Inside the Sanctuary of Surasthana...
"How could this be... Why is it there..."
After discovering the location of the fake god, Nahida paced restlessly within the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
"Nahida."
As she wandered, a voice suddenly called out from behind her.
Nahida turned, her small hands covering her mouth in surprise.
"You are... Lumine's sister? How do you know my name?"
Lumine nodded in affirmation.
"The Anemo Archon told me. The situation is urgent, please listen to my explanation first."
Lumine quickly recounted the events of the past period to Nahida...
"You're saying... Lumine went alone to the island of Muskeet Reef for her friend?!"
"Yes, I wanted to rush there directly, but..."
At this point, Lumine paused for a moment before continuing.
"But I was afraid that if I went unprepared, I would fall into the Doctor's trap again, and I feared I would only hold Lumine back..."
"So, I went to Mondstadt halfway and told the Anemo Archon about it. He told me your name, told me what Lumine did to save you, and asked me to find you."
Having finished, Lumine lowered her head and said in a pleading tone,
"Please, help me. I need your help."
Nahida quickly shook her small hands in a flustered manner.
"No, no, no! Don't do that, Lumine's sister. I am not an unfeeling god. To me, she is the hero who saved me, so it's impossible for me to stand by and do nothing."
After comforting Lumine, whose confidence had been significantly impacted, Nahida then informed her of what she knew.
"On Muskeet Reef, there is a portal leading to a space that does not belong to Teyvat. It is... something left behind by that Heavenly Principles."
"Originally, that island should have been hidden by the Anemo Archon who told you my name, and the Fatui shouldn't have been able to find it."
"If I am not mistaken, the reason the Doctor was able to find that place is likely because of me, whose knowledge he has been trying to steal all these years..."
Hearing this familiar name again, Lumine unconsciously clenched her fist.
Doctor, Doctor, always the Doctor... That scoundrel...
I will definitely kill him and all his clones...
Knowing that Lumine was extremely worried about her sister's safety, Nahida stopped speaking and walked directly up to her.
"Let's head there first. I will tell you all the important matters on the way."
Lumine nodded in understanding and immediately took Nahida and Paimon with her as they sped towards Muskeet Reef.
On the island...
[4893/5000]
Looking at the numbers displayed on the screen, the Doctor nodded thoughtfully and murmured,
"It seems she has found a good way to restore her Elemental Power... I have to admit, I would never understand or attempt this kind of tightrope walk."
I never expected to be exploited by someone else...
A hint of gloom appeared on the Doctor's face, but it quickly turned back into a smile.
"Hehehe... Interesting. It was worth preparing so many challenges for you."
The show, has far from begun...
[Hah!]
With Lumine's sword strike, the last Hilichurl finally fell to the ground.
"Hoo... Hoo..."
Lumine wiped the sweat from her forehead, a look of exhaustion on her face as her body uncontrollably sank to the ground, panting.
Since entering this portal, she had been fighting continuously for nearly ten hours. If not for having gone through countless unimaginable experiences, she would have collapsed long ago.
Shaking her head, Lumine forced herself to stand up and walked towards the portal to the next level, not wanting to rest any longer.
After all, even if she wanted to rest, that scoundrel wouldn't let her have her way.
"Wow~ Congratulations, sister, you've passed another stage~"
As soon as she stepped onto the third level, Lumine heard that familiar, exaggerated voice.
Looking at the young Doctor who seemed very happy, a flicker of disgust flashed in Lumine's eyes. If Paimon wasn't in his hands, she would have killed him on the spot.
Seeing that Lumine did not respond, the young Doctor did not get angry and continued to wave to her with a smile.
"See you on the fourth level, sister~"
After watching him leave, Lumine looked up again at the screen in the sky.
[0/2000]
Heh... The numbers have decreased. There were Hilichurls, and there were also Hilichurl Brutes. If I'm not mistaken, then next should be...
[ROAR--!!]
With a roar that pierced the heavens, the sky above Lumine instantly darkened.
Lumine looked up and saw several Ruin Guards descending rapidly. She immediately looked up, conjured a super-large Anemo Vortex Sword, and watched them charge into it.
[BOOM--!!]
After a fierce explosion, dozens of Ruin Guards were flung away, crashing heavily onto the ground and dissipating into dust.
Lumine shook her wrist, which was already starting to ache, and said with some emotion,
"As expected of Ruin Guards. The energy required to defeat them in one go is more than double that of the Hilichurl Brutes."
Fortunately, her Elemental Power had been almost completely restored in the previous level, otherwise, she would have been in big trouble.
[Bang! Bang! Bang!]
Lumine easily dodged the heavy punches that lunged at her. In a way, their threat was even less than the Hilichurl Brutes from the previous level. After all, for her, they were all a downgrade, except for being more durable.
As a result, the time taken to clear this level was significantly less than the previous two.
Watching Lumine's increasingly skilled response on the screen, the Doctor no longer showed surprise, but instead a playful expression.
"Hehehe... If she can find a way to deal with them, then the later levels shouldn't be able to stop her."
Saying this, the Doctor looked thoughtfully at the ocean behind him.
"It seems our audience is a little impatient..."
"Very well, let them enjoy the prelude to the main event a little earlier. It's in line with my magnanimity..."
More than ten hours later...
Ruin Guard
[2000/2000]
Ruin Hunter
[2000/2000]
Abyss Lector
[2000/2000]
Geovishap Hatchling
[893/1000]
The high-intensity combat that lasted for over a day had pushed Lumine's body to its limit.
At this moment, her face was filled with exhaustion and extreme disarray. Her clothes were tattered, her hair was messy, and even her cute face was crisscrossed with bloody marks.