Liang Chuan was momentarily stunned by Citlali's question.
Sure enough… constantly making the Bio-Energy Device spit out people in front of these folks was bound to raise some suspicions sooner or later.
So—how was he supposed to explain it this time?
The situation really was just as Citlali had said.
The Bio-Energy Device was continually using life energy to condense new bodies.
Even when veteran players were transmitted over, it worked the same way.
"This is a kind of otherworldly—"
"Don't think you can brush me off with that same excuse again!"
Citlali cut him off before he could finish.
"Fine, fine, I'll be honest with you."
Liang Chuan spread his hands in resignation.
"You people of Natlan, those who bear the ancient names, can be revived with the Ode of Resurrection, right? You know that much?"
Citlali responded with an expression so smug it almost said, 'Do you think I wouldn't know that?'
"Right… why am I even asking a Natlan native about how Natlan resurrection works?"
Liang Chuan gave a wry smile at himself.
"Then—what about this: you know there are a lot of teleport anchors across Teyvat, don't you?"
"Teleport anchors?"
Citlali's expression turned thoughtful.
"You mean those anchors linked to ley lines?
Or the Abyssal cultists' teleportation network?
Something akin to the Gates of the Abyss?"
"Whoa~~ as expected of a two-hundred-year-old High Priestess…
You know way more than I thought you would!"
Liang Chuan couldn't help but sigh in admiration, then pointed toward the Bio-Energy Terminal.
"This thing functions much the same—it reconstructs a body and recalls the soul.
Just like your Ode of Resurrection.
But it also comes with teleportation capabilities!
You could say it's a teleport anchor with resurrection powers."
"But…"
Citlali still shook her head.
The Ode of Resurrection worked because it drew upon the ley lines—
it reshaped the body before the target's soul completely dispersed.
But where did this jar-shaped contraption draw its power from?
How could it condense life energy into a body and make a soul perfectly fuse with it?
"Then just think of it as… some kind of special otherworldly energy,"
Liang Chuan said helplessly, shrugging as he brushed the question aside.
"Hm? Hey—what's going on over there?"
Liang Chuan suddenly pointed in another direction, using the chance to change the topic.
It was a clumsy diversion—but an effective one nonetheless.
Over there, Huoyanyan was running back toward the base, bruised and covered in ice shards, dragging his equally battered parents along.
"There's an NPC robbing resources a few hundred meters southwest!
Anyone want to team up and help me take it back?!"
Huoyanyan shouted angrily as he rallied the players at the base:
"Right now 'IReallyEatBeef' is stalling him!
If we're late, the guy's gonna get away!"
"An NPC robbing resources? That doesn't make sense…
The Natlans have been nothing but friendly toward us."
One player frowned suspiciously.
"Are you sure you weren't the ones who robbed the NPC first and got counterattacked?"
"I robbed an NPC? Seriously?
The system rules clearly state we can't loot civilian NPCs.
You think I'd risk a ban for a few lousy resources?"
Huoyanyan curled his lip in disdain.
"My parents and I were just chopping trees, collecting lumber,
when this fat guy walks up and demands raspberries.
I've never even seen what a raspberry looks like here,
so I just handed him a few random berries instead.
But he suddenly gets mad—
says if we don't give him raspberries, we're not allowed to chop wood there!
Of course we didn't listen to that crap.
The key thing is—his clothes looked exactly like ours! He's not even a local NPC!
So we got into a fight.
Didn't expect the guy to actually have some real strength.
Not only was his body tough,
He had a gun that sprayed frost!
He blasted us with it—
nearly froze us solid!"
"You're sure that hostile NPC had a frost-spraying gun?"
Another player raised his hand, clearly catching on to the important detail.
"It's like, what—twenty, almost thirty degrees out here?
Look at the ice chunks still stuck to our clothes!
That fat bastard froze us with that thing!"
Huoyanyan scowled.
"We're all frostbitten and still shivering!"
"Damn! An Ice-element weapon? You should've said that sooner!
Come on, let's go! If we're late, the loot's gone!"
"Wait up! Count me in! I don't even need the gear—just pay me in Bio-Energy!"
"Ten-man team, right? There's still room? Save me a spot!"
"I'm an archer! Big targets are my specialty—trust me, you'll want me there!"
Huoyanyan slapped his forehead.
He'd completely forgotten what these players were like.
He didn't need to give them a long explanation.
Just one simple line would've done the trick:
"There's a monster over there. Kill it, and it'll drop loot."
That alone was enough to rally a whole hunting party.
The moment the words 'NPC drops loot' were mentioned, every player on site got fired up.
Within a minute, a full ten-man squad had formed.
Plenty of others even regretted not raising their hands fast enough.
Since this was the second new base just established,
None of them wanted to start drama by snatching the encounter from others.
As Huoyanyan led the players back to "take care of business,"
Citlali patted Liang Chuan's shoulder.
"They've probably run into one of the Fatui Cryogun Bracers.
Aren't you going to stop them?
Didn't you say the Fatui aren't necessarily enemies—just people with different stances?
If this turns into a fight, they'll become enemies whether you like it or not."
Liang Chuan just waved her off.
"If you want the Fatui to work with you,
there's one thing that matters most—
they have to see that you're worth using.
A little clash first isn't a bad thing.
Let the Fatui test our strength."
"But those players… they don't even have Visions. They're just ordinary people,"
Citlali said, almost implying they don't stand a chance.
"They're far from ordinary," Liang Chuan replied with a faint grin.
"They're professionals.
And among them—there's even a level 10 with skills unlocked."
His eyes shifted toward one of the players.
"With him there, that ice fatso's in for a world of pain."
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