Stormterror's Lair.
Aerin lay sprawled across a slab of stone, one leg casually crossed over the other, enjoying the breeze drifting through Mondstadt's ruins.
He had to admit—
The wind here was ridiculously comfortable.
So soothing it almost made him sleepy.
He opened the system interface and glanced at the numbers.
The Emotion Value was accumulating at an impressive rate.
Enough for a ten-pull already.
"Looks like the Hilichurl troops really left a deep impression on them."
"Though I wonder how Mondstadt's citizens are feeling right now…"
"They've probably started resenting me."
The eerie quiet of the chat channel spoke volumes.
Across Teyvat, fear weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.
Most people had never witnessed the black beast tide of Khaenri'ah.
And the terror of these mutated Hilichurls was more than enough to shake their courage.
Why?
Because no one had ever seen monsters this bizarre before.
These mutated Hilichurls weren't the result of Aerin modifying normal ones.
They were summoned directly through his monster-summoning ability.
Their white exoskeletons and the interwoven hues of pink and blue—
Those colors were manifestations of their internal energy.
In truth, their real nature was closer to Honkai Beasts than native Teyvat monsters.
Using elemental power against them was bound to feel inadequate.
Whether it was Jean or Diluc, neither could be considered top-tier among Vision holders.
Against monsters like these, struggling was inevitable.
[Congratulations, Host. Ten-pull completed.]
[Reward acquired: Mount.]
[Benares — Judgment-Class Honkai Beast.
Dragon-form aerial unit.
Capable of weather manipulation.
Ice / Fire / Lightning / Dark attributes.
Regeneration enabled.
Size manipulation available.
Possesses independent consciousness.]
"…What?"
"A Be—Beibei Dragon?"
Aerin immediately examined the summon with his mind.
Deep blue scales.
White armored plating.
A dark-blue neck and underbelly, streaked with cyan patterns.
Four eyes.
Massive blue wings supported by white skeletal frames, cyan claws and membranes.
It looked exactly like Benares.
He hurriedly flipped through the gacha log, hoping to find something like a pseudo-Herrscher core.
If Benares could turn into Bella, that'd be perfect…
Unfortunately, the remaining rewards were mostly combat experience boosts, stamina and energy enhancements, and some daily-life items.
Still—
"This is already more than good enough."
Satisfied, Aerin snapped his fingers.
A black vortex spun open beneath him.
A mountain-sized Benares slowly rose from within.
"Shrink."
"Understood, my lord."
The dragon's deep yet ethereal voice echoed.
In the next instant, its size compressed to around ten meters.
Aerin jumped onto its back and lay down comfortably.
Benares instinctively lowered itself to the ground.
"This beats lying on stone any day."
He glanced at the sky.
Still far from dusk.
Plenty of time left to harvest more Emotion Value from Teyvat.
[Several days have passed since the burning of Mondstadt.]
[Jean has not had a single peaceful night's sleep.]
[Every dream is haunted by those terrifying white Hilichurls.]
["Lady Vennessa… may your gaze still watch over Mondstadt."]
["Protect it from all external threats."]
At the heart of Windrise, beneath the great oak tree—
Jean knelt on one knee, both hands resting on her sword's hilt.
Praying silently.
This oak had grown on the day Vennessa ascended to Celestia.
A sacred tree that had stood for a thousand years.
Whenever exhaustion overwhelmed her, Jean came here alone.
The gentle wind brushed her face, as if offering comfort.
That night, she had rushed back to Mondstadt—
Only to see soot-stained faces everywhere.
From Kaeya, she learned the truth.
The mutated Hilichurls had slipped into the city and set it ablaze.
Fortunately, Vision holders like Mona and Barbara, along with Lumine and others, reacted quickly.
The flames were extinguished before the fire could spread.
Shame.
Unprecedented shame.
First the dragon crisis.
Then the Abyss Order.
And now—Mondstadt was set on fire by a group of white Hilichurls.
Knights had died.
Others were severely injured.
Yet the only conclusion reached was—
"The Abyss Order did it."
Nothing truly resolved.
Public unrest grew.
As Acting Grand Master, the pressure on Jean was unimaginable.
She finished her prayer and looked toward the distance.
After a long silence, she spoke softly:
"Amber… I hope this time you find something useful."
"And please… be careful."
Rustle—rustle.
From the bushes along the cliff, a pair of red bunny ears poked out.
Amber's head followed as she peered toward a cave below.
Her expression changed instantly.
"Found you… you jerks."
Hilichurls were emerging from the cave one by one.
White armor.
Pink and blue markings—just like before.
"But I won't know the truth unless I go inside…"
Amber hesitated.
"No! That's too dangerous, Amber!"
Jean's anxious voice rang out from the Knights' headquarters office.
Amber hurriedly replied, "Acting Grand Master, I'm right here!"
Seeing her safe, Jean finally exhaled, her tension easing slightly.
"Jean…" Lisa looked at her with concern.
Lumine and Paimon exchanged a glance and sighed.
At this rate, Jean's mental state really was worrying.
She was too tense.
"Jean, you need to relax a little," Lisa said gently.
She knew Jean well—upright, responsible, carrying more burden than anyone.
She also understood the crushing pressure Jean was under.
"Miss Alice will be back soon, won't she?"
"And Eula and the others, after seeing these revelations, will definitely keep a close watch around Mondstadt."
"Besides, dealing with the Fifth Descender isn't your burden alone."
"All of Teyvat's forces will act."
Hearing this, Jean finally felt some weight lift from her chest.
"With Miss Alice returning… Mondstadt's defenses will be secure," Jean said with a strained smile.
"Exactly!" Amber laughed.
"Miss Alice just needs to toss one bomb into that cave and bury all those Hilichurls!"
Rustle—rustle.
The sound of grass brushing against cloth startled Amber.
She turned sharply—
And found a handsome young man standing beside her, seemingly out of nowhere.
"You noticed these strange Hilichurls too?"
The boy asked cautiously.
Amber instantly raised her guard.
"Who are you?"
"Ah! Why is it him?!"
Paimon cried out.
Lumine's eyes widened as well.
Their reaction immediately drew everyone's attention.
Lisa asked, "You two reacted pretty strongly. Do you know the boy in the projection?"
Paimon and Lumine nodded.
Paimon said cheerfully:
"Yep! His name's Aerin.
We met him before coming to Mondstadt!"
"He even treated Lumine and me to roasted boar he cooked himself."
"Wow… it was so good. I'm drooling again just thinking about it."
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