Chat Group: Starting by Swapping Bodies with Elysia?

Even after being jointly thwarted by Alain and the Palais Mermonia five hundred years ago, Jacob didn't believe this setback was enough to make him abandon his grand undertaking of saving the world.

After all, the path to salvation was always filled with obstacles and challenges, misunderstandings and mistrust.

In a way, the downfall of the Narzissenkreuz Ordo might have even been a good thing.

Because of its downfall, the Palais Mermonia's attention shifted away from them, allowing Jacob to secretly lay out his plans throughout Fontaine.

And unlike him and René, their old friend Alain hadn't escaped the limitations of mortality and had long since passed away.

This meant that there was probably no one left in this world who could stop him.

Jacob felt a genuine sense of joy—and the day of the "world formula" prophecy's fulfillment was also fast approaching.

Once the unfinished procedures were completed, and the final "holy sword" was forged, René's salvation plan would be complete.

However…

Looking at the blue and white-haired girl with a pink unidentified floating object and a man not far away, Jacob's heart sank.

Furina—Fontaine's Hydro Archon, the God of Justice.

As a citizen of Fontaine, he was naturally no stranger to her.

In fact, to a certain extent, Jacob was an old acquaintance who had witnessed Fontaine's rise and fall, the changing of the Hydro Archons.

However, preoccupied with his salvation plan, he hadn't paid much attention to this Hydro Archon. Perhaps initially, he had entertained the naive thought of communicating with her and gaining her support. But after Furina took the stage, her series of absurd actions had left both him and René with a poor impression.

She was indeed a popular Hydro Archon, her acting skills commendable. In the past, even the proud René had to admit Furina's excellence.

However, the predicament Fontaine faced meant that its people didn't need an actor as their leader.

Facing the impending prophecy, the people of Fontaine needed a god who could save them.

And Furina was definitely not a qualified Archon.

This was the conclusion Jacob reached after observing her.

But…

Why was she here?

Jacob looked at [Furina], his mind filled with doubts.

The fact that this absurd Hydro Archon appeared before the Ipsissimus Tower made him wonder if the Palais Mermonia had noticed something.

But recalling Furina's eccentric style, Jacob felt that this might just be a coincidence. Perhaps this absurd Hydro Archon simply came here on a whim?

After all, for an absurd god, nothing was surprising.

After some thought, Jacob decided to pretend to be an ordinary person and fool this Hydro Archon.

Unfortunately…

"I recall the Steambird already investigated this place. This tower should be the Palais Mermonia's property now."

"As for you…"

"Mr. Jacob, what are you planning to do here?"

The dignified girl, with a smile in her eyes, revealed the long-hidden truth and Jacob's name.

As Fontaine's symbol, the master of the Palais Mermonia, it wasn't surprising that Furina knew about this. However, when this knowledge and Jacob's name were mentioned simultaneously, Jacob, meeting the girl's smiling yet profound gaze, understood that his attempt to conceal his identity was doomed from the start.

"It seems Lady Furina knows me." Jacob took off his hat, abandoning his pretense.

"Setting aside your secret plans, you are, after all, Eduardo Baker's son… As a god, wouldn't it be a dereliction of duty not to know this?" Hearing this, Furina, initially confused, glared at Jiang Qiao—I'm sorry! I'm an incompetent Hydro Archon! I don't know about these things!

However, the next moment, she pondered and suddenly realized, "Eduardo Baker… that name—the leader of the lower levels five hundred years ago?"

Although Furina rarely governed, she was quite knowledgeable about Fontaine's affairs, especially regarding the previous Hydro Archon. After all, she had been trying to figure out the prophecy and find a solution.

Therefore, she was quite familiar with Fontaine's history.

Eduardo Baker was a figure from the time before Focalors became the Hydro Archon, when Egeria still ruled. At that time, Fontaine's nobles were incredibly cruel, driving the lower class into the underground waterways to maintain Fontaine's glamorous exterior.

Eduardo became the leader of the lower class citizens, but the nobles, still unsatisfied, wanted to eliminate those who "tarnished the city's image," leading to the conflict in the lower levels.

The victor was, of course, the Fontaine government. The Gardes drove the lower class citizens out of the waterways and into the barren desert, leaving them to die. But Eduardo, holding Gardes officials hostage, occupied Poisson and resisted the government, ultimately ending with the Siege of Poisson.

"He's Eduardo's son?" Furina looked at Jacob in surprise, then with a hint of apology.

Although this incident occurred before Focalors took over, and she hadn't been in charge, whenever she read about this part of history, she felt deeply apologetic.

"A name that brings back memories… I didn't expect Lady Furina to be concerned about such things."

"Although this happened during the previous Hydro Archon's reign, it was ultimately a mistake made by the Palais Mermonia. As the Hydro Archon, I naturally need to know about it."

"However, that has nothing to do with what you're doing now. If you seek compensation for what happened back then, the Palais Mermonia won't ignore it. But what you and your companion are about to do, as the Hydro Archon, I cannot turn a blind eye."

Hearing [Furina]'s serious words, Jacob was surprised and asked, "…It seems you really do know. If I may be so bold, Lady Furina, how much do you know?"

"Everything."

"A truly fitting answer for a god." Jacob was stunned for a moment, then shook his head.

"Hey… what are you two talking about?" Furina, dissatisfied, tugged at Jiang Qiao's clothes and asked softly.

She hadn't even figured out this Jacob guy's situation, and yet the topic had already shifted to something she couldn't understand… Damned riddlers!

"Mmm, you just need to know one thing—this Mr. Jacob is planning something that could destroy Fontaine, no… destroy all of Teyvat."

"Huh?!" Furina's eyes widened in shock, then her gaze towards Jacob changed, perhaps with vigilance and caution.

But Jacob didn't seem satisfied with this statement, even shouting angrily, "Destroy? No, what we're doing is saving! You're truly arrogant, Hydro Archon! You know nothing!"

"Can dissolving everyone's consciousness in water be considered salvation?" The blue and white-haired girl, ignoring his mocking words, raised a finger and looked at him calmly, asking, not forgetting to add, "Of course, I don't deny that it's indeed an option."

"..."

"I think I should retract my previous statement. It seems Lady Furina does know what we're doing."

"In that case, you should also understand that when the All-Devouring Narwhal arrives, only by following Master René's method can Fontaine's people escape the rising waters and avoid destruction."

"I have an old friend who might have a lot in common with you."

"It would be my honor."

"Then, Lady Furina, do you still intend to stop me?"

"Of course."

"…Why?!" Jacob looked at her in disbelief.

"I understand your desire to save the world, and I don't deny your plan. After all, the path to salvation is arduous…"

"Then you should support us! Don't you, as a god, want to stop the prophecy? You know! According to the ancient prophecy, everyone will be dissolved, and only you will be left weeping on the divine throne! Do you want to see that future?"

Although not a genius like René or Alain, Jacob's talent was undeniable. He didn't fear gods, nor did he hold excessive reverence for them. As for seeking their support, in the past, Jacob wouldn't have done such a thing.

But for people like them, what they lacked wasn't supporters, but those who "understood" them.

Support could be obtained through various means, but a true confidant, someone who truly understood what they were doing, was incredibly difficult to find.

This was perhaps the shared sorrow of geniuses.

And for Jacob, the Hydro Archon, Furina, seemed to be both someone who understood him and a powerful supporter.

If he could gain the help of the Hydro Archon, their wish of saving the world would undoubtedly be easier to achieve.

However, this powerful potential supporter simply shook her head with a smile.

"If there were no other way, perhaps this wouldn't be a bad option."

"But the people of Fontaine deserve a better future, don't they?"

"If it's not the only option, then the citizens of Fontaine deserve the right to choose a better path."

"Therefore… in the name of the Hydro Archon—I must put an end to your plan."

The girl's tone held an unwavering determination.

Jacob fell silent for a moment.

"Negotiations have broken down?" Fairy Ely, sitting on a nearby tree branch, looked at the suddenly tense atmosphere curiously.

"It's not exactly a breakdown. It's more like there was never a possibility of negotiation to begin with."

[Furina]—Jiang Qiao shrugged.

"To make someone abandon five hundred years of painstaking planning, words alone aren't enough."

"Eh… eh?! Are they going to fight?" Furina, looking around nervously at Jacob and then at Jiang Qiao, quickly called out to Jacob, pointing at [Furina] and trying to use the Hydro Archon's authority to scare him.

Honestly, although she was hostile towards Jacob after learning that he seemed to be planning to destroy Fontaine, and she had the thought of calling the Gardes to arrest him, fighting directly… it was terrifying!

"The name of a god is indeed intimidating, but does that mean mortals are definitely inferior to gods?"

Jacob casually tossed his hat aside, his eyes holding no fear.

Having partnered with René, he was undoubtedly the least afraid of gods in Fontaine.

What was there to be afraid of from a god? They were just beings with slightly greater power.

Of course—he didn't deny that some gods possessed overwhelming power.

"There are also differences among gods. Against powerful Archons like the Geo Archon of Liyue or the Electro Archon of Inazuma, I would naturally be no match."

Having traveled throughout Teyvat for his plan, he glanced at [Furina] and said calmly, "But Lady Furina, you're probably not that kind of battle-oriented Archon, are you?"

"Eh… h-how did you know?" Furina, in [Jiang Qiao]'s body, panicked slightly.

Although she was indeed a weakling, only living longer and being slightly more divine,

She thought she had acted quite well, hadn't she?

Jacob glanced at Furina strangely, finding the man beside Furina odd, but didn't pay much attention to him, and said confidently, "I've been watching you for five hundred years, Lady Furina… You haven't displayed even a sliver of divine power."

"Is it because you don't want to, or because… you can't?"

"I've witnessed countless times, countless times where just a bit of an Archon's power, even the power of a Vision holder, would have been enough to convince the people, but you always chose to prevaricate or use various methods to muddle through."

"Now that I think about it, it must be because of this, right?"

"You're too weak, even displaying divine power is difficult for you."

"This is the only conclusion I can reach."

"And can you, like this, truly stand against me, who wields the power of the Abyss?" Jacob smiled, spreading his arms, his voice becoming increasingly imposing.

Enveloped in a dark energy, he transformed into a figure clad in otherworldly armor, completely beyond human comprehension.

An ominous power swirled around him, making Furina's heart tremble.

At the same time, she was afraid.

"The power… of the Abyss?"

Furina wasn't completely ignorant of the Abyss.

After all, she had not only read all the books in Fontaine, but also books from other nations. And with the Oceanids as her intelligence gatherers, she knew more or less the meaning behind this name.

The previous Hydro Archon had died in the war against Kaenri'ah, which was connected to the Abyss. She had heard that the other Seven Archons had also suffered losses in that war.

This thing, even Archons struggled against, she, a weakling who couldn't even defeat a Slime, was naturally afraid of.

"…Gulp… you can beat him, right?"

Furina, instinctively seeking safety, quickly shielded Jiang Qiao behind her, trembling slightly as she looked at Jacob, who had transformed into an Abyss Herald, and asked softly.

Although she had seen Jiang Qiao in action, she had only seen him playing with the Seafood Trio, storing primordial seawater in his hat, and surfing with her on the water. As for actual combat… she had never seen it.

Although she knew he seemed strong, she wasn't entirely sure without seeing it firsthand.

Besides… he was using her body!

Smelling her own scent, Furina suddenly felt a chill.

She knew exactly how useless her body was!

Furina asked nervously, "Will we win?"

"We will."

The blue and white-haired girl was calm and composed, not caring about the Abyss Herald in front of her, only filled with confidence.

"…Mmm, that doesn't sound very reassuring, but whatever."

Raising her hand, a magnificent, azure blue one-handed sword, resembling a scepter, appeared in her hand.

—Splendor of Tranquil Waters.

It was the so-called signature weapon, but for Jiang Qiao, it was just a handy weapon.

Of course, unlike before, when creating this sword, he had added something to it.

A faint glow emanated a sense of holiness, the thin blade incredibly sharp. Just looking at it made her eyes ache.

It seemed capable of cutting through anything.

Jacob looked at the glowing Flowing Purity, his face filled with disbelief.

As if squeezing the words through gritted teeth, he said, "…Holy Sword?!"

These two simple words revealed its true nature.

It was the sacred object that René and Jacob had been searching for, painstakingly trying to forge, something that could cut through anything, both physical and intangible, a legendary weapon.

Only one existed in a given world.

And this weapon, forged from the heart, was the proof of a hero, used to slay evil dragons.

Jacob, secretly planning for so many years, besides accelerating the rising tides, his most important goal had been to create this crucial treasure.

And now, it was effortlessly created in [Furina]'s hand.

At this moment, Jacob's eyes glowed red.

The blue and white-haired girl held the treasure he had longed for, a smile appearing on her lips.

—Come at me.