Chapter 218: Distribution
To everyone's surprise, Dan Heng, who was always the voice of reason, nodded after a moment of quiet consideration. "...Alright. The value of an invitation cannot be quantified, and the demand is entirely subjective."
He met their gazes, his expression serious. "Deciding by luck might be the fairest way at the moment. It minimizes potential disputes."
Since even Dan Heng had given his approval, the others felt they had little room to argue. Though the idea felt a bit childish, none of them could propose a more suitable method. After all, trying to distribute the invitations based on merit, need, or even closeness would be a surefire way to start an argument.
While the "rock-paper-scissors to decide ownership" plan proposed by Stelle seemed silly on the surface, it was indeed the simplest path to avoid direct competition and preserve the harmony of their chaotic little group.
Just as everyone began rubbing their hands together, preparing for the grand "showdown of luck," a gentle but firm voice cut through the eager chatter.
"Please wait a moment."
All eyes turned toward the speaker. Wise had stepped forward, his usual calm smile gracing his lips. His gaze swept over each of his companions before finally settling on the four shimmering invitations hovering in the air.
"On this trip to Amphoreus, Belle and I have already gained what we needed most," he began, his tone slow and sincere. "We've acquired valuable combat experience and had the chance to refine our new abilities."
He paused, letting his words sink in. "To be honest, we don't currently have any urgent need for friends to invite into the chat group. In New Eridu, although our lives are full of challenges, we've become capable of protecting ourselves. At present, there isn't anyone we particularly need to contact or seek help from through the group."
His words gave everyone pause. Belle immediately bounced to her brother's side, nodding vigorously in agreement. "Yep, yep! Big brother is right! We really don't need the invitations right now!"
She shook her head, her pigtails flying, and looked between the Astral Express crew and the Teyvat team. "But you guys are different!"
"Stelle, haven't you and the others been out of contact with the Astral Express for a long time? You must miss Himeko, Mr. Welt, and Pom-Pom, right? If you can contact them one day, an extra invitation means you can bring in another partner!"
Belle's gaze then shifted to Zhongli. "And Mr. Zhongli! You're so powerful and knowledgeable; you must have very, very important friends in Teyvat you'd want to invite, right? Like that Director Hu you mention sometimes?"
"And Lumine and Paimon!" She turned to the Traveler and her floating guide. "You've traveled to so many countries and met so many good friends. There must be people you really want to bring in to chat and help each other out, right?"
Her words came out like a rapid-fire cannon, yet her thoughts were perfectly clear. "So, big brother and I will voluntarily withdraw from the invitation distribution! But..."
She winked mischievously. "For the remaining spoils, big brother and I will take a bit more, okay? I'm sure no one will object, right?"
The sincerity and frankness of Wise and Belle sent a surge of warmth through the group. It wasn't that the siblings had no desire for the invitations, but they had chosen to focus on their companions' needs.
March 7th couldn't help but protest, "But... these are really too precious..."
Paimon flew over, her little hands on her hips. "Yeah, yeah, you guys should reconsider! What if you want to invite someone later?"
Lumine and Dan Heng also cast questioning glances, their expressions showing the same concern.
Wise simply smiled and shook his head, his attitude firm. "There's really no need. Thank you all for your kindness, but our minds are made up."
At this, Dan Heng pondered for a moment before speaking. "Since Wise and Belle are being so understanding, we will respect their choice. However, we will remember this kindness." He looked at the others, his voice clear and decisive. "I propose that if the chat group is upgraded again in the future, or if we encounter similar events where invitations can be obtained, the next distribution must focus on Wise and Belle's choice, and they should be given a larger share."
The proposal was met with immediate and unanimous approval.
"Exactly! That's how it should be!"
"Agreed!"
"Next time, you two must choose first!"
Zhongli also nodded slightly, a rare smile touching his lips. "Reasonable and fair. This act of humility should be reciprocated."
Seeing everyone in agreement, they all quickly added that it was fine to give all the remaining spoils to Wise and Belle.
Belle giggled and waved her hand dismissively. "Relax, relax, we're not that greedy!" Her gaze fell on the four remaining items, and she quickly made a decision.
She zipped over to the pure white cluster of light, reaching out a finger to gently tap it. "I'll take this one! I've always wanted a cute and powerful pet! This Chimera is just perfect for me! This way, the [Spirit Capture Capsule] I drew earlier can finally be put to use!"
As her finger made contact, the light dissipated, and a fluffy, adorable, and obedient small Chimera with bright, intelligent eyes appeared in her arms. It immediately began rubbing affectionately against her cheek.
Belle's eyes widened in pleasant surprise as she realized this was the very same Chimera the chat group had assigned to their team during their recent adventure in Amphoreus.
"Wow! It's you! This is great!" Belle hugged the little creature, her face beaming with pure joy.
Next, she picked up the blank Tinder. "This one's mine too! It's perfect for my new partner to try out. I can't wait to see what powerful form it can evolve into! This is amazing!" She was already buzzing with impatience to see what her new Chimera could become.
Then, Wise stepped forward, purposefully walking toward the blue Memory Bubble.
"I'll choose this one," he said calmly. "In terms of weapons, I already have the [Fire-Woven], which greatly enhances my flame power, so I'm not lacking for now. However, I feel that my combat experience and techniques still have many shortcomings. This combat data from the Titan is the most suitable reinforcement for me."
With that, Wise and Belle had claimed three of the four non-invitation spoils. Their choices were logical and perfectly suited to their needs, so naturally, no one had any objections.
The remaining distribution was now simple and clear.
With Wise and Belle's voluntary withdrawal, the four [Chat Group Invitations] were divided evenly: two for Lumine's group and two for Stelle's.
And the last spoil—a dark red sword forged from a war totem, its cool design emanating a powerful aura of conflict—floated quietly in the air.
Stelle looked at the sword, a rare expression of embarrassment on her face as she scratched her cheek.
She whispered, "Um... didn't my 'Golden Light Demon Subduing'... shatter that liuli sword just now...? So... so can this sword... be given to me? I just happen to be missing a handy weapon..."
Before she could even finish her sentence, March 7th cut her off. Planting her hands on her hips, she glared at Stelle, her cheeks puffed out in indignation. "Hey~! Stelle! What do you mean 'your' liuli sword! That was clearly my apprenticeship gift! Master Yanqing gave it to me!"
"I haven't even figured out how to explain this to Master when I get back! And you, you just used it until there was nothing left!"
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