Adeptal mechanisms can observe the world—
But in this heaven and earth, there are still existences that transcend such tools, hiding in corners ordinary people cannot perceive.
At this moment—
Kairo wore a pleased smile as he looked at the text floating before him.
[Faced with HuoHuo's timid conditions, you chose to agree gladly.]
[Congratulations, you obtained Option 1's reward: HuoHuo's Path-power branch skill — "Dread Fiend Suppression" ]
[Upon activation, it can frighten nearby enemies, causing them to enter "Soul-Scattered". Enemies in Soul-Scattered will flee away from you for 10 seconds. After entering combat with Soul-Scattered enemies, you have a 100% base chance to reduce each single target's ATK by 25%.]
As the reward appeared—
In the next instant, an invisible, vast power descended from nowhere, sweeping through his whole body like a storm!
Kairo's pupils shrank; his heartbeat seemed to skip.
Then, an indescribable energy forcefully broke through layers of resistance and fused into his flesh, bones, and soul—
A violently impactful sensation.
Like some powerful force from beyond the sky pouring down without obstruction, planting a foreign but terrifying Path power into him.
Cold. Gloomy.
And filled with an instinctive, oppressive fear.
It was as if countless specters lurking in the underworld were suddenly pressed beneath an even greater authority, trembling and bowing in submission.
Kairo closed his eyes, feeling the newborn energy circulate.
Like ghostly shadows roaming through his meridians in the dark.
He seemed to hear faint murmurs at his ear—
Wails of wraiths. Shudders of demons.
Judged spirits cowering in corners, too terrified to approach.
Yet his body felt no discomfort at all.
Instead, a strange sense of control rose within him.
A domineering force flooded his limbs and bones.
As if with a single thought, the air itself could freeze under this "fiendish pressure," making anything that dared cause trouble before him tremble—and flee without a fight.
So this is Dread Fiend Suppression…?
Kairo opened his eyes.
A deep violet light flickered through his pupils and vanished.
His fingers curled slightly—he could clearly feel it:
A hidden aura lay dormant inside him, ready to be released at any moment to intimidate any enemy.
But…
Kairo glanced around.
Lumine and Paimon were still nearby, excitedly studying the Guizhong Ballista.
There were no other targets around.
Kairo's eyes showed a trace of regret.
What a pity.
No suitable test subjects.
He rubbed his fingertips lightly, lips curving.
But his heart was full of anticipation—
Now that he had this ability, sooner or later, there would be a perfect chance to let it truly display its might.
His powers were becoming stronger and stronger.
Compared to his time in Mondstadt, it was like heaven and earth.
"Wait—we can have Kairo help us find the half-adeptus beast!"
Suddenly Paimon thought of something and immediately turned to Kairo, grinning. "Your amazing gadget can even find Whopperflowers. Finding a half-adeptus beast should be easy!"
"Right!"
Lumine's eyes lit up too.
Kairo's instrument didn't only find "dead things."
It could find living things too.
Even monsters.
Zhongli looked over with interest.
So it could do that as well?
"No."
Kairo's expression turned odd. "Actually, Qiqi didn't finish what she meant. Have you thought about why that child wants to find this 'adeptus beast'? She's a zombie, you know."
Paimon froze. "…Oh."
Right.
Qiqi never said why she wanted the Cocogoat.
Kairo pinched his chin, thinking. "From my deduction… what Qiqi actually wants is coconut milk."
"Meaning coconuts."
"But Qiqi has no concept of what 'coconut milk' is. She just thinks it's 'the milk of Cocogoat.'"
"…Huh?!"
Paimon and Lumine both widened their eyes.
Seriously?
But after remembering Kairo's earlier divination—reading fortune and calamity like it was nothing—
If he deduced something like this, it didn't even feel surprising anymore.
"It seems I agreed to that 'equal exchange' too casually," Zhongli said, stroking his chin in thought. "Indeed… I'm sorry. It appears I was mistaken."
Then—
A sharp shout rang out.
"Hey! What are you doing with that thing?!"
Paimon and Lumine both startled and looked up.
Seven or eight figures approached from the distance, surrounding the Guizhong Ballista's position.
They wore the uniform garb of the Treasure Hoarders.
Plain clothing built for movement, belts and wrist-guards, tool pouches at their waists—clearly roaming criminals skilled in outdoor work.
Most of their faces were covered with dark cloth, leaving only vicious eyes visible, their whole aura cold and crafty.
Their leader stood out most.
A burly, dark-skinned man with a rugged face.
And on his cheek, a large brownish patch of pockmarks.
Zhongli frowned slightly. "It isn't some 'crossbow.' It's the Guizhong Ballista. And—before you question others, state your name. That is basic etiquette."
The leader crossed his arms, sneering arrogantly. "Hah. Can't tell? We're Treasure Hoarders—big shots!"
"I'm Huang Mazi."
Paimon blinked, then asked uncertainly, "Treasure Hoarders? What are you doing here? This is a place protected by Liyue's adepti!"
"Hahaha, idiot!"
Huang Mazi laughed. "We Treasure Hoarders specialize in places like this!"
"Legend says there are all kinds of treasures buried around here. Especially that thing—"
He pointed at the Guizhong Ballista with a cold grin. "It's a mechanism ballista, but it acts like the guardian of this region. Hard as hell to deal with."
The Treasure Hoarders complained loudly.
One in a straw hat grumbled, "Last time we came into the mountains, one brother nearly got skewered like meat!"
Another chimed in, "We risked our lives to break this thing!"
"And now you're telling me…"
Huang Mazi's face darkened as he scanned Kairo, Lumine, and Zhongli.
"…you actually repaired it?!"
He bared his teeth in a vicious grin. "Looks like today we'll have to 'repair' you too!"
The atmosphere instantly turned heavy.
Zhongli slowly lifted his gaze.
His golden eyes were deep as time itself, and a faint chill flashed within.
His voice stayed calm—but carried unquestionable authority.
"For selfish greed, you dare profane the wisdom of the adepti…"
"…You deserve a lesson."
Right then, Kairo's eyes gleamed.
Perfect.
He'd been wanting someone to test this on.
"Dread Fiend Suppression."
Kairo willed it into motion.
Instantly, a formless, freezing aura spread from him.
Visible ghostly green light rose like drifting will-o'-wisps in the night.
Carrying a bone-deep chill, it expanded outward in waves, centered on Kairo!
The power felt like it surged from the depths of the underworld, forming a ring of shifting shadows.
Inside the ring, even the airflow grew heavy.
The temperature plunged.
A sinister cold seeped into everything.
"…W-what… what is this?!"
The Treasure Hoarders had been grinning, ready to fight—
But the moment they were enveloped by that force, their bodies shuddered violently.
Uncontrollable terror exploded in their eyes.
Pupils shrank. Faces turned white.
Their mouths opened, wanting to speak—
But fear had already wrapped around their souls, choking their voices.
"G-G-GHOST—!!!"
Screams erupted.
One after another, the Treasure Hoarders' legs went limp. Their cruelty vanished, replaced by raw panic.
Weapons clattered to the ground.
The first one couldn't take it—he shrieked and turned to run.
They tumbled and crawled down Mt. Tianheng like mad, not even caring how steep it was—rolling, smashing their faces and bodies, yet never daring to stop.
"Help—HELP!!!"
"An adeptus is manifesting—ghosts are coming for our lives!!"
"Don't follow me! Don't follow me—!!"
They scattered in every direction like lunatics, as if something truly horrifying chased them.
Some even lost their shoes while running, but still didn't dare look back.
Even Huang Mazi—
The arrogant "boss"—
Now had legs shaking so hard he could barely stand.
His lips trembled; his face was paper-white.
He spun and bolted, shrieking hoarsely:
"RUN—! IT'S A GHOST!!"
In only a few seconds, the previously swaggering Treasure Hoarders fled in disgrace—without even the ability to resist.
Silence returned to the mountain peak.
"…Uh…"
Paimon hovered in midair, eyes huge, hands clutching her head, face full of disbelief.
"T-they ran… just like that?!"
Lumine was equally stunned.
She'd already prepared to fight—weapon in hand—
But before the battle even started, Kairo's strange power scared every enemy out of their minds.
"Kairo…"
Lumine couldn't help turning to him, her gaze complicated. "What did you use this time?"
Kairo shrugged, smiling faintly. "Just a small trick."
But then he thought: this thing seemed to be guaranteed.
No matter who it was, they'd be affected.
Even a demon god… would it also enter "Soul-Scattered"?
As Kairo wondered that, Paimon stared at him, exasperated.
"That's a 'small trick'? That's basically ghost-and-god level mysterious!"
"It's so creepy!"
"Why are your methods getting more and more evil after coming to Liyue?! In Mondstadt you never did anything like this!"
She'd never seen anyone frighten enemies away like this—instantly, without fighting.
And the green ring of light around Kairo just now… it didn't look like Anemo at all.
Zhongli, meanwhile, fell silent for a moment.
He looked at Kairo deeply, a trace of scrutiny in his eyes.
Then he spoke slowly, voice heavy and distant:
"Interesting…"
Not Anemo—yet it induced terror and panic.
That green ring was a power he had never seen.
Who exactly is this person… in another world?
A breeze passed.
The Guizhong Ballista remained standing on Mt. Tianheng, silently witnessing that short, shocking "battle."
The Treasure Hoarders were long gone.
Only scattered footprints remained, telling the story of their humiliating escape.
Not long after, they returned to Bubu Pharmacy.
Qiqi was already waiting behind the counter.
Zhongli spoke first. "My apologies. We were unable to fulfill the contract. We have no leads on the half-adeptus beast called Cocogoat."
"…Ah. Disappointed."
Qiqi lowered her voice. "It's okay… but disappointed."
Zhongli remembered Kairo's deduction and asked, "Is it because of coconut milk?"
Qiqi's eyes lit up slightly. "…Mm. Cocogoat's milk is tasty. Better than ordinary goat's milk. So they must be half-adeptus beasts."
Then she hesitated, as if remembering something. "Sorry. My memory is bad. So I wrote the name of that milk down… I'll look…"
"…Ah. Right. This tasty milk… is called coconut milk."
Paimon: "..."
Lumine: "..."
Zhongli: "..."
Exactly as Kairo predicted.
"Coconut milk isn't made by Cocogoat," Lumine sighed. "It comes from coconuts."
"If you want coconut milk, just buy coconuts next time."
"…Ah?"
Qiqi froze—then fell into deep thought.
Paimon and Lumine exchanged looks again.
"Should we… keep bothering her?" Paimon whispered.
Just then, a soft chuckle sounded.
"Hehe. What a meaningful life lesson."
"Thank you for taking care of our Qiqi."
A figure slowly appeared before them.
He smiled gently, eyes carrying a soft, wise light.
Golden-brown snake-like pupils shimmered like amber under the dim glow—mysterious and unfathomable.
His gaze was mild, yet seemed able to see through all things, like a sage who understood the world's countless faces.
His hair was a deep green, smooth like flowing water, hanging loosely over his shoulders. Part of it was lightly tied with a wooden clasp into a relaxed ponytail.
A slightly longer strand fell by his forehead and left temple, swaying faintly in the breeze, adding a touch of carefree elegance to his refined features.
A pair of gold half-rim glasses rested on his nose, the lenses catching a faint gleam—making his scholarly aura even stronger…
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