The Reckoning Ends

The people of Teyvat had eaten their fill of gossip.

Who would have thought there was gossip like this? They had always heard the Fatui were divided within their own ranks. So it was true.

Anastasia: ...I think we need a meeting to discuss the problems within the Fatui.

The noisy Sky Screen suddenly fell silent.

Those outside Snezhnaya grew curious.

[Who is this Anastasia? Is she a member of the Fatui too?]

[Yu Xiaogang: She looks young. At most, she's probably a Soul Emperor?]

[Yu Yuanzhen: You unfilial wretch, shut your mouth!]

Yu Yuanzhen was scared half to death. Did his son have any idea how powerful that other world was? And he still dared to get involved?

Didn't he know the best thing to do in a situation like this was play blind?

In the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's main hall, Yu Yuanzhen cursed up a storm. How had he ever fathered such a wretch?

[Fatui First Harbinger—Director—The Jester: That is Her Majesty the Tsaritsa!]

[Fatui Eleventh Harbinger—Childe: Your Majesty, what do we do about The Marionette in the other world?]

[Anastasia: I checked the Sky Screen's rules earlier. Anyone featured in a reckoning has a chance to travel to that time. Whoever gets featured can take the meeting's conclusions over there.]

Only after hearing the Ice God's words did many people notice that the Sky Screen even had rules. One stated it plainly: anyone featured in a reckoning had a chance to go to Douluo Continent.

[Why would we go to Douluo Continent? I'm perfectly happy in Liyue.]

[Exactly! Why do we have to go to Douluo Continent just because we're featured? I'd rather get a bottle of Mondstadt wine!]

Even among the second-generation gods, many knew only fragments about the Abyss.

Ordinary people knew even less. They didn't even know what the Abyss was, and now they were suddenly being told that those chosen would be forced to leave their homes...

[Keqing: Everyone, if you're chosen from Liyue, please go. By the Emperor's decree, Lady Ningguang has been fighting alone in the other world, hoping to establish a new Liyue Harbor.]

After that exposé, it wasn't merely a matter of the Emperor's decree. The Emperor himself had gone to the other world to hold the fort. A new world was bound to be full of opportunities.

Keqing wasn't the only one who saw that. Anastasia did too.

The Sky Screen clearly stood above the Heavenly Principles. Could she obtain from it the power to defy them?

In ancient Greek, Anastasia meant rebirth.

"Perhaps the Sky Screen can give me a way to break free of my anchored fate."

She had long since discovered that Teyvat's fate was anchored, like a straight line.

What she wanted was to break that line apart and let fate branch out.

(There was another theory: the world of Teyvat was one enormous Sabzeruz Festival, and Venti could retain some memories through its endless cycles. Consider what Venti said the first time he met you.

"Ahh~ I slept so well... Huh? Hello, Traveler. We meet again.

Hm? You don't remember me? Then let me join your journey once more.

Your tale deserves to be sung by the greatest bard in the world!")

The reckoning of Zhongli ended there. Next, it was time for the true protagonist.

[Teyvat Academy Dean: Traveler—Su Yun]

The moment this reckoning appeared, every living being on Douluo Continent turned toward the Sky Screen without thinking.

After the earlier revelations, there was no doubt: this would be the trump card to end all trump cards.

The people of Teyvat were more curious about something else: how had the Traveler become an academy dean?

Under everyone's expectant gaze, the images began to shift.

The scene moved to... where the dream had truly begun.

On the Sky Screen, the Ruler of the Void appeared, blocking Lumine and Aether's path.

"Outlanders... your journey ends here!"

The three fought. In the end, Lumine was sealed away, while blond-haired Su Yun, playing Aether, lost consciousness.

To find his sister, Su Yun set out on his journey...

[Prologue, Act I: The Outlander Who Caught the Wind.]

The images on the Sky Screen flashed past quickly: meeting Venti, encountering the corrupted Dvalin, then meeting Amber, getting to know the Knights of Favonius, and finally saving Dvalin together.

[Chapter I, Act I: Of the Land Amidst Monoliths.]

Enjoy your journey. Liyue welcomes you.

[Chapter II, Act I: The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia.]

Then farewell. May the road ahead be smooth.

[Chapter III, Act I: Through Mists of Smoke and Forests Dark.]

Hello. We're travelers from another country.

[Chapter IV, Act I: Prelude of Blancheur and Noirceur.]

Whether it's real or not was never that important.

[Chapter V, Act I: Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn.]

So this is Natlan?

[Song of the Welkin Moon, Act I: A Dance of Snowy Tides and Hoarfrost Groves.]

Welcome to Nod-Krai.

[Chapter VII, Act I: The Nation the Gods Do Not Love.]

We're already in Snezhnaya? It feels like we only just left Nod-Krai.

Scene by scene, more than five years of Su Yun and Paimon's travels unfolded before them.

Only then did everyone understand why he was the protagonist.

And these were just the thrilling highlights the Sky Screen had cut together. Otherwise, they could forget about doing anything else all week and simply watch the Traveler's entire life.

The Asura God was no longer sitting. He crouched instead, gazing at the young man on the Sky Screen who was even more handsome than he was.

"How does it feel like the Traveler grew stronger in five years than I did in ten thousand years in the Divine Realm?"

What had he done during those ten thousand years in the Divine Realm? Patrolled when he had nothing else to do and checked on the crickets he raised in the lower realm?

Then gone back to the Divine Realm to watch those two couples flaunt their love?

Just look at the Traveler's journey. No wonder he had gained such tremendous power.

"So the journey really is about the road, not the destination. Damn it, why isn't Tang Chen back yet? I'll hand him my Asura God position and go traveling myself!"

The Asura God had already begun thinking up excuses to dump his divine position on Tang Chen.

A mischievous idea suddenly struck him: why not say Tang San had passed the Divine Trial on Tang Chen's behalf?

As for dumping it on Tang San, forget it. That simply wouldn't work. The Divine Trial existed largely to strengthen a successor's body so he could inherit the divine position.

Tang San hadn't even reached level thirty. If the Asura God dared hand him the position, he would be blown to dust the next instant.

The Sky Screen's reckoning was complete. Next should come a heartwarming little video... or one that stabbed everyone in the heart, right?

But to everyone's surprise, no video appeared this time.

Was the reckoning just over?

[Distributing reckoning rewards...]

[Anemo Academy Dean Venti: Reward—an old friend revived!]

[Geo Academy Dean Zhongli: Reward—Old friend Guizhong revived!]

[Dean Traveler Su Yun: Reward—his best friend Paimon crosses over, plus 20 Intertwined Fates.]

[Teyvat Academy personnel: strength increased by one-tenth.]

As the rewards were handed out one by one, everyone's eyes burned with excitement.

Not only could their strength increase—someone could even be brought back to life...