Chapter 180: Wise's First Battle
Left with no other choice, Stelle, March 7th, and Dan Heng prepared to contact Zhongli's group through the chat, hoping to explain the situation and renegotiate their exploration zones.
Meanwhile, the other team—Zhongli, Wise, and Ling—had already ventured into the Abyss and begun their own expedition.
Not long after they set off, while passing through a collapsed, ruin-strewn corridor, they encountered a small patrol of wandering monsters. Several members of the "Heaven's Condemnation Choir" floated mid-air, their voices joined in an eerie, discordant melody. Hiding behind crumbling walls, a few "Heaven's Condemnation Hunters" lay in ambush, spectral bows drawn and ready.
"Monsters!" Ling immediately tensed, instinctively taking half a step back.
Zhongli's gaze swept across the battlefield, his expression as placid as ever. "They are all long-range attackers, ill-suited for close-quarters combat. This is a perfect opportunity for Wise to apply what he has recently learned."
Wise took a deep, steadying breath and nodded. He knew this was an excellent chance to test the fruits of his training. Ling watched from the sidelines, her expression a mixture of worry and eager anticipation for her older brother.
Zhongli stood slightly behind them with his hands clasped behind his back, appearing entirely at ease. In truth, his aura was a coiled spring, ready to intervene at a moment's notice.
With a sharp, decisive movement, Wise charged into the enemy formation. He flicked his wrists, and in a flash, his Fire-Woven ability activated, splitting into two blazing ribbons of pure flame.
The ribbons looked almost delicate, as if they might be consumed by their own heat in the next second. Yet they were impossibly tough, dancing to Wise's will with a flexibility that surpassed the most pliable whip, all while imbued with the inherent ferocity of fire.
Wise swung his hands forward in a violent lash. Like living serpents of flame, the Fire-Woven ribbons shot out and instantly coiled around the nearest member of the Heaven's Condemnation Choir. The searing heat immediately ignited its ethereal body and tattered robes, wrenching a shrill, piercing shriek from its formless mouth.
But Wise didn't stop there. Pivoting on his heel and using his core for use, he swung the ignited monster like a colossal, flaming meteor hammer, smashing it brutally into several other creatures that were attempting to close in.
BOOM!
The burning, humanoid projectile slammed into the other monsters with immense force, sending them sprawling amidst a shower of sparks and cinders.
Having landed a successful strike, Wise's movements showed no hesitation. It was as if some dormant, violent gene within him had been violently awakened. His eyes, now sharp as a tiger's locking onto its prey, tracked his next target. He pushed off the ground with a powerful kick, his body shooting forward like an arrow, and instantly closed the distance on a Heaven's Condemnation Hunter hiding behind a stone pillar.
The Hunter had barely raised its energy bow when Wise's fist arrived.
There were no flashy elemental effects—only an unrelenting storm of strikes, each one a masterclass in condensed power and skill. Fists, palms, elbows, knees… his offensive was a raging tempest, the movements connecting as smoothly as flowing water. Every blow landed precisely on the Hunter's most vulnerable points.
The creature had no time to mount an effective defense. Its hard, rock-like body emitted an unbearable cracking sound under Wise's rapid-fire, close-quarters assault. Finally, with a deafening bang, it completely disintegrated, collapsing into a pile of dull, shattered stone fragments on the ground.
The entire process was clean, decisive, and possessed a certain brutal aesthetic.
Watching from the side, Ling was utterly dumbfounded, her mouth hanging slightly agape. She knew her brother had been diligently practicing martial arts, but she had never imagined that her gentle, rarely-angry older brother could fight with such… such ferocious precision.
'Good thing I'm his sister…' Ling swallowed unconsciously, a terrifying image of what might happen if she ever truly angered him flashing through her mind. She quickly shook her head, dispelling the thought.
Zhongli observed quietly, a faint nod and a hint of approval in his golden eyes. Wise's performance was even better than he had anticipated. His application of techniques was skillful, his power output was precise, and his on-the-spot reactions were remarkably decisive—not at all what one would expect from a novice in their first real battle.
'He must have experienced some combat training before this, to some extent,' Zhongli mused. After all, unless one was a true prodigy, a once-in-a-million talent, most people needed the crucible of real combat to integrate their skills, learn to adapt, judge an opponent's intentions, and execute the most effective counters.
While contemplating how to further guide Wise based on his unique characteristics, Zhongli subtly shifted his stance. The sleeve of his robe fluttered gently, silently deflecting several arrows that had been fired from the shadows. The motion was so slight that it went completely unnoticed by Wise, who was focused on the fight, and by Ling, who was captivated by the spectacle.
Just then, the commotion drew more unwanted attention. Several "Heaven's Condemnation Gladiators" rushed out from a side passage. Their builds were far more strong, their bodies encased in thicker carapaces of rock. They were clearly more adept at close combat than the ranged monsters from before, and they exuded a evident sense of oppression.
Zhongli's voice remained calm. "They have arrived at the perfect time. Such opponents make for better whetstones. It is said that even the Millelith require several soldiers to deal with a single Heaven's Condemnation Gladiator. Wise, be careful. Observe their method of exerting force, and use skill to overcome their brute strength."
As he gave specific instructions to Wise, guiding him on how to adapt his movements to counter different attacks, Zhongli also diverted a sliver of his attention to check the messages in the chat group.
After quickly grasping the situation on Stelle's end, he continued to observe Wise's skirmish with the Gladiators, occasionally offering reminders—"Retreat with your left foot, evade its strike, and attack its lower body," or "Use your right palm to transform the force, guide its power, and wrap Fire-Woven around its wrist"—all while typing out a reply.
[Genshin Impact · Zhongli]: "Since the northern route is blocked, changing areas is acceptable. We are currently at the edge of the Mute Abyss. Wise is engaging several Heaven's Condemnation Gladiators."
Before Zhongli had even finished sending his message, Stelle's impatient reply exploded in the group.
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "Heaven's Condemnation Gladiators?! FIGHTING?! Wait! Zhongli, you guys are in a fight? Wise is fighting?! Whoa! That must be amazing! We wanna come see! Wait for us!"
It was as if she could see the distant battle through the text alone.
[Honkai: Star Rail · March 7th]: "Eh? Wise is fighting? I wanna see too, I wanna see too! Stelle, wait for me! Teacher Dan Heng, lead the way, quickly!"
[Honkai: Star Rail · Dan Heng]: "Our original mission was to explore…"
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "Exploration can wait! A companion's first real combat debut is a once-in-a-lifetime event! If you miss it, it's gone forever! Dan Heng, let's go! Or it'll be over before we get there!"
[Honkai: Star Rail · March 7th]: "Exactly, exactly! Dan Heng, hurry up!"
Zhongli looked at the instantly derailed conversation, at Stelle and March 7th's eager pleas for Dan Heng to rush them over, and couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head in amusement.
He had no objection to their detour. There was still plenty of time, and it was perfectly fine for young people to enjoy a bit of excitement.
And so, the carefully planned exploration mission was temporarily put on hold.
On the battlefield, Wise was fully engrossed in his battle against the Heaven's Condemnation Gladiators. Zhongli was guiding him from the sidelines, and Ling watched on with a thrilling mix of nervousness and excitement.
Meanwhile, far away, Stelle and March 7th were dragging a helpless Dan Heng along, determined not to miss the "exciting" live broadcast of their friend's fight.
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