"Allow me to formally introduce you. This is the city of pastoral songs, of wind and dandelions; the City of Freedom—"
"Travelers under the protection of the Knights of Favonius, welcome to Mondstadt!"
Amber enthusiastically introduced the city to the traveler and Paimon.
Jean smiled faintly.
That is exactly how Amber is.
Every visitor from afar was always touched by her warmth and her smile.
Paimon rubbed her hands together excitedly. "Finally, no more camping out in the wild! But... everyone in the city looks a little down."
"It's probably because the whole city is worried about Stormterror... But as long as Jean is here, everything will be alright!"
At the mention of her name, Amber proudly placed her hands on her hips.
"Jean?"
"The Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius—Jean, the guardian of Mondstadt."
"With Jean by our side, we can definitely overcome a disaster of Stormterror's magnitude."
Amber was full of confidence.
Meanwhile, Jean, the very person watching this scene, couldn't help but blush.
Is that how Amber sees me?
Seeing it from this perspective, she felt a little embarrassed by such unwavering trust.
Still, a warmth spread through her heart.
All her sacrifices for Mondstadt, all the effort and hardship—in that single moment, it all felt worthwhile.
The conversation shifted.
Amber explained that as a thank you for helping her clear the Hilichurl camp, she had a small gift for the traveler.
Following her lead, they made their way to a high point in the city, taking the opportunity to tour the scenery of this virtual Mondstadt along the way.
Although it wasn't as sprawling or bustling as the actual city, it had all the essential structures. Aside from some simplifications to the roads and non-essential buildings, it was a remarkably close replica of the real Mondstadt.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a miniature Mondstadt.
Here, one could completely capture the feeling of the city.
"Now then, for the gift I promised—a Wind Glider."
This was what Jean had expected.
She was, after all, an expert at using a Wind Glider.
In the game, it seemed many factors like wind direction and terrain had been simplified, making it much easier to use.
Just as they were gliding down toward the fountain plaza, the screen suddenly went dark.
Jean knew a new cutscene was starting.
This time, however, the plot seemed to take a momentous turn.
The sky suddenly darkened, filled with the oppressive feeling of an impending storm.
While Amber was still wondering what was happening, outside the city walls, the massive, azure dragon tore through the mists, flying from between the mountains toward Mondstadt!
It first circled the city walls, crashing through the eaves of a house before soaring high into the sky, letting out a furious roar.
A terrifying storm gathered above Mondstadt, and black tornadoes descended from the heavens.
The citizens fled in panic. In the chaos of the evacuation, the traveler was inadvertently swept up into one of the tornadoes.
Instantly, she was pulled high into the air. Fortunately, she managed to open the Wind Glider she had just received, narrowly avoiding a fatal fall.
She then dodged a deadly strike from Stormterror as it emerged from the mist, using the force of the blow to propel herself toward the dragon's back.
For an ordinary person, that sequence of events would have meant death ten times over.
Jean could only chalk it up to the traveler having incredibly good luck.
She was not yet aware of the concept of "plot armor."
"Huh? Can a Wind Glider really stay airborne for this long?" Paimon wondered aloud.
"It is I who has lent you the aid of a thousand winds, so that you shall not fall..."
A mysterious voice echoed.
"Now, concentrate. Imagine the wind in your grasp. Let it be the force that breaks through the clouds..."
By now, they seemed to be at an immense altitude, high enough to see the clouds swirling below.
Ahead, Stormterror beat its wings, flying forward at high speed, seemingly with no intention of turning back to attack.
Jean found that she could now continuously fire projectiles of Anemo energy at the dragon.
Before long, Stormterror seemed to tire of the pointless chase. With a final roar, a fierce gale pushed the traveler back, while the dragon itself accelerated, breaking through the cloud cover and vanishing from sight.
The traveler no longer had the ability to give chase and began to glide slowly down from the sky.
She landed in the plaza before the great statue of Barbatos.
"Are you alright?"
Amber rushed forward, grabbing the traveler's arms in concern.
Clap... clap... clap...
Accompanied by a rhythmic applause, a man slowly walked into the scene.
"To think you possess the power to fight a dragon... Are you a new ally... or a new storm?"
Kaeya...
Was it unexpected, or entirely predictable?
Kaeya had also appeared in the game.
However, this cutscene filled Jean's heart with a sense of unease.
Currently, the real Stormterror was only harassing the areas surrounding the city. While it had caused a lot of trouble, it had not yet escalated to the level of a "direct threat."
But if the game's plot was any indication, was Stormterror going to attack the city directly?
Although the cutscene didn't show the extent of the damage to Mondstadt in detail, Jean knew very well what it would mean.
If such an event were to occur, the devastation would be immeasurable!
Those black tornadoes alone would claim the lives of many of Mondstadt's citizens.
This was something Jean absolutely could not allow to happen!
"The citizens who you protected all witnessed your battle against the dragon."
"The Acting Grand Master is also very interested in you two. She wishes to speak with you at the Knights of Favonius Headquarters." Kaeya stated in his usual unhurried tone.
Jean was taken aback.
The plot is already involving me...?
If something like this really happened, she would certainly want to meet this dragon-fighting traveler at the earliest opportunity.
But none of this had happened yet.
Things seemed to be heading in an unbelievable direction.
Just as Jean was about to continue with the next part of the story, Lin Yu walked over to her side.
"Excuse me, miss. Your two-hour free trial has ended."
"What? So soon?"
Jean looked up at the clock on the wall and realized it was already past three in the morning.
Not only had two hours passed, but she had even gone a little over.
And she hadn't noticed at all?