The moment they clashed, Lumine realized the Hydro Abyss Herald had grown stronger.
This wasn't their first battle, but she had never encountered such a situation before.
Despite her own rapid progress in strength during her travels, how could she possibly be unable to defeat this foe?!
Paimon noticed the problem too—Lumine couldn't break through the Hydro Abyss Mage's shield.
"We can't defeat him... You've fought this guy so many times before, why is this happening?"
The Hydro Abyss Herald's voice dripped with disdain. "Traveler, even if you've survived countless crises before, your luck will eventually run out. It's time to accept your insignificance and powerlessness!"
Lumine gritted her teeth, her frustration mounting. Why can't I even defeat a single Hydro Abyss Herald anymore?!
The Abyss Herald continued its taunts. "His Highness the Prince abandoned you long ago. To him, you're nothing more than an annoying obstacle!"
Lumine tightened her grip on her sword, preparing to attack again. But just then, an Abyss Gate materialized behind the Herald. Aether's hand shot out from the portal, clamped over the Herald's mouth, and forcefully dragged it inside.
"Lumine, don't listen to his lies. You'll always be my..."
Aether's words were cut short as Lumine's vision blurred. When she regained her senses, she found herself back in Haypasia's cave.
Lumine's mind struggled to process what had just happened. Paimon entered from outside, acting as if nothing unusual had occurred. It was as if Lumine alone had experienced the ordeal.
"Was that... a hallucination?"
If it was truly an illusion, it was far too real.
Her helplessness within it...
Golden light flashed in Lumine's eyes. She had to focus on improving her strength!
Collei had recovered almost completely and no longer needed to stay in bed.
Silaya took her out to enjoy the scenery, knowing that prolonged bed rest could lead to illness.
For Silaya, even a full day in bed felt like an eternity.
What Silaya hadn't anticipated was the arrival of new guests in Vanarana that day.
Sage Kavajah of Haravatat, accompanied by several scholars, had come to invite Tighnari to the Akademiya, but Tighnari ultimately declined.
That's right, Silaya was also from Haravatat, and Kavajah was the Sage of their faction.
Upon spotting Kavajah, Silaya immediately turned to flee, but she was too slow. Her distinctive hair inevitably drew attention.
"Silaya? What are you doing here?"
"Ahem, well, each Darshan at the Akademiya has its own strengths. I came to learn from Teacher Tighnari..."
Before Kavajah could speak, the scholar Ghulam beside him snapped angrily, "Hmph! You haven't even mastered the basics of your own school, yet you presume to study across disciplines? As a student of the Akademiya, shouldn't you know better than to need a teacher to explain such a simple matter?"
Silaya bristled. Kavajah was an elder who had once cared for her. Though he had foolishly participated in the god creation plan, she still respected him. And who is Ghulam to speak to me like that?!
She immediately retorted, citing the graduation requirements of Haravatat: "I just graduated from Haravatat. My teacher told me that every young scholar in our school must master at least twenty languages before graduating. I've already mastered thirty-six. I wonder how many languages this esteemed teacher has mastered?"
Silaya recalled that this requirement might no longer be in place. Even in the past, some students had falsely claimed to have met the requirement.
Whether Ghulam had met the requirement or not, she was certain he couldn't have mastered as many languages as she had.
After all, she had cheated with a cheat code. Could he possibly have done the same?
Ghulam's face darkened, and Kavajah immediately waved him back.
"Silaya, you can stay here and observe. Remember to learn as much as you can."
Kavajah still held a fondness for Silaya. She was exceptionally talented and remarkably diligent. If it hadn't been for Alhaitham...
After the Sages departed, Silaya told Collei to play by herself and quietly followed them.
Silaya never held grudges—she usually settled them on the spot.
She'd long been annoyed by Ghulam's attitude. Letting him suffer a little would finally ease her mind. This was also a good opportunity to practice her "sneak attack" technique for dealing with the Great Sage later.
The Sabzeruz Festival would be a continuous loop, and her ambush would be part of it.
When the players, seething with pent-up frustration, witnessed her actions, their favor toward her would skyrocket, right?
Therefore, her performance had to be absolute cinema!
On a narrow path in Vanarana:
"Teacher, I don't understand. How could Tighnari reject us after we gave him such compelling reasons?"
Kavajah shook his head and sighed. "I knew it wouldn't be that simple. Tighnari is as stubborn as his teacher—once he's made up his mind, there's no changing it."
"And that Silaya... supposed to be a once-in-centuries genius? I think—ah!"
Ghulam suddenly cried out in alarm, then his vision went black, and he fainted.
Only after Ghulam collapsed did the others realize what had struck him: a piece of bark that had fallen from a tree.
They quickly carried Ghulam away from the area to prevent anyone else from being hit.
"Hey, Ghulam, are you alright?"
"Phew, he just fainted. Let's take him up ahead to rest..."
Behind a tree a few dozen meters away, Silaya clapped her hands. "Mission accomplished! Now I feel much better."
As Silaya turned around, her expression froze.
Standing before her, equally stunned, were Lumine and Paimon.
[Pfft, haha! I've been annoyed by that Ghulam for a while. This is so satisfying.]
[Silaya, I never expected you to be like this!]
[She's so bad, I love it!]
[A genius like her appears only once every few centuries! And the Akademiya gave her that evaluation?!]
[Did she just say she speaks thirty-six languages? Does Teyvat even have that many languages?!]
[A genius girl? Interesting.]
Silaya: "Um, how long have you two been here?"
Paimon crossed her arms. "We've been here for ages!"
Silaya: "So, you saw everything?"
Lumine put her hands on her hips. "Crystal clear!"
Silaya: "Actually, I can explain..."
Paimon wagged a finger. "No need to explain, Silaya! We think Ghulam was being totally unreasonable too!"
Lumine: "Exactly!"
Silaya smiled happily. It seemed she, Lumine, and Paimon were all on the same page.
"Then, what brings you here?"
Lumine: "We're heading to Sumeru City. We've already said goodbye to Tighnari and Collei, and we wanted to say goodbye to you too."
"Eh? Sumeru already? That's so soon!"
Lumine and Paimon nodded.
Silaya thought for a moment. If she went with them now, Teacher Alhaitham would definitely scold her. She decided to wait a few more days and return before the Sabzeruz Festival.