Victor Wang had discovered a rather serious problem—his mental energy had stopped growing.
When he purified the Electro element, it seemed that not only had his body recovered partially, but even his mind had grown substantially stronger. From a capacity of a [Cup], to a [Pond], to a [Lake], then touching the [River] level, his progress had been nothing short of miraculous. Originally, his limit was at the [Lake] level with no sight of the [River] in view, yet after that purification, he suddenly reached the bottleneck of the [Lake] and even grazed the threshold of the [River].
It should have been something to celebrate, yet whether this was a natural bottleneck or simply strength that came too quickly to be digested, his upper limit refused to rise any further…
No matter how Victor Wang used up his entire reserve of mental energy to create a massive Erosion Blast, exhausting himself to the point of blacking out, his capacity did not increase by even a fraction.
It went on like this for several days.
The joy of being able to use teleportation waypoints freely was quickly overshadowed. Teleportation waypoints could be ignored, even avoided—but mental power was the foundation of his strength.
Maybe after purifying another element, I'll naturally break through this bottleneck.
But, what if I can't?
That would mean his potential had reached its limit.
Regrettably, no one else seemed to have experienced this before. Lumine and Yae Miko had no such troubles, and Shenhe's adeptal cultivation advanced steadily as ever. Only Yanxiao, after hearing his concerns, offered gently, "Maybe just… settle yourself for a while, let it sink in."
Settle? Settle my memories and emotions?
Desire could summon a Vision, and memories and emotions could crystallize into artifacts. If he thought of them as the content that filled the container of the mind, then right now, it simply meant his mental container was too large.
But that didn't make sense—why should the container stop growing instead of overflowing? Normally, it should be the other way around.
Victor Wang could only speculate wildly, utterly unsure of how to "settle."
However, that morning, while checking the latest adventurer-exclusive reports at the Adventurers' Guild, Katheryne suddenly called out to him.
"Mr. Victor, someone's looking for you."
"Who?"
Victor Wang glanced around. He had come straight here from his lodgings to read the Adventurer's Daily and had been standing in front of the commission board the whole time. There was no one looking for him.
"Oh, my mistake for not clarifying," Katheryne smiled with her usual professionalism and winked playfully. "It was a request from someone in Liyue."
"Liyue?!"
Her smile deepened. "Girls always have their little secrets, don't mind me~"
"..."
"Ahem. You know Miss Keqing, right? It seems she has something she wishes to discuss with you."
"K–Keqing?"
…
"Hey."
"Ke–Keqing!"
"I just asked Katheryne to find you, and I didn't expect her to be so efficient… why are you stuttering? Sit down."
Like a defendant awaiting trial, Victor Wang swallowed nervously and stiffly took a seat across from Keqing. He'd hesitated about coming—but in the end, he did.
Sure enough, Keqing began calmly, "A few nights ago, why were you on my rooftop?"
"That was completely an accident, let me explain… you know how some Adepti can shwoosh and teleport instantly? That night, I was… well, teleported to your house by an enemy with a similar ability…"
"Like the teleportation waypoints you mentioned back in Mingyun Village?"
"Yes, exactly that! Wait—you actually remembered that!" Victor Wang was genuinely touched. That had been his first meeting with Keqing in Teyvat, back when he could only wield the Anemo element. How time had flown.
"So, you weren't lying to me back then?"
"The Adeptus at Wangshu Inn, the Great Yaksha, he can disappear in a flash and reappear just as suddenly."
"Even so…" Keqing propped her elbow on the table, brushing back a stray strand of her ponytail, tilting her head slightly. "I remember you said teleportation waypoints require active use, correct?"
"Right… no—well, yes, but… uh… the teleportation waypoint does require active use, but that night I didn't use one! I was forced there by that enemy!"
Watching Victor Wang stammer and flail for words, Keqing sighed softly.
She closed her eyes, recalling that day when Rex Lapis had "died." Back then, unaware of the tragedy, she'd been having lunch at Wangshu Inn. A little girl named Ning Zhen, having just lost her father, had mistaken Victor Wang for someone else and slapped him twice across the face.
For some reason, perhaps because of the upheaval that followed the Archon's death—or perhaps because of that one line, "When times are bitter, eat something sweet"—that entire day had remained vivid in her memory.
This man—his serious look, his calm demeanor, and now this flustered, guilty expression—were worlds apart.
"Forget it. Let's just put that matter behind us."
"Ah, you're such a good person, Qingqing!"
"Ah—Qingqing…?" Keqing's eyes widened. "Don't get too familiar with me!"
Victor Wang smiled without saying a word.
"Hmph… 'To get rich, build roads first.' If everyone could use teleportation waypoints, the level of connectivity would be unimaginable. It'd probably skyrocket the economy and everything else with it."
"Too bad not even you can use teleportation waypoints."
"Indeed, it's unfortunate… anyway, I didn't come here to talk about that. I actually have another matter. I heard you caused quite a stir in Inazuma. There's a task that requires someone strong, and I'd like to entrust it to you. Mind hearing me out?"
"Go ahead."
The light mood vanished. Keqing's brows furrowed slightly, her eyes carrying a trace of concern as she spoke slowly.
"You know about the Chasm, right? Years ago, after a mining accident, the Liyue Qixing sealed its entrance with a joint formation. But now, something restless seems to be stirring beneath it.
"Liyue thrives on its mining industry—it's a cornerstone of our economy. The Chasm's importance is known to nearly everyone, even outsiders. Sealing it back then was already a painful decision, like cutting off our own limb. Now that disaster brews again… it's beyond frustrating.
"Still, many await its reopening. If word got out about the anomaly, it would cause panic. We can't afford to make it public.
"So, we're quietly gathering suitable candidates to investigate. Even the official expedition is nominally under the command of a scholar from Sumeru. But the dangers below are considerable, and the team lacks a single Vision holder…
"We need someone capable, someone discreet, someone trustworthy. There aren't many who fit that description. Would you accept this commission?"
Capable, discreet, and trustworthy… Victor Wang felt his ego swell from the praise, and he almost blurted out a "yes" on the spot. Then he caught himself and asked, "Wait, what about Lumine? She's the great hero who saved Liyue from the clutches of the 'Overlord of the Vortex.' Shouldn't you be asking her?"
"Lumine? I believe someone else has already contacted her. But my choice… is you."
Qingqing!
Victor Wang was moved—deeply, overwhelmingly so. He nodded at once. "I'll do it."