Chapter 51 – Osial, Overlord of the Vortex

The two continued their fierce struggle for a long time until Childe could no longer bear the strain of the Foul Legacy Transformation on his body and released the state.

At this moment, Childe knelt on the ground, his vision slightly blurred.

“It’s time… to calm down.”

“That Foul Legacy Transformation earlier really took a heavy toll on my body.”

“It left me no chance to pause and think.”

Tartaglia supported himself with one hand on the ground, kneeling on one knee as he murmured.

“Oh? Is it over already?”

Qiu Bai, lying on the ground nearby, thought to himself.

Then, as if suddenly breathing again, Qiu Bai startled Paimon beside him.

“Qiu, Qiu Bai, it’s so good you’re okay!”

Paimon wiped her eyes, nearly in tears.

“Cough…”

Qiu Bai stood up as if using every ounce of his strength.

He managed a faint smile and patted Paimon’s head.

Under Paimon’s worried gaze, Qiu Bai clutched his chest and limped toward Lumine and Childe.

“Think about it carefully. There really isn’t any possibility that you could have obtained the Gnosis before me.”

“No matter where the Gnosis has gone, it should… have nothing to do with you.”

Childe coughed weakly, lifted his head, and spoke to Lumine.

By this time, the floating Paimon and Qiu Bai had already made their way to Lumine’s side.

“Qiu Bai, are you okay?”

Lumine looked at the limping Qiu Bai and hurriedly went to support him.

“Heh, what could possibly be wrong with me?”

A faint white light emanated from Qiu Bai’s body.

The so-called wounds on him slowly healed before Lumine and Paimon’s astonished eyes.

Of course, he was still acting—in truth, Qiu Bai didn’t have a single injury on him.

“I never expected Mr. Qiu Bai to be so strong.”

“Heh, I’d really like to have a proper spar with you.”

Childe slowly rose to his feet and looked at Qiu Bai, speaking calmly.

“A spar? Let’s forget about that.”

“What if I accidentally kill you? I’d have to revive you.”

Hearing Childe’s words, Qiu Bai twitched the corner of his mouth, feeling somewhat speechless inside.

“And Traveler, the strength you’ve shown today.”

“It’s even better than La Signora’s evaluation of you in Mondstadt. Why is that?”

Childe waved his hand slightly, looking at Lumine, who was supporting Qiu Bai, and asked with some confusion.

Lumine held onto Qiu Bai and looked at Childe—he had nearly beaten Qiu Bai to death just moments ago.

So Lumine still wore a somewhat angry expression, puffing her cheeks as she glared at Childe, choosing not to answer.

“Uh…”

“Don’t look at me like that. Giving your all in battle is a sign of respect for a strong opponent.”

Tartaglia, seeing Lumine’s angry glare, waved his hands awkwardly in explanation.

Because he always felt that this Mr. Qiu Bai before him wasn’t as simple as he seemed.

That’s why he had given his all in the fight, believing that both sides exerting their full strength in battle was a mark of respect for a formidable opponent.

“Those who pursue strength are all friends.”

“Even if the form of this friendship is nothing more than mutual conflict…”

Childe slowly spoke, addressing Qiu Bai beside Lumine.

“What a strange concept of friendship.”

Listening to Childe’s explanation, Paimon waved her hand, not quite understanding.

“But now, I must set aside the exchange between kindred spirits and return to my mission.”

“Since the Gnosis cannot be taken by anyone, could it be that it was never inside the Ancestral Exuvia to begin with?”

Childe continued, crossing his arms over his chest.

“To take it a step further, could the Ancestral Exuvia itself be nothing more than a diversion?”

Hearing Childe’s conclusion, Paimon pondered for a moment.

“You… you mean to say…”

“Rex Lapis isn’t dead?”

Lumine looked at Tartaglia and spoke slowly.

“I’m afraid that’s exactly the case. How… truly intriguing.”

“If Rex Lapis isn’t dead, then how could that Adeptus Lord have gone missing?”

Tartaglia looked at the three and explained further.

The other divine Adeptus Lord of Liyue might not have disappeared either.

“Truly worthy of being the guardian deity of the City of Contracts, quite adept at tricks beyond the Contract itself.”

“Ah, in that case, there’s no choice but to activate the contingency plan.”

Childe spoke with a mix of admiration and self-mockery to the three, as if initiating the backup plan was an insult to him.

“Contingency plan?”

Paimon asked, puzzled.

“I didn’t want to resort to this plan, as it would involve innocent bystanders.”

“I also despise such underhanded tactics, but unfortunately, this is an order from the Tsaritsa.”

Childe looked at the confused Paimon and explained slowly.

“So, what exactly are you planning to do?!”

Unable to contain her curiosity, Paimon stared at Childe and asked loudly.

“I will…”

“Awaken the slumbering Demon God beneath Guyun Stone Forest.”

Without hesitation, Childe looked at the three and spoke calmly.

“Demon God?!”

Paimon stared at Childe, never expecting that he would release an ancient Demon God.

“Osial, the Overlord of the Vortex, was defeated by Morax, the God of Stone, during the Archon War and sealed beneath the sea by Stone Spears.”

“If a former deity were to attack Liyue Harbor, now bereft of the protection of its two divine guardians…”

“Do you think Rex Lapis, who has been playing us all for fools, could still hide away and watch the spectacle undisturbed?”

Childe explained, looking at the three.

Hearing this, Qiu Bai twitched his lips—Morax really was capable of such a thing.

“But… but the Archon War ended two thousand years ago.”

“With only eight deities in the world today, how could you possibly revive an ancient god…”

Paimon asked in astonishment.

“Eight deities? Aren’t there only seven?”

“Did they count me in as well?”

Hearing Paimon’s explanation, Qiu Bai twitched his lips again.

A nation with two deities—no wonder the Tsaritsa sent The Doctor.

“Of course… I’ve already prepared the means to awaken it.”

Childe extended a hand, and several glowing golden Sigils of Permission appeared around him.

“Th-those are Sigils of Permission!”

“I… I remember now, we did discover the Fatui researching them.”

Paimon stared in shock at the Talismans swirling around Childe.

“And you were also attempting to replicate them…”

Lumine assumed a defensive stance with one hand while supporting Qiu Bai with the other, speaking calmly as she looked at Childe.

Meanwhile, Qiu Bai gazed thoughtfully at the Sigils of Permission surrounding Childe.

“Strange, why aren’t there any of The Doctor’s Delusion Sigils?”

“These Sigils of Permission should only be able to temporarily release Osial.”

Qiu Bai covered his chin, thinking to himself with a strange feeling.

“Could it be that The Doctor and Childe aren’t on the same page?”

At this thought, Qiu Bai’s lips twitched. It seemed Childe had also been designated as a lab rat by The Doctor.

“Indeed, the one given to you was merely a byproduct of this research.”

“With so many Sigils of Permission gathered together, combined with the power bestowed upon the Harbingers by the Tsaritsa…”

“Temporarily lifting the suppression of the Stone Spears is not an impossible feat.”