"Is this the Golden House? It looked magnificent from the outside, but I never expected the interior to be even more luxurious! And... the floor is covered in Mora!"
Paimon's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the piles of Mora, practically itching to dive right in.
Indeed, the Golden House was the very place where Mora was minted—the currency that flowed throughout all of Teyvat originated here.
"The atmosphere here... feels strange. Paimon, do you see any guards around?"
Paimon scratched her head before floating toward the center of the hall, where the Exuvia of the Geo Archon lay quietly at the forefront.
"I heard that just a few hours ago, you spoke with Ningguang of the Jade Chamber. As expected, she revealed the hiding place of the Exuvia to you. As guides, your mission is now complete."
Aether let out a quiet sigh of relief upon seeing the Exuvia intact. But in the next moment, the voice of Childe rang out as he strode in confidently.
"Hmph, going so far as to halt the minting of Mora just to hide the Exuvia... The Qixing have really gone all out."
Childe stretched slightly before walking up to Aether.
Aether's eyes narrowed as he summoned his Dull Blade, recalling Rover's words.
If he wanted to prevent the conflict in Liyue from escalating further, he had to stop Childe from obtaining the Gnosis.
"I won't allow it."
"The question isn't who will allow me—it's who can stop me."
Childe's Vision glowed at his waist as hydro-elemental dual blades formed in his hands. With a step forward, he charged straight at Aether.
...
"Kehehe... Last time, you ruined Her Highness's plans. This time, with Liyue having lost Rex Lapis, let's see how you plan to save it."
The Abyss Mage's broken, taunting voice only made Rover grow more impatient. It seemed he wouldn't get any useful information out of it.
"Perish."
Rover tightened his grip, and the power of Havoc instantly consumed the monster, not even giving it a chance to scream.
This was the seventh Abyss Order creature Rover had eliminated. He sheathed his blade as Zhongli's figure gradually came into view.
"The Millelith have already evacuated the civilians. At this point, the monsters' large-scale assault has forced the Adepti and the Qixing to halt their disputes and unite against a common enemy."
Zhongli finally brought some good news.
"Morax, there's something I must remind you about."
The voice of La Signora rang out. Rover instinctively turned toward her as she approached. Seeing Rover here as well, La Signora felt a faint shudder—the wounds she had suffered days ago still ached, but her pride forbade her from bowing to anyone other than the Tsaritsa.
Thus, she maintained her usual haughty demeanor as she regarded the two.
"I have a contract with Morax. You can't lay a hand on me."
Seeing that Rover made no move, La Signora relaxed slightly before continuing.
"Our Fatui base producing the Sigils of Permission was attacked by the Abyss Order."
"And?"
Zhongli wasn't particularly bothered by her using his true name, but upon hearing about the Abyss Order's actions, his expression turned serious.
"That means... these vile creatures share the same goal as us—they also intend to awaken the ancient god."
La Signora chuckled, having already calculated the timing before leisurely making her way toward the Golden House.
"It's time to retrieve that battle-obsessed fool. Don't worry, our plans have only undergone minor adjustments—nothing major will go wrong~"
....
Aether swiftly dodged the slash from Childe's polearm in his Foul Legacy transformation. Childe attempted to teleport away, but the ground beneath him suddenly trembled as a Geo spike erupted, forcing him to abandon the move and evade instead.
In that instant, Aether closed the distance. Childe instinctively swung his weapon to force Aether back, but the next moment—
Clang!
A familiar metallic clash resounded as Childe's eyes widened in shock, watching his weapon fly from his grasp.
"What—?!"
Perhaps influenced by Rover's teachings, Aether wasted no time on words. His blade was already aimed straight for Childe's chest.
"This is... something Rover taught me!"
The cold steel was about to pierce the armor of Foul Legacy when a sudden surge of icy energy interrupted the strike.
Aether leaped back several steps as La Signora sauntered in through the entrance.
"My, my. To think a mere battle-crazed brute could be pushed to such a state."
La Signora raised her hand, and Aether watched as frost rapidly encased the ground beneath his feet.
"Hmph, I didn't need your help."
Childe dismissed his Foul Legacy form and walked toward the Exuvia, reaching inside—only to pull out a handful of dust.
"Ha... Hahaha."
Childe suddenly burst into laughter. After all these elaborate schemes, the Gnosis wasn't even inside the Exuvia. He felt like a complete clown.
"Fine, fine. A god who fakes his death. Since you refuse to show yourself, I'll just have to force you out."
Childe was about to pull out a Sigil of Permission, but La Signora stopped him.
"Let's go. How utterly embarrassing. You didn't even realize the Abyss Order attacked our base. They're the ones summoning Osial."
La Signora exhaled lazily, glancing at Aether, who was frozen in place by her power, seething with anger. She couldn't understand how two travelers could be so vastly different in strength.
"Traveler, you shall witness the destruction of Liyue."
Childe scratched the back of his head and shrugged helplessly.
"Well then, let's see if a godless nation can withstand the ancient malice. If you wish to die, I won't stop you from joining the people of Liyue in their demise."
With that, Childe and La Signora left the Golden House together.
"What do we do now?"
Only then did Paimon emerge from behind a pile of collapsed rubble, fluttering anxiously toward Aether.
Aether didn't answer. Instead, he stepped outside, where heavy rain had begun to fall. The sea beyond Yujing Terrace churned violently, massive waves crashing relentlessly against the harbor.
Above, layers of thick, oppressive clouds blotted out the sky, suffocating to behold.
The entire harbor was deserted except for the Millelith. A palpable sense of impending doom hung in the air.
Meanwhile, the monster army had gathered near Mt. Tianheng, as if waiting for something.
Then—a deafening roar erupted from the depths of the sea as Osial, the Overlord of the Vortex, emerged. Enormous tentacles lashed out wildly.
"Look! It's the Jade Chamber!"
Paimon pointed toward the floating palace now heading toward the front lines. Aether immediately sprang into action, rushing to board it with the others.
As soon as he reached the open platform, a familiar voice called out.
"Aether? What are you doing here?"
Xiao reappeared in Aether's sight, followed closely by the Qixing and the Adepti.
"Eh?! Have the Adepti and the Qixing stopped arguing?"
Paimon asked in surprise. Ningguang stepped forward to explain.
"The Adepti have agreed that, in this time of crisis, we must set aside our differences and face the enemy together."
Aether looked up at the distant god, feeling his breath catch.
The oppressive aura of an ancient deity was so overwhelming that even the Millelith on land struggled to stand firm.
With another roar, Osial summoned countless monsters from the sea, swarming the harbor to clash with the Millelith.
At the same time, the monster army near Mt. Tianheng received their orders and charged toward the Millelith's defensive lines.
Liyue was now under attack from both sides, leaving it in a precarious position.
"I'll reinforce the coastal defenses. Rover, the land battle is yours."
With that, Zhongli vanished.
....
"Hold the line! Hold it!"
The Millelith general bellowed as an endless tide of monsters surged toward their defenses. Even when monsters fell, those behind trampled over their corpses—a suicidal assault that forced the Millelith to retreat again and again.
"Our casualties are too heavy! We should fall back to the city!"
A wounded soldier delivered the grim report. The general's eyes burned with fury as he grabbed the man by his collar and pointed toward Liyue.
"Do you know how many civilians are in that city?! Do you realize what will happen if we let these monsters through?!"
Releasing the soldier, the general drew his sword and roared at the surrounding troops.
"For the lives behind us, even if we must die, we die on this line! That is an order! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"
Straightening his armor, the general joined the front lines.
Among the monster ranks, crossbow-wielding Hilichurls fired volleys at the Millelith on the walls while shield-bearing Hilichurls advanced under cover. Behind them, the Ruin Guards of Khaenri'ah cleared a path for the army.
The battle was brutal. Countless Millelith threw themselves into the fray, limbs and blood scattering across the battlefield, only to be washed away by the torrential rain.
Screams, shouts, and the grinding of mechanical gears filled the air as lives were extinguished in an instant.
Then—a gap opened in the defensive line. A few club-wielding Hilichurls gleefully rushed toward Liyue, only to be tackled by a half-crippled Millelith soldier. Even as his body was pierced and his warmth faded, his bloodied hands refused to let go.
The Hilichurls struggled fiercely to break free from the man who fought like a demon.
But before they could celebrate—
Swish!
A flash of steel cut through the rain. Heads rolled.
Then, a figure joined the battlefield. Countless wind blades swept across the horde, halting the monster army's advance.
The black-clad figure leaped into the air, driving his sword straight into the core of a Ruin Guard. With his free hand, he fired Spectro-infused bolts, paralyzing the remaining four machines.
"I shall annihilate all disorder!"
The mark of Havoc glowed purple between Rover's brows as his semi-winged form unleashed waves of destructive energy, clearing the battlefield in an instant.
"Reinforcements... Reinforcements are here!"
The Millelith's morale soared as they began pushing the enemy back.
"But... there's only one person?"
Some soldiers exchanged confused glances.
Rover coldly scanned the area. The monsters finally felt true fear—an instinctive terror of death that made them scatter.
But this god of slaughter would not let them escape. Slowly, he pulled his blade from the ground as Geo particles gathered around his scabbard.
"I am the reinforcement!"
His eyes sharpened.
A radiant blade of light erupted through the storm, illuminating the battlefield with blinding intensity.
Every soldier held their breath as the slash obliterated entire swathes of the horde, sending the rest into chaotic retreat.
"Charge!"
Inspired by Rover's might, the Millelith turned the tide, launching a counterattack.
Then, Rover spotted a familiar figure in the distance—the same one he had seen at Stormterror's Lair.
With a burst of Anemo, he shot toward the figure.
Realizing he had been noticed, the shadowy man glared resentfully at the monster army below before vanishing in a flash of teleportation magic.
With their leader gone, the once-organized horde fell into disarray, allowing the Millelith to rout them completely.
"Thank you, savior!"
The general approached Rover, bowing deeply.
All around, the Millelith saluted him with the highest military honor.
Rover nodded before sensing something amiss. He turned toward the sea, where Osial let out a mournful cry.
The Jade Chamber had deployed the Guizhong Ballistae, their massive bolts dealing significant damage to the god.
But Rover's instincts screamed danger.
Sure enough, several Abyss Mages appeared above Osial.
The moment he saw them, Rover vanished.