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Chapter 29: Authority of the Anemo Archon and Famulus of the Dragon!
Deep in the forests of Mt. Colubo.
Blake lay lazily on his creaking rocking chair, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, staring boredly at the gaps in the leaves above.
Sunlight filtered through the branches, scattering mottled light spots.
"Counting the time, it should be about now..."
He muttered to himself.
He had no idea what kind of chaos those three brats were causing in the dungeon.
Especially that troublemaker Luffy. He probably tried to tear down the City of Mondstadt.
Just as he was thinking this, a series of cold, mechanical prompts spammed his mind.
[Ding!]
[Challengers have cleared the dungeon: Song of Wind and Poem of the Dragon!]
[Calculating Host rewards...]
Here it comes!
Blake's eyes lit up. He sat up a little straighter in his chair.
He pulled up the results panel that only he could see.
When he saw the S and A ratings for Ace and Sabo, he nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad, not bad. As expected of the future second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army and the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. They learn fast."
However.
When his gaze moved to the last name, his mouth couldn't help but twitch.
[Monkey D. Luffy, Rating: E.]
"Ha?"
Blake almost choked.
"An E-rating?!"
"This kid... he slacked off from start to finish!"
He looked at the system log's absurd description of Luffy "slacking off the whole time, cheering from the sidelines," and was speechless.
As expected of the future Fifth Emperor!
This talent for slacking off is practically engraved in his bones!
[Ding! First clear of the dungeon, perfect ending achieved!]
[Congratulations, Host, you have received Epic-tier rewards!]
[Reward 1: Authority of the Anemo Archon!]
[Reward 2: Famulus of the Anemo Archon, Dvalin!]
Boom!
These two prompts, like two divine thunderbolts, struck Blake's mind!
He instantly shot up from his rocking chair!
All the laziness and playfulness on his face vanished, replaced by an indescribable shock and ecstasy!
"Authority of the Wind God?!"
Blake's breathing quickened.
That wasn't a skill, not an item!
It was authority!
It was the divine authority of Mondstadt's Anemo Archon, Barbatos, one of the Seven!
A vast, cyan power, filled with freedom and poetry, instantly surged from the void and poured into his limbs and bones!
Blake could clearly feel an unprecedented, intimate connection being established between himself and the "wind"!
With just a thought, he could summon a hurricane to destroy the forest!
With just a thought, he could make the breeze sing a soothing song!
This was a qualitative leap!
It was a higher-tier power, completely different from the Eight-Tails!
"This... is a huge win!"
Blake clenched his fists, feeling the brand-new power within his body, his heart pounding.
However, before he could even recover from the ecstasy of obtaining divine authority, the second reward left him completely stunned.
"Famulus... Dvalin?"
Blake's eyes nearly popped out.
"System, you're not kidding me, are you?!"
"You gave... that dragon... to me?!"
Thinking about it, it seemed reasonable.
[Famulus of the Anemo Archon, Dvalin, has been stored in the system's exclusive summoning space. The Host may summon him at any time.]
[Note: Dvalin has been purified and is in a state of absolute loyalty.]
[View details?]
"Yes!"
He recited it in his mind without hesitation.
The next second.
The system screen changed. A vivid, 3D projection of a giant, blue-scaled dragon appeared before him.
[Name: Dvalin (Dragon of the East)]
[Type: Elemental Life-form, Anemo Dragon]
[Status: Purified, Summonable]
[Abilities: Draconic Magic, Caelestrinum Finale Termini, Storm breath...]
Looking at the lifelike projection of the great dragon on the screen, Blake felt his heart skip a beat.
He slowly... sat back down in his creaking rocking chair.
He closed his eyes.
He could "see" it.
In his system space, a massive blue dragon, large enough to blot out the sky, was curled up peacefully, fast asleep.
Its every steady breath stirred up a small whirlwind.
That was Dvalin.
His famulus.
Blake could even feel an invisible, unbreakable spiritual link between himself and the dragon.
With a thought.
The wind in the forest... suddenly stopped.
All the leaves hung strangely still in mid-air, unmoving.
With another thought.
A gentle breeze, like a lover's hand, began to caress his cheek. It carried the scent of grass and earth, singing a song of freedom.
This... was authority!
The Authority of the Wind God!
"Hoo..."
Blake let out a long breath, forcibly suppressing the ecstasy that almost made him want to roar at the sky.
He returned to his lazy posture, a blade of grass in his mouth, his eyes half-closed, looking like a salted fish ready to fall asleep at any moment.
Calm down. Basic operations, nothing to see here.
Just then.
Voom!
On the empty ground in front of him, a white pillar of light appeared. The light faded, and three small figures stumbled out.
"I'm back!"
Before the figures were even steady, Luffy's signature loud voice was already echoing through the forest!
He shot toward Blake like a cannonball!
"Blake! Look! Look!"
Luffy's face was flushed, and he was waving his arms in excitement. He presented the brand new, flame-totem red ornament on his waist to Blake as if it were a treasure!
"I got one too! It's a shiny thing! It shoots fire!"
He shouted, clenching his fist with all his might!
"Fire! Come out!"
Pfft!
A tiny wisp of flame flickered between his knuckles, and then, poof, it went out.
"..."
The air was quiet for a second.
"Wahahahaha!"
Luffy didn't care. He looked at his fist and let out a deafening, wild laugh!
"Did you see that! Ace! Sabo! It's fire! I can use fire too!"
He turned his head proudly, showing off to his two brothers.
Ace had his hands in his pockets, pouting, looking at his embarrassing brother with disdain.
But the identical fiery-red ornament on his own waist, and his eyes, which were brighter than ever, betrayed his true feelings.
Sabo stood to the side. He looked down at the Anemo Vision on his waist, glowing with a soft cyan light, then at the Pyro Visions on Ace's and Luffy's waists. His mind was filled with an endless, fond memory of the wondrous world called Teyvat.