The world of Genshin Impact.
The blonde girl and her emergency food were walking along a mountain path.
"Traveler, what do you think our upcoming journey in Natlan will be like?"
Paimon floated in midair, resting her small hand under her chin as she pondered. "Natlan is the Nation of War. Do you think the people there all love fighting and will challenge us the moment they see us?"
"I do not think it will go that far," Lumine replied, though her tone carried a trace of uncertainty.
The warriors of Natlan were not the Fatui or the Treasure Hoarders, so they probably would not shout something like "You have made a grave mistake" and immediately attack her, right?
As the Honorary Knight of the Knights of Favonius, her reputation across Teyvat should be fairly positive. If the warriors of Natlan were reasonable, they would not treat her as an enemy.
"Even the Traveler is not confident," Paimon spread her hands. "Based on our experiences in the other nations, there is a high chance we will still end up fighting the locals."
A Trailblazer might only get targeted by locals once every few expeditions, but our Traveler seems to get dragged into trouble every time she sets foot in a new nation.
Now that she had arrived in Natlan, the Nation of War, it would not be surprising if battles continued from the beginning of Version 5.0 all the way to the end of the Archon Quest.
"If a fight really breaks out, you absolutely have to protect me."
Paimon clenched her small fists while floating in the air, her face filled with worry.
"Ugu?"
Before Lumine could respond, a small Tepetlisaur following behind them tilted its head. Its large amber eyes were full of confusion.
"Oh right, you also need to protect Hamo," Paimon added with a smile when she saw the little Tepetlisaur's dazed expression. "Traveling with an extra companion still feels a bit unusual."
Not long ago, they had accidentally entered a mysterious area and encountered this young Tepetlisaur.
Since the little saurian looked like it could not survive on its own, they decided to let it travel with them.
For convenience, they gave it a name. Hamorelet.
Lumine chose the name, but Paimon preferred to shorten it to Hamo.
"You make it sound like there has ever been a time I did not protect you."
In response to Paimon's words, the blonde girl crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at her.
"Hehe, I am only your guide. I do not possess strength comparable to yours."
Paimon scratched her head and laughed awkwardly.
"Then, my great guide, how much longer until we reach the settlements of Natlan?" Lumine asked.
"Almost there," Paimon pointed ahead. "We just need to cross that bridge to reach the territory of the Children of Echoes."
The journey from Fontaine to Natlan had been extremely long. If compared to a novel, it was like setting off in chapter one, still traveling by chapter ten, and finally arriving at the destination in chapter thirty. Any reader would have grown impatient.
"I heard Natlan has six major Tribes, and each Tribe has its own specialty. As for what the Children of Echoes specialize in..."
Paimon frowned and tried hard to recall, but she could not remember the exact details.
Judging from the name alone, Echo implied resonance or reflected sound.
Could it be that the Children of Echoes specialize in sound-based combat techniques?
"O Great Guide, have you forgotten your lines?" Lumine teased when she saw the white-haired girl scratching her head.
Whenever Paimon tried to think seriously, Lumine could not help but smile.
"Do not laugh at me."
Feeling that the Traveler was underestimating her intelligence, Paimon stomped her feet in midair.
While chatting, they crossed the bridge and entered the territory of the Children of Echoes.
The moment they stepped inside, they were greeted by overwhelming enthusiasm.
[There's an oculus, I'm taking it!]
[Sorry, Mama Yueyue, I swear I won't open any chests or collect any Oculi while exploring Natlan until your guide video is released so I can do a full exploration run, but this oculus is just too close.]
While the Traveler and her companions arrived in Natlan, players from another world were exploring this land through the Traveler's perspective.
"There seems to be some kind of performance over there."
Paimon looked toward the source of the sound and saw a large stage in the distance where many people were dancing.
"Are the Children of Echoes best at dancing?" Paimon guessed.
"Dancing does not seem directly related to war," Lumine commented calmly.
After all, they were one of the six Tribes of the Nation of War. Their specialty should logically be connected to combat.
[Who says dancing has nothing to do with fighting? (͡°͜ʖ͡°)]
[I remember it was a rainy day...]
[Stop it! Don't fight anymore! (╯°□°）╯︵┻━┻]
Hearing the conversation between the Traveler and Paimon, the players all recalled that famous scene of two men battling through dance.
"Eh, it looks even more lively over there."
Paimon noticed a larger crowd gathered elsewhere, seemingly watching some kind of activity. "Traveler, let us go take a look."
Lumine nodded.
After watching the dance performance of the Children of Echoes for a moment, she felt it was impressive, but nothing extraordinary.
They then made their way toward the larger crowd, squeezing through to the front. Several Natlan warriors surrounded a tall tower-like device.
The structure continuously launched small Pyro projectiles toward the surrounding warriors, who used agile footwork and precise timing to dodge the attacks.
"Is this training?"
With a single glance, Lumine could tell that the projectiles lacked lethal force. Even if someone was hit, it would not cause serious harm.
Even if Paimon were struck, she would probably just complain loudly without suffering any real injury.
As expected of the Nation of War, they had constructed a specialized training device designed to improve reaction speed and evasion techniques.
"Wow, they are amazing."
Paimon focused entirely on the warriors dodging the incoming attacks.
Those Natlan warriors were clearly well-trained. Facing the rapid projectiles, they remained calm and made accurate judgments to avoid each one.
However, the firing speed of the device gradually increased.
As time passed, the warriors began to struggle to keep up, and eventually every participant was struck by a projectile.
"Team Aikun lasted two minutes and thirty seconds before all members were hit, breaking their previous record."
"Next, we invite Kachina's squad to begin training."
A middle-aged man wearing sunglasses stepped forward from the crowd and announced the results. Judging from his presence, he appeared to hold a certain status within the Children of Echoes.
However, Kachina's squad did not step forward.
"Pacal, actually..."
Someone approached the middle-aged man and whispered something in his ear. Pacal nodded and addressed the crowd again.
"Kachina and her team have urgent matters to handle. They will participate in training later."
He then scanned the crowd and noticed the blonde girl standing among them.
"Traveler from afar, would you like to experience Natlan's newest training device?"
"Do not worry about injuries. The output of this training turret is intentionally reduced. Even if you are hit, the discomfort only lasts briefly."
"Sure."
Lumine was also curious about the device's power, so she stepped forward and stood before the training turret.
Meanwhile.
The players became excited.
[Holy crap!]
[Bullet comments!]
...
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