Chapter 56: The Abyss Descends
White flash—
Xu Zheng skipped it.
[Reward: +1 Random Stat Point]
It landed on Constitution. Whatever. Next pull.
Purple glow.
Skipped again. Cut the gacha drama.
[Reward: Enhanced Skyward Shot (One-Time Use)][Rarity: Purple][Effect: Temporarily boosts all attributes, especially Ice Element control, to a level of ultra-mega-overload.][Note 1: Must be fired within 3 seconds. Because real men don't charge past three.][Note 2: All fear stems from lack of firepower. Use responsibly.]
Not bad.
Skyward Shot was Ganyu's signature move in the game—her charged bow attack that turns enemies into snow cones.
Xu Zheng activated it immediately.
A surge of power coursed through his body—enough to punch Ruotuo Dragon King in the throat.
Ice energy pooled between his hands. A translucent ice bow materialized.
Without wasting time, he drew, aimed, charged… and fired.
Right under the 3-second limit.
"Eula, dodge!" he shouted.
Whoosh!
A sonic ice arrow ripped through the air, leaving a thunderous boom in its wake. Eula flinched as it passed—just from the chill.
Even she doubted she could've tanked that.
...
Ganyu was sprinting like a woman possessed.
Then she heard the explosion.
Yep, definitely Xu Zheng's direction.
Her urgency dialed to eleven.
...
Where Levien and Chayevich had stood? Now just a massive crater.
Seeing their boss obliterated, the Treasure Hoarders wisely scattered like roaches.
The Fatui knew the mission was a bust. Time to flee.
Just then, Ganyu arrived.
"Celestial Shower."
Boom. Her ultimate unleashed, raining divine icicles.
Each shard surgically homed in on enemies. Not a scratch on allies.
Because Ganyu was cracked like that.
Hu Tao had just KO'd two Fatui and joined the clean-up crew.
Fatui retreat: inevitable.
...
At the bottom of the crater, Levien stirred.
With great effort, he shoved aside Chayevich's corpse and clawed upward.
At the last second, Chayevich had used his Delusion to go full kamikaze, hoping to survive.
Levien? He had different plans.
He yanked Chayevich in front of himself to absorb the blast.
Now, half-dead but breathing, he crawled to the surface.
Luckily for him, the place was chaos.
Knights chasing Hoarders. Ganyu cleaning up Fatui. No one noticed him.
...
Meanwhile, atop a cliff...
A blonde girl watched the battlefield.
"Impressive. Even among the Fatui, only a top Harbinger could outmatch Ganyu."
"Princess, with all due respect," said the glowing-red Abyss Lector beside her, "Most Harbingers could win. They have both Visions and Delusions."
She didn't even turn.
"Are you doubting my judgment, Yuan Shang?"
He shut up.
She took a sip of milk tea. Pure bliss.
"Mm. Sweet. I like it."
Yuan Shang mumbled, "Milk tea's just sugar. Princess, please watch your weight."
She nearly snapped.
Before she could toss him off the cliff, an Abyss Mage arrived, bowing.
"Princess, we've secured the site. The goods are nearly ready for transport."
"Need a hand?" a calm voice said behind them.
Everyone jumped.
Even the elite Abyss guards went on full alert.
"Morax?" the Princess asked.
Only Liyue's Geo Archon could sneak up like that.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"Oh, nothing much. Just greeting a... guest," Morax replied.
"We're leaving."
She turned on her heel.
Yuan Shang: "That's it? No chat?"
She gave him a frozen smile. "Unless you want to stay and entertain the Geo Archon?"
"No no no! I'm coming!"
They retreated fast.
Morax stood alone, watching Xu Zheng's battlefield with unreadable eyes.
...
Later, the Princess glanced toward the sealed Ruotuo Dragon King.
"Morax is weakening. At this rate, Liyue may fall on its own."
Yuan Shang: "He looked healthy to me."
"You blind? If he doesn't change, Liyue's done."
Yuan Shang: "You're right! Only you can save us, Your Highness!"
"..."
She wanted to punch him. Hard.
Was that sarcasm?
"Yuan Shang, I have a job for you."
"Sure! As long as it's not annoying."
"Investigate Enkanomiya."
"What? That boring old place?"
"..."
She smiled, joints cracking.
"I'm going! I'm going!"
He bailed through a portal.
His gut told him—stay one more second, and he was dead.