Chapter 523: Volume 5 – Chapter 137(Mary Skelter: Nightmares(Part 9))
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Author Note:
[ ] = When Twilight is speaking.
{ } = When talking through Telepathy.
' ' = When thinking in your mind.
<< >> = When talking with your Pokémon or Tamed Beast.
--- --- = When describing a certain period OR Another place.
** ** = Point Of View, i.e., POV
/// /// = In Call
" " = System and when talking to it.
「 」 = Thoughts being heard
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---- Genshin Impact, Liyue Harbor, Jade Chamber ----
Looking at the Primogem in the pouch, Primis sighed.
In the next second, the pouch and the Primogem inside disintegrated into nothing.
Primis: Since you have trained Lumine yourself this time, what are your thoughts?
Moon: ...Seeing it from the sidelines and experiencing it first-hand are two different things. So, I can say that she is very talented. She absorbed everything I taught her like a sponge. Genius is definitely a word to define her…But....
Primis: She still has to learn a lot.
Moon: Um. Her experience and base in using the power of Abyss still need to be improved.
Primis: True. Though now she has even more things to worry about.
Moon: Oh. What things?
Primis: She is currently learning how to use Adeptal Energy.
Moon: Eh?
The woman was surprised at this before creases appeared on her forehead.
Moon: This… is too rushed. Lumine got the power of Anemo when she arrived at Mondstadt. Before that, you only made her focus on swordsmanship and exercises to strengthen her physique. Hence, her knowledge of Anemo is still too shallow. Then she got Abyssal power. And now Adeptal Energy.
Giving Primis a deep look, she continued.
Moon: If this keeps up, she will become a Jack of all trades, master of none… Is this what you want?
Primis: No. 'We' want to avoid that at all costs.
Moon: That's good to hear. I don't want to see her destroy her future by trying to learn different energies, either.
Primis: Oh. Didn't you say you loathe humans? When do you start caring for her?
Moon: Ahem. She is no longer human, Your Majesty… She is a dragon.
Primis: Indeed.
Here, he paused, and a smile appeared on his face. Seeing that smile can instantly make others fall into a trance. However, Moon started having bad feelings about it.
Primis: That's why you will be Lumine's trainer from now on.
Moon: Wait… What!
Hearing his words, a shocked expression appeared on her face.
Moon: You can't be serious!
Primis: 'We' are. And didn't you state that Lumine is now a dragon? This means you don't hate her like humans.
Moon: I won't deny that, but it doesn't mean I will become her trainer.
Primis: Sorry, but besides 'Us', only you are suitable for this role.
Moon: You are kidding me, right? While I have only seen two or three of your subordinates, I am sure you must have many who surpass the current me.
Primis: Oh… When do you start looking down on yourself?
Moon: I am just stating the fact.
Primis: If you say something like that, then 'We' can't step back… Yup, you are right. 'We' have many people under 'Us' in front of whom you won't be able to hold a candle even if you recover your full strength.
At this, the woman couldn't help but bite her lips in frustration. Even if she said such words, she hoped Primis would deny that.
After all, even though she was not the strongest from where she came, she was still considered the one who could reach such a level if given time and some conditions were met.
Yet Primis said he had many such beings under him. This was a big blow to her pride.
Primis: Anway. You are missing a point here. 'We' never said you should train Lumine because you are 'stronger.' 'We' said you are more 'suitable.'
Moon: ......Mind elaborating.
Leaning forward, Primis joined his hands, rested his chin on it, and spoke.
Primis: In those past years of traveling, we have seen what that girl has gone through: her hard work, her stubbornness, her pain, her goal, her will, her desire, and many more…. We are the only ones who understand the current Lumine and know which approach to take with her.
Yes. During all those years, the only ones who had seen Lumine's journey with their own eyes were none other than Primis and Moon.
This Moon was System Spirit who tried to control Primis using the System when he first arrived.
If it were someone else, then that person would have become a System Slave by now. However, Primis, who knew all the secrets of Systems, didn't fall for it and reversed the situation. He first thought of eliminating her, but when he realized her true identity, he made a deal that she couldn't refuse as her life was on the line.
Moon also considered enduring the humiliation and taking revenge on a later day when she would return to her peak. However, as time passed, she realized Primis had much more than what meets the eye when he showed his cards a little. As a result, that desire for revenge vanished over time, and she started following all of his orders to show her loyalty, hoping Primis would keep his end of the deal and wouldn't back down at the last moment.
Also, on his orders, Moon went to Dragonspine to teach Lumine how to use Abyssal power. Their meeting was no coincidence.
While Moon disappeared after the first meeting, she kept an eye on Traveler and protected her from shadows. Otherwise, how could Lumine not encounter, get surrounded, and be hunted by a group of Spider-Monsters on the mountain full of them?
It was not luck that she occasionally found a lone monster and decided to take it down to strengthen herself. It was also not luck that Knights of Favonius found her location on the vast mountain and didn't face the same situation.
Everything was predestined.
That was also why Moon was displeased when Lumine gave her the pouch full of Primogems. As a system Spirit, Moon immediately realized that those Primogems were something that Lumine bought from her system. That's why Moon decided to teach her a lesson by exhorting everything she had in her inventory.
Primis: You didn't seem dissatisfied when 'We' sent you to teach Lumine. Looks like you have started thinking of Lumine as different from other humans.
Sighing, she nodded.
Moon: I guess.
Primis: So, what's your answer?
Rubbing her forehead in frustration, she spoke.
Moon: Even if I want to say no, you won't let me, do you?
Primis: Indeed.
Moon: I knew it… In any case, I agree.
Primis: Good.
Nodding his head at her decision, his expression turned serious again.
Primis: Now, on to another topic. How's Liyue's situation?
Here, even Moon turned serious and spoke.
Moon: As per your orders, the moment I left Mondstadt and arrived here, I investigated and tried to find the main camp of these Man-Eaters. During the process, I killed countless of them, and yet they showed no sign of diminishing.
Yes. Another reason Liyue was still standing was that Moon had been fighting and killing these creatures ever since she came here.
Primis: So, have you found their base?
Moon: I do—just three months. It's a big, deep underground chamber with countless tunnels used by those Man-Eaters to come and leave.
Primis: So covering their entrance or using a pincher attack is pointless.
Moon: Yes. But…
Primis: Hmm?
Moon: I don't think there is any point struggling, though.
Primis: What do you mean?
Moon: Well…Before that...…
She then took out three scrolls and presented them to Primis.
Moon: I sneaked into their main room, which only high-level members can enter. There was a huge round table with fifteen empty seats. I found these three scrolls on the table.
Seeing that, Primis raised one of his brows, and the three scrolls floated before him and started opening.
Moon: While the seats were empty, the lingering aura made me sure those 15 creatures must be powerful—almost as strong as Adeptus.
As Primis listened to her, the scrolls opened one by one. These scrolls didn't contain any information or intel about something. They were paintings.
Moon: I fear these three people are their primary targets right now.
Primis eyes narrowed as he saw who they were.
'Primis: So that's why you, the Will of the World, gave them to me. It's for their well-being.'
Moon: I am sorry to say this, Your Majesty. But Liyue is done for… Because in that underground chamber, more than one million Man-Eaters are living right now… Waiting for the orders to strike.
THUCH!
At this moment, the scrolls fell on the table, and all three paintings of the people were revealed.
They were none other than Shenhe, Ganyu, and Cloud Retainer.
Shenhe and Ganyu had circles on their faces, while Cloud Retainer's face had a huge red cross.
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---- Mary Skelter: Nightmares, Jail, Underground Cavern ----
After a few seconds of darkness, Lumine's feet finally touched the ground.
She looked around and noticed how dim the light was. Hence, she waited for her eyes to adjust before deciding to move.
She had just moved a few steps and saw a vast land before her. She checked the area but found nothing but plain old walls. She checked further and soon found some clues: someone had been living here not too long ago. Yet, even if she looked everywhere, she didn't see anyone.
So, she decided to go deeper and soon came across stairs leading to the next area. Knowing that there was no other way, she stepped on them.
.
.
Soon, she reached a new floor, and the whole area changed.
This new area was covered in mouths that moved of their own accord. Barred walls were frequently seen throughout the dungeon. The ground occasionally had mosaic-like glowing patterns. The color palette was almost entirely dark blue, with the mosaic ground having portions of yellow and green. Its track was "Hither and Thither at the Bottom," and it features exotic-sounding stringed instruments along with a flute melody.
Fascinated by this new area, she decided to explore. But soon, her path was blocked by some kind of chair like Marchen, which had spikes.
Seeing it, a name appeared in her mind like before.
'Lumine: Killicha.'
Pulling out her sword, she decided to end it quickly.
SWOOSH!
She dashed and appeared in front of it and swung her sword. The Marchen also swung its chair arm to collide with the blade.
SHIN!
CLANG!
BANG!
SWOOSH!
BAM!
Lumine: Kuh!
Shockingly, the Traveler was overpowered, and she was thrown on the other side of the corridor before smashing on the wall.
She pulled herself out with difficulty and looked at Marchen, who was approaching her.
She was appalled seeing that her sword barely scratched Marchen's chair arm.
Taking a deep breath, she gathered anemo and surrounded herself with it before moving.
SWOOSH!
With the boost in her speed, she appeared behind Marchen much faster than before the attack.
SLASH!
CLANG!
BANG!
Regardless, Marchen quickly countered her move again, resulting in her smashing the wall to the side.
BANG!
Lumine: Auh!
Since Marchen was closer this time, it attacked her again.
BAM!
In the last moment, the Traveler ducked and hurriedly retreated.
This confrontation was enough for her to know that the Marchens here were a lot stronger than those on the surface. Hence, she decided to leave. After all, if right now she can't even kill a single Marchen here, then going further will be nothing more than a suicide.
So, she ran as fast as she could and reached the stairs, which she took to reach this floor.
.
.
Returning to the previous floor, she looked to confirm whether Marchen was still tailing her.
Seeing that it was not coming, the blonde sighed in relief.
'Lumine: I better return to the City Streets.'
As she was going back, she was again surprised by how vast this area was.
'Lumine: This area seems like a place where we fight a boss or something.'
Just when she chuckled at her thought, the surroundings suddenly turned dark, making her stop.
The Traveler couldn't help but widen her eyes in shock, understanding what this implied.
'Lumine: D-Don't tell me.'
She then looked in front and saw something blocking her back to the surface.
Lumine: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A giant Mech-like creature was standing before her, looking down at her.
'Lumine: A Nightmare!!!'
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*A/N: Please throw some power stones.
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Weekly Power Status
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