Just as the fans were arguing about whether defense turrets fit within Teyvat's worldbuilding...
Xiao Mu still wanted to try again.
"A few more attempts. I can definitely clear it."
Xiao Mu once again challenged the Annihilation Mode.
This time, Xiao Mu achieved a new record.
He survived for 3 seconds.
[Streamer, just give up.]
[Your 3 seconds are not because you're skilled. It's just that the fireballs take 2 seconds to reach you.]
[In other words, the streamer only lasted 1 second.]
"I'm done, I'm done. Let's continue the Archon Quest." Xiao Mu finally admitted that Annihilation Mode was truly difficult and clearly not designed for normal players.
Oh right, this Annihilation Mode was specifically created to eliminate Abyssal Monsters, so technically it should be the Abyssal Monsters experiencing this nightmare.
After Xiao Mu gave up on challenging the defense turret, the story resumed.
As soon as the scene loaded, the voices of Natlan's warriors rang out.
"They actually cleared Hard Mode on their first attempt!"
"Just who exactly is this Traveler?"
The warriors of the Children of Echoes spoke with admiration.
Most of them needed multiple attempts even on Easy Mode before they could advance, yet the Traveler cleared Hard Mode on the first try.
"The Traveler is very strong, after all."
Paimon placed her hands on her hips proudly, her small face lifted high as if she were the one being praised.
"I'm afraid only Annihilation Mode might be able to trouble the Traveler," one of the warriors said seriously.
"Annihilation Mode?" Paimon tilted her head in confusion.
"It is a mode specifically designed to deal with Abyssal Monsters," the warrior explained. "Natlan's grudge against the Abyss goes back a very long time. Since you just arrived, you may not know much about it."
"We really don't know much," Paimon said, spreading her hands helplessly.
"Then let me start from the beginning..."
Through the warriors' explanation, the Traveler and Paimon learned about Natlan's past, including the Holy Night of the Return of Fire and the Pyro Archon.
The players watching also gained a clearer understanding of Natlan's background.
"So Natlan's Pyro Archon was once a human?" Paimon covered her mouth in shock.
"That is correct." The warrior from the Children of Echoes nodded and continued, "The current Pyro Archon is a red haired young man from the People of the Springs. During the competition, his performance was overwhelming. He defeated every opponent effortlessly, and none of them were a match for him."
"Even Mavuika, whom we also considered extremely powerful, was defeated in less than half a minute." The warrior sighed. "The elders say they have never seen such a powerful Pyro Archon."
"L less than half a minute?" Paimon's eyes widened. "Then he has absolutely no rivals!"
"To be honest, the fact that Mavuika managed to last half a minute already exceeded our expectations."
The warrior gave a bitter smile. "Ordinary warriors are defeated the moment the Lord Pyro Archon makes his move. Mavuika holding out for that long was already astonishing."
"If Mavuika had been born in a different era, perhaps she would have become Natlan's Pyro Archon instead."
The warrior paused before adding, "However, after her defeat, she was appointed as the Pyro Archon's aide. Whenever the Pyro Archon is absent, Mavuika's words represent his will."
The players immediately began discussing.
[Mavuika... isn't she the red haired woman shown at the end of the Natlan teaser PV?]
[There were rumors that she was the previous Pyro Archon and would fight the current one. But their relationship seems quite good, right? She can even speak on behalf of the Pyro Archon.]
[Being able to speak on behalf of the Archon is exactly what makes it dangerous. Just think about the Third Hokage and Danzo.]
[Land of Fire, supreme leader uses fire, the assistant lost to the leader, and Mavuika wears black. The dark side of the Land of Fire confirmed.]
[Case closed. The Pyro Archon and Mavuika are just like the Third Hokage and Danzo.]
[When are we getting the "You will regret this, Hokage" moment?]
[Mavuika: Lord Pyro Archon, you will regret this! Pyro Archon: Mavuika, I am the Pyro Archon!]
Inside the world of Genshin Impact.
After listening to the explanation, Paimon tilted her head again.
"Since the Holy Night of the Return of Fire is so important, why did the Pyro Archon shut it down?"
"We do not know the Pyro Archon's intentions either." A warrior shook his head. "On the day he announced the suspension of the Holy Night of the Return of Fire, many people voiced their objections. However, they were all suppressed by the Pyro Archon."
Even before ascending to godhood, the Pyro Archon had already been unmatched in Natlan. After becoming a god, he had no equal.
So even though many people resisted at first, they were eventually subdued.
"It sounds like... your Pyro Archon is a tyrant." After saying that, Paimon quickly covered her mouth. "Sorry, I should not have said that."
"Haha, it is fine. Many people thought the same at the beginning," the warriors replied with a laugh.
[A tyrant?]
[This reminds me of Fontaine.]
[Could it be that this Pyro Archon is also pretending to be tyrannical while secretly trying to resolve a hidden crisis threatening Natlan?]
[Then wouldn't Mavuika's role as the Archon's aide make her similar to Neuvillette, becoming the central focus of this version?]
[Can the story position match the banner position?]
[Neuvillette can spin. Can Mavuika spin?]
While the players were busy speculating, the Traveler suddenly spoke on her own without any dialogue choice from the player.
While the Divine Mouth hurriedly covered her mouth after misspeaking, Lumine calmly asked her own question.
"It seems like you are not very saddened?"
Based on what she had just heard, the people of Natlan regarded the Holy Night of the Return of Fire as extremely important, even more important than their own lives.
Yet from their current demeanor, they did not appear as sorrowful as she expected.
"After the Pyro Archon announced the suspension of the Holy Night of the Return of Fire, we were worried that the Sacred Flame would be extinguished without its source of power."
The warrior looked toward a blazing flame not far away.
"But the Sacred Flame continues to burn, and the frequency of Abyssal Monster invasions has greatly decreased. Gradually, many people began to feel that even if the Holy Night of the Return of Fire is suspended, our lives would not be affected."
"Furthermore, since then, the Pyro Archon has done many things for us. He has researched new weapons and fulfilled many of our wishes."
"Even these defense turrets were installed at great expense because he feared a sudden Abyssal Monster assault on the Tribe."
"Is a Pyro Archon who protects his people like this truly a tyrant?"
The warrior's question was not only directed at Lumine.
It was also directed inward.
Is Caelus truly a tyrant?
...
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