[Received emotion points from the player world...]
Not long after Genshin Impact 5.0 launched, Caelus received a massive amount of emotion points.
If players were merely attracted by Natlan, Caelus wouldn't have been able to obtain emotion points.
However, due to his modifications, characters like Kinich, Mualani, and Kachina were very different from the originals.
The emotions generated by players because of these changes also provided Caelus with emotion points.
"So, what kind of mechanic should I set for little Paimon?"
In the Affairs Office, Caelus rested his chin on his hand while his other hand tapped the table like he was playing piano keys, his expression looking somewhat troubled.
Aside from having already decided how Paimon should die when the time came, he had no clue regarding her skill mechanics.
"If I'd known, I shouldn't have made the Pyro Traveler so detailed; I should have left some of the mechanics for Paimon."
Caelus really wanted Paimon to be able to take the Pyro Traveler's strength to the next level, but the Pyro Traveler's skill mechanics were already very complete; adding Paimon would be awkwardly out of place.
"I've got it."
A flash of inspiration struck.
It was as if a beam of white light had passed through Caelus's mind.
"Why do I have to make Paimon help the Pyro Traveler become stronger?" Caelus couldn't help but smile. "Can't I just treat her as a mascot who spits out little sparks?"
He already had a preliminary concept for Paimon's mechanics.
After players finished the main quest, Paimon would also receive an "Imitation Vision" and fight alongside the Pyro Traveler.
However, Paimon would only be able to spit out little sparks behind the Pyro Traveler, and she would be so weak that she couldn't even apply the Pyro Element.
When encountering powerful enemies, Paimon would instinctively retreat, shielding herself with the Traveler.
Of course, Paimon wasn't entirely useless; when the Traveler's HP dropped, Paimon would take out food like Sweet Madame (not from the Traveler's inventory, it just looked like it) to restore the Traveler's health.
Back when Caelus was a Genshin player, he had really wanted Paimon to follow him while exploring the map.
But perhaps the developers felt that if she just followed along without any interaction, she would seem too robotic, so there was no follow feature.
At that time, Caelus could only use glitches taught online to force Paimon out.
There were many players who shared this regret; if the Pyro Traveler could fight alongside Paimon, it would fulfill their wish.
Of course, the main point was that this setup made it easy to create scenes where Paimon took a hit for the Traveler, which would intensely stimulate the Traveler's emotions.
"Done thinking about Paimon. Let's see where the Traveler and the others have gone."
Caelus saw what was happening in the "Children of Echoes" through the system.
After Lumine and Paimon finished touring the Tribe, they heard that Kachina was going to participate in the Holy Night of the Return of Flame and wanted to watch the performance.
Thus, they followed Kachina's group toward the Sacred Flame Stadium.
Unlike the original story, because Kachina had performed excellently in the defense turret training and because the Holy Night of the Return of Flame had been suspended for a period, there were still people in the "Children of Echoes" willing to team up with her.
"If we go to the Sacred Flame Stadium, we should be able to meet the Pyro Archon, right?" Paimon was still thinking about pleasing the Pyro Archon to get an "Imitation Vision." "I wonder if the Pyro Archon has a good temper?"
"That... I'm not too sure."
Kachina scratched her head sheepishly. "Since becoming a deity, the Pyro Archon has implemented policies that seem bizarre to us, but after actually interacting with him, he feels the same as before."
"Why is that?" Paimon tilted her head in confusion.
"I heard from the village elders that when becoming the Archon, one must enter the Sacred Flame to receive the knowledge of successive Pyro Archons."
Kachina showed a complex expression. "Because the memories and knowledge they carry are so vast, every Pyro Archon's personality changes a bit after emerging from the Sacred Flame."
"In other words, the Pyro Archon only issued the policies you oppose after entering the Sacred Flame?" Paimon asked.
"It seems he saw something in the Sacred Flame and made that decision." Lumine knit her brows slightly, resting her fist against her chin in a thoughtful manner.
"No," Kachina shook her head. "According to Mualani, it seems the Pyro Archon already had the idea of stopping the Holy Night of the Return of Flame the day before he became a god."
"Huh?"
Lumine and Paimon were stunned upon hearing this and asked in confusion, "Then why would he have such an idea?"
"We really want to know the answer too," Kachina said, shrugging.
Just like a certain pink-themed Kamen Rider, they were still searching for the answer to the question and thus couldn't provide an explanation to the Traveler and the others.
"Watch out!"
"Abyssal monsters have appeared!"
A warrior from Kachina's squad shouted loudly.
Immediately after, several purple monsters appeared in everyone's line of sight.
They assumed the forms of monsters like Hilichurls and blocked the road ahead.
"To encounter the Abyss so easily?" Paimon was surprised, placing her hands over her chest with her eyes wide open.
When she heard the Natlan people describe how they often dealt with the Abyss, she was only a bit surprised and didn't feel much.
But encountering Abyssal monsters so soon after leaving the Tribe was truly terrifying.
Just what kind of dire straits do the Natlan people live in?
"We've rarely seen Abyssal monsters lately; I didn't expect to encounter them again just before the Holy Night of the Return of Flame is about to be held."
A warrior frowned and said, "These guys aren't here to intentionally cause sabotage, are they?"
The Natlan people all value the resumed Holy Night of the Return of Flame; they cannot let these vile spawn stop it.
"Heh, this is perfect for practice, let me find my rhythm," another Natlan warrior said, his fighting spirit ignited.
"Paimon, hide behind me." Lumine stepped forward, a golden light flashed in her palm, and in the blink of an eye, a longsword appeared in her hand.
Just as the battle was about to break out, Paimon, who was at the back of the group, noticed several shining red stars on the horizon.
The red stars grew larger and larger; on closer inspection, they were actually flaming meteors.
"Look, is something flying in the sky?" Paimon shouted nervously, drawing everyone's attention.
"What is that?" Lumine looked at the flaming meteors flying in the sky, a sense of confusion rising in her heart.
She hadn't even wished on a banner.
The warriors of the "Children of Echoes" looked up and were suddenly wild with joy. "Great, it's Lord Pyro Archon's arrows!"
...
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