After assuring them that she would do everything in her power, Lumine and Paimon arrived at the Chasm Entrance.
The Millelith garrison stationed here was larger than before. The Commander, aware of their purpose, tried to persuade Lumine and Paimon to wait above.
Lumine complied, but after waiting for half a day with no sign of Yelan emerging, she asked the Commander, who admitted he was equally clueless.
Refusing to wait any longer, Lumine resolved to descend alone to investigate.
The Commander couldn't stop her and reluctantly ordered his men to escort her down.
-
The Chasm's depths were vast, nearly half the size of Liyue according to old maps.
Finding Yelan and Xiao wouldn't be easy for Lumine and Paimon.
Fortunately, the Millelith Commander had given Lumine a map before their descent, marking Qingge's last known location. This prevented Lumine from wandering blindly through the darkness.
Though the area where Qingge vanished had likely been searched multiple times already, Lumine decided to investigate anyway.
Following the map's markings, Lumine and Paimon advanced with their Lumenstone.
"Is this where Qingge vanished? It seems deserted. Did Yelan and the others find another place to search?"
Paimon was still speaking when she noticed Lumine wasn't listening. She turned to look at Lumine.
"Traveler, what are you looking at...?"
"Huh? Why is this ruin upside down?"
Lumine and Paimon stood in the middle of the rugged Stony Halls, offering a clear view of the inverted Nameless Ruins.
"Lumine, what's on your mind?"
"The upside-down Statue of The Seven..."
Paimon nodded vigorously. "Exactly! That eerie, upside-down one that sends chills down your spine. So, this place must be connected to the Abyss Order too! No wonder that wretched fiend is targeting it."
Back in the Ruins, the Abyss Monster had absorbed energy from an Inverted Statue before attacking Mondstadt.
The thought made Paimon anxious. "That villain is probably plotting some sinister scheme, just like he did in Mondstadt. Qingge must be in grave danger, Lumine! We have to find her quickly!"
Lumine shared Paimon's urgency. As she prepared to descend, an Abyss Gate suddenly opened behind them, and a familiar figure stepped through.
"Dainsleif?"
Dain: "..."
"What are you doing here?"
Dain was equally puzzled. "I didn't expect to run into you here either."
Paimon: "Long time no see, Dain! Wait, why are you in The Chasm?"
Dain: "The Chasm... Is this really The Chasm? Even I've never set foot in this place before."
Lumine and Paimon approached Dain. "We have so many questions for you," Lumine said.
Dain nodded. "Given how I've appeared here, it's only right that I offer you an explanation."
"Not long ago, I tracked down another Abyss Herald. Just as I cornered him, he resorted to his old trick. I followed him, but as expected, I lost him again."
Lumine picked up on another layer of meaning in Dain's words. "Are you saying you didn't catch up to my brother in that Domain last time either?"
Dain: "Yes. From this, I've deduced that the Abyss Order's teleportation technology isn't a simple point-to-point system, but a far more complex network structure. And the nodes for interdimensional travel remain entirely within their control."
Lumine turned to Dain. "Please introduce yourself again. Twilight Sword."
Dain crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly. "I wasn't deliberately concealing the name. This title once bathed in Khaenri'ah's glory, but now... it's more of an irony, a curse."
"As the captain of the royal guard who witnessed the fall of my kingdom, I believe I have good reason to avoid mentioning that name again."
Dain's words unequivocally confirmed that everything Aether had said was true.
Lumine pressed further, "You seem to know a lot about my brother. What did you two experience together?"
Dain replied, "We were once traveling companions."
"It was a journey marked by sorrow, a relentless pursuit of Fate. But... we never reached the end together."
"The end of the journey..." Lumine fell into thought. This wasn't the first time she'd heard that phrase.
What could the end of the journey be?
"By the way, what brings you two here?"
At this, a worried expression appeared on Paimon's small face. She recounted the entire story to Dain.
"The disappearance of one of the Liyue Qixing, with no leads after days of searching, is indeed a grave matter."
"As for the Abyss Monster you mentioned, I regret to say I haven't encountered it during this time. However, its presence in Liyue makes me suspect it's planning something significant. I urge you both to alert the Liyue Qixing as soon as possible to prevent further suffering among the common people."
Lumine nodded in agreement.
Afterward, Dain joined Lumine and Paimon's search-and-rescue team.
During their search, the group discussed the curse that had befallen the Khaenri'ahn people. The Hilichurls, now monstrous, were once cursed Khaenri'ahns.
After traveling some distance, the group encountered several Black Serpent Knights. Without a word, the knights attacked them.
Following the battle, Paimon gasped at the sight behind the knights:
"These knights... are they guarding the Hilichurls?"
Dain's pupils flickered slightly. "Even now, they're still protecting the citizens of Khaenri'ah?"
These Black Serpent Knights had once belonged to Khaenri'ah's royal guard, meaning they were all Dain's subordinates.
In the darkness, Dain noticed one particular knight. Despite the years that had passed, he recognized him instantly.
"Halfdan..."
During their subsequent journey, the group discovered the source that temporarily restored a sliver of reason to the Knights: an Inverted Ancient Pool capable of suppressing the Curse.
"So this thing is suppressing the Curse?" Paimon asked. "If there were more of it, would it...?"
"It's not that simple," Dain interjected. "The Curse's power is terrifying. After enduring for so long, it has become inextricably bound to the cursed. Purifying the Curse would merely force an end to their lives—a process that would be excruciatingly painful."
Guided by Halfdan, Lumine witnessed the Flower of Teyvat, the artifact that had once connected her and her brother.
They finally learned the Abyss Order's true purpose.
Following the Prince's will, the Abyss Order planned to amplify the pool's purifying ability with a device, resurrecting their "nation" and restoring Khaenri'ah's glory to its former brilliance.
Dain, however, believed that purification would only bring deeper suffering—a calamity imposed upon the remnants of Khaenri'ah.
At that moment, the Abyss's device activated, and as the group rushed to intervene, they were intercepted by an Abyss Herald.
By the time they defeated the Abyss Herald, it was too late—the device had already begun functioning.
In a critical moment, Halfdan, with his indomitable will, physically obstructed the device's operation.
Seizing the opportunity, the Traveler defeated its manipulator—the Abyss Lector.
In his final moments, Halfdan's soul materialized before his former Captain, Dain, and bowed respectfully.
"Khaenri'ah hasn't fallen, has it? After all, you're still standing here."
Seeing Dain nod, Halfdan smiled and dissolved into a stream of light.
Thus concludes Requiem of the Echoing Depths.
-
Live Stream
A collective sigh of relief:
[Thank goodness she didn't mention Qingge!]
[But what about Qingge?]
[Didn't we come here to find Qingge? How did we suddenly end up handling this with Dain?]
[...]
Chen Xiyao was puzzled at first, but her confusion quickly dissipated.
Because what followed was another Archon Quest—Perilous Trail.