Lin Mo walked on, his thoughts drifting back to the invitation quest he had experienced in Lisa's past life.
— "Help the Witch of Roses, Lisa, be reborn and reclaim her command over lightning."
Lisa—once-in-two-centuries prodigy of the Sumeru Akademiya.
Powerful, erudite, beautiful, wise.
And above all, one favored by the gods.
She needed a Vision for her research, and so a Vision appeared before her almost immediately.
Only after personally living through that invitation did Lin Mo finally understand why the once-mighty Witch of Roses had become nothing more than an ordinary librarian in Mondstadt.
At her peak, Lisa's combat strength might not have rivaled a god's, but she had certainly reached a fraction of divine power.
Her mastery over Electro was so overwhelming that it could alter the weather of entire regions of Teyvat.
At the height of her power, she was even far stronger than the Crimson Witch during her rampage.
And yet such a formidable Witch of Roses had, one day, abandoned her title, left the Akademiya, and returned to Mondstadt to live as a simple librarian.
She shed her former diligence and obsession with research, becoming instead a lazy, easygoing, gentle older sister.
Within the world of the invitation quest, Lin Mo spent a full twenty years by Lisa's side before finally learning the truth behind that change.
In that life, they were not siblings, yet Lisa always called him "little brother."
Their bond ran so deep that when Lin Mo was placed in danger, Lisa once again seized control of her terrifying lightning.
Only after the crisis passed did Lin Mo learn the truth:
Like the Crimson Witch, Lisa the Witch of Roses drew her immense power at the cost of her own life.
That revelation left Lin Mo filled with regret.
To complete the quest, he had deliberately put himself in danger, forcing Lisa to act.
"Thankfully… the Lisa in the real world hasn't burned away her life for me."
He couldn't help but feel relieved.
Even so, he still felt indebted to her.
If he could, in reality, he wanted to stand before Lisa and tell her never to use the power of the Witch of Roses again.
At that moment, Noelle's hesitant voice interrupted his thoughts.
"My lord… you seem a little sad.
Did you remember something painful?"
Lin Mo came back to himself and met Noelle's worried gaze.
"It's nothing," he said with a gentle smile, shaking his head.
Only then did he take stock of their surroundings.
He realized they had followed the edge of Cider Lake and arrived at Wolvendom.
No wonder Noelle had spoken up—before them now rose a sheer cliff.
To continue toward Stormterror's Lair, they would have to climb this cliff within Wolvendom's territory.
…
Not long after, back in Mondstadt, at the Knights of Favonius Headquarters.
Jean and the others had just returned.
"You're saying… that Mod·Ganyu left the Knights a few hours ago, told you he was heading to Stormterror's Lair with Noelle to try to resolve the dragon crisis?"
"And that he asked us to go to Stormterror's Lair if we came back and couldn't find him?"
Jean looked at the knight on duty and asked again, carefully.
"Yes," the knight said with a wry smile. "I tried to stop them, but they left as soon as they finished speaking."
"Alright. I understand."
Jean nodded, then turned to the others, concern evident in her eyes, along with a silent question.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's head there right now!"
Eula spoke first, urgency filling her beautiful eyes.
No matter how strong Lin Mo had seemed in the dream, she didn't believe an ordinary human could stand against the Anemo Dragon.
After all, Lin Mo had never shown his true strength before her.
"Who is this knight, Mod·Ganyu?" Diluc asked curiously from the side.
"As a newcomer?"
A lover of battle, Diluc couldn't help but be intrigued by the name.
Anyone bold enough to march straight into the Wind Dragon's lair must have some real strength, he thought.
"He's… a diplomatic envoy who joined the Knights just yesterday," Jean replied simply.
But before her words had fully settled—
"Acting Grand Master Jean! Bad news!!!"
An urgent shout rang out from the direction of the Knights' entrance.
A roaming knight burst into the building, rushing up to Jean and reporting anxiously:
"Acting Grand Master Jean! Wolvendom—there have been numerous sightings of Abyss creatures!"
"According to the scouting teams, at least thirty Abyss monsters have occupied the area!"
"Eight powerful Abyss Heralds!"
"And more than twenty Abyss Mages wielding various elements!"
"…What!?"
Eula was about to ask for more details—after all, Wolvendom lay directly on Lin Mo's route to Stormterror's Lair.
But at that very moment—
Rumble—!!!
From the west came a thunderous roar that shook heaven and earth.
Even the Knights' headquarters trembled slightly from the impact.
"What happened!?"
Jean hurried to the window of her office, her voice tight with alarm.
From here, the windows faced west.
The source of the roar lay in the cliff region of Wolvendom, by Cider Lake, west of Mondstadt.
What Jean saw several kilometers away left her utterly stunned.
Not just Jean—everyone staring at that cliff was struck speechless.
"S-So scary…"
"It looks like the cliff… was sliced clean through!"
Paimon's shocked exclamation perfectly summed up the scene before them.
By the shores of Cider Lake, a massive cliff in Wolvendom looked as though it had been severed by a single strike.
The bisected mountainside collapsed in a cloud of dust, crashing down toward the lake below.
And just then—
A terrifying vortex of wind formed high above the shattered cliff.
Venti recognized the power instantly.
Wasn't this his own signature technique—Ode to the Wind God?
"Mod·Ganyu has run into a battle!"
"He's using the power of his Vision!"
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T/N:
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