Chapter 193: The price of becoming stronger is... social death?
At that very moment, in another district of New Eridu—the old quarry—Lumine and Paimon were advancing under the guidance of their lively Bangboo companion.
Unlike Stelle, who had charged straight for the city's core, the little robot seemed to have judged this area to be richer in "resources," and had thus led them here.
Between the quarry's massive pit, mountains of stacked stone, and derelict sheds, the number of roaming Marauder Hunters, Marauder Troupes, and even towering Marauder Vanguards was noticeably higher than in the other districts.
After clearing a small wave of enemies, Lumine gazed at the complex terrain ahead, where more hostiles clearly lurked. She glanced at Paimon floating beside her, a decision solidifying in her heart.
"Paimon," Lumine said, her voice suddenly serious.
"Hmm? What is it, Lumine? It looks like there are more enemies up ahead, we should be careful..." Paimon was nervously surveying their path, but turned her head at the Traveler's call.
Lumine looked at Paimon intently. "You saw how much Wise and the others improved after their combat training yesterday, right? Especially Wise; even the look in his eyes is different now, more imposing."
She paused, her gaze settling on her companion. "Paimon, you have that incredible Paimon's Star, and you can even stop time. It would be such a waste not to practice and learn how to use those powerful abilities properly."
"For the enemies we encounter next, I want you to take the lead. Try to get a better handle on your Stand ability, alright?"
"Ah?! M-Me? You want me to fight?" Paimon's face instantly crumpled, and she wiggled uncomfortably in the air. "No, no, no! Paimon can't! Those enemies look so fierce! You go instead, Lumine! Paimon will be in charge of cheering you on!"
Lumine had anticipated this reaction. She began to patiently persuade her. "Paimon, you can't always hide behind me. What if we run into a special situation in the future and have to split up? What if I can't protect you in time? It's very important for you to be able to protect yourself. And..."
Lumine's tone softened, filled with encouragement. "I believe in you. I know you can do it. Your Paimon's Star is very powerful."
Paimon circled indecisively in the air, her tiny fists clenching and unclenching as she waged a fierce internal battle.
She looked at Lumine's encouraging eyes, then stole a glance at the terrifying figures moving deep within the quarry. In the end, her trust in the Traveler—and a tiny spark of newfound competitiveness—won out.
"Okay, okay!" Paimon declared, making a monumental decision as she waved her little fist with vigor.
"Paimon will try! But!" She immediately zipped in front of Lumine, held up a small finger, and laid down her conditions with a grave expression.
"When we go back, Lumine, you have to treat Paimon to a month's worth of... no! Three months' worth of feasts! There has to be Sticky Honey Roast, Sweet Madame, and Universal Peace...! Otherwise, Paimon won't have any strength or motivation!"
Lumine looked at Paimon, who was clearly terrified but still trying her hardest to bargain, and couldn't help but smile. She nodded solemnly. "Okay, I promise. When we get back, Paimon will eat her fill."
"Deal!" With the promise of a grand feast as her motivation, Paimon's courage seemed to genuinely swell.
But her next actions made Lumine unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Paimon didn't immediately summon her Stand. Instead, she fumbled through their shared inventory, first laboriously equipping the small set of Knight's Armor she had won from a previous lottery.
Then she took out a hoard of small trinkets and talismans with various protective effects that Lumine had collected, desperately hanging them all over herself. She quickly became so bundled up she resembled a moving Christmas tree, her movements growing clumsy.
As she adorned herself, she mumbled explanations. "You... don't you laugh at me! It's not that I'm afraid of dying... no, it's that Paimon is afraid that if she gets hurt, you'll be very, very sad! Paimon is doing this for your sake! Yes, for your sake!"
Lumine watched Paimon, who was acting as if she were facing a world-ending threat with her excessive protection, and fought to suppress her laughter. She stepped forward and gently pressed Paimon's small hand, which was still trying to drape another talisman around her neck.
"It's alright, Paimon," she said, her voice gentle yet firm. "You really don't need to be so nervous."
"I'll be right there with you. I'll stay by your side and protect you. I absolutely will not let you get hurt, I promise. You just focus on boldly practicing how to control Paimon's Star, okay?"
Hearing Lumine's firm assurance, Paimon blinked a few times, her tension finally easing. She confirmed softly, "Really? You'll always be by my side?"
"Really. I promise," Lumine repeated with a smile.
"You should have said so earlier!" Paimon immediately let out a sigh of relief, her tone instantly becoming lighter.
"You made Paimon worry for so long for nothing, and wear all this stuff! It's so heavy!" she complained while quickly stripping off all the scattered protective gear and stuffing it back into her spatial inventory. Her movements were far more nimble than when she had put them on.
After all that, Paimon patted her small face, took a deep breath, and finally steeled herself for battle.
She flew to a spot just in front and to the side of Lumine, her expression focused, and waved her small hand forward. "Come out! Paimon's Star!"
At Paimon's call, the visually shocking Stand descended once again.
It was burly, muscular, and brimming with power.
However, Lumine almost immediately noticed a difference—this time, Paimon's Star seemed taller and more strong than the last time it was summoned.
Its height was now close to two and a half meters, its bulging muscles rippling with explosive potential. Just standing there, it was like a giant, exuding an oppressive aura comparable to the tall Marauder Vanguards.
It was just that the exaggerated musculature, combined with the still-unmistakable face of Paimon, created an extremely potent contrast of cuteness.
Lumine stared at this "super-sized" muscular Paimon, her lips uncontrollably wanting to curl into a smile.
But she knew she absolutely could not laugh right now. If she did, the extremely proud and nervous Paimon would definitely go on strike immediately, and might even stomp her feet in anger.
She quickly pinched her thigh, forcibly holding back her laughter while trying to maintain a serious and supportive expression.
"Wow, Paimon," Lumine praised, her voice full of admiration. "Your Paimon's Star seems even larger and more majestic than before! It looks so much more powerful! You've been cultivating quite diligently!"
Paimon, who was fully focused and nervously preparing for her first real battle, was stunned by the comment. "Ah? Cultivating? What got bigger?"
Following Lumine's gaze, she turned her head to look at her Stand in confusion.
"Whoa!!!" Paimon herself was startled, her small mouth forming a perfect 'O'. "It really did get so much bigger! When did that happen?!"
She stroked her chin, her small brain working rapidly as she tried to recall. Suddenly, a "painful" memory flooded her mind.
It was in the training room, when she was trying to cultivate the Technique of Enlightening the Original Self that Zhongli had given her. She seemed to have a first-person dream, and then... then her imagined self had turned into Paimon's Star.
Just recalling the scene made her feel like her toes were curling, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
'Could it be... that the price of getting stronger is social death?!' Paimon wailed internally, her small face flushing slightly.
The Traveler could absolutely not find out about this embarrassing cultivation method.
So, she immediately puffed out her small chest, trying to put on an "it's all perfectly normal" expression. She said in what she hoped was a natural tone (though it was actually a bit shaky), "Cough, cough! Does that even need asking?"
"Of course, it's the result of my daily hard work and diligent training in the cultivation room! How about it, isn't it amazing! Your Paimon is a very hard worker!"
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]