"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.
Beneath the infamous Dragon-Queller of Jueyuen Karst, a raging battle between two miniscule figures and one massive stone dragon was about to be held.
The two challengers, seemingly finding themselves in the doorsteps of this behemoth, looked at it with bewildered expressions.
Lumine quickly analyzed the situation, her golden eyes darting around the vast cavernous space. In the short span of a second, she had quickly summarized what was going on.
'This is... the perpetrator behind those mind-controlled miners?' she thought, suddenly gaining an insight behind the matter. However, she soon brushed this thought off as she narrowly dodged a falling debris.
'No, now's not the time. I need to either get out of here first or...' Her eyes narrowed on the sealed colossal stone dragon, hesitating as she tightly held her legendary Dull Blade.
'Kill that thing...'
This one simple thought, however, was easier said than done... Or rather thought than done.
She then grimaced. 'We can't possibly do it right now... We don't have enough strength.'
Originally, she had been accompanied by the most reliable person in the world. Now, however, he was nowhere to be found and had seemingly disappeared with another person they were with.
As such, Lumine was left to deal with the creature alone. She might have fought a dragon before, but this one was much more massive than the previous one.
Moreover, the last dragon she fought was flying and she had the help of three other companions. Now, however, she was all alone. In the face of the massive creature that was about unsealing itself...
Indeed. It was just too terrifying to face head on. Moreover, although Lumine can sense that its seal was holding some of its power back, she could still feel an ancient and domineering power emanating from the stone dragon.
Hesitating, Lumine found a safe spot and held her ground. Clenching the Dull Blade tightly, she raised it directly at the behemoth.
- Rumble!
Then, in a series of events, the stone monoliths that served as the behemoth's seals all crumbled to the ground, thus freeing the creature from its luminescent cage. Followed by it was a deafening roar announcing its freedom.
Both Lumine and Paimon quickly covered their ears, but even so, the sheer magnitude of the shriek of the dragon caused them to get stunned for a second.
Disoriented, Paimon tried her best to stay afloat while trying to comprehend the creature. In shock, she pointed at it.
"What the heck is that?!"
Yet even the traveler cannot answer such a question.
Then, a primal and maddened voice emanated from its absurdly giant mouth, hinting at a burning hatred. Raising its crimson eyes full of indescribable agony and loathing, it spoke.
"Morax... You have arrived at my doorstep at your own volition."
Just its voice alone caused the cavernous space to rumble, triggering yet another rain of debris. And, once more, Lumine dodged them with her exceptional agility.
However, the creature was not done. In a harrowingly amused tone, it continued.
"Excellent... Taking revenge for sealing me away will be all the easier!"
Upon hearing this, Lumine prepared herself for the worst and assumed a defensive stance. However, she couldn't help but digest the words uttered by the stone dragon.
'Morax...' Thinking of that gentleman she met not too long ago, Lumine's eyes narrowed. 'Where is he...?'
It was right at that moment that a voice emanated from beside her, responding to the cries of the stone behemoth with his usual eloquence.
The man, who appeared beside Lumine, raised his eyes and looked at the dragon. His deep amber eyes look eye to eye with the great beast.
It was none other than Zhongli, or rather, the Geo Archon Morax.
"But if you recall, Azhdaha... This is not how we intended for events to transpire."
His deep soothing voice, even though he had spoken aloud, still had a sense of authority and wisdom. But in the eyes of the sealed king of the Vishaps, his words were as worthless as dirt. The Lord of Geo wanted to make peace yet the stone dragon found it useless.
Grunting, the stone dragon roared with anger. "Waste not your words! Your life is mine!"
- Thud!
Then, with a furious growl, Azhdaha stomped the ground as hard as he could. With his massive and powerful limbs, it caused a significant seismic activity that rocked both underground and aboveground.
"Stay inside my barrier, Traveler."
Turning over to Lumine, Zhongli conjured a shield made from the Geo element.
"Azhdaha is on a rampage. Be careful to not be caught up in his blind rage."
Finding herself suddenly enveloped in a ethereal cocoon made purely of Geo, Lumine felt somewhat empowered. It was as though she was being inspired— elevating her mind and boosting her courage.
'This shield...'
Remembering the capabilities of Zhongli's barrier, Lumine had a sudden thought. Currently, she was being protected by a barrier conjured by the Lord of Geo, and she had personally witnessed how sturdy such a barrier was.
Darting her eyes around, she made a bold decision. 'Maybe with this...'
Holding onto her Dull Blade, she hesitated a bit before deciding to lunge and dash forward, heading straight to the rampaging Azhdaha.
"Traveler? Traveler?! What are you doing?!"
Seeing her sudden bizarre action, Paimon shouted in bafflement, watching Lumine head off straight to the terrifying massive dragon.
Looking back, Lumine's gaze lingered on her for a bit before shifting to Zhongli. She then spoke to him.
"Mr. Zhongli! Keep giving me this shield! I think I can deal a blow to it!"
Her words were quite bold for someone of her stature. Compared to the magnificent being that was currently rampaging, she was but a tiny person.
However, even then, she still had to give it her all.
Indeed, she was small, and yes, she lacked the necessary power to fight such a thing. Even so, her desire to defeat it overwhelmed her senses. It was not the call of heroism— no— it was the call of adventure, and the thrill rushing through her veins, fueling her to reach even greater heights than what she could possibly achieve.
With both the Anemo and Geo elements, she will do her best to fight the colossal beast. No matter what it takes.
But would she lose?
In the peak of adrenaline, Lumine remembered a certain Barista's face and soon, she lightly smirked.
'Nah, I'd win.'
Perhaps being with that certain barista has tainted her with a certain affliction.
At that moment, Zhongli's deep amber eyes lingered on the figure of Lumine before giving a silent nod. Willed by Zhongli, the transparent amber shield enveloping Lumine suddenly became thicker, amplifying its protection and the buffs that it gave to the wearer.
Seeing this, Lumine nodded her head with satisfaction. Turning to Azhdaha, she braced herself before running at full speed.
"This insect... How dare you!"
The proud king of the Vishaps, however, saw her charge as an insult and immediately retaliated.
With a furious growl, it swiftly turned its massive body and made use of its thick tail to try and attack the charging visage of the traveler.
'Dodge!'
Seeing this, Lumine quickly processed what was happening and immediately slid underneath the incoming crushing force of the gigantic tale.
- Woosh!
She managed to swiftly dodge the deadly strike of the beast, but she wasn't done yet. She saw this as an opportunity.
Not wasting time, she quickly stood back to her feet and immediately jumped up, aiming at the massive body of Azhdaha, with her Dull Blade in hand.
"Haa!"
With a battle cry, she pushed the sword in her hand in the body of the behemoth. Empowered by the shield of Zhongli, as well as two elements, the power that was produced by the strike amplified, causing a great shockwave.
- Boom!
"Argh...!" The stone dragon let out a pained growl.
With the help of both the Anemo and Geo elements, while simultaneously being empowered by Zhongli's barrier, the king of the Vishaps experienced tremendous pain. With its current half-sealed state, such damage had made a great impact.
Seeing that her blow caused significant damage, a look of astonishment appeared on her face. 'It worked!'
However, her celebration was short-lived. Because Azhdaha was not done yet.
The stone dragon's crimson eyes narrowed to Zhongli, filled to the brim with madness as he let out an abhorrent howl.
In the stone dragon's eyes, what Zhongli did was basically pick a champion to kill it. And... that angered Azhdaha greatly.
"Once is not enough... You would forsake me again?!"
After saying this, the madness in Azhdaha's eyes burned even brighter. In a moment of fury, the behemoth dug beneath the Earth. This was not an act of cowardice but instead another form of attack.
Surprisingly, for a creature of its size, it did not take too long for it to submerge the majority of its body. It didn't make sense at all.
But one should know that not everything needs to be made sense of.
As the behemoth sunk its body beneath the soil, it started moving around the arena akin to a predator encircling its prey.
Lumine darted her eyes, carefully eyeing the creature's movement while simultaneously dodging falling debris caused by its movement.
'Come on... Come out...'
Fulfilling her wishes, the mighty stone dragon suddenly emerged from the ground after completing its encirclement. Afterwards, Azhdaha's crimson eyes darted at the figure of Lumine and Zhongli. His voice boiled with loathing as he spoke.
"Morax... You and your insect... Would now perish here!"
'Huh?'
At that moment, Lumine sensed that something was wrong. She felt that the stone dragon was about to attempt something. Perhaps it was because of its blind fury or its last resort, but she felt that it was about to do something drastic.
Assuming a defensive stance, she held her Dull Blade tightly. 'This isn't good... It's about to do something!'
Indeed. Right after Azhdaha announced their supposed doom, its body started to act bizarre. Elemental energy from the surrounding environment started gathering around it and crystalizing in various parts of its gigantic body.
The most noticeable changes were at its tail.
Zhongli's deep amber eyes narrowed, as he too felt that the stone dragon was about to unleash something powerful.
Various parts of its body then started flowing with different luminescent lights, representing four elements: Cryo, Hydro, Pyro, and Electro.
Lumine sensed all of them— as well as what the crazed dragon was about to do. She knows that it was about to do a powerful attack— one that she couldn't possibly block without her current shield.
In a moment of reluctance, she even doubted her skill.
"Can I... truly beat this?"
Negative thoughts clouded her mind. Perhaps if Zhongli kept shielding her and she persisted, then she might just be powerful enough to beat it.
However, what if she was in a similar situation without the help of anyone? Then she would just be powerless.
She loathed that.
Her eyes squinted to her sword as a negative feeling crept up her heart. Holding on to her Dull Blade, she grimaced.
"Maybe... I am—"
However, just at that moment, a hand suddenly appeared and grabbed her left shoulder.
'?!' Her eyes widened upon realizing that someone had sneaked up on her. Turning her head, she was prepared to deal with the unknown person when she paused and saw who it was.
'That...'
Her golden eyes stared at that person, full of disbelief. For a moment, she didn't know if it was real or not.
However, before she could open her mouth and utter her curiosity, the person's own affirming voice reached her first.
It was a silvery yet soothing voice, tempting anyone who heard it to calm down— as if inducing tranquility.
"Relax, Miss Star."
Seeing that familiar tousled brown hair and deep amber eyes that were eerily similar to the Lord of Geo, she hesitated before uttering in disbelief.
"I-Isaac? Why... Why are you here?"
He smiled.
"No. Not just me."
Then, with an elusive smirk, he spread open his arms as more figures appeared behind him.
Along with him, four other figures appeared. Each of them had an aura of nothing ordinary.
One emanated a sense of foreboding power to wipe out evil, the other held a pristine sense of nobility, another appeared to be a child yet hid endless wisdom behind her eyes, and one that seemed to emanate a dreadful sense of heat and fire.
Lastly— the man in front of them, who looked the most normal, yet was the most enigmatic individual.
Pulling out a bronze revolver, the man then smirked as his eyes locked on to the giant stone behemoth.
"Well then, lads... let's begin the Hunt."
The Tarot Club has joined the fray.
* * *
A/N:
Didn't managed to update the other day cus... Got into a bike accident lol. Unfortunate enough to get hit by a strong wind while on the road filled with sand. The result? A very... uncool... skid.
Got 4 big wounds from it and nothing broke, though. But did it made me think I'd lose to the pain and stop writing?
Nah, I'd win.
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