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85.18% Genshin: The Serenity System / Chapter 92: An eerie night

Capítulo 92: An eerie night

In a secluded area of Fontaine, where naught but the desolate wind of silence scratching the fragile air of silence stood, the footsteps of a person echoed, breaking the eerie silence.

Tap... Tap...

The heavy footsteps of the person's presence continued to echo throughout the oddly silent alleyway. The footsteps were heavy, but they were measured and had a semblance of order.

The unknown person continued to walk through the dark alleyway, guided only by the faint moonlight. However, as the person stood beneath the silver mantle of the looming presence in the sky, more features about them were revealed.

The person, who wore a sharp black suit with a white shirt underneath, tilted the black cap sitting atop his head. Its presence obscured the person's face for a moment— however, with the looming presence of the bathing moonlight, the person's face gradually got exposed.

Wearing an outfit that made him anonymous, the familiar grayish-silver hair of the chief justice of Fontaine looked around with a sharp vigil present in his keen eyes.

He was drawn to this location by none other than the blood he found in the painting of Furina not too long ago.

As he looked around, all he saw were the darkness that lingered around him, accompanied by the faint moonlight above.

His eyes then narrowed and focused on a certain peculiar anomaly present in the alleyway.

There, with the darkness serving as it's backdrop, a seemingly normal parcel that was decorated to look like a gift box was present. It's comical red ribbon and white appearance that radiated joy contrasted deeply against the otherwise darkness that surrounded it.

However, that was not what Neuvillette was focusing his attention on. Rather than the gift box itself, his eyes focused on the person holding it.

'A clown?' He thought.

There, standing up right, a figure of a man held the gift box silently amidst the shadows. He had a clown's mask on his face that depicted the usual exaggerated smile of a clown, with a single tear drop present beneath the left eye.

Normally, such a sight wouldn't have been threatening. However, the clown has been eerily silent since the beginning, maintaining his straight posture and unwavering stare at Neuvillette. Coupled with the uncanny shadows that obscured the clown in the darkness, it just made the clown all the more spectrally creepy.

Observing the clown's mask, Neuvillette lingered for a bit before speaking.

"That mask... Judging by its design, I'm assuming you're not the Clown I have in mind?"

Neuvillette was sure that the person in front of him currently was not the same Clown that he had been searching for. From Furina's account, the Nocturnal Clown had a mask, yes, but his smile wasn't exaggerated but merely a faint one.

This one in front of him, however, had an exaggerated and joyous smile.

Almost as if mocking him.

The clown remained silent and didn't answer Neuvillette's question. Just as he had done since earlier, he stood motionless while holding the comical gift box with both of his hands in eerie silence.

Dissatisfied with the silence, Neuvillette then asked another question.

"Who are you? And what connection do you have with the Nocturnal Clown?"

Again, silence.

Neuvillette observed for a bit longer and waited, but the clown never responded. He even entertained the idea that the man in front of him is not alive— but the faint harrowing breathing that he sensed beneath the mask proved him otherwise. It was weak and rough, but there was definitely breath.

In the end, he concluded that the clown would not talk.

Shaking his head lightly, his eyes glanced at the gift box.

"Would that be for me?"

Then, as if a certain magical phrase awakened him, the clown shuddered before mechanically moving his limbs in an awkward popping motion. Rather than controlled movements, it was more as if his joints were being dragged and moved.

...almost like a puppet with strings.

Then, after a few moments, the clown stood just a meter away from Neuvillette. Stretching out his hands, he handed the gift to Neuvillette while still maintaining his silence.

Neuvillette took the gift as he observed the clown in front of him. He wanted to say something, but knowing that the person wouldn't respond, he refrained from doing so.

Turning his attention over to the gift box, he lingered for a moment before deciding to open it and see what he had been set up for.

With the silvery moonlight serving as the only source of light, he untangled the ribbon and opened the lid.

Expecting to see some kind of macabre or creepy sight inside the seemingly normal box, he was surprised to see that all it contained... was a letter.

Neuvillette took the exquisite letter, flipped it over, and read the message inscribed on it with an elegant hand writing.

He lingered for a moment, his gaze reading through it. As he did so, his eyes narrowed for some bits before continuing. His eyes moved with precision, making sure to absorb the contents as much as possible.

"I see..."

Finally, after reading through the entire letter, he shook his head. It seems that whatever was written in that note, it had left a serious impression on the chief justice.

"What a treacherous clown you are..." He murmured under his breath before placing the letter back in the box, somewhat satisfied with the new knowledge he had gained.

His gaze then shifted to the motionless clown in front of him, his eyes narrowing to his mask. With the same indifferent expression, he spoke with a heavy tone.

"According to the letter, taking off your mask should give me a decent surprise."

The clown did not respond. As it had always done.

Neuvillette stared at him for a moment before lifting his hand and placing it just inches away from the clown's mask. He lingered there for a bit before finally deciding to take it off.

"..."

What was behind the mask, however, left him in utter silence.

What lay beneath was a sight of horror.

A man appeared that had a pale face twisted in an eternal scream— eyes wide with terror, pupils dilated as though frozen at the peak of agony. There were no visible scars, no signs of physical harm, yet the man's expression told a story of inhuman suffering. His mouth hung open, foam bubbling at the corners, while a thin trail of tears etched pale lines down his cheeks. It was the face of a man who had lost more than his sanity— something vital had been taken, leaving only this hollow shell behind.

"..."

At the sight of this, Neuvillette strangely remained calm, unfazed by the gruesome sight.

His sharp eyes narrowed and studied the face beneath the mask, tracing the contours of the tortured expression, piecing together a memory. Then, recognition dawned— not a flicker of shock, but a steady understanding. He knew this man.

"Lazare Perrault?"

This was the face of a powerful shareholder that had allegations of him having a hand in various human trafficking activities, instantly placing him in the deep scrutiny of the Maison Gardiennage.

They have gathered sufficient evidence that he did indeed have connections to the allegations, but he had always managed to slip through their grasp, leaving them no choice but to wait for an opportunity to take him down.

His recent disappearance had alarmed them, yes, however he did not expect that he would now be revealed in the form of this broken, silent figure.

Quietly watching the man silently cry in what seemed like a harrowing agony, Neuvillette frowned deeply. Lazare's eyes were lucid, but they were distant— the fear present in them hinted that he was witnessing what seemed like an agonizing nightmare from which he cannot escape from.

He was alive, but he may as well be a dead man at this point.

What bothered Neuvillette, however, is that the man had never once made a sound throughout their interaction.

Wearing that strange clown costume, he just stood there motionless, crying and foaming in agony.

As he had always done.

Looking at the man's poor state, Neuvillette paused a bit before shifting his gaze away and grimacing.

"Your methods are detestable, Clown. It's a great contradiction to your words."

"No matter how effective you may view your methods, the law inevitably reigns higher. This conduct... is by no means noble as you may perceive it to be."

With a deep sigh, he looked back at the motionless man and lingered for a moment. After a while, he left the alleyway and gathered a few Gardes to take him back.

He was not sure if they were able to extract any kind of information from the shareholder, but they still took him.

Just as Neuvillette was also about to leave, his gaze lingered for a bit around the area. He looked up at the rooftops, and for a split second, a shadowy figure appeared.

Highlighted by the light of the moon, an elusive figure that wore a black double-breasted suit and a clown mask with a faint smile appeared sitting down. His figure blended well with the darkness of the night making it hard to see him, but even then, Neuvillette was able to see his silhouette.

Then, in a comical manner, the clown waved his hand at Neuvillette as if greeting him.

Such a sight would have surely frightened a normal citizen if they were unfortunate enough to witness it.

Then, a dark cloud shrouded the rooftop and blocked the moonlight's glow, enveloping that particular area in utter darkness. In the next moment, the figure disappeared as if he had never been there, leaving naught but enigma.

"..." Neuvillette watched the whole thing happen, and, instead of pursuing him, he merely sighed.

Accompanied by a few Gardes and Melusines, he murmured something under his breath, unknown to anyone.

"Actors... All of them."

---

A few days later, inside Isaac's cafe.

Waking up refreshed, Isaac cleaned himself before taking his usual caffeinated tea along with his breakfast.

In the past few days, he and Furina did nothing but have fun— visiting various points of interest in Fontaine as well as finishing what Furina had originally planned. And as the ball approaches, the dated day of their dance would come soon.

Overall, they had just been having fun.

After cleaning his cafe and making sure everything was ready, Isaac was finally ready to get back to business.

Behind the counter, he patiently waited for his customers while his mind started to wander off.

Before it could wander off any further, though, a noisy sound suddenly rushed to his ears, disturbing his morning peace.

"Mister Isaac! You're back! Why haven't you been open?!"

It was the voice of Klee. Followed by it were three more people that entered the cafe simultaneously.

"Indeed, do you know how much we waited here in silence? There was practically nothing to do while you were gone." The sly Kitsune complained.

"Did something happen, Isaac? You can tell us if you want." Nahida looked at him with worry.

"One almond tofu with lavender tea." Lastly, Xiao made an order while walking over to the counter.

'Boy isn't this a way to start the morning...' He smirked lightly, finding the whole ordeal ridiculously entertaining. He then replied to all of them.

"Good morning, all of you. And yes, I'm sorry my absence for the past few days— I just had... Plans, you know?"

"Anywho, I'm back now. What would you guys like to... Huh?"

Just then, his voice trailed off as if he had been distracted by something. This was, of course, immediately noticed by the others.

"What's wrong?" Miko was the first to ask a question.

Isaac lingered for a moment while staring in the air in what looked like... disbelief?

'This is... Haha.' Then, after a moment, a soft chuckle escaped his lips, as if he had just seen the most entertaining thing ever. His deep amber eyes then moved to all of the invited people with a hidden curiosity present in them.

"Say... Are you guys interested in an adventure?"

As he said this, he couldn't help but look back at the familiar floating screen in the corner of his eyes.

[New mission issued.]

[Rank: S]

[Type: Side Quest]

[Title: Group Raid]

[Objectives: Form a party of invited characters and challenge the King Beneath the Mountains, Azhdaha.]

'...What even gave you the sudden idea to issue this?' He smiled wryly, clearly both interested and worried in his new quest.

'Hopefully this will end well...'


next chapter

Capítulo 93: Big bad frog [1]

"An adventure?"

Nahida was the first to ask after Isaac's sudden bizarre question. She lingered for a bit then added with a curious tone hinted in her voice.

"I can't say much on behalf of everyone here... But yes, I am interested in an adventure."

The crafty fox, Yae Miko, walked over and caressed Nahida's silver hair affectionately after she spoke. Looking at Isaac with the same curious expression, she too questioned him.

"I concur. There are merits in just staying inside one's abode, but that annoying feeling of going on in an adventure at the very back of your mind would surely come and surface from time to time."

"I mean, surely all of us here have had that exact same feeling before, right?"

Klee climbed up a stool and nodded her head vigorously.

"Yeah! I've been on a lot of adventures! There was this one time when I buried one of my Dodoko bombs in the forests of Mondstadt, and me and the traveler went to look for it! That was a fun adventure!"

Hearing Klee's response, Isaac's smile turned somewhat awry. '...I don't think I'd be visiting Mondstadt anytime soon.'

He shivered.

God knows how many landmines are buried there.

Life still has a lot to offer to him, so he'll refrain from visiting the tiny terrorist's nation for the foreseeable future. At least, until someone clears out all the buried bombs there.

As for Xiao, he didn't even need to utter his agreement and merely nodded. After all, the Yaksha was always outside fighting demons— which should count as an adventure itself. That, Isaac understands.

Or was it more fitting to view it as his job?

Either way, the point still stands that the Conqueror of Demons was always out in about, adventuring.

After getting everyone's answers, Isaac nodded before shrugging. Putting a convincing act, he spoke to them nonchalantly.

"Well... I just happen to have this other... job... that asked me to fight a really, really, really big stone frog."

Was it belittling to call the ancient dragon of geovishaps as a mere frog?

...not really.

All things considered, the Geo dragon that Isaac was about to fight was just a really angry stone frog that likes to hop around and hide underground.

Does Isaac fear him? Absolutely. That thing was as ancient as the mountains themselves. It's sheer size alone was enough for Isaac to determine that he would be crushed to death with just it's toe.

Isaac might have grown stronger, acquired unique and useful skills, and even got new weapons— but in the face of something as resilient as an ancient dragon? Even Isaac wasn't crazy enough to fight it alone.

...Well, if he didn't just happen to have a well-rounded group of people to accompany him to this endeavor, then he wouldn't even have thought of it.

Yae Miko shot an eyebrow.

"A... Frog?"

Isaac nodded his head.

"No. A big frog."

Nahida tilted her head.

"A really big frog?"

Klee curiously followed.

"A big, big frog? Bigger than Jumpy Dumpty?"

"..." It seems like the Conqueror of Demons won't be joining this trend. He just sat there, waiting for his almond tofu.

Amused by them, Isaac chuckled lightly before shaking his head.

"Yes, a really big frog."

"So you want us to help you fight this really big frog for another one of your side jobs?" Yae Miko question.

Isaac shrugged. "Pretty much, yeah. And also, it could use the Hydro, Cryo, and Electro elements. It's Geo by default, but it can also switch between them."

Hearing this, Nahida grasped her chin as she pondered about the matter. She then habitually told her thoughts out loud.

"Hmm... From this description, I'm assuming that this really big frog is more than what the name suggests."

"Could you provide more information about it, Isaac?"

As always, the God of Wisdom's curiosity always comes up at the top first. One could say that it's an inherent trait of a true scholar.

Isaac leaned on the counter, lingering for a moment, before responding.

"Sure, I can tell you guys more about it. Basically, in the distant past, this really big frog served the Geo Archon in his conquest against other Gods of Liyue. However, his mind was unable to endure the torment of eternity so he became mad— his mind eroded. In the end, the Lord of Geo fought and sealed him underground. Now he quietly sits there, awaiting his return above the Earth."

Isaac paused for a hit before quickly adding, "Other than that, he's also loud as hell."

For a moment, no one spoke in the cafe. Even the overly energetic Klee took a moment to pause and digest the information given by Isaac. It seemed like the little elf became too engrossed in it.

Pouring himself another cup of tea, Isaac smirked, finding their silence amusing. 'Can't blame them. I basically described a dangerous creature that no normal humans can confront.'

'Of course, none of us here are truly... Normal, by definition.'

Isaac felt like doing the infamous chuuni pose right now, but brushed that thought off, finding it ludicrous.

A good couple of moments would pass before the silence was broken by, unsurprisingly, the Yaksha who had been silent for a while now.

"You're not... talking about Azhdaha, are you?"

Isaac smirked behind his cup of tea.

"Oh, I'm a hundred percent talking about the King of the Geovishaps— the ancient Geo dragon personally sealed by Morax himself."

Having their suspicions confirmed by Isaac, all three invited characters didn't know whether to be impressed or not. Except Klee, of course.

"Who's... Hayshdaha?" She questioned.

Isaac was just about to satisfy the little elf's curiosity when another person took that role from him.

Shifting her opulent emerald-green eyes to Klee, Nahida, as any proud scholar and educator, happily taught her.

"Azhdaha is an ancient Geo dragon that was said to have accompanied the Geo Archon, Morax, in the past. And if what Isaac had said was true, then it explains why it was sealed."

"You can just think of him as... A big bad dragon, Klee."

Hearing this, Klee's face slightly frowned— even her elongated ears fell down, seemingly losing their enthusiasm.

"So it's just like Storm Terror?"

Isaac nodded. "Yeah, something like Storm Terror."

Xiao, who had been listening for a fair bit for a while now, soon opened his mouth and spoke.

"If it's truly the sealed king of the Vishaps you're after... I recommend you to step down now. I'm not sure if you know this but..."

Isaac smiled wryly.

"I'm weak?"

Xiao nodded without hesitation.

"Indeed."

Well, it wasn't much of a secret anyway. If Isaac was facing a mundane enemy, then he could easily overpower them. However, what they were facing was above the mundane.

His most powerful skill, [Evernight], can't even help him since it was practically a glass cannon. It could give him unreasonable power, yes, but it would come at the dire price of his sanity and mental state.

Hell, despite being careful with its use, he was still being tainted by its adverse effects. Even a simple use of its Nightmare function would taint him a tiny bit.

As for his physical prowess... There wasn't much to talk about on that aspect. Besides his inherited experience from the First Hunter, there really wasn't that much.

As for his elemental power, indeed, it was a great boon, but in the face of an ancient being such as Azhdaha... It could only get him so far.

Perhaps his luck manipulation could help, but again, he still needs to put in an effort.

If Isaac were to describe himself game-wise, then he was like an under-levelled solo character facing a max-level world boss.

Of course, that would have been the case...

If not for one mere fact.

Yae Miko, emerging from seemingly her amused silence, suddenly chuckled. Her soft laugh had broken the tense atmosphere, instantly making everyone's attention turned to her.

Isaac glanced at her before also smirking. 'She gets it.'

Sitting down on one of the stools, the crafty Kitsune finished her amused chuckle then looked at everyone else.

"Indeed, Isaac is weak. But have you already forgotten about Isaac's original proposal?"

Upon hearing this, the other two members of the cafe suddenly realized what Isaac had meant.

Seeing them realize this, Isaac also burst into a soft chuckle. Looking at Yae Miko, he mentally saluted her. 'Well done, my friend.'

He then turned to the other three.

"That's right, I'm weak. However, if you were to add in an Anemo Yaksha with countless battle experiences, a crafty Kitsune that could command electricity, a terrori— I mean a pyromancer with tons of bombs, and a scholar with nigh limitless knowledge..."

Isaac, still smirking, then spread his arms, as if presenting a grand and ambitious plan.

"...then wouldn't it make a wonderful well-rounded team?"

That was what mattered the most— teammates! Fortunately, Isaac doesn't have to be alone on this quest and gets to bring everyone with him.

With the help of other people that are specialized in other fields than him, then wouldn't beating Azhdaha seem a little more easier?

It's just like what a certain infamous adventurer says— Team work makes the dream work!

After Isaac's words fell on all of them, Nahida was the first to contemplate over the matter.

"If you put it that way..." Her eyes then glanced at everyone present, analyzing them. "Then... This might work..."

"Still, this is an ancient dragon. How are we sure that we can completely kill it?" Xiao asked, still unsure of the plan.

"Hehe, isn't that easy to answer, Mister Xiao? We just throw more bombs at it!" The little terrorist, Klee, looked at Xiao with a smile.

...a little too enthusiastic smile.

"..." Faced with such a logic by a child, Xiao couldn't help but cover his face with his palm in pure disbelief. In the end, he didn't argue further since he knows the odds were already against him.

'Wise choice.' Isaac smiled at the Yaksha. He then turned to the rest of the ladies.

"Well then, do you all want to participate?" He hesitated before quickly adding, "Of course, you're free to refuse. I—"

However, Isaac didn't need to do such a thing.

"I'm free. " Yae Miko faintly smiled. "Just make sure to treat me to a dinner date after, alright?"

'That doesn't sound too bad...' Isaac thought for a moment before nodding, completely oblivious to the deeper meaning behind that request. "Sure, I can arrange that."

"Perfect." Her smile widened. Her eyes, however retained a certain... suspicious gleam.

He then turned to the other two elves. "How about you two? Do you also need rewards to be persuaded?"

Klee and Nahida looked at each other for a moment and seemed to be having a private conversation only privy to them. Then, both of them turned to him at the same time and responded.

"I don't know if I can do much... But I'm more than happy to go. It just means that I can get to explore more, after all." Nahida's voice carried a sense of curiosity and wonder. She was looking forward to it.

"I can go too! I've been wanting to try this new prototype that I and Albedo created. We made plenty, but I haven't gotten to try them yet!" As usual, the little elf had nothing but pyromancy in her precious little mind.

"That's all wonderful to hear."

Seeing that the two of them also agreed, Isaac nodded his head lightly. He lingered a bit then picked up a teapot.

"Well, before we set out..."

"Does anyone want a cup of Joe?"

They were gonna need it.

---

All of them had a filling breakfast— all cooked by Isaac, of course— to make sure they had enough energy for the upcoming raid. As for the cafe, he decided to close it for half a day and would later open when he comes back.

As they ate, he discussed with them their roles as well as the details for the frog they were going to fight. He made sure to impart as much knowledge as he can to increase their survival.

Soon, Isaac had successfully formed a party composed of differentiating people with their unique abilities.

Nahida would serve as a strategist and support, while Klee and Yae Miko would be the rear. As for Xiao and Isaac, they were gonna be the vanguards.

Xiao was perfect for direct onslaught with his vicious fighting style in the battlefield. In a sense, he was the perfect soldier, or rather, General. Despite his youthful appearance, the Yaksha was still two thousand years old and once held the title of General.

As for Isaac... There really wasn't much to say. Although he wasn't as capable as Xiao, he still had tricks up his sleeves. Moreover, there really wasn't much he could do in other positions since most of his abilities are focused on direct confrontation.

As such, after an hour of preparing themselves, they were finally ready to go.

Just then, Xiao's words reached their ears.

"Just a moment... How would we even be able to get to the Dragon-Queller? Liyue is thousands of miles away."

Nahida looked at the Yaksha and smiled lightly.

"Hehe, you seem to have been getting a bit too forgetful today, Mister Xiao."

"Yeah." Beside Xiao, Isaac smiled enigmatically. "How could you forget that..."

He then walked over to the door of the cafe as he spoke, his smile never leaving his face. Then, with a simple pull, the door opened and...

The usual normal door of the cafe opened to reveal a large cavernous space outside. It was completely different from the usual scene of Fontaine they were familiar with.

Isaac then continued speaking as he turned towards him, his smile turning wider.

"I always have ways!"

The raid had now officially begun.

What they did not expect to also be in that cavern, however, was a certain blonde traveler.

...and a certain consultant.


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