With Ganyu's affection now at its peak, Nolan obtained the corresponding affection skill. He carefully absorbed the information fed back to him:
[Guided by the Moonlight: As long as Ganyu exists, this skill will passively remain in effect on the skill's owner. The owner gains all of Ganyu's powers: the blessings of the Auspicious Qilin, mastery over Cryo, adeptal energy and arts, etc. The degree of power transferred equals the sum of both parties' levels as a percentage. Any amount beyond 100% becomes additional enhancement.]
Huh—he had actually gained Ganyu's powers!
Thrilled, Nolan immediately felt a new surge within him. Beyond his usual Harmonizing Energy, an extra force suddenly manifested—adeptal energy!
This adeptal energy did not blend with his Harmonizing Energy, nor did it draw directly from Ganyu's own reserves. Rather, it existed separately—like a brand-new energy bar in a different dimension.
Alongside it, countless adeptal techniques surfaced in his mind, the very ones Ganyu had mastered. There were so many that he couldn't process them all at once and had to set them aside for now.
Most astonishing of all, he had inherited the power of the Qilin. A Qilin was a benevolent beast of good omen, bringing peace and long life.
This meant that, even though he was human, his presence could stabilize places plagued by war and strife, bringing them peace. In already tranquil lands, his influence could preserve that peace for generations, ushering in an era of prosperity.
It was a passive, fate-altering power, subtle yet profound. The stronger its wielder, the greater the range and the harder it became for outside forces to disrupt it.
And as a Qilin, his luck improved as well, with longevity to rival the immortals.
Nolan no longer needed to worry about lifespan—long life was now just another blessing.
It made him think back to when he had first come to Liyue, dreaming of learning adeptal arts.
He had gone to Mt. Aocang, met Shenhe, even encountered Cloud Retainer, but had lacked the aptitude to train. All he managed to learn back then was a simple focusing technique from Shenhe.
Now, through Ganyu's affection skill, not only did he possess the aptitude, but he also directly inherited the adeptal arts she had already mastered.
No training required—it was as if his old wish had been fulfilled at last. The thought genuinely pleased him.
He resolved to head into the cosmic beast's stomach later and test out these new adeptal arts.
In addition, he now wielded Cryo. Thanks to the affection skill, Ganyu's mastery over the element had become his own.
He now commanded five elements: Anemo, Hydro, Electro, Dendro, and Cryo. Only Geo and Pyro remained before he achieved mastery of all seven.
Overall, Ganyu's affection skill was remarkably powerful. As long as she existed, her powers would continuously augment Nolan. Any new skills she gained in the future would automatically be added to him as well.
At present, her level was 96, while his own stood at 105. Together that totaled 201.
Since 100 was enough to transfer all her abilities completely, the extra 101 translated into a 101% boost.
And because the adeptal arts were cast using his own strength, every spell he released would be several times more potent than Ganyu's.
Nolan estimated that his current power might even surpass the Raiden Shogun's. Perhaps not even Ei herself would hold an advantage against him.
Of course, this estimate was based on the strength they had displayed in public. Their previous duel had likely been at full force.
Still, his guess should be quite close to reality.
He often sparred with her, though their fights usually ended with the two of them pressed close together, eventually shifting into… other forms of "dueling."
And in that arena, there was no question—Nolan held overwhelming dominance. Even if Ei and the Shogun both came at him together, they might manage some advantage at the start, but once their stamina ran out, they could only yield to his whims.
If only one of them faced him, she wouldn't even have that much of an advantage.
As long as he willed it, they would remain completely at his mercy.
---
Once all the girls had received their "Waymarks," Nolan first escorted Hu Tao back to Liyue Harbor.
After that, anyone who wanted to explore the Lantern Rite festivities could teleport directly to her side.
As for him, he sent Xiangling and Guoba back to Wanmin Restaurant.
He had thought about giving Xiangling a Waymark as well, but since he rarely visited her, their bond wasn't deep enough. Her affection stood at around Level 4:
[Xiangling's Current Affection Level: Lv.4 (200/400)]
They were good friends, yes, but not close enough for such a precious gift.
If one suddenly gave something so valuable to a friend who wasn't especially close, the reaction wouldn't necessarily be joy—it might be suspicion.
At least Level 6 was needed. By then, even if she wondered about his intentions, it wouldn't matter—their bond would outweigh it.
At that level, their feelings, though subtle on the surface, already surpassed simple friendship.
Then a gift would only be seen as a sign of how much he valued them, filling them with joy and increasing affection.
But at lower levels, it could backfire, lowering affection instead.
So, for now, Xiangling would have to wait.
After sending her and Guoba back, Nolan wandered through the festival with the girls.
The Lantern Rite bustled with events.
There were contests to craft lanterns as quickly as possible, with prizes for the fastest. There was also a new kind of board game—Theater Mechanicus.
It involved placing mechanical devices with various effects to stop enemy pieces (representing monsters) from reaching a target point.
Nolan played two rounds against Lumine and Paimon—he controlled the monsters, while they placed the devices. He lost both times.
He suspected the inventor, Ruijin, hadn't properly balanced the game.
Otherwise, how could he lose twice in a row?
He absolutely refused to admit he was weaker than Paimon. Clearly, Lumine's assistance had tipped the scales. Yes—that had to be it.
They roamed the lively streets until about 10 p.m., when the crowds gradually thinned.
Nolan escorted Ganyu, Cloud Retainer, Rosaria, Ayaka, and the other girls who didn't yet live in the Wonderland Space back to their own places.
Then he too returned to the Wonderland Space.
Everyone had gathered to bathe together at the hot springs. Naturally, Nolan wouldn't miss such a perfect "training opportunity."
As for testing his adeptal arts in the cosmic beast's stomach, that would have to wait until tomorrow.
---
The next morning, inside Lumine's room.
Nolan opened his eyes, rubbing them with his right hand. His arm tingled slightly, numb from having been used as a pillow all night by the two sleeping at his side—Lumine and Yelan.
That's right—last night, after spending a long time "training" with the girls in the hot spring baths, Nolan finally pulled Yelan into his arms and slipped into Lumine's bed.
If not for the limited size of the bed, he would have wanted to pull Noelle in as well.
Naturally, they ended up "training" together in the room until two or three in the morning, which was why the two girls still hadn't woken up yet.
Turning his head left, Nolan glanced at Yelan, who was using his arm as a pillow. Her short, dark blue-black hair spilled across his arm, her fair eyelids rested shut, and her delicate nose let out a faint, steady breath.
His gaze shifted to her lips, which looked a little dry. Leaning down, he pressed his own lips against hers, attempting to moisten them.
"...Mmh."
Yelan frowned slightly in her sleep, but soon relaxed, instinctively responding to him.
A droplet of moisture slipped onto the sheets, leaving behind a faint mark.
Nolan propped himself on his side and slipped his right hand along Yelan's back, which was pillowed against his arm.
His fingertips traced the smooth line of her shoulder blades, drawing a ticklish flinch from her shoulders.
Soon his hand slid further down, resting on her soft curves. He kneaded gently, then slipped his hand to the back of her snowy thigh, hooking under her left leg and drawing it up.
Her legs parted slightly, and he pulled her against him, their bodies pressed tightly together.
Yelan's brows knit for a moment, but quickly eased again. She was clearly too exhausted from last night; even as he resumed "training," she did not wake.
After about half an hour, he finally let Yelan go and turned, intending to pull Lumine close. But she opened her amber eyes, a hint of exasperation flickering within—obviously woken by the noise.
Knowing exactly what he was about to do, Lumine rolled over, pressing him down. She straddled him, kissed his lips, and said:
"These past few days are for the Lantern Rite. Let's rest a little, then set out for Fontaine. Later, we should ask Ningguang which route there is most convenient."
"No problem. I'll use these days to focus on training and raise my strength."
Nolan nodded.
Their trip to Fontaine wasn't just for sightseeing; the main goal was to request the Hydro Archon's cooperation or perhaps borrow the "Oratrice Mécanique d'Analyse Cardinale."
Whether danger awaited or not, strengthening himself was necessary.
"Hmph, you…!"
Lumine rolled her eyes at him, then sealed his mouth with hers, refusing to let him speak further. He was always so incorrigible!
Another half hour passed. By 7:30, Yelan awoke.
Seeing the two tangled together—and noticing the strange marks on her own body—she quickly realized Nolan had taken liberties while she slept.
With mild irritation, she climbed atop him, punishing him in Lumine's stead, who had already collapsed in defeat.
By the time they finally dragged themselves from the big bed, it was nearly noon.
After breakfast, Lumine and Paimon went off with Yelan to meet Ningguang, while Nolan descended into the cosmic beast's stomach.
Perhaps due to the damage he had caused here recently, the massive creature seemed to suspect it had swallowed something foul.
It had summoned reinforcements—swarms of insectoid creatures—to patrol its stomach. And there were plenty of them.
After all, its stomach spanned hundreds of kilometers in diameter.
Each swarm was led by a True Stinger, followed by more than a dozen Lesser and Young Stingers.
The sight of so many crawling insects was horrifying, but it suited Nolan perfectly. If they came to him, it saved him the trouble of cracking the stomach walls with meteors to draw them out.
This time, however, he wanted to test his new adeptal arts, so he didn't immediately wipe them out.
He picked a swarm and, using the adeptal knowledge in his mind, drew upon Cryo and adeptal force to condense a Frost Pearl in the air.
A white Qilin motif shimmered across its surface. He tossed it lightly, and it floated above the swarm.
Mist of frost and snow spread outward. Sharp icicles, imbued with exorcising power, rained down on the swarm.
This was one of Ganyu's adeptal arts—Celestial Shower!
In his hands, it was even more fearsome than Ganyu's own. The blizzard enveloped the swarm, encasing them in ice, their movements growing sluggish until escape was impossible.
One by one, they froze solid, life ebbing away. His panel popped with notifications:
[Defeated Strong Enemies ×16. Obtained 154,174 Adventure EXP.]
One swarm had granted him over 150,000 EXP—doubling his reserves in an instant.
From this, he gauged that each swarm yielded roughly the same, given their similar numbers and strength.
The commotion drew other swarms nearby. They swarmed toward the human who had slain their kin, furious and reckless.
Nolan only smiled, channeling adeptal energy into the Cryo art Trail of the Qilin.
Lotus-shaped ice blossoms bloomed before him, slowing the insects as they drew near.
The moment they touched the blossoms, the lotuses detonated like hidden mines. Boom! Bursts of Cryo erupted, freezing the entire swarm in an instant.
Even the mighty True Stingers were no exception.
[Adventure EXP +82,146]
[Adventure EXP +4,232]
[Adventure EXP +4,561]
[Adventure EXP...
The messages cascaded across his vision like a flood. By the time every last insect was frozen into lifeless sculptures, his experience points had soared past one million.
Character Status
Name: Nolan Walker
Level: 105 (673,188 / 15,000,000)
Race: Human
Titles: Honorary Knight, Distinguished Citizen of Liyue, Legendary Adventurer, Honorary General of Watatsumi Island, Sumeru Sage
Innate Talent: Entangling Affection
Skills:
- Lumine's Musou · World Lv.10 (Starsea Manifestation, Boundless)
- Domain of Objective Illusory Shadows · Divine Level Lv.10 (Unobservable State)
- Flowing Sky Shot: Arcane Level Lv.10 (Frostglow Arrow)
Specialties:
- Beloved by Maidens (Exclusive)
- Unmoving Gospel of the World Tree (Exclusive)
- Threads of the Northern Wind (Exclusive)
- Spiritual Core (Exclusive)
Adventure EXP: 1,360,207
(End of Chapter)