Chapter 170: Departure

Val Berry Street, A Small Independent Yard

Nolan pushed open the iron gate of the yard. The weeds in the garden, which Amber had burned once before, had slowly started growing back again.

It wasn't much of an issue in good weather, but if it rained and the ground got wet, the mud would stick to his shoes and get tracked into the house.

Compared to a grassy yard, he much preferred paving the ground with stone slabs or bricks. At least it looked much cleaner.

Hmm... the next time I see Eula, I should suggest paving the front yard with stone slabs. The backyard can be left as it is since it's easier to avoid during rain.

Keeping some plants around would make the place more pleasant to look at, too.

It's definitely not because I don't want to spend too much Mora! Nolan thought silently.

Regarding tomorrow's commission, Fischl had just finished an investigation mission, so she had some free time. In the end, she agreed to join Nolan on the adventure.

With Fischl accompanying him, the journey wouldn't be so lonely, and she could help handle any dangerous monsters they might encounter.

"Where have you been? If you didn't come back soon, Traveler and I were going to eat without you!" Paimon flew out of the house, hands on her hips, looking at him.

"I went to find Fischl and invited her to join us for tomorrow's adventure, so it took a little time," Nolan said, scratching his head.

As they walked into the house, Paimon asked curiously, "What kind of commission is it? Is it difficult?"

"Not really. We just need to break a seal at the Forgotten Sword Cemetery," Nolan replied, looking at Lumine, who was setting the dishes on the table and answered after a little thought before sitting down on the chair.

"Forgotten Sword Cemetery's seal sounds interesting. It's a shame I'm heading to Liyue tomorrow, so I can't join you," Lumine said, having overheard their conversation.

"That's not a problem. Venti said the 'Rite of Descension' in Liyue is still two months away. Even if you go a bit later, you won't miss seeing the Geo Archon," Nolan said, secretly thinking that as long as they went to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, they could find him anytime.

Wangsheng Funeral Parlor in Liyue was akin to a funeral home, and at the beginning of the game's storyline, the Geo Archon, using the alias Zhongli, worked there as a consultant.

"But... won't that be cutting it too close?" Lumine, sitting at the shorter side of the rectangular table, hesitated.

Her hesitation indicated a slight inclination. With a bit more persuasion, she would likely agree.

"Besides, you could teach me a bit more about using Anemo techniques. I feel I'm close to mastering them in combat," Nolan said with a smile.

"Hmm, I think it's better not to risk it. After all, the Geo Archon appears only once a year. Missing it would be unfortunate," Lumine said, shaking her head and taking a bite of rice with her chopsticks.

"Alright then," Nolan conceded.

It seemed his mastery of Anemo would have to wait a bit longer, but for now, his Pyro Delusion would suffice.

"However, I can teach you some techniques for imbuing elements into your attacks later. I believe you'll soon be able to use Anemo in combat effectively."

Lumine had already taken a bath. She was now wearing a light-colored sleeveless vest, her collarbones prominent against her soft, fair skin. She paused for a moment, pressing her chopsticks to her lower lip in thought.

After dinner, everyone cleaned up the dishes together. Nolan and Lumine then moved to the light blue sofa, sitting cross-legged and facing each other. Paimon hovered nearby.

"Last time, you successfully mastered the basics of Anemo manipulation. Learning to imbue elements will allow you to use Anemo in battle effectively.

"Using your own controlled Anemo for this is a bit different from how you imbue Pyro from your Delusion."

Lumine raised her fair right hand, summoning her Dull Blade. She guided a small amount of Anemo onto the blade, turning it a pale green. The softly swirling Anemo also blew aside the golden strands of hair on her forehead, revealing her smooth, white brow.

Nolan knew that controlling elemental energy for imbuing was vastly different from using the Pyro Delusion modified by Lisa, which merely required simple activation and deactivation.

With the Delusion, once activated, it would operate according to Lisa's pre-set configurations. Controlling Anemo, on the other hand, required careful, step-by-step manipulation, making it much more challenging.

"The Dull Blade, being a one-star weapon, can only bear a limited amount of elemental energy, so be cautious during practice," Lumine advised, indicating that Nolan should take out his own Dull Blade.

"Alright," Nolan nodded, drawing his Dull Blade from his Delusion.

"Imagine yourself as a gentle breeze, becoming one with the Anemo, and then wrap that energy around your sword..."

Following Lumine's meticulous guidance, Nolan managed to imbue Anemo into his Dull Blade by late at night, maintaining it for ten seconds.

According to Lumine, this achievement marked the initial mastery of the technique.

At that moment, his character panel displayed a notification:

*[Skill Acquired: Anemo Manipulation Lv.1 (1/1000)]*

Seeing the skill, Nolan felt a slight relief. Just reaching the entry level was this difficult. Without using Adveture EXP to level up, it would take several months of practice to maintain elemental imbuing for extended periods.

Though it was somewhat disappointing that leveling up this skill required a thousand points, which was on par with secret art level techniques, Nolan accepted it with a hint of regret.

His remaining two hundred or so Adventure EXP couldn't even raise it by one level. For now, he could only maintain elemental imbuing for ten seconds, limiting its use to arrows.

Nevertheless, being able to utilize it in combat was still a significant step forward.

The Next Morning.

Lumine took all the supplies, just enough to stuff her load without having to carry a large adventure backpack.

Nolan accompanied Lumine and Paimon to the city gate, waving them off.

"Hehe, Nolan, we'll see you later! Once we reach Liyue, we'll come back to take you with us. Don't worry," Paimon assured, patting her chest with a smile. Lumine turned, her fair face lighting up with a warm smile as she nodded.

Nolan expressed his eagerness, and after they left, he headed to the Adventurers' Guild to wait for Fischl.

It was about time to join her in visiting Dr. Livingstone at Dadaupa Gorge to see how she planned to lift the sword cemetery's seal.

It wasn't long before Fischl, with her asymmetrical black tights hugging her legs, arrived accompanied by her familiar, Oz.

"Ah, Nolan, I hope you haven't waited long," Oz greeted, flapping his dark wings.

"Good morning, Prinzessin der Verurteilung, Oz. No, I haven't waited long. Lumine and Paimon just left for Liyue, and I came here after seeing them off," Nolan replied, offering a brief explanation.

"Liyue, the neighboring land of a thousand ships?" Fischl asked curiously, her bright green eyes fixed on him as they walked side by side out of the city.

"Yes. Haven't you been there, Princess? We should go together someday. I've heard their Lantern Rite Festival is spectacular," Nolan suggested.

They chatted as they followed the main road to Dadaupa Gorge.

Along the way, they often ascended high points to glide using their wind gliders, making the journey more efficient.

Despite this, it still took them a considerable amount of time to reach Dadaupa Gorge.

(End of Chapter)

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