As Stormterror fled into the sky with the last trace of residual anger, the scene fell into a brief silence.
The gale had not completely dissipated, blowing everyone's clothes and hair.
But everyone's eyes converged on Kael's hand without exception.
That strange War Lance (Rifle) they had never seen before.
The body was slender, the black, white, and gold color scheme carrying a sharp aesthetic.
The blade shimmered with a cold ice-blue luster in the wind.
The barrel extended out, revealing a trace of a flintlock shadow, but far more technological and tactically intimidating than ordinary flintlocks.
What was most shocking was the terrifying power contained in that gun.
It had just lightly obliterated a powerful Abyss Mage with one strike.
Exploding and annihilating it.
What kind of terrifying weapon is this?
Jean's eyes narrowed slightly, not yet recovered from the shock.
As the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, she had naturally seen many excellent weapons.
Even the armory of the Mondstadt Cathedral treasured many divine weapons symbolizing glory.
However, she had never seen such a mysterious weapon.
It didn't look like a traditional Mondstadt forged weapon, nor like Liyue's Adepti-crafted divine weapons, and was completely different from Snezhnaya's technology.
What exactly is it?
And where did Kael get it from?
Diluc frowned slightly, a trace of solemnity flashing deep in his red pupils.
He hadn't not seen flintlocks.
In fact, some Fatui agents were equipped with similar long-range weapons.
But compared to this War Lance, the Fatui's flintlocks were simply like children's toys.
This gun...
Doesn't look like something from this world.
The most crucial point was... he was curious how Kael took it out.
Such a big gun.
Could it be that Kael also has alchemy props capable of storage?
On this point, not only Diluc, but Jean was also extremely confused.
Where did Kael pull out such a huge War Lance from?
That's not an ordinary one-handed weapon.
Judging by the volume alone, it's impossible to carry around.
Could it be that Kael also possesses special storage equipment used only by alchemists?
But if Kael had it...
According to the news she received before, Kael didn't need to carry sacks full of resources back to the Adventurers' Guild. That would be too troublesome.
Paimon widened her eyes, floating in the air, looking Kael's War Lance up and down with a shocked face. "Kael, you hid it too deep, right?! What mysterious weapon is this?!"
As she spoke, Paimon flew around Kael's gun hurriedly.
Facing Paimon's words, Kael smiled faintly.
He raised his hand and rotated the War Lance. The blade drew a secluded blue arc in the air, refracting cold light.
Then he smiled. "It's a gun."
"Of course I know it's a gun! What kind of gun?"
Paimon puffed up her cheeks. "This is a terrifying weapon that instantly killed an Abyss Mage just now! This is simply more exaggerated than those divine weapons!"
"Just a gun."
Kael pinched his chin, pondering. "As for why it has this power, you can understand it as the forging materials being different. For example... using fragments of a Demon God (Archon) as material."
Kael casually made up a reason, causing Paimon and the others to widen their eyes abruptly.
Fragments of a Demon God as material?
"I understand. It's like the Holy Lyre, a divine weapon. Only your weapon leans toward offense."
Jean spoke thoughtfully.
Such a divine weapon must be similar to the Holy Lyre.
Kael is indeed mysterious.
Thinking of this, Jean quickly adjusted her thoughts and returned to a calm expression. "However, no matter what... the most important thing now is to handle the Stormterror situation."
"Bar—Your Excellency Venti, please take care of yourself."
Saying this, Jean looked at Venti.
"Haha... Actually, you didn't just guess that identity now, right, Jean?"
Hearing Jean's words, Venti chuckled. "However, thank you for continuing to call me by this name."
"So how is the Holy Lyre now?"
Diluc frowned. "Can it still be played? ...Or can it be repaired with Dragon Tears?"
"Umm..."
Hearing Diluc's words, Venti looked down.
Looking at the Holy Lyre without luster, he sighed softly. "If it's broken like this... there might be no way."
"Although the Abyss Mage is dead, the Stormterror problem hasn't been solved..."
Diluc pondered. "If we can't find the source of the corruption, we can't alleviate the pain Dvalin suffers."
"Abyss Order... monsters hostile to humanity. Even the underground intelligence network rarely has news of them."
"The source of Stormterror seems to be the Abyss Order."
"Source of corruption?"
Hearing this, Paimon scratched her head. "Is the source the Abyss Order? The Abyss Mage was just killed by Kael. Isn't that enough?"
"The key to resolving corruption is purification."
Kael pinched his chin and pondered. "As long as the curse on Stormterror is removed, it will be fine."
"I was too focused on killing that Abyss Mage just now and didn't intercept Stormterror."
"If I had intercepted it and purified the curse on Stormterror, it would have been smooth."
He was too focused on killing the Abyss Mage.
Stormterror left so fast he didn't even have time to blind it.
Even he was startled by the power of this gun when killing the Abyss Mage on the spot.
Besides, the most critical option to exploit the System's wool didn't appear.
"As expected of Mr. Kael."
Hearing Kael's words, Venti also spoke up. "You knew the key point at once."
"Fortunately, you didn't intercept it just now. Dvalin was in a violent state and had been severely corrupted. Without the blessing of the Holy Lyre's music... although you would be fine, Starsnatch Cliff would definitely be destroyed. That would be a huge loss for Mondstadt."
"The power displayed by Dvalin in a rage cannot be underestimated even by the current me."
Venti didn't doubt Kael's words at all.
Instead, he added for Kael.
Regarding Kael's claim of intercepting Stormterror, he actually believed it.
"Is that so?"
Hearing Venti's words, Kael raised an eyebrow.
Violent Stormterror... crazy destruction caused by blindness... Venti can't solve it?
Shouldn't be.
"But speaking of which, Anemo Archon Barbatos... why use human power?"
Beside them, Paimon looked at Venti confusedly. "You are the Anemo Archon. Can't you stop Stormterror even when it's violent?"
"Haha, how should I put it?"
Hearing Paimon's words, Venti laughed and said, "What people call the Seven Gods, the more origin title is The Seven Archons of the Mortal World."
"Dividing the mortal world and ruling one-seventh each is our duty as Gods."
"Fulfilling divine duties accumulates divine power. But I don't like ruling... I feel Mondstadt wouldn't like it either."
"Then do you think my divine power would be much?"
Hearing this, Paimon was stunned.
Is that so?
But it seems true.
The Anemo Archon disappeared from Mondstadt for a thousand years.
Without fulfilling divine duties, naturally, divine power cannot be accumulated.
This seems to make sense.
Jean beside them said softly, "Let the wind lead... Let freedom reign... We keep Lord Barbatos's philosophy in mind."
"So devout, Grand Master Jean!"
Hearing Jean's words, Paimon looked over and sighed. "Never thought it might be because someone is too free and lazy and doesn't want to manage things."
"Ahem. Anyway, look, I haven't returned to Mondstadt for so long..."
Hearing this, Venti coughed immediately. "So the current me is undoubtedly the weakest of the Seven!"
When saying this, Venti spoke with certainty, as if saying something very proud.
Paimon: "..."
Lumine: "..."
Diluc: "..."
Jean: "..."
"What's there to be proud of..."
Lumine looked at Venti speechlessly. "As expected of the God of the City of Freedom."
"You flatter me."
"Heh... Is it good or bad that we have such an Anemo Archon?"
Beside them, Diluc shook his head. "But now let's put aside the topic of the Seven Nations and Seven Gods and focus on the common enemy of humanity again."
"Since the Anemo Archon wants to use human power, can you give more information?"
"What do you think is best now?"
"Do you know Stormterror's Lair?"
Hearing Diluc's words, Venti said softly, "After Dvalin woke up, he took an ancient ruin as his lair."
"Like the storm that previously sealed Mondstadt, the entrance to the ruins also has a special barrier."
"But now, from the moment the Abyss Mage appeared earlier... from the dissipated energy, I can read the rhythm of weaving magic."
"Although that rhythm is uglier than the chorus of Hilichurls, it is enough for us to break the storm barrier and reach the interior of Stormterror's Lair."
"Mr. Kael defeated only one Abyss Mage. There are other Abyss Mages connected to Dvalin."
"There is an energy on the Abyss Mage that seems to isolate the connection between me and Dvalin. Even if the Abyss Mage is solved, that energy will dissipate."
"I wanted to trace other Abyss Mages immediately through energy, but that energy was destroyed too thoroughly by Mr. Kael's shot."
Speaking of this, Venti scratched his head. "But with Mr. Kael's weapon, we can also easily break the special barrier at the entrance of Stormterror's Lair."
"So, Your Excellency Anemo Archon means we should go to Stormterror's Lair and crusade against Stormterror head-on?"
Diluc frowned. "Forgive my bluntness. Without you, relying solely on the Knights of Favonius to crusade against the violent Stormterror... I'm afraid it can't be done."
Whether it was him or Jean, facing the flying Stormterror, they were naturally at a disadvantage.
"And Jean has always been the one who wants to avoid war."
Saying this, Diluc looked at Jean.
"No. When there is no better choice, I will bear the responsibility of changing the policy."
Jean shook her head gently. "If crusading against the Wind Dragon is the only plan, then I will be the knight charging in front."
"It hasn't reached that step yet."
Venti shook his head. "Our true trump card is the Traveler."
"Traveler?"
Hearing this, everyone present looked at Lumine.
Lumine was even more confused. "Me? Because I can fight well?"
"Because you purified the Tear Crystal."
Kael spoke slowly. "You have to understand, the impurities in the tear and the curse entangled on Dvalin are the same evil power."
"Only you can purify it, and only you can clear Stormterror's curse."
"I see."
Hearing this, Lumine narrowed her eyes. "No problem, I'm responsible for purification!"
"Ready to go anytime!"
"But this battle requires everyone's strength."
"Especially you, Kael."
Saying this, Lumine looked at Kael.
Hearing Lumine's words, everyone present looked at Kael.
Indeed.
Whether it was the mysterious power Kael displayed or the weapon, it could help them easily.
"Mr. Kael."
Immediately, Jean bowed to Kael. "Please help us."
As Jean bowed and spoke.
In front of Kael, lines of text appeared immediately.
[Because of your help, Bronya recalled her vague childhood memories. But Bronya is very confused right now because she feels her mother's actions might be wrong. Facing Bronya's wavering and confusion, you chose to add fuel to the fire, igniting Bronya's fire of rebellion.]
[Congratulations on obtaining Option One Reward: Bronya's Path Branch Skill — [Combat Redeployment].]
[Effect: Upon use, immediately removes one debuff from a designated ally, allows them to act immediately, and increases their DMG by 33%/66%.]
As the text appeared, Kael instantly felt a vast power appear out of thin air again, pouring into his body instantly.
In an instant, Kael mastered this skill.
"Comfortable."
In an instant, Kael narrowed his eyes.
You have to know, he had Clara's Path Branch Skill — [Family] (Passive).
That thing was a passive talent.
When attacked, there was a fixed 35% chance to remove 1 debuff from himself.
Before, when fighting the Fatui, being ignited by the Delusion's black flame, it was instantly removed.
But only a 35% chance.
Not 100%.
But now, this Path Skill from Bronya... 100% removes one debuff from a designated target.
Even if he suffered an attack, he could instantly add this to himself.
Bronya and Clara's Path Skills combined were simply too cool.
And while removing the negative target, it could also increase the target's damage.
"Wait."
Feeling the ability of this Path Skill, Kael's expression suddenly became strange.
Can this thing... remove the curse erosion on Stormterror?
After all, using this thing once could remove one debuff.
If he saw Stormterror and threw it a few times directly, wouldn't he be able to remove the curse on Stormterror 100%?
Thinking of this, Kael pondered.
This seems... feasible.
This thing.
Able to remove negative effects. The curse was definitely negative.
But it would cause the target's damage to increase by nearly double.
But if removed, Stormterror shouldn't attack anymore, right?
At worst, he also had Sampo's Path Skill [Blindness].
Thinking of this, Kael fell into deep thought.
Stormterror's problem seems easy to solve.
Don't even need Lumine to purify.
If I see Stormterror, throwing this skill of Bronya's seems to be able to solve it.
If once isn't enough, then throw it a few more times?
While Kael was thinking this.
On the panel in front of him, text emerged again.
[You made Bronya more firmly believe that her mother's actions were wrong, and also let this girl abandon her unnecessary naivety. Facing all this truth, Bronya decided to face Cocolia directly.]
[As Svarog opened the Furnace Core and told everyone the Stellaron information, the Trailblazer found that the information inside was exactly the same as what you said before, and was greatly shocked by you.]
[You continued to tell everyone that Bronya's departure this time would inevitably be an attempt by Cocolia to access the consciousness of the Stellaron. The urgent task is to solve the Stellaron crisis first.]
[Facing your words, Bronya chose to believe, but she still wanted to talk to her mother again. You couldn't stop her anymore, only letting Bronya be careful. At the same time, it could also let Bronya stabilize Cocolia.]
[You informed everyone that next they only need to go to the location of the Stellaron, taking advantage of the gap before Cocolia and Bronya meet, to seal the Stellaron. As long as it is sealed in advance, there is no need to worry about Cocolia contacting the Stellaron, becoming the Mother of Deception, and causing more crises for everyone.]
[Everyone decided to split up. However, although they had your information, the Trailblazer still didn't understand the specific route to the Stellaron. The Trailblazer issued an invitation to you. Facing the Trailblazer's invitation, you choose...]