"Regeneration Elixir… Regeneration…"
Tartaglia furrowed his brows, deep in thought about what this potion actually was.
"Is it the same kind the Millelith use? The one that can regrow severed limbs?"
"Could it really be… that divine-grade item that continuously provides life force over time?"
"Zhongli was this generous? He actually gave me something like this?"
Staring at the Regeneration Elixir in his hand, Tartaglia felt a strong temptation.
Honestly, he really wanted to try it—see how powerful it was for himself.
But there was only one bottle. Something this precious had to be saved for a critical moment.
As he ran his fingers over the bottle, a pleasant feeling swelled in his heart.
Had he known earlier that he'd be rewarded with something so good, he would've exaggerated his hardship even more when he got back.
Just then, the door was pushed open—Rosalyne stepped in, eyes locking directly onto the potion in Tartaglia's hand.
Tartaglia flinched, quickly stashing it away.
Rosalyne scoffed and said flatly,
"No need to hide it. I heard everything earlier. That's a Regeneration Elixir, isn't it?"
Tartaglia shrugged.
"So what?"
Rosalyne extended her hand calmly.
"Let me see it."
"Dream on! That's my hard-earned reward. Mine!"
Tartaglia leaned back in his chair with a grin, clearly satisfied.
If it really was the kind of potion used by the Millelith, then this was a huge win.
He had once seen a Millelith soldier get a gaping hole punched through his abdomen by a Ruin Hunter—yet within moments, the wound healed like nothing had happened.
His own Foul Legacy transformation could only be maintained for a short time.
In other words, he was the definition of a "one-minute man."
And each activation came with intense backlash on his body—he couldn't keep using it in rapid succession.
If he tried to force it, he could very well die on the spot.
But with the Regeneration Elixir?
All of that became a non-issue.
As long as he had enough of this stuff, he could go all out in every battle. If once wasn't enough, he'd go for twice. If twice failed, he'd go for three.
For Tartaglia, the Regeneration Elixir was a game-changer.
Even if the sky fell today, he wouldn't let Rosalyne even take a peek at it.
Rosalyne sighed, a little envious of Tartaglia now.
She had originally thought he was just working for free—but who would've guessed Zhongli would be so generous?
Sure, maybe in their eyes this kind of potion was commonplace and not worth much.
But right now, it wasn't something money could buy.
As a Harbinger, Rosalyne also had access to her Delusion form.
If she released its power, she could return to her former state as the Flame Witch.
But the backlash still remained.
The Regeneration Elixir would be of huge significance to her as well.
But judging by Tartaglia's posture, even asking for a glance was already too much.
"…What about the other three potions?"
Rosalyne gave up on the first one and instead asked about the others.
This time, Tartaglia didn't bother hiding them. He casually took out the other three high-grade potions and handed them over.
Rosalyne didn't even need to sense them with elemental power—the magical energy radiating from the bottles was too strong to be contained.
She examined them, her expression complex, and whispered:
"They're incredibly powerful… With potions like these, our strength wouldn't just double."
"Seen enough?"
Tartaglia smirked and snatched them back.
"Didn't expect Zhongli to be so generous. These are absolute treasures. If I had more of them, I could go challenge that Doctor myself!"
Rosalyne glanced at him coolly.
"Even with these, you wouldn't win."
"But at least I wouldn't lose too miserably."
Tartaglia stayed optimistic.
Rosalyne shook her head and pulled out a letter from the Cryo Archon, handing it to him.
"Her Majesty is preparing to set off. If all goes well, she'll arrive in Liyue in three days."
"Three days, huh? That works. Osial's attack is happening tomorrow—if things go smoothly, it'll be the perfect moment for Her Majesty to receive the Gnosis."
Tartaglia flipped through the letter. While there was no mention of splitting the Fatui, the message did instruct him and Rosalyne to begin building ties with Liyue on behalf of the Cryo Archon.
That already said enough.
Chances were, once the Archon confirmed things in person, the groundwork for cooperation could begin.
And the Fatui… would be pushed out of the picture.
"You really think Liyue can handle Osial?"
Rosalyne frowned slightly, puzzled.
"The Geo Archon is leaving with the Traveler tomorrow. From what I know, he also forbids the Adepti from interfering directly."
"With only Liyue left to defend itself…"
"How are they supposed to handle Osial, Beisht, and the tidal wave of monsters and vanguard troops?"
Tartaglia shrugged and handed the letter back to her.
"Before today, I was worried too. If Liyue couldn't hold out and the Geo Archon stepped in, there's no telling if Ningguang and the rest would blame us later."
"But now? I don't feel worried at all."
He sighed, a touch of awe in his voice.
"You've been holed up in the Northland Bank. You don't understand what Liyue has become."
"Right now, Liyue Harbor is defended by nearly four thousand enhanced Millelith soldiers."
"When they coordinate—even just a few hundred of them—sea beasts and vanguard units are nothing."
"Beisht hasn't even reached Demon God level. There's no way she can withstand Liyue's suppression."
"If I had to pick a real threat, it'd only be Osial."
"And that's assuming he stays in the ocean. If he comes ashore, Liyue can attack him directly. They might not even need the Adepti—Osial might be destroyed outright."
Rosalyne was shaken.
"They're… that strong?"
Tartaglia spread his hands helplessly.
"Yeah… they really are that strong. You think the alchemical potions are amazing—so don't you think Liyue has even stronger ones to arm their top fighters?"
"Just imagine this—"
Tartaglia sat up straight and prompted her:
"If Liyue Harbor sends out Secretary Ganyu from the Qixing, gives her all the top-tier potions, and equips her with the best enchanted weapon..."
"A bow with fire-elemental enhancements, combined with her innate Cryo element. Add in a few trump cards we don't know about—do you think they could beat Osial?"
Rosalyne fell silent.
After a long pause, she sighed and walked toward the door, looking somewhat defeated.
"I get it. I'll restrain the Fatui agents stationed in Liyue Harbor. After the assault tomorrow, we'll sever ties with the vanguard units and our own people."
"Blame everything on the Doctor. We'll claim we knew nothing."
Tartaglia watched her leave, then leisurely turned his gaze toward the night sky outside the window.
He was quite satisfied with how things were going.
He was growing stronger, and the Tsaritsa was already beginning to consider splitting from the Fatui and cooperating with Liyue.
If possible, Tartaglia didn't want to keep fighting against Liyue. He wanted something more stable.
He may be a battle junkie, but he still had a family to protect.
If a Liyue-Cryo Archon alliance raised their chances of winning—and made it safer for his family—he was all for it.
"Liyue… your hidden strength really makes people curious…"
"With a foundation built on an unknown world… just how strong can you become?"
"Very soon… we'll find out."
---
The next morning—
After two days of recovery, Liyue Harbor had mostly returned to normal.
There was still some talk about the Geo Archon being gravely injured, of course.
But the common consensus in Liyue was always the same:
"The Emperor of Rock is blessed by the heavens. He'll recover soon. No need to worry."
Blind faith, maybe—but it gave them strength.
---
At the Jade Chamber—
Ningguang's round of duties had finally ended.
Not because she volunteered to rest—she would've gladly worked day and night if she could.
Unfortunately for her, Ganyu and Hu Tao had returned.
When they learned Ningguang had successfully taken the lead, the two were annoyed—but not surprised. They had seen it coming.
However, Ningguang had zero chance of pushing them away again to hoard Ryen for herself.
Now, Ganyu and Hu Tao stuck to Ryen like glue, watching Ningguang with suspicion.
Jean, Lisa, and the others had gone back to the MC World. They had only come back last night to check in, then stayed for a while to learn how to synthesize wireless surveillance cameras from Ryen—before going back to their research.
Otherwise, Lisa would definitely be here now, excitedly munching on snacks while watching the drama unfold.
Nahida and Klee had been brought into the MC World as well by Jean and the others.
This was a big moment for Liyue. It wasn't suitable for children to get involved.
---
Ningguang sat at her desk, handling state affairs, looking as radiant as a dew-kissed Glaze Lily after a storm.
Her graceful maturity made it hard to look away.
From time to time, she glanced over at Ganyu and Hu Tao with an amused smile. The two girls stared back at her with puffed cheeks, clearly annoyed—which Ningguang found rather entertaining.
She didn't understand why they were still being so cautious.
Whatever was meant to happen had already happened.
In the last two days, Ningguang had explored everything that needed exploring. Everyone was standing on equal ground now.
What was the point of being so guarded?
She rubbed her lower stomach gently, sneaking a nostalgic look at Ryen.
That kind of thing really was addictive…
---
"Is Keqing still guarding the Golden House?"
Ryen asked lazily as he lay on Ganyu's lap, eyes half-closed.
Before Ningguang could answer, Ganyu nodded quickly.
"That's right!"
"…No one ever told her that Zhongli is actually Morax?"
Ryen was stunned.
Everyone else knew by now—and only Keqing was still in the dark?
Wouldn't she get mad when the truth came out later?
Hearing this, both Ningguang and Ganyu looked a little awkward.
They… really had forgotten to tell her.
After a brief silence, Ningguang offered a reasonable explanation:
"Keqing is very direct. If she finds out Zhongli is Morax—and that all of this was part of the Archon's plan—she might confront him again, just like last year."
Shaking her head, Ningguang added softly,
"It's best to wait until everything is over. For now, let's focus on the so-called 'trial' that's coming."
"Ryen, do you know when it'll start?"
Before he could respond—
BOOM—
The Jade Chamber trembled violently.
A moment later, the bright midday sun dimmed, as if suppressed by a force far beyond mortal understanding.
The storm had begun to howl.
Even inside the floating chamber, they could feel it.
Something was coming—a force strong enough to threaten all of Liyue Harbor.
But instead of fear, Ningguang and the others felt… relieved.
A faint smile touched Ningguang's lips as she turned toward Ryen.
"The unknown is always the scariest. But now…"
"This trial… has become our whetstone."
~~----------------------
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