<h4>Chapter 170: Viin Simtor, Ch 169</h4>
[At this point, you had collected six of the seven Gnoses, and the Tsaritsa''s unfinished n was but a step away.]
[However, you had no intention of inheriting her will. Your purpose was not to be "conquered" by anyone. Conquest and freedom are opposites by nature. Your obsession with building the tower was not to gaze upon thends you had subdued but to one day free yourself from the earth''s constraints.]
[Age 3013: You traveled alone to Sumeru, the Nation of Wisdom. Your arrival set the nation on high alert. After all, you were a tyrant who had conquered four nations, and your "ambitions" were no secret.]
[But you came with no army, only expressing a desire to meet the Dendro Archon.]
[This, naturally, provoked much suspicion. What if you took this chance to kill the Dendro Archon? Among the Seven, known for wisdom rather than strength, the Dendro Archon would be no match for you.]
[To everyone''s surprise, the Dendro Archon agreed to meet you.]
[Amid a vast library that resembled a castle of books, you met the legendary Dendro Archon. The Archon was a beautiful and graceful woman, rivalling Makoto and Tsaritsa in appearance.]
[Entering Immersive Mode]
"So, God of Storms fromnds afar, conqueror of five nations—what brings you to me?" The Dendro Archon, Rukkhadevata''s voice was steady. "As far as I know, thisnd has neither abundant resources nor fertile soils."
[Image here]
"But it has the most precious treasure of all," Lucas replied calmly. "Wisdom."
"Wisdom is the greatest enemy of the God of Wisdom," she replied with a faint sigh. "With each new wisdom gained, I draw closer to my end. Wisdom... is a curse."
"I came seeking the answer to a single question," Lucas said, expressionless. "Now, I am a student, not a conqueror."
"We are all students," Rukkhadevata said with a slight smile. "This ce wees learners. Speak, what is your question?"
Lucas spoke a single sentence, and her smile froze.
"What''s wrong?" Lucas asked, frowning. "Is the question so difficult to answer?"
"Yes, it is," Rukkhadevata replied after a pause. "If I reveal the answer, I will perish immediately. And you, too, will not survive for long after knowing it."
She shook her head. "All you have worked for will be an illusion, a fleeting dream. Is it worth it? Ignorance, at times, is a blessing. There is still time to turn back."
"I saw a flock ofmbs on my way here," Lucas said slowly, each word deliberate. "They were blissful, chewing on the grass, utterly unaware. But the butcher stood nearby, sharpening his de, his eyes fixed on the plumpestmb."
"You don''t want to be ughtered like thembs?" she asked.
"I don''t want to be the de in someone else''s hands," Lucas replied.
His answer left the her silent for a long time. Atst, the Rukkhadevata nodded and said, "I will tell you the answer, and I will give you my Gnosis. But you must agree to my terms—conquer Sumeru if you must, but leave the books untouched."
"I promise Mondstadt will not invade Sumeru," Lucas replied. "There is no longer any need for conquest."
The Dendro Archon told him the answer. With each word spoken, her body aged further. By the time she finished, her form had curled into itself, and her Gnosis floated out from her lifeless husk,nding in his palm.
As the Gnosis departed, Rukkhadevata''s body crumbled to dust, leaving only soil. From that soil, a vibrant green sprout slowly emerged.
[Exiting Immersive Mode]
[Reward Acquired: "Teachings of the God of Wisdom" Talent]
[Effect: Significantly enhances learning andprehension abilities.]
[Entering Text Mode]
[Age 3014: Armed with the answer from the Dendro Archon, you returned to Mondstadt and enacted an iprehensible decree—to collect all Vision across the five nations and send them to the summit of your tower.]
[This decree sparked turmoil, but your tyrannical reputation left citizens too fearful to resist. One by one, Visions were surrendered.]
[You also began restricting the use of elemental power, investing heavily in technological advancements to reduce dependence on elemental forces.]
[Age 3142: Initially, the Vision confiscation caused widespread dissatisfaction. Those deprived of their Visions experienced emotional distress, even despair.]
[However, as the confiscation did not affect lives directly and you refrained from further tyranny, the people gradually epted the decree.]
[Age 3287: Under your leadership, technological advancements surged. Reliance on elemental power diminished noticeably.]
[Age 3482: Liyue''s Geo Archon, Morax, was assassinated during the annual Rite of Descension. The Liyue Qixing decided not to appoint a new Archon.]
[Age 3521: Years after the Vision confiscation, when the time was ripe, you issued a new decree—the abolition of the Archon system.]
[The gods of the five nations under your rule were dethroned. This decision caused far less upheaval than the Vision confiscation had years earlier.]
[Most of the other gods had be your puppets anyway, and as technology advanced, reliance on elemental power continued to wane.]
[Sumeru, after the Dendro Archon''s death, never appointed a sessor.]
[Thus, the millennia-old dominion of the Seven Archons crumbled, and your n moved to its final phase.]
[Age 3568: The ever-silent Celestia finally took notice. You had be a legitimate threat.]
[You were not the first to provoke Celestia, but all previous nations that dared had been annihted by the "Celestial Nails," massive spears from the heavens.]
[One such Nail now hovered above Mondstadt, poised to obliterate yournds and people.]
[But unlike those before, you did not await destruction. Celestia''s only mistake was granting you time to grow.]
[Atop your towering citadel stood a colossal cannon. Its ammunition? The energy harvested from the thousands of Visions you had gathered over centuries.]
["Let''s see," you murmured, pressing the firing mechanism. "This is the power of thembs."]
[The cannon fired not one of the seven elemental forces but a colossal beam of pure light, striking the Nail with overwhelming force.]
[Under the hopes and dreams condensed into that beam, the Nail shattered into dust. The light pierced the skies, reaching beyond the clouds.]
[For the first time, a Celestial Nail was destroyed, a direct challenge to Celestia''s authority. One of Celestia''s Sustainers descended to confront you.]
["Skyfrost bestowed divinity upon you," the Sustainer dered. "Why do you defy Celestia?"]
["My neck hurts from looking up at you," you replied, unperturbed. "I have fought for millennia. Today marks my final battle."]
["You cannot defeat me," the Sustainer scoffed. "No force in this world can harm me."]
["Of course. The Visions are devices you use to harvest mortal energy, and the Gnoses are shackles binding this world''s power." In your palm, seven Gnoses glowed faintly. "What happens if the shackles are broken?"]
[The Sustainer''s confident expression faltered. In panic, she summoned countless ck cubes to engulf you. But just before they consumed you, you crushed all seven Gnoses.]
[A radiant beam shattered the spatial cubes. The Gnoses were not divine authority but locks sealing power. Now unbound, the Seven Archons'' sealed energies merged within you, forming a new element—Light.]
["This power will destroy you," the Sustainer warned. "It is beyond your control."]
["I''d rather be destroyed than ruled," you dered as the light in your palm formed a sword. "Fate is mine to decide, not Celestia''s!"]
[You were not the first to defy Celestia with a de, but you may be the first to strike fear into a Sustainer''s eyes.]
[The voice of the long-dead Dendro Archon echoed in your mind—only the light of hope can pierce Celestia''s shadow.]
[This was a battle beyond the boundaries of the world, a conflict so monumental that words could hardly capture its magnitude. On one side was the supreme power to control space; on the other, the former tyrant wielding the light of hope. Each sh between them risked the destruction of the entire world.]
[However, the Sustainer of Celestia drew her power from the hopes of others, continually harvested through the Visions. Now that the source of her strength had vanished, the light of hope in your hands only grew stronger.]
[In the end, the sword of light pierced the Sustainer''s chest. The divine being, immune to all earthly forces, was pierced by a power beyond the seven elements.]
["I admit," the Sustainer said with a strange smile, "right now, you are indeed stronger. But you''ve still changed nothing."]
["Perhaps," you replied, "but I''ve already nted the seed."]
[With those words, the Sustainer''s body dissolved into countless tiny cubes, dispersing into the world.]
[This was not a perfect victory. To wield power that surpasses Celestia''ses at a cost that not even a god can endure.]
[You could already see your end approaching, but you felt no sorrow. Though you had not defeated every being on the Celestial Ind, your actions had proven that the Sustainers were not invincible.]
[Standing atop your tower, your body began to dissolve into particles of light. The sight of their leader triumphing over the Sustainer brought your people to their knees in worship.]
["No kneeling," your calm voice carried like the wind to every ear. "Remember, when I am gone, there is no one left worth kneeling to."]
[You became light, disappearing from this world. But you did not die. Instead, you lived on in another form. A towering tree may fall, but the seed is already nted. It only needs time to sprout and grow into another tree that pierces the heavens. A man will die, but not his ideas.]
[Simtion Ends]
[Cause of Death: Exhaustion]
[Please choose one inherent talent to keep: "Majestic Aura," "Endless Tempest," or "Protective Gale."]
The choice was almost too obvious.
"Majestic Aura" held no meaning for Lucas, who had no interest in ruling or conquest. Meanwhile, "Protective Gale," though useful, came with significant drawbacks for ordinary individuals.
"I choose ''Endless Tempest.''"
[Inherent Talent Acquired: "Endless Tempest"]
[Endless Tempest (Gold): As the Lord of Wind, you possess unparalleled control over the Anemo element. Tornadoes dance to yourmand, and hurricanes bow to your will.]
[Weapon Reward Acquired: "Amos'' Bow"]
[Amos'' Bow]
[Rank: S]
[Effects: 1. Increases normal and charged attack damage by 20%.
2. Extends maximum range by 100%.
3. Damage increases with the distance traveled by the arrow.]
[Would you like to ept the talent "Light of Hope"?]
[Effect: Grants mastery over the light element. However, each use risks drawing the attention of higher-dimensional beings.]
"Wait, there''s a talent I can refuse?" Lucas asked casually. "What happens if these higher-dimensional beings notice me?"
[Uncertain. You might be destroyed, or nothing might happen.]
It was hard to predict.
If the "higher-dimensional beings" referred to Celestia, then Lucas, in their eyes, was likely no more than a mouse in a corner.
They might ignore the mouse—or they might react violently if it suddenly wielded a weapon capable of threatening them.
Declining this talent was clearly the safest choice.
But Lucas... was never one to y it safe.
"I''ll take it!"
At worst, he could simply refrain from using it.
When Lucas opened his eyes again, he was back atop the tower.
In the simtion, it was here that he had be light.
This had been the longest simtion yet, spanning the entire life of the Solitary King of the Tower, Decarabian.
The stone tablet that had triggered the simtion was now covered in cracks. Momentster, it shattered into countless fragments, as if it had fulfilled its purpose and could finally rest.
"Goodnight, Decarabian."
A voice startled Lucas. He turned quickly, only to see none other than Venti!
"What are you doing here?" Lucas asked in surprise. "Weren''t you supposed to be outside the Storm Barrier?"
"Oh, those guys have been dealt with," Venti said with a shrug and a grin. "So, have you read what was written on that tablet?"
Lucas nodded silently.
"That tablet was inscribed in Decarabian''s name," Venti said nonchntly, revealing a startling secret. "But the story it tells is not the real life of the King of the Tower. It''s about... a Decarabian who appeared in one of my dreams."
Indeed, it was impossible for this tablet to be a relic of this world''s Decarabian. If it were, the world''s history would have beenpletely different.
"It was a strange dream," Venti continued. "In it, the King of the Tower wasn''t overthrown. Instead, he imprisoned me—back when I was just a wind spirit—and tormented me endlessly."
"But," Venti added with augh, "I can''t entirely me him. After all, in that dream, I did some pretty awful things."
"I saw," Lucas nodded. "It was indeed awful."
Of course, what he saw wasn''t through the tablet but via the simtor.
"Ha ha..." Venti chuckled awkwardly. Gazing at the sky beyond the tower, aplex expression crossed his face. "Strangely enough, I don''t hate him. In that dream, he achieved something no one else ever could."
Venti was, of course, referring to defeating the Sustainer of Celestia. Even for gods, such a feat was nearly unimaginable.
"But do you know what''s even stranger?" Venti leaned closer to Lucas, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
"What is it?" Lucas instinctively took two steps back.
"In the dream," Venti said, enunciating every word, "that Decarabian who tormented me... looked exactly like you."
---
Author''s note: Actually, I think Rukkhadevata was not revealed at the time of this novel''s release, so the author wrote her off as an old wise man.... Even though I''ve added her now, I haven''t nned anything rted to her for the future.. xD
Next extra Chapter at 1969 powerstones.