Kiana and the Captain's Bizarre Adventure

Chapter 161 Plant a Seed, Harvest a Little Black Dragon

Okay, actually no.

Ultimately, Teyvat is just a planet, not a world from mythology. Light is naturally provided by the star Teyvat is located in; all Kiana did was speed up time on the surface of Teyvat, allowing it to quickly pass through the planet's initial stage of being covered in lava.

As the magma cooled, water in the atmosphere began to accumulate and form cumulonimbus clouds. As the clouds accumulated, lightning and thunder began to appear in the sky.

Soon after, a torrential downpour began, and after an unknown amount of time, the entire surface of the planet was covered by a large amount of water, leaving only some high mountains and land.

At this time, the planet's volcanic activity was still intense, and thick smoke and dust covered the sky, preventing sunlight from reaching the planet's interior, where everything was silent.

Kiana frowned at the scene before her. It was too slow! Even though she had sped up time by hundreds of times, and even if that was after converting to years, it was still too slow. Recalling that planetary evolution was measured in hundreds of millions, Kiana subconsciously sped up time a little more.

Finally, thanks to Kiana's efforts, the planet Teyvat completed its evolution in just a few hundred years, successfully creating an environment suitable for life to survive and evolve. The next step is to deal with the chaotic primordial imaginary energy to complete the first stage.

Why did I come so early and accelerate the planet's evolution to achieve my own goals?

Realizing that she didn't need to come to this early period at all, Kiana fell into deep thought. After a moment of contemplation, with the idea that she had already done it all, Kiana officially began the Teyvat renovation project.

The first step is to convert the chaotic primordial imaginary energy inside the planet into light boundary force and then classify it into phlogiston for use in the earth veins and the similarly natured wild elemental energy.

Then, using phlogiston, the first ley lines of Teyvat were constructed. The first elemental creatures began to appear in the areas through which the ley lines flowed. These elemental creatures could survive by using the wild elemental energy in the atmosphere. Except for lacking intelligence, they were in some ways more perfect than humans.

And for some reason, these elemental creatures were naturally drawn to Kiana. After a brief period of intimacy with them, Kiana began the next stage of her transformation.

Although the original imaginary energy has been processed, it is still not stable enough. Over time, both phlogiston and wild elemental energy will revert to original imaginary energy.

Therefore, it was necessary to create a device that could manage and transform primordial imaginary energy. Recalling the fact that she herself had created the World Tree, Kiana instantly understood the original World Tree's purpose.

So Kiana once again ventured into the Imaginary Tree, this time traveling to the distant past in hopes of uncovering its original origins.

Then she saw—no, or rather, He showed Kiana—the very origin of the Imaginary Tree.

It was a chaotic [space], where there was no meaning of time or space. Calling it space was merely Kiana's subjective opinion. Even so, it was still filled with a large amount of primordial imaginary energy.

Within this very space exists a concept called a seed, and the collection of that concept is the object that Kiana is currently observing.

After an unknown period of time, a consciousness began to emerge within this [space]. Through the emergence of that consciousness, the seed began to absorb the primordial imaginary energy within the [space] and sprouted. Subsequently, the seed grew into a sapling, which then broke through the constraints of the [space] and grew towards an even larger [space] outside.

Thus, the concepts of time and space were formally born.

A large amount of primordial imaginary energy was released from that breach, and after an unknown transformation, it became the etheric energy that Kiana was familiar with, which then began to settle and slowly form the sea.

That consciousness grew rapidly along with the tree, transforming from initial ignorance into maturity and wisdom.

After an unknown amount of time, the original sapling had grown into a large tree, and new green leaves gradually appeared on its branches.

Without a doubt, those new leaves are the first worlds, perhaps because a person was too lonely, and at a certain moment, that consciousness became very eager for the appearance of its kind.

Until one moment, a new consciousness emerged on a branch. Through that consciousness's observation, the universe within that branch was in a state of chaos and nothingness, but the new consciousness knocked on the door of existence.

Thus, that universe came into existence, and the newly formed consciousness gained power from the tree, leaving its own energy channel inside the tree and giving it a name.

Immortality was the name of this passage. And the name of the newborn consciousness—Dragon—was also revealed to that consciousness at this moment.

But the dragon's power was far too weak for that consciousness, while the passage was so vast that it far exceeded the dragon's control.

So that consciousness divided itself into several parts to assist the dragon in controlling the power of the passage. At the same time, many similar passages of different sizes appeared on the tree, each with its own name. To ensure the survival of these passages, that consciousness once again divided itself into several sub-bodies to help stabilize the passages.

As time passed, those consciousness sub-entities developed their own self-awareness, and at this point, that consciousness realized it might be time to give itself a name.

Since those channels are currently managed by its own consciousness sub-body, and each channel represents a certain [will], then as the subject, it might be called the Will Integration Entity.

At this very moment, that consciousness, or rather the unified will, truly perceived its own existence. Its gaze rose once more, and it easily observed the three phases of past, present, and future time, rendering space meaningless.

It was at this moment that He saw it, He saw the future where He had His own kind.

At the same time, He also understood that as the consciousness entities that created the channels gradually gained control of the power within the channels, His consciousness entities would return to Him.

This was unavoidable, so in order to ensure that the unified will could achieve the observable future, its sub-bodies began a long planning process, all of which was observed by the unified will.

He acquiesced, because it was also within His observation.

This triggered the execution of a long-term plan called Cocoon, which affected two universes, all in order to achieve a future where people of the same kind could exist.

Kiana's observation ended, and she could only manage a wry smile.

She already knew the origin of the Honkai; everything was part of the Will Integration Entity's plan to create an existence equal to herself and worthy of being called her kind.

Perhaps everything I experienced was under His observation, but for such a being, perhaps none of that mattered.

Meanwhile, in the space at the bottom of the Imaginary Tree, Kiana from the future is riding on the back of the Will Integration Entity.

"What are you doing? Why did you let her know about the origin so early?"

The unified will gently removed Kiana's hand from its neck and said calmly.

"If you want to change the future, then all of this is necessary. Kiana, I'm doing all this for you!"

"Hmph! Don't think you can say that just because you're using the captain's face! Isn't having a body something you've always longed for? You've changed the future, and you still have a body?"

"hehe."

The unified will flashed, and the body that was originally below Kiana appeared beside her.

"Although the feeling of experiencing the world with the body is different from the feeling of pure consciousness, this temporary experience is enough for me. If you need it, I can give the captain's body back to you, can't I?"

Kiana took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and said, "Has no one told you that you look a lot like someone right now?"

"Hehe, I know without you saying it. But... never mind, just know that I've always been your companion."

Meanwhile, Kiana, having finished observing the Imaginary Tree, conjured a seed in her hand.

This is the seed she created in imaginary form of the Tree of Imaginary Numbers. Now, all that's needed is to plant this seed at the center of the ley lines, and that will be the end of it.

With a thought, Kiana arrived at the center of the earth's veins, the place that would later become Sumeru.

Considering the course of history, Kiana ultimately decided to set the location where the ley lines converge, that is, the central location, here.

After planting the seed, the World Tree quickly grew into a towering tree in no time.

Of course, all of this is but a fleeting moment. Moreover, the World Tree is not an ordinary tree. As an energy entity, it merely exists in the earth's veins in the form of a tree.

Suddenly, Kiana sensed a dragon-like creature appearing at the root of the World Tree, and she could feel its immense elemental energy.

Out of curiosity, Kiana went to the roots of the World Tree, where she saw a black dragon gnawing on its roots.

"Good heavens, Norse mythology, huh?" Kiana thought to herself, her lips twitching as she looked at the familiar scene before her.

However, Kiana naturally wouldn't let the black dragon continue to devour the roots of the World Tree. In the end, the reason the black dragon was devouring the roots was simply because it happened to be born here, and only the World Tree in front of it could provide the energy it needed to grow.

Kiana reached out and gently grabbed the black dragon in front of her, bringing it close to her.

Kiana couldn't help but smile at the little black dragon's flustered state, and then she put it in her arms and chuckled and scolded it.

"You naughty child, how can you eat just anything?"

Perhaps it was the natural affinity that elemental creatures had for Kiana, or perhaps it was an instinct, like birds, to regard the first creature they saw as their parent. The black dragon calmed down in Kiana's arms, then yawned and curled up to sleep.

Kiana saw that the black dragon had fallen asleep, so she opened a portal to the ground, found a beautiful spot, built a house, and settled down.

Although she could speed up the process by jumping through time, Kiana felt an inexplicable urge to raise the adorable creature in front of her.

Recalling the time someone told her that she was on good terms with the dragons, Kiana thought that perhaps that was the reason.

After tidying up the room, Kiana officially began raising the little black dragon.

But before that, we need to give it a name. Since this little guy is the pinnacle of elemental creatures and a black dragon that gnaws on the roots of the World Tree, everything about it is somewhat similar to Norse mythology from my previous life, except that I don't know if it is a poisonous dragon.

"In that case, I'll call you Nidhogg. Nidhogg Nibelungen, that will be your name from now on."

Kiana gently placed Nidhogg in the basket she had just made, and at the same moment Kiana finished speaking the name, the World Tree recorded it. Recalling her original purpose for returning, Kiana also said the name she would use next.

"And I am Herakti, the Creator God of Light!"

Thousands of years have passed, and the tiny Nidhogg has grown into a giant dragon.

Kiana now has to look up to see his chest, and after a hundred years of upbringing, Nidhogg naturally understands what kind of being the girl in front of him is.

Although Kiana wouldn't admit it, that didn't stop Nidhogg from regarding her as his mother. Incidentally, perhaps it was because Kiana chose a location near Sumeru, and Sumeru, influenced by the World Tree, had a much higher concentration of grass elemental energy than other areas.

Thus, the second elemental dragon king, the grass dragon king Apep, was born.

Perhaps because they were both dragons, Nidhogg showed great care for Apep and even neglected Kiana at one point.

However, this also made things easier for Kiana. Without the clingy Nidhogg, Kiana finally had time to search for the three moon goddesses who had quietly been born.

Born from the Teyvat ley lines, and deeply bound to its satellites, the three goddesses who possess the power to observe, judge, and shape destiny naturally reside in their respective abodes.

Kiana looked up at the moon, which was now high in the sky, and with a thought, she arrived inside the palace where the three moon goddesses resided.

Upon seeing Kiana, the three goddesses inside the palace instinctively stopped what they were doing and warmly greeted her.

"Oh, isn't this Kiana? Why isn't that clingy Nidhogg with you this time?"

The speaker was the eldest sister, Luna, whose power was to foresee the future; the second sister, Artemis, had the power to weave fate, and was responsible for weaving the future that Luna had foreseen into a cloth and handing it over to the youngest sister, Suren, for judgment.

"It's gone to take care of the newly born Grass Elemental Dragon King. Luna, I need you to tell me how long until Fanes arrives."

"It will probably be nearly ten thousand years before the birth of the Grass Element Dragon King, which means that the celestial star will soon fall. Subsequent Element Dragon Kings will be born one after another, and then the dragon race will prosper."

"Then, at the end of the dragon race's rule, a god will be born on that celestial star, and we will also begin the countdown of our lives, finally dying a thousand years later, which will be the moment when Fanes descends."

"...Don't you feel resentful after seeing your inevitable death?"

"Of course it will, but so what? As goddesses who govern fate, we've long since become indifferent to our destiny, and only in this way can Teyvat have any hope for a future destined for destruction, after all..."

As she spoke, Luna's expression changed from somewhat gloomy to bright.

"Speaking of which, we've already taken care of that space you mentioned before. Honestly, I don't understand why you wanted to create such a space in the first place. What necessary connection does it have with changing the future?"

"You could say it exists, or you could say it doesn't. In any case, that space is very useful."

Kiana pinched Luna's puffed-up cheeks and said, "But thank you for playing along with my nonsense. I'll treat you to a big meal next time!"

Upon hearing this, Luna's expression changed drastically. She asked, her face pale, "Kiana, this wasn't the food you made, was it?"

Recalling how Luna had begged Kiana for centuries out of curiosity about the taste of Kiana's cooking, Kiana finally agreed after growing impatient.

Then Luna understood why Kiana was no longer in charge of cooking ever since Nidhogg learned to cook.

It's not that Kiana's cooking is bad, well, it really is. But that's because every time Kiana cooks, she's always thinking about adding a little of this and a little of that, resulting in a chaotic mess in the pot, and the final taste of the food is naturally indescribable.

Kiana, of course, knew why Luna was reacting, but before she could explain, a meteorite carrying powerful energy broke through the atmosphere and landed in what would later be known as Liyue.