Chapter 129

"Do you dare defy me, the Harbinger of Chaos, with my Delusion unleashed?" 

After being forced into his second phase by Lumine, Tartaglia transformed. 

A cool eyepatch covered half his face, and his physique seemed to swell with power. 

Dark armor enveloped his body, and his terrifying muscles radiated unparalleled strength. 

"Come on, the real fight is just beginning! Foul Legacy: Raging Tide!" 

Before the words had fully left his mouth, Tartaglia plunged his spear into the ground. 

A scene straight out of the game's cutscene unfolded—the floor beneath them shattered, and they all fell to the lower level of the Golden House. 

"Waaah!!!" 

Paimon screamed as she fell, seemingly forgetting she could fly. 

It was only when Nathan held her tightly that she calmed down. 

"Mmm, thank you, big meanie!" 

Once they landed, Paimon, still in his arms, thanked him. 

But she quickly realized this wasn't the time for that and turned her attention to Lumine. 

"Traveler, can you handle this?" 

At this point, Tartaglia's appearance and aura were completely different from his first phase. 

"Brother, don't interfere. Leave it all to me!" 

Lumine gripped her dull blade tightly, her voice showing no trace of fear. 

"Don't worry, Lumine. I've got your back!" 

Nathan reassured her. In the game, even with just one elemental power, Lumine had managed to defeat Tartaglia in his Delusion state. 

In reality, Lumine had two elemental powers at her disposal. This would be a piece of cake! 

"Don't get too cocky, Mr. Nathan. You should be thinking about how to deal with me!" 

With his Delusion activated, Tartaglia saw Lumine as no threat at all. 

His eyes were now solely on Nathan. 

Little did Tartaglia know, he had just set himself up for another defeat. 

His desire to fight Nathan only added another layer of buffs to Lumine's already overwhelming power! 

.......................

After a prolonged battle, the outcome was the same as in the game's storyline—Lumine emerged victorious. 

Tartaglia deactivated his Delusion, kneeling on the ground, exhausted. 

"Impossible... this can't be happening!" 

Like an old general on stage with flags stuck all over him, he refused to accept his defeat. 

"Childe, your schemes have failed now, haven't they?" 

Paimon flew over to him, delivering the winner's speech on Lumine's behalf. 

"You think this is over? I still have a backup plan!" 

Tartaglia smiled faintly. Everything was still under his control. 

"A backup plan? What are you planning, Childe?" 

"I'm going to... awaken the ancient god sleeping in the depths of the sea!" 

"An ancient god?" 

Paimon's eyes widened as she recalled the battle against Stormterror in Mondstadt. 

"That's the wife of the Vortex God Osial, currently sleeping in the deep sea. But we've found a way to awaken her!" 

"Childe... are you talking about the Sigil of Permission?" 

"Exactly. She was sealed away by Rex Lapis himself. Once the seal is broken, she'll go on a rampage and attack this place. 

Unfortunately, only the wife of the Vortex God remains. Osial himself was completely destroyed in the war a thousand years ago!" 

Tartaglia spoke with a hint of regret. 

Here... the storyline had already diverged significantly from the game. 

Originally, it was supposed to be Osial attacking Liyue Harbor, but now it was Beisht, the wife of Osial, from Shenhe's story quest. 

The reason for this change was likely due to Nathan's final act in Ganyu's life simulation, where he sacrificed himself to take down Osial, effectively erasing him from existence. 

"An ancient god is coming, Mr. Nathan. Aren't you worried at all?" 

Tartaglia looked at Nathan's calm expression, completely unfazed compared to Paimon and Lumine's shock. 

"If it's just the wife of the Vortex God, I think the one who should be worried is her!" 

After all, in Shenhe's story quest, Beisht was nearly defeated by Shenhe alone! 

Now, with the adepti, Ganyu, Shenhe, Ningguang, and Hu Tao all stationed at Yujing Terrace, Nathan felt it was time to mourn for Beisht. 

"But big meanie, she's an ancient god! Shouldn't we go help?" 

Paimon's voice still carried a hint of worry. After all, she wasn't as familiar with the storyline as Nathan. 

"Alright then. Lumine, you and Paimon go ahead and join the fight. I'll handle Childe here." 

"But brother..." 

"Don't worry. I'm stronger than you think. Even a fully powered Childe can't touch me." 

Nathan patted Lumine's smooth forehead, reassuring her. 

With all the rewards he'd gained from the simulator system, it would be embarrassing if he couldn't defeat Tartaglia. 

"Then... alright." 

Lumine thought for a moment. Rather than letting Nathan face the dangerous ancient god, it was safer for him to stay here. 

"But... I want a reward from you, brother!" 

Before Nathan could react, Lumine stood on her tiptoes. 

Her bright golden eyes were almost level with his, their noses nearly touching. 

"Mmm..." 

At this moment, Nathan couldn't speak. All he could feel was the softness of Lumine's lips and the connection between them. 

"Hehe, brother energy replenished! I'll head up now!" 

After the intimate moment, Lumine, who rarely showed her girlish side, smiled brightly. 

As the two left, Paimon's exclamations could still be heard. 

"Tr... Traveler, that was way too bold!" 

"It's normal. My brother and I used to do this every day..." 

Only after their figures disappeared did the area fall silent. 

Nathan stood there in a daze for a while after the sudden kiss, finally snapping back to reality. 

The feeling of Lumine's sudden attack was completely different from his interactions with Ningguang and the others. 

It was something ethereal and intangible, a connection that felt as if it were destined by the heavens. 

But now wasn't the time to dwell on it. Nathan turned his attention to Tartaglia, who was still kneeling on the ground. 

"Childe, you should know there's nothing here that you want, right?" 

"I know. The Geo Archon isn't dead. He's just hiding, which is why I wanted to force him out!" 

Nathan shook his head. Perhaps Tartaglia still hadn't figured out Zhongli's true identity. 

"Then your plan is doomed to fail. Ningguang and the others can easily handle this crisis." 

"But Mr. Nathan, I think you should worry about yourself first." 

"Huh?" 

Tartaglia's well-meaning reminder only left Nathan more confused. 

Everything should have been under control. Why did he suddenly feel a sense of unease? 

Tap... tap... tap... 

Just then, a rhythmic sound echoed from behind—the sound of heels clicking against the ground. 

"It's so hot!" 

Before Nathan could turn around, a wave of scorching heat washed over him. 

"Look, Mr. Nathan, she's here!" 

At this moment, Tartaglia wore a smirk, as if he were enjoying the show. 

[Conditions for the simulation detected. Life Simulator restarting!] 

Coincidentally, the simulator system in Nathan's mind was reactivated. 

a/n - Read 60+ Chapters ahead on my patreon

[ Patreon.com/nneol ]