The instant the traveler's hand touched the statue, the golden sigil upon it flared with the luster of the Anemo element. Immediately, the entire statue resonated with Anemo power, which converged into the sphere held in the hands of the Barbatos effigy.
An elemental particle, marked with the totem of Anemo, merged with the traveler's body. In that moment, a subtle change seemed to occur.
Simultaneously, with the activation of the Statue of The Seven, the northern section of the Mondstadt map was illuminated.
"Starfell Lake... Starsnatch Cliff... and... Mondstadt..."
Jean cross-referenced the map with her memories, confirming her suspicion. As she had anticipated, all the important geographical landmarks were recreated in this mobile game's world, while some less significant places were omitted.
Furthermore, the relative scale had been considerably reduced, giving it a sandbox-like feel.
Of course, the level of detail within was far richer than any simple sandbox, and Jean had a premonition that this was merely the tip of the iceberg.
Returning to the game.
Paimon exclaimed in amazement:
"Whoa, can you feel the elements of this world now?"
"It seems that all you have to do to get Anemo powers is touch a Statue of The Seven."
"There's no way people in this world can get power as easily as you just did."
Jean was a very perceptive person. She noticed that after the traveler activated the statue, the accessory on her clothing, which had been dull before, now glowed with the emerald light symbolizing Anemo power.
Just as Paimon said, to command the elements, one needed a Vision.
Jean subconsciously touched the Anemo Vision hanging at her waist.
She had observed the shopkeeper earlier and noted that he did not possess a Vision. So, was the appearance of this 'mechanic' in the game a reflection of the owner's own desire to wield elemental power?
"If we head west from here, we'll reach the City of Freedom, Mondstadt."
"Mondstadt is the city of wind. The Archon they worship among The Seven is the Anemo Archon."
"Since you were able to draw power from the statue, do you think you might find some clues about the gods there?"
"Plus, Mondstadt has a ton of bards, so maybe one of them has heard news about your brother."
Acting as a guide, Paimon gave a detailed introduction to the city they were approaching.
As someone who had grown up in Mondstadt, Jean was of course intimately familiar with it. What Paimon said aligned with the impression most outsiders had of the city.
After resonating with the statue, new icons for an Elemental Skill and an Elemental Burst appeared where the attack command was.
So, this is the power I just obtained, she thought.
Conveniently, there were a few Pyro Slimes up ahead. Jean decided to test her newly acquired Anemo power on them.
"Let the wind carry you away!!!"
The traveler's Elemental Burst summoned a small tornado.
Among wielders of elemental powers, this was already a display of considerable control.
After familiarizing herself with her new abilities, she continued toward Mondstadt.
However, as she jumped down a stone ledge, a shadow suddenly swept over the ground, and the camera's perspective shifted to the sky.
"Rooaaar..."
Accompanied by a low growl, an immense, azure dragon soared slowly across the sky.
Jean's expression froze.
She never expected to see Stormterror in this game!
This was the very dragon that had been incessantly harassing the outskirts of Mondstadt lately, the source of her recent headaches.
And now, by some strange coincidence, she was seeing it here.
This gave Jean an incredibly strong sense of immersion.
"It's heading deeper into the forest. We should be careful as we move forward."
Just as Paimon made this suggestion, a Hilichurl camp appeared ahead.
As the Acting Grand Master, Jean naturally chose to eliminate these monsters without a second thought.
Using the elemental power she had just gained, she easily defeated the three Hilichurls.
Upon opening a common chest, Jean obtained some materials.
This was likely a gameplay mechanic; in reality, one rarely found treasure with such ease.
Right now, Jean's thoughts were entirely focused on Stormterror.
If she could catch up to it, she might obtain some unexpected intelligence.
Upon entering the Whispering Woods, Jean slowed her pace. She had a feeling she might see Stormterror again here.
Soon, the screen faded to black.
Jean knew this meant a story cutscene had been triggered.
In a clearing up ahead, Stormterror was indeed lying there, and a crystalline light seemed to be flowing from the corners of its eyes.
Stormterror... is crying?
And before the great dragon, a young man clad in green was speaking in a soft voice:
"Don't be afraid. It's alright, I'm back now."
"Is he... talking to the dragon?" Paimon asked, astonished.
But the surprise in Jean's heart was even greater.
Who is this person in green?
How does he possess the ability to communicate with Stormterror?
However, there was little time for Jean to ponder. The Anemo power on the traveler's chest suddenly resonated, instantly exposing the two of them hiding behind a tree.
Stormterror let out a furious roar and swiped its claws at the young man, but he dodged with extreme agility.
The green-clad young man turned his gaze toward the traveler's position.
"Who's there?!"
By now, Stormterror was growing increasingly wild and out of control. It flapped its wings, taking flight from where it stood, kicking up a massive cloud of dust before soaring into the sky.
And amidst the chaos, the young man in green had vanished.