Genshin Impact: Pool Character, Nirvana of the Demon God

Newton's First Law, also known as the Law of Inertia.

[It's so funny to see Hai Ge teasing Little Paimon!]

[Help! Teyvat's tech tree is seriously off-track! Mondstadt is still in the Middle Ages except for alchemy, while Sumeru is already cyberpunk...]

[Here, Hai Ge is looking at inertial motion and forced motion, a concept proposed by Aristotle.]

[This scene gives off a strong father-daughter vibe...]

As the setting sun cast its warm glow, the hospital in the desert was bathed in a golden light.

Al-Hysen was sitting by the window, his long, slender fingers gently turning the pages of a heavy ancient book, his focused expression seemingly detached from the outside world.

That guy really has some free time, reading such complicated books in a place like this. Paimon floated in the air, hands on his hips, watching Elhesen immersed in a sea of ​​knowledge. The text on these books was so dense that just looking at it made one dizzy.

Ying closed her adventure notebook and said thoughtfully, "Perhaps I should give you a lesson in academics too."

What?! Paimon immediately spun around in the air, his little face scrunched up. What good does this do you? How did you become such a bad adult trying to persuade people to study?!

She waved her hands dramatically, "Shouldn't we be going on an adventure? Going to enjoy delicious food? Why are we doing something so terrible!"

Ying was amused by Paimon's reaction, a sly glint in her eyes: You should learn more so you can earn money to support me.

Ugh... Paimon immediately deflated like a punctured wind slime. Why are you like this? Shouldn't you be the one earning money to support me?

She counted on her fingers, looking aggrieved: "But I'm your guide!"

Listening to Paimon's complaints, Ying shrugged and said: That's just how it is now.

Paimon paused for a moment, scratched his head, and said: Uh, right, okay.

She suddenly realized something: he hadn't thanked the traveler yet. Her voice trailed off, "Then... then thank you for working so hard, traveling everywhere to earn money to support me..."

Her gaze drifted into the distance: If it weren't for you, I might still be drifting in the river right now.

As he spoke, Paimon's cheeks flushed slightly, and he awkwardly added: "...Okay, thank you."

Ying looked at the proud little guy and said with a gentle smile: "Yes, you're welcome."

Just as the atmosphere was warm and cozy, Paimon suddenly remembered something, spun around in the air and said: Wait, where's Iya?

"I'm raising Yiya too," Ying replied calmly.

No, no! Paimon immediately shook his head, like a rattle-drum. Iya has her own pocket money, and she usually completes the commissions with you. She can support herself.

She became more and more agitated as she spoke, and if she really was someone you were supporting...

Paimon suddenly narrowed his eyes, revealing a sly expression. "You let me study, but not her? You're not treating her fairly!"

Ying spread her hands and gave a meaningful smile: I don't need to worry about Yiya's studies. Which parent in Liyue isn't better than me?

Paimon froze, his mind flashing back to those Iya had in Liyue.

First, there was the majestic Marshal Tianfeng, who would magically produce all sorts of novel gadgets every time he saw Yiya.

Then there's Zhongli, who always enjoys tea in teahouses. Although he has stepped down from his position as the Rock King Emperor, his profound knowledge is still awe-inspiring, even though his knowledge is somewhat unbalanced.

And then there's the lively and cheerful Gui Zhong, who always loves to take Yi Ya on trips.

Moreover, Ying continued, "Have you forgotten about the True Lord Liuyun and the True Lord Xiaoyue and Zhuyang? Every time Yiya visits Mount Aozang, he learns a lot of immortal magic."

"Perhaps it's partly because of Junbai, but I think the bigger reason is that Yiya wants to learn, so they'll teach her."

Paimon finally realized something.

In Liyue, Iya has enviable educational resources.

Those gods and immortals who are unattainable in the eyes of ordinary people are all kind elders to Yiya. They not only patiently teach her all kinds of knowledge, but also prepare all kinds of precious gifts for her.

[Background ceiling - Iya.]

This is his only junior; he should be pampered.

You never know how many people will appear behind that little phoenix after you've bullied her.

[This is similar to that old joke: what would happen if someone offended Zhu Biao, Zhu Xiong Ying, or the imperial physician of Empress Ma during the Ming Dynasty?]

[↑An unimaginable way to die? Interesting.]

The three of them waited from daylight until night fell, when only the dim yellow light flowed silently in the hospital corridor, making the walls gleam with a cold glaze-like sheen.

Paimon leaned lazily against the wall, rubbing his eyes with his little hands and yawning: "Ugh... I'm about to fall asleep... my eyelids are practically glued together!"

Before the words were finished, a shrill, intermittent cry, as if it had been choked and forcibly torn out, suddenly pierced the silence—sharp as glass scraping against the eardrum, with a damp, cold echo, reverberating layer upon layer in the empty corridor.

Her bright eyes flashed sharply, and without moving, her gaze slashed like a blade towards the source of the sound. Her fingertips curled slightly, and elemental power surged in her palm, quietly condensing into a steady glimmer of light.

"Huh? What's that sound?!" Paimon shuddered, his body, which had been hovering in mid-air, suddenly stiffened, his voice filled with astonishment and alertness.

Al-Hysen closed the hardcover ancient book in his hand, the pages rustling softly like a sigh.

He stood up, the hem of his robe tracing a calm arc, his gaze both calm and sharp, fixed on the darkness at the end of the corridor: "They've arrived."

Elhesen and Ying looked in the same direction and said, "It's coming from that direction."

He took the lead, his steps steady and measured, guiding Ying and Paimon through a series of closed ward doors, deep into the heart of the hospital. The air gradually grew heavy, filled with the slightly fishy smell of aged disinfectant mixed with rust.

Pushing open a rusty iron door, you come to an abandoned old sanatorium: the walls are peeling, the floor is cracked, and only a huge, faded oak plank stands in the center of the room, with long-disappeared copper rivets embedded in its edges.

"Is this the source of the sound?" Paimon flew around the wooden plank, tilting his head to look left and right. "But... I don't see anything! Not even a mouse!"

Ying glanced at her indifferently, a barely perceptible hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes—if you can't even see that heavy wooden plank in the very center of this room, which is three meters square and half a foot thick, then you really should donate your eyes and get a new pair.

Al-Hysen did not respond, but instead bent one knee slightly and leaned down to examine the subtle scratches and unusually neat grain at the joints of the wooden planks: "Down there."

His voice was low and resolute, like a stone thrown into a deep pool, creating silent ripples.

"Huh? But there's no entrance here at all!" Paimon exclaimed.

Elhesen ran his fingertip along an almost invisible groove on the edge of the wooden board: "The mechanism was deliberately concealed... but the traces were not completely covered up."

Before the words were even finished, Ying had already taken a step forward and stomped her toes heavily on the center of the wooden board—resulting in a tremendous tremor!

The golden-brown rock elemental force surged like an angry dragon, wood chips flew like snow, and heavy wooden planks cracked, revealing a deep and narrow shaft below. A cold, damp wind, carrying the smell of dust and stale paper, rushed towards them.

The three descended the rusty iron stairs and were suddenly thrust into a breathtaking underground space: the layered concrete structure was clearly visible—columns, the outline of clinics, and even the faint remnant of the registration desk... It was like a "mirror hospital" buried alive by time.

“It looks…like there’s another hospital hidden beneath this one.” Paimon’s voice was strained, and his tone trembled slightly at the end.

Ying gazed at the floating, flowing barrier in front of her, shimmering with a faint blue light—the light screen rippled like water, yet remained unbreakable.

“There are still unsolved mechanisms.” She raised her eyes, her gaze sharp and cold. “Let’s go up and unlock the remaining locks one by one.”

After returning to the ground, the three split up and unlocked the other mechanisms.

When all the mechanisms were in place, the light curtain finally receded like the tide.

They ventured deeper into the dark passage and, at the bottom of a dusty filing cabinet, pulled out a stack of yellowed medical records—each page abruptly ending on the same day: Wednesday.

Ying's fingertips traced the edge of the paper, and her heart suddenly sank.

Perhaps... it wasn't a recording interruption.

Instead—this hospital only opens for the first three days of each week. The remaining four days…patients are left in the darkness, facing their pain and silent death alone.

The moment the thought crossed my mind, a chill crept up my spine, more piercing than the underground wind.

More importantly, if this patient is actually a patient, then it might be okay, but what if the patient here... isn't a patient?

She wasn't a patient, yet she was treated as one. When Ying traveled to different worlds, those worlds called this—

Human experimentation.

Is this hospital conducting human experiments?

[Nine times out of ten, it's human experimentation; otherwise, why would a legitimate hospital only care for patients three days a week?]

The second shift's position is empty... Could it be that Doctor's birthdate?

According to the records inside... it seems the people at this hospital injected remnants of a demon into human bodies?

[↑I've already remembered the background information about Cory in the official manga. My poor Cory! She was subjected to experiments involving demon remnants by the Doctor, who was born under the guise of treating Demon Scale Disease!]

[↑As expected, birth is birth!]

The three cautiously continued deeper into the ruins, their steps slow and their breathing restrained, lest they disturb this desolate and ancient space.

Paimon, with his sharp eyes, suddenly lowered his voice, unable to hide his surprise: "Look! There's someone over there!"

Following the direction her finger pointed, in the center of the spacious and magnificent hall, a figure was huddled up—

A young man dressed in an indigo robe with gold trim from the Church of Christ was crouching on the ground, his thin frame trembling, as if his spine had been crushed by an invisible weight.

Ying's eyes sharpened, her nerves tightening instinctively, and she whispered a warning: "Be careful!"

His tone was grave, carrying the wariness of someone who had weathered many storms.

Paimon suddenly remembered the key point he had just overlooked: in the Institution of the Church under Caesar's iron-fisted rule, the vast majority of scholars did indeed devote themselves to their studies like hermits, far away from power struggles;

However, that was limited to the "public" academic circles within his sphere of influence and the reach of his laws.

But in the dark folds of the Inquisition, in the outskirts and secret chambers beyond Caesar's reach, still lurked those unrestrained, undisciplined, and even long-deviated heretical scholars—

They remained dressed as before, but their stance was now unfathomable.

The most classic example is naturally the royalists.

Therefore, the robes of the Church, which symbolize wisdom and order, are not a token of trust, but rather a blurry and indistinguishable mask.

Paimon nodded immediately, his voice barely audible: "Yes... let's approach slowly, without alerting him."

The three of them held their breath and walked slowly forward, their boots barely touching the stone bricks.

Just a dozen steps away from the man, Elhesen suddenly stopped, his brows furrowing slightly, and a short, surprised groan escaped his throat: "Hmm?...You are...?"

The person remained motionless, only burying their face deeper into their arms, their body twitching slightly, and broken, incoherent syllables escaping their lips: "Uh... ah... ah..."

It resembled pain, delirium, and the soul being torn apart by an invisible hand.

Paimon hovered silently in mid-air, scrutinizing him for a moment before his expression darkened: "He is completely unable to speak, his eyes are unfocused and his pupils are sluggish... These symptoms are exactly the same as those of scholars who suffer mental breakdowns due to exposure to forbidden knowledge. Could it be... that he is the village guardian?"

"But weren't all the villagers rescued by Seno?" she murmured to herself, confusion clouding her brow.

Ying quietly closed her eyes and whispered in the depths of her consciousness, "Nasita, can you tell what's wrong with him?"

A moment later, a childlike yet clear voice resonated in his heart: "His condition does indeed closely resemble that of a scholar who has come into contact with forbidden knowledge—cognitive breakdown, spiritual exhaustion, and a wandering consciousness…it should be considered a calamity of the same origin. But…"

Nasida paused slightly, revealing a rare hint of solemnity, "He doesn't have my power within him. There's neither resonance nor attraction, so I can't locate him."

—It was because one of the former village guardians had inherited her blessing that Nasita was able to use divine power as a guide to help Seno find the person; but the young man in front of her did not have any divine power.

That's why Nasita couldn't sense his presence.

Since its existence could not be sensed, it was naturally impossible to bring it back to Aru Village.

Paimon heard Nasita's words and thought that there might be someone in a similar situation nearby. So he began to look around and, after observing carefully, said, "It seems like he's the only one around here?"

Elhesen muttered to himself, "I never expected to run into you here."

Paimon asked, "Do you know him?"

Al-Hysen explained, "This man's name is Razak, and he's my senior from the coaching academy."

Upon hearing the word "scholar," Paimon immediately pictured one and asked, "Scholars? Are they people who go into the woods to meditate and practice some mystical art?"