"Even eternal darkness cannot separate us."
Tupac crouched down, extending his right fist.
Mualani hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, her own right fist meeting Tupac's in a solid bump.
As Tupac's form slowly dissipated, Mualani felt a sharp pain in her mind, and a soft glow emanated from her body.
"What's wrong, Mualani?"
"So many memories... from that person just now... flooding my mind... So this is what it was..."
Paimon: "What is it? What did you learn?"
Mualani: "Five hundred years ago, they already foresaw the crisis facing Natlan today. They even tried to save Natlan back then..."
Iansan: "So, Mualani, you're one of them too..."
Mualani was one of the Six Heroes the Pyro Archon had been searching for.
The reasons for this were complex and not suitable for discussion here. The group decided to postpone the conversation until they returned to a safer location.
-
The group approached the Great Spirit's totem and channeled Elemental Energy into it. Slowly, the Abyss Power clinging to the totem began to dissipate.
The Great Spirit awakened, exchanged a few brief words with the group, and urged them to leave immediately.
"The situation here is deteriorating rapidly, but I'm heartened to see you've taken another step toward the Pyro Archon's Plan. For the sake of your loved ones and your tribes, go save Natlan, children."
The ground beneath their feet began to tremble violently.
"We're out of time!"
"The Abyss Power is surging! Hurry, run!"
The group sprinted in the opposite direction of the encroaching Abyss Power. An Adeptus Spirit created a wind field to guide them.
They fled at breakneck speed, their destination being the same location where they had originally entered the Night Kingdom.
Throughout their escape, pitch-black rocks plummeted from above as the Abyss's corrosive advance accelerated, impeding their progress.
Kinich carried his sister on his back, racing ahead, while Ajaw, his face flushed crimson, pushed from behind.
"Pick up the pace, Kinich!"
Kinich remained silent, gritting his teeth. This was already his maximum speed.
Mualani: "I see it! That beam of light! If we can just reach it—!"
Lumine was frantic. She could reach the beam quickly, but the others couldn't keep up.
"No good! At this speed... we'll never make it!"
Whoosh!
Lumine snatched Ishkab from Kinich's back, clamping Paimon's small cloak in her teeth. At this critical moment, Ishkab's safety was her top priority.
"Grab my legs!"
The others froze for a moment, then quickly grasped Lumine's plan. With no time for astonishment, Chasca and Kaiulani each clung to one of Lumine's legs, followed by Iansan, Kachina, Kinich, and Mualani!
Dragging the entire group, Lumine surged toward the beam of light.
Simultaneously, the Abyss, which had been hot on their heels, suddenly surged forward with terrifying speed, engulfing the group in pitch-black Abyssal Energy.
Without Lumine's command, the Unrelenting Will in her space automatically flew out, firmly repelling the Abyss Power.
At that moment, Ishkab weakly opened her eyes. Lumine cradled her in one arm, urging her to cling tightly to her neck, while gripping the Unrelenting Will firmly with her free hand.
-
From the swirling, ominous Abyss Power, a golden beam of light erupted. Empowered by the four Elemental Energies—Pyro, Geo, Hydro, and Dendro—it cleaved a massive gash through the Abyssal Black Fog.
The cleaved space crackled with overwhelming energy, instantly annihilating any Black Fog that dared approach!
Lumine burst through the rift, reaching out to touch the beam of light.
The moment her fingers brushed the beam, her vision blurred. When her sight cleared, she found herself outside the Night Kingdom.
"Is everyone alright?"
"Sister!"
Kinich rushed to check on his sister, his relief washing over him when he confirmed she was unharmed.
Ajaw stared wide-eyed at Lumine, his jaw dropping in disbelief.
This girl is unbelievably strong!
From that day forward, Ajaw added another name to his list of people he shouldn't mess with.
Paimon examined her little cloak, breathing a heavy sigh of relief when she found it intact. She then stomped her foot angrily. "Lumine, you should at least warn me before you bite me!"
Kachina trembled, still shaken. "That was terrifying! I thought..."
Chasca: "Traveler, you saved us all this time!"
Iansan: "Unbelievable! Traveler, you possess such divine power! With your help, our chances of defeating the Abyss have greatly increased!"
-
Player World
The live stream showed Lumine dragging six people behind her like a string of wind-tossed radishes, with Paimon dangling from her cloak.
Chen Xiyao abruptly covered her mouth, her eyes widening in disbelief. "I can't hold it in! Lumine, precious, are you... a sentient human-powered train?!"
The chat exploded:
[ Hahahaha! 'Genshin: Human-Powered Self-Propelled Towing Vehicle - Lumine' ]
[ Save me! Is Paimon the train bell? Why is she still being dragged along?! ]
[ Kinich: Where's my sister?! How did they steal my giant sister to use as a steering wheel?! ]
As the Abyssal Black Fog engulfed the group, Chen Xiyao squeezed her plushie in terror. But when golden swordlight cleaved through the darkness, its radiant glow flooding the live stream, she suddenly leaped up and slammed her hands on the table.
"Did you see that?! This! Is! My! Precious Lumine! Who dares call her a tool now?!"
The chat erupted in a second wave of frenzy:
[ Holy crap! One-handed abyss-slaying while carrying Ishkab?! This is some peak wish fulfillment fantasy! ]
[ Anyone who complained about the Traveler's inconsistent combat power earlier, come out and take your punishment! ]
[ "About the Time My Protagonist Became Overpowered, but the Entire Player Base Thought It Was Perfectly Reasonable" ]
[ Why isn't my protagonist this strong?! ]
[ Forget the power level—I want those wings! Ahhhh, Mihoyo, are you listening? I need those wings! ]
Chen Xiyao watched Lumine's profile as she reached out to touch the Pillar of Light. Her expression—so earnest yet somehow utterly adorable—rooted Chen Xiyao to the spot. Her voice suddenly choked with emotion:
"She really did... carve a path forward when everyone else had given up. After all she's been through, my Precious Lumine has finally grown up."
[ Thank you for never giving up on anyone, Traveler! ]
[ As a newbie, I hereby declare Lumine my one and only Sister from this day forward! ]
[ Hey, wasn't your "Sister" just dragging Paimon around by her teeth in a high-speed chase? ]
[ Well... yeah... but the Traveler's gotta be at least five hundred years old! ]
[ I remember Paimon being super powerful. What happened? Did her adult form log off again? ]
[ See? Her eyes haven't changed—it's just Paimon. We'll worry when her eyes change! ]
Someone suddenly sent a rocket in the live stream chat. Chen Xiyao broke into a tearful smile:
"Thank you 'Lumine's Teeth Are Strong' for the Captain! But who's going to supply Paimon's cape?"
Amidst a flood of comments demanding "Mihoyo, release a Paimon-themed cape ASAP!", she added softly: "This is why we love Lumine—she's both ridiculously powerful and genuinely endearing."