“So you see, the god who grants Visions definitely isn’t one of the Seven,” Eve stated with an air of absolute authority.
“I see…
An unknown god…” Lumine murmured thoughtfully.
Her mind immediately drifted to that mysterious deity who had blocked their path and separated them when they tried to leave.
At that moment, Paimon cast a peculiar glance toward Eve.
However, Paimon concealed it masterfully, leaving no trace for anyone to notice.
The strange look lingered on Paimon’s face for barely a fraction of a second before she instantly reverted to her usual cheerful expression.
“Alright, no need to dwell on that too much!
If we head west from here, we’ll reach Mondstadt, the City of Freedom,” Paimon announced, floating happily beside Lumine.
“Mondstadt is the city of wind, and among the Seven, the deity worshipped there is none other than the Anemo Archon.”
“Since you were able to draw power straight from the Statue of The Seven, who knows?
You might just find some clues about your brother there!”
Paimon clasped her tiny hands behind her back and continued bouncing along.
“That’s right.
Mondstadt is also home to many bards who travel across the continent year-round, collecting epic tales and ballads.
They might just have heard something about your brother,” Eve chimed in, picking up where Paimon left off.
“Mm,” Lumine nodded firmly, her resolve hardened.
“Great!
Then let’s get moving!” Paimon cheered.
No sooner had the words left Paimon’s mouth than a sharp commotion broke out not far from the statue.
Instantly, all three of them whipped around, their guards flying up.
A dense horde of slimes came surging toward them in a chaotic wave.
“Ah, Lumine!” Paimon shrieked in fright, immediately diving behind Lumine’s back.
“Where did so many slimes come from?!” Lumine furrowed her brow, staring at the oncoming tide of monsters with a solemn expression.
“Lumine!
Didn’t you just get the power of the wind from the statue?
Hurry up and use it to wipe them out!” Paimon squeaked, clutching tightly to the top of Lumine’s head.
“Right.” Lumine nodded.
She then glanced down at the little creature resting in her arms.
“Eve, you…”
“Don’t worry about me, I have nothing to do with them!” Eve immediately severed all ties with the approaching slime horde.
Her tone practically telegraphed the message to Lumine: *Go ahead and beat them up, these guys are definitely not with me.*
“Got it, Eve.” Lumine gently set Eve down on a patch of grass to the side, her hand instantly materializing the Silver Sword.
*Hah…*
Lumine stepped forward briskly, executing a swift strike that batted one of the slimes away.
Even so, a massive number of slimes remained, swarming forward in an uncoordinated yet overwhelming rush.
“Wind Blade…”
Anemo energy immediately converged at her fingertips, swirling rapidly into a churning, element-infused wind sphere right in her palm.
The formidable suction of the wind instantly pulled numerous slimes toward it, their intrinsic elemental properties clashing violently within the sphere to trigger a continuous chain of Swirl reactions.
*Haah…!* Lumine let out a sharp cry, hurling the wind sphere forward with all her might.
The blast shattered a large cluster of the monsters into harmless piles of slime condensate.
“Damn it, there’s still too many!” Lumine muttered, a flicker of frustration crossing her face as she looked at the sea of slimes that still remained.
It felt as though the creatures were endless; no sooner had she destroyed a few than several more popped out from nowhere.
“Lumine, use your Elemental Burst!” Eve’s voice suddenly rang out from behind her.
“Alright, I’ll give it a try.” Lumine nodded.
She closed her eyes, focusing inward to sense the surging current of elemental energy flowing through her veins.
A moment later, Lumine snapped her eyes open.
“Disperse with the wind!”
Lumine leaped lightly into the air, spinning gracefully before releasing a torrent of condensed Anemo power.
The moment her Silver Sword swept through the arc, a raging tornado six to seven meters tall whipped up across the path ahead.
The vortex sucked every single slime in its radius into its churning center, triggering an overwhelming cascade of Swirl reactions that dissolved the entire horde into puddles of slime condensate in seconds.
“That’s incredible…” Paimon’s jaw dropped into a comical ‘O’ shape.
Even Eve looked genuinely astonished; she hadn’t expected Lumine’s very first Elemental Burst to pack such a devastating punch.
It was visibly several times stronger than a standard burst should have been.
With that final strike, the threat was completely neutralized.
Lumine dropped into a semi-crouch, using her Silver Sword to steady herself as she panted heavily, sucking in breath after breath.
Using an Elemental Burst for the very first time—and pouring nearly all her newfound strength into it—had taken a heavy toll on her body.
“Lumine, are you okay?!
That was so amazing just now!” Paimon fluttered over to her side in a flurry of worry.
“Are you holding up?” Eve hopped over toward her as well, bouncing with each step.
“Hah…
I’m fine, just a little tired.
I just need a moment to catch my breath.” Lumine raised her head and forced a reassuring smile.
Though she tried to brush it off, she knew her physical condition all too well.
This wasn’t something that could be waved away by simply resting for a moment.
While she hadn’t sustained any severe injuries, she would undoubtedly need at least a full day or two of recovery.
However, Lumine’s well-intentioned lie didn’t fool Eve for a second.
“Mm…
Here!” Eve bounced forward, gently tapping Lumine’s arm with the white grass blades on her head.
“Huh?
Eve, what are you doing?” Lumine asked, looking down in bewilderment.
Immediately afterward, a soothing, gentle green light—radiating a warmth that seemed capable of healing the soul itself—blossomed from the tips of Eve’s leaves. This chapter was taken from NovelPing without permission.
“This is…” Before Lumine could finish, a warm, restorative current flooded through her entire body.
In a single heartbeat, the bone-deep fatigue and lingering backlash from forcing out that massive Elemental Burst were completely wiped away.
Even the dull ache and bruising from where she had collided with the slimes earlier vanished without a trace.
“Eve, what on earth…” Lumine stared at her hands in disbelief before shifting her gaze back to the little slime.
“Ah…
I’ve traveled across the continent for a very long time, so I picked up a thing or two about healing,” Eve explained, self-consciously using a leaf to wipe her head in a remarkably human-like gesture of embarrassment.
“Hey, that’s not what I meant!
I wanted to ask if using your own power like this would aggravate your own injuries!” Lumine scooped Eve back up into her arms, a look of genuine concern in her eyes.
She was still worrying over the wounds Eve had suffered earlier from her clumsy mistake.
“It’s fine, really!
This is nothing!” Eve replied with a bright smile.
*Lumine really is too kind…* It was almost enough to make Eve feel a pang of genuine guilt.
“Aha!
I knew it!
Eve, you were already completely healed this whole time, weren’t you?!
You just fainted on purpose so Lumine would keep carrying you!” Paimon crossed her arms, hovering nearby with a look of pure jealousy.
She wanted to be carried by Lumine too.
“I—I did no such thing!” Eve instantly shot back in defense.
Well…
alright, Paimon had guessed correctly.
But Eve was never going to admit to that.
Though her initial motive hadn’t been what Paimon claimed, being carried by Lumine was undeniably cozy.
“You’re just saying that because you’re jealous!” Eve retaliated instantly.
“I am not!” Accused so brazenly, Paimon turned her head away in a huff, tapping her index fingers together in front of her chest.
“Ha!
I totally hit the nail on the head, didn’t I?” Seeing Paimon’s reaction, Eve knew she had won the argument.
“Ugh, Eve you meanie!” Paimon puffed out her cheeks into an adorable pout.
“All right, all right, you two, cut it out,” Lumine laughed softly.
Watching these two little rascals bicker was endlessly entertaining.
“Paimon, if you want, I can carry you too, you know,” Lumine offered with a gentle smile.
“Really?!” Paimon’s eyes lit up like stars.
“Mm-hmm, of course.” Lumine nodded warmly.
“Yay…!” Paimon squealed, doing a happy little spin in the air beside Lumine.
“Hmph!
Well, fine, but we agreed: taking turns!” Now it was Eve’s turn to pout.
She suddenly felt a strange, possessive pang, as if someone was trying to steal her favorite spot.
“Hahaha, you two…” Lumine couldn’t help but laugh, equal parts amused and helpless.