While Jean and her group were racing toward their destination, and Ryen and Guizhong were quietly researching new mods in the villa, occasionally growing affectionate when emotions ran high, the situation in Sumeru, where Lumine was, could not have been more different.
Three days earlier, they had set out. Thanks to Cyno deliberately drawing attention to himself, Dehya and the others successfully seized Caravan Ribat.
The Corps of Thirty members stationed there were not weak. They were accustomed to combat and had seen their share of battles.
But in the end, they were no match for mercenaries who lived on the edge of life and death every single day, the Eremites.
Although Dehya's own Eremite group did not directly participate in the assault, leaving them behind to help with garrison duty and management posed no problem at all.
Caravan Ribat was taken over by Dehya's people.
That alone counted as a small but solid merit.
If this were Ryen's original world, it would have been considered a contribution worthy of being recorded as "following the dragon into victory."
Dehya, after all, wanted to secure some tangible benefits for her homeland.
Cyno and his team did not act with great fanfare.
They were all smart people. Making a big spectacle would only draw unnecessary suspicion.
Cyno deliberately acted exactly as he normally would, advancing according to his usual habits, completely ignoring his cooperation with Alhaitham and the others.
This was done so that the Akasha would deduce his own behavioral trajectory.
Azar trusted no one, no people, no intelligence reports.
He trusted only the Akasha.
And that was precisely his greatest weakness.
Thus, even though Cyno concealed himself along the way, the absurd reality was that during three days of forced marching, pursuit and interception never stopped.
From a certain perspective, the Akasha's predictive power was terrifyingly accurate.
From Ryen's past-life experience, this resembled a fully monitored, dystopian civilization.
Ironically, while Cyno's covert movements still attracted relentless attention, Alhaitham's group advanced openly, and yet went completely unnoticed.
The reason was simple.
For safety, this operation's route had been designed entirely by Lumine, after she had reviewed the map.
The Akasha had never recorded Lumine's actions.
How could it possibly predict her movements?
Coupled with their overwhelming strength, no information ever leaked from the places they passed.
Lumine's domineering style, carefully cultivated by Ryen, was on full display.
Meet someone on the road?
Doesn't matter who you are.
First, sign a contract with me, one enforced by the divine authority of the Geo Archon.
Dare to break it?
Then die.
Even the resurrection of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata wouldn't save you.
No battles.
No conflicts.
They advanced unchecked, like an unstoppable tide.
At last, they arrived outside Sumeru City, ahead of Cyno's group.
Thinking back on the past three days, Rahman couldn't help but sigh.
"I've traveled my whole life, been through the rainforest more times than I can count. But bringing this many people in, and moving through it so recklessly, this is a first."
Lumine planted her hands on her hips and grinned.
"That's what strength looks like!"
"By the way… where's the contact?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a cautious young man poked his head out of the nearby bushes.
When he saw the massive group behind Lumine, he froze, then hurried over at a jog.
"You're the Traveler, right? I'm Jut, a spice merchant from the Grand Bazaar. Miss Nilou sent me to meet you."
Everyone let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Alhaitham stepped forward and asked calmly:
"How are things inside Sumeru City?"
Jut scratched his head, hesitating.
Nilou had only said a Traveler would come with Dehya…
But this many people?
And wasn't this the Akademiya's Scribe?
Seeing his hesitation, Dehya spoke softly:
"It's fine. They're all here to solve the problem."
Jut pursed his lips and lowered his voice.
"I don't know all the details. But the city's been extremely tense these past few days, like every breeze carries bad news."
"The Corps of Thirty have imposed lockdowns. I barely managed to slip out."
Alhaitham exchanged a glance with Rahman and pressed on:
"Since Nilou sent you, she must have told you about the Corps of Thirty's troop movements inside the city, right?"
Jut nodded.
"Miss Nilou said there should still be around 1,500 Corps of Thirty stationed in the city…"
"Fifteen hundred…"
Alhaitham frowned and looked at Rahman.
Rahman waved a hand dismissively.
"That's a lot, sure, but my brothers aren't pushovers. We can handle it."
Alhaitham shook his head.
"Is there any way to draw some of them away?"
Jut hesitated, then replied:
"The Grand Bazaar and the Homayani family will try. But at most… they can probably divert about five hundred."
"There's more," he added quietly.
"The Fatui have been showing up frequently these past few days. How many have entered the city, we don't know."
Lumine frowned.
"The Fatui have already moved into Sumeru City? Are they modified soldiers, or, "
Jut shook his head.
"Not sure. Just that it's the Fatui, and there are quite a few."
Then he looked at the group uncertainly.
"Traveler… with so many of you, how are you planning to sneak into the Grand Bazaar?"
Lumine curled her lips.
"Sneak in? Why would we sneak in?"
"Didn't we agree to just fight straight through?"
"Fight… straight through?"
Jut froze, then forced an awkward smile.
"You're joking, right? Even if everything goes perfectly, you'll still face over a thousand Corps of Thirty. And that's not counting the Fatui. That's far too dangerous."
Just as Lumine was about to reply, thunderous footsteps echoed from the direction of Sumeru City's gate.
Everyone immediately hid, silently observing the movement.
After a moment, Lumine whispered:
"Looks like Dunyarzad and Cyno have coordinated from the inside. They've successfully drawn some troops away."
"About five hundred, judging by the numbers."
"Cyno's side should be fine, right?"
Alhaitham shook his head.
"Before reaching this point, I already contacted Tighnari. He'll bring people to support Cyno. If things go wrong, they can retreat."
He took a breath.
"It's our turn to move. Have the reinforcements arrived yet?"
Lumine fell silent, then scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"I… can't contact Captain Jean and the others."
Alhaitham sighed.
"At this point, there's no choice."
"We move directly. The Grand Bazaar and the Homayani family can still help."
"The Corps of Thirty are manageable. As for the Fatui…"
"I'll handle that."
There were just over a thousand Corps of Thirty left inside the city.
To be honest, five hundred desert Eremites were more than enough to face them.
The only downside was heavier losses.
Originally, Alhaitham had not intended such a frontal assault. Considering Ryen's world, both Rahman's people and the Corps of Thirty would be invaluable manpower resources in the future.
But now,
The arrow was already on the string.
It had to be loosed.
As for the Fatui…
Alhaitham had always prepared more than one contingency.
Leaving Sumeru City didn't mean he had done nothing.
After all,
Mercenaries…
Work is done for pay.
And Alhaitham happened to be very rich.
The group exchanged glances and waited for over an hour, estimating that the Corps of Thirty who had gone out earlier were already engaged with Cyno's forces.
They shared another look and were just about to move,
When a familiar voice quietly appeared beside them.
"Ehe~ Did we come too late?"
Lumine turned her head. Venti, along with Jean and the others, was already standing nearby.
The Dragon Knights had not yet revealed themselves.
Lumine clicked her tongue and complained,
"If you were any later, we'd already be on the move!"
Venti spread his hands.
"Don't complain. I chased you all the way to Sumeru by following your wind currents. That wasn't easy, you know."
"Indeed,"
Diluc nodded calmly.
"If you hadn't insisted on pestering Ryen about the new mods, we would've arrived at least two hours earlier."
At that, Lumine's eyes lit up.
"The new mods are live? What are they?"
Venti sighed helplessly.
"I asked. Ryen didn't say a word. He insisted on researching them himself first, then kicked us out."
"Hmph! Ryen must be keeping it a secret just for me because I wasn't there!"
Lumine said proudly, hands on her hips.
Jean's gaze remained fixed on Sumeru City in the distance.
"Where is the Doctor?"
Lumine shook her head.
"No idea. But a lot of Fatui are already inside Sumeru City. The Doctor should be there as well."
Jean nodded slightly.
"We'll talk after dealing with the Fatui."
She then glanced at Alhaitham, who seemed hesitant to speak.
"Don't worry. We won't start a battle inside Sumeru City."
Alhaitham was silent for a moment, then replied softly,
"That's not what I'm worried about. I was just wondering, Captain Jean, how many people did you bring this time?"
"Relax,"
Diluc said quietly.
"Dealing with the Fatui will be easy."
Alhaitham didn't dwell on it and chuckled lightly.
"In that case… things will be much simpler."
The group huddled together, whispering briefly.
Afterward, Lumine nodded and moved out with Dehya and Alhaitham, advancing openly toward Sumeru City.
This time, there was no attempt at concealment.
Almost instantly, all of Sumeru was thrown into turmoil.
The Corps of Thirty mobilized at once.
Inside the Sanctuary of Surasthana, Azar, his face pale, madness flickering in his eyes, furrowed his brow. After a moment of silence, he turned toward the Doctor.
"Cyno and Alhaitham have joined forces with those desert brutes and are attacking Sumeru City!"
The Doctor calmly observed the massive humanoid mech before him and spoke lightly,
"So?"
Azar fell silent for a moment.
"I need Fatui support. The Corps of Thirty were lured away, one thousand men can't stop them."
"I've also heard that the Traveler is among them."
That caught the Doctor's interest.
"The Traveler… how intriguing."
After a brief pause, the Doctor turned away without hesitation and walked toward the exit.
"This experiment is nearly complete. It's time to move on to the next one."
"Continue your work. The Fatui will handle everything."
Azar stared coldly in the direction Alhaitham had gone. Then he turned back, gazing at the massive machine with obsessive fervor.
"Soon… very soon… a god belonging to Sumeru will be born!"
Just as Rahman and the others had said,
How could the pampered Corps of Thirty compare to Eremites who lived daily on the brink of death?
Five hundred Eremites charged forward.
Though the Corps of Thirty numbered a thousand and held the advantage in numbers, they were steadily driven back.
Just as the Eremites were about to break into Sumeru City,
Dense, synchronized footsteps echoed throughout the city once more.
Large numbers of Fatui modified troops surged forward, immediately halting the Eremites' advance.
In only a short time, the eerily powerful modified soldiers inflicted casualties on the Eremites.
Alhaitham's brows tightened. He exchanged a glance with Rahman and the others and immediately ordered a retreat.
The Doctor, following behind the main force, curved his lips into a faint smile.
"Interesting… drawing the Fatui out, was it?"
Such a simple trick could never fool him, but Alhaitham hadn't intended to hide it.
The Doctor's arrogance would compel him to follow.
And once he did,
Everything would fall neatly into place.
"Pursue,"
the Doctor said lightly.
The Fatui and the Corps of Thirty surged forward in pursuit.
After an unknown amount of time, they finally reached a wide, open plain.
Lumine and the others stopped.
The Doctor stood calmly before his modified soldiers, surveyed the surroundings, and spoke casually,
"So this is your trap? Some people are truly disappointing…"
"You went to such lengths to lure me out, and this is all? That's hardly worthy of an experiment."
"Is there anything else?"
The Corps of Thirty and the Fatui advanced step by step.
Over two thousand soldiers encircled five hundred Eremites.
Yet Lumine wore a relaxed smile.
"Alhaitham was right. You're cold and arrogant, no matter what you see, you don't take it seriously."
"And?"
The Doctor looked at Lumine calmly.
"Two thousand versus five hundred. Do you have any experimental equipment left that might interest me?"
"If not, then let's end this."
Lumine chuckled softly.
"Oh, you'll be very satisfied."
"And now, I formally announce, "
"You are surrounded."
In the next instant, thunderous roars rolled in from the horizon.