Under the night sky, Luo Qing and Charlotte sat around a campfire.
The rhythmic crashing of waves on the shore blended with the crackling of the flames, creating an oddly tranquil atmosphere.
In the distance, faint glimmers of deep purple light emanated from the mountains where Erinas’ remains lay buried.
“Have you seen those before?” Luo Qing asked, pointing toward one of the glowing patches.
Near the source of the light, strange spherical creatures floated aimlessly. They didn’t appear particularly dangerous.
“Those…”
Charlotte followed his gaze.
“Mr. Luo Qing, those are Riftspawn… ancient Abyssal creatures that have been appearing in Fontaine for a long time.”
“Riftspawn…”
Luo Qing repeated the name under his breath.
The Fatui’s records had mentioned them before, but as he rarely undertook missions in Fontaine, it had slipped his mind.
“There sure are a lot of them here,” he observed, scanning the other glowing areas.
Nearly every light source revealed more Riftspawn. In some places marked with strange runes, even Abyssal Wolves could be seen prowling.
“Is this because of Erinas’ corpse?” Luo Qing mused.
His gaze shifted to the sea and the massive dragon skull that jutted from the waters near Fontaine’s capital.
Larger than Orobashi’s remains, the skull seemed eerily lifelike despite its death long ago. It gave the impression that it could awaken at any moment.
“Let’s check it out tomorrow,” Luo Qing decided.
The vitality of Abyssal beings was beyond comprehension. If Erinas truly originated from the Abyss, it was unlikely to have completely perished. Somewhere within its massive body, there might still be remnants of consciousness—or perhaps another form of life entirely.
Having made up his mind, Luo Qing nodded to himself. He settled back by the fire, waiting for Charlotte to finish her soup before they turned in for the night.
But before they could rest, a strange, guttural voice broke the quiet.
Both turned toward the source, finding a lone Hilichurl perched atop a nearby tent.
This one was different from the others. Its build was somewhere between a Mitachurl and a regular Hilichurl, and instead of a club or axe, it wielded a custom-made scythe.
“Well, this is unexpected—a Hilichurl Ranger,” Luo Qing remarked with a smirk.
The Fatui records had mentioned these rare Hilichurls. Unlike their primitive kin, Rangers possessed higher intelligence and could sometimes even speak the common tongue of Teyvat. They were solitary by nature and rarely seen.
“Mr. Luo Qing…”
Charlotte’s voice trembled slightly. She was no stranger to danger, but her combat abilities were limited despite her Cryo Vision. The sudden appearance of this strange Hilichurl unnerved her.
“It’s fine, don’t worry,” Luo Qing reassured her with a casual wave.
“You… killed them…”
The Hilichurl Ranger’s voice was calm, its tone eerily reminiscent of a native Fontainian.
“Indeed,” Luo Qing replied, rising to his feet and walking to the base of the tent. He tilted his head up to meet the Hilichurl’s gaze.
“Are you here to avenge them?”
“…”
The Hilichurl Ranger remained silent for a moment before its scythe glowed faintly green.
With a swift motion, it unleashed several wind blades at Luo Qing.
But Luo Qing didn’t even flinch. With a simple wave of his hand, he dissipated the blades as if they were mere wisps of air.
“Still capable of using elemental power, huh…” Luo Qing mused, a hint of amusement in his tone.
“Interesting. You might just make for a good informant.”
If this Hilichurl was willing to avenge its kin, it was likely one of the cursed Khaenri’ahns who had survived the nation’s fall. That meant it could know something about the past five centuries—valuable knowledge worth extracting.
The Hilichurl, realizing its attack had failed, tensed and leapt to another tent. From its new perch, it sent another volley of wind blades at Luo Qing.
But the result was the same. Luo Qing dismissed the attack effortlessly, his expression unchanging.
“Using elemental power without a Vision… Not bad, but your control is lacking,” Luo Qing remarked, shaking his head.
To an ordinary person, the wind blades might have been lethal. But against someone like him, with the physique of a higher god, they were laughably weak.
“…”
The Hilichurl Ranger hesitated briefly before deciding to retreat.
Realizing it couldn’t harm Luo Qing, it turned and fled, leaping from tree to tree with the aid of wind currents. Within moments, it had put considerable distance between them.
But just as it thought it was safe, a familiar voice echoed in its ears.
“Did you really think you could escape me?”
The Hilichurl froze, dread sinking in.
Turning, it saw Luo Qing standing directly in its path, his golden, dragon-like eyes glowing in the darkness.
Before it could react, Luo Qing’s hand shot out, gripping its throat and lifting it off the ground.
“You think you can come and go as you please?” Luo Qing sneered. “What do you think you are—my wife?”
“…”
Though it couldn’t fully understand his words, the Hilichurl felt an inexplicable sense of humiliation.
It struggled desperately, but Luo Qing’s grip was unyielding, as though its neck was caught in a steel vice.
“Stop squirming,” Luo Qing warned, his voice laced with impatience. “Unless you want me to snap your neck right now.”
“…”
The Hilichurl Ranger went still.
Its instincts told it that this human was utterly indifferent to its life. Whatever had spared it so far was mere chance.
“What do you want…” the Hilichurl growled. “You’ve already killed them…”
“Consider it mercy,” Luo Qing replied coldly. “Compared to being trapped in those cursed shells, wouldn’t returning to the cycle of reincarnation be kinder?”
He tightened his grip slightly, narrowing his eyes.
“But you… you’re different, aren’t you?”
Luo Qing’s piercing gaze seemed to see right through it.
“I have some questions. Answer them, and I’ll let you go. Refuse, and you’ll join them in death.”
“…”
“You think I’ll comply?” the Hilichurl spat.
“Of course,” Luo Qing said with a chilling smile. “You’re not like the rest of them, are you?”
“…”
“Foolish human!”
The Hilichurl suddenly broke free, lashing out with newfound strength. It attempted to flee again, but before it could make it far, Luo Qing appeared in its path once more.
A swift kick sent it flying into a nearby rock wall, where it crumpled to the ground.
“I don’t have time for games,” Luo Qing muttered, approaching the Hilichurl.
As he raised his hand, intending to strike again, a frantic voice called out behind him.
“Luo Qing, stop immediately!”
—
This is a fan translation of 原神：这个见习执行官太屑了 by 何一乐. 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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