The sea. A sandy beach. Crabs. And a fisherman who would never return empty-handed…
Koji sat on a stone by the shore, wearing a white hood and holding a simple fishing rod.
Beside him was his makeshift shelter. Seven colorful slimes crawled and bounced around.
Thanks to his "training," the slimes prone to violent reactions no longer bumped into each other.
This time he had set up camp by the sea. He wanted to confirm something—here was where he should meet the Traveler.
Whether the Traveler was Lumine or Aether, he was curious. He'd just wait here like a hunter by the rabbit's stump.
[Blessing of Fishing: You will never return empty-handed.]
Every angler's dream.
The moist sea breeze brushed his face. Koji yawned. "Why hasn't the Traveler shown up to fish up Paimon yet?"
Snap!
The line went taut. The rod bent sharply. Splashes danced on the sea's surface. A big catch.
His eyes lit up. To a fisherman, this was the most thrilling moment.
Before transmigrating, he had barely fished. But after trying it in Teyvat, he loved it.
"Whoa, it's a big one. Biggest in days."
He wrestled with it for minutes, refusing to give in.
At last—
Splash!
Water burst skyward, rainbow forming in the sun.
A huge fish?
No…
It was a person.
Koji squinted. Golden hair. Two arms, two legs. A fishhook snagged her clothes.
Surprisingly, her outfit was intact.
On the sand lay a girl, eyes closed, face peaceful.
Short golden hair adorned with two white flowers. Feathers near her ears.
Exotic blue-white clothing. White sleeves, thigh-high boots.
Golden diamond ornaments on her skirt and scarf. Long ribbons trailed behind.
Transparent diamonds on her boots and dress glowed faintly.
Wet hair clung together. Soaked clothes outlined her figure.
Beautiful.
Wait. Something was off.
Lumine. The Traveler. Of course Koji recognized her.
But why was she in the sea?
He rubbed his chin. Wasn't Paimon supposed to be fished up by Lumine? Then wouldn't Lumine become his guide if he had fished her out?
Traveler = me?
Poor Abyss Order. Once again, they drew the prince instead of the princess.
(In fanfics, Aether was rarely chosen. The Abyss kept drawing him. It seemed the banner had no Lumine pity system.)
Koji admired Lumine's face. Then noticed her swollen stomach. She hadn't woken up because she'd swallowed too much seawater.
If she weren't extraordinary, she would have drowned long ago.
What to do?
Mouth-to-mouth would be hard to explain later.
Idea.
Grabbing her boots, he spun her like a whirlwind.
[Blessing of Spinning: No matter how many rotations, you will never get dizzy.]
Whoosh whoosh!
Centrifugal force expelled seawater from her mouth and nose.
Not a method for normal humans—but Lumine wasn't normal. Once the water was gone, she'd wake.
"Ugh…"
Her awareness returned. Opening her eyes, she saw the world spinning and froze.
She realized she was being whirled around at high speed.
"Wait—"
Before she could finish, she was flung across the beach, sliding until half her body was buried in sand.
Only her toes wiggled free.
Koji looked at the trail, then at the two white boots in his hands. Awkward.
Legendary "through the lungs" resuscitation indeed.
He hadn't meant to toss her. Too much spin.
A golden crab scuttled arrogantly over her body.
"Pff!!"
She rose unsteadily, spitting sand.
Angrily, she stomped over barefoot, leaving shallow prints.
"Hey! Was that supposed to be funny?" Hands on hips, her face was furious.
Being tossed wasn't painful, but it was humiliating.
"My name's Koji. Technically, I saved you. You were drowning. Would you have preferred I gave you mouth-to-mouth?" he said calmly.
She paused. She had spat out seawater. But why had she been in the sea at all? She remembered fighting a white-haired god with her brother. Neither of them could win…
"I'm Lumine. A Traveler. How did you pull me up?"
She studied him. Not ugly. But if her first kiss had been wasted, she would have minded.
Since he saved her, she let it pass.
"Like this."
Koji raised his fishing rod.
Lumine froze.
"You mean… you fished me up?" She covered her face. How embarrassing.
She had traveled countless worlds. Never this.
"By the way, have you seen a white-haired god?"
She asked nervously.
Her powers had been sealed. Her brother taken. Was he safe?
"Haven't seen one."
He told the truth. In the game didn't count—he hadn't actually seen the Sustainer.
Her disappointment showed. She quickly asked: "What about someone with hair like mine? Braided, shorter, shows his stomach?"
"No. From what you describe, a relative?" Koji smirked.
Your sister worries, while you live well in the Abyss. If only she knew.
She didn't notice his suppressed laugh. She simply told him her story with Aether.
(End of Chapter)
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