"Su Bai, where's your prototype? I gave mine to Amber. Ask her if the Whopperflowers at the foot of the mountain have been dealt with."
After spending a few days together, Su Bai and Albedo had become good friends—at least enough that Su Bai no longer worried about Albedo dissecting him in his sleep.
"What? You gave yours to Amber? I gave mine to Mona. I was hoping to ask you about the situation when we met up."
Su Bai and Albedo exchanged glances. Well, it seemed they wouldn't be getting any updates from the camp until they assembled a third prototype. Albedo rubbed his forehead with a hint of frustration.
"Let's rest a bit, then head back to the base. There are enough parts there to make plenty more prototypes. We still need to know what's happening at the camp."
Su Bai shrugged. He hadn't expected them to be so perfectly in sync. The warmth of the fire felt pleasant on his face, but when he noticed Shenhe and Eula locked in another stare-down, he let out a resigned sigh.
"Right now, I'm not too worried about the camp. With Klee there, nothing major will go wrong. Even if she accidentally sets a tent on fire, Mona can handle it."
"What I'm more concerned about is why Sister Shenhe and Eula are at each other's throats again. Their auras are terrifying."
Su Bai tucked his four tails in. Lumine felt the tension between Shenhe and Eula and shook her head helplessly. She had done what she could. Who knew they'd end up together again? Was this fate?
While everyone warmed themselves by the fire, the ever-mischievous Hu Tao couldn't sit still. She was particularly curious about the stone pedestal that the Warming Seelie had been attached to. She had never known such a thing could be pulled out of the ground.
"By the way, who's this guy? How come he was stuck in the sky like Paimon?"
Hu Tao studied Bennett. He didn't have any serious injuries, but he was covered in scars. She was curious about what kind of profession he had to have accumulated so many wounds at such a young age.
Startled by Hu Tao suddenly speaking to him, Bennett stood up and stammered.
"H-hello, I'm Bennett."
"Relax, relax. This director isn't some man-eating monster. Take your time."
"Hehe, I never thought someone would actually talk to me first. That's incredible."
Bennett scratched his head sheepishly. He didn't have many friends. In Mondstadt, many people deliberately kept their distance from him, even badmouthing him behind his back. Hu Tao taking the initiative to speak with him was a pleasant surprise.
"Your forehead looks dark. You should be careful these days. Stay away from dangerous places."
"Of course, if you insist on going, I'd recommend purchasing one of our Wangsheng packages. That way, you can explore with peace of mind. We're having a sale right now."
Hu Tao had studied a bit of face reading with a master in Liyue Harbor, hoping to provide more accurate services. She had given up because she could never tell good from bad. To her surprise, what the master taught her was real—she had indeed seen a dark aura on Bennett's forehead.
"I'll have to find time to apologize to that master. I wonder if he'll teach me again."
Hu Tao muttered to herself. Meanwhile, deep in The Chasm, Zhongli sneezed unexpectedly. Azhdaha, who was dealing with Abyss Mages, shot him a glare.
"I didn't expect cursing you in my head to work so well. Are you going to help or not?"
"Speaking generally, with you alone, there's no need for me to lift a finger. I have faith in your abilities."
"Haha, you're right about that. Watch this—I'll finish these Abyss Mages in one strike."
Back on the mountain, Albedo wandered over to study the Nail fragment out of boredom, while Hu Tao listened to Bennett recount his story.
Realizing there was a story to be heard, Shenhe and Eula temporarily set aside their hostility and focused on Bennett's tale. The more they listened, the more surreal his life seemed. Could anyone be that unlucky and still survive? Was he cursed by a god?
After hearing Bennett's entire story, even Su Bai, who knew him somewhat, fell silent. Shenhe checked Bennett for any curses and, finding none, lost interest. Among everyone present, she only truly cared about Su Bai. Everyone else barely warranted her attention.
"What's everyone so quiet about?"
"I found the Nail fragment encased in ice again. We'll need to remove it to fully stop the storm."
Albedo's return eased the tension. Hu Tao stopped trying to sell packages to Bennett. She figured it was better to let him stay cautious and alive than to think there was a safety net waiting for him. Knowing his luck, he'd probably end up seriously injured one day anyway.
Seeing no one volunteer to clear the ice off the fragment, Lumine grabbed Su Bai, who had been lazing about, and dragged him outside. Shenhe followed closely behind.
With Su Bai's Anemo assistance, Lumine got a taste of Xiao's joy. At the spot where a Frostarm Lawachurl guarded a Scorching Stone, Su Bai created a large wind current. Lumine, wielding her Blackcliff Longsword, leapt and dodged with ease. The clumsy Frostarm Lawachurl couldn't land a single hit on her and eventually fell in disgrace.
"Your Highness, should we take this chance to eliminate them one by one while they're separated?"
"No. There are others on this mountain who want to deal with them. Withdraw all our forces from the mountain. Also, make a copy of the alchemical notes we've collected and deliver them to Durin's heart. Consider it a gift to him."
The golden-haired young man's gaze fixed on a small peak, where a shadow was watching Albedo. He doubted that shadow was there to protect him.
"Child of Chalk, we will meet again. Next time, perhaps we should have a proper conversation."
A Hydro Herald summoned a portal. The golden-haired figure stepped through without looking back. The mountain's summit fell silent once more, as if nothing had happened.
"Huh? Su Bai, what's wrong? Why did you stop? Are you craving something delicious like me?"
"It's nothing. Just my imagination. Let's keep moving. The last Scorching Stone is at the very top. Little Paimon, hold onto Lumine's clothes tightly, or you might get blown away."