"No way…"
The broad, surging river reflected in Gu Baizhou's eyes shattered his idea before it began.
The river was simply too wide.
Though he had never woven a fishing net, nor learned how, he could imagine a simple method—ropes tied at intervals and knotted where they crossed.
But such a net depended heavily on the river's width.
If the river was too wide, the net would need to be impossibly long.
With the abilities of these Hilichurls, finishing such a net today was out of the question.
"Meat, so good!"
One Hilichurl excitedly yanked up a plant suitable for twisting into rope, already lost in fantasies of a meat feast.
If he told them this plan wouldn't work, would they drag him back and cook him instead?
Gu Baizhou didn't dare to risk it. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck. He turned to the Geo Hilichurl Shaman and said:
"I have a faster way to get meat."
"What way?"
The shaman tilted its head, obviously intrigued.
"Electro Slimes. Throw them in the river to stun the fish."
Gu Baizhou vaguely remembered playing Genshin Impact before he crossed over.He might have only played for a short time, forgotten most of the story and characters, but the basic knowledge remained.
He recalled seeing Electro Slimes before reaching Mondstadt.Those elemental creatures should be common across the continent.
"I know where they are!"
The Geo Hilichurl Shaman grew excited, waving its stone staff and dancing.It chirped, "We go!"
Several Hilichurls who were pulling plants looked up in confusion.Once they understood, they too became excited and clustered around Gu Baizhou.
"This place dangerous. At night, cannot come," the shaman suddenly warned along the way.
Gu Baizhou was puzzled. From a game perspective, Hilichurls only feared Travelers.
"Why?"
He asked curiously.
"There is a… very cold beast. Don't know what," the shaman replied while leading the way. "Hilichurl brute was dragged away."
Could it be… a Cryo Slime King?
While he pondered, the sky suddenly dimmed, heavy clouds roiling like an angry sea.The grass and trees thinned, the view widening.
A massive stone pillar loomed ahead, dominating the horizon.The pillar stretched dozens of meters long, glowing with a clear, golden light, carved with familiar square patterns, strange motifs, and beast-like figures—something with a distinctly Chinese flavor.
+1 Aesthetic EXPAesthetic Lv6: 17/30
The sudden sight of the pillar delighted Gu Baizhou.There was a certain comfort in finding something familiar when adrift in a foreign world.
Still, he knew that even if this place resembled his homeland in name, differences would run deep.
"Electric crystal there."The shaman pointed its stone staff toward a fissure in the earth.
Gu Baizhou followed his gaze.Within the rift stood more stone pillars, surrounding a sealed stone gate set into the mountain.Before the gate lay a cracked stone platform and a weathered stele of unknown inscription.
The shaman's staff indicated the cliff edge, where a purple glow pulsed beneath the brown soil.Transparent violet crystals gleamed there.
A few Electro Slimes hopped joyfully around the crystal, carefree and unsuspecting of the fierce hunters about to descend.
Electro Crystal!
Gu Baizhou recognized it as a valuable material, though he wasn't sure of its use.To him, this meant a new role for the Hilichurls—Hilichurl Miners!
If he could find a way to extract and sell it to human cities, he could trade for Mora.
"We will go down," the shaman's gravelly voice broke his thoughts.
Several Hilichurls clambered down, still clutching the plant stems they had pulled earlier, believing they'd bring meat and unwilling to discard them.
Under the heat of nearby torches, the moisture in the stalks quickly evaporated—greatly reducing their conductivity.
"Wrap this around your hands, then grab the Electro Slimes," Gu Baizhou said.
He touched the dry grass.It felt parched enough to block most of the Slimes' electricity.
"Give me your hand," he offered, fashioning a makeshift insulating glove for a Hilichurl.
Their hands were covered with soft black fur, almost like human hands.
+1 Traditional Craft (Ropework) EXPTraditional Craft (Ropework) Lv4: 4/15
"My craft level is that high already?" Gu Baizhou was surprised.
He had never really practiced traditional ropework.
"They come!" the shaman suddenly shouted in alarm.
The Electro Slimes had spotted the intruders and bounced over angrily.From their heads sprouted strange, lantern-like appendages flickering with lightning.
"I'll smash you!"One Hilichurl twisted its waist and charged with a wooden club.
Smack!The soft Slime dented under the blow.
"Beating you is great fun!" it cheered, only to stiffen as its fur stood on end.Electricity surged from the Slime into its body!
The other Hilichurls howled fiercely, torches raised, ready to rush in.The shaman gripped a scroll, ready to summon earth magic.
"Wait, wait," Gu Baizhou stopped them. "Let it handle this."
The Hilichurl beside him seemed to evolve mid-battle.The dried stalks wrapped its arm like a bandage from palm to shoulder.
"I'll smash you all!" it cried, charging heroically with the wooden club.
Rip!After a brief struggle, the sharpened club pierced the Slime's soft body.
No current flowed back.
The watching Hilichurls gasped in wonder, occasionally letting out awed cries.The fighter grew bolder, stabbing each Electro Slime with increasing excitement.
"Beating you is awesome!"
When the fight ended, the Hilichurls gathered and howled in celebration.
Moments later, they all ran to Gu Baizhou, shouting in unison:
"You're amazing!"
"Meat, so good!"
All except one, who remained oddly silent.
Gu Baizhou didn't mind.He just wanted his freedom and a quiet place to train."Let's extinguish the torches, skewer the Slimes, and go blast fish!"
"Yeahhh!"The Hilichurls cheered, spearing the Electro Slimes and carrying them off.