Chapter 1: Tricking the Hilichurl
Mondstadt, Starsnatch Cliff, nearing dusk.
Su Han, clad in white robes, stood atop the fir tree's branches, his expression indifferent, hands clasped behind his back.
A gentle breeze swept by, his sleeves fluttering gracefully, accentuating his already striking features to perfection—anyone who laid eyes on him would surely sigh in admiration: Truly a banished immortal.
"Evil beast, heaven cherishes all life, and considering your nascent intelligence, if you retreat now, this seat can pretend today's events never occurred."
Su Han glanced down at the Hilichurl Berserker sitting beneath the fir tree and spoke indifferently.
The Hilichurl Berserker took a bite of its Sunsetia, snorting disdainfully.
"Uh..."
"Do you perhaps think this seat won't kill you?"
"This seat simply wishes to avoid needless slaughter, lest it disrupt years of pure cultivation. Leave at once, and this seat will spare your life—otherwise, this seat won't hold back."
The Hilichurl Berserker, growing irritated as it gnawed on the Sunsetia, finally reacted.
It looked up at Su Han, then stood, casually tossing its shield aside before slamming a fist into the fir tree with full force.
Thud—
A muffled impact rang out, and the fir tree shook violently, leaves rustling down in a cascade.
"Damn it!"
Luckily, he was quick on his feet, grabbing hold of the trunk just in time to avoid becoming the Hilichurl Berserker's next meal.
Thud—
Another punch!
The fir tree trembled once more.
"Hmph, so stubbornly ignorant—don't blame this seat for unleashing the ultimate technique."
After steadying himself, Su Han sank his qi into his dantian, his gaze sharpening as his entire being took on the aura of an unsheathed blade.
He slowly raised his right hand, extending his middle finger toward the Hilichurl Berserker laboring below, his voice booming like thunder: "Come at me!"
"Roar!"
Even across the language barrier, the Hilichurl Berserker grasped the gesture's meaning well enough.
Feeling utterly insulted, it let out an enraged bellow, pounding its fists against its muscled chest. Then, it crouched low, slowly backing away before charging forward with thunderous momentum!
DUANG!
Its sharp, pointed horns slammed viciously into the fir tree, shaking it with unprecedented ferocity. If the trunk hadn't been so sturdy, that single strike might have snapped it clean in two.
But when the Hilichurl Berserker tried to pull back for another attempt, it discovered a fatal flaw—its horns were lodged deep in the wood, impossible to dislodge.
Hilichurl Berserker: "..."
No matter how it strained, roared, or thrashed, it couldn't free itself, reduced to helpless fury.
"Phew, this seat—cough, I warned you ages ago."
Su Han let out a sigh of relief, leaping down from the opposite side of the tree and waving farewell to the Hilichurl Berserker.
"Well then, may we never meet ag—"
Before he could finish, the Hilichurl Berserker's muscles suddenly tensed, its oily mane bristling as it let out an uneasy low growl.
"Don't worry, let me help you out!"
The voice arrived before the person, as a streak of swift firelight arced through the sky, striking the Hilichurl Berserker's unprotected waist with pinpoint accuracy.
In its panic, the Hilichurl Berserker instinctively reached for its discarded shield.
But before it could act, several flashing sword arcs sliced through the air, plunging straight into its throat.
In mere moments, the Hilichurl Berserker that had filled Su Han with dread lay slain.
Fast, precise, ruthless!
That was the first impression Su Han got from the white-haired youth wearing goggles.
"You okay? That was way too close—good thing I heard the commotion and rushed over right away." The youth turned around, scratching his head with a grin.
"I'm fine, thanks for saving me. May I ask... where is this place?" Su Han replied.
"Huh? You don't know? This is Mondstadt."
"Let me introduce myself—I'm Bennett, just your average adventurer from Mondstadt." Bennett said.
"Average..." Su Han's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.
Even without any knowledge of this world's power system, he could tell just how formidable Bennett's technique had been.
That burly, bull-strong, horned monster had been dispatched with ease, and you call that "average"?
"We're at Starsnatch Cliff in Mondstadt. Mondstadt is the city of wind and pastoral songs, the freest city-state in all of Teyvat."
"The winds of freedom carry the scent of dandelions across Cider Lake, delivering the blessings and grace of Lord Barbatos the Anemo Archon to Mondstadt City on its island heart—that's Mondstadt." Bennett placed his right hand over his chest, his eyes brimming with pride.
"And you? You must be an adventurer from another nation, right? Judging by your outfit, are you from Liyue?"
"Just call me Su Han. I'm not actually an adventurer—um, how to put it? I'm a scholar who specializes in archaeological exploration."
"Ahem, see? This is the certification our nation issues to archaeologists."
He neither confirmed nor denied his Liyue origins, deftly sidestepping the question.
Until he could gauge how this world treated visitors from other realms, it was best not to reveal his true identity lightly.
With that, Su Han pulled a glossy black Mojin talisman from his waist and dangled it before Bennett's eyes.
It was a prop he'd snagged from the set of a tomb-raiding movie he'd acted in—looked pretty authentic.
"Awesome." Bennett nodded, impressed without fully understanding, his gaze filled with admiration.
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