[Sky Trace World – The Endless Ocean]
The Neo-Alcor sliced through the calm waters.
"Where is it?" Beidou stood at the helm, scanning the horizon. "This ocean goes on forever."
"Quiet," Ganyu whispered, closing her eyes. Her Qilin bloodline gave her heightened sensitivity to nature. "I feel something... massive. Below us."
Albedo checked his instruments. "My sonar is picking up a rapid ascent. Something colossal is coming up from the deep. Fast."
Suddenly, the ocean began to boil.
The sky turned dark as a shadow eclipsed the sun.
"What in the Archons' name..." Lisa gasped.
A creature broke the surface.
It wasn't just big. It was a continent.
The Giant Kun (Behemoth) was easily four times the size of Narukami Island. Its mouth opened, creating a whirlpool that sucked in millions of tons of seawater—and the Neo-Alcor with it.
"Hold on!" Beidou shouted, recalling the ship into her inventory instantly. "Everyone, link up! Don't get separated!"
They tethered themselves with Anemo ropes and let the current drag them into the abyss.
[Inside the Giant Kun]
Darkness.
Then, light.
The group tumbled out of the water and landed on a soft, mossy shore. They looked up and gasped.
The "sky" of this inner world was illuminated by thousands of glowing blue orbs, resembling stars.
"Wow..." Xiangling marveled. "Are those stars?"
"No," Ganyu shook her head. "Those are giant pearls. This ecosystem is self-contained."
"Alright, focus," Jean commanded. "We need to find the Black Dragon King. Or the Diren race."
"I'll scout ahead," Albedo said, activating his camouflage. "I want to collect some samples."
"We'll split up," Beidou decided. "Stay in radio contact. Find the target."
[Team Xiangling]
Xiangling climbed a high ridge to get a better view.
"If it's a Dragon King, he must be near water," she mumbled. "Wait... what's that?"
She spotted a procession moving along a lower path.
It was a group of about a hundred humanoids. But their guards...
"Are those walking shrimp?" Xiangling squinted.
They were monsters. Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals. Blue skin, carapace armor, and heads that looked delicious.
"Ingredients!" Xiangling's eyes lit up.
She crept closer, listening to their conversation.
"Hehe... fresh meat for the King," a Crab General laughed, cracking a whip. "These Diren look tender. Maybe the King will leave us some scraps."
"Don't count on it," a Shrimp Soldier grunted. "The King hasn't shared food in years. The Diren flesh increases his cultivation. He eats them all."
Xiangling's excitement vanished, replaced by disgust.
They eat people?
She looked at the prisoners. They were beautiful, with scales and fins—the Diren race. But their faces were blank, resigned to death.
Only one young merman was crying silently.
Whip.
"Quiet!" The Crab General lashed the boy. "Smile! You are an offering to the King! If you cry, he might lose his appetite and eat your whole village instead!"
The prisoners forced painful, terrified smiles.
Xiangling clenched her fists. She opened the group chat.
Xiangling: "Found them. Sector 4. They are escorting prisoners to be eaten. I'm going in."
Ganyu: "Wait for us. We're close."
[The Ambush]
Just as the Crab General raised his whip again, the air temperature plummeted.
Crack.
An arrow made of pure ice slammed into the ground. The shockwave froze the Shrimp Soldiers instantly.
Ganyu stood on the ridge, her bow drawn.
Beidou, Eula, and Rosalyne landed in front of the convoy.
"You're safe now," Xiangling announced, stepping out with her spear. "We're here to kill the Dragon King!"
But instead of cheering, the Diren prisoners panicked.
"No! Are you crazy?!"
"You can't kill him! He's immortal!"
"Run away! If he sees you, he'll blame us! He'll eat the whole village!"
"Don't help us! Just leave!"
They were terrified. Years of slavery had broken their spirits. They preferred certain death over the risk of rebellion.
"Shut up!"
Beidou roared. A wave of Conqueror's Haki swept over the crowd.
Thud.
The weaker merfolk fainted. The rest fell to their knees, shaking uncontrollably.
"I hate cowards," Beidou spat, glaring at them. "We are here to save you. If you want to die, stay on your knees. If you want to live, stand up!"
She pointed her claymore at the frozen monsters.
"Now. Who knows the way to the Dragon's lair?"
Silence.
Then, the young merman who had been crying stepped forward. His back was bleeding from the whip marks.
"I... I will take you."
"Fu Chi! No!" an elder cried.
"My sister was eaten three years ago," Fu Chi shouted, tears streaming down his face. "I'm going to die anyway! I'd rather die fighting!"
Beidou grinned. "Good lad. That's a man."
She turned to Xiangling. "Don't smash the frozen ones. Are they edible?"
"Yes!" Xiangling beamed. "Giant mystical shrimp and crabs? They'll make a great Moonchase feast!"
"Fine. Bag 'em and tag 'em."
Xiangling used her spatial bag to collect the frozen "groceries."
"Lead the way, kid," Beidou told Fu Chi. "Let's go kill a Dragon."
[Meanwhile: Diren Village]
While the Teyvat Squad was securing lunch and a guide, the protagonist of this world, Chen Jingchou, arrived at the main Diren village.
He was shocked to learn the truth.
"The Kongtong Seal... creates a barrier of immortality," the Diren Queen explained, weeping. "The Black Dragon King stole it. He uses it to stay young forever... and he demands our children as food."
Chen Jingchou gripped his sword. "That monster... I'll get it back for you!"
The race for the Artifact had begun.
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