Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [135]
A deep, classic villain's voice echoed as a massive teal hand stretched out from the top of the tower, casually catching the lightning-charged dragon just before it could crash into the spire.
The enormous hand clenched, and with surprising ease, it extinguished the explosive dragon, reducing it to mere sparks and crackling embers.
"I acknowledge your efforts."
"You have ten minutes to compose yourselves."
"Then… make ready for the audience."
"This guy really has an obsession with the word 'audience,' doesn't he?" Gu Sanqiu muttered, sitting cross-legged to scratch his head. "From here, I'll leave the next steps to you folks from the Knights of Favonius. You're way better at handling all this post-battle stuff."
"I've got a question, though." Tartaglia strolled over. "If you all had the skill to turn this entire area into a giant alchemical bombing range, why didn't you just blast the tower straight out of existence?"
"I was wondering the same," Kaeya added, moving closer. "If we could manage it, we wouldn't need to enter the tower at all. Maybe we'd even get a glimpse of the being inside."
"You think we didn't consider that from the start?" Gu Sanqiu rolled his eyes. "We aimed right at that thing in the beginning, even pulled out a few, let's say, limited-edition bombs for the occasion."
"But no matter what we tried, we couldn't carve a single alchemical rune into that tower's surface."
Albedo chimed in, "Without my runes, and given my unfamiliarity with Liyue's array system, we had to shift focus to clearing the surrounding enemies and freeing up most of our forces for the final push."
"Oh, I see." Tartaglia nodded thoughtfully, then turned to Gu Sanqiu.
"Hey, about those limited-edition bombs you mentioned—are there a bunch of those lying around under Liyue Harbor or something?"
Thinking back to Klee's devastating 'bombstorm,' he could only imagine the danger if Liyue had a stockpile of such weapons. One wrong move, and if the Qixing decided to retaliate, that arsenal could wipe out even the most elite squads.
"Don't be ridiculous. As if we'd fill our city with explosives. We're not… unhinged."
In truth, Liyue didn't have stockpiles of weird bombs hidden underground—just a long-active river of searing geothermal fire, bound and harnessed by Gu's ancestors as a heating source. While it didn't look as impressive as a Thunderfire Bomb, it could generate far more explosive power if ever unleashed.
"Yeah, sure. You really expect me to believe that?" Tartaglia scoffed, unconvinced.
"Oh, stop wasting your breath with me," Gu Sanqiu replied, glancing over at the Favonius Knights. "You should probably check on your people instead."
While they had a 'six-star' Pyro knight and an idol healer in the lineup, quite a few people were still injured. The team's strength had taken a small but noticeable hit.
"Why would I? We've got the Cavalry Captain and an Investigation Squad leader right here. If they're not worried, why should an outsider like me be?"
Tartaglia chuckled. "If I did, they'd either think I was mocking their strength, or worse, plotting something."
"Yeah, that's one big drawback to your whole 'Fatui Harbinger' thing." Gu Sanqiu shrugged. "Ever consider ditching that title and joining me over in Liyue?"
"Heh. Are you out of your mind?"
"Not in the slightest."
Sure, Tartaglia was insanely strong and excellent at his job. More importantly, he actually had a moral code, a rare trait among his fellow Harbingers, like Dottore and that lot. Gu Sanqiu would be lying if he said he hadn't considered recruiting him.
Granted, Tartaglia couldn't just slot into the Yuehai Pavilion, but if the Three Virtues Society ever needed someone to dismantle an entire enemy faction, Tartaglia would be just the man for the job.
"Forget it. Doesn't appeal to me." Tartaglia shook his head. "Maybe when it's all over, I'll head to Liyue for some extended R&R. I'll count on you to roll out the red carpet."
Not before everything's over, my friend.
"Of course. I'll make sure you're well looked after, with all the food, fun, and charming company you can handle."
"...Thanks, but I'll pass."
"Ahem."
Kaeya cleared his throat. "Gentlemen, let's cut the banter. We're out of time. Shall we proceed to investigate the tower?"
"Alright. Looks like we're the vanguard, as usual."
Gu Sanqiu shot a quick glance at the tower's intimidating height. "By the way, if this thing ends up abandoned after all is said and done, could I… keep it?"
Imagine transferring this whole tower into the Jade Chamber—it'd expand the place considerably. If that worked, they could skip dropping the Jade Chamber and just drop the tower instead. And if he filled it with explosives, that multi-headed seaweed serpent was in for a grand surprise.
The group arrived at the tower's entrance. The massive doors swung open on their own, sending a chill of desolation and silence through the air. Yet the figure calling itself Decarabian remained unseen.
"Mortals, I deem you worthy. Pass the final trial and ascend to the tower's peak."
"When you arrive… I shall grant you all that you desire."
Gu Sanqiu rolled his eyes and calmly stepped through. This theatrical buildup didn't faze him in the least; he'd seen it all before from his troublemaking sister. Sure, this Decarabian guy was powerful, but Sanqiu felt zero fear or unease—if anything, he felt strangely immune to it.
Thud.
A loud thump echoed, and a Vision holder in the group clutched his head, crouching down.
"Captain Jean, there seems to be… an invisible wall here?"
"A wall?"
Jean reached out, but felt no obstruction whatsoever.
"Stop searching; some of us just can't enter," Diluc said simply. "The voice mentioned 'worthy mortals,' meaning some of us haven't proven ourselves strong enough to proceed."
Diluc glanced back, noticing the dissipated wind elements and the absence of the earlier oppressive atmosphere.
"If the trials within are even fiercer, letting certain members in would only lead to unnecessary casualties."
"Now that the wind element interference has faded, they should try retracing their steps. If they can exit the domain, they should regroup with the Knights stationed outside."
Diluc stepped over the threshold, his face expressionless, but with fire sparking in his eyes.
"As for the rest of us, we move forward."
---
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!
If you wish to support me or read ahead here's a link! [patreon.com/WiseTL]