"Boom! Rumble!"
The weather in Inazuma truly changes in the blink of an eye.
Not long ago, the sun was shining high in the sky, but now all that could be heard was the deafening roar of thunder.
"I wonder if this Otogi wood house of mine will get moldy and rot from absorbing too much moisture in the rain," Chizuki mused as she looked at her small wooden cabin, unable to suppress such doubts.
But the houses in this area have probably stood for several hundred years, so such a scenario was unlikely to occur.
The wood produced by the "Otogi Tree" contains just the right balance of moisture and oils, making it suitable for various purposes.
Chizuki stretched her tiny paw outside the door, and her fur was quickly drenched with raindrops.
Lowering her head, she watched as a small puddle gradually formed before her. The reflection showed her blue-gray fur, with silver-tipped strands giving her entire body a shimmering silver sheen.
Staring into her own emerald-green pupils, she marveled at her own beauty. Her ears were set slightly wide apart, their tips tilting forward just a bit, and her somewhat flat skull looked like it would feel nice to touch.
"So, does this mean I just need to bring 27 pieces of wood to Konda Village to complete the commission?" Chizuki simplified the task in her mind.
Getting the wood was easy—after all, Otogi trees could be found almost everywhere on Yashiori Island.
The only thing that worried Qian Yin was that Higi Village was practically perched at the mountain's peak. As a nekomata still in her pre-transformation stage, how was she supposed to get up there?
Her stamina probably wouldn't be enough for that.
Climbing trees to snatch bird eggs might be within her abilities, but scaling sheer cliffs seemed like a daunting challenge.
From a purely logical standpoint, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line—no matter how you looked at it, climbing directly up the cliffs was the optimal solution.
Most importantly, it would allow her to avoid monsters.
With a resigned sigh, Chizuki began pondering her next move.
If she dashed out now in this heavy rain, she'd likely end up completely soaked. In weather like this, maintaining good health was far more important.
More crucially, the torrential downpour severely impaired her vision.
She definitely didn't want to suddenly stumble upon a group of Hydro Slimes while crossing the beach, only to get trapped in a barrage of bubbles.
Completing daily commissions was important, but ensuring her own safety was even more so.
Cautiously peeking outside, she spotted small Hydro Slimes bouncing around by the lakeside, further dampening her desire to venture out.
No way she could win! Absolutely no way!
Forget about a whole group—she probably couldn't even handle a single one!
"Ah, forget it. Let's find something to eat. I'll figure things out after a good meal."
Her gaze fell on the dried fish and meat hanging on the wooden wall, then shifted to a bag of rice tucked in the corner. Suddenly, memories from her past life flooded back.
Chizuki hurriedly dashed through the heavy rain to the nearby shore and plucked a few strands of seaweed.
"I choose you!"
"Nekomata survival meal!"
"No! But the her form was just a cat, so how can it cook?!"
But the moment she thought of the pink fox woman she had seen earlier, she immediately felt relieved.
Indeed, this world called Teyvat couldn't be explained by common sense.
And strictly speaking, she was actually a youkai.
"The freshness of the kelp perfectly brings out the plump texture of the rice grains. Although the fish and beast meat are a bit dry, it's completely understandable for a first attempt!" Chizuki was quite satisfied with her culinary skills.
However, in this world, were there any machines that could automatically help with cooking? Though she was already full, making another hot meal would probably be too much trouble.
In the afternoon, the rain lightened slightly.
Though the sky remained overcast, going outside was no longer an issue.
"Plop."
The sacred tree at her doorstep was dripping with water. Just as Qian Yin was about to step out, a gust of wind blew by, shaking loose the accumulated raindrops.
"Meow!" Qian Yin dodged swiftly, her fur standing on end from the sudden fright.
"Lucky I moved fast, or I'd be a drenched cat." She meowed in displeasure.
She noticed the tools placed in the wooden box in front of the neighboring cabin.
The hunter's melody was composed of two sounds: the twang of the bowstring and the low whistle of arrows cutting through the air.
Chizuki pulled out a nearly rotten hunting bow from the box.
Next try.
Violetgrass?
Not useful right now.
In her current state, money wasn't really needed either.
The dreams of youth, the excitement of embarking on a journey—if these precious qualities weren't sharp enough, then courage would make up for it.
The Divine Dull Blade!
"Oh! This might work! Just like the legendary Taro Maru-senpai, holding the sword in my mouth should allow me to move freely! This should significantly boost my combat power!"
As she picked up the sword, Qian Yin took another look at her stats.
Attack Power: 10+23.
Just how weak am I? She began to doubt herself.
Status: Juvenile Stage.
But upon seeing this entry, she quickly felt relieved.
It's just the juvenile stage! She would definitely grow stronger in the future.
As for her abilities, they would improve over time.
"But can I really take on a slime in this state?" She eyed the dull blade in her mouth, still harboring some doubts.
The mountain path from her home to Higi Village was teeming with all sorts of monsters, even sinister Abyss Mages! If she couldn't even handle a mere Hydro Slime now, she might as well just laze around at home!
Ah! Let me slack off!
This thought suddenly popped into Chizuki's mind.
Fortunately, she quickly swatted her face with her two tails, driving away such negative thoughts.
Let's go!
Steadying herself, Chizuki gripped the dull blade in her mouth, ready to face the challenge!
The Hydro Slime by the shore was bouncing about happily.
Good, no giant Hydro Slimes in sight.
Chizuki breathed a sigh of relief at the sight.
Then my next practice targets will be you guys! She forcefully ignored her trembling legs and mustered up the courage to step forward.