I'm in the Teyvat running group

Chapter 25 The Oath of Fate

Under Diluc's highest-level communication request, less than an hour later, a tall, slender figure, brimming with wind elemental energy, entered the room—it was Jean, the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius.

Unlike in the game, she wasn't wearing a uniform, but rather a full set of plate armor stained with blood and elemental energy. The Windhawk Sword at her waist also carried a faint scent of blood, suggesting she had just returned from the front lines of monster extermination. She removed her helmet and placed it on the table, untied her hood and the cloth wrapped around her head, and then with a gentle flick, her long golden hair flowed down. She appeared less capable than in the game, but possessed a more dashing and spirited air. She glanced at Yunxiu, then cast a questioning look at Diluc: "And who is this...?"

"Yunxiu, the son of Tian Shu Xing, has brought some very important news." Diluc leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Let's talk about it when everyone gets here."

Qin nodded and said no more. Several servants immediately came up to remove her armor and the various leather straps used to secure it while she was still standing.

Soon, the commander of the knights, wearing only the inner lining of his armor, sat down at the table. The maids, seemingly very familiar with her, brought her hot tea, snacks, and towels. After cleaning herself up and eating and drinking a little, Qin simply closed her eyes and rested.

Diluc wasn't surprised, as if this was something they often did in battle. Yunxiu remarked that the two seemed to have a much deeper bond than in the game, since being unfamiliar with wearing armor could be quite troublesome...

Furthermore, Jean's appearance is perfectly normal. In fact, it's strange that the game made Jean wear ordinary formal attire in battle for the sake of aesthetics. Even in low-intensity combat, wearing light armor that can cover the whole body would be more in line with normal combat situations. Even if a powerful warrior can easily kill all monsters and beasts without being harmed by his own strength, poison, the pollution of the abyss, fragments and all sorts of strange products will always have an effect on the body. In any case, cleaning the armor is much easier than cleaning the body itself.

Not to mention things like abyssal contamination. If the aura of abyssal monsters is merely covering armor, it can be blocked with some magical runes, but what if the flesh is directly exposed? In contrast, even heavy armor weighing several hundred kilograms is nothing to such powerful knights and warriors; they would certainly be better off wearing it.

Yunxiu initially wondered if Qin in real life would still be wearing that set of light work clothes, but now it seems that Commander Qin not only wears armor, but also different armor depending on the situation, which has solved the doubts she had while playing the game.

About half an hour later, three figures teleported over at the same time, and after a series of footsteps, the three entered the room one after another.

The first to enter was Abedo, quiet and elegant, dressed in a strangely shaped suit of chainmail that clearly possessed powerful magical energy, and carrying an alchemy notebook. Upon entering, he surprisingly gave Yunxiu a smile and said, "Master Yunxiu, I saw Sugar upstairs just now. Thank you for your help to her. If there is anything I can do to help you in the future, please let me know."

"Oh dear~ Did this little mage wake up a lady who needs her beauty sleep...?" Lisa, dressed in a light mage's robe and seemingly just awakened from a dream, immediately leaned lazily against the sofa by the door as soon as she entered. While drawing continuous bolts of electricity from her fingertips, she stared at Yunxiu with scrutinizing eyes: "I seem to sense a very strong elemental aura on the little mage... Would you like to come to the library and exchange some spells with the older sister?"

The last one to enter was Kaeya, who was dressed in the rather dashing casual clothes from the game and walked in with a rather nonchalant attitude.

He casually slammed the door shut, his nonchalant expression instantly transforming into a chillingly cold one: "Diluc, I've only ever seen you send this level of communication request twice in my life. Is something important? Has the Fatui launched another all-out attack?"

Diluc glanced at Yunxiu, nodded, then called for Qin, and led Yunxiu and the four others to the basement. After dismissing the guards, he took the initiative to open several pieces of fur, revealing the astonishingly huge scale.

"This is..." Jean, who was most sensitive to wind elemental energy, immediately reacted: "Such a huge amount of pure wind elemental energy on the scales, at least in my knowledge, only Dvalin can do it!"

“Yes…” Although not a wind element practitioner, Abedo, relying on his understanding of elements and alchemy, was the second to discover the problem: “There is indeed a huge wind element gathering point, but it seems to be hiding an additional uneasy aura. I could sense it on the snow mountain, and it’s somewhat similar to Dulin’s aura…”

"It seems there are other elements hidden within the elements. It looks like the little mage called us here because there's something very important."

"The Abyss Order..."

The four of them studied the scales for a long time, then each sensed the aura, exchanged a few words, and covered the fur back up. For a moment, the atmosphere in the basement became somewhat dull.

After a full ten minutes of silent contemplation, Abedo finally raised his head and spoke, "Master Yunxiu, you were the first to discover this fragment. What are your thoughts? We all sensed just now that Dvalin was indeed suspected of being imprisoned by the Abyss Order. You were the first to come into contact with this fragment and have been studying it all along. What are your thoughts?"

Seeing the scrutinizing gazes of the others, Yunxiu thought for a moment before recounting the plot she knew, combined with what she had seen along the way, and after adding some embellishments.

"If I'm not mistaken, the Abyss Order likely wants to modify Dvalin, turning the East Wind Dragon into a monster like Durin that could unleash a dragon plague..."

Jean and Diluc exchanged a glance before Diluc spoke, "If it were just that simple, we could still deal with Dvalin. As long as the Abyss Order doesn't launch a full-scale attack, Mondstadt's current strength is enough to contend with them."

Mondstadt is still so strong even after losing 80% of its forces? I seem to remember that in the original storyline, after losing 80% of its forces, Mondstadt would have had a hard time resisting the Fatui's infiltration if Jean hadn't been in command of the Knights of Fatalis. Has the story gone wrong? But I've only just started revising the storyline; perhaps Jean needs to use some of her hidden strength...

Yunxiu pondered for a while, and although she couldn't come to a definite conclusion, she still said seriously, "But this matter doesn't just mean that Dvalin has been corrupted. Judging from my many days of fighting and the information I obtained from rescuing Sugar, there are not only the Abyss Order behind it, but also the Fatui and many other forces. Their goal is likely not just Dvalin, but to use Dvalin to influence the Anemo Archon and even Mondstadt."

"And as far as I know, Mondstadt's environment is currently almost entirely maintained by the powerful divine power of the Anemo Archon. Once the Anemo Archon is affected, then Mondstadt itself..."

Upon hearing Yunxiu's words, the five people's expressions changed. Even the most composed Abedo visibly turned ugly.

What was Mondstadt originally like? You can think of Dragonspine Mountains as an example. The entire region was perpetually shrouded in terrifying blizzards. Only when the wind god used his divine power to blow away the ice and snow did Mondstadt, which was originally riddled with gullies every five steps and pits every ten steps, become a vast plain, thus creating this idyllic country. The carefree lifestyle and powerful strength of the Mondstadt people can be said to be built on the fertile land and the warm climate of the four seasons. If the wind god were to have any problems, the environment of Mondstadt would not be able to sustain itself, and the consequences would be unimaginable. Except for a few high-ranking warriors who could escape, most people would be buried in the endless snowfields.

Moreover, the energy that sustains this land is beyond imagination. Take Liyue for example. The Hearth God Maxius sacrificed all his essence and poured it into the earth to preserve a fertile land in Liyue. Even today, there are still many ruins and lands that are difficult to grow crops in Tianqiu Valley, Guili Plain, and Yaoguang Beach. Although Venti's strength is obviously much higher than he said, it is clear that this is not an easy task.

Jean and Diluc exchanged a glance, and finally Jean spoke up: "Presumably, Master Yunxiu has a plan?"

Yunxiu nodded and said, "I've been thinking about this on my way here. If I combine the research notes I got from the Fools and the Abyss Order with the information I've gathered, I do have a pretty suitable plan, but I need enough support."

“We believe in you.” Jean stood up, drew her Windhawk sword, and solemnly said to Yunxiu, “Then, in the name of Jean Gunnhildr, the acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius and the Lion Fang Knight, I request that you accept the title of Honorary Knight of the Knights of Favonius and give us guidance!”

Honorary Knight? Yes... In the original storyline, after the Traveler cleared the three great dungeons and demonstrated his ability to purify the abyss, he was quickly given the title of Honorary Knight by Jean, acting as the captain. Now, he has also been granted the title of Honorary Knight simply for demonstrating his abilities...

She only added her own name because her identity was also quite special...

Moreover, his contribution is much greater than the original storyline. The Traveler only takes remedial measures in the face of disaster, while he genuinely has the potential to prevent disaster!

Thinking of this, Yunxiu's eyes sharpened. Since she had said that her career would begin with changing the fate of Tvalin, then she would start from this moment!

Change Dvalin's fate, change everyone's fate!

Zhiqiong, Jiede, Zheping, Kuike, and even Naxida, Ying, and Fukalos... In this life, I will lead everyone down a completely different path!

"I accept!"

Chapter 26 The Path to Salvation from the Dragon Disaster Begins

"The most important issues now are mainly two points."

"The first thing is to find out where Dvalin is, and the second is to find Lord Barbatos, the God of Liberty." Yunxiu asked Kaiya to get her a map and handed him her father's letter. Kaiya opened it, glanced at it, smiled, and put it in his bag. Then he got Yunxiu two pens.

"When I was in Yunlaihai, the distance I perceived was 3170 kilometers due north. What is the distance you perceive now?"

"1400 kilometers to the northwest," Kaiya said first. This cavalry captain, who possessed the blood of Kanria, had somehow become unusually enthusiastic about Yunxiu after reading something in the letter.

“Okay, then we can basically confirm the location. It’s probably still near the Wind Dragon Ruins.” Yunxiu drew a circle on the map, marking a piece of land near the Wind Dragon Ruins, and then handed the map to Qin: “Please have Captain Qin and Captain Kaeya take a group of troops to this place to search for the location where the Abyss Order and the Fatui are holding Dvalin. If possible, also clear out the monsters in the surrounding area.”

"Mr. Abedo and Miss Lisa, I'd like to trouble you to study the pollution and chaotic elemental forces on the scales. It would be best if you could come up with a complete reverse engineering solution." At this point, Yunxiu seemed to have suddenly thought of something, and said to Abedo and Lisa, who were about to leave to begin their research, with a hint of uncertainty, "If it's feasible, please send out a reconnaissance team to search along Whispering Forest, Starfall Lake, Fallen Star Valley, Star-Picking Cliff, and Windgazing Cape. If you find a blond warrior with a white-haired flying object by his side, you can request his assistance. This warrior should have a special method for dealing with the pollution of the abyss."

This was Yunxiu's carefully considered decision. Abedo's understanding and knowledge of the Abyss was probably the highest among all Mondstadt users, while Lisa possessed unparalleled magical knowledge. The two were indeed the best partners. Even for gods, dispelling the Abyss was a catastrophic problem. Even at the Nata stage, the Nata's fire god was somewhat helpless against the Abyss. It was more appropriate to find the Traveler, after all, this Traveler was indeed a warrior who could perfectly control the power of the Void and the Light Realm. Although the exact principle was unknown, the Traveler's advantages remained unique in Genshin Impact, at least until the later stages.

"The blonde warrior?" Abedo nodded. "I will arrange for Amber to lead two squads to search for him."

"Finally, there's the most troublesome thing: finding Barbatos." Yunxiu scratched his head and said helplessly, "Although I know that this god is most likely sleeping in a secret realm near the big tree in the Land of Wind, and will soon be awakened from his slumber due to the elemental fluctuations of Dvalin, as a chief god who controls 'time and wind', I don't have the ability to determine his exact location."

“You don’t need to worry about that.” Jean, who was studying the map carefully, turned around and said, “The Church of the Westwind has the Sky Harp and the Anemo Crystal left behind by the Anemo God. When the three major families of Mondstadt were founded, they all had a blood pact with the Anemo God. Any heir who takes the Sky Harp to the Land of the Rising Wind has the opportunity to listen to the guidance of the wind.”

“I see…” Yunxiu looked at Diluc and said decisively, “Then I’ll have to trouble Mr. Diluc to come with me. There should be a lot of monsters in the secret realm where the Wind God is sleeping. Without a strong helper, it will be difficult for me to get to the Wind God.”

"Just call me Diluc." Diluc waved and walked out with Jean. "Adeline, arrange rooms for our five distinguished guests. Time is short, so everyone should rest for the night and depart early tomorrow morning!"

Five, not six? The four knights plus myself and Sugar...

Yunxiu didn't think much of it. It was probably because Abedo would go back to his camp on the snow mountain. For a mage like him, it would be over in no time...

"Finally, we've taken the first step," Yunxiu couldn't help but sigh. He had been thinking about this plan for a long time. Finding Barbatos would give them an accurate understanding of the Dvalin incident, and the array to reverse the abyss's corruption could not only be used on Dvalin this time, but would also be of great use when other abyss forces corrupted them later. Moreover, finding another alchemy master like Abedo with powerful magical abilities and abyss research experience would not be so easy later on.

Everything is difficult at the beginning, but once you get started, many things become much easier.

Stepping out the gate and waving away the maids' service, Yunxiu wandered aimlessly through the manor. Even after activating the D&D system, he wasn't entirely confident about changing the plot. However, with Zhongli giving him a powerful artifact and Dvalin's scales reappearing before him, whether out of necessity, a desire to avoid the destruction of Teyvat, or simply the thought that "since I'm here, it would be a waste not to do something," he ultimately made this decision: to completely alter the Teyvat story, starting with changing the Wind Dragon's calamity.

After all, he had witnessed many regrets in Genshin Impact in his previous life.

A good story needs twists and turns, sacrifices, pain, and contrasts. Without Ji-kyung's sacrifice, the story of the Layered Rock Abyss wouldn't be so magnificent. Without the deaths of Che-pyeong and Manyo's friends, the actions and changes of the Raiden movie, or rather, General Raiden, wouldn't be so unforgettable.

The reason that drove the Sumerian people to raise the banner of rebellion against the Council must have been the sorrowful pain of the Little Lucky Grass King. Under the giant sword condensed by Fukaros, even the complete dragon Navelette, who had experienced countless twists and turns and pain, would shed tears. The first thing he would do after obtaining his ancient dragon power was to pardon the "sins" of all the people of Fontaine.

Without the sacrifices of the Nata War, how could we know that the earth veins were restored and Nata was redeemed to usher in a new tomorrow?

Sadness, pain, and death are always the best fuel for stories.

When you've finished the entire Great Exorcism of the Divine Cherry Blossom, and you see Hana Sanri tell you "I am like morning dew, fleeting in an instant" before disappearing and leaving only her mask behind, what are your thoughts?

Once you understand all the stories of Sumeru and have completed the entire "Golden Dreamland" story, how will you think about the relationship between the desert people and the rainforest people, and how will you think about Jade, the desert leopard who grew up in this environment?

The opposite of these tragedies is the great enhancement of the storytelling; the sorrowful emotions and the irreversible tragedy of the story itself can move the most people.

However, now that I've taken the first step, I can't let these regrets happen again!

After all, I might be the only one in this world with a cheat code. Now that I'm here, wouldn't it be a shame not to save the world and spend more time with cute girls?

Thinking of this, Yunxiu felt relaxed and refreshed, and his spiritual power seemed to have entered a new realm. A faint spiritual light emanated from his body.

"You have completed a milestone, a spiritual baptism."

Your level has increased by one!

It seemed she had done the right thing. Yunxiu turned back to the room Diluc had prepared for her and quickly fell asleep.

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

The next morning, feeling refreshed, Yunxiu washed up and went out to find Sugar waiting for her. Sugar was wearing a light green house dress, fluffy slippers with cat ears on her feet, her hair was tied up, her fluffy dog-girl ears drooped behind her head, and she was wearing cat-ear glasses. She was sitting on the sofa quietly reading an alchemy notebook.

I remember Sugar must have developed a liking for cats after studying Diona, so she really is a dog girl.

No, her ears are quite similar to Yae no Miko's, so she should be a fox girl. Judging from Sugar's intelligence and appearance, she is most likely a descendant of a red fox with a short tail. This type of fox is known for its intelligence, and its ears are also quite soft to touch. Yunxiu herself encountered one when she was camping in the wild in her previous life. It even ate the raw beef that Yunxiu had bought to barbecue, and then ran away after only petting it a couple of times. That fox's ears were very soft...

"Ah... good morning!" Upon seeing Yunxiu arrive, Sugar immediately put away her notebook, stood up gently, and said, "Yunxiu... Mr., you seemed very busy yesterday, so I didn't bother you. Are you going back to Mondstadt with the teachers and the others?"

"Yes, but we'll be leaving soon." Seeing Sugar's expression, Yunxiu couldn't help but reach out and suddenly touch Sugar's ear.

It was soft and slightly warm, and it even moved back and forth on her head. It felt very comfortable, and Yunxiu was a little carried away by it.

It seems like raising a Sugar pet wouldn't be bad...

"Mr. Yun... Mr. Yun, this... you can't touch me like this... at least, at least we should find a secluded place." Sugar's face was so red it was almost dripping with water, her ears were radiating heat, and she almost shrank back.

"Ahem..." Realizing her lapse in composure, Yunxiu withdrew her hand sheepishly and awkwardly changed the subject: "Diluc, Jean, your teacher, and I have some important matters to attend to. Mondstadt is quite dangerous, so you shouldn't go back."

Seeing Sugar's puzzled eyes, Yunxiu paused and said, "A crisis may unfold here. Your teacher and Miss Lisa will also be at Dawn Winery recently to study scales. You can study with him."

"Or... you could study the materials we've collected along the way."

"Okay... okay, Mr. Yun. I'll share the results with you later."

"Um... no need for that. Just remember to take care of the pack animals; consider it payment for the materials."

"Ah... okay!"

Just as they were about to leave, Sugar suddenly tugged at Yunxiu's sleeve and said timidly, "Mr. Yun, may I name him 'Bio-Carrying Specialized Type Quadrupedal Mobility Unit Prototype 001'?"

Yunxiu broke out in a cold sweat. This was truly a name that only someone with a sugary personality could come up with!

Chapter 27 Knights of the West

Although the name is strange, it seems refreshing and unique when you think of Sugar's bunch of weird skill names.

Yunxiu agreed without hesitation. It was just a pack animal; even with a full saddle, it would only cost sixty or seventy thousand Mora. Giving it to Sugar, let alone just naming it, wouldn't be a big deal. Besides, it seemed like no girl could resist such a large, furry creature. And the two seemed to have gotten along quite well during their journey. Yunxiu had once owned two cats and had fantasized more than once about a cat growing a hundred or two times larger so he could sleep on a plush toy's fluffy belly. But it was difficult to find such a large, furry creature on Earth. Having experienced this in another world was already an unexpected delight…

After saying goodbye to Sugar, Yunxiu walked for a full minute, guided by the maid, before finally arriving at Diluc's main dining room.

The restaurant was quite spacious, with a huge long table that could easily seat dozens of people at once. In one corner were several smaller tables, clearly made of wood from different countries. Judging from the wear and tear on their decorations, Diluc often ate at these smaller tables. Large floor-to-ceiling windows brought in excellent sunlight and offered stunning views. Outside, a sprawling vineyard framed the Dragonspine Mountains, creating a breathtaking vista. Yunxiu sighed softly and, guided by a maid, sat down at a small, exquisitely carved square table made of fine white wood. Beside the table hung a famous Liyue painting, "Layered Peaks of the Misty Sea," and on the table sat a white porcelain long-necked bamboo vase, a characteristic feature of Liyue.

Even my father's level of appreciation might not be that high...

After he thoroughly complained about the decadent lifestyle of the nobles, a maid brought him a bowl of chicken tofu and a jade assorted bag. Head Maid Adeline personally brought him a bowl of moon pie. After putting down the breakfast, she whispered to Yunxiu, "These were specially made by the Liyue chefs at the manor. We just happened to not have any suitable ingredients for the main course today, so we chose moon pie. Please don't mind."