Collei slept soundly.
Having avenged her enemy, she let go of everything. The nightmares and torment that had haunted her were vanquished with each stab of her dagger.
Now, she was truly asleep, the kind of sleep without dreams.
Bailuo looked at the Dendro Vision in his hand but had no intention of keeping it for himself.
Not just because he couldn't activate a Vision.
Once a Vision was bound to its owner, it was already tied to Collei, and no one else could use it.
What puzzled him, though, was the design of this Vision.
Each nation's Vision had a unique design.
Mondstadt's Vision had six wings.
Liyue's was a square, resembling a rock.
Inazuma's was somewhat similar to the Electro Archon's "Hundred-Eyed God" motif.
But Collei's Vision...
Bailuo had assumed it would be in Mondstadt's style, since it was obtained on Mondstadt's soil.
To his surprise, Collei's Vision was in Snezhnaya's design.
Was it because he had interfered with the process of her obtaining the Vision?
More importantly, the element!
Was he destined to be tied to the Dendro element? Even the person he trained was fated to wield Dendro?
Bailuo glanced at his own Dendro Delusion and fell into deep thought.
However, his contemplation was soon interrupted by the system's voice.
[Achievement Unlocked: Growth Without Uprooting]
[Reward Acquired: Dio's Steamroller]
[System Error... Error Code: 651.]
[Detected Unobtained Class: The World]
[Reward Resetting...]
[Reset Successful!]
[Reward Acquired: Sakabato Shinuchi.]
"???"
Give me back my steamroller, you damn system!
On the lush green grass, the once inconspicuous black turned into a glaring blood-red.
Bailuo's class automatically switched to "Battousai," and the broken blade in his hand was enveloped in a glow.
With a clatter, the broken blade fell to the ground, and in Bailuo's hand appeared a new sword.
This sword looked almost identical to the previous reverse-blade sword, but it now had additional attributes and an active skill.
[Sakabato Shinuchi]
+20% Critical Hit Chance
Unique Passive - Sharp Edge: Critical Hit Damage increased to 250% (does not stack beyond this value).
Unique Passive - Non-Lethal: Your normal attacks cannot kill any human (excluding gods, adepti, youkai, and other special lifeforms).
Unique Active - Shinuchi: Clears all abnormal statuses and immediately refreshes the cooldown of [Nine-Headed Dragon Flash/Heavenly Soaring Dragon Flash] (cooldown: 180 seconds).
If the skill is not on cooldown, Shinuchi's cooldown is reduced to 3 seconds.
The term "Shinuchi" has a particular meaning.
It is said that when a swordsmith crafts a divine sword, they usually make two.
The higher-quality one is called the "Shinuchi," which is not meant for use but for enshrining and offering to the gods.
The "Uchigatana," though of slightly lower quality, is still a masterpiece.
It is often gifted by the swordsmith to renowned samurai or friends.
The skills of the Battousai class were already terrifying, and the burst of true damage from Nine-Head Dragon Flash in an instant was a nightmare for many.
With this Sakabato Shinuchi, the terror of the Battousai class doubled.
If you encountered someone with high defense but low health, two Nine-Head Dragon Flash strikes would end the fight.
And if you used Heavenly Soaring Dragon Flash while near death... few lifeforms, aside from special ones, could survive two high-damage true strikes.
But...
"I still really want that steamroller."
With a thought, Bailuo switched back to his "Hei" class, picked up the broken blade from the ground, and with a lingering sense of longing, carried Collei on his back as he headed toward Mondstadt.
The missionary was dead. A couple discovered his body, covered in vegetation, on Starsnatch Cliff.
What was once a romantic spot for dates became a haunted place for a long time, until the Church of Favonius declared that the evil spirit had been exorcised, finally calming the situation.
During that time, many men cursed the bastard who had died on Starsnatch Cliff.
The Knights of Favonius, already overwhelmed by the diplomat's death, were now even more baffled.
But no matter how much the Knights tried to explain, the Fatui refused to let it go.
Especially the group the missionary had brought.
While the Knights were struggling, Diluc was having a smooth time.
Angel's Share.
This tavern was established by the historic Dawn Winery and directly supplied with its wines.
Regarding the origin of the tavern's name, the bartender Charles explained: During aging, wine often loses a bit due to evaporation and absorption into the barrel's wood.
Brewers generally interpret this as "a portion taken by the angels." Thus, the remaining wine is naturally the "Angel's Share."
"Did you do it?"
Diluc, wiping a glass while looking at the Instructor who had come to the bar not for beer but for milk, asked.
The Instructor had specifically requested a wine glass instead of the usual beer mug.
Drinking milk from a wine glass—what an eccentric habit.
"Back in the day, he was my colleague. Do you think I could do something like that?"
Swirling the milk in his glass, Bailuo maintained his usual gentle smile, the kind that easily won people's trust.
But Diluc knew just how terrifying this seemingly kind young man could be.
"Tell me, what will it take for you to leave Mondstadt alone?"
"You make it sound like I've done something to Mondstadt... Also, your outfit is great."
Today, Diluc wasn't wearing his usual noble attire or his "Darknight Hero" costume. Instead, he was dressed in a simple bartender's uniform.
With his hair tied back, he looked quite handsome. With a bit of grooming, he might even outshine Acting Grand Master Jean.
"If the Instructor is just here to compliment my clothes, then please leave. The milk is on the house."
Diluc had been patient, hoping to find a way to turn the situation around through Bailuo.
But Bailuo kept dodging the topic, so Diluc had no patience left to entertain this so-called "distinguished guest."
"Getting angry already? By the way... how's the thing I asked you to do coming along?"
Seeing that Diluc was genuinely considering kicking him out, Bailuo decided to stop teasing him.
What if he got upset and made me lose my 50/50 pity and max out a character I didn't want?
"Is there even a point to continuing?"
Diluc paused while wiping the glass and looked up with a mocking expression.
His original plan was to use the black flames of the Delusion to draw the missionary's attention, then shift the Fatui's focus from Mondstadt to himself, the Darknight Hero.
But Bailuo had gone and killed the guy. All his efforts had gone to waste. Of course, he wasn't happy.
"You're already accused of killing the diplomat. What's one more charge of killing the missionary? It's not like it's suspicious for you to kill him after he's been chasing you for days."
"That's something we considered, but with the missionary dead, there's no one in Mondstadt besides the consul who can take charge. And Snezhnaya won't believe our excuses."
As Diluc said, in his and Kaeya's plan, the missionary would capture him with Kaeya's cooperation.
Then he would be transported back to Snezhnaya in the missionary's prisoner convoy.
After days of testing, he knew the missionary's strength. With his Delusion, he could easily escape on the way.
That way, all the pressure would fall on the missionary.
But now?
"Did you forget about me? I'm a high-ranking officer in the Fatui! Don't I have any face?!"
"..."
With a clatter, the glass in Diluc's hand fell to the ground and shattered. His lips twitched slightly.
This guy had been loudly conspiring with them, making them forget that the Instructor, who had been getting close to them, was actually one of the highest-ranking members of the Fatui.