"You!"
The Fatui operative rushed forward, panic and anger fighting on his face as he checked the injured boy.
The child's face was swollen bright red, as if boiling water had splashed across it.
It was obvious that, even after treatment, his appearance would never be the same.
At least there was no danger to his life.
The Fatui operative exhaled in relief.
Disfigurement was acceptable.
Death was not.
Still, Kael's actions had given him an idea.
The other children had been trapped in the ice for quite a while. If they stayed any longer, they really would freeze to death. There was no time to call for help.
Using fire to melt the ice… was crude, but possible.
He snatched the torch from Kael's hand and hurried toward the other frozen boys.
He held the fire carefully under the block of ice, near their feet.
Burned feet were better than destroyed faces.
One by one, he thawed them all out.
Soon, a group of children lay on the floor, clutching their blistered feet and crying in pain.
The Fatui operative shot Kael a vicious glare.
"I'll report this to Lady Harbinger! Just wait for your punishment!"
He ran off to gather help and carry the injured children away for treatment.
The remaining kids all backed far away from Kael, eyes wide with terror.
None of them dared take a single step closer.
The frost on the walls and floor still had not melted.
They had seen firsthand the power of a Vision.
Chenxi looked up at Kael and gave him a sweet little smile, babbling a soft sound.
She was nearly a year old now, just beginning to learn to talk.
The first word she had learned was brother.
Kael looked down at those round, bright eyes and gently poked her soft cheek, completely untouched by the fear spreading through the room.
Everything was proceeding exactly as he had planned.
Even though he had a lot of Attribute Points stored, using Sensory Mode meant he could only remain inside this life simulation for about a year.
He needed that time to avenge his parents.
He needed Sensory Mode's full control.
But he couldn't afford to spend all his Attribute Points here in the House of the Hearth.
He had already decided that before leaving Sensory Mode, he had to suppress the children here, completely and utterly.
Some children were angels.
Some were monsters.
Most of the orphans raised in the House of the Hearth had lived harsh lives and lost their families early. Many had grown twisted from the inside out.
They were cruel.
Opportunistic.
Dangerous.
During his stay, Kael had already been harassed by them multiple times.
If he switched back to Text Mode, he would lose control over the fine details of the simulation's events.
He couldn't risk it.
If something happened to Chenxi while he wasn't fully present… that was an outcome he could never accept.
So before leaving, he had to instill enough fear that none of them would ever dare approach her.
Even without a Vision, Kael had already planned several ways to achieve this.
But the Cryo Vision made it far easier.
Nothing suppressed violence better than overwhelming Strength.
Now he could stop worrying about Chenxi's safety even after leaving Sensory Mode.
Kael stayed in Sensory Mode a few more days.
Eventually, the injured children returned one after another.
The fear in their eyes told him everything.
There would be no more trouble.
Kael kissed Chenxi's chubby cheek, earning a wet slap of drool in return.
"Chenxi, I'll protect you. You only need to grow up happy and safe…"
He held her close for a moment, then spoke to the System.
"Exit Sensory Mode."
[Received.]
Kael's consciousness returned to his home in Mondstadt, though the life simulation continued.
[The children you injured now carry scars they can never erase. They resent you deeply.]
[But the terror they felt while facing death is also etched permanently into their hearts.]
[This fear ensures they will never resist you. They only dare curse you quietly in the dead of night.]
Just as he expected.
Let them curse. It didn't matter.
If curses worked, the Fatui would have died out long ago.
[Age 10: You have lived in the House of the Hearth for nearly a year.]
[After awakening your Vision, you no longer train with the other children.]
[The Knave assigned a Fatui operative to teach you privately.]
[Your training is completely different now. In addition to learning to use your Vision, you also undergo intensive espionage and counterintelligence instruction.]
[It seems the Fatui intend to shape you into a scout.]
[One day, your instructor brings you to a room you have never seen before.]
[The Knave is waiting behind a desk, smiling warmly at you.]
["You're here, the most exceptional child in the House of the Hearth."]