As the battle between the group and the monsters raged on, the late-arriving Lumine finally joined the fight. As for Paimon, who had no combat abilities, she could only hide to the side, trembling in fear.
"Tremble!" The golden-haired traveler, wielding the Sword of Descension, stood in front of a Millelith soldier who had been knocked down by a monster. She stomped her left foot on the ground, and sharp Geo spikes shot out, piercing the feet of several Geovishaps. The injured Geovishaps began to flail wildly, and Lumine took the opportunity to rescue the fallen soldier.
"Thank you, brave warrior, for saving me!" The Millelith soldier, relieved to have survived, spoke with gratitude in his voice.
Lumine: ???
What the heck? Is this guy blind? I'm a thousands-year-old beauty, and you're calling me a warrior?!
"Hmph!" Lumine snorted in dissatisfaction and charged forward again with her Sword of Descension, leaving the soldier utterly confused as she continued to battle the Geovishaps. She didn't use her elemental powers, relying solely on her strength and skill. Even so, she quickly gained the upper hand, her sword techniques and martial arts seamlessly chaining together, leaving the Geovishap questioning its very existence.
Although most of Lumine's memories and powers were sealed, the experience accumulated over thousands of years still gave her extraordinary combat instincts and physical endurance. This was evident in the "Windblume" story quest.
In the storyline, Lumine had charged at Beisht with a dull blade, only to be blasted into a distant mountain by a magical projectile. Yet, she had jumped right back into the vortex to continue fighting Beisht as if nothing had happened.
"Roar!" At that moment, an Electro Geovishap behind Lumine opened its gaping maw, elemental energy gathering until it formed a massive Electro sphere, resembling a cannonball.
"Traveler, watch out behind you!" Paimon, who had been watching from the sidelines, urgently called out. Though she was far from the battlefield, her heart was always with Lumine.
"Huh?"
Hearing Paimon's warning, Lumine immediately noticed the Electro Geovishap trying to ambush her. She flashed to the front of another Geovishap, aiming to redirect the attack and let the monsters fight each other.
"Roar!" Sure enough, the terrifying Electro cannon fired, hurtling toward Lumine's back.
Boom! The dull explosion was accompanied by the Geovishap's pained groan, stirring up a cloud of dust. When the smoke cleared, the severely injured Geovishap lay before everyone, while Lumine had already disappeared.
"Gust Surge!" With a shout, Lumine appeared behind the Electro Geovishap. Anemo energy gathered in front of her, and a powerful storm spread the Electro energy from the Geovishap to other elemental Geovishaps.
Swirl, Overload, Electro-Charged, Superconduct... Lumine's Gust Surge triggered a series of elemental reactions, affecting several Geovishaps.
The agonized howls of the Geovishaps sent shivers down everyone's spines, making them feel uneasy all over.
"Thunder—here!" Keqing gripped her sword with a reverse grip, channeling all her Electro energy into the blade. The Lion's Roar glowed with a radiant light, the sword trembling as it emitted a dragon-like roar.
Keqing unleashed the "Stellar Restoration" technique taught by Yun Fan. A Electro sigil appeared in her purple eyes, and in the next moment, she slashed multiple times, striking the weak joints of the Geovishap leader. In an instant, the once-mighty Geovishap collapsed, its limbs unable to support its weight.
'This... this is Yun Fan's technique!' Lumine's pupils contracted. She couldn't be mistaken—this was a martial art Yun Fan had used before. Why did this girl know it?
In the span of a breath, countless speculations flashed through Lumine's mind. However, in that brief moment of distraction, the Electro Geovishap, which had been on the verge of death after being hit by its kin's Electro cannon, suddenly surged with energy. It swung its sharp claws toward Lumine's waist.
"Traveler, don't lose focus!" Keqing threw a Stellar Restoration, teleporting in front of Lumine and using her sword to block the fatal blow.
"Thank you." Lumine snapped out of her daze. Now wasn't the time to dwell on these thoughts. She turned her attention back to the monsters. Thanks to Keqing's assistance, nearly all the Geovishaps had surrounded them, forming a tight circle.
"Traveler, this situation is unfavorable for us. Let's work together to break through the Geovishaps' encirclement."
Keqing and Lumine stood back-to-back, facing the Geovishaps. Suddenly, the two moved in unison, unleashing their strongest techniques.
"Blades—merciless!" Keqing's Vision shone with a dazzling Electro light, drawing out most of the Electro energy stored within. She swung her sword horizontally, the Lion's Roar sweeping out like a spear.
Elemental Skill: Stellar Restoration!
The Geovishaps' rock-solid defenses were no match for Keqing, shattering like fragile tofu. The blade, infused with Electro energy, left a trail of death and destruction in its wake.
"Be gone with the wind!" Lumine also channeled nearly all her Anemo energy, summoning a massive tornado that connected heaven and earth, sweeping forward with unstoppable force.
Elemental Burst: Gust Surge!
Lumine's full-powered Gust Surge was nothing like the weak whirlwind in the game that couldn't even blow away a Hilichurl. This tornado could truly be called a hurricane.
The tornado sucked in several Geovishaps, tossing them around like clothes in a washing machine.
"Tch, it's not very effective, is it?" After the Anemo energy dissipated, the Geovishaps that had been flung into the air crashed back to the ground. But in an instant, they stood back up. Clearly, Lumine's attack hadn't dealt much damage to these monsters.
Meanwhile, Keqing had already slain most of the Geovishaps, including two with high Electro resistance.
It really was a case of comparing oneself to others and feeling inferior!
"Starfell Sword!" Lumine summoned several meteorites that fell from the sky, separating the Geovishaps and breaking their encirclement.
There was no other way. Her Anemo energy was depleted, leaving only her Geo energy. Compared to the agility of Anemo, the defense of Geo was more reassuring, which was why Lumine had used Anemo for the initial attack instead of Geo.
"Traveler, I'll help you." Keqing's voice reached Lumine's ears. Out of the corner of her eye, Lumine saw that Keqing had already dealt with the monsters on her side.
"Okay." Lumine nodded, and the two fought side by side, quickly clearing out the remaining Geovishaps.
"Thank you for saving me. I'm Lumine." Lumine smiled and extended her hand to Keqing, who shook it with a smile. "Hello, I'm Keqing."
"Keqing? The Yuheng of the Qixing?" Lumine was momentarily stunned. Before coming to Liyue, Yun Fan had given her a mask, telling her to seek out Keqing, the Yuheng, at Yujing Terrace if she encountered any unsolvable problems. So, this was the person he meant.
Then... if Keqing knew Yun Fan's techniques, did that mean they were from the same school?
"That's me." Keqing acknowledged her identity, as there was no need to hide it. As for how Lumine knew her, she assumed it was through Ningguang's introduction.