Kokomi's Affection had risen once more, nearly reaching Level 9—full level was not far away.
Nolan smiled and said:
"They're under control now, so they can't cause any big commotion."
As he spoke, he used his spiritual power to shred the brains of the two Bathysmal Vishap Herds, killing them effortlessly.
Adventure EXP +4355
Adventure EXP +4275
The two drakes collapsed to the ground as though they had simply fallen asleep—just a sleep that was far too final.
"Mm. Let's keep moving forward. According to the old records, the Coral Branch should be deeper in," Sangonomiya Kokomi said with a nod.
The ground below was covered in a shallow layer of water. To avoid soaking their clothes and boots, the two chose to fly instead.
They spread their Wind Gliders, and Nolan pushed them along with Anemo currents.
Passing a small islet rising from the shallow waters, they spotted two more Bathysmal Vishap Herds, though these ones were a deep blue—different from the earlier purple and icy-white pair.
Near them, wedged into a crack in the submerged stone, was an ornate treasure chest.
Though the chest likely didn't hold much, for an adventurer, the instinct to open a chest was irresistible.
Just as Nolan was about to mention it, Kokomi halted first, her sea-blue eyes fixed on the two drakes.
Nolan asked curiously,
"Something wrong with them?"
"Look at their dorsal fins—they're turning toward icy white. They're evolving," Kokomi explained plainly.
"These drakes are the original strain. They're highly adaptable—when exposed long-term to an environment rich in a particular element, they evolve.
"After evolving, most of them gain mastery over that element—like the two we encountered earlier."
Nolan glanced at their fins, indeed whitening. Could it be that they, like the Fungi, had potential for infinite evolution?
If so, they were certainly worth researching.
"A shame, really," Kokomi continued softly. "Bathysmal Vishap Herds are originally Hydro-aligned dragonkin. This kind of evolution corrupts the purity of their lineage.
"The Hydro Dragon King is unlikely to ever be born among them now."
On Teyvat there was an ancient legend:
In the primordial age, before the Archons existed, the world was ruled by seven Elemental Dragon Kings.
When one fell, or relinquished their throne, a successor would eventually emerge with time.
Bathysmal Vishap Herds, being Hydro dragonkin, should by rights have had a strong chance of producing the next Hydro Dragon King.
But once they began mutating into Electro- and Cryo-aligned forms, their bloodline was no longer pure. Naturally, no Hydro Dragon King could arise from among them.
"I see," Nolan nodded, then grinned.
"But that's actually fortunate. After all, these creatures live in Enkanomiya.
"If a Hydro Dragon King really were born from them, our great leader of Watatsumi, the Living Deity and shrine maiden, the master strategist of Sangonomiya herself… well, she'd be so on edge she'd lose sleep every night!"
"Please don't make jokes at my expense!" Kokomi protested, her tone a little sharp.
"If something like that truly happened, I wouldn't hesitate—I'd lead Watatsumi's people away from here immediately."
If a Hydro Dragon King did arise, for the sake of her people's safety, evacuation would be the only choice.
"No need to go to such trouble. If danger comes, just call for me," Nolan said with a smile.
This generation's Anemo Dragon King—Stormterror was still weakened from its battle with Durin, but the Geo Dragon King—Azhdaha—was Level 118.
If a newly born Hydro Dragon King was of similar strength, Nolan was confident he could restrain it.
"Thank you… but I can't burden you with everything."
Kokomi had indeed thought of relying on him if Watatsumi faced a crisis beyond her power—after all, he was the strongest among her allies.
But she knew she couldn't ask him to shoulder everything.
Elemental Dragon Kings were beings equal to—or stronger than—the Archons themselves. Asking Nolan to face such a foe was too dangerous.
Even if he had the strength to prevail, if he were injured… she would feel deeply guilty.
Thus, relocating Watatsumi's people would still be the wiser path.
At worst, they'd lose property, farmland, and some wealth—but that was better than standing against an elemental dragon head-on.
"It's fine. We're friends, after all."
Sensing this was the perfect moment, Nolan summoned a golden sphere of light.
"Here—this is a Waymark. You can use it to contact me anytime. If you're ever in danger, activate it, and I'll come immediately."
He gave a simple explanation of the Waymark's function.
"You're giving me something this precious…" Kokomi murmured, a faint blush rising on her pale cheeks.
She wasn't naïve. Even if Nolan had many of these, the fact remained: a Waymark meant she could reach him at any moment—and even summon him instantly.
There was no need to give such a thing to anyone, unless they were truly important.
Lowering her gaze, Kokomi stared at their reflections shimmering in the water's surface, her expression soft and unreadable.
It seemed she had run into something she wasn't good at. After hesitating a while, Kokomi finally spoke in a small voice:
"Th-then… I'll have to think it over properly. A-after all, this is such a precious gift. If I accept it, I won't be able to return anything of equal value…"
"No need to overthink it. Just treat it like Sumeru's Akasha Terminal—something that lets you contact others anytime. Mine just happens to include a teleportation function as well."
Seeing her hesitation, Nolan took her hand and placed the glowing Waymark into her palm.
"…" Looking at the star-like golden light resting in her hand, Kokomi thought of how Nolan had always done his utmost to help her, and how capable he was in so many ways.
He regarded her as a truly important friend, willing to come to her aid anytime, anywhere. And she, too, held a growing fondness for him.
Perhaps this Waymark was an opportunity—a chance for their bond to deepen further. Kokomi thought so, and once she had decided, she accepted it. The light merged into her body. With a faint smile, half in jest, she said:
"Since you've given me this, you can't go back on it. From now on, whenever I run into trouble, no matter how big or small, I'll come to you for help.
"You're not allowed to find me bothersome!"
[Sangonomiya Kokomi Has Developed Good feelings Towards You, Obtained 420 Affction Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.9 (150/900)]
Seeing the prompt on his panel, Nolan chuckled and replied:
"Of course. Even if it's something small, like finishing dinner and not wanting to wash the dishes, you can call me!"
"I'll remember you said that. From now on I'll have you wash dishes every day…"
Ah! What am I saying? Why does that sound like I'm being spoiled? The moment the words left her mouth, Kokomi regretted them inwardly.
"A-anyway, let's grab that chest and move on. We should try to secure the Coral Branch before nightfall—there's still much work waiting for me back at Sangonomiya."
She quickly shifted the subject.
"Fair enough. Let's go." Nolan lifted the ornate treasure chest from the crack in the ground with his spiritual power.
As for the two nearby drakes, he ignored them. At barely Level 30-something, they weren't worth much experience. Better to let them grow stronger first.
After all, farming experience was like fishing: you catch the big ones, but you release the small ones so they can grow. Overfishing was never wise.
Opening the ornate chest, he found the usual: some Mora, a low-star artifact or two—nothing special. He stowed it in his Wonderland realm and continued flying forward with Kokomi.
Along the way, they encountered more Bathysmal Vishap Herds. The stronger ones were dispatched for EXP; the weaker ones he ignored.
They also came across many treasure chests. After all, no one had entered Enkanomiya for centuries, so the place was rich with loot.
Nolan even found a luxurious chest, gaining two valuable purple (four-star) artifacts and a hefty sum of Mora.
They passed many ruins as well—the remnants of the people who had once lived here.
"We're now in what's called the Serpent's Bowels. The Coral Branch suppressing Enkanomiya lies in the very center," Kokomi explained.
As she spoke, they flew to the end of the Serpent's Bowels, where more ruins awaited.
There, their vision opened wide once again.
The underground expanse suddenly broadened many times over. Gray mist filled the space, and faintly visible in the haze was a colossal island suspended midair.
Brilliant radiance shone from the very top of the island, like the light of a sun.
"That must be the place recorded in the texts—the main settlement of Enkanomiya's people!" Kokomi said, awe in her voice.
She had known from the records that Enkanomiya floated in the sky—but seeing it with her own eyes was still breathtaking.
Nolan, too, was filled with wonder. The impact of the game could never compare to seeing it in reality—an island floating in midair, with a man-made sun above it!
It was easy to imagine that Enkanomiya's ancient residents had once mastered extraordinary technologies.
Still, with Mondstadt, Liyue, and Narukami so busy, leaders like Jean, Ningguang, and Yae Miko had no spare hands to send here for research.
Sumeru's scholars, however—there were plenty of them. If some grew curious, Kokomi could certainly arrange for them to study the site.
After all, a remarkable civilization had once thrived here. Leaving it unstudied would be a waste.
And since Enkanomiya lay directly beneath Sangonomiya, she could station Watatsumi soldiers to protect the scholars.
As for the stronger Bathysmal Vishap Herds and other monsters, Nolan would clear them out first, leaving only foes the soldiers could easily handle.
While he pondered these things, Kokomi gazed at the glowing "sun" atop the distant island.
"That should be the Dainichi Mikoshi. They say it can switch Enkanomiya between day and night states.
"It's at the very center. The Coral Branch suppressing the drakes should be nearby as well."
"Oh? Then it won't be hard to find," Nolan said with a laugh. "Since we know the target, let's fly straight there."
"Mm." Kokomi agreed.
With him around, there was no need to fear monsters. Flying directly was the best option.
Nolan extended his spiritual sense, probing into the thick mist ahead. Best to scout for danger first.
His invisible perception spread like an airtight net, sweeping every corner of the fog.
Soon, he discovered that no flying monsters lurked there—but there were massive creatures resembling the rays they had seen earlier in the cavern pool.
He recognized them: if he recalled correctly, they were called Floating Rays. Far larger than the ones from before, they swam through the air as though it were water.
Such a trait was clearly extraordinary—not something ordinary fish should possess. Using the golden Eye of Judgment, he checked their levels.
They were indeed far stronger than normal fish, most above Level 10, though few exceeded Level 20.
Perhaps they were still just oversized fish—more powerful than average due to size, but not truly monsters.
Thinking a moment, he turned naturally to Kokomi.
"I found some enormous flying creatures in the mist. They could be a little dangerous. So when we head across, don't bother with your Wind Glider.
"How about I carry you and fly us across?"
Flying creatures—were they Floating Rays? Kokomi had read about them. They were said to swim gracefully in the air, but were harmless.
Yet Nolan spoke so seriously. Could it be he had seen something else? Without further thought, she nodded.
"Alright, then I'll leave it to you."
(End of Chapter)
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