"Brother, is it not possible?"
"It is possible. After all, Tok is here in Liyue for me, traveling thousands of miles... This last wish before leaving, as an older brother, I should show corresponding sincerity!"
Dottore thought carefully and decided to make up for his guilt for not being able to accompany Tok.
"That's right! Heh heh..."
Tok scratched his head, smiling happily, already looking forward to it.
"This... Is this really okay? Taking Tok to such a place..."
Paimon did not expect Dottore to actually agree. He doted on his brother too much.
"Brother Feng Yi, Sister Lumine, and little Paimon, you all come too! This time, it's Tok's turn to show you around!"
"Actually, the 'Toy Research Institute' that Tok mentioned is near Lingju Pass. If you have nothing else to do, come and take a look together."
Since Tok invited them, Dottore would not refuse. In any case, after today, this 'Toy Research Institute' would be declared abandoned.
Led by Dottore, the group arrived at the foot of a mountain. Devices resembling ventilation pipes were connected to the mountainside, exuding an industrial aura that clashed with Liyue's cultural environment.
"This is it, Liyue's 'Toy Research Institute'."
"We're here! I can already hear the sound of machines inside, it's so cool!"
Tok felt his blood boiling, rumbling incessantly.
"Dottore, what exactly is this place?"
Paimon quietly approached Dottore and whispered, taking advantage of Tok's excitement about the 'Toy Research Institute' and his lack of attention.
"I had some understanding before. This should be the 'Toy Research Institute' of the 'Doctor.' He is also a Fatui Harbinger. He occasionally has a hobby of tinkering with old things... This ruin has been modified by him to study Ruin Guards."
Among the many Fatui Harbingers, apart from Scaramouche and Columbina, the 'Doctor' gave Dottore a very dangerous feeling.
"Eh? Are Ruin Guards manufactured by you Fatui?"
Paimon was surprised.
"No, those monsters have a closer relationship with the 'Abyss.' Strictly speaking, they are also our enemies... We are just doing some research. As for why Ruin Guards have been appearing recently... it's probably because he's tired of playing and has lost interest in this place."
Dottore spread his hands and said, which was also why he agreed to let Feng Yi and Lumine visit.
However, he had only taken over this research institute not long ago and had not fully controlled it. Some secrets were known only to the 'Doctor.'
"Then, then what if we encounter any danger..."
"We won't. No matter what danger we encounter, I will bear it all for him—isn't that the role of an older brother?"
Dottore said with a smile, having prepared himself for Paimon's worries.
"Brother, brother! What are you still talking about? Let's go in quickly, Tok can't wait any longer!"
"Haha, good, leave it to me."
Dottore patted Tok's little head and then led the way.
"Wow, wow, wow!"
Tok was amazed by the steaming machines and the deactivated Ruin Sentinels sitting everywhere. His eyes could barely take it all in.
"Brother, I heard someone say that 'Ruin Sentinels' are machines for killing..."
Tok suddenly remembered something, and his happy smile turned into disappointment.
"How could that be? Hmm... You're still young, don't talk about fighting and killing all the time."
Dottore gently and patiently counseled Tok.
"Yes, I knew they were liars. 'Ruin Sentinels' are used to defeat bad guys and protect the world. They are Tok's favorite toys!"
"Yes, with him here, bad guys can't hurt Tok."
Dottore said with a smile. Shattering a child's childhood fantasy was a cruel thing. Didn't everyone have a superhero protecting the world in their childhood dreams?
Dottore understood this feeling and was willing to guide Tok with a well-intentioned lie.
"Heh heh, that's right. I'm going to find a 'Ruin Sentinel' to play with now!"
Having received his brother's affirmation, Tok perked up again and ran into the ruins with a whoosh.
"Tok, slow down, be careful not to fall."
Dottore, like a doting father, reminded him from behind and quickly chased after him.
Feng Yi, Lumine, and Paimon followed closely.
No one noticed that in the upper left corner of the ruin's gate, a stone-carved owl was perched, its eyes like black crystals, staring intently at the few people entering the ruins.
Stone-carved owls like this were scattered in the hidden corners of the ruins, monitoring every move within the ruins from all directions.
At the other end connected to the stone owl's eyes, a green-haired man suddenly shifted his gaze from a 'slice' on the operating table. The eyes under his black mask gradually turned into the same black crystal as the stone owl.
"My dear material, have you finally arrived? Enjoy yourself, and don't disappoint me..."
The green-haired man's lips curled into a smile, but to outsiders, this smile seemed somewhat manic.
He was the second of the Fatui Harbingers—the Doctor!
No, to be precise, he was one of the Doctor's 'slices.'
He had gone to great lengths to lure Tartaglia, a wielder of a Delusion, into the area he had prepared.
Based on his understanding of Tartaglia, the remaining Ruin Guards in the ruins were not enough to force him to use his Delusion. But with his younger brother, whom he cared about most, the situation was completely different.
Otherwise, how could Tok have coincidentally seen the 'Ruin Sentinels' being transported to Liyue?
And how could he have safely arrived in Liyue with a large sum of money?
He needed this 'catalyst' to force Tartaglia to seek greater power.
This way, he would have the best material for 'Delusion' research.
However, in addition to Tartaglia, the best material, there were some troublesome guys who had come to the ruins. He couldn't let these guys affect the experimental results.
The Doctor's slice twitched his finger slightly, and subtle movements began to occur in the ruins thousands of miles away.
After Tok passed the stone bridge, the stone door behind him closed rapidly with a click. Dottore wanted to stop it, but it was ultimately too late.
"Tok! Tok! Can you hear me?"
Dottore anxiously pounded on the stone door, telling Tok not to move and to wait for him there.
*Click, click, click—*
Several more mechanisms sounded, and Lumine and Paimon, who were a step behind, were locked into another secret room.
"Dottore, you go find Tok, I'll go find Lumine and Paimon!"
This part of the plot was not in the original story. Feng Yi suddenly had a bad feeling.