Morning sunlight filtered gently through the wooden window of a small rented house in Springvale.
The peaceful village was quiet, as usual. The soft chirping of birds mixed with the rustling sound of the wind moving through the tall grass fields surrounding the settlement.
Inside the room, Aether slowly opened his eyes.
For a moment he simply stared at the wooden ceiling above him, letting his thoughts drift lazily.
"Another day already…"
He sat up on his bed and stretched his arms slightly. His body still felt somewhat sore from the previous days of traveling between Mondstadt and Liyue.
But resting too long was not something Aether enjoyed.
After all, an adventurer had responsibilities.
He stepped outside the house and looked toward the distant mountains where the golden lands of Liyue lay beyond the horizon.
"Maybe I should take a commission in Liyue Harbor today," he muttered.
The thought of earning more Mora was appealing.
And besides… exploring new regions always led to new discoveries.
Without wasting time, Aether summoned his golden wings and leaped into the sky.
The wind rushed past him as he flew toward the Nation of Contracts once again.
A Commission from the Guild
After a short flight across mountains and valleys, Aether arrived once more at the bustling streets of Liyue Harbor.
The harbor was as lively as ever.
Merchants negotiated loudly over prices.
Ships docked at the port while sailors carried cargo through the busy streets.
Aether walked toward the familiar counter of the Adventurers' Guild.
"Ad Astra Abyssosque!" greeted Katheryne as he approached.
"Welcome back, Aether."
He nodded politely.
"Good morning. I'm here to check if there are any commissions available."
Katheryne checked her records briefly.
"There is one request that requires immediate attention."
She placed a parchment on the counter.
"The commission involves eliminating a Stonehide Lawachurl that has been causing trouble near the mountain trails."
Aether raised an eyebrow.
"A Stonehide Lawachurl, huh?"
Katheryne nodded.
"It is an extremely durable and powerful monster. Many merchants traveling between regions have reported being attacked by it."
She then added calmly,
"Based on your current adventurer rank, we believe you are capable of handling this task."
Aether smiled slightly.
"I'll take it."
Katheryne handed him the location map.
"The target has been spotted near the rocky terrain west of Mt. Tianheng."
Aether tucked the map into his bag.
"Then I'll head there immediately."
The Stonehide Lawachurl
The journey took about half an hour.
The rocky cliffs surrounding the western region of Mt. Tianheng were quiet, but the atmosphere felt heavy.
Aether landed silently on a large rock formation and scanned the area.
Then he heard it.
Heavy footsteps.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
A massive figure emerged from behind a cluster of boulders.
It was the Stonehide Lawachurl.
The enormous Hilichurl towered above most monsters, its muscular body covered with thick rocky armor that protected its entire torso. Its body radiated immense strength.
Aether narrowed his eyes.
"So that's the target…"
The monster noticed him.
It let out a furious roar.
The ground trembled as the Lawachurl slammed its arms on the ground into the earth.
Chunks of rock erupted outward.
Aether quickly leaped into the air using his wings.
"Fast and powerful… just as expected."
The Lawachurl charged forward, swinging its massive fists and creating shockwaves with each impact.
Aether dashed through the air at high speed.
His greatest advantage was mobility.
While the Lawachurl possessed overwhelming strength and nearly impenetrable stone armor, it lacked agility.
Aether flew above it and launched a swift downward strike.
CLANG!
His sword struck the rocky armor.
The impact echoed loudly.
But the armor barely cracked.
"Tough…"
The Lawachurl roared and slammed its shield into the ground again.
This time, the shockwave was even stronger.
Aether narrowly avoided the attack by soaring upward.
He began moving rapidly through the air, striking repeatedly from different angles.
Each attack targeted the joints in the armor.
Left shoulder.
Right knee.
Lower back.
The Lawachurl swung wildly, trying to grab him.
But Aether was too fast.
After several high-speed strikes, a crack finally appeared in the rocky armor.
"There we go," Aether muttered.
The Lawachurl became enraged.
It lifted a massive boulder and hurled it toward him.
Aether dodged sideways and dived straight toward the creature.
With a precise strike, he shattered the weakened section of armor.
The Lawachurl stumbled.
Aether seized the opportunity.
He descended rapidly and delivered a powerful spinning slash.
The final blow struck the exposed core beneath the armor.
The giant monster roared one last time before collapsing heavily onto the ground.
Silence returned to the mountains.
Aether exhaled slowly.
"That was tougher than I expected…"
A Watcher on the Mountain
Later that day, Aether returned to the Adventurers' Guild and received his reward.
Afterward he flew back toward Springvale.
But far away, standing atop the high cliffs of Mt. Tianheng, someone was watching him.
A young woman with long golden hair.
It was Lumine.
Aether's twin sister.
She watched him quietly as he flew across the sky.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"He looks… peaceful."
Her voice carried both warmth and sadness.
"But why aren't you searching for me, brother…?"
Her smile slowly faded.
Then a voice spoke behind her.
"You seem conflicted."
Lumine turned sharply.
Standing behind her was Dainsleif.
Her expression hardened.
"Dainsleif."
He looked toward the distant sky where Aether had disappeared.
"He seems to be a lot different from you," Dainsleif said.
Lumine " So what? You got a problem with that."
Dainself "He seems to the perfect person to stop you."
Lumine " Don't drag him into this. He is trying to live his life here."
Lumine crossed her arms.
"That's exactly why you should stay away from him."
Dainsleif shook his head.
"You can't hide the truth from him for so long. Anyway, I have been searching for you, Lumine."
His voice became firm.
"To stop you and your stupid goals."
Before Lumine could respond—
A dark portal opened.
An Abyss Herald emerged.
"My princess," the Herald said, preparing to attack.
Lumine raised her hand.
"Stand aside."
She stepped forward and faced Dainsleif.
"You wish to stop me right here and now?"
Dainself "Yes.."
Lumine "Then lets see you try..."
Their swords clashed instantly.
The battle between them was fierce.
Dainsleif attacked with powerful precision, but Lumine moved with flawless swordsmanship.
Each of her movements was calm and controlled.
Eventually she disarmed him with a swift strike.
Dainsleif fell to one knee.
Lumine looked down at him coldly.
"You've grown weaker."
Then she turned away and disappeared into the shadows.
Dainself looking down and trying to catch his breathe.
Dainself "Tch....."
A New Power
Meanwhile, back in Springvale, Aether finished eating at the Good Hunter Restaurant before returning to his room.
He lay down on his bed and casually tossed a Mora coin into the air. He was thinking of making more mora so that he could buy a home for himself. He was imagining himself being surrounded by cute girls dressed up in maid uniform.
He giggled at the thought of it. The coin he was tossing.....
Up.....
Down.
Up.....
Down.
Then something strange he noticed.
The coin began falling slower.
Aether frowned.
"That's… odd."
He tossed it again.
This time the coin hovered briefly before descending.
"Wait a second…"
He focused.
The coin suddenly stopped in mid-air.
Aether stared at it in shock. He began to balance many other objects like glass, chair, clothes etc. Aether feels so excited. He wanted to try out this power more.
Experimenting with Power
Excited and confused, Aether rushed outside and flew towards Starfell Lake.
He began experimenting with rocks, paper, and other objects.
After several hours of practice, he could lift heavy stones effortlessly.
When he clenched his fist, the stones compressed under immense force.
He even managed to move objects toward and away from him.
"This power is incredible…"
A Dangerous Discovery
Later he decided to go back home by foot (so tired to fly), while walking through the forest, a wild boar suddenly charged at him.
Instinctively, Aether used his new ability.
The boar froze mid-air. Aether clenched his fist to see how it reacts
Surprisingly, the immense force compressed it into a tight mass of meat. Aether got shocked. Aether quickly released the power. A guilty feeling rushed over him quickly.
The result shocked him. The meat ball fell into the ground. The blood burst out of it from all the sides like that of a cutting a vein in the wrist. Blood spilled on his dress.
He stepped back slowly.
"Oh man... This is ... ammm....This power… is far more dangerous than I imagined."
He looked around to see no one coming and decided to flew back home. He realized he would need to control it carefully.
A New Plot
Meanwhile, inside the grand halls of the Northland Bank, Childe spoke to one of his agents.
"Spread a rumor for me," he ordered.
"What kind of rumor?" the subordinate asked.
Childe smiled darkly.
"Tell the people of Liyue that the one who assassinated Rex Lapis… was a blonde-haired traveler."
The subordinate bowed.
"As you command."
As the man left, Childe leaned back in his chair.
His smile widened.
"Let's see how you handle this, Aether."