"Filthy monsters... So many have died because of you..."
"I lured you to this underground space precisely because I discovered your weakness."
Paimon: "Is that Bosacius speaking?"
Xiao, parrying Bosacius's attacks, replied: "Concealing his presence and attacking from the shadows is Bosacius's signature tactic."
Bosacius: "Perish here with me!"
Xiao: "...Ha... A warrior as valiant as you? Dying here...?"
Until now, Xiao had been constantly on the defensive.
Gradually, however, everyone noticed Bosacius beginning to show signs of exhaustion.
Xiao: "Marshal Vritras Bosacius... Your strength isn't boundless after all."
"But your Phantom is inferior to you. The real you, in your prime, would never be so limited."
"If the Geo Archon were to see his first Yaksha reduced to this state... what would he think?"
As Xiao's words echoed, Bosacius's voice grew agitated. Everyone present could sense the unwavering resolve in his tone.
"...Go! I'll hold them off. Don't let these monsters return to the surface. Remember, all of you must defend the two-hundred-mile battle line outside The Chasm to the death!"
Bosacius unleashed a brief surge of power before collapsing into weakness again. Xiao seized this opportunity to swiftly eliminate the Phantom he had left behind.
Yanfei felt a pang of sorrow:
"How brutal must that war have been..." Yelan murmured, sighing softly. Her two ancestors had also fought in that conflict—one returned driven mad, while the other vanished without a trace.
"Conqueror of Demons, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Xiao replied. "Don't blame me for acting impulsively. Bosacius has been missing for centuries; that might have been our last chance to see him again."
Xiao explained his actions, and Lumine, Qingge, and the others assured him it was alright.
Paimon, puzzled, asked, "But didn't you say that every Yaksha who fought in the war left their name behind? Why is he called the Unnamed Yaksha?"
Xiao turned away, his voice heavy with sorrow. "The Yaksha Clan fought for this world, staining themselves with Karmic Debt. Bosacius... in his final moments, he likely forgot his own name."
Qingge spoke with solemnity, "Though he may have forgotten his name, he still charged fearlessly to the front lines. Marshal Vritras Bosacius... his name should be etched in the memories of this world and all future generations."
Xiao continued, "The Yaksha are a race ill-suited for peaceful times. We are drawn to the scent of strife and bloodshed. We are masters of slaughter... perhaps we only know how to kill."
Silence fell over the group. Xiao's words seemed to be directed at himself as well.
He was the last Yaksha in this era, unable to integrate into modern society. He must be terribly lonely...
Player World
[Dear Xiao is so pitiful.]
[Marshal Vritras Bosacius, what an imposing name. It's such a shame he died here and wasn't discovered until centuries later.]
[I wish I knew what the chaos unleashed by that pitch-black Beast Tide was like back then.]
-
"This battle has confirmed my suspicions," Mu Qingge said. "Based on my previous deductions, this space reflects fragments of one's consciousness. In other words, even in his madness, Bosacius must have been here. That phantom we saw earlier was his lingering imprint."
"This space recreates his combat style—a self-destructive, relentless assault... He couldn't possibly still be alive."
Did he come here too?
Qingge's premonition grew stronger. He must have been here, and he nearly got trapped here to die. If the next space truly belongs to him...
She wondered how powerful the recreations in this space were. I hope they're not too strong, or we'll be in trouble.
After a brief discussion, the group located a Small Fantastic Compass nearby. Activating it, the Spatial Gate reappeared.
Upon entering, they found themselves in another space.
Paimon wrinkled her nose at the sight of the new area. "This place looks a lot like the last one. Is this another place from a different timeline?"
Yelan and the others were also surveying their surroundings. Unlike the previous spaces they had traversed, this place appeared utterly normal.
Yet, it was precisely this lack of anomalies that felt abnormal.
Suddenly, before anyone could react, a deafening roar erupted.
Everyone's eyes immediately snapped toward the source of the sound.
"Qingge!"
"What was that?!"
Qingge had already confirmed it: this space was brimming with Malice!
But this Malice was no longer under her control, or rather, no longer under Jiang Mumu's control.
Fueled by pure malice, the recent attack had struck her Mystic Barrier.
"Everyone, be careful! This is the Abyss Monster I encountered beneath The Chasm! I never expected it to be replicated here too!"
"What?!"
Yelan and Xiao immediately scanned their surroundings, their eyes darting around warily. Having clashed with this monster several times before, they knew its uncanny abilities well.
Lumine swiftly drew her sword, her gaze fixed on the area around them. Any sign of movement would trigger an immediate attack.
Even though this was merely a Phantom, the very sight of it filled her with fury, making her yearn to obliterate it without hesitation.
-
In the live stream, Chen Xiyao straightened her posture, ready to play seriously.
After waiting through several updates, this loathsome creature had finally appeared!
Even if it wasn't real, nothing could dampen the players' determination to crush it to death!
They had never forgotten Rola's vengeance!
[The bastard's finally here!]
[Hurry, streamer, switch to your strongest team and unleash Diluc too! It's time to avenge your sister!]
[Arghhh, die, you vile spawn of the Abyss!]
-
Qingge approached Paimon and Yanfei, protected by the Geo Archon's Mystic Barrier, which could guard against malicious ambushes.
This malice wasn't the same as the previous threat. If it truly targeted Yanfei and Paimon, things would become dire.
Though she had her suspicions about Paimon's true nature, until everything was clarified, Paimon remained their mascot.
"It's coming!"
Another sound rang out—the activation of Qingge's Mystic Barrier.
This time, Xiao was on high alert. The moment Malice struck, he retaliated instantly, striking first and piercing its chest with a single blow.
Malice vanished again, Xiao's spear strike seemingly causing little harm.
Bang!
Another attack, once again blocked by Qingge's Mystic Barrier.
This strike seemed to exhaust the malice's full power, leaving the barrier slightly damaged.
Qingge, Xiao, Yelan, Lumine, and Yanfei immediately launched a coordinated assault, unleashing a relentless barrage of lethal attacks.
Malice's phantom form was instantly riddled with holes, the entire illusion collapsing in on itself.
"Now!"
Geo Elemental Power converged at the tip of Qingge's spear. Guided by instinct, she thrust the spear toward the spot where Malice had vanished, the spearhead piercing directly into its skull, completely ending its existence.
After the deed was done, Qingge retracted her spear, coldly remarking, "This is just the interest!"
As expected, the phantom here couldn't compare to the true Malice, but it was still formidable enough.
Without the Mystic Barrier gifted by the Geo Archon, Qingge would have been severely wounded, if not killed outright.
After all, this creature's mechanics were utterly vile. While it remained dormant, its location was impossible to pinpoint. By the time it attacked, it was already too late.
"Qingge, it seems its target has always been you!" Yelan's expression was grim. If this phantom was any indication, might the true Malice also fixate on Qingge?
"This phantom materialized from my memories," Qingge replied. "It's not surprising its target is me."
Still uneasy, Yelan insisted, "Stay vigilant! Don't let your guard down!"