190: Girl and Ghost

"Still no reaction?"

A voice sounded from behind. Skirk turned his head; it was Lumine walking over.

Skirk shook his head and looked forward again: "None at all."

Lumine and Paimon walked to Skirk's side, their eyes following his toward the massive white object in the distance.

It was a cocoon.

Fifteen full days had passed since Osial was devoured, and the full moon had been bitten in half by time.

However, since that day when the Giant Spider ORT devoured the God Osial and his sea-dwelling subordinates, white silken threads had seeped from the spider's carapace. These threads entwined and wrapped around the Giant Spider and its disc, eventually forming this enormous cocoon.

Mr. Svarog had come to perform tests, concluding that the white filamentous substance was matter converted from free energy. This meant that what initially seeped from the Giant Spider's carapace was either the result of indigestion or energy it found too cluttered and unpalatable; that energy eventually converted into a physical state and formed the cocoon.

Damn, Lumine was instantly rendered unsure of himself. I'm an alien, not a primitive. Under non-chemical and non-extreme conditions, what kind of operation is this energy-to-matter conversion? Soul materialization?

But thinking carefully, Teyvat's elemental lifeforms are born from Elemental Power. Even the likes of Dvalin are explicitly said to be born from the high winds of the heavens. If the laws or the source of a planet are involved, the conversion between energy and matter might be a simple matter.

After Huo Xi formed the cocoon, the Seven Stars of Liyue came to survey the scene and sent people to cordoned off the area, spending considerable manpower and resources. After all, the Giant Spider was five hundred meters tall with a disc five hundred meters in diameter; the cocoon it had now formed was a kilometer square.

As a result, everyone drew up a rotation schedule. Besides the Seven Stars sending people to keep watch at all times, those closest to Huo Xi would take turns coming every day to wait for the cocoon to break.

They hoped that when Huo Xi emerged from the cocoon, he would see familiar faces immediately.

For instance, today, those on standby near the cocoon were Sanzomon, Amy, Mona, Hyacine, and Barbara. Amy seemed to have done something incredible during this period and really wanted to show off to Huo Xi.

Since Hyacine and Barbara became "sisters-in-arms" in the same trench, their relationship had inexplicably improved.

Mona? She just came to freeload. Every time she visited, Xiangling would treat her to a meal, and she'd pack several days' worth of food to take back, returning only when she ran out.

Skirk, Lumine, and Paimon were different; they came every day.

Lumine would come with Paimon after finishing his commissions, while Skirk stood there from morning till night, even putting his training on hold.

By the way, word of this even reached Mondstadt. After being shocked that their Honorary Knight and Honorary Priest had saved Liyue again in just a few short months, the Mondstadters expressed their desire to come help keep watch, but they were all stopped by Jean.

Among everyone, only Bennett didn't want to come.

"I'm afraid if I go, Big Bro will be affected by my luck, and he won't be able to come out even if he could. Just let me know when he's out; I won't go."

That's what he said.

Just as even Mondstadt knew about it, besides those guarding here, many outsiders also flocked here to check in.

Of course, even more were Liyue locals who brought their families to offer incense and pray for the being within the cocoon.

The version currently circulating among the people is that Rex Lapis, knowing his Lightning Tribulation was imminent, specially summoned his old friend, the Red-Clothed Immortal, to entrust him with his affairs. Sure enough, Osial took advantage of Rex Lapis's failure to transcend the tribulation to break the seal, only to be violently suppressed by this Heavenly Spider Emperor.

Fifteen days is neither long nor short, but long enough for many things to happen.

For example, because Liyue Harbor was in dire need of manpower and Little Jiang had strength to spare, he joined the Millelith. His direct superior happened to be an old acquaintance of his father.

For example, Master Chang Jiu is getting married to Little Nine, and Little Nine's family has returned to Liyue. With such a happy occasion, his spirits are high; he feels his writing has become much more inspired lately, as if a Seelie were constantly stuffing good stories into his head while he slept, as if divinely aided.

Then there's the wealthy family that invited Huo Xi to preside over a Western funeral. Their previous achievements were truly thanks to the old lady at the helm who kept them together, ensuring everyone pulled in the same direction.

Now that the old lady is gone, the family has split, hearts have drifted apart, and everyone is out for themselves. With their business failing, they are desperately seeking help everywhere.

But despite the coming and going of people and the rising and setting of the sun and moon, the cocoon remained the same, without the slightest movement.

The cocoon stood there for fifteen days.

And Skirk watched it for fifteen days.

As the sun sank and dinner time arrived, Xiangling jumped from Wanmin Restaurant to the Domain Hall, and then from the Domain Hall to this spot.

"Dinner's ready!" Xiangling shouted excitedly, carrying a pot.

Mona immediately tossed aside the card game in her hand: "Oh, my dear Xiangling, you're finally here!"

"You're not starving yet." Xiangling rolled his eyes at her, then placed the pot on the table: "Come, come, I've made a big pot of Maocai for you today. Eat it while it's hot!"

After staying in Liyue for a while, Amy and the others had adapted to eating spicy food, and they all picked up their clumsy chopsticks to eat.

Seeing this, Lumine patted Skirk: "Come on, let's go eat."

"Mhm," Skirk replied briefly. He turned his body first, then slowly turned his head, tearing his gaze away from the cocoon.

But at the moment he turned around, a "thud" of something hitting the ground suddenly came from beside the cocoon behind him, followed by a faint sound of coughing.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"

Everyone froze, then all looked toward that direction. What they saw wasn't Huo Xi, but a red-haired girl.

Skirk, Lumine, and Paimon were stunned for a moment, then quickly rushed over to help the Damselette up and brought him to the dining table.

Mona poured a cup of water for him. The Damselette hesitated for a moment, took the water, and drank it slowly. Realizing he could actually drink water, his face showed astonishment, but he still gulped it all down.

As if it weren't water, but some kind of Sweet Dew.

Lumine waited until the Damselette finished the water before asking, "Excuse me, who are you? Why were you spat out by the cocoon?"

The Damselette held the water cup, staring blankly at the distant cocoon before coming back to his senses.

He seemed to be reminiscing, then suddenly remembered something. At that moment, his body began to flicker like a virtual projection! His appearance alternated between that of an eighteen or nineteen-year-old Damselette and an eight or nine-year-old child.

Finally, his appearance settled on the Damselette's form, and he spoke slowly.

"My name is Clervie. My home... have you heard of the House of the Hearth?"