As the figure—identical to Albedo but with a deathly pale face—gradually vanished into the dense fog of Dragonspine, Lu Qiuyun's spirit form finally withdrew her gaze and slowly hovered high above the snowy mountain.
With a mere thought, the two shadowy figures wreathed in black aura dissolved into faint wisps of black mist and merged into her spiritual body.
"The conversion rate of Emotion Points is still too low," Lu Qiuyun murmured, her spiritual silhouette shimmering faintly in the moonlight. "At this rate, I'll never be able to resurrect."
For some time now, she had been harvesting Emotion Points through Lydia's "role."
The girl's grievances, anger, joy, and even her longing for her parents had all become nourishment for the players.
The two "newborn" black mists within her, along with the power she had bestowed upon Albedo Jr.—all were fruits harvested from the players' Emotion Points, used to create her "New Abyss."
Yet these two shadowy figures were ultimately just half-finished products, lacking any independent consciousness.
If Lydia was a fully formed DeepSeek, then these shadowy figures were merely simple lines of code.
They could only execute basic commands, far from achieving the effect she desired.
Floating in mid-air, her gaze swept across every inch of Dragonspine.
From Albedo's camp to the direction Klee and Lydia had run, and further to the distant peaks perpetually covered in ice and snow, her brow furrowed slightly.
How could she naturally integrate the "New Abyss" into Genshin Impact's storyline?
How could she weave the story of the "New Abyss" and "Her Avatar" without it feeling jarring?
These questions had plagued her for a long time, until her gaze fell upon the depths of Dragonspine—in the direction of Wyrmrest Valley.
That was where Durin had fallen, and where Venti had buried Lydia's parents' remains years ago.
Lu Qiuyun's spirit form instantly drifted toward Wyrmrest Valley, passing through layers of ice and rock until it finally stopped deep within a cave.
At the cave's center, Durin's heart pulsed with a faint black aura.
And in a shadowy corner, buried beneath the ground, two skeletons lay quietly.
These were the very remains of Lydia's parents, discovered seventeen years ago when Venti carried the infant Lydia out of Dragonspine.
"I see now," Lu Qiuyun's spirit form murmured with a low chuckle. Her ethereal hand gently brushed over the skeletons. "Lydia's parents, Durin's heart, and... the 'Abyss.' This is the perfect 'fuse.'"
She recalled Lydia's two extinguished Visions.
They were her parents' relics, a link connecting the past to the present.
If she could skillfully manipulate all these elements, she might be able to create monsters with true "Obsessions."
And Albedo Jr. could be the crucial starting point!
Lu Qiuyun's spirit form slowly approached, gradually seeping into the skeletons.
The once-still bones began to tremble faintly.
At the same time, to ensure "Her Avatar" experienced the immersive storyline more fully, she severed Lydia's connection to her.
Lu Qiuyun's spirit form retracted its aura, transforming into a black mist that vanished into the cave's shadows.
Watching the two skeletons gradually become enveloped in the black aura, a profound smile touched her lips.
Her plan had only just begun.
-
Klee pulled Lydia along as they ran deeper into Dragonspine. The ding-ling of her Weather Doll's bell was exceptionally clear in the silent night.
The farther they went, the fiercer the wind grew, and the temperature plummeted.
Lydia's snow-white hair whipped against her cheeks, her every breath turning into white mist.
Klee, however, seemed completely unfazed by the cold. Her little red dress stood out against the snow like an inextinguishable flame.
"We're almost there! Big Brother Albedo said to wait for him near the Snow-Covered Path!"
Just as she finished speaking, Lydia spotted a familiar figure standing in the snow ahead.
His sandy-blond hair gleamed coldly in the moonlight, and he wore a hooded coat designed for navigating Dragonspine.
It was Albedo, waiting for them as promised.
"Big Brother Albedo!" Klee immediately let go of Lydia's hand and bounded over, throwing her arms around him. "Klee's here! And I brought Big Sister Lydia!"
Albedo looked down at Klee in his arms, a faint smile touching his lips as he ruffled her hair. "I know. The whole of Dragonspine could hear that explosion earlier."
His gaze shifted to Lydia, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
He knew Klee would come, but he hadn't expected her to bring Lydia along.
The surprise quickly faded, however.
After all, he'd heard plenty from Sucrose about Lydia's penchant for trouble.
Besides, both she and Klee were "frequent visitors" to the confinement room, so it wasn't strange that they were close.
"It seems Miss Lydia has made quite a mistake this time, to need to hide all the way out here in Dragonspine," Albedo teased. "Let me guess... did you dismantle the Statue of the Anemo Archon? Or perhaps tamper with the prayer offerings?"
Lydia's cheeks flushed red, and she quickly waved her hands. "No, not at all! I'm here on serious business!"
But as the words left her mouth, she remembered the scene at Starfell Cliff—the Holy Lyre der Himmel, damaged by a Cryo Abyss Mage.
Though she hadn't broken it directly, she had been part of the "lyre-stealing plan."
Rounding it all up, she was definitely responsible.
She bit her lip and carefully unwrapped the burlap cloth she was holding, revealing the damaged Holy Lyre der Himmel.
The cracks on the lyre's body were starkly visible under the moonlight. Its broken strings drooped limply, and even the patterns that once shimmered faintly had grown dull.
The moment Albedo saw the Holy Lyre der Himmel, the smile on his face gradually faded, and he let out a deep sigh.
"So this is the 'serious matter' you mentioned—daring to steal and damage one of Mondstadt's Holy Relics. Your audacity surpasses even my imagination."
Lydia's heart instantly sank at the gravity in Albedo's tone.
"Teacher Albedo, I'm really not lying to you!" Lydia quickly stepped forward, clutching the Holy Lyre tighter. "I didn't steal it intentionally! It was Venti—that bard, who's also the Anemo Archon, Barbatos! He said the Holy Lyre could soothe Dvalin, and both Acting Grand Master Jean and Master Diluc agreed!"
She took a deep breath and recounted everything that had happened at Starfell Cliff in a single rush.
Although Albedo spent most of his time on Dragonspine, he was officially appointed by the Knights of Favonius as the "Chief Alchemist" and "Captain of the Investigation Team," reporting directly to Acting Grand Master Jean.
He had never been one to meddle in others' affairs and had never proactively cleaned up anyone else's messes.
If he refused on the grounds that "Alchemy cannot repair Holy Relics," she would truly be out of options.
The Holy Lyre der Himmel was a sacred artifact of Mondstadt. If Albedo decided to investigate, there was no way she could hide her involvement in stealing it.
Therefore, rather than concealing the truth from Albedo, it was better to tell him everything outright.
"You have to believe me! You know I'm not a liar!"
Lydia's breathing grew ragged, half from the fear that the lyre couldn't be fixed, and half from the dread that Albedo would refuse.
Albedo studied her anxious expression, then glanced back at the Holy Lyre, his fingertips gently tracing the cracks on its body.
He remained silent for a few seconds before his stern gaze softened. "I don't doubt you."
"You may be playful, but you're not reckless enough to disregard Mondstadt's laws." He paused, then added, "I just didn't expect... the situation to have escalated to this degree."
Lydia let out a sigh of relief. "So... can the lyre be repaired?"
Her eyes filled with anticipation. After all, he was her only hope.
If even Albedo couldn't fix it, she would truly have to return to the Cathedral to face "judgment."
Albedo watched her anxious expression, a faint smile touching his lips. "Let's head back to camp first."
"Alchemy isn't creation from nothing, and repairing a Holy Relic requires preparation. I'll need certain materials to perform the 'Reconstruction,' but... I don't have them at the camp right now."
Lydia's eyes instantly dimmed, and her grip on the Holy Lyre tightened.
But before her disappointment could settle in, Albedo gestured for her to follow. "It's too late tonight. Once dawn breaks tomorrow, I'll take you to gather the materials."
His tone shifted, a hint of teasing in his eyes.
"Next time you embark on such an 'adventure,' remember to consider the consequences first. Don't always expect others to clean up your messes."
"I will!" Lydia nodded quickly, a smile finally returning to her face.
Her hold on the Holy Lyre steadied—thank goodness, Teacher Albedo truly lived up to his reputation!
Klee, standing nearby, was completely lost.
Though she didn't understand what was happening, she knew the problem had been solved.
Overjoyed, she grabbed both their hands and started running toward the camp. "Hurry, hurry! Big Brother Albedo's camp is warm! We can't let Big Sister Lydia freeze!"