. Shiki could already imagine the chaotic scene in Fontaine.
However, it was too early to think about such things now. The Traveler had only just finished his journey through Liyue and Mondstadt, and had just gained a foothold in Inazuma. The next stop was Sumeru, and only then would it be Fontaine.
Moreover, Shiki also planned to travel out of Inazuma to see other countries. On Earth, she didn't have the financial means, and it would be a shame not to properly experience different cultures and landscapes now that she was in another world.
After bidding farewell to Xavier, Shiki came to Inazuma City, ordered a pot of Sakura Tea at Uyuu Restaurant, chose a seat, and began waiting for the afternoon.
Her stunning beauty attracted the attention of many diners to this lone girl, but no one dared to approach her, as it seemed that after her battle with Domon, she had gained the title of Inazuma's strongest swordswoman.
Shiki didn't care for such titles, but it wasn't a bad thing either; at least no one bothered her anymore.
However, things did not go as she wished. Just as Shiki was savoring the tea, which was similar to Earth's, a young man sat down in front of her.
"You have three seconds to disappear from my sight," Shiki said, staring at the tea in her cup without lifting her head.
"Master, please accept me as your disciple!" the young man shouted, instantly drawing the attention of everyone on the first floor.
However, Shiki merely counted in a calm voice.
"Three..."
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