While I was in Mondstadt, I never imagined becoming a god.

That diamond-shaped mark.

It was like a golden brand on his neck.

This is proof that the real Abelardo is an artificial human, and it is the most obvious difference between him and the fake one.

Xu Chuan's heartbeat slowly returned to normal, but the feeling of exhaustion from surviving the ordeal was even stronger.

He lay there, panting heavily, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"woke up?"

Aberdo's voice rang out calmly.

Without stopping his work, he simply stated in a factual tone, "Your physical condition is better than I expected."

"With injuries of that severity, an ordinary person would be unconscious for at least a day."

Xu Chuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his throat was terribly dry, and could only let out a hoarse "uh".

Abeldo finally turned around.

He glanced at Xu Chuan, then put down the test tube, walked to the table next to him, poured a glass of water, and handed it to Xu Chuan.

"You have lost a lot of blood. You can replenish with lightly salted water, but not too much."

Xu Chuan took the water glass and drank it all in one gulp.

The warm water slid down his throat, finally making him feel a little more alive.

"I..." he began, his voice still a little hoarse, "Where am I?"

“My camp,” Abedo said. “It’s halfway up Dragon’s Backbone. Yura brought you and Mr. Joseph here.”

Xu Chuan remained silent for a moment.

Yes, it was Yura who saved him.

“Where is Joseph?” he asked.

Abedo gestured with his chin toward the cave entrance. "He insists on waiting for you to wake up. That gentleman is very stubborn."

"Even though he was injured himself, and even after taking the alchemical potion he needed to rest for a while, he just refused to go down the mountain first."

Xu Chuan was stunned for a moment, a complex emotion welling up inside him.

He had only known Joseph for two days, but the man's persistence and kindness were far deeper than he had imagined.

“His son…” Xu Chuan said in a low voice, “His son’s name is Joel, and he’s still waiting for him down the mountain.”

“I know,” Abedo said. “Yura told me that the boy named Joel has been waiting at the foot of the snow mountain for several days, asking everyone he meets if they have seen his father.”

"That child stood in the snow and wouldn't leave no matter who tried to persuade him."

Xu Chuan fell silent.

He remembered the boy standing in the snow.

I also remember the scene in the story where Joel finally reunites with his father, Joseph.

But at the time, there was a widespread speculation that Joseph might be a con artist in disguise.

With their own intervention this time, that possibility was nipped in the bud.

Now, Joseph is undoubtedly living as himself.

"Let him in," Xu Chuan said.

Aberdo nodded, turned and walked out.

A moment later, Joseph limped in.

Upon seeing that Xu Chuan was awake, his eyes immediately reddened. He rushed over and grabbed Xu Chuan's hand.

"Xu Chuan! You're awake! That's wonderful, that's wonderful..."

Joseph's voice was choked with emotion, and his hand holding Xu Chuan was trembling slightly.

This tough man, who had made a living in the snow-capped mountains for many years, was now as excited as a child, not knowing what to say.

Xu Chuan felt a little pain from his grip, but he didn't break free.

“Mr. Joseph,” he said softly, “you should go down the mountain now. Joel is waiting for you.”

Joseph nodded vigorously: "I know, I know, but I have to see you wake up with my own eyes."

"If it weren't for you, I would have died in that cave long ago. I will never forget this kindness."

"There's no such thing as gratitude or anything like that," Xu Chuan shook his head. "It's just mutual help."

If Joseph hadn't brought Yura along, I probably would have wasted my time traveling here.

“That’s different,” Joseph said stubbornly. “You can walk on your own, but you’re dragging me along as a burden.”

"If you ever need my help in the future, just let me know!"

Xu Chuan looked at him and suddenly smiled.

“Okay,” he said. “Then you should hurry down the mountain now and not keep Joel waiting any longer. That’s the thing I want you to do most right now.”

Joseph paused for a moment, then laughed.

It was a relieved smile, tinged with tears, yet incredibly warm.

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

He stood up, glanced at Xu Chuan again, and turned to walk out of the camp.

A ray of light flashed at the cave entrance, and Yura's figure appeared there.

She leaned against the cave entrance, arms crossed over her chest, her gaze fixed on Xu Chuan.

"Awake?" Her tone was flat.

"You're awake." Xu Chuan nodded. "Thank you for saving me."

"You're welcome."

Xu Chuan couldn't help but chuckle.

It's a pity I didn't get to hear his catchphrase, "I'll remember this grudge."

"What are you laughing at?" Yura raised an eyebrow, her intuition telling her that this guy was thinking something bad.

"It's nothing." Xu Chuan quickly put away his smile. "I just think... you're a really nice person."

Yura paused for a moment, then turned her face away.

Chapter Six: Visitors from Another World and the Homunculus

After a while, Yura had already escorted Joseph down the mountain first, and after seeing them off, Abedo also returned.

He sat down at the workbench and picked up the experiment he hadn't finished before to continue. The two of them sat on opposite sides of the workbench, neither of them speaking.

The camp was so quiet that only the sound of the wind and the occasional clinking of utensils could be heard.

Xu Chuan leaned against the wall, watching Abedo's retreating figure, his mind racing.

The matter of the fake Abedo is not over yet. This guy is lurking in the Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain and remains a potential threat.

However, I will settle the score with him sooner or later.

"What are you thinking?"

Abedo's voice suddenly rang out.

Xu Chuan came to his senses and found that Abedo had turned around at some point and was looking at him.

"It's nothing," Xu Chuan said. "I'm just... a little tired."

"is it?"

"I thought you were missing your hometown. After all, you've come to a strange world, so it's normal to feel that way."

Abedo's voice suddenly rang out, as calm as if he were stating the weather today.

Xu Chuan suddenly looked at Abedo.

There was no malice in those emerald green eyes, only a pure, scholarly curiosity.

"What did you say?" Xu Chuan's voice was a little tense.

“You must be from outside the world of Teyvat,” Abedo repeated.

Xu Chuan fell silent.

I don't know how to answer.

“Don’t be nervous.” Abedo sat down next to him, his tone still calm. “This isn’t the first time I’ve met people from outside the world.”

"Klee's mother, Ms. Iris, came from outside Teyvat."

"In earlier times, Kanria had also taken in travelers from other worlds."

Abedo pointed to Xu Chuan's clothes.

His thin black down jacket was badly torn, and the white down feathers were stained with blood, clinging to the clothes and greatly reducing its warmth.

“I have never seen the material of your clothes or the style of your shoes in Teyvat.”

"And those words you uttered unconsciously while you were unconscious, although the pronunciation was unclear, I can confirm that they were not any Teyvat language."

“So,” Abedo looked at him, “you are?”

Xu Chuan paused for a moment, then nodded.

Xu Chuan's status as an outsider was never a secret he had to hide; if it was discovered, he could simply admit it.

Abedo's expression remained unchanged, except for a glimmer of light in his eyes—the light of a scholar discovering a new subject.

“Interesting,” he said. “Could you tell me what kind of world you come from?”

Xu Chuan thought for a moment.

For a moment, he didn't know how to describe it.

Xu Chuan tried to organize his thoughts and recall the past.

"That's a long story..."

Aberdo listened attentively, nodding occasionally in agreement.

However, when he occasionally asked tricky questions, Xu Chuan didn't know how to answer.

For example, as a visitor from another world, why would they speak the language of Teyvat?

Or, when discussing science and technology, the other party may be particularly interested in biological concepts.

However, there is one awkward point: given his own level, he is good at explaining some concepts, but he is completely lost when it comes to going into depth.

However, Aberdo listened with great interest.

This novel knowledge from another world can broaden his horizons to some extent.

Of course, Xu Chuan didn't mention a single thing about Teyvat.

This is Xu Chuan's biggest secret, and it absolutely cannot be revealed.

Visitors from other worlds are not uncommon in Teyvat.

While those whose will rivals that of the world are rare, they do exist.

But if you say you come from the real world, Teyvat, or even the universe beyond the illusory heavens, it's all a game world.

Even the heavens themselves couldn't withstand that.

In his view, the things in his head were probably more terrifying than events from the past.

If the Dharma King were still awake, he'd probably have to be hit with a few heavenly nails to purify him properly.

Half a day later, Abedo stood up, walked back to the workbench, picked up a test tube, and continued mixing.

After a while, he suddenly spoke:

"Since you have nowhere to go, why don't you stay and become my assistant?"

Xu Chuan was taken aback: "What?"