"What's your secret weapon?"
"Let me see!"
Hu Tao leaned in, intrigued by Orion's confidence.
Was he a swordsman like Xingqiu?
A Taoist exorcist like Chongyun?
Or maybe a culinary warrior like Xiangling?
In Liyue, even ordinary folks could take down hilichurls bare-handed.
And now Orion was acting like one of them.
Hu Tao couldn't help but feel a flicker of anticipation.
"Hey~ Look closely!"
"My secret weapon—ta-da!"
Orion dug into his backpack, rummaged around,
and pulled out… a bouncing bomb.
"Huh?"
"Firecrackers?"
"That's your secret weapon?"
Hu Tao raised an eyebrow, visibly disappointed.
She'd expected a dazzling martial arts display—
not something that looked like it belonged at the Lantern Rite.
"What firecrackers?" Orion protested.
"This is a bouncing bomb! It's powerful!"
He couldn't let that slide.
This wasn't just any toy—
it was a creation of Alice, Mondstadt's legendary adventurer and Klee's mother.
"It might look cute, but it packs a punch."
"Alice gave me the blueprint herself!"
Orion hadn't trained under a sect or a god.
No swordsmanship from Xingqiu, no elemental mastery from Xiangling.
But he'd met Alice during his travels.
She saw his potential—
and his lack of survival skills.
So she gifted him a modified version of Klee's bouncing bomb.
"It's not as strong as Klee's, obviously."
"Alice said I didn't have the vitality to handle the full blast."
"But this one? It can take down a Rock Shield Hilichurl King."
He'd wanted the real deal at first.
But then he remembered what Alice and Klee did to Windrise…
The ruins of the Wind Dragon Temple were still a cautionary tale.
"So yeah… I settled for the lite version."
"But it's lighter, bounces farther, and still packs a punch."
Hu Tao chuckled.
"Oops~ Listen to you hyping it up."
"Is it really that strong?"
She didn't take it seriously—
to her, it looked like something Treasure Hoarders might toss.
But she appreciated the sentiment.
Orion patted his chest.
"Don't worry. If anything goes wrong, I've got your back."
He meant it.
She'd come here with him—
so he'd take responsibility.
Hu Tao didn't believe in the bomb's power,
but she believed in Orion's heart.
And that made her smile.
Their playful bickering continued into dinner.
Orion sorted his gear—bouncing bombs, elemental bottles, and more.
The night passed quietly.
They slept under the stars.
At dawn, they were ready.
Mo Ning approached.
"If you're heading into the depths, look for someone named Zhiqiong."
"She's been mapping the Chasm these past few days."
"Knows the terrain better than anyone."
Orion and Hu Tao nodded.
"Okay, okay~ We're going!"
"Let's go!"
With that, they dashed toward the fence.
And with a leap—
"Wuhu!"
"Takeoff!"
The wind caught their gliders,
and they soared into the Chasm,
carried by laughter, resolve,
and the promise of adventure.
Gliding toward the Chasm's depths,
they carried the spirit of true adventurers.
Nothing could stop them now.
Mo Ning could only offer a silent prayer in her heart.
"Wow!"
"This breeze is amazing!"
Hu Tao stretched her arms wide,
letting the wind rush past her.
Below, the desolate terrain spread out—
miners already hard at work,
guarded by the Millelith.
Her gaze drifted to Orion.
"Hehe~ Your Wind Glider's not bad."
"I thought you'd flail around like a rookie."
Orion chuckled.
"It's not a Vision."
"Only the chosen get those."
"But Wind Gliders? Anyone can earn one."
The Wings of the Wind—
a Mondstadt invention,
embraced across Teyvat.
Unlike Visions,
which were bestowed by the gods,
gliders were like licenses—
earned, not gifted.
And while Alice's prototype "Rocket Wings" were notoriously unstable,
Orion's standard glider was safe and reliable.
"I'll take this over explosive takeoffs any day."
Suddenly—
"Ahh! Hilichurls!"
"Run! Everyone, run!"
Shouts echoed from below.
Miners scattered as a horde of hilichurls surged from the shadows.
"Hey~ Perfect timing for a warm-up!"
Hu Tao's eyes lit up.
She drew the Staff of Homa,
folded her glider,
and dove into a Plunging Attack.
She landed between the fleeing workers and the charging hilichurls.
"Up!"
Her Elemental Skill ignited the staff—
flames danced along its edge.
More than twenty hilichurls rushed in formation.
It looked overwhelming—
but Hu Tao was thrilled.
"I'm here to help too!"
Orion descended behind her,
pulling out his bouncing bomb.
"Oops~ Leave it to me!"
"I've got this!"
Hu Tao waved him off.
She wanted to handle this herself.
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End of chapter...