"You're heading to Snezhnaya Kingdom?"
"Yes. How much would it cost?"
"Sorry, we're not taking Snezhnaya Kingdom orders right now."
"Why not? I've tried three places already. I can pay extra."
"Sorry, even extra won't work. That route's too dangerous now."
"Take a different route then. We can go a bit out of the way."
"We can't. We only take jobs to Mondstadt and Inazuma now. We don't travel long distances. Monsters are multiplying everywhere. Forget long trips—we don't even dare camp outdoors at night. Find someone else. I'm truly sorry."
Hearing the firm refusal, the man hung his head dejectedly and slowly walked away. This was already the fourth place he'd tried in Liyue, all refusing his request for a bodyguard to Snezhnaya.
Forget Snezhnaya—anywhere farther from Liyue was off-limits. No amount of extra money would change their minds. The reason? Monsters were multiplying across the land, and no one knew why.
The bottom line was, encountering monsters at night had become almost inevitable. If a bodyguard wasn't strong enough, getting badly injured was considered lucky—most perished in the wilderness.
"Sigh, business is getting tougher these days," the shopkeeper sighed as he watched the man walk away.
He didn't want to see Mora slip through his fingers, but compared to earning more Mora, the safety of his staff clearly took precedence. If something truly went wrong, the compensation would be astronomical.
A competent bodyguard required extensive training to develop, and if a shop employee died, the shopkeeper would inevitably have to pay substantial compensation to the family.
"Shopkeeper, how about we try running to Snezhnaya? More people going together is better than sitting around the shop daydreaming."
A shop assistant approached with concern, voicing the suggestion.
"Rest assured, your wages won't be cut. You'll earn the same as before," the shopkeeper replied bluntly upon hearing the proposal.
"But, shopkeeper, if we only travel to Mondstadt and Inazuma, the competition is too fierce. They all operate this way. If this continues, sooner or later..."
"No. I'd rather close the shop than let you venture far. You're my staff—I'm responsible for your safety. That's non-negotiable. This afternoon is our monthly mining session. You're all going. Digging ore will help us recover some losses."
Faced with the owner's firm stance, the employee simply nodded, no longer trying to dissuade him. By late morning, three groups had already been turned down by the shopkeeper for wanting to venture far away.
Come afternoon, the shopkeeper and all the bodyguards gathered, each equipped with tools.
"Why are more and more people going mining?" Alatus frowned slightly, looking down at the large crowd waiting below.
Today, he was leading this group to mine in The Chasm. Only one day per month was designated for mining—a rule established by Geo Emperor. Moreover, the expedition must be led by either an Adepti or a Yaksha. Under no circumstances were private mining expeditions to The Chasm permitted. Anyone caught would face imprisonment by the Millelith.
"Depart!"
Alatus gave the order once the time was right. At his command, the entire group set off toward The Chasm.
Along the way, they encountered several waves of demonic creature disturbances, all of which Alatus swiftly dealt with. Though they posed no real threat, Alatus found it slightly odd. He had led many such expeditions before, yet never encountered so many demonic creatures.
"General Alatus."
The Millelith garrisoning The Chasm immediately approached and saluted upon seeing Alatus's arrival.
"Mhm." He nodded with a faint smile, then continued, "Open the gate."
As the massive iron gate slowly swung open, the group streamed through in single file. Under the Millelith's supervision, they split into six teams and began mining operations in different areas.
Alatus stood on high ground, observing them.
"Any recent developments?" Alatus inquired.
"Reporting to General Alatus, demonic beasts have been attacking us sporadically lately. This month alone, several Millelith soldiers have been severely wounded and replaced," replied the armored man.
"What was the highest number of beasts encountered in a single incident?" Alatus asked, his brow furrowing.
"Eighty-two monsters in a single day."
Hearing this, Alatus whipped his head around, eyes wide with utter disbelief.
"Eighty-two? Are you certain?" he demanded, his voice thick with shock.
"Certain. Thirteen men were gravely wounded that day, thirty-two suffered minor injuries. Reinforcements from Liyue arrived in three waves."
"Why didn't you report this!?"
"It wasn't time to report yet."
Hearing this, Alatus froze, then felt his anger welling up. Even after such an incident, they were still waiting for the designated reporting time.
"Next time—next time something like this happens—report it immediately. Don't wait for the fixed reporting time. If there are five seriously injured within a single day, report it right away."
Alatus couldn't truly blame them—they were strictly following protocol. It was just that they adhered to the rules too rigidly, waiting for the designated time even when such critical incidents occurred.
"Understood!" The man responded immediately upon hearing the general's order.
BOOM!!!!!
At that moment, a deafening explosion echoed through The Chasm.
Alatus vanished instantly from his spot, diving straight down into the depths of The Chasm, following the sound. Before he reached the bottom, he saw the familiar figure of Azhdaha emerging from beneath the earth.
"Azhdaha, long time no see. Why have you come out? Did you sense my presence?"
Alatus approached Azhdaha, asking with a slight smile.
Upon hearing the Golden Phoenix's words, Azhdaha offered no reply, merely staring at the Golden Phoenix, his gaze fixed and vacant.
"What's wrong? Don't you recognize me?" The Golden Phoenix remarked, noticing Azhdaha's peculiar expression.
Yet Azhdaha continued to ignore him, his vacant stare unbroken.
"Me? I'm Alatus the Yaksa, a subordinate of the Geo Emperor. We used to play together all the time. How could you forget me after just a few years?"
After he finished speaking, Azhdaha remained unmoved, his gaze growing even more peculiar.
Sensing something amiss, Alatus furrowed his brow slightly, scrutinizing the Azhdaha, who was as large as a mountain range.
"What is that...?"
The sharp-eyed Alatus quickly noticed dark purple patches scattered across Azhdaha's body.
ROAR!!!!!!!!!!
Azhdaha suddenly let out a furious roar, his massive feet stomping down toward Alatus!