38: Ley Line Infusion

The unexpected crisis was finally resolved. Lin Yi and Saphir stood before the Ley Line Blossom.

Lin Yi gently stroked the large bud.

"This is one of the miraculous phenomena found at ley line accumulation points—the Ley Line Blossom. If you resonate with it using elemental energy, it will release ley line energy, which can then be infused into your body to raise your level."

He turned to the three girls.

"So, who's going first?"

Noelle was the first to shake her head.

"I've already received one infusion. Let Lumine and Barbara go first this time."

Lumine blinked and didn't respond immediately. Barbara looked to her and said,

"Why don't you go first, Lumine? You're our main attacker. I'm not in a hurry."

Lumine didn't agree right away. She leaned in and whispered to Barbara:

"We've always been fighting under Saphir's protection. That skill she uses clearly isn't a shield—damage doesn't just vanish. It's transferred."

Barbara froze.

"You mean…?"

Lumine nodded firmly.

"She's been taking all the damage for us. Even Noelle's near-fatal injury—she bore the brunt of it. I think that's part of what caused her collapse earlier."

Barbara recalled Saphir's sudden fainting spell and nodded, her expression solemn.

Seeing that she understood, Lumine continued:

"We need to stop relying on her protection. We're becoming a burden. You're the only one who can fully take on the healing role now. So I think—"

Barbara nodded before she could finish. She turned to Lin Yi and said,

"Lin Yi-gege(older brother), Saphir isn't going to participate in the fight against Stormterror, right?"

Lin Yi looked at her and nodded.

Barbara took a deep breath and continued:

"Then for the upcoming battles, I believe we shouldn't rely on Miss Saphir anymore. Let me be the one to accept the Ley Line Blossom's infusion this time. I'll handle healing from now on. Miss Saphir, please allow me to take on this responsibility."

She bowed respectfully to Saphir.

"I don't mind." Saphir shrugged. She couldn't say no to that, especially since this was exactly what she and Lin Yi had been hoping for—to push the girls to grow through hardship.

Lin Yi smiled.

In just one day, Barbara had taken a big step forward.

Though her reasoning wasn't entirely solid—Jean was technically also a healer—he wasn't about to turn her down.

"Then it's decided. Barbara, step forward and resonate with the Ley Line Blossom."

Barbara nodded resolutely and walked up. Whether from nerves or something else, her cheeks were flushed as red as an overripe apple.

The resonance went smoothly. The surge of ley line energy engulfed her. Saphir took the chance to use her Insight Scan, and watched Barbara's level shoot from 5 to 20 in an instant. Her HP jumped from 1,072 to 1,979.

Name: Barbara

Level: Lv.20 (Capped by current World Level)

HP: 1979

Skills: Let the Show Begin, Shining Miracle

Saphir stared at the interface, stunned.

So this was what Keqing saw when she scanned her?

I was the clown all along!

With the infusion complete, the group set off toward their next destination.

"The next target is the Cryo Regisvine," Lin Yi explained, marking their location on the map.

"We'll loop back through Whispering Woods, pass Windrise, and head toward the Temple of the Thousand Winds. Near the Temple ruins, we'll find the shrine of the Wolf of the North—and the Cryo Regisvine is close by."

"The shrine of the Wolf of the North," Saphir echoed.

"If I recall correctly, there's a teleport waypoint in that domain, right?"

Lin Yi shook his head.

"Nope. That place isn't a domain. It's actually a phenomenon caused by ley line blockage. Since it's connected to the ley lines, theoretically, if you can control ley line energy, you could use it to teleport.

It's said the destroyed ancient kingdom, Khaenri'ah, had advanced ley line research…"

He didn't finish, but Saphir already understood.

Khaenri'ah was gone, but its secrets lived on—in people like Albedo, the synthetic heir of Gold, and Pierro, the first Fatui Harbinger.

Saphir herself, being one of the Fatui's Eleven Harbingers, should've been among the best-informed people on ley lines.

But she shook her head.

"We never had that technology. Not even the concept of teleport waypoints exists among us."

Only interdimensional travelers like Lumine, Lin Yi, and Saphir could use teleport waypoints.

But even Saphir had no access to the function.

She'd studied it—so had Dottore's various clones.

All of them had failed.

"The truth is," she added, "if we had that tech, it would be terrifying. We could instantly deploy troops anywhere on the continent."

Lin Yi nodded.

She wasn't lying—Lisa and Albedo had researched it too, to no avail.

Still, he couldn't help teasing her.

"Want the tech?" He smirked, pointing to his lips.

Barbara and Noelle's faces instantly turned crimson.

They knew exactly what that meant.

Both glanced at Saphir to see how she'd respond.

Saphir froze for two seconds.

Then she pulled out her giant cross—its surface glowing with divine light.

"Oh, it's glowing," Lumine noted.

Paimon nodded. "It's glowing."

Barbara and Noelle covered their eyes—but left just enough of a gap between their fingers to peek through with wide eyes.

"Damn it!" Lin Yi turned and bolted before he could say another word.

Saphir, expressionless, lifted her cross and gave herself a movement buff.

Divine Guidance: Blesses nearby allies, greatly increasing their movement speed for a limited time.

Lin Yi instantly regretted it.

He watched in horror as Saphir activated her buff and closed the distance at an impossible speed.

He had no choice—he activated Yanling: Zero Time to boost his own speed and flee for his life.

Watching the two vanish over the horizon, Paimon tilted her head.

"Uh… shouldn't we be following them?"

The others snapped out of it and hurried after them.

Thus, the first round of monster hunting ended in lighthearted chaos.

Their next target: the Cryo Regisvine.

Meanwhile, in Inazuma—Yashiori Island, inside the Delusion Factory.

"How's the material collection progressing?"

A middle-aged man stood in the center of a dimly lit room, his tone authoritative.

From the shadows stepped out a Electro Cicin Mage—Lyudashika, Saphir's friend from Snezhnaya.

This man was Yefei, the current overseer of Inazuma's Fatui operations.

Lyudashika hesitated.

"Master, are you truly going through with this plan? Saphir…"

Yefei frowned.

"Lyudashika, I know you were close with the Dark Shepherd, but that doesn't excuse insubordination. You will address her by title. Have you forgotten?"

Her head bowed lower.

She'd been scolded for this many times already.

But deep down, she knew the one who truly disrespected Saphir was Yefei himself.

Saphir had ordered the Delusion Factory shut down.

But Yefei had reopened it, claiming orders from The Servant, another Harbinger, and was now pushing to incite conflict in Inazuma.

Technically, Inazuma was still Saphir's territory.

If she returned and discovered this, the consequences would be dire.

Yefei cast her a cold glance.

"You have reservations, but we don't report to the Dark Shepherd. We serve the Servant. The orders are above us. We follow."

She didn't reply—just whispered,

"At least let me write her a letter..."

"Ridiculous!" Yefei's voice thundered.

"You trying to stir up conflict between two Harbingers?!"

Lyudashika went quiet.

Ever since she learned of Yefei's true intentions, she'd been under constant surveillance.

Even sending a message to Saphir was impossible now.

She realized clearly now—things had changed.

The Fatui weren't what she once believed.

No one would protect her feelings like Saphir did.

Her eyes reddened.

She wanted to give up.

Wanted to return to Snezhnaya, even live as a nobody.

But she couldn't.

She'd made a promise—to Saphir and to herself.

And more than that, leaving the Fatui wasn't an option.

A Cicin Mage required immense resources to train.

No one left the Fatui unless they died in battle.

Yefei seemed to notice her despair.

A cold smirk curled on his lips.

"This is Saphir's territory, isn't it?

Shouldn't you, as her friend, do your part to protect it?"

Lyudashika said nothing and turned to leave.

But in her heart, she whispered:

"Saphir… I'll do what I can to protect everything you built here, until you return."

~~~----------------------

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