Fading Innocence

Kusanali slumped on the couch in the living room, "I didn't realize talking would be so exhausting. Especially when you need to mind your etiquette."

Keqing just left a minute ago after chatting with them for about half an hour.

Ruby looked at the little radish and said, "If you're tired, go ahead and take some rest. The beds are quite good in terms of quality. As you know, resting on a bed is much more comfortable than sleeping suspended in the air."

"Miss Ruby…"

"What is it? You can call me by my name, No need to use any honorifics." Ruby replied.

"Okay." Kusanali nodded, "I wanted to ask, where will you take me? You didn't say anything clearly earlier. So… would you please tell me?"

"Sure, though it might be a big explanation. Basically, this world and this universe are a product of 'imagination'. None of you 'exist' in a reality. A storyteller crafts his world, and the people within it. That world and its people can be considered the product of imagination too." Ruby dropped a bombshell.

"That means… this world isn't real? Everyone… me… just a manifestation of a storyteller's imagination?" Kusanali's eyes widened with surprise. This information shook her to the core, "Then… all the suffering, deaths, the destruction of this world, was predetermined long ago?"

"Yes. As much as this is hard to digest, this is indeed the truth. But, it doesn't make any of you a lesser creature. All of you have desires, emotions, and dreams. You have joys and sorrows. Just because everything in this world is a product of imagination, it doesn't make any of you less 'real'."

Ruby patiently explained, "I'm telling you this because I have chosen you to become a 'non-imaginative' existence, an actual entity who'll survive in reality, even outside this imaginative place."

Ruby kept explaining about the imaginary tree of the universe, its failure, and the disastrous event that led to Celestia coming to Teyvat.

"So… you'll turn me into a 'real being' and take me away from this 'virtual' world?" Kusanali quickly grasped the main point.

"That's right. How about I send you to the world that has the people who 'imagined' this world? You can beat them up to your heart's content." Ruby tempted her.

"No need. But…this world would cease to exist if the storyteller decided to do so, wouldn't it?" Kusanali spoke softly, "So… I have a request. Please transform this world into a 'non-imaginative' state too."

Hearing this, Ruby's mouth twitched. Sure enough, this little girl was just built differently. Always thinking about others no matter what.

"Hehe, you should've already realized that this world won't survive without transforming the entire universe to a 'non-imaginative' state." Ruby asked.

Kusanali nodded, "Yes, according to your explanation, this world cannot be an independent entity. All the leylines would collapse if this world loses its connection to the imaginary tree."

"So ultimately, you're telling me to create an entire universe? Do you even realize what you're asking for? I must say, you got guts." Ruby praised her. "You already figured out a small extent of my powers. And you also have a certain understanding of my personality. Not bad. I'm pleased with your performance so far. Ningguang should learn from you."

"Will you do it?" Kusanali held Ruby's hand and looked at her with big watery eyes.

"These tricks don't work for me. But, it seems you won the gamble. I'll accept your request." Ruby's eyes glowed for a moment, "And, it's done. This world and its universe now exist in reality." She looked in satisfaction.

"That's it?" Kusanali suspiciously asked her.

"What? For me, a thought is all that takes to form a new universe. Did you expect some special effects or some world-encompassing phenomena?"

"Oh…" Kusanali was stunned. While she already assumed Ruby was possibly omnipotent, creating a whole new universe with a thought…

Kusanali suddenly realized she'll never be able to comprehend the level of existence Ruby is at.

"Who… who are you?" She asked her with a dazed expression.

"Hehe, I'm Ruby, currently holding the title of [Liv - Shield of Life]. I am in charge of every life form across all of creation. When I'll be given another title, maybe I'll let you inherit this one. In the list of potential candidates scouted by me, you're definitely in the top ten. And, no need to care about my identity too much, you won't understand these kinds of things yet."

Ruby smiled, "But, little radish, you tried to take advantage of me with your cuteness. Though, I'm not going to hold you accountable for such a little thing. To me, you're worth more than a universe anyways."

But suddenly her face became a bit frosty, "But I must say, you utilized your full value to extract the maximum amount of profit for this world. Such an accurate grasp of your own worth… this is quite saddening. You've been treating yourself as a disposable and a sacrificial item. Such an extreme way of thinking, your current mental state is… abnormal. Even though I let you experience hundreds of years of the future timelines."

Kusanali lowered her head and murmured, "I'll try to think about myself more."

Ruby patted her head, "Anyways, let's not talk about these anymore. Since I removed your connection from this world, you can no longer mobilize the Dendro element directly. So, I'll give you some 'better' abilities. Hmm, manipulation immunity, vitality control, and quark control. This should be enough."

Kusanali's body glowed with a destructive red aura. In her body, a new force emerged. Her green eyes and bits of hair slowly turned crimson.

She felt that she could control the life force of all surrounding living beings. Not only that, she could 'deconstruct' objects and beings to the smallest of particles. She could also construct new objects with a bit more focus.

Anything under her perception was at her mercy. She felt that could kill all the people of Liyue Harbor and turn all buildings to dust in a few moments. Mountains or rivers, animals or plants, she could erase everything. She had an intuition that after reaching a high amount of proficiency with this ability, she could even 'deconstruct' all types of energy, and manipulate them according to her will.

"This power is too destructive. I don't want to wield this kind of power…." She frowned.

"No, this is perfect for you. You're too softhearted. This form of power is good for your training. It's not all about destruction, you know. If you experiment further, you might be surprised by the results. You're a potential candidate for the title of [Liv] after all. As a side note, you're now immune to any form of physical and mental control." Ruby explained, "Also, we'll go somewhere in a few days."

"Where?"

"Mondstadt. Liyue is a bit too crowded for you. The people here are too formal and business-minded. Naturally, the laws are very strict too. But in Mondstadt, people are much more easygoing and have a much warmer attitude than the people of Liyue. The rules are also very lax. So, you'll adapt to your new life much better in Mondstadt." Ruby replied.

"Okay." Kusanali nodded.

"Well then, take some rest. I'll stroll around Liyue a bit more." Ruby stood up and left.