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At first glance, Childe—or Tartaglia—seemed like an easy-going, funny young man. But when all was said and done, he was an Executive of the Fatui. No one reaches the rank of Harbinger by being soft-hearted. While it was true that many of them were shaped by unbearable pasts, evil is still evil, and his very presence was enough to make one's skin crawl.
Because of his childhood trauma in the Abyss, Childe had become obsessed with strength, turning into a true fighting maniac. His loyalty belonged to the Tsaritsa, and his only shred of tenderness was reserved for his younger siblings. To the rest of the world, he was cold-blooded, ruthless, and entirely unscrupulous.
Even though his plan to unseal the Overlord of the Vortex, Osial, was technically part of Zhongli's grand design, the fact that he was willing to drown thousands of innocent people in Liyue Harbor showed his true colors. He was a man who ignored the tragedy of his own advance teams in the Chasm.
How could Li Mo, a man with a decent moral compass, possibly like someone like that?
Childe sensed Li Mo's indifference and felt a bit awkward. Furthermore, he couldn't help but wonder about the nickname Li Mo had muttered. Dada Duck? Tartaglia, Dada Duck... Childe, Dada Duck... Well, he had to admit, "Dada Duck" did roll off the tongue quite smoothly.
Seeing that Li Mo wasn't in the mood for small talk, and not wanting to wait in line, Childe threw down tens of thousands of Mora to bribe his way to a machine. He had a mission to accomplish—the Gnosis of the Geo Archon—and he needed to determine if this strange internet cafe was a threat to his plans.
"Silent Hill or the digging game? One is horror, and the other is a test of perseverance... Hmm, which to choose?" Childe rubbed his chin before settling on Silent Hill: PT. He loved a challenge and prided himself on being fearless. Some might call it courage, but others might just say he had a few screws loose. After all, a mortal who plans to assassinate a god during a public ceremony isn't exactly "normal."
Childe put on the virtual headset and stepped into the world of Silent Hill. He was certainly braver than Hu Tao, but without his Hydro blades or his Delusion, even his nerves began to fray as the cycles repeated. After witnessing the pale face beneath the bathroom door in the fourth loop, Childe entered the fifth cycle with unsteady breath.
The corridor of the fifth loop was still brightly lit. The clock still read 23:59. But this time, Childe heard a sound—a low, rhythmic moaning. He frowned and walked toward the corner. As he rounded the bend, his pupils dilated instantly, and a chill swept through his body as if he'd fallen into a frozen lake in Snezhnaya.
Standing at the far end of the hall, directly under the swaying chandelier, was a tall, shadowy figure. The light cast long, distorted shadows, obscuring its face, and that low, guttural moaning was vibrating through the air. Childe's heart rate spiked. Behind him, the crowd of onlookers held their breath.
The ghost had finally appeared.
Unlike the cheap jump scares of local ghost stories, this figure didn't vanish. It just stood there, tall and oppressive, radiating a sense of dread that made Childe's feet feel like they were encased in lead. For a man who lived for the thrill of battle, being unable to move or fight was the ultimate nightmare.
The onlookers began to whisper urgently.
"Back up! Back up right now!"
"The ghost is blocking the way! That means the path is closed. Don't provoke it!"
"Turn around and check the previous rooms. You must have missed a clue."
"Exactly! Ghosts only block the path when you've forgotten something important. Go back before it notices you!"
Listening to the Liyue locals—who seemingly knew more about spirits than he did—Childe decided to retreat. He manipulated the character to step backward, eyes fixed on the figure, planning to find a clue in the starting room. However, the moment he took a step back, the figure twitched.
Was it an illusion? He took another step. No, it was real. The ghost was moving toward him.
"No way!" Childe panicked. Was his retreating posture wrong? Wait! He realized he was still looking at the ghost while backing away. Maybe that was the trigger!
Trying to be "smart," Childe whipped his character's head around so he was no longer looking at the tall figure. But the second he turned his head away, the silence was shattered by a piercing, soul-shredding scream.