A massive meteor-like astral body hurtled down, nearly blotting out Childe’s entire field of vision.
Instinctively, Childe prepared to unleash his strength to shatter the falling celestial mass looming above him.
Meanwhile, in a small gap created by Lumine, Paimon and Jia Changjiang had just managed to take shelter.
Jia Changjiang questioned, “So, after all this effort, you’re just planning to crush Childe to death?”
“Who said that?” Lumine responded confidently. “The astral body I created… it explodes after being destroyed!”
Outside, Childe readied his attack. His polearm, infused with both Electro and Hydro energy, surged with elemental power. With a powerful thrust, he sent the spear hurtling toward the enormous celestial body above.
Under the augmentation of his Foul Legacy: Raging Tide, the spear’s tip tore through the front of the falling astral mass effortlessly, its piercing power seemingly unstoppable.
The ease of the act left Childe momentarily stunned.
He had expected something more formidable from the intricate ploy that Jia Changjiang and Lumine had put so much effort into.
Why was it destroyed so easily?
But before Childe could fully process the situation—
Boom!
The massive astral body exploded.
A surge of Geo energy erupted from the shattered celestial body, blasting Childe back to the ground.
As Childe hit the ground, he was subjected to the second wave of impact from the astral explosion, the rippling Geo energy washing over him.
“Ugh!”
The dual strikes were enough to inflict significant damage, even on Childe clad in his Foul Legacy armor.
The powerful explosion of Geo energy caused the entirety of the Golden House—the only mint in all of Teyvat—to quake.
When Jia Changjiang, Lumine, and Paimon emerged from their small shelter, they were greeted by the sight of the utterly devastated Golden House.
“What incredible power… Traveler, what exactly did you do?” Paimon murmured, staring at the aftermath of the explosion in awe. “That blast… Do you think Childe could’ve survived it?”
“I didn’t do much… I just got really mad and thought I shouldn’t let this slide,” Lumine muttered vaguely, scratching her head. “And then one thing led to another… I didn’t think I’d actually manage to create something that big.”
“So… where is Childe now?”
Paimon’s curiosity piqued. “Could it be… the Traveler really blew him away?”
“Should we look for him?” Jia Changjiang suggested, still a bit stunned himself.
To be fair, he hadn’t expected Lumine to suddenly conjure something as massive as the astral body.
Initially, he had assumed she was preparing a strong attack.
But when he glanced up, the entire ceiling had been replaced by a celestial behemoth…
Mid-battle, Lumine had created a massive bomb out of nowhere. Jia Changjiang found himself at a loss for words.
As Lumine and Jia Changjiang debated their next steps, the rubble at the center of the Golden House began to stir.
“Huh?” Lumine immediately unsheathed her one-handed sword, pointing it toward the shifting debris. “That guy’s still moving?”
“Should we hit him again?” Lumine suggested, already gathering her elemental energy.
“Wait.” Jia Changjiang stopped her. “If he survived that, your next attack will probably do even less.”
“But…” Lumine grumbled, reluctant to hold back.
From the rubble, Childe, still clad in his Foul Legacy armor, began to rise.
He locked eyes with Jia Changjiang and Lumine, but the dark, ominous armor covering his body slowly started to dissipate.
“Huh? Why is he reverting to his normal form?”
Childe looked at Jia Changjiang and Lumine. “It seems… it’s time to calm down.”
“You’re not going to keep fighting us?” Jia Changjiang asked, noting Childe’s injuries but also his unwavering spirit.
“There’s no point in continuing.” Childe met their gaze. “The burden of the Foul Legacy is immense, making it hard to think clearly… Besides, it’s clear you don’t have the Gnosis.”
Even if Lumine were to obtain the Gnosis, it would be useless to her. And Jia Changjiang? He was the type who would probably hand it over to the Fatui on his own—truly an enigma.
“And now you realize we don’t have it?! Too late!!” Lumine angrily rolled up her sleeves, ready to fight again, but Jia Changjiang grabbed her by the collar to hold her back. All she could do was glare at Childe with a threatening expression.
“Do you still want to fight?” Jia Changjiang asked calmly. “I’m ready anytime.”
“My mission is not yet complete,” Childe said, his tone resolute. “If the Gnosis hasn’t been taken… then perhaps it was never within the Exuvia to begin with.”
“Or perhaps the Exuvia itself was nothing but a diversion?”
Childe’s statement caught Lumine off guard. “What do you mean? Does that mean Rex Lapis isn’t dead?”
Reflecting aloud, Childe continued, “Looking back… it seems you knew all along that the Gnosis wasn’t inside the Exuvia. You even provoked me afterward.” His gaze rested on Jia Changjiang. “It’s clear you knew the truth—or at least part of it—for some time. How did you keep it hidden for so long?”
Jia Changjiang’s expression remained serene. “That’s simply part of my contract with the God of Geo.”
“What?!” Lumine and Paimon turned to him in shock.
Lumine looked bewildered. “When did you even meet the Geo Archon?”
“When did the Geo Archon contact you?” Childe mused aloud. “Was it at Jueyun Karst? In Liyue? Or through the Qixing?”
Jia Changjiang’s face twitched slightly.
If it weren’t for his contract with Zhongli, he would’ve blurted out that it was Childe himself who had introduced them…
“As expected of the guardian deity of the commercial hub. He’s well-versed in underhanded methods beyond the scope of contracts. In that case, I’ll have to resort to my contingency plan.”
“Contingency plan?” Paimon asked, confused.
“I didn’t want to resort to this,” Childe admitted, his tone darkening. “It will affect the innocent… but if I want to force Morax out, I have no choice.”
Childe turned to Jia Changjiang and Lumine. “In the end, this world belongs to those of us who strive for strength. As for the weak and unremarkable… I usually don’t concern myself with them. But as a Harbinger, I can’t afford to be selective about my methods.”
“It’s like teaching a child to eat their vegetables, even if they hate them.”
“What are you planning?!” Lumine demanded, her sword raised as she prepared to strike.
“I will awaken the demon god Osial, Overlord of the Vortex, who slumbers beneath Guyun Stone Forest,” Childe declared as countless talismans of Delusion began to manifest around him.
“If the demon god once sealed by Morax is unleashed, surely the so-called Rex Lapis, who tricked us all, won’t be able to sit idly by!”
“Stop!” Realizing his intent, Lumine lunged forward, determined to stop him.
—
This is a fan translation of 武器大师在原神绝不死于徒手 by 徐人双 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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