He changed Tiwat

Abedo has no memory of his blood relatives. Since he can remember, he has been exploring the hidden realms with his master.

When it comes to the concept of "family"... although Alice always hopes that Abedo can call her "Mom", in Abedo's heart, when it comes to family, the first person he thinks of is still his master, Rhinedot.

Barbatos, the wind god; the members of the Knights of Favonius; Aunt Iris; Klee, her sister; Sugar; Timaus; and that traveler with the aura of the starry sea… they are all important people, but in Abedo’s life, his master’s position is clearly the most special.

Rheindoth was a cold and strict woman who raised Abedo and taught him alchemy and countless worldly knowledge.

Perhaps... neither "family" nor "mentor" is enough to describe the significance of Rheindorf to Aberdo – only the word "mother" can express Aberdo's feelings for Rheindorf.

Although he knew that people had good reason to hate Rheindorf, what son would want his mother to be hated and cursed all the time?

"The sins of your loved ones should not be paid for by an innocent person like you." — He was already very grateful that someone was willing to say this to him.

“However… I actually have another question,” Yura said hesitantly. “You say you’re a homunculus, but you look like a normal human being… Rather than saying you were ‘created’ by alchemy, I’d rather believe you’re just an infant adopted by Rhinedot. If a so-called homunculus is exactly the same as a normal human, then what’s the point of using alchemy to create it?”

Yura's question is indeed reasonable. After all, it is difficult for ordinary people who do not understand alchemy to comprehend Rhinedoth's pursuit of "creating life".

For ordinary people—what's the use of this technology? Why use alchemy when a man and a woman can do it together? Putting aside the ethical and moral issues involved, the cost alone is hardly worth it.

In fact, the alchemy once mastered by Kanria was considered "heretical" even on the entire continent of Teyvat.

For example, the Sumeru Cult, which has the most advanced alchemy technology and the richest resources, mainly studies alchemy related to elemental forces, potions, and machine making. The alchemy studied by Timaeus and Lisa has basically nothing to do with "creating life".

But Canria's geography is indeed very unique.

It's a country hidden deep underground, with a remarkably limited variety of natural flora and fauna. To draw an analogy, the seven kingdoms of Teyvat might be considered villages coexisting with nature, while Kanria is a city of steel and concrete. The common plants and animals that the people of the seven kingdoms of Teyvat take for granted are scarce in Kanria.

Therefore, the alchemy that Rheindorf studied focused more on the branch of "creating life." To be more precise, she studied the art of nurturing life, the "art of black earth."

Abedo, on the other hand, is a stage product of the "Primordial Man" project—he is the immaculate son of chalk, the material of the "Primordial Man," the foundation of the "Philosopher's Stone," the "White Stone."

This is an unparalleled feat, equivalent to "usurping the power of the Creator".

Abedo pointed to his neck.

"What do you think this diamond-shaped mark represents?"

Yura frowned and asked, "Uh...didn't Sugar say it was a birthmark?"

Han Fulai secretly thought to himself, "That's probably Rheindorf's quirk, like an autograph?"

Abedo shook his head: "No, this is my 'flaw' as a human being, proof of my being a man-made being."

"Have you ever seen glassware of various colors? There is a craft related to glassmaking called 'glassblowing'. Glassblowing is not popular in Teyvat, so glassware made by this process is mostly expensive."

“‘Blowing’, as the name suggests, requires an opening for air to be injected, just like blowing up a balloon. Therefore, these types of glass products sometimes have notches left to finish the process. These notches are traces of artificial manufacturing.”

"In Aunt Alice's words, these marks of handcraft are both the preciousness of human skill and the only 'flaw' on a perfect work of art. This mark is something similar."

Han Fulai and Youla exchanged a glance—one was a noblewoman, and the other an office worker, completely unrelated to handicrafts. They knew absolutely nothing about the essential alchemical craftsmanship required of alchemists.

The alchemist Abedo talking to them about glassblowing techniques was like Yan Fei trying to teach Shen He how to pass the bar exam—it was like casting pearls before swine.

Fortunately, Abeldo was already a teacher, and Timaus had seen students looking confused many times before. Seeing that the two couldn't understand, he thought for a moment and then changed his explanation: "The difference between artificial life and natural life lies in the different directions of the flow of life force."

"The power of natural life flows from the inside out, just like the process from seed to germination. So the process of a flower going from curling up to blooming, and a leaf going from bending to unfolding, is 'from the inside out.' Creating artificial life, on the other hand, is about inputting power from the outside in. The point where the embryo finally obtains vitality is this point, which is 'from the outside in.'"

Abedo traced the birthmark with his hand.

"The alchemical agent dripped down and burst open in all directions, cleverly forming this rhombus shape. This created mark is proof of my 'imperfection' as a human being."

"So that's how it was..."

Yura and Han Fulai exchanged another glance.

"Speaking of the interface through which an embryo gains vitality..."

"Isn't that something everyone has..."

This time they both understood.

—Well, the difference between an artificial human and an ordinary human is that an ordinary human's belly button is on their stomach, while Abedo's belly button is on his neck.

Chapter 102 The Primordial Man, Son of Cretaceous

Aberdo, unaware of the incredibly rude thoughts running through the minds of the two men, continued speaking.

"My master created me to explore the ultimate meaning of the 'Black Earth Technique' and the meaning of life."

That happened many years ago. Although Aberdo no longer remembers what day it was, he will always remember the words his master said when he taught him the "Black Earth Technique"—

"The universe is the mysterious, dark essence of the real starry sky."

"Geological strata are the memories accumulated by time and life."

"Chalk—you."

"Black soil—is the etymology of alchemy, and also the foundation of life."

"And this—"

She demonstrated her technique to Aberdo. A gigantic life hatched from the egg, scattering fragments of the culture tank everywhere.

"This is birth."

The Golden King Beast, the king of the Beast Realm Hounds, a creature that should not exist in this world, appeared before Abedo's eyes.

It is the king among the black wolves, possessing the power to command the hidden-claw beasts to dissolve space and create passageways for it.

But it has no name. Because it was merely an unintentional creation of "Gold" Rheindorf, a "teaching tool" used to demonstrate alchemy to children, it was not even worthy of being named by Rheindorf.

The same applies to the Golden King Beast and the White Steed with a single horn. Worthless defective products are ruthlessly discarded by indifferent alchemists and disappear without a trace.

Previously, Abedo didn't think there was anything wrong with this—just like star silver ore, high-quality star silver ore can be used as an alchemical material and has a variety of uses, while star silver ore containing too many impurities is just a defective product, a waste that can't even be used to make pigment.

Aberdo once lived a simple and happy life.

He doesn't need to think about anything.

He simply accompanied his master on his travels around the world, searching for all sorts of secret realms and acquiring all kinds of knowledge.

Life seems monotonous, with meaning limited to accompanying the master, fulfilling the master's instructions, and meeting the master's expectations.

However, one day, the master and apprentice found a sacred relic called "Heart of Naberius" deep in the world... and after that, the master disappeared.

She left behind only a note, a letter of recommendation, and a classic book.

The note read: "Tell Abedor to go to Mondstadt, find his master's old friend Iris, deliver the letter of recommendation, and complete the final task."

The text was a fragment of the "Great Ritual Secret Canon" treasured by the master.

In addition, there was a rather special gift: his master gave Albedo written approval for his completion of his apprenticeship and bestowed upon him the title of "Son of Chalk"—Albedo, a term that in alchemy refers to the second step in creating the "Philosopher's Stone," namely, "albinism."

That subject... was far too difficult. Even though Abedo was a genius among geniuses, such a subject was far beyond his capabilities.

Does this mean he will never have the chance to complete his studies and reunite with his master?

"My Master created this expectation for me, which was also the final task she assigned me—'Show me the truth of the world and the meaning of the world.'"

Aberdo raised his hand and pointed to the sky.

“I am a copy of the ‘Original Man’.”

"Little Mona knows about 'The Man in the Bottle'?" Lisa still had that smiling look on her face, as if Mona had only discovered something trivial.

But Mona knew this was no small matter.

“This is absolutely insane!” Mona exclaimed, using an unusually exaggerated tone. “Does Rhinedot know how crazy this is? It could even lead to the destruction of the world!”

Lisa sipped her black tea and casually asked, "It seems Barbielos also mentioned Rhinedoth to you?"

"Of course! ...Although the old woman didn't say much, she did mention 'other people's children'."

Mona subtly pursed her lips as she said this.

That's right, the biggest enemy every child encounters when they are young is "other people's children".

Although it might sound a bit boastful, given Mona's intelligence, it wouldn't be inappropriate for her to call herself a genius. Logically speaking, she should be the "other people's child."

However, by the witches' standards, Klee, who could conjure alchemical bombs at the age of five and change the terrain of Mondstadt, Lisa, a genius of the Sumeru Cult, who was a once-in-a-century talent, and Mona, a genius astrologer who could develop "the flow of reality and illusion" on her own... are all no match for a certain genius who is "born with knowledge".

—The next generation of witches is also quite competitive.

There are three kinds of geniuses:

There are three kinds of geniuses: the fool who thinks they are geniuses; the self-proclaimed geniuses who think they are geniuses; and the last kind is the genius that is recognized by all geniuses!

Abelardo was the genius recognized by all the genius witches.

Although Mona did not know Abedo's name before, she knew that such an "unknown genius" existed—Abedo only qualified to graduate three years ago and was named "Son of Chalk Abedo." Before that, Abedo had no name and was known as "someone else's child."

From a young age, whenever she achieved something, the old woman would glance at her and say that she was not as good as some other person's child.

Mona wanted to compete with Klee, but her main motivation was to prove to the old woman that she was no less capable than the other witches' apprentices.

The old woman used to describe that nameless genius as "exceptionally gifted, born with innate wisdom, and destined to grasp all the truths of this world." Mona had initially taken the old woman's words as metaphors, but now she knew that the old woman was speaking the absolute truth; Abedo's Seat of Fate had already proven everything.

Lisa still had a faint smile on her lips.

"'Homuncular Nature'. He was born with a lot of knowledge because he is the embodiment of this universe. In astrological terms, it's called 'That wch is below is like that wch is above,' right?"

Mona nodded. The phrase "as it is above, as it is below" refers to the cosmology in astrology, and also to the cosmology in alchemy.

In astrology, "the higher" refers to the "macrocosm," which includes the stars, the gods, and the entire continent of Teyvat; "the lower" refers to the "microcosm," which refers to the human soul and intellect.

According to astrology, celestial bodies are the macrocosm, and humans are the microcosm. The human body corresponds one-to-one with the universe—this is the principle of "water astrology," the theoretical basis for why astrology can reveal human destiny.

Although Mona learned after witnessing the meteorite that the starry sky she observed was likely an illusion—this does not mean that the real starry sky does not exist. Behind the "illusory sky," there should of course be a "real sky."

The "macrocosm" that Abedo corresponds to is this planet itself.

What Lisa just said was quite clear... and quite terrifying.

Abedo's Constellation symbolizes not only that he is a homunculus, but also that he is the "microcosm" corresponding to the "macrocosm" of Teyvat—in Fischl's chuunibyou terms, Abedo should be called the "Child of the Plane".

Yes, Aberdo is... a man-made "natural law".

Chapter 103 Mondstadt Pills!

Despite the earth-shattering topic Lisa and Mona were discussing, Lisa's nonchalant demeanor made it seem as if she were simply talking about whether the scones served with afternoon tea were delicious.

Mona now seriously suspects that Mondstadt people are either born without a sense of tension, or that their brains have been damaged by alcohol...

This is the most serious act of blasphemy! It wouldn't be an exaggeration to consider Aberdo as a time bomb that could destroy Mondstadt!

So what are you Mondstadt doing?

Think about it... The Aeolus of Mondstadt tacitly allowed Abedor to stay in Mondstadt, the witch Iris took Abedor in as her godson and introduced him to the Knights of Favonius, and then this witch Lisa knew everything, happily working as Abedor's colleague, spending her days slacking off and drinking tea...

Mondstadt Pills!

If it weren't for the fact that running away in front of Lisa would be too embarrassing, Mona would probably have already rushed back to her rented apartment to pack her belongings.

At that moment, Lisa raised her hand and made a gesture that made Mona's veins bulge.

As if to emphasize her presence, she used her arm to lift up the part of herself that had been leaning against the table.

This is showing off! Blatant showing off!

Just as Mona was gritting her teeth, Lisa spoke up: "Little Mona, didn't you ask me before why my 'hourglass' is lying flat? This is the answer."

The Eye of God on Lisa's chest was now emitting a bright light, as if in response to her words.

Hearing Lisa's question, Mona nodded hesitantly. This was also one of the questions that had always been difficult for her to answer.

The stars are in motion, just as a person's life is always in motion. But Lisa's constellation of destiny, that hourglass, is still.

"In alchemy, to gain something, you must lose something. The power of the Eye of God is the same; a grain of sand falls, and time... or rather, life vanishes in an instant. If you want to stop the flow of sand—you can only lay the hourglass flat, making it never flow. To put it bluntly, it's about taking a break and lying down!"

Lisa said with a smile.

"Little Mona, aren't you eager to know my secret? Come on, let's do another divination?"

Judging from Lisa's words, it seems that she has already unlocked the secret that conceals her destiny?

"Hmph, go ahead and watch, who's afraid of who!"

Mona puffed out her cheeks and started spinning the water tray again.

A part of Lisa's hazy fate became clear again: her experiences before graduating from the Order of the Church.

"You went to study... the element of nothingness? And... what is this unfathomable darkness? Could it be... the abyss?"

Lisa smiled and nodded. "You know, I'm a scholar of the Elementalist school. To explore the essence of elemental forces, the Aspects are an unavoidable subject. What I found that time was 'Ayin' (?), the Aspect of Fire."

Lisa's divine eye still holds the results of that research, the core of the Flame of No Form—the "Smoldering Pearl".

During that research trip, she encountered a man from the abyss—the Abyss Singer, Abyssfire.