Kiana and the Captain's Bizarre Adventure

Chapter 144 Kiana: Me, a toilet cleaner? Really?

"So you mean you know what that space is all about?"

"Know a thing or two."

As Zhongli sipped his tea, Kiana looked at him with his eyes closed, lost in thought. She had countless questions she wanted to ask, but didn't know how to begin.

"Miss Kiana, please feel free to ask any questions you may have. I will answer them as appropriate. Don't worry, I can answer quite a few of your questions this time."

"Then let's start by talking about how that space was formed."

"I wonder if Miss Kiana knows about Herakti?"

"puff!"

Kiana spat out the tea she had just taken a sip of.

Of course she knew the name Helaki. In fact, she was quite excited when the captain dragged her to watch a card game anime and she saw this being, hailed as the creator of light, appear and defeat the final boss in one blow during the finale.

During my chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) phase, I fantasized that I was the creator god of light, and I even created many invincible fan-made settings for her.

But all of that happened during my chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) period, and those settings were sealed away in the depths of darkness as my chuunibyou was cured.

It's quite "unexpected" that Zhongli would suddenly bring up this name now.

No, no, no! How did he know that name? I didn't see it when I was investigating the Demon God War!

Calm down, maybe you just haven't found it yet!

Yes! Absolutely!

"No, no, is there a problem with this name?"

Kiana's hand holding the teacup trembled uncontrollably, causing the tea to spill everywhere, which made Zhongli feel truly distressed.

However, Kiana's reaction does indeed match what she said back then.

“In the past, even I can’t quite remember exactly how many years ago, Herakti found me and made a pact with me, hoping to pass on everything she told me to you, Miss Kiana, at the appropriate time.”

"Tell me?"

“That’s right. She said she created a space deep within the ley lines, which is now the deepest part of the Laminariat, where Miss Kiana can do anything she’s capable of.”

"So, that space was originally created for my use?"

“Yes,” Zhongli nodded. “That space was created by her and then stabilized by the three moon goddesses. Its purpose is to provide you with the necessary assistance in critical moments in the future.”

"For example, blocking surveillance in that area?"

Zhongli didn't speak, but silently drank the last of the tea in his cup.

He then picked up the teapot and filled it up, then gestured to Kiana to see if she wanted more tea.

Kiana pushed the teacup forward, watching the tea flow from the spout into the cup, and her heart gradually calmed down.

"I understand what Mr. Zhongli meant, but why..."

"Are you asking why that Herakti helped you?"

Kiana nodded. Zhongli looked at Kiana's serious expression and couldn't help but recall the scene when he first met Herakti.

"Please, convey our conversation today to someone named Kiana. In the distant future, she will surely appear in a country called Liyue, the country you will eventually establish. I believe that by then you will understand why I asked you to convey this message to that child."

Under the witness of the moon goddess, a silver-haired woman dressed in the style of a later Sumeru world spoke, her eyes, adorned with cross patterns, brimming with joy. The still-young Zhongli then asked:

"If this were in the future, how could you guarantee she would recognize you?"

Herakti simply smiled at this.

"Don't worry, she'll know as soon as you mention my name. That kid will definitely give you a really interesting look while hurriedly denying it...!"

Heraqti, I understand now.

Zhongli understood the moment he saw Kiana.

The so-called Herakti is Kiana's god name when she walked in Teyvat, or perhaps it is an alias.

However, Kiana Kaslana... well, he learned the meaning behind that name during his conversation with Fu Hua.

The name Kiana represents the moon goddess in a myth from their original world. It is said that Kiana's godmother named her after looking at the moon outside the window when Kiana was born.

No wonder she was able to get along well with those three sisters; being a moon goddess herself made it easier to build relationships with them than with her.

"Kiana, you are very close to her. It's a pity that when you signed the contract, she specifically mentioned that you couldn't reveal her identity. So, apart from that, I can answer all your questions."

"As for why she would help you, Kiana, before that, I want to ask you a question."

"what is the problem?"

"Are you... ready to be bound to the fate of this world?"

Kiana took a deep breath. Now, whether by her own will or not, she had decided to become Tenri and save this gradually crumbling world.

"I am ready."

“Very well. Then I will tell you. In the past, Herakti told me this: the future of Teyvat is gradually heading towards destruction, and Kiana is the key to saving Teyvat. Therefore, a space where one can do whatever one wants is necessary.”

"For this, she paid a huge price to ask those three goddesses to help build that space."

"So, that Herakti foresaw the future destruction of Teyvat a long time ago?"

“That’s right. At first I thought she was referring to the war between the First Throne and the Second Throne. But, in the end, that war was just the cause, and the result did not come.”

"But... how did you know I'd been to that space? Oh, I see, you really did come looking for me, right?"

"Yes. If there are any questions, Miss Kiana can try asking Makoto; she knows just as much as I do."

"You really knew about those things?"

Kiana looked at Zhongli with a puzzled expression at first, and then she understood what was going on.

"I see. He truly lives up to his title as the God of Contracts. He knows exactly how to exploit loopholes in contracts."

“Miss Kiana, you are mistaken. I, Zhong, have always abided by contracts, but the contract does not say that I cannot tell the truth to a dying person. I am merely fulfilling the wish of a dying person. What is wrong with that?”

"Alright, I know I can't win an argument with you. But my main purpose this time is still to ask about King Ratna."

"Miss Kiana, do you want to use my power to find the Rock Throne and return the power of the Ancient Dragons to you?"

"You found out again... Could it be that she told you again?"

"No, it's just that I learned by chance that if we want to solve the problem of Ruoduo's wear and tear, we have to return the power of the ancient dragon. But as you know, sitting in this position, I am destined not to be able to do as I used to."

"So you waited for me. But there's still one crucial thing missing before I can connect to the throne of God."

"The Heart of the Rock God".

“That’s right, but you’ve already given it to the Empress of Winter, which means that the conditions for resolving the problem of the Dragon King Ruoduo have been sealed off.”

"But you still came to find me, which means you already have a way to resolve this situation, doesn't it?"

"Yes, even if you still possess the Heart of God, we still cannot carry out the plan."

"After all, the Heart of God is an external magical organ connecting the seven gods to Sky Island. If it is damaged or used to perform operations outside the rules, it will inevitably attract the attention of Sky Island."

"So besides the Heart of God, there is a hidden requirement that I need to fulfill. That is why I did not choose to persist in the first place. Now that space has helped me solve these two difficulties."

"how do I say this?"

"Zhongli, do you know the operating logic of that space?"

"Appreciate further details."

"First, it uses everything it acquires as fuel to run inside, but it seems that this is a distortion caused by the influence of the Sky Nail. The original operating logic should not be like this. But that doesn't matter. Its ultimate function, besides blocking the view of Sky Island, is to materialize the things that people desire most in their hearts. Using this function, we can regain a Geo God's Heart, although it will only be temporary."

"But that's enough. As long as I can connect to the throne through this Heart of God, that's enough. I will destroy the throne then, and the ancient dragon's power sealed by the throne will naturally return to its rightful place."

"In the whole plan, all I need to do is accompany Miss Kiana into that space once, and then wait for the right opportunity to break the seal, right?"

“That’s right!” Kiana snapped her fingers. “After all, the Dragon King Rota has suffered too much damage over a long period of time. Even if he regains his power as an ancient dragon, he will need time to recover.”

"I understand. I will have Xiaoyue pay more attention to Ruoduo's seal from now on."

"Now that we've reached an agreement, why not set off today?"

"Alright. But please allow me to finish this pot of tea, Miss Kiana. Mr. Yun's performance is next, and I don't want to miss it."

Hearing that Yun Jin's performance was next, Kiana became interested. She didn't know why, but in her previous life, she had absolutely no interest in operas, yet after being reborn as Kiana, she inexplicably developed a passion for them.

I never had the chance before, until I defeated the Honkai and chose to stay on the moon to ensure that the earth would not be destroyed. I finally had time to watch these operas. Sometimes I would watch for a whole day, and I would even forget to eat instant noodles.

This forced Mei to put away all the related CDs and videotapes, but Mei clearly forgot that the Internet even existed.

Although watching online is a nightmare due to loading times, Kiana can be downloaded!

So Kiana's computer on the lunar base contained not only various study materials but also videos of various operas.

As mentioned before, Kiana played mahjong with researchers from Shenzhou while bored at the lunar base.

However, because Kiana's luck was so incredible, after a few rounds, no one came to play mahjong with her anymore.

Kiana's interest in watching traditional opera was cultivated during this time, and now that she has arrived in Teyvat, she has been looking forward to opera performances in Liyue.

In the previous incident, she finally got her wish and is now a qualified fan of Yun Jin.

After watching Yun Jin's performance, Zhong Li, as usual, called the waiter to settle the bill and asked him to send the bill to Wang Sheng Tang.

Kiana was about to pay the bill, but after glancing at the amount of Mora on the bill, she quietly put her wallet back in her pocket.

I can't afford it, I really can't afford it!

Who would have thought that just this pot of tea would cost tens of thousands of moras? Add to that the ticket price for the Yun Jin Opera and all sorts of other miscellaneous expenses, and the bill easily reached six figures in moras.

To be honest, it's no wonder he's called Zhongli. Now Kiana finally understands the true value of the saying, "If you're going to go on a trip, go to the most expensive famous actress; if you're going to listen to a play, listen to the best star."

After paying the bill, Kiana took Zhongli to the vicinity of the Layered Rock Abyss.

Seeing that no one was around, they pulled Zhongli along the earth's veins and came to this space again, but this time the timing of their arrival seemed a little off.

"Who are you? Why are you here? Who sent you? No, the seal hasn't been broken, so logically no one should be able to come down. Is it just my imagination?"

The man in front of them was muttering to himself in a somewhat deranged manner, and next to him, a burly man wearing a purple Nuo mask and with four arms was lying on the ground.

Kiana was familiar with the scene before her, having learned about the history of this space. This time, she and Zhongli seemed to have traveled back five hundred years.

The man before them was undoubtedly Boyang, Yelan's ancestor, while the one lying there was Fushe, one of the guardian yakshas, ​​the Grand Marshal Tengshe.

However, he is still suffering from karmic obstacles and wear and tear. Although his consciousness is still clear, he has lost his past memories.

Now, he often has memories of the past in his mind, but those memories are so vague and chaotic that he cannot clearly distinguish the people around him.

Just like now, he got up, clutching his head in pain, and asked Boyang, who was standing to the side, what was wrong.

"Jin Peng, where did you go? And who are those two people...?"

Fu She felt that the man in front of her looked extremely familiar, and countless memories surged into her mind as if they were about to break free of their cages.

Bo Yang sighed and said, "I don't know either. Maybe it's a phantom created by one of my brothers who are still alive."

"You...you are..."

"It is I, Fushe."

"Floating She? Is that your name, Yaksha Brother? Does that mean they are your phantoms? But why...?"

“Because we are not illusions,” Kiana said. “It may seem unbelievable to you, but we come from the future.”

"future?"

“That’s right. Thanks to the special nature of this space, the Emperor and I arrived at your point in time through the earth’s veins.”

"The Emperor...? You mean the person standing next to you is the Emperor?!"

Kiana didn't answer, because Fushe, who had regained his memories, answered the question for her.

"I never expected to see you again. How is the situation outside, Your Majesty? Has Fushe helped Liyue overcome this crisis?"

Fushe coughed as he stood up to bow, but an invisible force pressed him down.

It was Zhongli who made the move; he understood that Fushe was already at its last gasp.

Given Fushe's current condition, even getting up is a luxury. How could Zhongli bear to see him exhaust his last bit of strength for her sake?

However, with Kiana around, it's not too late.

Zhongli turned to look at Kiana, who was talking to Boyang about the bright future, and secretly made up her mind.

"Miss Kiana, if possible, I would like to sign another contract with you."