The evening breeze of the Guili Plains swept through Lumine and Paimon's hair, quietly dispersing the lingering heat of the day.
Their attention was drawn to a Statue of The Seven not far away.
Lumine walked forward and gently touched the statue's base. The power of the Geo element instantly surged into her body through her fingertips, enveloping her in a faint golden halo.
She flexed her wrist, clearly feeling the weighty presence of the Geo element flowing through her meridians. It was a stark contrast to the light, airy feel of the Anemo element from Mondstadt, and it gave her a sense of solid reliability.
"Wow! Lumine, you can use the Geo element now!" Paimon exclaimed, flying two excited circles around her. "Quick, try it out!"
Lumine smiled and nodded, gathering a wisp of Geo energy.
"Starfell Sword!"
A uniquely shaped, sharply angled rock construct erupted from the ground.
She then tried to conjure a small Geo Shield. The shield shimmered with a fine, stone-like texture and effortlessly blocked a small pebble Paimon tossed at it, not even showing a single crack.
"This is great!" Lumine's eyes sparkled with delight.
In Mondstadt, she had grown accustomed to using the Anemo element for travel and crowd control. Now, the Geo element gave her an added layer of dependable protection.
The two spent a good while experimenting near the statue.
They finally stopped when the sky had completely darkened and stars began to twinkle across the heavens.
Lumine set up their bedding beside the statue, and Paimon snuggled inside.
Tears welled up in Paimon's eyes as she yawned. "We have to hurry to Liyue Harbor tomorrow for the Rite of Descension. We need to get a good night's sleep so we're not late!"
Lumine nodded and lay down, but before her head even touched the pillow, she caught a glimpse of something slowly floating in the sky.
It was a flat, stone platform, its edges shimmering with faint golden Geo energy, drifting toward them.
"Watch out!" Lumine instantly sat up, pulling Paimon behind her as she stared warily at the platform.
Hiding behind her, Paimon's voice trembled. "What is that? Is it some kind of special Liyue monster? It looks so weird, made of stone!"
The platform's speed wasn't fast, but it exuded an inexplicable sense of pressure. Lumine frowned, pondering for a moment. "Let's test it to see if it's hostile."
She condensed a pigeon-egg-sized rock at her fingertips and hurled it at the platform.
Thud! The rock struck the platform with a dull sound, causing it to wobble slightly but leaving not even a scratch.
But the next second, several sharp Geo spikes suddenly formed on the platform's underside and shot toward Lumine and Paimon!
"Dodge!" Paimon shrieked.
Lumine yanked Paimon aside in a sharp leap. The Geo spikes plunged into the earth, leaving deep holes and splattering mud onto their clothes.
"It really is a monster!" Lumine thought. Liyue's monsters are shaped like stone platforms and even attack on sight.
She summoned Festering Desire. The cold blade carried a familiar aura—it was Lydia's memento. Every time she held it, it felt as if she could sense the girl's former power.
After a moment's hesitation, Lumine put Festering Desire away and switched to her usual Dull Blade.
She took a deep breath and swung, unleashing a blade of Anemo-infused energy that struck the platform dead center.
Crack! The platform shattered, its fragments scattering across the ground as the faint golden Geo energy dissipated.
A dark figure fell from where the platform had broken, landing heavily on the ground and creating a shallow crater.
Lumine and Paimon exchanged surprised glances and rushed over to investigate. "What's that? It looks like a person!"
Paimon flew to the edge of the crater and peered inside, her voice rising in pitch. "Does this monster eat people? That's terrifying!"
Lumine knelt down, the moonlight illuminating the figure in the crater.
The girl wore a high-collared, qipao-style top that covered only her chest, layered under a loose, practical training uniform. Beneath that was a black one-piece bodysuit with cutouts at the abdomen, ankles, and heels. Her lower half was adorned with a sparkling skirt decorated with foam-like patterns.
Her ink-black hair, stained with dirt, was scattered around her face.
A faint smile played on her lips, and her chest rose and fell steadily.
Was she... sleeping?
-
In the parallel world, the scene of the "monster spitting out a person" had already sent the players into a frenzy.
Danmaku instantly flooded the screen at a rate of hundreds of comments per second, the dense text nearly obscuring the entire picture:
"HOLY SHIT! HOLY FUCKING SHIT! MIHOYO, I WANT HER!"
"That outfit, that face... I'm licking the screen, fam."
"A girl falling from the sky? That's my waifu!"
"She has a Vision! She'll be playable! Time to start saving!"
"To the guy above: the last dude who said he was saving for C6R5 Lydia has been in the hospital for days."
"To the guy above: Listen to me, you motherfucker!"
Immediately after, major gaming forums were completely overwhelmed.
-
At the same time, Lumine ran over, reaching out to wake the girl.
Just as her hand drew near, Yunqin suddenly moved!
With a sharp pull of both hands, she yanked Lumine's shoulder and immediately launched into a swift, precise, and brutal combo.
Her left fist, carrying the force of the wind, struck Lumine's chest. Her right fist grazed Lumine's waist, followed by a knee strike aimed at her chin!
Caught completely off guard, Lumine was knocked back several meters, her brow furrowing in pain.
She looked back at the girl in the crater, who was swaying as she stood up. Her eyes were still closed, her lashes casting faint shadows in the moonlight.
"A counterattack in her sleep?" Lumine clutched her aching chest, her eyes wide with astonishment.
Paimon, terrified, flew to Lumine's side. "Lumine, are you okay?"
The girl didn't stop. Her steps were unsteady, yet she charged toward Lumine with a fierce aura, her fists glowing faintly with Geo energy.
"Wait! We mean you no harm!" Lumine shouted as she retreated. "My name is Lumine! I'm a Traveler who came to Liyue for the Rite of Descension! You must have mistaken me for someone else!"
The girl showed no reaction, her attacks only growing more ferocious.
Geo energy gathered in her palms, summoning stone pillars from the ground in an attempt to trap Lumine's movements.
Lumine dodged continuously, but a Geo spike grazed her back, sending a sharp sting through her skin. She hissed in pain.
"I have no choice! I'll have to subdue her first and explain later!"
Taking a deep breath, she simultaneously gathered Anemo and Geo energy.
The Anemo element swept up the debris on the ground, while the Geo element reinforced it, forming a small barrage of Geo shards that she hurled toward the girl.
Sensing the danger, the girl subconsciously summoned a Geo Shield in front of her. The shards struck it, leaving several cracks.
Lumine seized the opportunity to circle behind her, reaching out to grab her shoulders.
But unexpectedly, the girl spun around, gathering dense Geo energy and thrusting a half-human-high Geo wall toward Lumine!
"Watch out!"
Just as Paimon's shout faded, Lumine leaped backward.
The Geo wall slammed into place with a thud, blocking her path.
At that moment, Yunqin stopped moving.
Lumine thought she had finally woken up and was about to ask what was happening.
But then, a faint blue layer of Hydro energy coated the girl's ink-black hair. Droplets of water dripped from the ends, shimmering in the moonlight.
Next, faint, glowing fish-scale patterns appeared at the corners of her eyes. Her abdomen gradually turned transparent, as if filled with swirling starlight—like a miniature sea of stars hidden within her.
The girl raised her hands. Hydro energy gradually gathered in her palms, forming the shape of a violin. Behind her, a half-moon materialized.
"W-What in the world is happening? Is she an Adeptus?" Lumine and Paimon stared, dumbfounded, letting out a collective gasp.
The sound seemed to finally rouse the girl.
The violin in Yunqin's hands slowly dissipated, the Hydro energy in her hair dispersed into mist, and the moon behind her shattered into starlight before vanishing into the air.
She blinked, her gaze shifting from confusion to clarity.
Her eyes widened into an "O" as she took in the scattered Geo chunks, the craters in the ground, and the wary expressions on Lumine and Paimon's faces.
"What happened?! D-Did I sleep-fight again?"
"Where am I? Where's my little flying saucer?"
"Weren't I flying toward Mt. Aocang?"