10:00 AM.
In Mondstadt and Liyue, the number of people who fell into comas after accidentally coming into contact with meteorites was gradually increasing. The Knights of Favonius, the Millelith, and the Adventurers' Guild had decided to work together to address this incident.
Victor Wang, entrusted by Wangshu Inn and the Millelith, had already dealt with the meteorites around the inn.
Afterward, he chose to head north. While helping to clear meteorites, he was also searching for a meteorite larger than the previous one, though he harbored another small intention in mind.
"Springvale—Dawn Winery—Stone Gate—Wangshu Inn… if I remember correctly, that's the route for clearing meteorites in the 'Unreconciled Stars' storyline. I wonder how far Lumine has gotten…"
His plain yet extraordinary memory activated again. That segment of storyline—clearly important, yet made into a temporary event—replayed in his mind in crystal-clear detail, without flaw or pause.
The real Pilos Peak had become Musk Reef, and what lay upon it was self-evident—there rested the entrance to the Spiral Abyss.
But clearly, Scaramouche hadn't learned the truth of the false sky from setting foot on Musk Reef or entering the Spiral Abyss, but rather after touching the core of this meteor shower—the crystallization of Leonard's spirit.
To reach the "true end" Leonard spoke of, most likely one had to begin with the dreams born from these meteorites. In fact, it was highly probable that the key lay within the core at Musk Reef itself.
Unfortunately, that core hadn't yet fallen. And when it did, Scaramouche was the first to seize it.
From his last battle with The Fair Lady, Victor Wang knew that, with his current strength, defeating Scaramouche singlehandedly would be quite difficult. Moreover, once inside the dream, his body outside would be left defenseless, fragile, and dangerously exposed. He needed a companion strong enough to join him.
Lumine was, of course, the best choice.
Thus, Victor Wang retraced the path Lumine was destined to take in the near future, heading from Wangshu Inn toward Mondstadt. Yet after hours of travel, he never came across her. Upon inquiring in Springvale, he learned that Lumine and Fischl had indeed gone to Dawn Winery. Their route aligned, so the only possibility was that they had passed by one another without noticing.
"After all, with the map expanded this much… aside from the pass at Stone Gate, there are plenty of alternate paths."
Undeterred, he reasoned that there were still many points where he could "coincidentally" run into Lumine. Taking the chance, he spent some time unlocking nearby Mondstadt Teleport Waypoints. That day ended as the sun set.
Not long after nightfall, the second meteor shower descended. Among them, the largest meteorite crashed down upon Falcon Coast.
Already prepared, Victor Wang feigned being drawn by the commotion and rushed to the site within minutes.
"Eh, Victor!"
Sure enough, Lumine, Fischl, and Mona were all there. Yet their gazes were odd—especially Paimon, who lowered her head after greeting him.
Perplexed by their strange behavior, Victor Wang was at a loss. He forced a smile and said, "On my way here, I heard you've also been dealing with meteorites. Meeting here isn't that much of a coincidence then."
Mona sighed with her hands on her hips. Fischl opened her mouth but no words came. Lumine looked at him with a strange sympathy and said, "Victor… we already know about your situation."
"Ha, and what is it you think you know?"
"It's all my fault! I didn't realize being interrupted during training last time affected you so much. I'll even give you all my savings if you want—just, please, snap out of it!" Paimon's face was twisted with reluctant sacrifice, her voice trembling as if she might cry, whether for Victor Wang or for the Mora she was offering.
"What last time…? You mean the sword practice? Pfft, let bygones be bygones. We've got more important matters now, don't we? A meteorite this big can't just be left alone."
"Sword practice… meteorites… so it's true…"
Paimon grimaced, exchanging glances with Lumine before clutching her head in distress. "The innkeeper at Wangshu Inn told us—you've been possessed by your sword training, searching for large meteorites to train with. But these rocks only make people fall unconscious! Please wake up!"
"…Huai'an, really, was there any need to spread that around?" Victor Wang sighed helplessly, half amused and half exasperated.
"Victor, don't blame Huai'an. We were gathering information on the meteorites, and since it might help resolve this incident, he reported your case as an unusual occurrence."
"Lumine, you too?"
Lumine raised her right hand toward Victor Wang, speaking with sincerity. "You don't need to worry about these meteorites anymore. Go back to Wangshu Inn. Once we've dealt with them, I'll come train with you, and I promise we'll make up for the insight you lost when Paimon interrupted last time!"
"I… I really am training with the sword! The dreams born of the meteorites place me on a snowy mountain. In that environment, I can focus completely. That's the essence of intent. I'm honing my sword intent!"
"Eh?"
The group was collectively stunned.
"Lumine, you understand, don't you?"
"There's really such a method?" Paimon, suddenly realizing she wouldn't have to hand over her savings, grew a little excited.
"There are similar methods…" Lumine pressed her warm cheeks with her hands. She almost couldn't believe she'd fallen for the idea that Victor Wang had lost his mind through sword training!
Mona coughed lightly to ease the awkwardness. "So, you've entered the meteorite dreams before and managed to leave on your own? What kind of dream was it?"
"In the dream, there was a very tall snowy mountain. I became an adventurer climbing it, and only upon reaching the summit could I leave."
Here, Victor Wang hesitated. If he revealed Pilos Peak's name now, they would clear Leonard's crystallized spirit before Scaramouche, depriving the Fatui of vital knowledge. The consequences were uncertain, so he decided to hold back.
"Maybe the terrain has changed. I've never seen that mountain before. But on the adventurer's license was a name—'Leonard.'"
"Leonard!" Paimon gasped. "That matches the name Mona just divined!"
"Hmph, of course it does. I'm the future's greatest astrologer—my divinations can't be wrong!" Mona said proudly, before turning back to Victor Wang. "So, you're really seeking larger meteorites just for training?"
"That's right. The twin ice picks… the intent of climbing still feels within my hands. But the dream's snowy mountain is influenced by meteorite size—the larger the meteorite, the more complete the mountain. I want to climb the true summit, but I've never found a fully intact mountain."
"Then this meteorite is one you must touch, huh~"
"In theory, yes. Please give me a little time. Once I return from the dream, I'll help deal with it."
"I don't mind. Consider it compensation for failing to divine your fate last time."
Mona spread her hands. Lumine and Paimon exchanged a look, both clearly thinking the same.
But less than a minute after touching the meteorite, Victor Wang slowly awoke from unconsciousness. Shaking his head, he said, "No good. Even though this meteorite is the largest so far, the snowy mountain in the dream is no more complete than before."
"This should be the biggest meteorite yet… and it's still incomplete?"
"A fragmented vision… a broken fate… It seems the piece to mend it lies elsewhere!"
"Eh-eh?"
Paimon, baffled yet impressed, waited for Oz's translation, but none came. Instead, Mona glanced at Fischl, circled the meteorite once, and reluctantly agreed. "If I'm not mistaken, Fischl is right. Among these meteorites, there should be one serving as the core—the crystallization of Leonard's spirit. The mountain Victor wishes to climb should be there. That's also the key to resolving the other meteorites."
"And where would it be?"
"I can't say for certain yet." Mona scraped powder from the meteorite into a small tool. "I'll need divination to find out more. Let's go back for now. I'm a little… ahem, a little hungry."
"True, after running around all day, I'm starving too." Paimon rubbed her belly in agreement.
The night passed quietly.
Though fewer than the previous batch, this wave of meteorites worsened the sleeping phenomenon. Ordinary people without Visions no longer needed to touch them—mere proximity was enough to drag them into dreams, causing severe shortages of manpower across the land.
Fischl went to help care for the comatose, leaving the rest to the other three.
Through divination, Mona determined Leonard lived over a thousand years ago. Coupled with his adventurer identity, she narrowed down the target.
With this lead, Lumine and Paimon searched Mondstadt's library and found Leonard's adventure journal. Though pages were missing, Mona filled the gaps with astrology and revealed a crucial location—Pilos Peak.
"But where is Pilos Peak? I've never even heard of it." Paimon tilted her little face up, confused.
"I've never heard of it either. But comparing the records with modern maps, I found it no longer exists."
Mona propped her chin on her hand, thoughtful. "Still, the records state that Barbatos, for his people, once scattered snow and reshaped Mondstadt's terrain. Even if that mountain were cast into the sea, with its height, it should have left traces."
"The part of its peak still above the waves is now called… Musk Reef."
Victor Wang, who had spent the whole time slacking off, cheered and rented a fast ship to carry Lumine and Mona straight to Musk Reef.