43: The Sudden Arrival of Venti

Four casts of Flying Squirrel shattered two of the prisms. The final prism was blasted apart by a blade formed from fire—signaling the complete end of the Electro Hypostasis's life force.

[Flameblade]: Gathers the power of fire into a blade that launches enemies into the air.

With an unwilling wail, the core of the Electro Hypostasis gradually dissipated. A massive Ley Line Blossom bloomed from the earth. Noelle stepped forward to resonate with the Ley Line, and a flood of elemental energy surged into her body. Her level began to rise rapidly—first to 20, and then unexpectedly beyond. It didn't stop until it reached 25.

Lin Yi and Saphir both sensed something was off. According to the rules of world suppression, Noelle should have been capped at level 20. The fact that she broke through was highly irregular and set off warning bells in both their minds.

However, with the "Four Little Ones" present, neither Lin Yi nor Saphir commented aloud. They acted as if they hadn't noticed. With the Electro Hypostasis defeated, the group's objectives for this outing were almost fully complete. Only three more of Dvalin's Tear Crystals remained.

Lumine and Barbara looked up at Noelle with admiration in their eyes. To think that she had soloed an elemental boss—that was unimaginable just a day ago. But she had done it.

As Noelle's level-up ended and her claymore reverted to normal, a sharp crack rang out from the blade. A fracture appeared on the Favonius Greatsword, and with a crisp shatter, it broke in two.

Noelle stared at the broken sword in a daze. This wasn't the first time she had broken a weapon. In fact, weapons in her hands always seemed doomed to fracture eventually. But this sword had been a personal reward from Acting Grand Master Jean—one she cherished and rarely used. Now, it had snapped here.

Holding the severed blade, Noelle bit her lower lip, looking as if she were about to cry.

Saphir sighed and rubbed her forehead. Honestly, this outcome had been within expectations. She'd noticed issues with the sword during their earlier fights against the Hilichurls. Frankly, the fact that it hadn't broken mid-battle was already fortunate.

With that, Saphir walked over and patted Noelle on the shoulder.

"Have Lin Yi get you another one later. Just take this sword as a memento of your growth."

Noelle's eyes widened.

"Is that… really okay? I thought everyone only got one Favonius weapon, and replacements weren't allowed…"

Lin Yi winced. Saphir was really tossing responsibilities onto him like it was nothing. Did she forget she was a Fatui executive? Did she have zero self-awareness about that?

But since she'd already said it, Lin Yi had no choice but to nod and agree.

"It's fine. Weapon damage is normal. You can submit a request to the Knights for a replacement."

Hearing his confirmation, Noelle's eyes lit up and she beamed. For a moment, she looked just like a glowing angel.

With the matter settled, Lin Yi clapped his hands.

"Alright. Let's take a short rest here. Next up is the Domain—Eagle's Gate."

Hearing a new term, Paimon immediately stepped up to fulfill her role as the group's honorary question-box.

"What's Eagle's Gate?"

Before Lin Yi could answer, an androgynous voice spoke up from nowhere.

"Eagle's Gate is the name of a nearby domain. Dvalin once lay dormant there, so the place still carries remnants of his power—such as those Tear Crystals you've been collecting."

The sudden voice startled everyone. Noelle and Barbara glanced around warily. Lumine frowned; the voice sounded oddly familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. Paimon dove behind her companions on reflex.

A breeze stirred. Then a figure dressed in green appeared before them—a bard with a lyre slung at his side.

"Hello there, brave adventurers," he greeted with a grin.

Barbara immediately clapped her hands over her mouth in shock.

"It's you! That scammer!"

Lumine blinked in surprise.

"Huh? Barbara, what did he do?"

Barbara puffed out her cheeks in indignation.

"Last night, he tried sneaking into the Favonius Cathedral pretending to be Lord Barbatos so he could steal the Skyward Harp!"

Lin Yi and Saphir exchanged glances, both helpless. Just like how in Liyue, everyone worshipped the Geo Archon except for the Archon himself—here in Mondstadt, everyone believed in the Anemo Archon, yet no one recognized him. The only blame lay with this laid-back guy and his utter lack of divine dignity.

Venti scratched his head awkwardly, clearly at a loss for how to explain.

Lumine looked at him with curiosity. She hadn't expected the Anemo Archon to be like this. Her worldview was quietly shifting.

Thankfully, Saphir helped him out.

"He's a friend of mine. A bit scatterbrained, sure, but he's not a bad guy at heart."

She turned to Venti. "So? Why are you here?"

Venti stuck out his tongue playfully.

"I'm here to find you, of course! This one's important."

Coming from Venti, "important" usually meant trivial nonsense. Saphir almost brushed it off—until his next sentence caught her attention.

"I received a message from Lady Alice. She wants to take you somewhere."

Gone was Venti's usual frivolity—his demeanor turned serious. Clearly, even he thought this matter was significant.

Saphir frowned. By rights, she shouldn't know Alice at this point, and Alice shouldn't have any reason to leave her a message—let alone ask Venti, the god of wind, to deliver it.

She turned toward Lin Yi. He, too, had a serious expression, clearly sensing something was off.

Since Venti hadn't explained the message publicly, it was likely not something the others should hear. Saphir made up her mind and bid farewell to the others, following Venti away from Cape Oath.

As they descended the mountain, she spoke casually:

"So, did you manage to steal the Skyward Harp last night?"

Venti shrugged.

"Nope. Failed. The church's sisters were too strict. Didn't get a single chance."

Saphir rolled her eyes. She could already guess how that went.

"So… gonna try again?"

Venti chuckled and shook his head.

"The party to rescue Dvalin is strong enough now—especially with both Gunnhildr sisters onboard. The Skyward Harp isn't really necessary anymore. Besides, if I ask nicely, I'm sure Acting Grand Master Jean would just lend it to me."

"You're optimistic. Don't forget—the Anemo Gnosis has already left Mondstadt. Without it, communicating with Dvalin won't be so easy."

To that, Venti raised an eyebrow.

"The old man didn't tell you?"

Saphir was confused.

"Tell me what?"

Venti looked toward Celestia and said,

"The Seven don't become gods because they hold a Gnosis. They're given a Gnosis after becoming gods. The Gnosis is merely a symbol of that position. Dvalin was never a mere follower of the Anemo Archon—he is my follower."

Saphir's brows furrowed.

"Then what about belief? Doesn't losing the Gnosis sever a god's connection to the people's faith, weakening their power?"

Venti shook his head.

"Whoever told you that's mistaken. The Seven were victors of the Archon War. We moved mountains and split seas. To think that a tiny chess piece like a Gnosis could dictate our power? Isn't that laughable?"

Saphir thought of Ei—the Raiden Shogun. She'd never used her Gnosis, and last she heard, it was still with Yae Miko, being used as a glorified paperweight.

Seeing her "existential crisis" face, Venti chuckled.

"Alright, enough of that. Don't you want to know what Lady Alice actually said?"

"Didn't you say it was about me?" Saphir asked, puzzled.

Venti nodded.

"Lady Alice discovered something. Something connected to you. She wants me to bring you somewhere. The specifics… you'll see when we get there."

Saphir's interest piqued.

"So where's this destination?"

"The ruins left behind by the King of the Skies—Stormterror's Lair," Venti said as wind swirled around him. "We'll need to speed up. At this pace, it'll take forever."

Saphir held out her right hand and pressed it against Venti's, leaving behind a dagger-shaped mark.

"You're a god. Traveling faster should be easy for you, right? Go on ahead—I can keep up."

Looking at the mark on his hand, Venti gave a meaningful smile.

"Your tricks really are something else."

And with that, he vanished.

Saphir waited two seconds, then activated her teleportation mark and reappeared beside him.

The ruined expanse of Stormterror's Lair unfolded before them. Towering walls crumbled. Cracked spires leaned in defeat. Once the proud seat of the King of the Skies, now reduced to wreckage. Between the rebellion and a certain person's bombing spree, little remained of its former glory.

Saphir couldn't help but sigh.

"Alice's destructive power really is something else. The Archon War didn't wreck this place—but she sure did."

Venti scratched his head awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

Just then, a floating red Dodoco rose into view, and a woman's voice came through.

"Little Saphir, that's the second time I've caught you talking behind my back~!"

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