(TL/N: I apologize for over 2 hours delay, my electricity went off and had to use my saving to power it up for few hours š)
Su Han originally wanted to joke a few more times so he could squeeze Venti for favors later, but the sky suddenly changed. An ice-blue giant beast wrapped in dark clouds came raging toward them, and the massive storm force made them unable to even stand steadily.
"Damn it, I knew I shouldn't have trusted those Mondstadt people."
Cursing as he adjusted his direction, Su Han flew toward the ground. He had clearly spoiled most of Kaeya's storyline already, yet Dvalin still came. How could he not be angry?
Their bodies shook violently, and they could be swept away at any moment by the wind. Fortunately, Su Han managed to maintain focus. Though difficult, he still landed steadily.
"Roar!!"
The moment they found their footing, Dvalin's roar came from above.
Hu Tao looked at the massive storm projectiles, each dozens of meters wide and screamed, "Help! What is that thing? If I knew Mondstadt was this dangerous, I wouldn't have come!"
"I told you when we came, Mondstadt isn't as peaceful as you think. And you, stop playing dead, bard! Think of something!"
Su Han didn't dare stop. The instant he heard the dragon's roar, he grabbed Hu Tao and Venti and sprinted away at full speed.
Being carried, Hu Tao clearly saw the once beautiful hillside turn into a giant crater the moment a storm projectile landed. If they hadn't moved, they would have been done for.
She said fearfully, "Su Han, we have to go faster, more storm projectiles are coming."
"Yeah, I know."
Landing again, Su Han continued running forward. Of course he didn't dare stop, he could survive a hit, but Hu Tao absolutely couldn't.
Seeing this, Venti didn't dare pretend anymore. He quickly used his power to boost Su Han's speed, then said helplessly, "I don't know what's going on either. Everything was going smoothly. The people of Mondstadt began offering devotion to Dvalin because of your guidance. I even played songs to calm him for several days, and it workedā¦ but today he suddenly went wild."
No one wanted his companion to recover more than Venti did. While he was usually lazy, Venti was serious when it came to his friends.
Hearing this, Su Han frowned. What was happening?
By the timeline, Dvalin shouldn't be like this. Since Lumine had not yet awakened, that meant Venti should still be able to communicate with him, just like the beginning of the original story.
So when Su Han met Kaeya, he specifically told him to make sure the people of Mondstadt offered devotion to Dvalin, at least enough to let the dragon understand he wasn't fighting alone. Everything afterward could be handled slowly anyway. As long as Lumine woke up, the Dragon Disaster could end peacefully.
To understand the cause, Su Han searched for a safe location. When he saw a large fissure, he immediately flew toward it. After landing, he told Hu Tao, "Stay here, Hall Master. The bard and I will be back soon."
"Wait, Su Han, what are you doing? Don't do anything stupid!"
Hu Tao knew clearly that the giant creature in the sky was not something Su Han could defeat. Going out there now was suicide.
Seeing her anxious expression, Su Han reassured her, "Don't worry. The bard and I are only gathering information. We won't fight it directly. Protect yourself. Venti, let's go."
"Coming."
Because Dvalin had lost its target, it was attacking wildly, destroying many nearby fields.
Only when it saw Su Han and Venti did the dragon dive toward them.
"Hey, what exactly are you planning?"
The situation was urgent, and Venti no longer cared about hiding identities. Since the old man knew Su Han so well, who knew whether their identities had already been shared.
Su Han dodged Dvalin's claw with a burst of speed and said, "I need to get onto its back and check. Distract it for me!"
"No problem."
Venti didn't know what he wanted to do, but he could tell Su Han genuinely wanted to help. So he flew into the air and spread his arms.
"My injuries haven't fully healed, but I should be able to stop you for a momentā¦ my friend."
"Gentle wind, help me restrain Dvalin, don't hurt him!"
In that moment, Venti erupted with powerful strength. The sky that belonged to Dvalin was instantly sealed.
Countless emerald winds swirled around the slope, forming chains that bound the dragon.
Seeing his attack take effect, Venti shouted toward Su Han in the distance, "Hurry, I can't maintain this for long!"
"Got it!"
When Venti released his power, Su Han was already riding the Bamboo Flute toward Dvalin. But to understand the problem, he had to reach the Abyssal Tumor.
However, when he reached Dvalin's head and saw its back clearly, he couldn't help but gasp.
"What is going on?"
By rights, Dvalin should have two Abyssal Tumors on its body.
But Su Han now saw four.
This wasn't like the game at all.
Afraid he was mistaken, Su Han flew toward the nearest tumor. But when he reached about twenty meters away, he couldn't approach anymore, the abyssal energy was so dense that even breathing became difficult.
"Is close-range observation impossible?"
With Venti restraining Dvalin, this was the best opportunity to observe. If he missed it, he might never get a chance like this again.
Gritting his teeth, Su Han activated the Golden Light Mantra. Since he was here, he had to find the truth. But unexpectedly, the mantra seemed to naturally resist abyssal energy. The suffocating pressure vanished the moment it activated.
"Hm? The Golden Light Mantra can actually resist the Abyss?"
Su Han was surprised, but now wasn't the time to think about it. What mattered was figuring out why the tumors had increased. As he approached, he realized the corruption was still present, it was simply being blocked outside by the Golden Light.
This discovery excited him. If the mantra could resist abyssal corrosion, that changed everything.
Taking a deep breath, the golden light on his body intensified. But the closer he came, the more vicious the corrosion became. The golden surface even emitted sizzling sounds like acid.
Feeling his strength, Su Han knew he could hold out for a while longer. He summoned the Fire qilin Sword, which he had been nurturing inside his body. Endless golden light surged into it, making it shine brilliantly.
Looking at the massive tumor, he muttered, "I really didn't want to do this, but if I let you keep making trouble, my manga shop will never open."
Su Han's eyes sharpened. The golden sword slashed down.
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