"System, strengthen the Dragon Factor."
[Strengthening Card consumed. Enhancement beginning...]
As the System's mechanical voice rang out, the enhancement process commenced.
Su Ming felt an inexplicable power surging into his body, immediately throwing his internal Dragon Factor into a restless state. It swelled and pulsated with activity. An unprecedented wave of heat washed through him,
yet he felt no discomfort. Instead, it felt like completing a thorough warm-up before intense exercise, leaving his entire body perfectly primed.
At this moment, he felt an urge to find somewhere to vent the restless power roiling inside him.
After a long while, the enhancement finally came to an end. Su Ming was drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked through. But the rewards for his exertion were excellent. He could feel the Magical Power surging within him it was at least twice as potent as before.
Moreover, his physical attributes had undergone another qualitative leap, and his Magical Power recovery speed had climbed to an entirely new tier.
"And... it seems there's an unexpected harvest," Su Ming murmured.
He closed his eyes, sensing the energy rolling through his veins. He bound it, guided it, and finally released it at his fingertip.
Fwoosh!
A wisp of crimson flame flickered at his finger. Then, the flame surged higher, gradually condensing in the air into the shape of a fiery shortsword.
"Mana Burst..." Su Ming whispered the name of the skill he had just mastered.
Mana Burst wasn't actually a particularly profound skill; as the name suggested, it was simply the act of imbuing oneself or an object with Magical Power to release it.
However, mastering it required one major prerequisite: a massive mana pool. Only those with sufficient reserves could guide their Magical Power outward in such a concentrated fashion.
Currently, Su Ming undoubtedly possessed that capability. For someone with enough mana, this was essentially a passive skill. Even the System hadn't listed it as a separate ability in his status window.
What surprised Su Ming, however, was that the power he released wasn't ice, but fire.
"It looks like I've gained another trick. My proficiency with Mana Burst is still low, though. I'll have to practice."
Su Ming turned to take a shower and then headed to bed.
The next morning, while everyone was having breakfast together, a new guest arrived.
"Master! Why are you here too?!"
Ganyu stared at Cloud Retainer, who was calmly dining in the courtyard, and fell into a stunned silence. What made it even more startling was that Cloud Retainer was currently maintaining her human form.
"What? Are you all unhappy to see this immortal?" Cloud Retainer asked, looking slightly miffed.
"No, no, it's just a surprise... After the meeting that day, both you and the Conqueror of Demons left. I thought you had already returned to your Adeptus' Abode."
Cloud Retainer spoke flatly. "The truth behind the assassination of Rex Lapis has yet to be uncovered. For now, the Adepti have merely stepped back to allow the Rite of Parting to proceed. Until the matter of the assassination is brought to light, I shall remain in Liyue Harbor to keep a close eye on the Qixing."
She paused, looking back at Ganyu. "That reminds me, what are you doing here?"
Ganyu was silent for a moment before answering, "...Master, although I haven't lived here often, in name, this is my home."
"Ah... I see." Cloud Retainer's voice softened, and she went back to eating in silence.
Ganyu sighed. Fine, business first. She turned to Su Ming. "Su Ming, the Tianquan wishes to meet with you... regarding the events of yesterday."
"Yesterday?" Su Ming was startled for a moment before remembering. "Oh, you mean what happened at the foot of Mt. Tianheng?"
"So it really was you..." Ganyu said, her expression becoming complicated as she finally confirmed Ningguang's intelligence.
Hearing this, Cloud Retainer asked, "What happened?"
"It was nothing, Master," Su Ming replied. "A Fatui Harbinger wanted to pick a fight with me yesterday, so I gave him a bit of a beating. Simple as that."
Lumine and Paimon nodded in unison, bearing witness to the truth of his words.
Ganyu looked at him, speechless. "Was it really that simple? That Harbinger nearly died. The Fatui at the Northland Bank spent the entire night in emergency surgery just to get him past the critical stage. It's estimated that he'll be nursing those injuries for a long time."
Su Ming held up his hands innocently. "I specifically held back."
"Let's not talk about that for now," Ganyu continued. "Regarding Ningguang's invitation, do you accept or refuse?"
Su Ming smiled. "I accept, of course. I happen to have some specific intelligence I want to discuss with the Tianquan myself. Since she invited me, why wouldn't I go?"
Ganyu was clearly relieved. "That's good. Do you want to head out now, or set a later time?"
"Let's head out after a bit. I need to finish breakfast first," Su Ming laughed. He then turned around and barked, "Paimon! Stop eating! I haven't even had my fill yet!"
"Hehe... I didn't eat that much..." Paimon fidgeted guiltily, twiddling her fingers before floating back to her seat.
Shenhe, always blunt, added, "But more than half of the pastries I bought on the street this morning were eaten by you. Lumine, Su Ming, Master, and I the four of us combined didn't eat as much as you."
Paimon gasped, "You're slandering me! This is slander!"
Lumine giggled into her hand, teasing, "You know the truth in your heart, Paimon."
"Hmph! I'm angry now! As compensation, Lumine, I'm going to eat your entire portion!"
Lumine watched with a smile as a huffy Paimon snatched her breakfast away and began to transform her indignation into appetite, devouring the food. Lumine didn't mind; she didn't have a large appetite and was already mostly full.
Shenhe was much the same she had eaten enough to be satisfied. As for Cloud Retainer, she watched the little creature with an amused smile. As an Adeptus, she didn't actually need to eat; she only partook in delicacies as a hobby to satisfy her palate.
In the end, Su Ming and Paimon polished off the remaining breakfast together.
"Whew... Full at last. Alright, let's get going."
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