The system panel popped up again, lines of light-blue text unfolding right in front of Kairo's eyes.
[Option 1]: Go along with Clara's request. The Trailblazer came because of you, and Svarog is Clara's family. Of course you won't let the Trailblazer hurt Svarog. But you also make Svarog voluntarily open the furnace core.
Reward: Clara's Path-of-Preservation talent — "Because We're Family."Passive. Damage you take from enemy targets is reduced by 20%. Any target that attacks you will automatically be marked for counterattack. You may consume that mark to chase and strike back.
[Option 2]: Refuse Clara. Tell her Svarog can't change — its logic and calculations will never truly understand what "family" means.
Reward: Bag of Ancient Components. Machine parts from the Old World. Forged with techniques modern people can't reproduce. Even a single screw from that era is stronger than our armor.
[Option 3]: Stay out of it. You don't speak up, because you know — even if Clara didn't beg, the Trailblazer still wouldn't kill Svarog, and Svarog will eventually be moved by Clara's insistence.
Reward: Fine Ancient Engine. An Old World engine that runs on subterranean ore. When it spins, it sprays aurora instead of sparks.
Kairo raised an eyebrow.
"So it really triggered here, huh."
This dumb system… sometimes it picked the right flag, sometimes it thought Albedo = Svarog and still forced the plot through. How was it even mapping worlds together?
Good thing he'd already tested it: if he picked the right branch, he could steal path abilities across worlds. If he had to wait for the system's own judgment, he'd die of rage.
And this time the choice wasn't even hard.
A passive, always-on talent. Flat 20% damage cut. And, more importantly — anyone who hit him would get branded.
That was basically telling him:
"Hit me once and I'll find you anywhere."
Kairo smiled.
"I'll pick one."
The moment he made the choice, the text dissolved into light.
A soft, not-destructive power seeped into his body — totally different from the fierce Destruction-path energy he'd used before. This one felt… steady. Like a big warm mechanical arm wrapping around him.
"Preservation, huh."
He closed his eyes for a second and felt it.
It didn't make his punches explode harder.
It didn't amp up his bombs.
Instead, it sat quietly in his body like a guardian. From now on, anyone who attacked him would get a hidden countermark slapped on. He could see it, track it, and shoot through it.
"Yeah. That's useful."
He opened his eyes again, looked at Jean, then at the red-eyed little elf girl hugging her bomb backpack.
"Jean, take Klee with us," Kairo said, tone relaxed. "It's not safe to let her go back alone."
Jean hesitated for half a second — because of course she did, this was Klee — but still nodded.
"...All right. But," she lowered her voice and looked straight at Klee, "you are not to run around, and you are not to throw bombs without permission. This is Dawn Winery. One mistake and we set the whole vineyard on fire."
"Yep!!" Klee nodded like a woodpecker and hugged her backpack tighter.
Paimon drifted over to Lumine and Kairo, making her voice very small:
"I have a bad feeling we just made this operation way more dangerous..."
Kairo just smiled and didn't answer.
Because right then — the panel lit up again.
[Follow-up result generated—]
You responded to Clara's plea.
You stepped out, stopped the Trailblazer from going too far, and used facts to convince Svarog.
Svarog remembered that you had helped Clara before. It was moved by Clara, so it opened its furnace core and agreed to release info about the Stellaron.
Reward delivered: Clara's Path-of-Preservation talent — "Because We're Family."
Passive. Take 20% less damage from enemy targets. Any target that attacks you will be branded with a countermark. You can chase them through that brand.
A formless ripple spread through him.
Kairo exhaled slowly.
This time he could see it clearly: an invisible ring of protection formed around him, then sank through his skin.
It didn't shout "I'll blow you up."
It said: "If you hit me, I will remember you."
Perfect.
"Okay," Paimon clapped, "enough staring at invisible stuff! That singing drunkard is still waiting for us!"
The sun was already leaning west when they stepped into Dawn Winery.
Golden light spilled over the endless grapevines; the air smelled faintly sweet. And on the stone platform ahead, a green-clad bard was drinking like he didn't have a country to save.
Venti looked up.
Then he spluttered.
"—Huh?! You're back already? And you actually found them?!"
His eyes bounced from Lumine to Jean to Diluc… and finally to the handful of faintly glowing Stormterror tear crystals in Lumine's hand.
He looked at the sky.
He looked back at them.
"It's… it's still afternoon," he said blankly. "You're telling me you cleared three locations and didn't die on the road?"
Paimon instantly puffed up, hands on hips.
"Surpri~se! We're amazing, right? You totally didn't expect that, right?"
Venti laughed, shaking his wine gourd. "Can you just tell me straight once?"
"Fine, fine." Paimon pointed at Kairo very proudly. "We had a cheat with us!"
Kairo coughed.
Lumine handed over the tear crystals. In the sunset, the red-black glassy tears floated in Venti's palm. Even through the corruption you could still feel Stormterror's wind.
Klee was staring.
Very seriously.
Thinking about whether it would explode pretty.
Jean noticed and yoinked her straight behind herself.
Kairo watched the whole scene with an easy smile. Today had gone too smoothly — even Jean was starting to look relaxed.
Venti lowered his gaze to the crystals.
"The color's even murkier…" he murmured. "Dvalin… what are you suffering through?"
He looked up at Lumine. "Traveler, I'll need your help again. Let's purify them."
"Okay."
Lumine started working, movements already practiced. Purified wind washed through the corrupted tears; one块一块— no, one piece after another of dark energy was stripped away.
Jean watched, eyes bright.
"If I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't believe someone can just… wash away Stormterror's resentment."
Diluc folded his arms, also watching. "Like filtering wine. Just with dragons."
Then he glanced sideways at Lumine and Kairo.
These two… they were definitely not ordinary people from Teyvat.
Venti spun the last purified tear over his fingers, then pressed it gently to the Skyward Lyre.
The harp brightened at once, breathing wind again.
Jean nodded, impressed. "She's… completely young again."
Paimon stared. "Jean is complimenting herself."
Jean: "...I meant the lyre."
Venti laughed. "Wind is lively again. We're good."
Jean took a breath. "Then the only step left is… calling Stormterror."
"In Mondstadt city, we obviously can't," she added. "If anything goes wrong, the damage is unforgivable. And if we do it right here in the winery—"
"Wouldn't be the worst loss," Diluc said deadpan, "but let's not."
Jean: "…"
Venti lifted the lyre. "We need sea wind or high wind. Dry, heavy air makes both poets and dragons angry."
Paimon scratched her head. "So… a cliff?"
Lumine blinked. "You don't mean play it while gliding, right?"
Jean: "…"
Venti: "…"
Diluc: "…"
Kairo: "…"
"Even Amber can't do that," Jean pinched her brow.
Diluc thought for a moment. "From Starfell Lake, head east, then toward the coast. There's a mountain strip, then a high promontory — Starsnatch Cliff. You can get both high wind and sea wind there."
Venti's eyes curved. "Ooh. That does sound like a stage worthy of me."
He jumped lightly, strings brushed by his fingers.
Wind rose.
But it wasn't the usual little Anemo lift. This wind gently picked everyone up — Jean, Diluc, Lumine, Paimon, Klee, even Kairo — and carried them forward as if they'd sat on an invisible, steady airship.
Jean's eyes widened.
Letting herself fly with Anemo, she could do.
Letting six people fly, all stable, all at the same speed, without wobble and without mana strain? That was… too much.
This wasn't "controlling" wind.
This was — wind voluntarily carrying him.
Diluc felt it too. This wasn't how Vision users pulled Anemo. This was older. Purer.
He glanced at the bard again.
Just what are you, drunk?
Kairo, meanwhile, quietly checked his new talent.
The moment Venti's wind lifted them, Kairo could feel it: a fine net of perception around him. If anything shot at him mid-air, the hit would be cut, branded, and he could shoot back instantly — even across distance.
A free, always-on countermark.
Yeah.
That was absolutely worth picking Clara's option.
Ahead, the cliff line of Starsnatch Cliff slowly rose into view, washed in orange light.
And Venti, cradling the lyre, turned back with a grin.
"Let's go fix your dragon."
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