Trailblazer'squeryTrailblazer's queryTrailblazer'squery
You grew up in Belobog. After becoming a Nameless, why is your first stop the Luofu?
Your reply…
Option 1 — Tell the truth.Even without me, the Astral Express is fated to reach the Luofu. I just know a few things in advance and can brief everyone.
Reward:Trailblazer Path sub-skill — Builder's Legacy: each time you're hit, gain 1 stack of Scalding Will (up to 8).
Option 2 — Stay mysterious.* The Luofu matters. The reason can wait.
Reward:Bark of Sapience (curious pulpable relic).
Option 3 — Trade for it.You want my answer? Pay up.
Reward:Lost Auric Dust (forgeable Fragmentum grit).
Kairo skimmed the floating text in silence. Only Option 1 was actually useful. The other two were trinkets at best.
Another thought pricked him: if this prompt had appeared, then Kafka would surface sooner or later. But… who—or what—would be "Kafka's counterpart" on this road? The path ahead was empty; not even hilichurls lurked in the brush.
He let the thought go and turned to Lumine with a smile. "What do you want to know about Liyue first? The harbor is the busiest port on Teyvat. The Golden House mints all Mora for the continent. People there venerate the Geo Archon, Morax, the Lord of Contracts—hence 'City of Contracts.'"
"Morax… 'City of Contracts'… no wonder Liyue thrives," Lumine said, eyes wide. "I'm getting more and more curious."
"Heh-heh, I'm getting more and more hungry," Paimon chimed in. "When we reach Liyue we're spending Mora like kings—on food!"
A crisp chime slid into Kairo's vision:
You chose: Tell the truth.
The crew reels—Penacony may be on the route regardless.
Reward granted:Builder's Legacy — gain 1 stack of Scalding Will when hit (max 8).
A gentle surge threaded through him—no pressure, no sting. Like warm springwater, it washed into muscle and nerve until it settled deep, leaving his thoughts bright and steady. A passive boon… the best kind.
"Yaa—!" A startled squawk snapped the calm.
Hilichurls burst from the treeline. Lumine's blade was already out; an Anemo rush vaulted her forward and a clean stroke felled the first. Four more toppled in a blur of wind and steel. Silence returned, save for leaves hissing in the breeze.
Paimon exhaled hard. "Seriously, the wilds are way too jumpy."
"On the way to Liyue there'll be plenty of that," Lumine said, sheathing her sword. "If it gets hairy, we can always run—Kairo's with us."
Kairo nodded. He didn't mind swatting gnats, but the interruptions were tedious. He flicked a thought.
Ice-blue shadow stepped out of nothing.
The Everwinter Shadewalker arrived like a revenant from a frozen ravine—armor in Belobog style glazed with hoarfrost, a faceless helm of crossed ice shards, an axe of clear, lethal crystal. The air tightened; rime spidered over grass and stone.
"What is that?!" Paimon yelped, eyes like saucers, drifting back on instinct.
Lumine shifted into guard, gaze narrowing. No familiar elemental signature—just a killing cold.
"Don't worry," Kairo said. "It's mine. Think of it like Oz—Fischl's raven—but… different. With this up front, random monsters won't be a problem."
Paimon blinked, then beamed. "So it's a friend? Best friend ever!"
Lumine eased, studying the towering wraith. "With that guarding us, ambushes are… unlikely."
The Shadewalker took point. Its chill rolled ahead like an invisible wall; lesser beasts melted back into the brush rather than test it. When anything did creep close, one sweep of the frost-axe carved the encounter down to a single breath.
Morning burned to noon, noon softened toward dusk. The road stayed easy. Paimon practically hummed as she bobbed along. "Traveling with a walking 'keep out' sign? Love it."
Night fell clear and cold. They made a small fire in an open field. The Shadewalker stood at the edge of the light, statue-still, frost haloing its silhouette.
"No cave tonight, huh?" Paimon peered around and hugged herself. "At least Big Chilly over there is on watch. Ugh—why do I feel colder all of a sudden, Lumine? Do you—"
A dry crack answered her—the kind ice makes when it grows too fast. The firelight guttered, bending under a breath of impossible winter. The Shadewalker's helm tilted, as if listening to a thread-fine whisper only it and Kairo could hear.
Kairo's eyes lifted to the star-strewn sky, where a single note—like a string plucked in his chest—twanged with familiar, dangerous grace.
—To be continued.
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