Ch 6

The green figure didn't flee again but stood beneath the Anemo Archon statue, beginning to play a song on his lyre and reciting poetry. On the mobile screen, along with the narration of his poetry, scenes resembling illustrated stories began to appear.

"The story I'm about to tell begins in ancient times when the gods still roamed the earth..."

"The Sky Dragon sought answers...heeded the call..."

"Fighting to the death with the evil dragon, swallowing its poisoned blood, and falling into slumber...many years later, it was revived but recognized by no one..."

The poem wasn't long, but it revealed many important details. While most people might simply enjoy it as ordinary poetry, for Lisa, it was extraordinary. After all, she was the most knowledgeable librarian among the scholars and had studied the "Book of Dragons." She had a unique understanding of history compared to ordinary people. Therefore, Lisa keenly noticed that this wasn't a spontaneously composed poem by a bard; it was a genuine narrative poem!

...

Perhaps this narrative poem directly unveiled the truth behind the betrayal of one of Mondstadt's Four Winds Guardians, the Windborne Dragon named Venti. It was because, in a showdown a hundred years ago, it had been harmed by the poisonous blood, and after its revival, the people no longer worshipped it, causing it to be forgotten by the world. If it were Lisa, she might also want to seek revenge on these ignorant subjects.

Although the reason for the Windborne Dragon's actions had been found, new questions arose. Who was this green individual? Why did he know these buried facts? These were historical details that weren't even recorded in the Knights of Favonius library.

In the images during the recitation of the narrative poem, there was a scene of Venti heeding the call of the Anemo Archon. The appearance of the Anemo Archon bore some resemblance to the current green figure. Could it be...that this green figure was...the envoy of the Anemo Archon?

Lisa's eyes brightened slightly, and she felt that this speculation had a good chance of being correct. To verify it, they would have to see how the storyline developed next.

After the crowd dispersed, they approached the green figure for a conversation.

"Ah, you're..."

"Oh...! You're the ones who scared away that Windborne Dragon back then."

The green figure was clearly playing dumb.

"But why do you call it 'Dvalin'? Don't most people refer to it as the Windborne Dragon?"

"Why do you use that name? Are you familiar with it?"

Paimon pointed out the doubt directly.

"Hehe, you guess~"

After introducing himself, the green figure also mentioned his name. "I am a bard named Venti."

"More precisely, I've won the title of 'Most Beloved Bard in Mondstadt' for three consecutive years."

Obviously, this wasn't true, as Lisa had never heard of such a bard. Mondstadt had never held any "Most Beloved Bard" voting events under the current circumstances. It was likely that this guy had self-proclaimed it...

"Do you have some business with us?"

The Traveler took out the dark red crystal, intending to show it to Venti.

However, the originally dark red crystal had now been purified into a clean aqua blue color. Even Venti, as well as Paimon and the Traveler, were surprised by this. They weren't aware of when this purification process had occurred.

"This is the tears shed by the Windborne Dragon due to its suffering."

"I also have a tear-shaped crystal. Can you purify it?"

The tear was placed into the Traveler's hand and immediately turned from a contaminated dark red to a pure aqua blue. After the purification was complete, much to their astonishment, the Traveler casually stowed the crystal away.

Venti praised, "You truly possess incredible power. Someone like you is destined to be sung about in the verses of bards. Whether standing in the sunlight as a hero or guiding calamities from the shadows..."

In Lisa's view, the protagonist—the Traveler—was undoubtedly a character fabricated by Takumi and didn't exist in reality. That's why they were so exceptional, possessing so many unique powers. They could drive elemental forces without the Vision and even purify the impurities in dragon tears. Of course, perhaps there was some truth to it, not entirely baseless. Maybe the appearance of this Traveler was a representation of Takumi himself.

Under the ancient tree in the Windrise area, Venti rejected Lisa's previous assumption.

"The initial hatred of the Windborne Dragon wasn't because people stopped worshipping the Four Winds. That wasn't a naturally born hatred; it was a product of corruption."

"The black blood that flowed into its heart tortured it, preventing it from resting peacefully for many years."

"So when it woke up this time, its spirit was corroded by the Abyss Mages' curse."

Abyss Mages...corruption...

Lisa's expression became extremely solemn. Finally...in this mobile game, they had found the real reason behind the Windborne Dragon's betrayal of Mondstadt! It didn't act willingly; it was cursed and corrupted by the Abyss Order! The value of this information for today's Mondstadt was immeasurable. Moreover, if everything went as expected, Kaeya's investigation should yield results that matched the game's storyline. This information could serve as solid evidence.

Lisa put down her phone. Although she wanted to continue playing, she now had to convey this information to Jean. The current situation in Mondstadt hadn't become as dire as it was in the game, and there was still time for everything to unfold.

Meanwhile, in Takumi's mobile game center, which was becoming increasingly popular, in a secluded secret place in the outskirts of Mondstadt, something was quietly changing. Inside a gigantic flower bud, the figure of a young man was encased, as if sealed in amber, motionless, seemingly having endured countless years.

Suddenly, green lights began to appear around him, one after another, converging towards the center of the flower bud.

"Phew..."

Accompanied by a pure gust of Anemo elemental energy, the young man's body stirred. He first stretched his body, then lightly leaped out from the flower.

"Ha...slept so soundly!"

The young man's body was intertwined with green light, forming a bard's attire. His pupils and the two braids hanging down from his ears emitted a brilliant emerald radiance, giving him an almost divine appearance.

The young man is none other than Barbatos, who had been asleep for a hundred years. He can also be called by his name in the mortal world, Venti.

"It's been about five hundred years since my last slumber."

The wind around him constantly whispered the changes of time. However, it wasn't the winds of this world that awakened Barbatos; it was one of his followers, the present-day Takumi, who was currently facing a great crisis.

"Don't worry, dvalin. The last time you answered my call, you saved Mondstadt. This time, it's my turn to save you."

===

Inside the Knights of Favonius headquarters, Kaeya was reporting the results of the mission to Jean.

"It's truly miraculous, Acting Grand Master Jean. How did you know that the abandoned temple held the source of the Windborne Dragon's power?"

Kaeya asked in confusion. In the past, they would collect information and report it to Jean, who would then make decisions. However, this time, Jean directly provided them with information and decisions. This efficiency allowed Kaeya to quickly eliminate the source of the Windborne Dragon's power. This would make the Windborne Dragon a bit more manageable.

"I received the information from a game center in Mondstadt," Jean replied.

"A game center?"

Kaeya was puzzled. It was a term he had never heard of before.

"It's a long story, but I'll need you to clear the remaining sources of power in two other temples," Jean said.

"Hey, hey, Acting Grand Master Jean, I just returned to Mondstadt and haven't had a chance to rest."

"Didn't you say earlier that the hilichurls and slimes in the temples were just for you to limber up?"

"Well, um..."

Kaeya wore an expression of helplessness. It seemed like he had dug himself into a hole. Who would have thought that the Windborne Dragon had borrowed the power of not just one secret domain, but had remnants of power sources in three other temples as well?

At this moment, the office door was lightly knocked three times.

"Lisa, is that you? Come in!"

"Jean, I have the latest information—the truth behind the Windborne Dragon's betrayal of Mondstadt."

Lisa got straight to the point. Kaeya was shocked internally. Since when did Lisa have her own intelligence network?

Furthermore, they were greeted with such a "grand gift" right away. Kaeya, being no stranger, asked directly, "The reason for dvalin madness is that during its long slumber, it was cursed and corrupted by the Abyss Mage."

"Abyss Mage... Those vile beings..." Jean's expression turned grave as she sat at the table, contemplating their next course of action.

Kaeya approached Lisa and whispered, "Lisa, where did you get this information from?"

"Of course, it's from that game center," Lisa replied, casting a glance at Kaeya before heading to the book area, clearly not intending to be the one to explain further.

"Game center..." Kaeya murmured the three words softly. Soon, a smile crept onto his face. It seemed that something interesting had happened in Mondstadt during his absence.

In the evening, perhaps as the people of Mondstadt finished their day's work, there were more people coming to experience the game. Over thirty gaming stations in the hall were already occupied, with new players eagerly interacting with those who had been playing for a while. It was starting to feel like an internet cafe.

Eula continuously flipped through her notebook, occasionally looking at the clock on the wall to calculate when certain players' sessions would end so she could remind them. Although it was busy, Eula efficiently carried out these tasks.

These players were all well-off and adventurous young people, and they didn't pay much attention to Eula's identity. Those who liked to discriminate against others usually didn't have a good life themselves.

In a seat by the window, a girl with a red rabbit ear headband was fully engrossed in operating her in-game character. Eula approached her with a tray, smiled, and placed a cup of orange juice on her table.

"Amber, this is a gift from our boss."

Amber paused her game and looked curiously in the direction of the counter.

"Who is this boss of yours? In this game, there's even a character based on me that can be controlled!"

In Amber's game, she was controlling her character, paused in a shooting pose.

"And it's so lifelike! I almost feel like I accidentally wandered into this game."

Eula smiled helplessly, "I don't know either. I just started working today, but it's not just you; even Acting Grand Master Jean is quite interested in him."

Amber shrugged, expressing her resignation. However, in this game, she did experience unprecedented novelty.

Amber was a girl with a curious nature; she wasn't as obsessed with advancing the game's plot as others. Instead, she was exploring various game features one by one.

She clicked on different options in the upper right corner of the interface one by one. Soon, she entered the "Wish" interface.

Under the sky's background, there were images of Jean and Diluc holding a single-handed sword and a greatsword, imprinted on the poster.

"Standard Wish, journey in the mortal world..."

"Every ten wishes are guaranteed to include 4-star or higher items, with a small chance to obtain 5-star characters [???], [???], and the [Skyward Blade] weapon series..."

After a brief moment of shock and processing the meaning behind those words, Amber suddenly gasped. Not out of fear, but out of immense surprise!

After completing the mission to clear the Four Winds Temples, the four-person team was formed. They consisted of the Traveler with the Wind element, Amber with the Fire element, Kaeya with the Ice element, and Lisa with the Lightning element. Essentially, most players believed that these were the four playable main characters in the game. However, the text was now explaining that there were more than just these four!

There were even more unrevealed characters, including the 5-star characters Diluc and Acting Grand Master Jean! Amber couldn't help but share this news with her companions. First, it shocked those around her, and soon all the players in the hall were drawn in.

"Amber has discovered important information!"

"This game has more than just four characters!"

"You can even obtain Acting Grand Master Jean and Diluc!"

The game center was instantly buzzing with excitement.

----

"Previously in the story, we saw Diluc make an appearance. I didn't expect we could actually obtain Diluc!"

"And Acting Grand Master Jean too! These two are 5-star characters; their damage must be off the charts!"

"Regardless of the damage, I'll roll for Acting Grand Master Jean even if she heals the monsters!"

"I really want to know what Diluc's Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst are like."

"Diluc's Elemental Vision is Pyro, and he uses a greatsword. His combat style must be incredible!"

Everyone discussed excitedly, and the whole hall felt like it was celebrating a festival.

After their excitement had settled a bit, they became eager to try their luck and hoped to obtain their desired characters through wishes. However, most people were still stuck in the story of clearing the Four Winds Temples, and they didn't have Lisa's strong gaming talent. Therefore, they could only afford to make one or two wishes at most. The fastest progress they made was probably three wishes.

They impatiently used the Acquaint Fate for wishes.

"Swoosh..."

As streaks of blue light flashed, they obtained various 3-star weapons.

"3-star weapons, it's reasonable..."

"3-star artifacts, for Dragon Slayers! Just hearing the name sounds strong!"

"Black Tassel spear... This is a polearm, right? I don't think there's a polearm character yet?"

"3-star bows, Slingshot. Haha, I can finally equip my Amber with a new, powerful weapon!"

Amber, sitting nearby, was speechless. Why did it sound so awkward when she heard these comments? Although everyone obtained 3-star weapons, they were quite happy because they could equip their existing characters, which they considered a good deal.

In their eyes, 3-star weapons were already considered powerful. After all, you could only obtain them from precious chests and relied on luck.

Amber's account currently had two wishes. Seeing others get powerful weapons, she felt envious. Without further ado, she moved her fingers.

"Swoosh..."

The first wish resulted in, unsurprisingly, blue light.

"3-star bow, Raven Bow."

Amber checked it out and found that it had a great appearance and was a powerful bow. Equipping it should significantly increase her combat power.

Amber began her second wish.

Her mouth slightly opened in surprise.

"Purple light..."

"This is... Razor, the Wolf Boy?"

Amber's companions noticed her stunned expression and gathered around to witness the new character she had obtained, Razor, a 4-star character. This news caused a stir in the hall, and everyone wanted to see this new character in action.

Amber replaced Kaeya with Razor in her team configuration because Kaeya's damage output was relatively low, a commonly acknowledged fact. Most players used him for freezing or activating corresponding elemental monuments. Now, her phone displayed Razor's main screen, and a crowd had formed around Amber, discussing this new character.

"This young man is called Razor, right? I don't think I've seen him in Mondstadt before..."

"His weapon is a greatsword; he might be the first greatsword character in the entire game!"

"Amber is so lucky!"

"Amber, hurry and find a Hilichurl camp to try out Razor's Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst!"

Amber was surrounded like a star, and she was also eager to see what abilities this new character possessed.

Upon arriving at a Hilichurl camp, Amber first tried Razor's normal attack. He wielded a greatsword with each strike exuding a sense of power. The damage was high, but the attack speed was slower.

Pressing the Elemental Skill, the Hilichurl in front was instantly struck down by the Claw and Thunderclap of the Thunderwolf. When holding down the Elemental Skill, Razor accumulated electric energy, darkening the sky, and then struck the ground to create a small-scale thunderstorm.

"Awesome!"

"This Elemental Skill feels a bit like Lisa's!"

"Now, try the Elemental Burst!"

Finally, when the Elemental energy was fully charged, Amber immediately clicked on the icon of the wolf's head.

"Howl!"

With a roar, a purple wolf spirit appeared around Razor, and his attack style changed. Each strike was coordinated with the wolf spirit above his head, tearing through everything in front of him.

"Wow..."

"This is too strong!"

"It feels like a direct hit; this attack style is so cool!"

"Razor is only level 1, but his damage is already so impressive."

"He truly deserves to be a character obtainable through 'Wishes'; he's really powerful!"

"Ah, I want a Razor too!"

After watching for a while, everyone returned to their seats, diligently completing in-game tasks, earning more Primogems, and hoping for a chance to roll their favorite characters in the next draw.

Shortly after, Lisa, who had finished her lunch, returned. As soon as she entered, she heard about Amber's new character, Razor, the Wolf Boy.

"Interesting, Razor is also one of the controllable characters in this game," Lisa exclaimed.

"Wait, Lisa, do you know Razor?" Amber was surprised because she had thought that Razor was a fictional character. After all, no one here had mentioned encountering this young man before.

"Not only do I know him, but he's also my 'disciple'," Lisa replied.