Kiana and the Captain's Bizarre Adventure

Chapter 162 The Teyvat Chronicles (1)

Ten years have passed since that celestial star landed, and nothing particularly noteworthy has happened during that time.

If I had to put it in words, that celestial star is gradually absorbing the energy from the earth's veins, and a consciousness is slowly being conceived.

This is located inside the planet, in a place known as the Primordial Ocean.

All around were wondrous substances radiating dazzling light. Suddenly, a purplish-black portal opened above the primordial sea of ​​fetuses, and out emerged a silver-haired, blue-eyed woman and a giant, jet-black dragon.

The people who arrived were clearly Kiana and the future Dragon King Nidhogg. Nidhogg was seen curiously looking around at the scenery.

"Mother...herakti, where is this place?"

Kiana glared at Nidhogg at first, but relaxed when she saw him immediately change his tune.

"This is a place inside the planet called the Primordial Ocean, the origin of life on the planet."

"Giving birth to life? Isn't the birth of our elemental beings a normal phenomenon?"

“Yes.” Kiana nodded. “Initially, to ensure that the planet was not interfered with by additional variables during the transformation, I stopped its operation after the primordial womb had developed a simple ecological environment. Now the time is ripe, and it’s time to let go of the suppression here.”

After speaking, Nidhogg only sensed a powerful force reappearing from the primordial womb, which was then completely absorbed by Kiana.

The primordial sea beneath also underwent indescribable changes. In Nidhogg's perception, Teyvat was currently experiencing a dramatic transformation.

Countless creatures appeared and then disappeared, until only those races that adapted to their environment and resembled themselves remained.

At the same time, a heartbeat emanated from the primordial sea of ​​fetuses, which had been silent for thousands of years. Accompanied by the heartbeat, a heart formed from the primordial sea of ​​fetuses appeared before Kiana and the others.

In just a few breaths, the heart created a body for itself.

"This is…"

Nighold looked at the creature before him with confusion. There was no doubt that the body that had emerged from the heart was that of an elemental dragon king. What puzzled Nighold was why it was an elemental dragon king. Fortunately, Kiana explained the reason to him in the next second.

"This is the heart of the primordial womb. For some reason, it has developed its own consciousness. It will subconsciously create a body for itself that is the pinnacle of the current world's creatures for its own use. In fact, you elemental dragon kings are the same in this respect."

In other words, Nighold has gained another brother or sister, which is certainly something for Nighold to be happy about, but he also quickly grasped the key point in Kiana's words.

"So, Apep looks similar to me because I am currently the apex predator on Teyvat, but why am I...?"

"Haha, your appearance is because I subconsciously believe that dragons are the pinnacle of life, which is why you look the way you do now."

While Kiana and Nighold were talking, the being named Chaos opened its eyes. Before it stood the person who had sealed it away for thousands of years, yet strangely, it felt no resentment whatsoever.

Then it turned its gaze to Nighold, who was standing to the side, and immediately understood why it couldn't feel resentment. The answer was right in front of it.

Because of his subconscious actions, he also inherited Nighold's biological instincts, causing him to subconsciously regard the woman in front of him as his mother.

However, he was not a cub after all, and his instincts had a limited influence on him, so he naturally wouldn't become as clingy or embarrassing as the guy in front of him.

Honestly, looking at Nighold's enormous body bowing and scraping to Kiana, with its tail even wagging happily from side to side, Chaos felt like he could build a three-bedroom villa in the Primordial Sea of ​​the Womb.

Is this really their future king? Chaos was a little unsure for a moment. As the heart of the primordial womb, Chaos had been suppressed by Kiana for many years, but unexpectedly saw a glimpse of the future through Kiana's power.

Therefore, it naturally knew that Nighogd in front of it would become the ruler of the seven elemental dragon kings in the future, ushering in an era of prosperity for the dragon race.

Looking at Nighogd, who was thousands of years old but still as clingy as a puppy, Chaos felt a wave of exhaustion. It seemed that achieving the future he envisioned still had a long way to go.

So, with Nighold's excited introduction, Apep, who was guarding the house, also got to know this new member.

At this point, five elemental dragons remain to be gathered before Nighogg reigns in Teyvat and the Age of Dragons begins.

Kiana knew she didn't have much time left to waste. Although she longed to witness Nighold usher in that era, she simply didn't have the time.

Over the course of thousands of years, Kiana found that her memories of Mei and the others had inevitably become blurred. In order to prevent herself from truly forgetting her original purpose, she had been using her power of consciousness to maintain her memories all these years.

Her longing for the captain and Mei grew stronger, and she was really worried about whether she could keep going.

So one day, Kiana left behind seven fragments of the seven powers symbolizing Teyvat and then secretly left that point in time.

Only Chaos knew about this, or rather, Kiana specifically sought it out, since Chaos was the oldest here, considering the time he had been sealed away.

Kiana hoped that it could distribute these seven powers to Nighogd and the other six elemental dragon kings at the right time. Although it was unclear what Kiana's true intentions were, Chaos agreed to Kiana's request.

When Chaos saw Kiana again, it was during the later stages of the dragon race's rule, and Kiana was accompanied by a newly born god.

"...That's right. Since you left Teyvat, Nighold has matured and has completely dominated the entire Teyvat in just a few hundred years."

This is the region that will be known as Liyue in the future, and it is also the territory of Gaia, the Geo Dragon King.

Chaos concealed his presence to come here, mainly to see the long-lost creator god, but he didn't expect to see someone taking care of a child as soon as he arrived.

Chaos knew the young god before him; he was originally a meteorite from beyond Teyvat, and as he was nourished by the earth's ley line energy year after year, he gradually developed his own consciousness.

When Gaia first discovered this celestial star, he considered using his own power to help it grow, hoping to gain a divine companion in return, but unfortunately, he failed.

However, it now appears to have been born normally. Perhaps it is because of the earth's veins and Gaia's power within its body. Although this newborn god's true form comes from beyond the heavens, it is still recognized by the World Tree as a native god.

"Speaking of this child, he is..."

"Him? His name is Morax, and you know his true identity."

Chaos nodded to indicate that it understood, but it still couldn't figure out why Kiana had brought Morax with her.

“I understand the logic, but why are you taking care of the child again? And is it really okay not to go see Nidhogg?”

After assigning Morax another task, Kiana watched him leave her sight.

"That child will surely achieve great things in the future. As someone who possesses a part of my power, you should understand that no era is permanent."

Chaos fell silent. It had indeed witnessed the end of the dragon age and Nighogd's tragic demise.

"So this is your answer?" Chaos gritted his teeth and questioned, suppressing his anger. "To you, Nighold is nothing more than a toy to be used and discarded?"

"How could that be! You think I didn't think about saving it? I just... um!"

Recalling the countless times Nighold died in front of her, Kiana felt a wave of nausea.

Kiana's arrival time before Chaos came to her was actually the time when Fanes arrived. Kiana had considered helping Nidhogg defeat Fanes, and in fact, she did do so and succeeded.

But what followed was Nighold's growing desire for power. Perhaps it was because he didn't want to lose Kiana again, or perhaps it was because of the arrival of Fanes that Nighold craved unparalleled power to protect the world he ruled and keep Kiana firmly by his side, never letting her stray even a step away.

No matter how Kiana tried to persuade him, it was no use. In the end, Nighold tainted the dark power of the abyss and accidentally summoned Fanes, whose body and mind had been corrupted by the abyss.

After another great battle between the two, dark flames ignited for the first time on the continent of Teyvat, and the world was gradually breaking apart. In order to continue the future of Teyvat, Nidhogg, realizing that he had made a mistake, made the same choice as Fanes, sacrificing himself and handing over this world on the verge of collapse to Kiana.

Unfortunately, Kiana didn't want to see this ending, so she chose to return to the day Fanes descended. This time, she chose to help Fanes defeat Nighad in exchange for the preservation of the dragon race.

But Nighold, accustomed to its high position, had no desire to be subservient to someone else. Moreover, it didn't want to see Kiana's forced smile of "this is fine" every day, so one day, taking advantage of Kiana's inattention, it escaped to another world.

Not long after, Nighogd swept through Teyvat once again with the power of the abyss. The final outcome remained the same: Nighogd died, and Teyvat was on the verge of destruction. Farnese chose to sacrifice himself to save Teyvat.

Kiana went through countless cycles afterward, and the final result was always the same: Teyvat was on the verge of destruction, and Nighold died in front of her.

Sue, unable to bear it any longer, appeared and comforted Kiana, telling her that once beings like them observe a specific future and regard it as reality, that future will be anchored, and changing it afterwards will become almost impossible.

Besides, Kiana is burdened with the mission of becoming the embodiment of justice and saving the future of Teyvat, so she can't afford to waste any more time here.

Kiana, having chosen to give up, arrived at the present point in time, which led to Chaos's secret visit to Kiana.

Chaos carefully observed Kiana's expression and was surprised to find the weariness between her brows. He instantly realized that Kiana might have experienced much more than he had imagined.

“You… sigh! Herakti, you know perfectly well that the simplest way to change that future is for you to become that so-called Godly Principle right now. I think if it were you, Nighold wouldn’t have any objections.”

“It’s no use.” Kiana shook her head. “Nighold’s death is a done deal; it’s too difficult to change it…”

"So you're just going to watch it die in the end?"

Chaos stared intently at Kiana with his vertical pupils, his claws scraping against the ground with a sickening screech.

"How could that be! Since Nighold's death is a foregone conclusion, I wonder if there are other ways to resurrect him in the distant future... After all..."

After all, this was the child she raised, and one of the few sources of comfort she had found during her thousands of years of loneliness. She would never give up on him so easily!

Chaos was relieved. It was probably because Nighold was the one who had been with Kiana the longest. No matter how ruthless Kiana was, she couldn't possibly completely ignore him.

Perhaps she really has some unspeakable secret!

"Herakti, although I don't know why you're not determined to become the embodiment of Heaven's justice, let's make a promise here!"

"Promise?"

“Yes! It’s perfect that he can be the witness, don’t you think, Morax?”

"When did you discover me?"

"With your clumsy hiding skills, it's hard not to notice you," Chaos laughed.

So you mean you knew too?

Kiana nodded: "After all, you're still too inexperienced for us. Tell me, what exactly do you mean by this agreement?"

"It's very simple. Since you haven't made up your mind to become the Heavenly Principle yet, then in the future, as long as you decide to become the Heavenly Principle, I, the Water Element Dragon King, will do my best to assist you in becoming the Heavenly Principle."

"Is this really a good idea? If you help alone, won't the others see you as a traitor to the dragon race?"

"Don't worry, I'll gradually try to persuade the others later. Right now, I'm only saying that I can only guarantee that I will choose to help you."

"Haha, alright. This agreement is settled, but be prepared for a long time!"

Chaos could only manage a wry smile. He knew his time was running out. All he could do was try his best to persuade the other elemental dragon kings and leave his legacy in the primordial sea.

In this way, even if it dies, the resurrected second-generation Elemental Dragon King will remember this promise. It believes that as long as Kiana becomes the embodiment of justice, everything will be saved!

Chaos then left, and Kiana, after quickly packing her belongings, also left with Morax.

Kiana realized that since Chaos knew she was there, there was no reason why Nidhogg wouldn't know. To avoid being disturbed in the future, Kiana decided it would be better to move to the moon.

Thus began what Zhongli would later call a nightmarish memory.