"If we could somehow capture those extinct boars and bring them to Springvale, give them a designated habitat… maybe we could revive the species?" Olaf mused aloud.
"That's worth investigating," Victor Wang replied. "The book I read says those boars didn't go extinct because of climate or environment—they were hunted to extinction because their meat was too delicious. So, odds are they could adapt to Springvale's environment again. But I'm more interested in the Snowboar King—"
Xiangling's eyes sparkled, her expression the very picture of someone drooling with anticipation.
"Snowboar King, Snowboar King, the huuuge Snowboar King… I wonder how it tastes? It's got to be even more delicious than the one we caught this morning!"
"More delicious than this one?!" Paimon, who was still finishing her ribs, blinked in disbelief. She was already thinking about mountain pork before she'd even cleared her plate.
Victor's comment had ignited everyone's imagination.
Olaf and Draff dreamed of reintroducing the extinct boars into the wild near Springvale. Brooke wanted to use them as ingredients. Xiangling and Paimon simply wanted to taste the Snowboar King.
Lumine, though less food-driven, had no reason to refuse if Paimon and Xiangling were going. She could already sense it—another unexpected journey.
Mission complete.
Rebuilding every bond—though "bond" might not be the most accurate term, for anyone who understood the sentiment, it was the perfect word.
Restoring his ties with every character had become a personal goal for Victor Wang. To achieve it, he had no qualms about manufacturing reasons to get close again—to become a friend from a "familiar stranger" once more. That feeling was irresistible to him.
"I'm curious about what this Snowboar King looks like, too. But Dragonspine's weather is brutal—even Vision holders could die up there. I wouldn't dare explore it for long alone unless I had reliable partners."
Victor dropped the bait at just the right time.
"Yeah, Dragonspine is really dangerous. Every year, inexperienced adventurers and tourists die in there. If we don't know where the boars are, even seasoned hunters like us wouldn't go in recklessly."
"What if we did know where they were?" Lumine asked, her Mora-radar activating instantly. If she was going to be dragged along by Xiangling and Paimon anyway, she might as well earn something from it.
"Then I'd say it's worth trying to capture a few and bring them back—if they really exist," Draff replied, noting the keen look in Victor's eye, Xiangling's uncontainable excitement, and Lumine's barely masked profit motive.
"This could be huge for Springvale. If you three can find and confirm their location, I'll represent the town and promise a Mora reward worthy of its value."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go right now!" Xiangling didn't hesitate—she was already running.
Victor and Lumine exchanged a glance and quickly followed. Paimon shoved the rest of her rib into her mouth and scrambled after them.
"Hrrmphh! Wait f' meee!"
The journey from Springvale to Dragonspine was nearly three times as long as the morning's boar hunt, but the trio used speed techniques and traveled three times faster than the hunters.
They sprinted in a straight line, scaling hills and soaring with wind gliders over the thawing river north of Dragonspine. The icy air struck them the moment they crossed.
Xiangling finally slowed. "Brr! It's freezing!"
She summoned Guoba to light a campfire, warming her hands. "Dragonspine's pretty big. If we search blindly, we'll probably have to camp overnight."
"We've been running for an hour and you're only realizing this now?" Paimon gasped, winded.
"Couldn't help it! New ingredients mean new dishes—I couldn't resist!"
Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances, then shook their heads in resignation.
"Victor, I never asked—does that book you mentioned give any clue about the Snowboar King's location?"
As Lumine asked, Xiangling turned to Victor too. She just now noticed—he wasn't wearing a Vision, but he had no trouble keeping up with them.
Hmm... Draff said he was an Honorary Knight of the Knights of Favonius. Seems like he's kind of like Lumine, huh...
"That book only mentioned a general direction," Victor said. "But it does narrow the search area a lot. At our speed, we can still make it before nightfall."
Though Dragonspine had been magnified a hundredfold in this world, Victor's mental minimap and memory of key landmarks made navigating fast and efficient.
"I'm relieved," Xiangling said. "I came to Mondstadt looking for dragon meat. Took me two days to learn Stormterror's now a protected species… My time's almost up. If I can taste Snowboar King before heading back, it'll all be worth it."
"Wonder if Dvalin gets nervous when people talk about eating him..." Lumine muttered.
"Dvalin?"
"Stormterror. He's kind of a friend."
"Well, that just gave me another reason not to eat him. Sigh. Then I'll be counting on you, Mister Victor."
"Just call me Victor."
"Then call me Xiangling!"
Victor nodded. "Alright, Xiangling, Lumine, let's follow this river east. There should be a path called 'Snow-Covered Trail.' Once we hit it, I can orient myself better."
The three moved on. As they passed the dormant Frostbearing Tree, a horde of Hilichurls blocked their way—including one hulking Frostarm Lawachurl radiating fierce energy.
To avoid wasting time, they carefully skirted around the cliffside. Once out of danger, Little Wen's voice suddenly piped up.
["Huh! I've been here before."]
"Huh?" Victor blinked.
["Yeah! More than once. When I first came here, I hadn't even been forged into a sword. There used to be a huge silver tree in that spot, and there was a kingdom here... But the second time I came back, it was already destroyed."]
"Rock-for-brains remembers stuff?" Paimon snarked.
["Hmph! Keep going south. You'll find the ruins of that kingdom. A Statue of The Seven was built there later. And I also know where your boars are."]
Don't make stuff up, Victor thought—but Little Wen sounded sure, so he kept listening.
"Really?!" Xiangling perked up.
["Be patient. Once we see the statue, I'll tell you the boars' nesting grounds."]
A few minutes later, the Statue of The Seven at the Entombed City – Ancient Palace came into view.
["Just as I remembered. There were three nesting grounds near here: northwest, directly south, and southeast of the statue. But I don't know if they're still active."]
Victor nodded. "The book also pointed to the southeast. That's likely where the Snowboar King is."
"Then let's split up and explore all three!" Xiangling suggested.
"Sounds good. Draff wanted live boars for repopulation—the more, the better," Lumine agreed.
Victor nodded. "Alright then."
"I'll take the southern spot!"
"Paimon and I will head southeast."
"Guess that leaves me with the northwest. Let's regroup at the statue in one hour, whether we find anything or not. That should give us time to reach the mountain's base."
"Hold up—you two don't have Pyro. Let me make you some warming torches."
Xiangling quickly gathered two sturdy branches, wrapped them in cloth, soaked them in oil, and handed one to each of them.
"Alright, see you soon!"
They split up. Victor's northwest route had an ancient road—no need to scale cliffs. And since he wasn't afraid of Hilichurls, he made quick, unhindered progress to the road's end.
Ahead was a collapsed wooden bridge built into the cliffside.
Below was a valley of Durin's remains—colossal, rib-like bones bleached by centuries of snow and mist. Though weathered and stonelike, they still stood out faintly white against the darker stone around them.
Victor knew Durin wasn't truly dead—but that didn't matter. He wasn't here to fight dragons.
"Little Wen, where's this boar you were talking about?"
"Hmph! I said a direction, not an exact location. You just marched straight ahead without checking the surroundings. Try heading north from where you are."
"Alright, I'll backtrack a bit and go north."
Victor turned around, greeted a few friendly Hilichurls along the way, and climbed a mountain wall to a snowy plateau.
This area... It was tiny in-game. Enlarged, it's massive.
Each crunch of his boots through thick snow was oddly satisfying. Victor wasn't expecting to find a boar—after all, in the game, they only spawned in a small section.
Hopefully Lumine finds the spot. Otherwise I'll have to come up with an excuse to bring them here later...
Suddenly, he heard water.
Wait—why is there water on a mountaintop? Guess the map's scale messed up the terrain.
He walked two more steps—then froze.
Ahead was a crystal-clear lake.
And someone was bathing in it.
Oh no... Classic anime moment… I'm not a perv, I swear!
In the icy blue water, a snow-white figure with ice-blue hair scooped freezing water over her head, then flicked it off with a satisfied toss.
Then she stood up.
Stood up.
...Up.
...Up.
...Up.
In just three seconds, Victor experienced visual impact overload. Before he could even react, Eula turned and stepped toward the shore.
In a split second, he forced himself to avert his eyes and searched for cover.
No doubt about it—if he didn't hide immediately, she'd see him in the open snow.
Thankfully, there was a massive boulder nearby. Victor slipped behind it, slowed his breathing, and pressed his back and arms tight against the stone. He didn't dare move.
["Master,"] Little Wen whispered, lowering its voice.
"Shhh. Quiet."
His brain betrayed him. With a memory as sharp as a camera with 576 million pixels, he recalled everything.
His heartbeat thundered.
His Emperor Engine kicked in—then he forced it back down.
Eula usually bathed at the river at the foot of the mountain. But today, a group of Treasure Hoarders had camped there. Though she'd driven them off, it no longer felt safe. So, she came here, high in the mountains, where no one ever went.
Her bare feet left the cold lakebed and met the equally frigid snow. The droplets on her body instantly froze and fell away, catalyzed by her Cryo Vision.
She retrieved her clothes from a tree, sat naked on a stone she'd cleared of snow, and began putting on her thigh-high boots.
As she leaned forward, her eyes caught something strange: a tiny red dot far off in the snow—like blood.
"…!"
She dressed faster. Her greatsword shimmered into being, summoned via her Vision.
Back behind the stone, Victor had calmed slightly. Until—
His nose felt warm.
He looked down.
Tiny drops of blood had fallen in the snow—delicate red blossoms on a white canvas.
Oh crap.
He glanced left—his former standing spot. A trail of faint footprints and a bright red splatter in the snow stood out like a beacon.
Panic. Excitement. Fear. The Emperor Engine roared.
A swirl of wind and frost whispered past the rock—Eula had arrived. Without warning, ice spikes shot toward his hiding place.
Victor sprang away just in time, rolling free of the blast.
["I was trying to tell you that you were having a nosebleed,"] Little Wen muttered.
"Eula—wait! Let me explain!"
"Hmph! Explain after I hit you!"