"To show my sincerity, I can explain things to you in more detail."
Dottore looked at Su Yuan and slowly began to speak:
"At my peak, I had a total of 24 segments."
"But as you know, so-called segments are just versions of myself at different ages, created so I could observe this world from various dimensional perspectives."
"We share sensory input and can communicate with each other, but since each segment is of a different age and is an independent individual, you can't simply compare them to clones."
"This also means that the conditions under which each segment undergoes Eerification are entirely different."
"It all started when one of my segments in Mondstadt was corrupted and controlled by eerie powers. That's how I first discovered the existence of the Eerie, and began researching it..."
"Now, I have only 12 segments remaining..."
"In the process of experimentation, trial and error is necessary—consuming materials and making sacrifices in order to reach the answers I seek."
"My segments are, ultimately, just consumables..."
"As for your question—where are they distributed? Naturally, all across the continent of Teyvat."
"If you want more detailed information, you'll have to wait until I've asked my question. Then you can ask again!"
Su Yuan thought to himself—he still has twelve segments left...
Which meant, this bastard Dottore… still had at least twelve lives...
"Now then, Su Yuan, it's my turn to ask a question. I hope you'll answer me sincerely and truthfully."
Dottore looked at Su Yuan and slowly asked:
"Su Yuan, do you perhaps have an ability similar to foresight?"
"Otherwise, why is it that in so many critical moments and turning points, you always seem to know what's going to happen in advance and are already prepared?"
Hearing this question, Su Yuan quietly let out a breath of relief.
So Dottore suspected that he had the ability to foresee the future?
Well, that made sense—foreseeing the future sounded a lot simpler than returning from death with memories intact...
"No," Su Yuan replied.
Dottore glanced up at the device on Su Yuan's head and, seeing that it didn't trigger any alarms, realized Su Yuan hadn't lied.
"It's not foresight..." Dottore murmured thoughtfully.
"I'm sure you're aware—the stars in Teyvat's sky are false, and all fates are predetermined, carved into the heavens above."
"That's why astrologers, to some extent, can foresee the future."
Then, Dottore looked at Su Yuan and showed a somewhat disappointed expression.
"I thought you'd say a bit more to me..."
"I just told you so much, yet when it was my turn to ask a question, all I got were cold little words..."
"Even though your response was disheartening, at least you didn't lie to me..."
"Alright then, go ahead and ask me your next question..."
"Dottore, what exactly does it take to kill you for good?" Su Yuan looked at Dottore and asked.
"What a sorrowful question… I wanted to be your friend, and yet you want to kill me…"
"Su Yuan, do you really hate me that much?"
Dottore looked at Su Yuan, his expression tinged with sadness.
"But, well, there's no harm in telling you…"
"Killing one of my segments is meaningless—because as long as I use some rare materials, I can create an entirely new segment again…"
"Even though I have many segments, there is only one true body…"
"Only by finding my true body and killing it can I truly be considered dead…"
"Is the you standing before me now your true body?" Su Yuan immediately pressed further.
But Dottore only gave a slight smile and replied:
"Su Yuan, that question is out of bounds… It's my turn to ask a question now…"
"The question I asked earlier was merely a probe…"
"What I really want to ask is: Su Yuan, where exactly do your intel sources come from?"
Su Yuan watched the scene with a serious expression.
As expected, Dottore had finally asked that question…
Su Yuan forced himself to stay calm and spoke:
"How else would I get it? Obviously through observation and investigation!"
But the very next moment, as soon as the words left his mouth, the device on his head lit up red and emitted a sharp, screeching sound—
"Su Yuan! You're lying!!!"
Dottore grabbed Su Yuan by the throat in fury, his eyes bloodshot as he stared him down and snarled viciously:
"Su Yuan! I spoke to you sincerely, wanted to be friends with you—and you dared to lie to me!!!"
"If you won't abide by the rules we agreed on, then there's no need for me to show you any mercy!!!"
The next moment, Su Yuan felt a sharp, searing pain in his left wrist!
His entire left hand had been flawlessly severed—Dottore had used something unknown to slice it off with surgical precision…
"Don't worry, Su Yuan. I won't let you die so easily…"
As Dottore spoke, he sprayed something onto Su Yuan's wrist wound—immediately stopping the bleeding.
"I'm going to thoroughly study every inch and every moment of your body…"
Su Yuan looked at his severed hand in Dottore's grip and thought, This shouldn't be a huge problem…
Even though there was intelligence inscribed on it, he had already verified with others many times that only he could see the markings on his palm…
Not even Lumine or Aether could see the intel tips inscribed there—was Dottore somehow more special than main characters like them?
But then Su Yuan remembered—when he returned via a segment rewind this time, just like before, the information on his palm appeared smudged and altered, making it impossible for him to read what was written there…
But to alter or erase a piece of writing, wouldn't you have to see it first?
That's why Su Yuan knew—someone out there could see the words engraved in his left palm.
But who exactly that person was, he had no clue…
At the very least, it wasn't Dottore—because he was currently holding Su Yuan's severed hand, inspecting it closely, but had discovered nothing at all.
"At first, my intel showed that you kept looking at your palm… but there was nothing there."
"I thought maybe it was some kind of invisible ink… or perhaps data encoded into the skin's texture…"
"But now, I've examined it for several minutes—and I still haven't found a single clue…"
"This kind of situation is extremely rare…"
Dottore set Su Yuan's hand down, then turned and looked at him.
"Su Yuan, I know you can definitely see what's written on it…"
"But why is it that I can't?"
"Could it be… some unique trait? Something you possess now… that I, at this moment, do not?"
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