N-A-A Chapter 864 Countermeasures (4)
Chapter 864 Countermeasures (4)
"...Borrowing her form will not disturb anyone, and it will allow me to feel the breath and pulse of this land more truly."
Nasita explained slowly through Catherine's gentle voice, her tone both warm and profound, like a spring breeze brushing through the treetops.
I see, I see.
Is this a possession-type ability?
[The Goddess of Wisdom—wisdom is inherently linked to the mind, so it's quite reasonable that she can reside in the bodies of others.]
[That makes perfect sense, absolutely perfect.]
[But can she only possess humans? Or can she possess any living being? If so, the potential for this ability is astonishing!]
When everyone finally realized that the "Catherine" before them was actually Narcissus, the goddess of wisdom, their tense expressions instantly melted away, and they quietly relaxed.
Paimon patted his chest gently, his tone tinged with relief:
“I see! I knew it. The real Catherine wouldn’t make such a ridiculous joke. But if it’s you—Narcissus—doing it makes sense.”
She tilted her head, blinked, and asked curiously, "But if you really are now in Catherine's body, when exactly did you enter this body?"
Nasita lowered her eyes slightly, a meaningful smile appearing on her lips, as if tracing the source of her memories: "Hmm... it probably started with the phrase 'towards the stars and the abyss'."
"Huh?!" Paimon stomped his foot as if struck by lightning. "Isn't that right from the very beginning?!"
[In fact, the real Catherine could never have said that sentence completely... lol]
Miss Catherine, whose every word is skipped by a frenzy of taps, is a real-life version of a "useless husband."
[Towards the stars... (slap! Skip)]
The normal process should be: Towards the star (skip)... Thank you (skip)... Claim complete.
Yiya sighed, looking helplessly at the deity before her: "Sister, you really are... I don't even know what to say..."
Nasida simply chuckled and remained silent, her eyes subtly shifting the subject:
"It's funny, although I expected that you might recognize me, I never expected that it would be Little Iya who recognized me by smell."
She gazed tenderly at the boy, a hint of teasing in her eyes:
“Little guy, you are the son of a demon god, not a little puppy wagging its tail.”
Iya shrugged, looking nonchalant: "Actually, humans can do it too. It's just that most people are used to judging people by their eyes, and over time, their sense of smell has become like a dormant well, gradually neglected."
He turned to look at Ying and Paimon, his voice clear: "I remember, in Mondstadt, there was also an older brother whose sense of smell was as keen as mine, like that of a wild beast."
Paimon immediately realized: "You mean Rizer?"
Upon hearing this, Nasita's eyes flickered slightly, and she nodded thoughtfully: "I see... If one relies on one sense for a long time, the other senses may indeed degenerate as a result, just like branches and leaves growing on one side, causing the root system to become unbalanced."
“That’s quite an interesting observation.” She chuckled softly, her voice like the gentle tinkling of a wind chime.
Iya continued, "I remember my brother once quoted a saying to describe this state—'Learning without thinking is futile.'"
His eyes were clear: "It means that if you don't reflect on and consolidate what you've learned, the knowledge will slip through your fingers like quicksand and eventually be forgotten."
"Now that I think about it, those words are actually quite apt here."
"Even innate talent, if not honed and awakened through practice, will quietly fade away over time and eventually be completely extinguished."
Nasita lowered her eyes slightly, her tone carrying a barely perceptible hint of melancholy and envy: "Your father personally taught you so many principles..."
"Is this the difference between 'personal instruction' and 'free-range parenting'? I've never even had the chance to speak a single word to him since I was born."
Paimon floated in mid-air and remarked, "Little Yiya was born with Jun Bai's own eyes. As for you... I suspect Jun Bai has no idea that his power was involved in your birth."
“That’s possible.” Nasita touched her lips with her fingertip and said thoughtfully, “After all, I can hardly step out of Sumeru in order to protect the World Tree.”
“If no one mentions my existence to my father, he would indeed have a hard time knowing where I came from.”
……
Inside Fengdeng Tower, the lights were on.
Jun Bai, who was watching the live broadcast through the system, murmured, "Uh... actually I know."
He knew every step of the Great Compassion Tree King's plan perfectly.
And that Nirvana Fire—in essence, is the mysterious power that originates from his own very being.
When the Great Tree King nurtured the newborn deity with the fire of Nirvana, Jun Bai had already sensed everything. It could even be said that without his tacit approval, this miracle of life might never have happened.
Therefore, when he saw Nasita softly claiming to be his daughter through the system's screen, he showed no surprise whatsoever.
Jun Bai had anticipated all of this.
But the truth at this moment is still buried deep behind the veil of fate.
Nasita, Ying, and Paimon's group are far from knowing the full picture.
Moreover, since Jun Bai was in Liyue Harbor, his thoughts and whispers could not cross mountains and rivers to reach Sumeru City's ears.
……
In Sumeru City, sunlight streamed through the windows of the Adventurers' Guild, illuminating the lush green vines.
Nasita suddenly asked seriously, "Speaking of the World Tree... how are those patients with the Demon Scale Disease who were trapped in the dream now?"
"After the incident, I visited a few people, and they still seemed worried that their condition might suddenly worsen."
Ying nodded gently, her tone calm yet firm: "Mingyuan has already conducted a thorough examination for everyone."
"Although most patients' conditions have deteriorated slightly compared to the initial stage, the disease has not progressed to the next stage because the dream ended in time."
She further explained, "That is to say, no one has progressed from the initial stage to the middle stage, nor from the middle stage to the severe stage, nor has anyone shown signs of being in the terminal stage. All cases are currently under control."
"As long as he stays calm, Mingyuan is confident he can keep the illness firmly under control," Paimon added, his eyes gleaming with admiration. "He's truly amazing! Demon Scale Disease was once considered incurable, yet he's managed to prevent it from worsening..."
Nasida nodded slowly, her gaze softening slightly: "Yes, if given more time, perhaps we can truly overcome this incurable disease by relying on the power of pharmacology."
However, she quickly composed herself, her voice steady and solemn: "But we cannot therefore place all our hopes on one person."
"Curing the Demon Scale Disease is important, but the threats facing Sumeru go far beyond that. The spread of the Dead Zone is also a sword hanging over our heads."
She gazed into the distance, her eyes as deep as a secluded pool in the forest: "Even if the suffering of mankind is alleviated, if the World Tree continues to wither, one day, the Dead Zone will devour the entire land."
"The collapse of the World Tree may even shake the very foundations of Teyvat's history, wiping out the entire world's memories."
Paimon nodded solemnly, his voice tinged with gravity: "Therefore, our top priority is to save the World Tree."
"But to achieve this goal, we must ensure that Nasita can go all out without any worries."
Before she could finish speaking, her little face suddenly scrunched up, revealing a troubled expression.
Because if they really wanted to clear the obstacles for Nasita, it meant they had to take action against the deeply entrenched royalists within the Church.
This is not a simple standoff, but a direct confrontation with a long-simmering power struggle.
If it were just an ordinary opponent, that would be fine.
The problem is—those royalists were pawns Caesar deliberately left for Narcissus to "practice." In other words…
To truly shake their position, only Nasita herself can take action, which would be legitimate and decisive.
As Paimon listened to his analysis, Nasita's eyes flickered slightly, clearly having grasped the deeper meaning behind it.
She paused for a moment, then finally managed a slightly forced smile: "Before considering how to deal with the royalists, why don't we first find out what they're doing, or what they're secretly plotting?"
"After all, even punishment requires a crime to be established first."
Alas, the little grass god still refuses.
[The demon god's love for humanity, the mercy of heaven towards humankind, is also arguably the demon god's greatest curse; it's truly heartbreaking.]
[It's only from our God-like perspective that we can understand why a demon's love for its beloved is a curse; if we're in Teyvat, we should thank God.]
This way of growing up is really cruel...
The group tacitly agreed not to press her for further action, giving her some breathing room and temporarily turning the page on this heavy matter.
Paimon quickly chimed in, “Yes, yes! I never want to experience that nightmare of the ‘Flower Goddess’s Birthday’ again… Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.”
Ying frowned slightly, her tone low and wary: "Whether the 'cycle of the Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival' will repeat itself is still unknown. But what's even more worrying is—"
"The royalists used that incident to quietly collect the knowledge and energy that the Sumeru people had scattered in their dreams. What exactly were they trying to do? The ambitions hidden behind it were probably far more than just a power struggle."
Nasita nodded slightly, her expression regaining some calmness and determination: "Then, for now, let's prioritize investigating and stopping the royalists' conspiracy."
"As for the specific plan... let's discuss it in detail somewhere else. This place is too crowded with people and adventurers; it's not a suitable place for a secret meeting."
Her gaze was gentle yet carried an undeniable authority: "Let's gather at my Pure Goodness Palace."
At this moment, she was relying on Catherine's body, sitting peacefully behind the Adventurers' Guild counter.
Adventurers might approach at any moment to inquire about a quest; the sounds of voices and footsteps rose and fell in a cacophony.
Amidst this turmoil, an undercurrent concerning the fate of Sumeru is quietly brewing.