Not getting to drink was exactly what he expected. The winds of Natlan had already told him what was going on there: Abyssal power was stirring restlessly.
Back during the Khaenri'ah catastrophe, Natlan suffered an especially severe Abyss incursion. All these years, they'd been fighting the Abyss nonstop.
"Ah… Khaenri'ah. Always causing trouble."
The last Sacred Night Patrol of Returning Fire had been ten years ago.
…
Koji arrived in Natlan's wilderness. There were special ores out here—after mining them, they could be used as auxiliary materials to boost Pyro.
Liulin Stone: a red, scale-like mineral deposited in regions rich in phlogiston, containing extremely high heat.
Phlogiston was spread throughout Natlan, a special kind of high-heat energy.
"Mu…"
After the Light Slime popped out of the Serenitea Pot, it reacted differently to Natlan's environment.
Phlogiston and Light Realm power were inseparably connected. You could even say phlogiston was a form of Light Realm power—one of the world's primordial forces.
To fight the Abyss, the Heavenly Principles transformed phlogiston into elemental energy, so it could better respond to the threat from below.
"Ronova, compared to phlogiston, elemental energy is only, what, not even thirty percent of the real thing. Why would you make that kind of modification?"
The Night God's Nation was created by the Night God, and Natlan's rules were established with the Ruler of Death's help. The Night God created it under the Ruler of Death's guidance.
"That? Because elemental energy is more suitable for humans."
Ronova appeared and scooped up the Light Slime in her arms. It wasn't about being stronger—what fit you was what mattered.
Phlogiston was ancient. It was a high-heat energy… attribute. If you wanted phlogiston to flow through your body the way elemental energy did, ordinary people simply couldn't do it. They couldn't endure it. At best, they could only control it by borrowing external objects.
"But this little guy can use phlogiston. Koji, the fact you raised a slime into something like this… that's genuinely unexpected."
Ronova was very interested in the Light Slime. As the most common elemental lifeform in Teyvat, it had returned to simplicity—becoming a rare Light-Realm-powered elemental creature instead.
"Ronova, I heard the way you guided the Night God into building the Night God's Nation was a bit… out of line, and the Heavenly Principles aren't too happy about it?" Koji asked.
"Yeah. For a 'shadow' like me, that kind of behavior is indeed over the line." Ronova shrugged, looking like she didn't particularly care.
"So… do you want to become the Heavenly Principles?"
"That's not impossible. The Heavenly Principles are basically Teyvat's emperor, right? And emperors are supposed to have a few consorts. You guys want to enter the imperial harem?"
Koji actually seemed to be considering it seriously. The Four Shadows were all top-tier in looks, each with their own style.
"Ambitious appetite. But it's not impossible. We Four Shadows all serve the Heavenly Principles." Ronova smiled with amused interest—she hadn't expected Koji to want to eat the whole buffet.
"As for the others, they'll have to rely on themselves. If you want to do it with me… not yet."
Ronova vanished, leaving behind words that invited all kinds of imagination.
Koji smiled and shook his head. There was a fatal allure to Ronova—especially in what she was wearing. It was outrageously bold.
After packing up the ore, Koji returned to the Stadium of the Sacred Flame. Lumine arrived as well, and at her side was a small brown dragon.
Natlan's dragons had actually regressed over time, and that was connected to Celestia.
"My dear… my partner… don't lose your way. Walk your own path."
"For some reason, I wanted to name it Neuvillette or Azhdaha, the Dragon King, but the little guy absolutely refused." Lumine said seriously.
"Those names put way too much pressure on it," Paimon complained.
One was the Hydro Dragon Sovereign, the other was the Dragon King—this little guy was still tiny. Of course it couldn't handle that.
"Hehehe… Lumine, you're a genius. You actually wanted to name a baby dragon after Neuvillette." Furina couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
If Neuvillette found out his name got slapped onto a baby dragon, it would be nothing short of humiliating.
"Lumine, this little dragon is a descendant of the Pyro Dragon Sovereign."
Koji revealed the little one's identity. Even if it ultimately gave up becoming the Pyro Dragon Sovereign, its lineage was undeniable.
"Huh?!"
Lumine froze. She'd sensed the little guy was special, but she hadn't expected it to be descended from a Dragon Sovereign.
And the authority of the ancient dragons was an even deeper mastery over elemental power.
"Neuvillette would probably be very interested in this little guy," Furina said, surprised.
Even if the dragons of modern Teyvat weren't at their former peak, their innate talent was still terrifying. Whether it was elemental control or physical body, they had a natural advantage over humans.
"Lumine… we rescued a Dragon Sovereign," Paimon sighed in awe.
"Doesn't matter." Lumine was only startled for a moment. "It's our partner now."
Whether it was a Dragon Sovereign or not meant nothing to her. She didn't need a Dragon Sovereign's power.
"I don't know why, but this time when I touched a Statue of The Seven, I still didn't get Pyro."
Lumine was puzzled. She was only missing Pyro now, but she just couldn't obtain it.
"Natlan's situation is a bit special. Once you've been through it, you'll be able to resonate with Pyro." Koji spoke like a riddle-teller again.
"Oh… got it."
Lumine nodded. She was only missing Pyro among the seven elements, but she didn't have to rush it. It was probably something wrong with the ley lines… or something wrong with the Pyro Archon herself.
"Let me introduce you. This is a friend I just met—Kachina."
Lumine introduced her with a smile.
"Hi… I'm Kachina of the Children of Echoes. I like eating Granule Fruit, and I want to become stronger."
Kachina introduced herself, tense and not very confident.
"Lumine. Three years minimum," Koji said gravely, like he was dispensing profound wisdom.
"What are you even thinking? Do I look like that kind of person?" Lumine rolled her eyes. She wasn't into little girls.
"In a new nation, how could I not make a few new friends?"
Kachina really was cute, but she was too young. Lumine preferred someone with a fuller figure like Eula or Shenhe.
"If it's Sayu, that little one would probably become a pretty good friend for you," Yae Miko said lazily.
"Sayu loves slacking off too much. Their personalities probably won't match, right?" Lumine thought of Sayu—always seeing her sneak off to laze around.
"Kachina, do you want to become stronger right now?" Koji suddenly asked.
"Of course I do."
Kachina nodded. How could she not want to be stronger? She craved improvement far too much.
"Then take this."
Koji pulled out a Jumpy Dumpty. Klee had given it to him, and he had no use for it.
The moment they saw it, Lumine and the others recognized what it was and couldn't help laughing. This really was one way to "get stronger."
"This is… a doll?"
"It's a bomb."
"Eh?"
(End of Chapter)
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