đ If you enjoy my work, consider supporting me on Patreon. I'm offering advanced chapters there as a thank-you to readers.
--------------------
Check out advanced chapters on : patreon.com/DragonOP
--------------------
The atmosphere in Mondstadt had reached a fever pitch. With the release of the newest volume of Old Mond: Pupils of the Gu King, the city's residents were no longer just readersâthey were amateur historians and theorists, debating every line of Ye Ruo's work in the taverns and plazas. The "cliffhanger" ending had left them starving for more, and the Legendary Prestige flowing into Ye Ruo's system was like a torrential rain after a long drought.
However, Ye Ruo's focus was currently diverted. While the city obsessed over the past, he was looking toward the future of his training with Noelle.
"Efficiency is the soul of a knight's work," Ye Ruo said, standing in the open training grounds behind the Knights of Favonius headquarters. "Noelle, your strength is undeniable, but you fight like a maid cleaning a roomâthorough, but slow. In battle, thoroughness can be a death sentence if it costs you your stamina."
Noelle stood before him, her massive greatsword resting easily on her shoulder. Her expression was one of intense focus. "I understand, Senior! I must be faster, sharper, and more decisive!"
"Exactly. Today, we practice the 'Gale's Path.' Use your Geo shield not just for defense, but as a springboard for your next attack. Don't just take the hit; use the impact to propel yourself forward."
As they sparred, Ye Ruo moved with a fluidity that seemed to defy the laws of physics. He didn't just dodge Noelle's heavy swings; he moved with the air currents they created. To the onlookersâa few trainee knights and the ever-curious Amberâit looked like a dance between a mountain and a hurricane.
While the physical training continued, the literary world of Mondstadt was about to receive another shock. Ye Ruo had decided to release a special side-story for Detective of the Windy City, titled The Two Princes of the Wind.
In this volume, the protagonist Shotaroâbased loosely on the concept of a "hard-boiled" detectiveâwas forced into a temporary alliance with a mysterious, aloof rival who utilized the "Shadow of the Wind." The rival character was a man of few words, dressed in dark reds and blacks, who operated outside the law to protect the city's secrets.
The book hadn't even been on the shelves for an hour before the rumors started.
"Red and black? Operating in the shadows? Using a claymore?" Albert shouted at the bookstore counter. "This isn't just a character! This is Master Diluc! Master Ye Ruo is writing about the Darknight Hero!"
The crowd gasped. The Darknight Hero was a local urban legendâa vigilante who took care of the threats the Knights couldn't reach. While the common folk loved the idea, the Knights of Favonius officially discouraged such vigilantism.
In the Angel's Share, Diluc sat at his usual corner table, staring at the cover of the new book. His jaw was set tight.
"Shotaro and the Shadow Prince," Diluc muttered, his voice low and dangerous. "He's making a mockery of the night's work."
"Oh, come now, Master Diluc," Kaeya said, sliding into the seat opposite him. He was holding his own copy, flipping through it with a delighted grin. "Look at this dialogue. 'The wind of justice doesn't blow in the sun, it whispers in the dark.' It's quite poetic, don't you think? He even captured your... brooding charm perfectly."
"He captured a lawsuit is what he did," Diluc growled, though he didn't put the book down.
"I think the most interesting part," Kaeya continued, leaning in, "is the ending. The two rivals realize they are fighting for the same Mondstadt, just under different lights. It's almost a plea for cooperation, wouldn't you say? Perhaps our Wind Knight is trying to tell us something."
Back at his villa, Ye Ruo ignored the social storm he had brewed. He was staring at his system interface, which was pulsing with a golden light he hadn't seen before.
[Legendary Prestige Threshold Surpassed: 100,000]
[Unlocking Precious Treasure Chests...]
[System Update in Progress: Integrating 'Multiversal Resonance']
"Precious chests at last," Ye Ruo breathed. He had been saving his Prestige specifically for this. The Common and Exquisite chests were useful for resources and mid-tier gear, but the Precious chests were where the truly transformative items lay.
"System," he called out, "I want one pull from the Precious Treasure Chest."
Unlike the previous pulls, this one didn't just flash with light. The room itself seemed to grow heavy with power. A chest made of purple obsidian and silver filigree appeared in the air, slowly creaking open.
[Congratulations! You have received a Precious Grade Treasure: The Wind-Wind Fruit (Logia Type)]
Ye Ruo's heart skipped a beat. A Devil Fruit? And not just any fruit, but a Logia? In a world where he already possessed an Anemo Vision and natural wind manipulation, this was the ultimate synergy.
"If I consume this," he thought, his hand trembling slightly as the swirl-patterned fruit materialized, "I won't just control the wind. I will be the wind."
In Teyvat, Vision holders could be exhausted, their elemental energy drained. But a Logia user's body was the element itself. Physical attacks would pass through him like a breeze through a window. It was the perfect defense and the ultimate offensive boost.
He didn't hesitate. He took a bite.
The taste was as foul as the legends saidâlike a mixture of rotting fish and wet copperâbut the power that surged through him was unlike anything he had ever felt. His physical form flickered, his skin momentarily turning into swirling white clouds before solidifying again.
He raised a hand, and with a flick of his finger, a tiny localized tornado formed in his palm, spinning with enough force to cut through steel, yet it felt as natural to him as breathing.
"The Doctor," Ye Ruo whispered, his eyes glowing with a sharp, teal light. "Next time you come to my city, you won't be fighting a knight. You'll be fighting the storm itself."
Outside, the wind in Mondstadt suddenly picked up. It wasn't the cold, biting wind of a storm, but a vibrant, energetic gale that made the windmills spin with newfound vigor.
Venti, sitting on the hands of the Great Statue, paused his playing. He looked toward Ye Ruo's villa, a strange, knowing smile on his face. He felt the shiftâa new "throne" of wind was rising, one that didn't come from the heavens or the earth, but from the will of a man who just wanted to write stories.
"Things are getting very interesting," the bard whispered to the sky. "I hope you're ready for the next chapter, Mondstadt."