New Eridu, Central Avenue in the Federer District.

Ever since a group had vanished beside the statue several days ago, this mysterious golden idol had once again exploded across the internet.

Some claimed it was a statue of a dark god, one that could "devour humans." The people who vanished were sacrifices to it...

Others said it was an "apocalyptic weapon" left behind from the old era, with the power to kill without a trace...

Still others argued it was a savior sent by the gods themselves, come to rescue New Eridu...

In short, over a dozen theories had sprung up.

For days, arguments on the forum raged endlessly, with no one able to convince anyone else.

Not only that—more and more people had begun to gather around the Seven Gods Statue, bowing, burning incense, and praying for strength from the idol.

But no matter what methods the citizens of New Eridu tried, the statue remained silent, as if it had fallen into slumber once more.

Gradually, some lost faith and gave up.

Yet many stayed, watching the statue constantly. Dozens of online streamers had even set up livestreams in front of it.

"Family, this is the man-eating statue! I'll test it out and see if it really eats people..."

"Streamer, word is one of the missing was Chief Zhu Yuan from the Public Security Bureau—and I heard even the president of the Hollows Investigation Association was among them..."

"Family, I risked everything to slash the price—hurry and place your orders..."

"Streamer, you're so amazing. Why don't you slash the price of that statue behind you? I'll pay ten million dennies for it!"

"You're looking down on me! Fine, I'll say it—nine million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand dennies!"

...

With the statue fueling their content, the streams had been drawing massive traffic these past few days.

Suddenly, a message popped up in the chat:

"Streamer! The Seven Gods Statue behind you just lit up! Run!"

It wasn't just one person—dozens were spamming the same thing.

The streamer turned around to look.

She froze.

It was exactly as the chat described—the once-silent statue was now radiating a faint golden glow. Even from twenty or thirty meters away, a gentle warmth could be felt.

The rumors of the statue devouring people flashed through her mind. She wanted to run, but her legs buckled beneath her. She was rooted in place.

And it wasn't just her.

Everyone nearby was thrown into panic. Some scrambled away in a frenzy, some collapsed where they stood, and others, convinced the statue had revealed its divine power, dropped to their knees in worship.

Then—

The golden light flared brilliantly, and in an instant, a group of people appeared out of thin air around the statue.

Gasps erupted from the crowd.

What was this?

The statue not only swallowed people—it could spit them out as well?

All eyes immediately turned to the newcomers. As faces were recognized, shock rippled through the crowd.

There was Chief Zhu Yuan of the Public Security Bureau, Chief Qingyi, Deputy Section Chief Tsukishiro Yanagi of the H.A.N.D., the President of the Hollows Investigation Association, and the members of Hare's House...

These were the very people who had vanished days ago!

They had all returned?

...

At the same time, near Cloud Retainer, Moon Carver, and Mountain Shaper, the Adepti had just arrived in this strange city. One glance around was enough to leave them astonished.

Before coming to New Eridu, they had already heard rumors about its development and condition. They had expected something like Fontaine.

But reality far surpassed their expectations.

Especially the strange "carriages" moving swiftly down the streets—their sight immediately caught Cloud Retainer's attention. She gazed at them with fascination, intrigued by such unfamiliar mechanisms.

Beside her, Zhu Yuan scanned the crowd with a frown.

"We should leave here quickly..."

Qingyi replied calmly, "I've already contacted headquarters. Patrol cars are on the way and should arrive soon."

Nicole cleared her throat. "Let's head back to Hare's House first..."

Not wishing to draw more attention, they ignored the onlookers and quickly left Central Avenue.

But they had no idea that footage of their sudden reappearance had already been broadcast live. Within hours, it would dominate the entire New Eridu network.

...

Soon, several Public Security Bureau patrol cars pulled up in front of them.

Zhu Yuan personally opened a door. "Honored Adeptus, Yaksha Xiao, Miss Keqing—please."

Cloud Retainer stood before the vehicle, her brow furrowed, eyes narrowed in concentration as she studied its form as though trying to unravel its secrets.

Moon Carver gave a sharp reminder. "Cloud Retainer, stop gawking and get in."

Cloud Retainer let out a huff. "I require no reminder. I know perfectly well."

With that, she followed behind Moon Carver and stepped into the patrol car. The vehicle then set off toward the Public Security Headquarters.

Along the way, Cloud Retainer gazed at everything they passed with the same curiosity that Keqing, Furina, and the Traveler had once shown upon their first visit to Liyue Harbor.

...

Meanwhile, in one of the cars behind them, Xiangling and Guoba had their faces pressed to the windows, marveling at the unfamiliar cityscape.

Suddenly, Guoba pointed excitedly. "Lu—Lu Lu—"

Xiangling blinked. "What are you looking at? ...Ah! What's that? It looks just like Guoba!"

Hu Tao leaned forward eagerly. "Let me see."

Following their gaze, she spotted a giant Bangboo model standing by the roadside. Its shape and color did indeed resemble Guoba.

Hu Tao chuckled. "That's a Bangboo shop."

Xiangling tilted her head. "Bangboo? What's that?"

Hu Tao explained, "They're little... well, sort of miniature automatons. You'll see one up close soon enough..."

...

The convoy of patrol cars made its way through the city and finally arrived at the Public Security Bureau headquarters.

Zhu Yuan and Qingyi first saw to it that everyone was settled. Then, together with Tsukishiro Yanagi, the President of the Hollows Investigation Association, and Soldier 11, they joined New Eridu's high-level officials for an emergency meeting.

After Zhu Yuan and the others left, Nicole suggested taking the Adeptus to Hare's House, then leading them through Sixth Street to help them get familiar with New Eridu.

Mountain Shaper had been thinking the same and immediately agreed.