After passing through the teleportation gate,
the group discovered it was not some dangerous place.
Behind the gate was a library.
Paimon immediately felt overwhelmed—the books here were too many, making her head feel a bit dizzy.
Ann told everyone that long, long before they arrived, this library room had already existed.
"The contents of the books seem to be very ancient play scripts. The children loved reading books, but there were many things they didn't understand and often pestered adults to explain them."
In the stories, if there was an evil dragon, there would be a brave warrior to subdue it.
If there was a wizard, there would be a wandering knight who arrived.
The kingdom would always be restored, and the princess would always be saved.
"...Of course, in the end, they would always remember the adventure segments from the previous one, and then it would come to an end."
"But adventure stories never truly end. There would always be the next adventure, the next adventure, the next adventure, until the children grew up, left the stories behind, and departed from here."
Only then did the group realize that Ann's state was a bit strange.
Her recent words sounded like she had become a different person.
"Ann?"
"Ah?" Ann was interrupted by Lumine's call. "Sorry… just now, some memories and emotions suddenly rushed over me like a tide. It's really strange…"
The group thought about how to proceed and split up to search for mechanisms.
Soon, they found a large seashell covered by a big dome.
"This is the center of the world, the castle where the evil dragon resides, or the tower imprisoning the princess." Ann seemed to recall more memories.
"Sometimes it's the lost city of Isgu, Arcadia, or the golden Hyperborea."
She once described a scene of children playing.
These 4 small pools, in different adventure stories, were sometimes the four seas, sometimes the territories of the kings of the four directions of the world.
"These things I never understood in the past, but I also joined the children's adventures to accompany them. I played all sorts of roles…"
After she finished speaking, Mu Yang asked her, "Are these all memories triggered by seeing the scenes before your eyes?"
Ann herself didn't know. "I'm not sure. I feel it's strange—these memories have a very beautiful feeling. But also very scary."
"Wait, that is?"
Ann was attracted to a wooden sword inside the dome.
Lumine's lips curved slightly—she understood. Now they should continue the act.
"This must be the knight's holy sword, right!"
[It's the Splendorous Valor sword from drunk Mondstadt]
[Barbatos: Are you polite?]
Paimon also put on an "I get it, I get it" expression.
"Oh… the reason a holy sword is holy is because of the story of the holy sword and the believing heart—it must be like that."
Mu Yang watched the two drama queens and couldn't fall behind himself.
"As a swordsman, I can sense the extraordinariness of this sword."
[All possessed by drama spirits, huh]
[Mu Yang's acting bug flared up]
[What if it's real? Think about it—the princess can even stop time, so a wooden sword being powerful is possible too]
Ann recalled many more things.
The holy swords in the children's hands weren't just this one.
Any suitably shaped tree branch or clothes-drying pole.
In the right story, they could all become holy swords.
But to prevent the clothes-drying pole from always being taken for fighting,
"She… there was a woman who one day brought back several wooden swords. For the children to play with."
Ann tried hard to recall the woman's appearance and name.
But she could never remember.
"It seems the Narcissus Cross Kingdom in the past was very lively, with all kinds of people." Paimon said.
Afterward, following the group's discussion,
they decided to first obtain this Narcissus Cross holy sword.
Because ordinary swords can only cut flesh.
But this sword has the ability to sever spirit and will. To reach the end of the Narcissus Cross Adventure Team's story, they must obtain the Narcissus Cross holy sword.
However, the development of events gradually escaped Ann's control.
Her story had too many contradictions.
Even she herself couldn't smooth them over anymore.
She clearly had never been here, yet involuntarily recalled many things. Feeling all sorts of emotions.
And these were things the other three couldn't feel.
As they walked and talked, they entered a church.
This was the auditorium of the Narzissenkreuz Institute.
Usually, the children would also attend classes here. It was a very good place.
Yes, though there was no sunlight, it was always lively.
"The children's sizes were all different—some as different as Lumine and Paimon—but they attended classes together, listening to stories about the Hydro Archon, and even older stories."
"Sizes?"
"Uh… just some bigger children."
Lumine pressed further. "Then what about Princess Lyris? Was she one of the children? Or the person who told stories to the children?"
Ann wasn't sure.
But she firmly believed that Princess Lyris was waiting for them at the end of this adventure.
The group stepped onto the ascending magic blocks.
Then…
"I feel dizzy… this place is… there are so many books here…"
Lumine and Mu Yang immediately became alert.
Because this reaction and this line
were exactly what Paimon had said right after coming out of the teleportation gate.
"Déjà vu?"
Ann, on the other hand, hinted to everyone that there was the next adventure, and the next adventure…
Paimon suddenly felt a bit scared. "If Princess Lyris is waiting for us at the end of this adventure, but if this adventure is just another connected loop, then wouldn't there be no end at all?"
Mu Yang remained very calm. "Conversely, as long as we can break this cycle, we'll find the way out."
Lumine turned to Ann. "Do you have any ideas?"
Ann couldn't come up with anything coherent.
Mu Yang then pointed out that the Narcissus Cross holy sword was very likely the breakthrough.
"And also…" He pointed to a glowing large stone tile on the floor.
That tile floor wasn't connected to the others, and the pattern was different too.
At that moment, the stone tile had no reaction.
The group continued along the route.
They arrived back at the dome of the Narcissus Cross holy sword.
A faint light glowed in Lumine's palm.
She took out the feather she had picked up earlier from her bag.
The feather reacted with the protective dome.
The protective dome was shut off just like that.
Lumine stepped forward and picked up the Narcissus Cross holy sword!
"It feels a bit strange…" The moment Lumine picked up the holy sword,
information entered her mind.
"Calling the holy sword the Jabberwock holy sword is a holy sword with meaning to a certain story."
The group continued forward, but this sword didn't help them find a breakthrough.
They returned to the original place again… Paimon started feeling dizzy again…
[What the hell, this loop—this is still Fontaine? Sure it's not Sumeru?]
[Just repeat it 168 times and it's done]
[I've been honest—please spare the story-only players]
The group continued through several more loops.
The dialogues and the places where ocean creatures attacked didn't change at all.
Paimon: "I no longer know how many times I've said this line, but every time I can't help blurting it out…"
This time, Lumine didn't respond with a roast.
Instead, she made a decision. "We go back—back to the place with the teleportation gate!"
This time, Lumine's idea was correct.
They entered the teleportation gate and came out again—still in the original position.
But Paimon's automatic dialogue had been turned off.
Going forward again, she finally obtained the true [Narcissus Cross holy sword]…