Chapter 195: Chapter 195
Warm sunlight cascaded from the heavens, passing through the massive stone pillar in the sky and illuminating the white peaks below.
On the trembling mountain, which was gradually settling, Hiroshi gazed upward at the stone pillar rapidly reassembling itself with fragments flying up from the ground. Glancing down at the massive crater beneath him, Hiroshi slowly ascended into the air, heading toward the stone pillar high above.
The roaring cold wind howled as the once-sealed sky opened up again, and the barrier was lifted.
With a soft thud, Hiroshi landed atop the pillar, high in the heavens. Looking down, he saw the vast greenery of Mondstadt in the distance, with the grand city faintly visible.
Surveying Dragonspine below, Hiroshi turned his gaze to the distant horizon. What was once an occasional glimpse of the floating Skyfrost Nail was now clearly visible, seemingly being summoned by the pillar beneath it, with its defenses now lowered.
Suppressing his presence, Hiroshi erased all traces of himself, hiding within the space and observing the movements of the distant floating island.
Time passed. The sun sank into a golden haze, setting over the distant land, yet the floating island remained still.
Revealing himself once more, Hiroshi sensed the dangerous aura emanating from the island and shook his head. Turning, he descended back to the ground.
At the base of the pillar, a small fragment of stone disappeared into thin air.
With a soft thud, Klee, who had been counting the tufts of fur on Beibei's head, turned sharply.
"Brother Hiroshi!"
Her face lit up with a bright smile as she jumped off Beibei and ran toward Hiroshi.
"Hey!"
Leaping into Hiroshi's arms, Klee hugged him tightly. "Klee was a good girl and didn't go up to the big pillar like Brother Hiroshi said!"
"Good job," Hiroshi said, gently patting Klee's head. "You did very well."
Looking up at the slowly emerging stars in the cloudless sky, Hiroshi smiled faintly and turned to Kuroneko.
"Kuroneko, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Kuroneko replied, holding Qiqi's hand as she walked up to Hiroshi. She smiled and shook her head. "It's all settled now. Those Fatui were rummaging through the ruins for artifacts for some reason, but we've dealt with them and handed them over to Eula."
"I see," Hiroshi said, nodding. "It seems there's still much we don't understand."
Taking Qiqi's small hand, Hiroshi turned his gaze to the nearby massive red tree. "And what about this?"
"I'm not sure," Kuroneko replied, her face puzzled as she looked at the tree. "After the sudden tremor on Dragonspine, the blizzard at the summit dissipated, and that nail-like stone pillar rose up. Shortly after, this giant tree sprouted from the ground."
"It gave us quite a scare while we were dealing with the Fatui up front, especially since the Cryo Regisvine's wail was so pitiful."
Noticing the dried blood on the tree's tip and the lifeless white beast nearby, Hiroshi's gaze shifted to the beast's wounds—a head injury and a bloody rear.
Shuddering slightly, Hiroshi glared at Kuroneko, who was stifling her laughter. Deciding to drop the topic, he turned his focus back to the tree.
"Kuroneko, do you feel a faint calling from this tree?"
Startled, Kuroneko stopped laughing and shook her head. "No, I don't."
Frowning slightly, Hiroshi glanced back at the summit of Dragonspine. After some thought, he handed Klee over to Kuroneko.
"Kuroneko, if anything seems wrong with me, wake me up."
Gathering his strength, Hiroshi's body glowed with an aura representing all things in nature. Nodding at Kuroneko, he pressed his hand against the red tree's trunk, following his intuition.
A faint red light rose from the tree, enveloping Hiroshi entirely. Images, like a movie reel, began to play in Hiroshi's mind.
He waved reassuringly at the tense Kuroneko behind him before closing his eyes to focus on the visions.
The scenes were hazy, perhaps due to the passage of time or the tree's prior withering. The information conveyed by the tree was incomplete.
A towering ancient tree flashed by, followed by a land of drifting snow. Mondstadt, once an endless expanse of snow and ice, with Dragonspine buried under a perpetual blizzard.
In the unchanging landscape, a group of refugees appeared, trembling in the cold as they fled from an unknown land. Led by their chief, they ascended the silver-white peaks, seeking shelter.
Near the summit, they discovered a small yet deep cave. Following their chief, the refugees ventured inside. The frigid air gave way to warmth, and the narrow cave expanded into a spacious haven. Reaching the end of the darkness, they erupted in joyous celebration, their voices echoing in the lush, verdant mountain.
The refugees settled there, proclaiming their chief, Sar Findynia, as their king and establishing a new kingdom named after him. The people flourished, guided by angels who delivered divine decrees, and the pale ancient tree of Dragonspine brought them prosperity.
The visions blurred. The remaining images showed a catastrophic event: a massive nail descended from the heavens, freezing the once-lush mountain range. The ancient kingdom's people perished in the cold, their suffering etched into the land.
The kingdom's last princess fell before a mural depicting a divine descent, murmuring her final words as her life faded. The once-glorious kingdom was no more, leaving behind only icy walls and a withered white tree.
Years passed. Eyes filled with rage and sorrow appeared, belonging to a warrior wielding an icy blue greatsword and wearing a brooch of eternal frost. Reverently, he placed a budding branch upon the ground before departing, leaving his sword behind in the mountains.
More time passed. A mournful dragon fell from the heavens, its blood seeping into the earth. The dragon's gentle will awakened the withered tree, and its roots, buried beneath the snow, began to stir. The warmth of the dragon's will thawed the icy seal, allowing new roots to grow slowly.
The black blood flowing from the dragon was absorbed by the tree, imbuing it with the dragon's kindness. Red crystals, providing warmth to the frozen, began to sprout across the snow-covered mountain.
Today, with the nail removed, the reborn ancient tree finally thrives once more.
Opening his eyes, Hiroshi looked up at the statue of the Anemo Archon atop Dragonspine's summit.
"So, I'll have to go there next."