"Aha! Let's see which mangy mutt is barking in my corridor!"
Before Victor Wang could even leave the passage, a voice filled with echoes and disdain came from the entrance.
"What a stench… thick enough to make one sick! Dangerous creatures like you should've been locked in cages long ago! You want to die, fine by me—but don't drag us down with you!"
The voice grew nearer. As soon as its owner saw a human-shaped silhouette, he started swearing even louder—until his eyes focused on the figure before him.
"Ah… ahaha… wait—it's you?" said Enjou the Abyss Lector, his expression twisting in surprise.
Victor Wang blinked, a little taken aback himself. First, I'm called a dog, now I smell bad? He sighed. "I'm here to collect a relic, obviously. But if your answer doesn't satisfy me, I swear I'll beat you again."
"Hiss—!" Enjou sucked in a sharp breath, hurriedly waving his hands. "Wait, wait! My words weren't about you! There's something—or someone else—here. Did you see it?"
He must be talking about the Demonic Ring, Victor thought, deciding to test him. "What kind of 'something else'?"
"Some opportunists who slipped into Teyvat during the chaos," Enjou muttered darkly. "They wield powers from beyond this world—powers even more conspicuous than ours. Even though the gaze of those in the heavens grows dimmer by the day, that kind of arrogance won't go unnoticed."
"Sounds like the same bunch I know," Victor replied. Though Enjou's words were roundabout, Victor understood well enough—those "opportunists" were the Four Battle Technique Hunters. "But… you can actually detect where they appear?"
"Ahem… well, since our powers share the same origin, and we've been searching for the 'Founder of the Order' for so long, we've gained… a little experience."
"Good." Victor's tone softened just a little. "For that honesty, I won't hit you. There was an intruder here earlier, but it teleported away before I could finish it off. Can you track it down?"
"T-That's not so simple," Enjou stammered. "We can only sense them when they actually use their powers…"
"I see." Victor shook his head, disappointed. The Demonic Ring's teleportation and control over the Eternal Fall Illusion were far trickier than he'd imagined.
"Well then, I'll be going now!" Enjou's feet slid backward toward a prepared teleport portal. No way I'm fighting this guy again, he thought. Live to flee another day!
"Hold on." Victor's voice stopped him cold. "Those other times, Lumine was around, so I didn't have the chance to talk much. But now—why don't we chat a bit?"
"I'm busy—" Enjou began with a smug grin—only for the grin to freeze. Looking down, he saw that one of his legs was already inside the portal… while the other was locked tightly by a golden stone chain.
He tugged. It didn't budge. "Alright, alright, looks like I suddenly do have time," he said helplessly. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Just one question," Victor said evenly. "Where are the other Khaenri'ah relics?"
"…"
"Why the silence?"
"You first," Enjou shot back. "What are you, really?"
"…Why do you ask that?"
"No true Khaenri'ahn would be ignorant of where our strongholds once stood," Enjou said sharply. "Even if you're from the younger generation, you've already taken two relics. Ask your family—you should know the rest. But you don't. You act like someone who knows nothing. So, forgive me if I can't tell you anything more."
Victor scratched his chin. He's got a point…
Would showing my hilichurl form prove anything? he wondered.
But no—just being a hilichurl didn't necessarily mean being a Khaenri'ah hilichurl. His apparent ignorance about their history would only make him more suspicious—a perfect excuse for the Abyss Order to hold it over him.
Maybe I should just get him talking… and then get rid of him afterward?
Victor's expression hardened. "You really think you can bluff me? Think carefully—you're in my hands right now."
Enjou raised his chin defiantly. "Then kill me! I'll never tell you!"
"Pfft—ha! You've got some kind of kink, don't you?" Victor said mockingly. "Fine then. I won't give you what you want. The seven nations are full of hidden depths—I'll find the relics myself."
When he released the chains, Enjou blinked, visibly confused. "You're… really letting me go?"
"What else do you want? Dinner first? Or maybe my fist for dessert?"
That was all the encouragement Enjou needed—he bolted through the portal without another word.
"Old Mondstadt, Enkanomiya, and Khaenri'ah itself…" Victor muttered, counting on his fingers. "Of the three sites Diergis mentioned, two have already matched. That leaves only three relics unaccounted for. Easy enough… maybe there's one beneath The Chasm."
Still mumbling to himself, he strode toward the exit. The [Goblet of Endless Thirst] couldn't be used for transport, so to leave Enkanomiya, he had to rely on the usual teleport anchor—unfortunately, that meant pain.
The moment he pressed his hand to the anchor, his legs instinctively trembled, his head spinning, his stomach churning even though there was nothing left in it. Just touching the anchor was enough to make him gag—and he hadn't even started teleporting yet.
No helping it. Three teleports within a few hours—half an hour vomiting, an hour dizzy. He was done.
"Phew… look on the bright side—at least I'll finally get some sleep this time."
Resigned, he poured his energy into the teleport anchor, selected the Inazuma City waypoint on the map, and initiated the transfer.
The familiar wave of vertigo hit instantly.
"Uwah—eh?"
Victor blinked, straightening up abruptly. He was standing in Hanamizaka. The teleport had clearly completed—but aside from his usual nausea, there was nothing else.
"Wait—it's the goblet… it's the goblet… it's the goblet!"
Inside the relic space, the [Goblet of Endless Thirst] had just stopped vibrating.
In the empty Hanamizaka street, Victor's excitement overrode everything else. He slammed his hand back onto the anchor—destination: Cape Oath.
The moment he appeared, the cool, grassy scent of the seaside breeze washed over him. The night wind was crisp and smooth—just like the teleport itself.
"Again!"
This time—Qingyun Peak. High above the clouds, the wind howled, cold and damp, chilling him to the bone—but again, the teleport was flawless.
"Again!"
In the blink of an eye, he was at Mt. Tianheng, gazing down at Liyue Harbor below. Even at this late hour, lights twinkled faintly in the distance. He could just make out the faint glow from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor—still working diligently through the night. The sight was oddly comforting—just like this perfect teleport.
After a few tests, Victor Wang was finally sure—he would never again suffer those miserable teleportation side effects.
It meant that from now on, he could travel across nations effortlessly. See whoever he wanted. Go wherever he pleased.
In short, distance was no longer a limitation.
"The goblet, ah, the goblet—you're incredible!"