Chapter 1: Beginning

The sandstorm raged, lifting the sand high into the sky. A group of desert dwellers with red face coverings drove their beasts of burden forward.

A young boy named Rama sat atop one of the beasts, leading the entire caravan towards the Caravan Ribat.

"This won't do," he said, looking back at his tribesmen with a hint of worry in his eyes.

Judging by his appearance alone, it was clear that Rama was not a native of Sumeru. His features were more akin to those of distant Liyue or Inazuma.

This marked Rama's sixteenth year in the world of Genshin Impact. He had been adopted by the Tanit tribe of the desert and thus belonged to the desert dwellers.

The tribe's way of life was typically rooted in blood relations, and Rama was clearly an outsider. Just by looking at his face, it was evident that he was not a native Sumeru person.

Despite being raised from a young age, Rama had not gained the tribe's full trust. Of course, the tribe did not suspect him either, for Rama was an outstanding scholar.

In this desert land, a great scholar was a precious resource.

"Desert dwellers have no access to formal education resources, nor do they have a suitable educational environment," he thought. "Even obtaining some books requires smuggling."

"In other words, since the death of the Scarlet King centuries ago, the technological advancement in this desert land hasn't just regressed; it has completely collapsed."

With the collapse of the technological tree and the loss of heritage, the lives of the desert dwellers deteriorated significantly. The decline in the Scarlet King's technology was inevitable. It was not an exaggeration to say that even today, centuries after the Scarlet King's death, his technology remains far too advanced. This was entirely built upon forbidden knowledge and the taboo path taken by the Scarlet King. When the Scarlet King died, the collapse of the technological tree was inevitable.

The current predicament of the desert dwellers was partly due to the Scarlet King's sudden whims and his unexpected demise. The other part could be attributed to the rulers of Sumeru.

The desert was merely an appendage to the rainforest.

Rama rubbed his earlobe, his expression gradually calming. When he first crossed over, he had many thoughts, most directly about strength and women.

A very objective issue, in the long history of Blue Star, most powerful people pursued one thing - immortality.

Later, as the technological tree climbed higher, people gradually acknowledged that while immortality might exist, it was not something achievable at present.

However, in the world of Genshin Impact, while eternal life was uncertain, longevity was certainly possible.

But Rama quickly realized something was wrong. His starting point was the desert.

In the revealed plot of Genshin Impact, starting in the desert was only slightly less difficult than starting in Inazuma under the Vision Hunt Decree.

According to Rama's understanding of the timeline, the Stormterror was still sleeping in the Dragon's Nest, and the Vision Hunt Decree had not yet been implemented. This meant the desert was the worst starting point.

"Knowledge is valuable, and scholars walking in the desert are not even allowed to privately teach knowledge," he thought. "This is something concretely recorded in the plot."

Coming to reality, Rama had more insights.

"The Scarlet King... left a mess indeed," he muttered almost inaudibly.

The huntress walking beside the beast was startled, instinctively placing her fingers on the bowstring.

For a Windhunter, their trust lay only in their bow and the spirit dwelling within it, which was often more threatening than their archery.

"No need to be nervous, Tadhla," Rama said as he dismounted. "No outsider will know."

"Are you saying everyone accompanying us is absolutely trustworthy?"

The huntress's movement was minimal, not alerting anyone.

Mutual trust within the tribe was essential for survival in this red sand land. If even fellow tribesmen couldn't be trusted, their survival space would be even thinner.

However, as a huntress with the destiny to hunt traitors, Tadhla did not trust her fellow tribesmen as ordinary members did.

She had killed too many who betrayed the tribe.

"No, I mean, only you will hear this," Rama shook his head.

"Master, you shouldn't say such things," Tadhla said, lowering her face and instinctively covering one side of her cheek.

The well-trained huntress had a tall and slender figure, but her exposed skin bore several scars. Especially on her cheek, a newly added knife scar had just healed, looking rather grim.

Hunting was never a tender game. When you wanted to kill the prey, it never surrendered willingly. Being counterattacked was common, even being hunted in return happened within the tribe. Even a falcon didn't always bring back prey each hunt.

Rama pried Tadhla's hand away, scrutinizing her face. It was a somewhat intimate gesture, yet his words were not gentle.

"This is what Marcela wants to see," he said softly. "If I marry and have children within the tribe, he will have complete control over me."

A falcon does not protect people. Its job is to hunt, not to protect.

A simple truth, no matter how much you trust someone not to betray you, it is better to hold leverage over them so they dare not betray you.

You trust they won't; you know they can't. These are two different situations.

"Of course, this isn't a bad thing, is it?" Rama said without anger. "If I am loyal to the tribe, then this is Marcela offering me a capable and beautiful girl, helping me rise. I have no reason to refuse."

Rama understood Tadhla's purpose, but he was not angry.

The goodness or badness of something often depends on one's perspective. If loyal to the tribe, Marcela's actions were simply a senior urging the young to settle down nearby.

If not loyal, the intent was clear - using wife and children as leverage.

Interpretation depends on the individual.

Rama was the former.

The desert dwellers' start was bad, but the Tanit Tribe gave him a chance to survive. The poor start was not brought by the Tanit Tribe, but by Sumeru's environment, the rainforest people's oppression, and the actions of the Academia's scoundrels.

Gratitude should be repaid, hatred avenged with blood.

This is the simplest principle.

Rama accepted this principle, so he aimed to lead the Tanit tribe back to the era when the Scarlet King still ruled the land. At the very least, let the desert dwellers see hope and a future.