Taro had no knowledge of what was happening on Mt. Aozang.
Even if he did, he wouldn't overthink it.
Power makes the difference. Those without ability live cautiously; those with ability have options.
Now, others sought him.
And he had already considered the worst-case scenario.
Even without using World Items, unless one of the Four Rulers of Life, Death, and Time took the field, none of the remaining Seven Archons could keep him.
Victory was uncertain, but survival was assured.
He had planned contingencies—even facing Nazarick alone.
If he could prepare for that, why fear anything here?
Before the servers closed, he had hoarded obsessively. His confidence was absolute.
This was Teyvat, not Nazarick. He would never see Ainz again.
But the math worked out the same.
He had met Morax. His combat power was clear.
No crushing defeat awaited him. The field had room to maneuver.
And so far—everything was going smoothly.
"Not bad. Been a long time since I tasted roasted fish like this."
Night was falling.
With skewered grilled tigerfish in hand, Taro wandered the streets.
Everything around him felt both familiar and strange.
But melting into the smoke and noise of Liyue life felt… right.
Even alone.
"Three Bowls But Only One Bite, Wanmin Restaurant, Adventurers' Guild, Blackcliff Forge…"
He clicked his tongue. "Déjà vu."
Memories long buried surfaced, bittersweet.
Two decades gone, and here he was, reliving it for real.
Fate had a sense of humor.
"Xinyan, hurry!"
"I'm coming, Xiangling!"
"Lu-lu-lu~!"
Two lively girls dashed past him, laughter trailing.
A small brown bear waddled behind.
Taro spared them a glance, then turned away.
Precious youth, but not his.
He couldn't return.
A strange pang of envy lingered.
In just one day he had already run into several of Liyue's cast. Xingqiu first, then Zhongli, now Xiangling and Xinyan.
Only Chongyun, Yun Jin, Ningguang, Keqing, Yelan, Hu Tao, Shenhe… wait. Actually, quite a few left unseen.
He chuckled. "Whatever. I'll meet them when I do."
He shook his head and kept walking.
Soon the southern docks came into view.
The two girls were now aboard a large ship, chatting with a red-clad, eyepatch-wearing woman dressed like a pirate.
The Alcor. Beidou.
No wonder they were rushing.
His eyes lingered briefly, then drifted over the waves toward Guyun Stone Forest.
Beyond, on the horizon, a glowing wooden ship loomed—pearls glimmering.
The Pearl Galley.
Taro's eyes lit up.
"Well, why not enjoy some music?"
The place was reserved for the powerful. Invitation or connections were required.
But what barrier could stop him?
"Teleport."
In a blink, he appeared in a corner of the Pearl Galley's first floor.
Laughter and music surrounded him.
He found a spot, sat, and watched.
On stage, courtesans performed. Off stage, nobles and merchants mingled.
His sudden appearance drew little notice. People came and went on this ship constantly.
But while patrons overlooked him, the stewards did not.
On the second floor balcony, a woman in a red cheongsam narrowed her eyes.
"Steward Luo Xia."
A tall, muscular man hurried over with two lackeys.
"Table sixteen, port side. That guest isn't on the registry."
He flipped through a booklet, frowning. "Not listed."
Impossible. The Pearl Galley was watched from sea, air, and beneath the waves. No one could simply appear.
Unless…
Luo Xia's gaze hardened. This was trouble.
"Shall we…" the man drew a thumb across his throat.
"Fool."
She glared. "Get out. I'll handle this myself."
The usual troublemakers were amateurs, weeded out before stepping aboard.
But this man had slipped past every eye and walked in openly.
That was no fool to underestimate.
"Send word upstairs. Then prepare for punishment."
"Yes, Steward."
Ignoring his sweat, she summoned a servant to bring wine and approach the intruder.
Meanwhile, a tall blond youth with a sunny grin sat across from Taro uninvited.
"Hey there, stranger! Don't think we've met. I'm Childe—let's be friends."
Taro arched a brow.
"Oh? You want to be friends?"
"Of course!" Childe beamed. "I love making friends. Especially with strong ones."
Friends?
More like asking for a fight.
(End of Chapter)
[Check out my Patreon to read more!]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]
[Thanks for your support!]