Lumine and Paimon traversed The Chasm and entered Sumeru's territory, with Paimon resuming her role as guide.
"Sumeru's current Archon is Lesser Lord Kusanali. To meet her, we need to cross the Rainforest and reach Sumeru City. But based on your description, Lumine, she doesn't seem like the God who blocked you and your brother before."
As Lumine walked through Sumeru's Rainforest, observing the lush surroundings, her heart felt lighter.
The trees here were colossal, far taller than any she had seen in other nations. Was this because Sumeru was the Dendro Archon's domain?
Suddenly, Lumine realized a serious problem.
"Paimon, are we lost?"
Paimon scratched her head, surveying the dense foliage. Tree trunks and vines stretched in every direction, obscuring the path ahead.
Lumine glanced back at the path they had just taken.
Hmm, I thought we were following the road, but the area we just passed through doesn't look like a road at all.
Paimon, who proudly proclaimed herself Teyvat's number one guide, crossed her arms and declared, "It's definitely that slope you climbed earlier that made us lose our way!"
Lumine retorted, "I asked you about it, and you said there was a road here too, didn't you?"
Paimon suddenly remembered saying that and gave an awkward smile.
Lumine stroked her chin, climbed onto a slightly higher rock, and surveyed the surroundings. After a long moment, she jumped down, still stroking her chin thoughtfully.
"Lumine, did you find anything?"
"I examined the terrain. At this point, we..."
Lumine walked ahead, with Paimon trailing closely behind.
Thinking Lumine had found the path, Paimon was surprised to see her stop at a clean spot, sit down, and pull out some delicious-looking food.
"At this point, we should eat first."
Paimon stomped her foot. "Hey, you!"
Paimon joined in, retrieving her own treasure and pulling out two large ice creams, handing one to Lumine.
Lumine's eyes widened. "Paimon, when did you get ice cream from Yuna?!"
Paimon: "Paimon bought it herself! Yuna just wouldn't take my Mora, no matter how I tried. Hehe, I was wondering if the ice cream would melt in here, so I tested it out. To my surprise, it didn't! So I asked Yuna to make some more for me."
Paimon tilted her small face upward, knowing the journey to Sumeru would be tough, especially with its vast desert. She had prepared plenty of delicious treats.
While Lumine's cooking skills were decent, they paled in comparison to Yuna's.
Lumine suddenly understood why Paimon had been frequently absent during their time in Inazuma. She had been visiting Yuna all along.
"Paimon, you didn't even tell me! Am I not your best partner anymore?"
Paimon: "You save the best stuff for when you really need it! If I'd told you beforehand, would it still be a surprise now?"
Lumine: "..."
After savoring their delicious meal, Lumine and Paimon continued their journey, carefully navigating the winding paths.
They had originally planned to spend the night in the rainforest, but as they walked, the path opened up, and they encountered a person.
Paimon approached to ask for directions, but the person ignored them.
Since this was the first person Lumine and Paimon had encountered in the rainforest, they didn't dwell on the person's rudeness and quietly followed after them once they left.
The person entered a cave, lit incense, and sat down to meditate.
Lumine and Paimon crept closer, but after smelling the incense, Lumine fell into a trance.
In her trance, Lumine's consciousness found itself beside a colossal tree. Its roots were thick and gnarled, and its branches spread wide, covered in lush foliage.
Strangely, the tree's trunk appeared to be severed, yet this didn't hinder its growth. The entire tree radiated a soft, ethereal glow, giving it an air of profound mystery.
Moreover, the sky was crimson, creating an unsettling and oppressive atmosphere.
Lumine's consciousness was drawn by a voice. She slowly approached the tree, but suddenly, a falling rock, seemingly out of nowhere, struck and severed some of the tree's roots. Fortunately, Lumine's agility allowed her to evade the sudden danger.
As Lumine drew closer to the Giant Tree, she finally made out the murmuring voice.
"...The world... forgot me..."
The intense light pierced her eyes, forcing them shut. Under its blinding glare, her consciousness once again plunged into darkness.
Silaya had deliberately waited before going to meet the golden-haired Traveler Tighnari and Collei had brought back from the Rainforest. Even after hearing about it, she didn't rush over immediately.
That night, as they prepared for bed, Silaya continued sharing Collei's room due to the lack of suitable accommodations and Collei's request.
Collei told Silaya about meeting the Traveler and Paimon that day, mentioning how delicious the snacks Paimon had given her were.
Intrigued, Silaya decided to meet the Traveler herself the next day.
"Oh, Silaya, have you finalized your thesis topic yet?" Collei asked.
Collei knew Silaya was here on a research assignment, and since it was about plants, she thought she might be able to offer some assistance.
Silaya smiled. She had indeed chosen her thesis topic.
However, it was something truly groundbreaking—something that would shock not only Collei but everyone in Teyvat.
"I've already made my choice! I'll need Collei's help with some parts, so I'll reach out to you later!"
"Mm-hmm! Whenever you're ready, Silaya, I'll be there!"
Collei looked genuinely happy. The feeling of being needed was wonderful.
Though she had only known Silaya for a short time, Collei already considered her one of her closest friends—second only to Amber!
After Collei fell asleep, Silaya remained staring blankly at the ceiling.
She had seen the same scene Lumine witnessed during her coma, but unlike Lumine, Silaya had seen it in her dreams.
Silaya didn't understand why she was seeing these visions. Initially, she had been terrified, fearing that Nahida, the embodiment of wisdom and the great Dendro Archon of Sumeru, might see through her.
But as the visions grew more frequent, her anxiety gradually subsided.
Nahida had neither the time nor the energy to scrutinize her. Besides, having witnessed the System's immense power, Silaya was confident that Nahida couldn't penetrate its defenses.
Even setting aside all that, Silaya's life was a complete and authentic one, a life that would be recorded in the Ley Lines, a life that was real.
During her recent brainstorming sessions for her thesis topic, Silaya had pondered deeply. Finally, she made a daring decision: to focus on Irminsul, the World Tree.
Who said Irminsul wasn't a tree?
As long as it was a tree, it fell within the scope of the Amurta Darshan. She would fulfill Teacher Alhaitham's requirements—and she would do it exceptionally well!
Ah, Rukkhadevata, if only there were a way, I'd want to save you too...