"Wow… I never knew Liyue had a place like this underground."
Mona stepped out of the Serenitea Pot and froze, stunned by the scene before her.
The cavern was pitch-black, lit only by scattered pale-white lamps embedded in the rock. Their dim glow barely illuminated the twisting paths.
Particles of some unknown substance drifted through the air, and the entire space felt warped—as if the magnetic field itself had been twisted out of shape.
The moment Mona emerged, discomfort slammed into her. She was extremely sensitive to magnetic flow.
And this place… this place was saturated with darkness. It crawled over the skin, tightening the chest, urging fear and revulsion the second someone set foot here.
Kael knew exactly how dangerous the Underground Mines were.
He reached out and took Mona's hand. "Stay close to me. Don't get separated."
His warm palm enveloped her smaller hand. The simple contact steadied her nerves almost instantly.
She looked up at his back and smiled softly.
This was why she fell for him so easily. He never even realized how gentle he was.
Kael followed the golden trail on the ground, guiding Mona quietly toward the spot marked as Keqing's location.
"Who are these people?"
Mona stared at the heavily guarded encampment ahead. "The person you're looking for is inside?"
"Yeah."
Judging by the guards' uniforms, there was no doubt.
This was a Fatui encampment.
So Keqing only went missing because of them… as expected.
According to the timeline, Liyue shouldn't have fully clashed with the Fatui yet. The ones stationed in the Underground Mines weren't official enemies of Liyue, since they were supposedly investigating the disasters here.
So why would they dare lay hands on a member of the Liyue Qixing like Keqing?
They'd only know the answer once they found her.
Kael planned to infiltrate the camp.
After circling the perimeter twice, he confirmed there were a lot of soldiers. Practically every corner on the outskirts had three guards stationed together.
They must have stationed extra troops because they were holding Keqing captive. They had the place sealed tight.
But Kael had the Thief talent. Stealth was his specialty.
And the moment he analyzed the layout, he spotted their weakness.
The camp was built against the side of the mountain. The back was blocked off so no enemy could attack from behind.
But the wall wasn't fully connected to the mountain surface.
If he climbed up, he could glide down with his Wind Glider and land inside without being seen.
The drop would be quick. As long as he chose the right landing spot, he could slip in unnoticed.
He didn't want to fight the Fatui head-on.
Keqing's safety mattered far more than anything else.
He didn't know which Harbinger was behind this, but with how ruthless the Fatui were, they absolutely had it in them to kill Keqing to erase evidence.
If they hurt her before he got there…
He refused to risk it.
Saving Keqing was the only priority.
"You wait here. I'll find a way in first."
"No!"
Mona grabbed his hand with both of hers. "Don't! This place is crawling with guards. We don't know what's inside. Going alone is too dangerous. Take me with you!"
"Put me into the Serenitea Pot. If anything goes wrong, let me out and face it with you!"
Her eyes shimmered with worry, already damp with tears. She looked at him pleadingly, terrified he'd refuse.
She was normally so proud and stubborn—Kael had never seen her like this. Her trembling voice made him reach up and gently pinch her nose.
"What's wrong? That worried about me?"
Mona glared at him, her voice rising. "Of course I'm worried! If something happens to you, then I…"
She bit her lip, then suddenly leapt onto him, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms tightly around his neck.
"If you don't take me, then you're not going anywhere! I'm not letting you ditch me!"
Kael felt like an octopus had latched onto him. His legs nearly gave out under her weight.
His face was buried against her chest, his voice muffled. "Alright, alright. I'll take you. Just get down first."
"Hmph."
Hearing him agree, Mona obediently hopped off him.
"That's better."
She wasn't as heavy as Eula, but she still had weight. Kael had almost suffocated a moment ago.
He took out the Serenitea Pot and placed Mona inside.
Once everything was ready, he circled behind the mountain and began to climb.
His enhanced Stamina and Strength showed their worth immediately.
The mountain wasn't smooth at all, and places to brace his feet were scarce.
Whenever he couldn't find a foothold, Kael simply dug his fingers into the rock itself.
With his reinforced body, it was as easy as pushing a hand into soft tofu.
He climbed halfway up the mountain and stopped in a spot well out of sight.
He scanned the encampment below for the best landing point.
Then he froze.
A woman in a split white dress and a red cape walked into the camp.
La Signora.
She was the one who took Keqing.
Kael watched as La Signora headed not toward the tent where Keqing was held, but to another tent entirely.
No matter the reason she was here, her presence meant nothing good.
He had to get Keqing out immediately.
Kael pushed himself off the cliff, opened his Wind Glider, and glided down smoothly into a far corner of the camp.
He landed behind a stack of supplies that hid him perfectly.
Drawing his dagger, he began to sneak forward toward Keqing's tent.
His Thief talent helped him suppress his presence and pick the safest path forward…
But there were simply too many soldiers. Inevitably, some wandered right into his route.
Kael slipped behind one guard, clamped a hand over his mouth, and drew the blade across his throat in a clean, precise cut.
The man died without making a sound.
[Attribute Points +20]
…So these soldiers were worth the same as wild boars.
Silently weaving between tents, Kael eliminated a few more who accidentally crossed his path.
Before long, Keqing's tent was directly in front of him.
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Next Target 1050PS :)