Childe wandered through a hidden laboratory, idly tossing in his hand a Mora coin he'd acquired at great expense.
His fingers danced skillfully, sending the Mora flipping elegantly from fingertip to fingertip. With a casual flick, he tossed the coin neatly into a nearby container.
"How's the replica of the [Sigil of Permission] coming along?" Childe asked casually as he paced around, glancing toward researchers in white uniforms and bird-beaked masks.
"A completed prototype is ready for inspection, my lord." A researcher respectfully handed Childe a replica of the talisman.
Examining the imitation, Childe was in good spirits.
The original [Sigil of Permission] was an artifact left behind by Rex Lapis himself, still bearing traces of his divine Geo power. With it, one could request an audience with adepti or even Rex Lapis himself.
The first talisman he'd found by sheer chance during a debt-collecting trip to Yanshang Teahouse—an unexpected stroke of luck.
Though, to truly meet Rex Lapis, he'd have to wait for the Rite of Descension ceremony.
As for how he'd obtain the Geo Archon's [Gnosis] once face-to-face, he hadn't quite worked that part out yet.
Still, Childe couldn't help but wonder if he could hold his own against Morax in direct combat. He doubted he'd win, but the exhilaration of a fierce battle was precisely what he desired.
How to actually claim the [Gnosis] if he lost was another matter entirely. But, as the old Liyue saying went, "When the cart reaches the mountain, a path will appear; when the boat reaches the bridge, it'll naturally pass." In short, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.
As for replicating so many talismans—it was a contingency plan. Since they contained traces of Morax's power, perhaps they could be used in unexpected ways.
Countless gods had perished or been sealed beneath Liyue's soil. If he could harness Morax's lingering divine energy within the talismans to unseal a trapped god and force Morax to reveal himself, that would serve his purpose equally well.
If directly confronting Rex Lapis proved impossible, he'd simply have to create opportunities another way. Who knew which backup plan might eventually bear fruit?
A researcher operating a Mora-testing machine suddenly lifted his head. "Lord Harbinger, according to our analysis, this Mora doesn't contain divine power like the [Sigil of Permission]."
"Ah, so there's nothing special? Well, it figures—divine energy isn't exactly everywhere." Childe wasn't disappointed. After all, these expenditures could still be reimbursed.
"I recall the Tsaritsa mentioning that Mora was forged from Morax's very flesh and blood. While I find it absurd to think all Mora circulating in the world carries his essence, surely the first Mora coin does. Continue your research—perhaps you'll uncover something useful. Discovering Morax's weaknesses would certainly be ideal."
Childe issued his instructions clearly.
Though his main strategy was still attending the Rite of Descension with the original talisman, it didn't hurt to lay additional groundwork in the meantime.
---
Meanwhile, far away on Dragonspine, Aether remained unaware of Liyue's swirling undercurrents.
After confirming overnight that Aether's physiology wasn't fundamentally different from other humans in Teyvat, Albedo moved on to testing his elemental abilities.
"Do you recall how you first acquired control of the Anemo element?"
Aether nodded, answering truthfully, "I placed my hand on the Statue of The Seven dedicated to Barbatos, and after that, I could control the wind."
Initially, his control had been poor enough to disturb Dvalin. It was only through continuous practice and battles that he became proficient, even creating powerful Elemental Bursts by observing the flow of wind.
"As expected... Someone from beyond this world holds a higher authority..." Albedo murmured thoughtfully.
"What was that?" Paimon asked, missing his low words.
"Oh, nothing. Let's now test how elemental energy circulates within your body," Albedo said, producing yet another potion.
Seeing the vial, Aether immediately tensed.
"Relax, this is a different formula. I've improved it, so there won't be any mishaps like last time." Albedo tried offering a reassuring look, but Aether remained wary.
"What exactly will this potion do?"
"If everything goes as planned, you'll experience a brief bout of diarrhea. Don't worry—I've prepared appropriate facilities."
Albedo pointed toward a makeshift toilet outside the cave, built entirely from Geo energy. It was rectangular, resembling a matchbox, complete with a window for lighting. Inside, there was a basic dry toilet made from two stones positioned over a pit cushioned by snow.
Primitive as it was, at least it offered shelter from the biting cold, avoiding the humiliation of freezing one's rear end outdoors.
Aether's mouth twitched. Part of him was tempted to abandon the million Mora entirely and just leave. But he'd already endured plenty of embarrassment—what was one more humiliation?
He swallowed nervously, took the potion under Paimon's anxious gaze, and gulped it down resolutely.
After an anxious thirty seconds, a foreboding rumble erupted from his stomach. Without another thought, he bolted toward the toilet, slamming the door shut behind him.
A series of rapid-fire, explosive sounds soon followed, leaving Aether slumped weakly inside, gazing through the small window at the snowy mountains beyond with a deep sense of existential despair.
That million Mora is really tough to earn...
Outside, Albedo diligently noted down precise observations.
"Elemental circulation is perfectly normal, it seems..."
Fifteen minutes later, Aether staggered weakly out, holding onto the wall for support. Paimon immediately flew to his side, trying—and failing—to help him stand.
"Are...are you okay?" she asked worriedly.
"Barely..." Aether collapsed near the fire, warming his frozen backside and shaky legs. "What else do we need to test?" His voice sounded drained.
After two rounds of tests, his capacity to endure embarrassment had improved significantly.
"The remaining experiments will be much simpler, rest assured." Noticing he'd sufficiently recovered, Albedo continued, "Aside from elemental abilities, do you possess any other unique powers unknown to this world? For instance, breaking chopsticks using only your willpower, or infusing elemental energy into cooking?"
Aether attempted the chopstick-breaking trick mentally, but nothing happened. Regarding cooking, he recalled he could only use Anemo energy to fan flames more effectively—not exactly special.
"So...is this experiment about cooking, then?"
Confirming that chopstick-breaking was impossible, Albedo nodded.
Thus, the experiments continued for several more days. With each round, Albedo's conclusions grew clearer:
Aether, much like Jiang Bai, closely resembled humans native to this world.
In fact, he resembled them even more closely than Jiang Bai himself.