"Everyone, be careful!" A gentle yet commanding voice called out from a distance. Two more beautiful young women were arriving.
They were a pair of sisters. The taller one, with a nimble and heroic demeanor, was Jean, the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius.
The smaller one, with twin pigtails, was Mondstadt's idol, Barbara also known in some circles as the "Curse-Breaking Deaconess"... Hmm, sounds like I just learned something interesting.
Reaching the beach, Jean immediately tensed up and entered a combat stance when she saw Elliot's hand on Klee's head. If Elliot made any hostile move towards Klee, she was ready to charge in instantly.
"Acting Grand Master Jean, it's okay! This is a relative of one of our friends! He won't hurt Klee!" Paimon quickly explained, worried they were about to start another fight.
"Is... that so?" Jean looked a little confused but generally trusted Paimon. Plus, Klee didn't seem scared of the giant dragon at all. In fact, Klee, being petted by the dragon, was smiling even more happily than when she was locked in solitary confinement.
….
Since he was an acquaintance, there was no need to be overly worried. Jean relaxed her tense posture. Ever since arriving on this island, she'd been on high alert, a bit jumpy about everything.
She trusted Paimon and the Traveler, more or less. Even though the "friend's relative" explanation for this dragon sounded a bit far-fetched, Jean was willing to believe it for now.
Paimon made the introductions, and everyone got a basic understanding of each other. But actually, Elliot didn't need Paimon to introduce them; he knew more about them than anyone else present.
Just then, he saw his quest interface finally update with a new mission.
[Ding! Divine Spark Awakening Stage 1 Quest Initiated]
[Kill 0/50 Hilichurls]
[Defeat Maguu Kenki]
Rewards: 500,000 EXP, Gnosis x1, Ancient Archon's Blood Essence
Return to Original World Quest: Defeat a Stonehide Lawachurl
This... this quest. It was surprisingly ordinary. Elliot had expected the Divine Spark Awakening quest to be something more special, but it turned out to be just regular monster grinding.
The quest might be ordinary, but the rewards were anything but. First, 500,000 EXP! That much experience could probably boost him to around Level 25.
Don't think getting to Level 25 was easy.
In the original story, Kumoko had to single-handedly clear out almost all the monsters in the Upper Stratum of the Elroe Labyrinth to gain that much EXP, and even then, she only reached around Level 23 or 24.
Unless you were killing high-level monsters like Earth Dragon Araba, leveling up in the later stages was incredibly difficult. If he and Kumoko had to share the EXP from the Elroe Labyrinth, they probably wouldn't have leveled up much due to insufficient resources.
While god-slaying skills were important, levels were equally crucial. The Queen Taratect who forced him into this world relied on her massive level difference to easily crush him.
The other reward, a Gnosis, was a big deal. This item was incredibly important in the world of Genshin Impact.
Among the Seven Archons, all except the deceased Dendro Archon possessed a Gnosis. And it seemed that possessing a Gnosis allowed one to wield a portion of an Archon's power.
If he compared the Administrators of Kumoko's world to the gods of this world, then possessing a Gnosis... would it allow him to actually harm an Administrator?
As for the Ancient Archon's Blood Essence... this reward had a slightly more fantastical, almost xianxia-like, feel to it.
Like Pangu's blood essence or a Great Emperor's blood essence in those stories an incredibly rare and precious item, a single drop of which could completely transform a person, purifying their body and marrow.
The "Ancient Archons" here probably referred to the Archons who fought alongside Rex Lapis (Zhongli) to secure Liyue in ancient times.
Even now, an ancient Archon, suppressed by Rex Lapis, still lay beneath the seas of Liyue. Being able to contend with Rex Lapis, an Archon's blood essence would undoubtedly have extraordinary effects.
Finally, the "Return to Original World" quest was simple enough: defeat a Stonehide Lawachurl, and he could go back. Stonehide Lawachurls could be found with some searching in this world.
But the Maguu Kenki mentioned in the main quest? That wouldn't be so easy. That monster originated from Inazuma, a kind of controllable war puppet, and it had some connection to "Dodoking."
Just then, Jean took out the letter signed by "Dodoking." "Since you're not Dodoking, then who exactly gave us this letter?" This letter, written in a childish tone, had lured Klee to the Golden Apple Archipelago, but the actual author had never shown themselves.
"The Golden Apple Archipelago is too large. If we all stick together, it'll be hard to find any valuable clues. How about this: we split into two groups. That way, we can cover more ground," Jean suggested.
"Klee and I will form one group and search the southeastern islands. The rest of you can search the northwestern islands. Let's meet back here before sunset."
Everyone else nodded in agreement. After all, among those present, only Acting Grand Master Jean could really keep Klee in check. Otherwise, Klee might vanish in the blink of an eye if left unsupervised.
Paimon nodded, then turned to Elliot. "Why don't you come with us too? Since you're Zhongli's cousin, you must be very knowledgeable. And you're so strong! Ordinary Hilichurls wouldn't dare attack if they saw you. It'll definitely be safe."
"Alright," Elliot agreed.
Hearing Paimon's invitation, Elliot thought about it and agreed. It wouldn't hurt to look around and get the lay of the land, and he could complete his quests along the way.
Barbara placed her hand over her heart in a prayerful gesture. "May the Anemo Archon protect you all." As a Deaconess, praying for people was part of her usual duties.
Jean gave a slight nod without saying much.
The two groups then set off in different directions. The Golden Apple Archipelago was a secluded place, isolated from the main continents.
Many sailors caught in storms were shipwrecked and washed ashore here. And because the sea was perpetually shrouded in mist, even experienced navigators often lost their way.
Most people who ended up on the Golden Apple Archipelago were stranded there permanently.
"50 Hilichurls... this quest should be easy enough," Elliot thought. In the wilds of this world, Hilichurl camps were practically everywhere. Hilichurls had low intelligence but possessed their own customs, language, and culture.
They hadn't walked far before a Hilichurl carrying a shield came into view.
"That Hilichurl looks like it's on patrol! We can't let it get away!" Paimon said. If a patrolling Hilichurl spotted them, it would be like kicking a hornet's nest a whole camp of them would descend, causing a lot of trouble.
"Mm." Lumine, sword in hand, skillfully tiptoed forward, silent as a shadow. Then, a perfectly executed backstab. The Hilichurl let out a gurgling cry and collapsed.
Watching the Hilichurl fall, Elliot's eyelid twitched slightly. Argh, damn it! She stole my kill!
"Lumine, you're getting really good at this!" Paimon smoothly praised her.
But Lumine didn't look pleased. Instead, she looked a bit puzzled. "These Hilichurls shouldn't be here. This outpost was just cleared out yesterday."
"You're saying... the outpost you cleared yesterday has new Hilichurls already?"
Barbara also pieced it together. "Does that mean... a Hilichurl Chieftain has appeared here?"
Hilichurls had a hierarchy, and the strongest among them was the Stonehide Lawachurl. Only a Chieftain of that caliber could rally other Hilichurls to its banner.
"This is going to be troublesome. If a Stonehide Lawachurl is blocking the path, we'll have to take a detour," Paimon said, feeling a headache coming on.
It wasn't that the Traveler couldn't defeat a Lawachurl, but they were incredibly tanky with high HP, high defense, and a massive shield.
Fighting one would likely be a long, tough battle! Plus, with Barbara, who wasn't much of a fighter, in their group, it would definitely be very difficult.
Lumine nodded. It seemed like taking a detour might be the best option. But a detour would also mean less time for searching.
Seeing their worried expressions, Elliot spoke up calmly, "No need for a detour. Let's just go straight through."
Hearing Elliot speak, the other three all turned to look at him in unison.
"Go straight through? Are you serious?" Paimon asked, surprised.
"Mm. Straight through. Saves time," he stated succinctly.
The Stonehide Lawachurl was one of his quest targets. Since it just happened to be right in front of him, Elliot definitely wasn't going to pass up the opportunity.
Besides, as a Hilichurl Chieftain, it would undoubtedly be surrounded by many other Hilichurls. This way, he could potentially complete both quests at once.
And even if there were no quests involved, Elliot wouldn't bother taking the long way around. He also wanted to test his current strength level in the world of Genshin Impact, and a tough, tanky opponent was perfect for that.
Paimon couldn't help but say, "Elliot, you sound so confident. But... have you actually ever fought a Lawachurl before?"
"No," Elliot replied truthfully.
….
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