Chapter 29 — New Developments in the Chat Group
Diluc, huh?
Kael wasn't the least bit surprised that Venti had chosen him.
If judged purely by ability, Diluc Ragnvindr was more formidable than Jean. He possessed strength, intellect, and influence, but due to old scars and bitter history with the Knights of Favonius, he had long distanced himself from them.
Still, in terms of status, heritage, and capability, he was equal to any knight or noble in Mondstadt.
It was only natural that Venti—the god who loved the people most—would choose the man who had never stopped protecting them, even from the shadows.
But Kael couldn't help noticing something:
Jean and Diluc, both heirs of noble lines, now had a place in the chat group.
Yet Eula, the Spindrift Knight of the Lawrence clan, was still forgotten.
The irony was bitter. For all her effort to redeem her family's sins, history continued to overlook her.
Kael made a mental note to visit her one day. For now, he kept silent.
He would let Venti's plan unfold naturally.
---
A Discussion on the Road
"Forget it, let's talk while we walk," Kael said as he glanced toward the horizon. "The Fatui have probably started keeping tabs on my movements."
Venti raised a brow, his usual teasing expression replaced by concern.
"The Fatui already know who you are?"
Kael gave a quiet chuckle. "Not quite. But since I'm close with both Keqing and Ningguang, the Harbinger stationed in Liyue has taken an interest. They think I'm some kind of strategic consultant. In their eyes, I'm still useful."
Venti frowned slightly. "The Fatui… always meddling in things they don't understand. The Tsaritsa's power is one thing, but letting the Harbingers consort with the Abyss Order?" His voice hardened—a rare edge beneath his easygoing tone. "That's playing with fire."
Kael's steps slowed as he studied him. For someone who called himself lazy, Venti's anger was strikingly pure.
He truly hated seeing Mondstadt's freedom twisted by outsiders.
After all, the Fatui's experiments in Mondstadt were still fresh wounds in his heart.
He hadn't been there to stop them.
He hadn't been awake when Dottore used his people as test subjects.
And that guilt had never left him.
"No," Kael said gently. "The Fatui don't know the truth yet. If they did, I'd probably be public enemy number one."
Venti chuckled under his breath. "Ha… I can only imagine the chaos if they ever learn that Celestia walks the earth again."
---
The Wind Turns
Just as they reached the edge of Mondstadt's outskirts, Venti suddenly froze.
His emerald eyes narrowed, and the wind around him stilled.
"What's wrong?" Kael asked.
Venti turned toward the city. His usual cheer vanished.
"My friend, something's happened in Mondstadt. I need to check it out."
Kael immediately straightened. "Do you need my help?"
Venti shook his head, already dissolving into a swirl of breeze. "No. Just a minor disturbance. I'll be fine."
Before Kael could say another word, the Anemo Archon's presence scattered—like a melody carried away by the wind.
Watching him vanish, Kael let out a quiet sigh.
"He really is a good god," he murmured.
Most mortals saw only the carefree bard, the drunken wanderer who played lyre songs for Mora and wine. Few realized how deep his compassion ran.
Venti had accepted anger, hatred, and misunderstanding countless times without complaint.
Even La Signora's wrath—he had borne it silently.
But did he really owe her anything?
When Mondstadt burned, Venti had been far away—summoned to Khaenri'ah's battlefield, barely surviving the calamity that devoured that nation.
When he returned, it was to fight Durin above the frozen wastes.
If anyone owed La Signora, it wasn't Venti—it was the Knights of Favonius, the city that failed to protect her.
And yet, Venti still took the blame.
Because to him, the sins of Mondstadt were also his own.
That was the essence of Barbatos—the god who loved humanity enough to take its burdens upon himself.
---
A God's Reflection
Kael continued walking through the streets of Mondstadt, his thoughts wandering from wind to thunder.
Venti bore guilt for inaction. Zhongli carried the weight of promises.
But what of Raiden Ei, the Shogun of Inazuma?
Many believed her Vision Hunt Decree was born of cruelty or obsession.
Kael doubted that.
In truth, he suspected Ei's actions stemmed from something deeper—an effort to preserve eternity in a world she feared was slipping away.
Perhaps, in her own flawed way, she had also been trying to protect her people… even if she no longer understood how.
Each god carried their own scars.
Perhaps that was why Celestia had fallen in the first place.
---
System Upgrades
As Kael pondered, a faint chime echoed in his mind.
> [Ding!] The manual 'Bone-Altering Sutra' has been uploaded to the Group Shop!
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Good," he murmured. "The foundation is finally ready."
This was one of his newest creations—a technique to reshape and strengthen the human body, enhancing one's natural aptitude for internal cultivation.
It wasn't cheap—1,000 points per purchase—but its long-term benefits were priceless.
Unlike quick techniques that gave fleeting boosts, the Bone-Altering Sutra permanently refined the practitioner's potential.
To Kael, it was the first step toward bridging the gap between mortals and gods.
He spent the next few hours perfecting more techniques, refining the combat arts of Liyue's ancient schools.
Each one he adjusted and improved through the chat group's system:
Yunlai Sword Style — Revised
Fuyun Archery — Revised
Qianyan Spear Technique — Revised
Guhua Sword Style — Revised
Each revision optimized the flow of internal energy, blending elemental resonance with true cultivation methods.
They were easier to learn, more efficient, and compatible with both mortals and Vision holders alike.
Then, Kael turned his focus to the system itself.
---
The System Evolves
With a few silent commands, the chat group began evolving once more.
New menus flickered into existence:
A Search Function for the shop.
An Optimized Pricing Model, making costs consistent and fair.
A Healing Service:
> "Erosion Relief — 2,000 Points: One Year Duration."
And most impressively… Physical Attribute Tracking.
Now members could see their progress in a quantifiable way—strength, agility, internal energy flow—all represented by radiant lines of divine code.
It wasn't yet a complete "status screen."
Kael's current authority couldn't fully display individual panels like in his past world's RPGs.
But the foundation was laid.
A world where the Seven—and even mortals—could measure and master themselves through discipline rather than dependence.
---
The Ripple Across Teyvat
Within minutes, messages began to flood the chat:
> Keqing: "These new features… they weren't here before. Does this mean the group can evolve?"
Ningguang: "It seems so. And the speed of our Abyss purification has increased too."
Madame Ping: "A remarkable design. The system grows stronger as Kael's power increases."
Ningguang turned to Keqing in the Jade Chamber, her gaze sharp and calculating.
"Keqing," she said seriously, "we need to accelerate our progress. Mondstadt's representatives have already joined—and more nations will follow. If we don't adapt, we'll fall behind."
Keqing's violet eyes glimmered with determination.
"Agreed. If we want to keep up with the gods, we need to work like mortals who refuse to be left behind."
As the wind howled gently against the crystal walls of the chamber, both women turned their eyes eastward—toward Mondstadt, toward Kael, and toward the growing web of power that now spanned all of Teyvat.
The age of Archons was shifting.
And at its heart stood one man—
A Celestia reborn, quietly rewriting the fate of the world.