"Lady Astrea, I apologize, but we must fall back."
Robin walked over to the goddess, deliberately keeping her voice gentle.
She had keenly grasped the situation at hand. Since Alise experienced emotional fluctuations and even actively fled upon hearing Astrea's voice, it proved that this Alise possessed self-awareness and was by no means a simple killing machine.
This should have been a cause for celebration, but their current environment absolutely did not permit them to recklessly give chase.
Low, dense roars were continuously spilling out from the bottomless crater Aiden had just punched through with his Unsheathed Heavenly Fire.
Those formidable monsters that originally only inhabited the deeper floors of the Dungeon were drawn by the intense magic shockwave and the blood of their kin, and they were now frantically climbing up through the breached passage.
The malice radiating from the depths of the tunnel was multiplying geometrically. The time left for them to retreat was running out.
Astrea lifted her head. Although tears still swam in her eyes, she was well aware that Alise's current state was extremely unstable. If she could catch up to her, perhaps she could help.
But she also saw the exhausted look on Aiden's face, and the scars on his body that had yet to fully heal.
Having just endured a life-and-death struggle, he was far from his peak condition. Forcing them deep into unknown dangers just to pursue her now wouldn't be called saving someone—it would be a suicide mission.
As a deity who deeply loved the children of the lower world, she would never put others in danger for her own selfish desires.
Taking a deep breath, she forcibly suppressed the surging impulses in her heart, closed her eyes, and nodded heavily.
"Let's retreat."
"I'm so glad you understand."
Robin secretly breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.
Thank goodness Astrea isn't a willful god; otherwise, this would be very troublesome.
She immediately turned around, signaling for everyone to retreat, and began to command calmly and collectedly, "Hyacine, Cassandra, take the middle and handle the lighting. Jeanne, protect Lady Astrea. Tifa, Daphne, cover the flanks of our formation. Aiden, can you still fight?"
"No problem."
Aiden gripped his brand-new longsword tightly and stepped forward. "I'll take the rear. Everyone, retrace our steps and fall back to the 24th Floor immediately."
At the same time.
In another universe, on the continent known as "Teyvat."
The Northern region, Dragonspine.
This was the kingdom of snow and storms, a forbidden zone for life.
Permafrost covered every inch of the land, carving the mountain ranges into silent, white giants.
Biting, freezing winds howled across the ridges like invisible blades, whipping up a sky full of ice crystals, turning the heavens a pale, almost transparent hue.
Ancient, nameless ruins faded in and out of the blizzard. Broken stone pillars and fractured walls spoke of a civilization long buried by the severe cold.
Colossal dragon bones, resembling ancient mythological constructs, lay half-buried in the snowy valley like part of the mountain range itself, the enormous ribs pointing toward the sky as if still staging a silent rebellion.
At the foot of the snowy mountain, hidden in a secluded corner surrounded on three sides by towering, frost-covered cliffs, lay a beautiful lake.
The lake wasn't large—no more than ten meters in diameter—but the water was unbelievably clear. One could clearly see the smooth, rounded cobblestones lining the bottom, polished by the hot spring waters.
The meeting of steam and the external freezing temperatures caused a myriad of crystal-clear frost flowers and icicles to form on the surrounding rocks and dead branches, reflecting a dreamlike luster under the pale sky of the snowy mountain.
And at this moment, this breathtaking scenery was exclusively enjoyed by an equally beautiful existence.
Within the lake, a young woman had her eyes closed, her body fully immersed in the cold water, revealing only her delicate collarbones and rounded, fair shoulders.
She seemed to be asleep, her breathing steady and prolonged, a rare look of tranquility and relaxation gracing her stunningly beautiful face.
She possessed deep, ocean-blue hair that cascaded down to her waist, currently floating and spreading out slowly in the clear water like the finest silk.
A few soaked strands clung to her jade-like cheeks and the side of her neck, further accentuating her snow-white skin, which was as delicate as flawless porcelain.
She was none other than the "Spindrift Knight" of the Mondstadt Knights of Favonius, Eula Lawrence.
Suddenly, Eula's long eyelashes, slender as butterfly wings, fluttered gently.
She seemed to sense something in her sleep. Her beautiful brows furrowed slightly, as if disturbed by some distant, violent fluctuation.
"Mmh..."
Eula let out a soft groan and abruptly opened her eyes.
They were a pair of golden eyes, resembling molten amber, yet currently clouded by the hazy confusion of someone freshly awoken from a deep dream.
She blinked blankly, looking at the familiar world of ice crystals before her, seeming unable to register where she was for a moment.
A few seconds later, she slowly exhaled, her previously tense body relaxing once more as she leaned back against the smooth rock at the edge of the pool.
"Phew... I actually fell asleep."
She stretched her back—a completely unguarded, thoroughly languid movement.
Following her motion, her breathtakingly perfect figure, previously hidden beneath the water's surface, was fully revealed in the crystal-clear water.
Her back arched backward into an elegant, stunning curve. The outline of every vertebra was clearly visible, brimming with a sense of supple power.
The fluid muscle lines hidden beneath her skin, the result of years of practicing swordsmanship, extended from her shoulder blades all the way to her firm waist and abdomen, tracing the ultimate combination of strength and aesthetic beauty.
However, this breathtaking sight—enough to drive any mortal mad and make even the gods marvel—had no audience to appreciate it.
The only spectator was the eternal, silent Dragonspine.
"Have I been too tired from missions lately?"
Eula relaxed her posture, resting her arm against the edge of the pool, muttering lazily to herself.
Clear water droplets slid down her smooth arm, eventually dripping back into the lake, sending tiny ripples outward.
"Never mind. When I get back, I'll find Jean for afternoon tea and properly unwind."
She was just about to stand up when her movements suddenly paused.
"Speaking of which... I think I just had a dream."
Eula tilted her head, trying hard to recall, but the contents of the dream were like mountains shrouded in morning mist, hazy and unclear, leaving behind only fragmented, illogical scenes.
She remembered seemingly being in a completely unfamiliar, dark, and damp underground cavern, surrounded by countless, hideous monsters.
Then, she seemed to have... fought someone?
Her opponent's figure was a blur, but the feeling they gave her was just a tiny bit similar to that Honorary Knight.
----
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