Chapter 278: How to Obtain the Wisdom of the Gods?

This is Luo De's first time seeing the Doctor of the Fools.

The location is Omos Port.

Snezhnaya's aid is very timely.

After the Lady, representing the Snezhnaya Empress and Nadixa, reached an agreement beforehand, Sumeru has been waiting for the arrival of the industrial aid promised by Snezhnaya.

Don't just look at the fact that, relying on the archaeological Red King Technology, Hope City has built up very convenient infrastructure here.

But good infrastructure does not mean that Sumeru now has the industrial capacity to catch up to Snezhnaya and surpass Fontaine.

And the industrial zone aided by Snezhnaya.

Nadixa is stationed in Hope City, which is still sparsely populated.

Bringing along the planning map personally devised by Nadixa.

Luo De personally rushed to Omos Port to go meet this Snezhnayan diplomatic delegation.

"You are Luo De?"

The Doctor who met Luo De was tall and wore the signature leather coat of an Executive Officer; his true face was covered by a mask, and he always had a faint medicinal scent about him.

Luo De seemed to have smelled this scent somewhere before, but he couldn't recall it just then.

The only thing that could be certain.

This scent is the residue left from making potions; people who constantly linger in the lab all have this scent on them.

"Doctor, nice to meet you."

"I am Luo De."

Luo De gave a insincere bow to the Doctor.

Regarding this infamous scum of Teyvat,

Luo De did not conceal his disgust for him, simply staring at him with a grin.

"Heh—"

"You have a lot of nerve."

The Doctor chuckled: "I don't know what price you're prepared to pay to compensate for the missionary you killed."

"Missionary?"

Luo De raised an eyebrow and said in a contemptuous tone: "That useless waste who can't even handle a small task, you actually value him so much?"

"A waste is a waste."

"After all, he's my subordinate."

The Doctor stepped forward two paces, faced Luo De, and calmly said: "He's dead, and he caused me a lot of trouble; my time is very precious, wasting even a bit would cause great loss."

Although the Doctor did not say he was angry about the missionary's matter,

but even just staring at Luo De like that still makes one feel a chill down the spine, as if being watched by a fierce tiger.

"Tsk."

"I didn't expect that even under a great Doctor like you, there isn't a single person willing to work for you."

"For such a waste, you could even give up the chance to create a god."

Since Luo De had already prepared to kill the Doctor, he naturally would not show any fear from his threats, and could even counterattack using the missionary incident.

Upon saying that,

the Doctor's pupils contracted slightly.

but quickly returned to normal.

The two words 'creating a god' clearly struck a nerve.

The Doctor, who always claimed to be Teyvat's finest researcher, has an extraordinary obsession with creating a god.

And that is why he agreed to Luo De's extremely harsh conditions.

It is precisely because he wants to create a god.

"Your ambition is great."

The Doctor stopped worrying about other things, and a hint of a smile appeared on his face.

"Creating a god."

"This can only be done in Sumeru."

"It has nothing to do with anything else."

"It is purely the matter of the gods' wisdom, which can only be achieved in Sumeru by utilizing the Void."

"Even if other nations could gather vast resources to construct a god's body, and the Gnosis could be used to power that body, they would still be missing a crucial element."

"They would lack this gods' wisdom."

"Or rather,"

"the gods' authority."

"Then what is created at best is merely a false god."

"It would completely lack the true authority of a god."

"For the Doctor, who pursues perfection, these flaws are obviously unacceptable."

"Originally he had prepared to go to Sumeru with the condition of eliminating all slices, to force Sumeru's gods to agree to create a god."

"Now that Luo De has proactively proposed it,"

"it saves him a lot of effort wasted on talk."

"Just moments ago the atmosphere was still tense and hostile."

"and after Luo De's utterance of 'creating a god,' it instantly calmed down."

"The Doctor's smiling expression gives no hint that he previously harbored murderous intent toward Luo De."

He could even praise Luo De, saying: "You're very good, you have great courage, stronger than those scholars I previously knew."

You flatter me.

Luo De replied plainly, then boarded the ship with the Doctor that the Academy had sent to welcome the guests, and they set off together toward the Academy.

By evening.

Luo De and the Doctor, who had deliberately sped up and taken the exclusive route, arrived at the Academy before dinner.

As the official diplomatic envoy of Snezhnaya,

Nadixa held an equally formal banquet to welcome the Doctor's arrival.

To be honest.

This scene is very strange.

Perhaps others looking at it didn't think anything of it.

But for Luo De, who knew the Doctor dared to act against the Dendro Archon and even truly had the ability to capture Nadixa's consciousness in the void, seeing Nadixa and the Doctor there calmly discussing the industrial technology and equipment that Snezhnaya had sent this time made him feel inexplicably waves of strangeness.

Your killing intent is too obvious, young friend.

Just as Luo De felt his eyes sting and turned his head away, Zhongli approached at some point and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.

Someone who kills, sets fires, conducts human experiments everywhere, treats human lives as trash, and will stop at nothing to achieve their goal.

If I didn't know, it would be fine, but knowing makes it really hard to suppress.

Luo De pursed his lips, dissatisfied with his own self-control.

It has nothing to do with you.

He's the one who did it.

Saying that, Zhongli flicked his finger against the wine cup.

Accompanied by a soft 'ding', the Doctor who had been speaking with Nadixa paused, then turned his gaze to Zhongli, narrowed his eyes, and asked: "May I know how to address you?"

Zhongli.

I am the financier of this plan.

I came to visit at the invitation of the Dendro Archon.

Zhongli raised his wine cup toward the Doctor in a gesture, speaking offhandedly, giving no hint of any flaw.

And only then.

Luo De's mind suddenly became much clearer, and he realized he had unconsciously been influenced by the Doctor earlier, which was why he could not conceal his killing intent.

It's his scent.

After finishing speaking with the Doctor, Zhongli's gaze remained on the Doctor, but he said to Luo De: "His strength is formidable; you are no match for him."

Having said that,

Zhongli thought for a moment, then coldly added: "Even the Dendro Archon is no match for him."

Just say outright that none of us are a match for him.

Luo De laughed helplessly: "That's exactly why I came to you for help." When he first left Liyue.

Luo De then told Zhongli plainly that he had invited him to Sumeru in order to kill the Doctor.

As for that large loan taken out from Liyue,

this was not originally part of Zhongli's travel plans.

But he still helped Sumeru bridge connections, and with his network's assistance, Liyue quickly approved the proposal and, within just two months, completed all the cumbersome procedures, sending all the Mora that Sumeru needed to use.

And the price Sumeru paid for this was,

that Zhongli enjoyed free food, drink, and provisions here for two months.

But don't underestimate his personal consumption.

Given that prices in Sumeru were far lower than in Liyue, Zhongli racked up a bill of tens of millions of Mora in just two months, nearly causing Luo De, who was then responsible for the funds, to have his brains boil over.

After the banquet ended.

Luo De did not leave the Pure Good Palace; instead, he stayed and discussed the Doctor with Zhongli and Nadixa.

The first words were still spoken by Luo De.

Did he say anything about erasing his own slices?

Just now, when Nadixa and the Doctor were discussing terms, Luo De and Zhongli did not participate, so we still don't know when the Doctor intends to fulfill his promise.

When the divine plan is carried out.

Nadixa said with an inscrutable expression: "He also said that if any accident occurs during the creation of a god, he has the right to reject all of Sumeru's demands."

That's to be expected.

Luo De nodded: "Did he bring the Gnosis?"

He didn't.

Nadixa shook her head: "His reason is solid; all the Gnoses are in the hands of the Cryo Empress, and since she does not agree to the creation of a god, he needs us to provide an energy mechanism that can power the divine body."

Um

Mr. Zhongli, do you still have a perpetual core?

Luo De actually knew what the Doctor wanted, but he still compromised, exchanging it for a more easily achievable condition.

None.

Zhongli's answer directly shattered Luo De's expectation; he also reminded Luo De: "Your Rock Dragon Crown, though inferior to the Gnosis, can also serve as a power source, and if combined with you, it might even be easier to operate than the Gnosis."

Perhaps this is the Doctor's true purpose after all.

After muttering that to himself,

Before Luo De could speak again, Nadixa continued: "The Doctor requires that the pilot of the divine body must be someone he designates."

The person he designates?

"Sanbing?"

Luo De immediately thought of that Sixth Executor whom he had once beaten half to death.

"Yes."

"That's him."

"I didn't agree."

"Then he said you also qualify as a candidate for the driver."

Speaking of this, Nadixa's face showed some worry: "His goal is likely still on you; I didn't make the decision for you."

"It's fine, just agree."

Compared to Nadixa worrying about Luo De's safety, Luo De himself seemed not to care much about this matter.

The one who suggested letting the Doctor create a god was Luo De himself.

His plan was originally to have himself become the first-generation driver, to experience what it truly feels like to become a god.

So the Doctor proactively suggested adding Luo De to the driver candidates, and he had no intention of refusing at all.

As for whether working so closely with the Doctor would be dangerous.

With Zhongli overseeing things, Luo De really wasn't worried.

The Doctor is indeed strong.

Stronger than the Dendro Archon, the true god.

But compared to Zhongli, he's still not enough to look at.

"I can let Fushe also participate; more people means more assurance."

Zhongli also gave a suggestion at this time.

After rebirth, Fushe and Sanbing are both puppet bodies.

The difference is that one is made by Luo De using the transmigrator's trait, while the other is made by the God of Thunder's Thunderbolt film.

In terms of bodily strength, acquired power, and material selection.

Sanbing is clearly better in all those aspects.

Compared to Luo De, who holds the Geo Dragon Crown, there's no comparison.

Yet even in such a disadvantageous comparison, Zhongli still recommended Fushe.

This is because a puppet body, compared to a flesh-and-blood body, has stronger regenerative and survival abilities; theoretically it can adapt to the immense pressure of a god's body.

Moreover, adding Fushe

makes Luo De's side more secure.

"That works too."

Thinking of the oath Fushe made after his rebirth, Luo De nodded and agreed to this method.

"By the way, did he say how to resolve the issue of the god's wisdom?"

After finishing the topic of drivers, Luo De recalled the extremely special part of the god-creation plan.

According to the Doctor's original plan.

To obtain the god's wisdom,

First, the Academy needs to throw those scholars who went mad from contacting the consciousness of the Great Merciful Tree King in its polluted state into an uninhabited desert, then bring those mad scholars back to the Academy under various pretexts and turn their brains into canned god knowledge.

Such canned knowledge possesses extreme contaminating power.

Anyone who uses it will be infected by the deep abyss pollution within the Great Merciful Tree King's consciousness and driven mad.

At that time, the Doctor's final effort fell short, failing to fully collect the god's wisdom, causing the god's body to have flaws, unable to cope with the freed Nadixa, and ultimately collapsing under the endless cycle of the dream authority.

If the false god at that time had obtained the complete god's wisdom,

then Nadixa would have no recourse.

After all, the dream authority sounds powerful, but in combat it's actually quite useless.

It requires the user's willpower to be stronger than the opponent's.

Therefore, to create a god's body that the Doctor considers perfect,

the god's wisdom is indispensable.

And now the problem is

that the Great Merciful Tree King no longer pollutes the World Tree, its consciousness has been liberated, Nadixa has escaped imprisonment, and the most crucial part of obtaining the god's wisdom seems difficult to accomplish.

"He didn't say"

Nadixa's face sank, and an indescribable worry appeared on her face.

Now there is no longer the channel of canned god knowledge.

Where should the Doctor go to obtain the god's wisdom? This is a very serious question.

Because the Doctor is not a normal person; given the conditions, he would not allow the god's body he creates to have such a major flaw.

"Let's guard against it first."

Luo De rubbed his temples, then looked at Zhongli and said: "During this time, I'll also trouble you, Mr. Zhongli; I need you to help monitor Mondstadt to prevent him from doing anything heinous in order to obtain the god's wisdom."

"Sure."

Zhongli looks quite interested in this matter.

However, he also specifically warned Luo De: "That person is extremely sensitive; today he has already noticed that I am different from others. If we monitor him for a long time, he will surely become alert, and then his actions will become even more covert."

"Hmm."

"I know."

Luo De nodded, indicating that he understood.

(End of chapter)