In the distance, a cloud of dust rose into the air, accompanied by thunderous rumbling. Upon closer inspection, it was a group of Geovishaps charging toward them. Unlike the one Lumine had just defeated with a smooth combo, these Geovishaps had already entered their second form, their bodies infused with various elemental energies.
"T-Traveler, can you handle them...?" Before Paimon could finish, Lumine had already grabbed her by the collar and started running. What a joke! This wasn't the time to play hero! One or two would be manageable, but she didn't think she could take on so many enraged Geovishaps!
"Roar!" "Roar!" "Roar!"...
The charging Geovishaps, perhaps having seen their fallen comrade, grew even more furious. They roared in unison, chasing after the fleeing duo with relentless determination.
——————
"Lady Keqing, the monsters in this area have been completely eliminated," a Millelith soldier reported to Keqing, his eyes filled with respect. He was the same squad leader who had fought alongside Keqing against the Primo Geovishap three years ago.
Over the past three years, he had witnessed Keqing's rise from a "scratch master" to the renowned "Little Thunder God" of Liyue. He had seen all the hardships she had endured along the way.
"Good work. Clean up the monster remains, and then we'll return to Liyue Harbor," Keqing sheathed her Lion's Roar and smiled as she gave her orders.
"Yes, ma'am!" The squad leader saluted and left to carry out Keqing's instructions.
'Fan, when will you return?' With a moment of relaxation, Keqing couldn't help but think of her master, the adeptus who had taught her so much. Her achievements today were largely thanks to him.
"Fan said he'd be back within a year. With Liyue in such a critical state, he'll definitely show up, right?" Keqing murmured to herself, her heart filled with anticipation. What would it be like to see her master again?
"Lady Keqing, something's happened!"
A urgent voice interrupted Keqing's thoughts. She frowned slightly and looked at the Millelith soldier running toward her.
"What's wrong?" Keqing's eyes were filled with inquiry, a big question mark appearing above her cute purple cat-eared head.
"Lady Keqing, it's... it's the Geovishaps..." The soldier, a new recruit, was panting heavily from running.
"What about the Geovishaps?" Keqing pressed.
"There are so many Geovishaps. I've never seen so many in my life," the recruit said, his face filled with panic. He was clearly terrified.
"All troops, be on alert!"
Keqing drew her freshly polished Lion's Roar and stared in the direction the soldier had come from. With her current strength, she could keenly sense that something was causing the ground to tremble faintly in the distance.
"My goodness!" "Geovishaps?!" "What is this?!"
Seeing the horde of Geovishaps charging in the distance, even the well-trained Millelith soldiers were stunned. However, their discipline kept them steady, and they showed no signs of retreat.
"Wait, those Geovishaps seem to be chasing something!" A sharp-eyed Millelith soldier noticed something unusual. The Geovishaps were chasing... two people?
'Is that... the traveler Ningguang mentioned?' Keqing immediately recognized the person being chased by the monsters. It was the outlander traveler Ningguang had told her about yesterday.
'Why would she provoke such a large group of Geovishaps?' Keqing's eyes narrowed. Something felt off. Under normal circumstances, Geovishaps wouldn't collectively chase a single person.
...…
"Traveler! Be careful, there are people ahead!" Paimon, who was being carried, regained her senses and shouted to Lumine, who was still running for her life.
"I know!" Lumine had already spotted the Millelith soldiers in the distance. These Geovishaps were her responsibility, and she couldn't let innocent people suffer because of her.
Without hesitation, Lumine changed direction, veering to her left. However, the Geovishaps ignored her and continued charging straight ahead.
"W-What's going on?" Seeing that the monsters weren't chasing them anymore, Lumine and Paimon slowed down and eventually stopped.
The two stood there, looking at each other in confusion. Were these Geovishaps not after them after all?
"Not good, we need to help!" After a brief moment of shock, Lumine quickly realized the situation. The people ahead were Millelith soldiers, but they were still ordinary humans. There was no way they could handle elemental-infused Geovishaps.
"Hmph! Form up!"
Seeing what was happening, Keqing coldly issued her orders. In her view, the Geovishaps weren't chasing the golden-haired traveler. More likely, they had been startled by something, and the traveler was just an unfortunate victim.
"Swift as lightning!" Keqing took the lead, throwing a Stellar Restoration and teleporting above the lead Hydro Geovishap. With a single slash, she unleashed a burst of purple lightning, leaving a deep, bone-exposing wound on the Geovishap's rock-hard skin. Blood gushed out.
"Roar!" The Geovishap roared in pain, its eyes bloodshot. It slammed its massive claws into the ground, creating cracks in the earth.
Seeing their leader stop, the other Geovishaps also halted, growling hoarsely as they glared at Keqing with hostile eyes.
"Lightning strikes, and all impurities are purged!" Keqing unleashed her Elemental Burst, transforming into a series of afterimages as she engaged the lead Geovishap. In just a few moves, she had forced it into retreat.
Keqing was no longer the "scratch master" she had been years ago. Her elemental abilities and swordsmanship had improved significantly. Moreover, this wasn't the Primo Geovishap, with its overwhelming attack and defense.
"Charge with me!" The Millelith squad leader led his troops forward. Though they lacked Visions, they relied on the ancient Millelith formations passed down by the adepti to hold off the Geovishaps. Once Keqing dealt with the lead Geovishap, the rest would scatter like a bowl of sand, no longer a threat.