Chương 146: Villain Simulator, Ch 145
The girl had short, pale golden hair that just brushed past her ears, though two longer strands trailed elegantly to her shoulders. Her white dress accentuated her slender figure perfectly. While she appeared to be a textbook golden-haired beauty, her seemingly clear golden eyes betrayed a faint hint of… mischief.
[Image here]
"Are both of you here for the Mondstadt Special Meat Pie combo?" Sara asked nervously, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. "Apologies, but it's a limited item, and we only have one left today. Perhaps you can discuss who gets it?"
Normally, Lucas would have yielded in such a situation, but Klee gently tugged on his sleeve, deploying her ultimate cute technique. "Papa… Klee really wants it…" she murmured, her eyes sparkling.
"Traveler! Paimon wants one too!"
Hovering beside the golden-haired girl, a small floating figure dressed in white flew in circles, her tone filled with indignation. "If we can't get it, coming to Mondstadt would feel meaningless!"
[Image here]
Paimon? Lumine?
Lucas' heart skipped a beat as he scrutinized the duo more closely.
Indeed, they were unmistakably identical to the Traveler and Paimon from the game he once played. The resemblance was uncanny.
Lucas couldn't help but admit it—yes, "she" was adorable.
While real-life depictions often differ slightly from their two-dimensional counterparts, Paimon's distinct appearance left no room for doubt.
Still, Teyvat was a world of fantasy, so the presence of an otherworldly flying creature didn't seem to surprise anyone nearby.
The golden-haired girl—Lumine, Lucas now knew—gave a polite nod before addressing him. "Excuse me, sir. Would you mind letting us have the combo?"
"If it were just me, I'd gladly give it up," Lucas replied with a rueful smile. "But as a father, I can't bear to let my daughter down."
With just one sentence, he seized the moral high ground.
Unexpectedly, Paimon piped up with a serious expression, "If I get to eat the Mondstadt Special Meat Pie, I wouldn't mind being Lumine's daughter for a bit!"
"I would mind!" Lumine exclaimed, pinching Paimon's cheeks. Her gaze shifted skeptically between Lucas and Klee. "Are you really this child's father? You're not even the same species."
That jab struck an emotional chord. Klee froze, her wide eyes filling with tears. "Klee… isn't Papa's daughter?" she quivered.
"Of course, you are!" Lucas immediately scooped her into his arms, comforting her. "Papa will buy you that meat pie right now."
"In that case," Paimon interjected, full of confidence, "let's settle this with a contest! Whoever wins at arm wrestling gets the meat pie!"
Arm wrestling. A simple, straightforward way to determine the winner quickly.
"Me, a grown man, arm-wrestling a girl?" Lucas scratched his cheek. "That doesn't feel quite right."
"It's fine," Lumine said, patting her rather unimpressive biceps. "I'm confident in my strength."
Contrary to her delicate appearance, Lumine's power was anything but ordinary. According to the game's storyline, she had faced formidable foes—dual-element Childe, three-element La Signora, and countless other trials—with growing prowess.
"Alright, then," Lucas agreed, intrigued.
He was curious to see how strong Lumine currently was. As a main character destined to advance the storyline, he was certain their paths would intertwine in the future.
Lumine placed her elbow on the table, a playful yet serious glint in her eyes. "I'll try not to dislocate your shoulder."
It wasn't a taunt—it was genuine concern.
"Thanks for the warning," Lucas replied, gripping her hand. Her palm felt smooth and soft, almost distractingly so.
"Ahem! This is arm wrestling!" Paimon reminded them with narrowed eyes. "No funny business!"
"Start!" Paimon declared.
Lumine immediately exerted her strength. Lucas's hand was pushed back slightly, and he raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Got this. Lumine allowed herself a small smile of confidence. Yet, to her shock, her hand began to inch back toward the table—slowly but surely.
"Traveler! You can do it!" Paimon cheered from the side. "Think of the meat pie!"
"Apologies in advance," Lucas said, his expression sharpening. A sudden wave of immense pressure radiated from him, and before Lumine could react, her hand slammed against the table.
With a loud "crack," the table collapsed under the strain, scattering fragments of wood across the floor.
The commotion left the other diners stunned. Even Lumine and Paimon turned pale.
"Looks like I narrowly won," Lucas said, dusting off his hands. He turned to Sara and asked, "One Mondstadt Special Meat Pie, please. How much?"
"The meat pie is three hundred Mora…" Sara replied awkwardly. "But the table's repair cost is five thousand Mora."
What a ripoff...
Lucas felt a pang of regret. Though he wasn't short on funds, the expense still stung.
"Sorry, Paimon," Lumine said with a sigh. "I guess we'll have to settle for something else."
"It's okay! It's okay!" Paimon said quickly, shaking her head. "As long as you're not hurt, that's what matters!"
Despite her disappointment over the meat pie, Paimon's priority was Lumine's safety.
"Do you want some of this?" Klee suddenly chimed in, tearing her oversized meat pie in half and handing a piece to Paimon with a smile. "Here, take half!"
"R-really?" Paimon's eyes sparkled with emotion.
"Of course! I can't finish it all anyway," Klee said generously. "Papa always says we should share."
"Traveler," Paimon murmured, her voice trembling, "I think… I've seen an angel."
But Lumine's thoughts were elsewhere, her golden eyes fixed on Lucas.
For a brief moment during their contest, she had felt an overwhelming presence—one she hadn't experienced since facing the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.
Could this man be hiding secrets? Could he hold clues about her brother?
As Lumine pondered, a violent tremor shook the ground. A deafening crash followed, and a surge of wind ripped through the restaurant, tearing off its roof.
The sudden chaos startled everyone. The heavy wooden beams of the restaurant's ceiling began to collapse, hurtling straight toward Lumine and Paimon.
In the nick of time, Lucas dashed forward, using his arm to shield them from the falling debris.
Lumine barely had a chance to thank him before Eula burst into the room, her face tense with urgency. "Everyone, find somewhere safe to hide! Stormterror is attacking the city! Lucas, we need to help evacuate the civilians!"
"Understood!" Lucas immediately agreed, turning to Lumine. "Please take care of Klee for me!"
[+500 Virtue Points!]
Without hesitation, Lucas followed Eula outside. Sure enough, a massive emerald-blue dragon circled ominously in the sky, casting a dark shadow over the city below.
Stormterror. The harbinger of the Dragon Disaster had arrived.
[Image here]
Compared to the dark dragon Durin, whom Lucas was more familiar with, Stormterror dwarfed its counterpart in sheer size and exuded a significantly stronger sense of dread.
Once a proud guardian of the Four Winds and a favored servant of Barbatos, the Anemo Archon, Stormterror's strength was said to rival Durin's, who had once ravaged Mondstadt. Each of its assaults left catastrophic devastation in its wake.
The streets of Mondstadt were now in chaos. Crowds of terrified citizens fled in all directions, their fear compounded by the scars Stormterror had left on their collective psyche.
The Knights of Favonius worked tirelessly to evacuate the people, but the pandemonium was overwhelming.
"Stormterror!"
Amidst the fleeing crowd, a lone figure pushed forward against the tide, standing resolute in the dragon's path. She drew the longsword at her side and pointed it at the monstrous creature, her voice cutting through the chaos. "In my capacity as Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, I issue you a final warning!"
It was Jean—fearless, steadfast, and unwavering.
Though the disparity in power was stark, Jean stood firm to protect Mondstadt, defying her own fears to confront the beast.
Stormterror seemed to understand her words, pausing its assault momentarily. Its massive head turned downward to scrutinize the diminutive human standing before it.
"Leave Mondstadt!" Jean commanded, suppressing her inner trepidation and withstanding the crushing pressure. "If you continue to harm this city, I swear upon the honor of the Knights of Favonius, we will hunt you down and bring you to justice, no matter the cost!"
The Knights of Favonius had long debated how to deal with the "dragon disaster."
Initially, the sporadic attacks were tolerable, but Stormterror's incursions had grown more frequent and destructive, leaving Mondstadt with no choice but to act.
To slay Stormterror was an improbable endeavor. Success, if achievable at all, would come at an exorbitant price in lives and resources.
But now, there was no retreat.
Stormterror's response was unambiguous. Its enormous jaws opened, compressing Anemo energy into several deadly wind bombs, which it launched directly into the densest cluster of civilians.
"Not good!"
Jean's heart sank as she rushed forward, but she was too late.
At that moment, Lucas appeared, stepping between the crowd and the incoming attack. He raised a talisman in his hand and shouted, "Barrier! Activate!"
A translucent dome shield enveloped the people, and the deadly wind bombs collided with its surface. The projectiles spun and churned violently, seeking to pierce the barrier.
Had Lucas been alone, the wind bombs would have posed little threat—he could have dodged or countered them with ease. But creating a protective barrier large enough to shield so many people required extraordinary effort.
Talisman-based magic allowed the user to cast powerful techniques inscribed upon them, but the effectiveness of such techniques still depended on the user's own strength.
The larger the barrier, the thinner its defensive coverage. For Lucas to sustain such an expansive shield demonstrated his exceptional capabilities.
"Damn it!" Lucas gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his brow. "Hold strong!"
With a final roar of determination, he unleashed a surge of power. The wind bombs disintegrated into elemental fragments, scattering harmlessly into the air.
Despite Lucas's rapid growth in strength, Stormterror—once the cherished servant of Barbatos—remained a force second only to the Archons. Even weakened by prolonged corruption, its might was formidable.
Lucas took a deep breath and pulled out a glowing card from the void. "Your turn," he murmured. "Come forth, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
The card in his hand shimmered brilliantly as an enormous magical array materialized in the air. From the array emerged a majestic silver dragon, its eyes glowing with a piercing azure light.
[Image here]
The Blue-Eyes White Dragon let out an ear-splitting roar before charging directly at Stormterror. Taken aback by the sudden appearance of another dragon, Stormterror failed to react in time and was struck squarely in the chest.
The two titanic creatures engaged in an aerial clash, their blows sending shockwaves rippling through the sky.
Initially startled by the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's arrival, the citizens of Mondstadt soon realized it was battling Stormterror on their behalf.
The enemy of their enemy was their friend.
With this realization, the crowd erupted in cheers, rallying behind the silver dragon.
However, as mighty as the Blue-Eyes White Dragon was, it struggled against Stormterror. If one were to quantify their power, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's stats might be 3000 ATK and 2500 DEF, whereas Stormterror's were closer to 4000 in both.
It wasn't long before the Blue-Eyes White Dragon began to falter. Sensing the tide turning, Lucas issued a decisive command.
"Now! Use White Lightning!"
Obeying its summoner, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon opened its jaws and unleashed a radiant beam of destructive energy. The beam narrowly missed Stormterror's core but grazed its wing, leaving a deep, visible crack.
Exhausted from the effort, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon dissolved into a cluster of glowing particles, retreating back into its card.
Stormterror, now wounded, appeared to reassess its position. Realizing the tide had shifted, it let out an ear-piercing screech before flapping its massive wings and retreating beyond Mondstadt's borders.
The city was momentarily safe.
Yet the damage was done. Mondstadt's streets lay in ruins, its citizens injured and shaken. The air was heavy with uncertainty.
They had survived this attack, but what of the next?
On a raised platform, Jean addressed the weary crowd, her voice resolute. "I bear responsibility for the suffering you have endured. As Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, I swear we will protect Mondstadt. To ensure our city's safety, I hereby declare the commencement of an official campaign to subdue Stormterror!"
Mondstadt had endured long enough.
Though its citizens were often carefree to the point of irresponsibility, their devotion to the ideal of freedom was unwavering.
"Let's show it who's boss!"
"I'll join the fight!"
"Captain Jean, we're with you!"
Jean's proclamation reignited the morale of Mondstadt's people.
Stormterror's terrifying power was undeniable, but it had crossed the line. The battle for freedom would be fought, regardless of the cost.
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
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