Chapter 3

"As an Adeptus, you deserve a sacred name so all may recognize you as one of ours," Zhongli declared solemnly, while Cloud Retainer watched me with that analytical gaze that made me feel like a rare specimen under a microscope.

(Great, now I'm getting baptized too? Please don't let it be something like "Adeptus Sparkly Bubbles"...)

"In my homeland," I replied carefully, "I was granted the title of Imbibitor Lunae as a vow that I would one day succeed our guardian, the Azure Dragon... though I doubt you know him. He retreated long before our descendants arrived in Teyvat."

(Well, technically not a lie... If Dan Feng in canon was powerful enough to face Emanators, maybe this name will impress them enough.)

Zhongli nodded, his amber eyes reflecting something that looked like... nostalgia?

"Imbibitor Lunae... If it's a relic of your homeland, I see no issue with you keeping it."

Cloud Retainer ruffled her wings slightly. "Hmph! A worthy name, though this humble one expects you to live up to it."

(Translation: "Disappoint me and you'll become garden décor.")

Zhongli gave a calm nod before continuing.

"I'll speak with the other Adepti and the Qixing's Tianquan. We'll arrange a celebration for the birth of a new Adeptus at the earliest opportunity." He paused, his golden eyes locked on me. "Until then, you're free to explore Liyue as you wish. I'll ensure your arrival doesn't... surprise anyone."

(A party in my honor? Please tell me there won't be speeches...)

Cloud Retainer, who had been silently listening, decisively extended one wing.

"My current disciple resides in the city. I shall write you a letter of introduction so she may assist you." Her eyes gleamed with something resembling... pride? "She is half-qilin, so her appearance differs little from yours. This may help you integrate. Her name is Ganyu, and she serves as the Qixing's General Secretary."

Turning to her other disciple, she added, "Shenhe, accompany me. You too shall write a letter to your sister. It is proper to pay your respects."

Without awaiting a reply, Cloud Retainer retreated into her domain, leaving me alone with Zhongli.

The Geo Archon gazed at the horizon briefly before breaking the silence.

"I have a question for you," he began, his voice quieter than usual. "And you need not answer if unwilling."

He paused deliberately, weighing each word.

"Are you one of Teyvat's Descenders? That ability of yours... to purify even what was ordained by Heavenly Principles..." His amber eyes flickered with warning. "Some might interpret it as defiance toward Celestia."

(Wow. Did I just become a theological hazard?)

"However," he continued, relaxing slightly, "in these times when the Abyss' corruption creeps into every corner of Teyvat, your skill may be valued... even by the Heavenly Throne. So long as you neither disrupt Ley Lines nor threaten the balance, they may... turn a blind eye to your presence."

"I don't know," I replied, crossing my arms. "As I told Cloud Retainer, after the Azure Dragon's fall, my people spent centuries researching curse eradication... and I was the first to succeed."

"If 'Descenders' are those who transcend Teyvat's laws..." I paused dramatically. "...then perhaps I am. Though I've never personally encountered the Heavenly Principles. All I know comes from ancestral records."

(Records that basically amount to my Genshin save files...)

Zhongli slowly turned toward me, his golden eyes dissecting every syllable.

"Fascinating," he murmured, stroking his chin. "Power that challenges the established order, yet without directly confronting Celestia... Almost poetic."

Zhongli let out a quiet sigh, his golden eyes reflecting the weight of centuries of wisdom... and something more. An ancient sorrow Dan Heng never expected to see on the old Archon's face.

"I imagine that purification ability was what drove the Abyss to invade your homeland," he said, his voice deep yet carrying unusual empathy. As he clenched his fists, Dan Heng noticed the Geo rings on his fingers trembling faintly. "Under normal circumstances, I would advise you to conceal such power... but..."

A pause. The wind stilled. When Zhongli spoke again, each word carried the weight of mountains:

"There is someone... an old friend trapped in the darkness of corrosion. The last remaining of our sworn oaths." His amber eyes burned with a fire that wasn't divine, but human. "If you can purify Azhdaha..."

To Dan Heng's absolute astonishment, the Geo Archon—the very one who forged Liyue with his own hands—bowed. Not as courtesy, but as a warrior laying down his arms.

"Dan Heng. If you can save him... ask anything of me. My knowledge, my relics."

A heavy silence stretched between them, broken only by the distant whisper of wind through the mountains. Finally, I broke the ice.

"I understand Azhdaha is one of the ancient dragons," I said, crossing my arms. "My people owe a debt to his kind for the care the Azure Dragon gave us. So... I'll help you cure him."

(Truthfully, if I don't act now, Azhdaha will eventually break free in a destructive frenzy. And dealing with an enraged dragon sounds like the worst kind of open-world event. Besides... a deal with the Geo Archon himself isn't something you turn down lightly.)

Zhongli dipped his head slightly, his amber eyes gleaming with approval.

Zhongli nodded solemnly, though the corner of his lips curved almost imperceptibly.

"Very well. I'll have Madame Ping prepare a Serenitea Pot for you. As for weapons..."

He vanished in a whisper of golden particles, as if the very air absorbed him. Three seconds later—the exact time it takes a player to open the equipment menu—he reappeared holding two weapons radiating history and power.

"This spear is called Vortex Vanquisher," he said, extending the weapon whose edge still seemed to echo with the cries of ancient battles. "It was my companion during the Archon War."

Then he raised the claymore, its heavy blade glowing with a faint light.

"And this is The Unforged. It belonged to a warrior who fought by my side in Liyue's wars. Its scars... tell stories not even the city's archives record."

He placed them in my hands with care.

(Holy crap! This is like getting two 5★ weapons at the start of a playthrough... though in-game they weren't that great, but lore-wise they're powerful artifacts.)

✦✧✦✧✦ [Status] ✦✧✦✧✦

◆Name: Vortex Vanquisher

◆Rank: A+ (Anti-Army / Anti-Fortress)

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦

✦✧✦✧✦ [Status] ✦✧✦✧✦

◆Name: The Unforged

◆Rank: B+ (Anti-Fortress)

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦

"After your Adeptus inauguration ceremony," Zhongli said calmly as the last golden ray of sunlight settled on his profile, "I will personally accompany you to purify Azhdaha's corrosion."

Our conversation flowed until Cloud Retainer literally burst from the sky, landing gracefully while clutching two letters in her beak.

"Imbibitor Lunae," she announced, transforming into her human form in one fluid motion. "Here are the letters. With these, Ganyu will help you settle in Liyue." Her voice took on an almost maternal tone. "Unlike this humble one and our lord," —she instinctively bowed when mentioning Morax— "she has lived among humans for centuries. She'll be... less intimidating for you."

"Well, I believe it's time to announce your arrival to the others," Zhongli added, adjusting his gloves.

Before I could respond, the Geo Archon dissolved into a swirl of golden particles, leaving only the scent of damp earth and cor lapis behind.

Cloud Retainer sighed. "Always so dramatic. Anyway..." She shoved the letters against my chest. "Don't lose these. Ganyu is considerably more patient than I am, but even she has her limits."

(Why do I feel like I just received a side quest?)