Ye Xi walked through Liyue Harbor, eventually making his way to the Three Bowls Joyous tea house.
His map markers indicated that an Eye of the Storm resided near Mt. Tianheng. It was the perfect chance to get some practice in.
Monsters like the Eye of the Storm were more common in Mondstadt, which was, after all, the nation of the wind of freedom. While he wasn't sure why one would appear near Mt. Tianheng, he was grateful for the proximity; if it had been any further away, near Mt. Aocang, it would have taken him days to reach it.
After crossing the wooden bridge, Ye Xi pressed on toward Mt. Tianheng. Not far behind him, a group of Fatui followed stealthily. As he walked ahead, they trailed his every move.
"Boss, how does this kid have the nerve to leave Liyue Harbor all by himself?"
A portly Fatui Skirmisher - Cryogunner Legionnaire ducked behind a spindly tree. The trunk wasn't even as wide as his waist; if Ye Xi had spared so much as a glance backward, he would have spotted them instantly.
Yet, Ye Xi noticed nothing. Although he could wield multiple elements and possessed a vast reservoir of Elemental Power, he lacked the keen perception needed to detect enemies.
Hearing the Cryogunner's question, a massive Fatui Skirmisher - Electrohammer Vanguard in purple armor whispered timidly, "Boss, what if this kid is a hidden master? Maybe he's already spotted us and is just leading us into an ambush to harvest our kidneys."
"Hissthat makes sense! Maybe he can't handle a woman like Ningguang, so he's looking to harvest our kidneys to use for himself!"
The Fatui Agent's eyes turned red with fury. "Have you all been kicked in the head by a forest boar? Why would he want your kidneys? Is he going to sew a dozen of them onto his own body? Quit stalling and keep up! The more remote the location, the easier it will be to take him down!"
The dim-witted group of Fatui hurried to catch up.
Ye Xi remained completely oblivious. Following the mountain path, he eventually saw two massive stone statues standing ahead. He knew that the Eye of the Storm was just beyond the cavern in front of him.
Sure enough, as he neared the cave, he felt a biting gale whipping against his face. A green core of wind was floating in the corner. As he drew near, the core surged to life.
These monsters were notoriously difficult to handle. As long as they stayed airborne, they were impossible to hit unless one used a bow. Most people would have simply turned and run.
Ye Xi, however, didn't feel the slightest bit of fear. He reached into his Inventory and pulled out the Dull Blade he had borrowed from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, preparing for battle.
By then, the Fatui had caught up. When they saw him facing an Eye of the Storm with nothing but a Dull Blade, they doubled over with laughter.
"Is this the guy you were worried would harvest our kidneys? Facing an Eye of the Storm with a shortsword? I'm dying!"
"If it were me, I'd only need one shot!"
"Let's get closer. If we want to threaten Ningguang, we need this pretty boy alive."
Agreeing with the sentiment, they drew their weapons and prepared to move in.
But in the next heartbeat, what happened before their eyes left them speechless.
Ye Xi channeled Geo energy into the edge of his blade. When the energy reached its critical breaking point, he swung directly at the Eye of the Storm. A massive, brownish-gold arc of sword light shot into the sky, slicing the monster clean in two.
The light didn't stop there. It slammed into the mountain wall with a thunderous roar that echoed through the valley, startling flocks of birds into the air. A crack like a massive spiderweb spread across the stone.
The strike was so overwhelming that the Fatui behind him stood frozen in shock, their guns clattering to the ground.
"Holy..."
The Eye of the Storm dissolved into a mere gust of wind, vanishing completely and leaving nothing behind.
The Fatui's minds were just as blank as the empty air.
"Boss... maybe we should just pull back... If he finds us, he's definitely going to harvest our kidneys!"
"That was Geo energy, right? But where is his Vision?"
"Dammit, he must have hidden it. The little brat is playing dirty!"
Just as they suspected, Ye Xi had indeed tossed his Vision back into his Inventory. He truly couldn't understand why anyone would want to keep a Vision on displaydidn't that just expose one's abilities to everyone? Wasn't it better to keep it in a pocket?
At that moment, an ethereal voice echoed in his mind.
[Defeat Eye of the Storm x1: Completed]
[Reward Obtained: Primogems x40]
[Issuing rewards, please check...]
Ye Xi put his Dull Blade away and continued forward. His map was now showing the locations of Hilichurls right outside the cave. There were exactly three of them.
Talk about a stroke of luck, he thought. I didn't even have to look for them.
As the Fatui watched him walk away, they swallowed hard.
"Big brother... shouldn't we just leave?"
The Fatui Agent disagreed. "Leave? Why? He uses Geo. Once we activate our shields, what can he do to us? Lately, Ningguang has been restricting the Northland Bank's operations in Liyue at every turn. If we find a way to solve this, we'll be rewarded handsomely!"
The thought of a reward boosted their spirits.
His logic was sound. The massive man in purple was an Electrohammer Vanguard; once his shield was up, only Cryo could break it. The Cryogunner required Pyro to break his, and the Pyroslinger Bracer required Hydro. As long as their shields were active, they didn't have to fear Geo attacks.
The group shared a look and decided to keep following.
However, as soon as they emerged from the cavern, they were met with a sight that shook them to their core.
Ye Xi was using Pyro energy, incinerating three Hilichurls on the spot.
Every one of them turned pale. As members of the Fatui, they knew better than anyone that someone capable of using two elements must possess both a Vision and a Delusion! And those who possessed such power were always Harbingers of Snezhnaya!
Lord Childe used Hydro and Electro.
Lady La Signora used Cryo and Pyro.
The man before them was using Geo and Pyro. He had to be one of the Harbingers!
"Boss, what's going on?" the Cryogunner stammered, wide-eyed.
The Fatui Agent slammed his fist into his palm, looking as though he had just attained enlightenment. "I get it! This man must be one of our Lords!"
"It's said that some Harbingers are incredibly mysterious and masters of disguise. Sometimes they appear as old men, sometimes as women, sometimes as long-haired men."
"I'm certain this man is one of the Harbingers in disguise! Brothers, follow me and pay our respects to the Lord Harbinger!"
The simple-minded crew followed the Fatui Agent as he stepped out from the shadows.
Ye Xi jumped. Several people suddenly appearing in a deserted valley was enough to rattle anyone. When he saw they were Fatui, he immediately went on high alert.
As a gamer, Ye Xi knew that the Fatui were almost never up to any good (with the exception of that one berry-picking Cryogunner). Thinking he had been led into an ambush, he reached for his sword.
However, before his hand even moved, the massive men dropped to their knees before him with a series of loud thuds.
"Greetings, Lord Harbinger!"
"Greetings, Lord Harbinger!"
"Greetings, Lord Harbinger!"
"..."
Ye Xi froze. He looked around, but there wasn't even a Slime in sight. He blinked in confusion. "Who?"
"Me?"
"A Harbinger?"
The Fatui Agent nodded frantically. "My Lord, there is no need to hide it any longer! We saw everything! I never imagined that you had already infiltrated the Qixing and become Ningguang's man!"
"You truly are a role model for our generation!"
"We shall learn from your example!"
"May the Great Tsaritsa protect you!"
Ye Xi: "????"
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