From Keqing and Xiao's strength alone, it was clear how formidable Keqing's city must be.
If they could gain their help, there was a real chance of resolving the Hollow Zero crisis and stopping it from expanding again.
With that thought in mind, the commander of H.A.N.D. Headquarters could barely hide his excitement, his tone toward Keqing and Xiao becoming noticeably more polite.
"Miss Keqing, it's your turn for the test."
"My strength isn't on par with Xiao Immortal's—there's no need to test me. Aside from speed, are there other evaluations you want to conduct?"
"There's also a strength test… and an Anomaly strength test."
The commander had noticed something unusual—though Keqing was clearly the team's leader, she treated the young man named Xiao with marked respect, even addressing him as Xiao Immortal.
Such a title was strange. Was it similar to the designation Void Hunter?
Perhaps once someone's strength reached a certain threshold, they were granted the title of Immortal.
Seeing the commander lost in thought, Tsukishiro Yanagi reminded him,
"Commander… we should move on to the Anomaly strength test."
In New Eridu, there were five known types of Anomalies: Fire, Electric, Ice, Physical, and Ether—each gained through countless battles by their predecessors.
And recently, a new one had emerged: Geo.
The commander studied Xiao curiously, wondering just what kind of Anomaly he possessed to achieve such terrifying speed.
...
They soon arrived at the Anomaly testing site.
At the testers' instruction, Xiao placed one hand into the device and slowly released a trace of Anemo.
At once, violent gales erupted inside, like countless blades slicing across the reinforced glass.
"Stop!" Tsukishiro Yanagi called quickly. "That's enough—we've gathered what we need."
The staff immediately shut the device down. If Yanagi hadn't spoken in time, the winds might have shredded it entirely.
It was the first time they had seen such an unusual Anomaly.
They couldn't identify it, but they could all tell—it was immensely powerful.
A few minutes later, the results came in.
The technician stared at the screen, disbelief in their eyes.
"What is it?" Tsukishiro Yanagi pressed.
"…Wind," the technician said at last. "It's like… the attribute of wind."
"Wind…" Hoshimi Miyabi murmured thoughtfully.
"Wind Anomaly?" the commander repeated in surprise.
A type never seen before—no wonder no one had recognized it in the earlier battle or during the test.
The commander's gaze grew serious. After Geo, here was another new Anomaly—and judging by its display, it was even stronger.
If some members of H.A.N.D. could acquire it, their combat power would skyrocket, greatly increasing their chances against the Hollows.
...
Next came the strength test.
Xiao threw a single punch—and the machine exploded.
Everyone stared at him like he was some kind of monster, half-wondering if he was even human, or an Ethereal that had crawled out from the deepest depths of the Hollows.
Blinding speed.
An overwhelming, unfamiliar Anomaly.
Raw destructive power…
Most people would be unbeatable with just one of those traits. Xiao had all three.
And he looked no more than a teenager. If he were in New Eridu, he'd probably still be in school—uniform on, bookbag over his shoulder.
...
After recording another set of data, they moved on to the final stage: a live combat trial against several large, fully armed mechanical warriors.
To Xiao, they were nothing more than piles of scrap.
With each sweep of his spear, one machine fell—instant kills.
The commander of H.A.N.D. Headquarters looked at him with a burning gaze.
"In your city… you must be the strongest, right?"
Only warriors like this could protect a city in a world plagued by Hollows.
But Xiao shook his head without hesitation.
"No. The strongest in Liyue is His Majesty the Geo Archon. It has always been so, in the past and now."
The Geo Archon?
Another strange name—perhaps a title.
Tsukishiro Yanagi raised an eyebrow.
"How strong is this Geo Archon?"
Xiao fell silent.
Since joining Liyue, he had never seen the Geo Archon lose to anyone—he didn't even know the limits of his strength.
After a moment, he said slowly,
"Even if there were ten of me, we couldn't beat the Geo Archon… with just one hand."
The room fell silent.
"That strong?!" Tsukishiro Yanagi blurted.
Hoshimi Miyabi frowned deeply.
The commander looked utterly stunned.
To them, Xiao was already unbelievably powerful—yet there was someone even more overwhelming in another city.
If Xiao's words were true, then if this Geo Archon came, there was a real chance to suppress Hollow Zero and save the world.
"Could we invite His Majesty the Geo Archon to New Eridu?" the commander asked urgently.
Keqing shook her head with a sigh.
"We can't."
"Why?" Tsukishiro Yanagi pressed. "If Hollow Zero keeps expanding, sooner or later your city will be destroyed too."
Keqing's gaze softened.
"Three years ago… His Majesty the Geo Archon passed away."
"…" Tsukishiro Yanagi
"…" Commander
"…" Hoshimi Miyabi
The hope that had just sparked to life was abruptly extinguished.
Still… with someone like Xiao here, there was a chance. Enough to fight for.
...
After seeing Xiao's capabilities firsthand, the commander realized how absurd his earlier fears had been—that Xiao might be in danger inside Hollow Zero.
Keqing's voice broke the quiet.
"There's no time to waste. Please take us to Hollow Zero."
"Understood." The commander nodded quickly. "Section Chief Miyabi, you'll lead them."
"Leave it to me," Hoshimi Miyabi replied.
"I'm coming too," Tsukishiro Yanagi added firmly.
Before they departed, Keqing asked the commander to send someone to Hare's House to inform Sam Li and the Traveler about her trip to Hollow Zero.
"Don't worry," the commander assured her. "I'll send someone immediately."