My two 5★ Talents increased my Attributes multiplicatively. My Body of 10 would increase significantly, pushing it to 180. My normal strength easily allowed me to match that of the Ancient Rusty Koi—a Body of 180 was something far beyond the norm. That insane increase in so little time; it was why using both at the same time practically caused my lungs to explode
But,
My Sacrificial Sword slammed into Longqu's greatsword, and yet the corrupted soldier only staggered as both our blades met. I froze in surprise, and I barely leapt back as he swung his sword down, causing the ground to explode.
I wheezed as I felt my lungs collapse from the strain, and I quickly used [Sunlight Healing] to restore the damage. But the exhaustion in me only grew, and my vision swam for a moment as I struggled to keep myself standing.
I was glad I'd accepted Liangqiu's offer to partake in his celebratory banquet; though I was so full I felt like I was about to explode, I now had enough energy to keep myself afloat for a little bit longer even with both my strongest Talents active. Had I been eating conservatively like normal, I would've dried myself to a stick.
A slow breath. In, and out.
Focus.
Longqu charged at me, his sword a blur of dark blue and purple. I grit my teeth, hopping over his blade before kicking it into the ground. My sword flashed forward, and Longqu blocked using his arm, sending sparks flying as my edge grated against his armored limb.
Great winds coalesced around my sword, turning into a tornado aimed right at Longqu's head. I tightened my grip as blood fell from my lips, and the tornado shot forward, smashing right into his face. The corrupted soldier was sent crashing back, but he soon stood back up, mostly unharmed aside from a small scratch on his helmet.
And all the while, my body remained in a dangerous balance. Of my body falling apart due to my own powers, while I used [Sunlight Healing] to restore everything that broke. Had anyone watched, it would've looked as if my whole body was glowing a bright yellow, as if I'd turned into the sun.
But I knew this wasn't good enough. Longqu was strong, and his defense even stronger. Even my wind-infused attacks did little to him.
I needed something else.
Energy surged into my eyes, and time seemed to slow as [Hawk Eyes] operated far beyond its normal levels. I scanned the entire garrison, looking for any spare something else I could use. Something that could injure Longqu through his impressive defense.
A moment later, that energy moved into my leg, and I felt my bones shatter as I leapt past Longqu. He quickly turned towards me, and he saw me crouched on the ground, with blood falling from my lips and a quiver full of arrows slung on my back. I already had an arrow notched on the strings of my Hamayumi, its tip covered in sharp winds.
The air rang like a drum as my arrow fired, and Longqu moved to swat it away. But unlike before, a loud screech echoed as the arrow tore into Longqu's gauntlet instead, shattering it in a shower of shards. Splotches of dark purple stained the ruined floor as his miasmic blood fell.
I grinned triumphantly. I knew not whether his defense came from some effect of the karma or from that impressive armor, but whatever the case, my archery dealt with both. For while it didn't increase my winds like my Sacrificial did, my arrows were capable of punching through the Body of my targets.
Longqu leapt at me, his sword aimed right for my head. My eyes glowed a bright blue as time seemed to slow once more. An arrow was pulled from my quiver, notched onto my bow, aimed forward.
The arrow was fired. It struck the side of Longqu's sword, knocking it just far enough to miss my shoulder by inches. It staggered him slightly. It was more than enough for me to fire a wind-enhanced arrow at his other hand, causing the gauntlet to shatter as it pierced into his hand.
Some of the shards scratched my cheeks from standing so close, but they faded under the continuous use of [Sunlight Healing]. Taking a shallow breath, the ground shattered as my leg blurred, smashing into Longqu's wrist. And with his hand lacking defenses, his hand went flying up from the impact.
Longqu quickly leapt back, wary of any more sudden attacks. But he stopped as he saw my grin, and the way my hand hovered just over his sword's hilt. Beneath his helmet, his blank eyes went wide as he saw his sword seemingly vanish in a shower of light.
[White Iron Greatsword: Corrupted 3★
A claymore of white iron. Once a great symbol of power and endurance, it has since been corrupted by the miasmic karma of the demonic gods, turning it into a shell of its former self.
Increases Sword damage by 20%. Reduces incoming damage by 30% when held
-Warning! Attempting to wield this as the User is now will severely harm the User!-]
I grinned. I knew I hadn't seen anything wrong; when I was surveying the garrison with [Hawk Eyes], I noticed how Longqu's greatsword seemed to give off a faint glimmer, similar to other items my Genshin System recognized. And seeing that, I decided to take a gamble.
And no wonder Longqu was so damn sturdy. 30% reduced damage! It must've reduced all my strength to something his armor could naturally handle. But my archery dealt with effects like that, and now the corrupted soldier was down his greatest defense and his main method of offence.
What a good call. Totally planned.
Realizing just what he'd lost, Longqu quickly rushed forward. But I was faster; with an arrow notched on my bow, I ran forward and slid between his legs. And now behind him, I fired the arrow at the back of his neck. The arrow cracked the helmet in two, and my winds blew away the broken pieces to reveal Longqu's face.
I grimaced as I saw him. His face was perfectly maintained, but the dead look in his eyes—he was no better than a corpse being puppeteered around.
I took a slow breath. Though I'd succeeded in weakening him, I could feel myself declining as well. My continuous use of [Sunlight Healing] to recover the damage I was inflicting to myself was mounting, and most of the food I'd eaten during the banquet had already been burnt up.
It was time to end this.
I notched one last arrow onto my bow, and I fired it just as Longqu turned and leapt at me. The arrow smashed right through his breastplate, sending pieces of blackened armor clattering across the floor. But the corrupted soldier didn't stop, and before I could even grasp another arrow, his fast came flying at me.
To his surprise however, it was his fist that painfully rang as it smashed into my cheek. And his eyes went wide as he saw his own greatsword being held in my hand, its 30% increase to my Body essentially turning my body into an unmoving stone pillar.
I hid a grimace behind my smile. As the System warned, just holding the corrupted greatsword was causing me immense pain. The karma seeped into the metal was trying to leech into me, but [Sunlight Healing] kept it at bay, at the cost of making it feel as if my body was being torn and stitched back together at the same time.
But Longqu was now too close, and the greatsword was replaced by the Sacrificial Sword in a flash of light. A sharp hiss came from my lips as powerful winds blew all around me. The sharp winds gathered around my sword's edge, turning the blade into a powerful drill.
With a powerful shout I drove the sword forward, and the air exploded as the condensed winds smashed right into Longqu's exposed chest. Iridescent winds blew wildly through the garrison, cutting through the scattered tables and barrels strewn all about. All while the winds around my sword extended forward, forming a tunnel of wind that blasted through the garrison's roof and out into the sky.
And when everything was over, Longqu remained standing, even with the massive hole blown through his torso. Dark purplish blood pooled beneath him, with some staining my sandals. I gasped weakly as I stared at the damage I'd caused, and with a small sigh, I took a few weak steps back to distance myself from the miasmic blood.
Then, the exhaustion finally caught up, and the winds around me vanished abruptly. The halo above my head flickered away, and I gagged as a mouthful of blood filled my throat. I shoved my Sacrificial Sword into my Inventory and quickly began healing myself, trying to stop most of my internal bleeding.
I mostly succeeded, and when I did, my world turned dark. I fell face-first into the ground as I fell unconscious.
.
.
.
Guizhong ran across the streets of Guili, surrounded by a small patloon of soldiers. She'd felt that burst of malice enter Guil, but she was too far to accurately pinpoint where it'd come from. She'd immediately ordered her personal guards to scour the city in search of it, lest they let the demon invade Guili Assembly.
It couldn't have happened at a worse time. Morax was out to protect them from a group of five demon gods that were working together, and most of their strongest soldiers were busy fighting the demon horde that were approaching the city gates.
And at that moment, she remembered what the scenario Venti had painted, the worry Venti had at the realization that she was unwilling to leave. That time she'd claimed it as her divine responsibility, but in truth, it was because she knew she wouldn't be able to. She wasn't like Morax who could rend mountains at a whim, nor like the Yakshas that secretly protected the people from harm.
She was truly, truly afraid.
But then a foot soldier came before her and informed her that Venti was out there, directly fighting a corrupted general. Outright begged her to come and aid Venti.
She immediately mobilized everyone to head for the garrison Venti was in, and the people watched in worry as their goddess stormed through the streets like a woman at war, surrounded by dozens of training militia. She would reassure her people later; right now, she had someone she needed to save.
But just as they approached, a great rumbling shook the earth, and she saw as the roof of the garrison was blown into the air as a powerful jet of wind rose into the sky. Everyone was shocked still at the incredible sight, but Guizhong knew better. Those winds had carried the smell of gentle springs; they could only come from one person.
She rushed forward past her worried guards, entered into the ruined garrison, and she could only gasp at the sight. The entire garrison was ruined. Tables and lanterns and weaponry scattered about, broken and cut into many pieces. The corpse of a corrupted geovishap laid at the corner, its head decapitated.
The corrupted corpse of the great General Longqu stood in place, his eyes dull as blood poured from the massive hole blown through his exposed chest.
And there, lying inches away, was Venti. Lying on the ground, his hanfu drenched in blood, his usually vibrant hair covered in soot and dust. "Venti!" She shouted as she came before him, and her expression fell further as she turned him around. His face was incredibly pale, and his usually bursting vitality had been reduced to a few flickering embers.
The rest of the soldiers finally came in, and many stood in awe as they saw the damage Venti had caused. But they soon too saw the state Venti had been reduced to, and they quickly moved in to help.
Guizhong took a shaky breath as she brought the unconscious Venti into one of her guards' arms. "Bring him to my room." I told him. "Inform my handmaidens to prepare everything we have to heal him. Spare no expenses."
"Yes, Lady Guizhong!" The soldier quickly ran out with Venti in his arms.
She closed her eyes for a moment. This was her failure. In her weakness, she'd fallen into self-pity and did nothing, and Venti was injured in her place. An invasion of Guili Assembly had been stopped prematurely by someone who'd arrived here by chance.
Her eyes opened, and for once, the aura she carried turned heavy. The soldiers behind her swallowed at the sudden shift, and they shivered as she turned her eyes to them.
"Our negligence is clear." She began. "Had Venti not aided us, it is certain that Guili would have suffered greatly. There is no amount of gratitude I can show to repay his actions." She narrowed her eyes at the hole the corrupted general had come out from. "But our task is far from done."
She stepped closer to the hole. Gazed down into the darkness beneath. "Our enemies are clever. They know our strength, and so they scurry like ants." She finally turned back to her soldiers, and they all saluted by instinct as her gaze fell on them. "Scour all of Guili Assembly! Leave no stone unturned!"
"""Yes, Lady Guizhong!"""
The soldiers left in droves, intent on searching every nook and cranny of the city to ensure no more secret entrances could be found. She sighed as they left, and she then turned to the unmoving corpse of general Longqu, his body preserved by the karma infused into his flesh and bones.
"Forgive me, sir." She whispered as she placed her hand onto his neck. "But I am in no mind to provide a ritual for your grand feats." She sighed. "This is all I can do."
Her divine powers surged, and the general's corpse crumbled into ash, swept away by the ambient winds. She walked to the geovishap corpse and did the same, scattering it into a small cloud of dust. With her task over, she turned and left the ruined garrison, heading straight back to her manor.