So, quick note before we begin. In my haste to get the first chapter out before 3.0, a small snippet of an early draft slipped through. Nothing major, and I'll be going back and editing it. But for those of you who caught the first version, it pertains to the Principle of Quintessence; namely its ability. It does not actually have the ability to erase things—that was an early draft version of the ability before I quickly realized how overpowered that would be. And with that warning out of the way, here's the next chapter!

Book 0: Prologue

Chapter 2: Hello, New World!

My eyes snapped open, a stony ceiling awaiting me. A water droplet—at least I hoped it was water—smacked me right on the face, and I winced at the coldness. It did wonders for getting that last bit of lethargy out of my body, though.

And it confirmed that I definitely had a body now. I was a ball of light no longer!

Pushing myself to my feet, I strained my eyes in an attempt to get them focus faster. Unfortunately, wherever I had ended up was almost completely dark. There was some ambient light with a violet hue to it, but it was so minuscule as to be non-existent. Regardless, it was enough that my eyes would probably be able to adjust in due time.

At the very least, I could tell I was in a cavern. There was no visible exit to the outside, which was to be expected given the lack of light… Unless it was the middle of a cloudy night. That would make it much harder to spot the exit, even if it was close. I couldn't feel any wind, though, so I was confident in my first assessment. Despite the lack of wind, it was still quite chilly here; not that surprising for a cave, though.

As my eyes adjusted a bit more, I noticed that the cave wasn't entirely natural. There were several areas that appeared to have been artificially carved out. I saw some pieces of stone that looked more like ruined man-made formations instead of natural ones. On the far side of the room was a structure on the ground that seemed to be a bit different than the more natural-looking rubble partially concealing it.

Out of curiosity, I headed over to the structure. And it was either the most impressive result of natural erosion to ever exist, or it was man-made. While it was hard to make out many details due to the lack of light, I could tell that it was a statue of a humanoid form.

It was exceptionally well-made, at least from what little I could see. It was unfortunate that it was almost entirely buried. I would ahve loved to see it in its entirety.

All this evidence of some sort of human presence was heartening. Unless there had been some sort of cave-in, there was almost certainly an exit somewhere around here. All I had to do was find it.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a passageway in one of the nearby walls and decided to start there. I took it slow, though, and carefully felt my way forward. It was still quite hard to see after all, and I did not want to fall into a hole and die minutes into my new life.

The tunnel eventually came to a dead end, placing me in front of a steep wall. Numerous spikes of rock jutted out from the ground and walls. Craning my head, I could see that that there seemed to be an opening much higher up. I couldn't tell exactly how high; I'd always been bad at gauging distances. It was definitely more than 10 meters though.

I could theoretically climb up. The rockface wasn't smooth, so there were plenty of handholds. The problem was the chance of slipping, and the subsequent risk of impalement. Furthermore, I had no guarantee that this path would lead to the exit. It would suck to waste a bunch of energy climbing this cliff just to find another dead end.

I didn't want to risk it. I'd climb up as a last resort, but for now I'd spend a bit more time looking around for a better path.

As I turned around to start heading back to the chamber I awoke in, something caught my eye. It was a shiny object, standing out significantly agains the ordinary rocks and wedged between two of the floor spikes.

I leaned down and picked it up. A crystal of some kind, perhaps?

It was deep blue in color and slightly translucent. One cace of the crystal was jagged and uneven, probably from where it had broken off from a larger deposit. I'd bet that it had fallen down from higher up, hence why there was only a single piece. It didn't appear to give off any light, but there was definitely something strange about it.

What kind of mineral was this?

#Acknowledged. Do you wish to use "Noesis" to analyze the object?

[Yes]

[No]#

I could say that I reacted calmly to the foreign and feminine voice that resonated inside my head. But I'll be honest: I panicked. A scream of terror tore from throat, and I dropped the crystal to the ground. I stumbled backward and, in my surprised state, ended up tripping over a rock.

Silence enveloped the next few moments. Then, not hearing the voice, I tentatively got back on my feet.

"Um, strange voice? You still there? What are you?"

#Acknowledged. This is the effect of "Sophia," which has automatically activated to assist you.#

Oh right. That skill. I didn't expect that this was how it was going to work. Sorry for freaking out.

The emotionless voice didn't respond.

Maybe it could only speak in answer to questions? It was capable of responding to my thoughts, at the very least, if the first time was any indication. That would definitely be helpful if I needed to ask it questions in front of others. Now I wouldn't sound like a crazy man.

Well then, Sophia, you got any other effects I should know about?

#Acknowledged. The skill "Sophia" has the following effects:

Boosted Mentality - Increases mental processes by a thousand percent.

Analysis - Analyzes the target based on available information.

Parallel Processing: Allows you to set apart other functions and have them run separately from your normal thought process.

Encyclopedia: Offers information on all unconcealed materials and phenomena within the world.#

I let out a whistle of appreciation. All of that sounded mighty useful. Though, I did have some questions about that "Encyclopedia" effect. Namely, what exactly were its limits?

After a brief explanation from Sophia, I learned that "Encyclopedia" only contained information that I already knew or was at least general knowledge within either Teyvat or my old world. It's primary use was to work in tandem with and provide information to "Analysis."

I did have an idea, however. But that was only if I was right about something else.

The "Noesis" skill. That essentially allows me to discover new information about a target, right?

#That would be accurate,# came Sophia's reply. Even for a voice in my head, it was pretty surprising how fast Sophia could answer. And with that confirmation, it was time to see if my plan had merit.

Would it be possible to link up "Noesis" with "Sophia" in any way?

#Acknowledged. It is possible to link "Noesis" with "Sophia - Parallel Processing" and "Sophia - Analysis." Would you like to link the skills?

[Yes]

[No]#

Why, yes, I would. And now, let's put this to the test with that crystal. Sophia, if you'd please.

#…Analysis Complete. Magical Crystal Chunk: A type of ore used in smithing. It is formed when crystal are eroded by the magical energy from Ley Lines. When prepared correctly, it can be used to significantly enhance metallurgical creations.#

Oh, nice. Did this mean there was some form of magic in this world? Hopefully I could learn it. It also sounded like this crystal could be worth a pretty penny. Which, considering my current lack of finances, meant I should probably hang on to this. I checked the clothes that came with my new body and found a pocket to slip the crystal into. Then, I returned back to the chamber I had started in.

With my eyes having better adjusted to the dark by now, it was much easier to see. That would make spotting another path more likely.

I followed one wall, sticking close and checking for any openings or even a ledge. I also kept my eye out for any more of those magic crystals. I doubted I'd find any, but it wouldn't hurt to get more if I could. Finally, after a few minutes, I passed the area where the statue was buried and found something.

A different passageway. Jackpot! Time to see if this one was any better than the last one.

Sure enough, this path was much better. In fact, it was undoubtedly made by whatever humans had left the ruins in the last chamber. An evenly sloped incline led higher up into the cave. As I ascended, I noted alcoves carved into the wall at even intervals. Some kind of markings were carved into the walls. It was the kind of thing that archaeologists would salivate over.

I pushed down my own curiosity and desire to explore. It was more important right now to get out and find living people. Besides, in these low-light conditions, getting a good look at anything was going to be hard.

With that in mind, I pushed onward and upward, still wary of traps. The path eventually took me to another spacious chamber. And it was here that I found my first sign of hope: a light breeze. And where there was wind, there was an opening.

After several more minutes of walking, I finally spotted my goal. Shining through an opening at the end of the path was a bright light, light that could only have come from the sun.

A smile overtook my face. Freedom at last.

Exiting the cave, the sudden change in brightness briefly blinded me. My eyelids squinted shut almost reflexively in an attempt to mitigate the effect. It took a few moments, but vision quickly adapted. And now I had my first real, in-person look at Teyvat.

A river was gently flowing only several meters in front of me. A soft breeze swept through the grass, rustling the branches of a yellow-leafed tree. A mountainous cliff rose behind me, broken only by the small opening I had just come out from. To my left, I could hear the waterfall feeding into the river, which was split by a small hill that rose in front of me.

At first I could do nothing but stare at the natural beauty around me. It was strange, being able to see it all so clearly without glasses. And even the view in front of me was inundated with colors and details that my old vision—even with glasses—would have been unable to convey. It was truly wonderful.

I approached the waterside and knelt down. I dipped a few fingers into the water. A bit cool, though not freezing. Staring at the river, I suddenly realized how dry my throat felt. It should be fine, right? It was running water and looked clear.

Wait, hold on. Sophia, can you check the water for harmful bacteria?

#...Analysis complete. Bacteria in water is within expected parameters. Probability of developing adverse effects from consumption is approximately 0.0000037%.#

Safety now assured, I cupped my hands into the water and brought it to my lips. The cool liquid felt heavenly and tasted amazing. I did this several more times and let out a sigh of relief. Thirst officially quenched. Then, I took the chance to look at my reflection in the water's surface.

Well, it was hard to actually get a good look, but I could at least tell that I was indeed in a new body. There were some similarities to my old self, though they were entirely superficial. My heart sank a bit. Now I didn't even have a physical connection to my family.

My thoughts on that were interrupted by a weird static-like feeling crawling across my nape. An anomalous blob of color and movement took shape in the water's reflection, and my body's instincts flared. I jumped to the side, and the sound of something impact my previous position reached my ears. I quickly spun around to see what was trying to attack me.

My mind nearly froze for a moment upon seeing my attacker. It was a large gelatinous creature, dark purple in color. Tiny sparks of electricity electricity leaped across its body, charging the air with a static feeling. Circuit-like markings ran across it, and a glowing nodule jutted out from its top. It was a creature instantly recognizable to anyone with even a passing familiarity of fantasy RPGs. My opponent was a slime.

It was still wobbling and recovering from its impact, and I grinned. This would be the perfect chance to test out my Principle of Quintessence.

I'd asked about it during my trip out of the cave, and Sophia had told me that Akasha had the following abilities:

Embodiment - The body becomes a vessel for Akasha, imbuing it with a vast pool of the element known as Void.

Containment - Absorb things into the Akashic Pool in order to store them in a state of stasis.

Breakdown - Objects within the Akashic Pool can be broken down and analyzed over time. The effectiveness of this depends on a variety of factors.

Projection - The ability to draw upon the Akashic Pool and manifest it outside the body in a form that can be manipulated at will. This process is also used to bring objects stored within the Akashic Pool back out.

That last one was my means of offense. Concentrating deeply, I focused on drawing out Akasha's power. A sense of warmth blossomed in my chest, and that feeling flew throughout my body. I grasped onto that sensation. Settling on the image in my head, I held out my hand and pushed the energy there.

A cube of white energy coalesced in my palm. The slime began to spin around, hopping up and down. I prepared to dodge again if necessary, but surely I could at least get a hit in first. My cube began to grow until it was finally the size of a beach ball. Perfect.

As the slime began to hop towards me, I aimed and fired.

The Akashic cube split apart, and each piece flew forward like a laser. The bullets of energy raced toward the slime. An instant later, more than a dozen bolts ripped through the slime. Pieces of it flew off in every direction; the resulting sound was quite satisfying.

I waited a few moments to see if the slime would come back together. But nothing happened.

I approached some of the residual slime gunk and scooped it up with two fingers. The static charge was gone, both from the air and the slime.

No energy when dead, hm? That begged the question. Was the slime alive because of the electricity, or was the electricity produced because it was alive? I would love to run some experiments later to find out. But that was for the future.

Actually, now that I thought about it, did slimes have sapience in this world. Oh, I hope not. Please let me not have just jumped the gun and murdered someone. Wait, no. Even if that was true, this was clearly self-defense, right? Though what if it wasn't trying to attack and I made a wrong assumption…

Oh, man. I needed to find someone and ask as soon as possible. But the chance of this being a world with sentient slimes has to be low. I mean, I can't even think of single piece of media that… Crap, weren't there sentient slimes in Dragon Quest—at least in Adventure of Dai? Monmusu too, but Suu was more of a humanoid slime instead of a traditional one. More and more examples continued to pop in my head.

Okay, I just need to try to ignore that train of thought. Nothing's confirmed yet, so I should run with the assumption that this world is a "rule" and not an "exception." I can't let guilt—which may be misattributed—blind me now. I can worry about the sapience of slimes later, when I'm not in the middle of nowhere.

Speaking of which, now that I had a tested means of defense, it was time to find civilization. And a quick look around gave me the perfect starting point.

On top of the nearby hill, there was a small structure. From my current vantage point, it resembled a stone gazebo. Reaching it shouldn't be too hard. There might be a path, but the higher point would allow me to better survey my options.

After a quick wade and climb, I pulled myself over the hill's edge. I gave myself a quick wipe-down and then checked that unknown construction that had caught my attention.

Inside the gazebo-like building, there was a rather ornate-looking treasure chest. Only problem was I couldn't reach. The three openings were blocked by shields of golden energy. I pressed my hand against one of the barriers—it felt completely solid. I could probably break through with Akasha, but that would probably be a bad choice. Something this obvious was bound to be trapped. More than that, I couldn't just destroy random buildings to get treasure.

Luckily, this gazebo wasn't the main reason I had climbed up here. While there wasn't any other sign of human presence in the immediate area, I could make out two potential locations from up here—seriously, having good vision was awesome. Though both appeared to be quite far away.

To my 3:00, there was a giant tree. Despite the distance, I could still make out the unmistakable silhouette of a building constructed among the branches. Then at my 12:00 was a multitude of buildings—a possible settlement. I just needed to figure out which target to make for.

I could see a path of some kind in the direction of the settlement. But I'd probably have to swim across the river a bit to reach it. While another path nearby seemed to go in the direction of the tree, the terrain looked like it would actually take me away from there. Of course, it might eventually meet a path leading to the tree, but I had no clue how long that would take.

My best bet was to make for the possible village. A guaranteed path and a larger population was almost assuredly the safest choice. Although , when talking about living in trees, that role is usually held by elves. If I made for the tree, perhaps I'd get to meet a beautiful elven girl to join me on my adventures!

Heh, yeah, right. As if I'd be that lucky. That kind of trope was way too good to be true. Though, on the other hand, I would have thought the same about the entire concept of a real isekai not long ago.

Well, there was an easy way to make my choice: randomness.

I scrounged around for a small rock. After finding one, I marked one side with a bit of mud. That would be heads. Tossing this would make my decision for me. I'd follow the closer path on heads, and tails would take me to the village.

#Notice. The current plan may not be truly random. There are several variables that could influence the outcome, such as the weight distribution of the stone and how it is tossed.#

That was fine. It's not like I could actually predict the effect of those variables, so the outcome will still be blind. I simply need to reach a decision, even if I have to force it.

Without any more delay, I flicked my wrist and sent the stone skyward. It flipped several times until it hit the zenith of its arc, and then it began tumbling downward. With a dull thud, it hit the ground moments later. The surface pointing up was the unblemished one, setting my destination.

Well, that was that. I psyched myself up for the journey ahead, and began to my trek. My goal was to get to the shore of the main river and follow it to its closest point to the other side. Then all I would have to do was swim over and follow the road to the settlement.

I only hoped that I would be able to reach it before nightfall.

Not much to say this time other than thank you for reading.

So far, the Sumeru Archon quests are amazing—a definite improvement over Inazuma's—and 3.1 looks like it's going to continue that trend for the finale. I hope everyone has luck with their wishes for the rest of 3.0 and 3.1; I'll probably be skipping 3.1's banners to save for Nahida (and hopefully a Eula or Shenhe rerun).