Snowflakes drifted down from the dull sky, falling thick and endless.
A thick layer of snow had piled up on the bare branches of the trees. As far as the eye could see, the entire Barren Mountain was blanketed in white.
It really reminded Lu Chen of Dragonspine.
However, this mountain range wasn't nearly as tall as Dragonspine, so it lacked the same breathtaking majesty.
The mountain's name was literally "Barren Mountain." Not because it was desolate—though it certainly looked that way now—but because that was its actual name.
In this bleak and snow-laden weather, where everything was withered and the cold wind howled, only the spot where Lu Chen stood felt warm.
The bonfire crackled brighter and brighter. Lu Chen saw a warm orange glow reflected on Venti's face. As night fell, their shadows flickered against the firelight.
Venti had fumbled once earlier, but it hadn't been a complete waste.
He was using Anemo to gently blow the falling snow away, forming an invisible wind field that shielded the fire from going out.
The roast was finally ready. Lu Chen gripped the wooden stick. Though the wild boar meat was charred on the outside, once he cracked through the carbonized layer, tender, fully-cooked pink meat was revealed, releasing a mouthwatering aroma into the air.
Lu Chen handed the first piece to Venti—a reward for his help clearing the snow and providing a proper spot to cook.
Venti eagerly grabbed the steaming meat. The first bite was so hot it nearly slipped from his hand.
"Legend has it that Lord Barbatos strummed his lyre, using the wind to scatter the ice and snow, shaping today's Mondstadt," Lu Chen teased. "Who would've thought he'd use his divine power for something like this?"
"Divine power is meant to be used! Who cares how?" Lord Barbatos bit into the meat and started wolfing it down without a shred of decorum.
Looks like Venti was a practical type. Lu Chen chuckled and took a piece for himself.
"You guys always picture gods as these lofty, sacred beings—totally out of touch!" he said between bites. "But gods have emotions too, you know!"
"I've never seen a god who slacks off this much..." Lu Chen remembered Venti stealing wine.
"Lu Chen, your cooking is amazing... this roast is better than anything I've had in Springvale..."
"If you like it, eat more."
"Of course... Here, give me another one!"
Lu Chen hadn't even finished his own, but still handed him another piece.
Outside the wind field, snowflakes continued to fall. Inside, the two of them were enjoying grilled meat in peace. The contrast was surreal. As he thought about it, Lu Chen pulled out his phone.
In the chat group, Lu Chen shared several pictures.
Teyvat's Most Handsome: [Photo: Close-up of steaming grilled meat, white Barren Mountain in the background]
Teyvat's Most Handsome: [Photo: Venti drinking vodka]
Teyvat's Most Handsome: [Photo: Thumbs-up selfie with Venti eating meat and the bonfire in the background]
Ying: ...
Teyvat's Most Handsome: See? Not dangerous at all. Feels more like a vacation.
Ying: I want to eat that too (crying cat emoji)
Teyvat's Most Handsome: I'll make you some when I get back.
Ying: I want the exact kind you're eating.
Teyvat's Most Handsome: I'll figure something out (helpless panda emoji)
The Greatest Bard: My phone's been blowing up—what are you guys talking about behind my back?
...
After checking in with Raiden Ei, Lu Chen realized more than half the meat was already gone. Venti was sitting cross-legged, burping and completely stuffed, looking anything but dignified.
Are all archons this gluttonous...?
If it were him alone, this boar could've lasted several days.
With that thought, Lu Chen quietly grabbed another piece. Watching Venti devour the meat had really boosted his appetite...
Venti took another swig, and Lu Chen couldn't help but picture that classic scene—a lone swordsman drinking wine in the snow.
If he shouted 'Good wine!' right now, the image would be complete.
As the snowfall grew heavier and the sky darker, Lu Chen decided they should reach their destination before nightfall.
But just then, three unfamiliar figures appeared—poorly dressed and sighing.
They seemed to have followed the scent of grilled meat and the glow of the fire. The moment they saw the two sitting and eating leisurely, their eyes lit up and they rushed over in delight.
"There's someone there!"
"There's a fire! And food! We're saved!"
They picked up speed, but whether it was the deep snow or their injuries, they moved slowly.
When they finally stumbled close, Lu Chen saw that they were indeed hurt. Two were wrapped in bandages, and the third was using a tree branch as a makeshift crutch—clearly in rough shape.
"Who are you?" Lu Chen frowned, looking at one of them.
"Please let us warm up by the fire! We're freezing..." the one with the crutch pleaded.
The other two had wanted to dash straight over, but were stopped by the man with the crutch. He pointed at the nearly invisible wind field, his face full of awe.
The two teens by the fire didn't have a single snowflake on them. No snow drifted around them, the ground had thawed, and the warmth felt almost unreal—like a sanctuary in the middle of a snowstorm.
"This... this is!?"
"It's a psychic!" one of them cried.
"They can control subtle, invisible elemental forces..." the man with the crutch murmured, his gaze turning reverent as he looked at Lu Chen.
"Are you and your companion also here to seek the secret treasure?"
Lu Chen thought about the terms the man used. "Psychic" was just a misunderstanding of "Vision holders." And "secret treasure" probably referred to the chests hidden in the Ley Line anomalies.
Places dense with elemental energy were also places where worlds overlapped. The real Teyvat system would place treasure chests in these areas as rewards. The greater the danger, the better the rewards—so this spot likely had something valuable.
Though obtaining a Vision required extreme conditions, with such a large global population, someone else might have one. Lu Chen had considered the possibility before, but he'd never seen anyone outside of Teyvat with a Vision.
He looked over the ragged group but didn't answer the man's question. Instead, he told Venti to stop the wind field.
Snowflakes began to fall again, and the bonfire flickered.
"Come in," Lu Chen said.
"Thank you—thank you both!" the man with the crutch said quickly.
The other two helped him over. As they reached the fire, all three sighed in relief at the warmth.
They were probably "adventurers" from the real world hunting for chests. Lu Chen pointed at the leftover meat, motioning for them to help themselves, then asked curiously:
"What happened to you guys? Why are you in such bad shape? Where's your gear?"
The two excitedly warmed their hands but didn't touch the food.
The man with the crutch sighed. "We heard that hidden realms like this could have unexpected treasures. We got ahead of ourselves and came to explore, but ran into monsters deep in the mountains. We barely escaped with our lives and didn't even have time to grab our camping gear..."
One of the others added, "Then the snow just kept getting worse, and the temperature dropped fast. We almost froze to death out there..."
The man with the crutch gave Lu Chen another grateful look—because the other teen just sat there zoned out, barely reacting.
"It'll take hours to get down the mountain. If we hadn't met you, we probably would've died out there!"
Lu Chen listened closely and started to piece things together.
Monsters in the deep mountains? From how they described them, they didn't sound like Cryo Slimes. So what were they?
Could it be that the destination of their trip was also the source of the Ley Line anomaly?