"Your body's vitality is lower than that of the average human. That means your metabolic rate is extremely slow. What little energy you absorb is utilized with maximum efficiency."
"Similarly, your lifespan will likely be much longer than that of a normal human. Your aging process will be significantly slower. Though how long you can live… I can't say for certain."
To be honest, Jiang Bai had never felt any different from the people of Teyvat. But hearing Albedo say all this, he realized—he wasn't the same as everyone else here at all.
No wonder they call him Mondstadt's Chief Alchemist. This guy really is something else.
"You mentioned you were in a state of suspended animation—essentially a false death—before you woke up."
"Based on your physiology, I suspect that false death was actually a self-protective mechanism. Your bodily functions entered a dormant state to minimize energy consumption while keeping your systems at the bare minimum required to stay alive."
Albedo explained his hypothesis in a calm, matter-of-fact tone. But the next moment, he contradicted himself.
"No… that can't be right. Even at minimal function, your body would still need an energy source. Without it, you would've consumed your own reserves. You'd have ended up a dried-out corpse—skin and bones."
"Unless… you had external assistance."
As he spoke, Albedo's thoughts began to sharpen.
"There's only one explanation. Your body and consciousness were completely sealed. Time itself stopped for you. That's the only way to account for the fact that you woke up in perfect condition."
Albedo's reasoning hadn't involved any obscure jargon yet, so Jiang Bai could still follow. He'd always wondered how exactly he'd ended up in that suspended state—and whether he could enter it again, if needed.
Thinking of the ice wall in the hilichurl cave, Jiang Bai floated a theory:
"If I were suddenly frozen… would that cause a suspended animation state?"
Albedo pondered. "There's no precedent for that, so I can't say for sure."
"In theory, yes—sudden freezing could place a living being into a time-stopped state. But again, that's only in theory. No real-world cases exist."
He took a sip of water before continuing.
"According to what you described, there was a period between your discovery and awakening. During that time, you exhibited no signs of life—no heartbeat, no body temperature, no consciousness. Not until your burial did you begin to stir."
"I believe that window of time was your true suspended state. Before that, you were simply sealed."
"Because the suspended animation only lasted a short while, your energy consumption was minimal. That's why your body remained intact and functional when you woke up. It makes sense."
Jiang Bai nodded. It did make sense.
So far, Albedo was the most knowledgeable person he'd met. Even Zhongli fell short in this area.
Though Zhongli had recognized his condition as suspended animation, he couldn't explain the underlying mechanism or provide such detailed reasoning.
Then again, it wasn't fair to compare them. Zhongli was more of a historian and folklorist—Albedo, a biologist. Completely different disciplines.
"…But your awakening mechanism," Albedo murmured, slipping back into thought, "what was it?"
Without Jiang Bai recreating the entire process in front of him, there was simply no way to know. The mystery would have to wait.
"Can you tell how long I've been alive?" Jiang Bai asked.
He was desperate to know how long he'd truly been in Teyvat.
Albedo shook his head. "I can't determine your age from your bones. Like I said, your time was frozen for an unknown length. Whether you've existed for a hundred or a thousand years, it doesn't count. From the moment you woke up—that's when your time started moving again."
Jiang Bai rubbed his chin, mulling it over. "So basically, the time I spent sealed doesn't count. My current appearance should reflect my real age…"
He had no clue how old he actually was.
His face looked young, sure—but was it the fresh look of an 18-year-old or a well-preserved 28-year-old? He wasn't sure. He just knew he didn't look old.
Still, he preferred to believe he was closer to 18. If he were too old, he'd have a generation gap with Hu Tao, and they wouldn't vibe.
Albedo nodded in agreement. Then his gaze dropped to the Vision hanging from Jiang Bai's waist.
"You can use elemental energy, can't you?"
Jiang Bai glanced at his Geo Vision.
He'd noticed Albedo's own Vision earlier—it was also Geo.
"Yeah," Jiang Bai replied. "I can."
"Could you show me?" Albedo asked, already pulling out a notebook and pen.
"…Sure."
Jiang Bai didn't mind. Judging by the way Albedo was gearing up to observe, it looked like he wanted to study how Jiang Bai wielded elemental energy. Jiang Bai was curious too—he'd never really thought about how he was able to use it in the first place.
This whole thing had gotten out of hand so fast.
One minute he was investigating some weird bones. The next, he was letting a complete stranger study his elemental abilities.
Life is full of surprises.
Sorry, Master Cartis. I might be a little late. The mountain path really is too damn hard to navigate. I haven't even found a way to the summit yet.
I'll ask Albedo for directions once we're done with the testing.
Jiang Bai summoned a cluster of Geo energy in his palm, shaping it into a floating stone. It hovered gently in the air, warm and solid.
Albedo's brows furrowed.
He observed closely. The Geo energy hadn't flowed from Jiang Bai's Vision—it came directly from his body.
Jiang Bai wasn't the first starborn individual Albedo had encountered, but the previous case had been… highly unusual. Not suitable for comparison.
If Jiang Bai could control elemental power without channeling it through his Vision… then what purpose did the Vision serve?
"May I take a closer look at your Vision?" Albedo asked.
"Sure," Jiang Bai said casually, unhooking it from his belt. "But it's probably fake. Someone gave it to me—more for decoration than anything else."
Zhongli had given it to him to conceal his abnormality. But since Albedo already knew something was off, there was no point hiding it.
And if he wanted answers from a scholar, cooperating with their research was step one.
"Fake?"
Albedo turned the Vision over in his hand, feeling its weight, examining the material. His expression grew more puzzled the longer he looked.
"…This is strange."
"What do you mean?" Jiang Bai asked.
"You said it's fake," Albedo said slowly, "but to me… it feels real. And yet—"