Chapter 102: Tricking You

"Defeat... the Raiden Shogun?" Lumine widened her eyes, and Paimon immediately hid behind her. Lumine wasn't actually afraid to fight the Raiden Shogun, but... just because she's not afraid doesn't mean she can win, right? You already think you're no match for the Raiden Shogun, so what makes you think adding me would change that? What's the point of numbers? If we're talking numbers, this is Inazuma, her territory. She's the one who can leverage numbers the most! "If we want to bring change to Inazuma, we must first change the Raiden Shogun's will. And to change her will, we must make her listen to us. To make her listen, we must first defeat her." Ye turned around and started walking again. "I know you might not have much desire to change Inazuma right now and just want to meet the Raiden Shogun. But I actually understand you quite well. You'll change your mind in the future, so there's no need to rush to give me an answer now." "But even if we want to defeat the Raiden Shogun, do we have the strength? She's a god!" Paimon waved her hands. "The ancient god Osial was already despair-inducing, let alone the Raiden Shogun, one of the Seven Archons. With just us... oh no, with just the two of you, can you really win against the Raiden Shogun?" "With just the two of us, naturally not. But if we gather the power of a hundred, then we stand a chance." "A hundred? Not even ten thousand or a hundred thousand people could do it!" "What if it's a hundred Vision holders?" "Ah...? This..." Paimon stammered, unsure of what to say. "Only when a person's wish is strong enough to reach the heavens will the gods grant them the power of a Vision. The sheer willpower, so strong that even the gods take notice, is the main reason why Vision holders are called Allogenes." Ye spoke calmly: "If a hundred Allogenes unite their wills towards a single wish, that power could bridge the vast gap between gods and humans." Even if just two Visions resonate with a single wish and work together, it's enough to block a single strike from a god—though only one strike... but what about a hundred Visions? Never underestimate the willpower of an Allogene. The terrifying willpower that can reach the heavens and make the gods take notice has already been proven by the Tianquan of Liyue. Not every Vision's willpower can compare to Kazuha's, but this isn't just one or two Visions—it's a hundred. This willpower is truly enough to bridge the gap between gods and humans. But—the prerequisite is that the one wielding this power is the Traveler. Ordinary mortals cannot withstand such immense power. Even if they could, they wouldn't be able to control and utilize it in a short time without extensive training. But this power is destined to be fleeting, quickly exhausted. Like Kazuha, who used up the willpower of two Visions just to block a single strike from the Raiden Shogun. So if we can't defeat Ei in that brief moment, there won't be a second chance. —Even this one chance must factor in Ei's wavering. The willpower of Inazuma's people will shake Ei's resolve, making her unable to wield her blade with unwavering determination. Otherwise, her millennia of accumulated willpower from Inazuma's people wouldn't lose to the willpower of a mere hundred Allogenes. Willpower is a force that accumulates and is consumed through use. It cannot recover on its own and must be rebuilt after being used. Even gods generally don't lightly use their accumulated willpower—it's their trump card. And with her resolve shaken, Ei will hesitate to use the power she's accumulated over millennia through the willpower of her people. Combined with the willpower of a hundred Visions—only with all these factors can there be a possibility of defeating her. But it's still just a possibility. Again, the willpower of a hundred Visions isn't something just anyone can wield. Otherwise, Yae Miko would have done it herself long ago. Why would she need the Traveler? Only the Traveler can withstand such power and perfectly utilize it even when their strength suddenly increases, without losing control and exposing greater weaknesses in battle. But of course, Ye didn't say any of this, because Kazuha hasn't blocked that strike yet. Right now, Kazuha is still just "little Sucrose." Not to mention his story highlights, even in terms of mechanics, no one has realized his unparalleled strength—never leaving the team, wanted in every comp, wishing he could be split into ten. "That's easy to say, but where are we going to find a hundred Vision holders? Unless we gather every Allogene in Inazuma, we'd never get a hundred Visions, right?" Ye didn't respond to Paimon's words. Instead, he stopped again and pointed downward: "Found him. Traveler, go ahead and ask him. Like I said, there's no rush to give me an answer. You have plenty of time to find an answer in Inazuma that aligns with your wishes. And if you're willing to help me, I'll tell you how to defeat the Raiden Shogun—because to defeat her, we'll have to face more than just her." Lumine wasn't fooled: "Why should I go first?" "Because you're so beautiful and cute, it'll make people let their guard down." "You think a few compliments will make me do your bidding?" "A gentle, kind, beautiful, cute, sweet-voiced, and well-proportioned girl like you—anyone who sees you will fall in love at first sight. For you, this task is a piece of cake!" "Hmph, you're right." Lumine put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. "—Wait a minute!" Elysia paused the game and pondered: "Did the Supreme Bishop just confess and propose to me? Should I accept?" "Go to sleep, dreams are free." "It's still daytime, why are you dreaming already?" "Self-awareness is a virtue, Elysia." "Wake up, wake up, the house is on fire and you're still sleeping?" "Hmph." Elysia hmphed, pretending not to see the comments. Faced with her attitude, the comments only grew more heated. "Elysia, why didn't you voice Venti?" "True, Elysia and Venti would definitely get along." "Both experts at acting cute to get their way, right?" "Hmph." Elysia hmphed again, then smiled sweetly: "I'm a bit curious now—if I use Aether for this part of the story, how would the Supreme Bishop praise him? Don't worry, let's try it." Elysia logged out, quickly switched to her alt account, and replayed the scene with Aether as the protagonist. Fortunately, the story hadn't progressed far, and Elysia was great at chatting, plus she was beautiful to look at, so the viewers didn't mind. They accompanied her as she replayed the scene and saw how the Supreme Bishop praised Aether. Aether: "Why should I go first?" Supreme Bishop: "Because you look so harmless, people will naturally feel close to you." "...Are you complimenting me?" "No doubt about it, I'm complimenting you. If you don't believe me, go try it." "...Fine, I was planning to go anyway." "Hey, the difference between male and female is too big!" Elysia stood up for Aether: "Couldn't you at least make it bigger? You should've complimented me at least a hundred times to pass. Kiana really doesn't understand a girl's heart!" Grumbling like this, Elysia logged back into Lumine's account. "666, the gender difference is too big!" "No, the difference isn't big enough, go harder!" "Kiana: Sorry, I'm not a girl." "By the way, when the Supreme Bishop said it's not just the Raiden Shogun, he meant Sen'emon, right?" "Yeah, Sen'emon is truly amazing, a mortal who rivals a god!" "Anyway, I just want to know when she's coming to the gacha." "Ayaka's banner just dropped, and you're already eyeing the next one?" "Ayaka is my love, Sen'emon is my love, the Supreme Bishop is my love—why not have all three?" "Do it, do it! Only kids make choices, adults take them all!" "Kids have to choose because they don't have money!!" "If I could whale ten 648s, I'd take them all too!" "If I remember correctly, didn't you just give Elysia a 'Skyward Star'?" "Yeah, and that's why I'm broke now!" "666666" The viewers' banter didn't distract Elysia. She quickly controlled Themis to fly to the target and entered the dialogue. Wagner: "Huh? A new face? Are you new here?" "That's right, I just arrived on the island." "I'm the local boss of Ritou, and you don't even know me?" Looking at the two dialogue options on the screen, Elysia didn't hesitate and chose the first one. "Choosing the second one would definitely lead to an awkward situation. A cute girl like me shouldn't seek out awkwardness." "If you really want to see an awkward scene, I'll switch to Aether later and let big brother handle it." "Aether: Thank you so much!" "Aether: What's the point of having a sister like this?" "Aether: 160 Primogems, I'm selling this sister. Anyone want her?" "I'll buy her! I'll pay ten times the price, let's settle it now." Elysia hmphed again, acting cute to dodge the comments, then clicked the first option. Wagner: "So, what do you want from me?" Lumine: "About your supply..." Wagner: "Go away, do you understand the rules? If I tell you my supply routes, how am I supposed to do business?" Wagner: "Trade secrets, understand? Trade secrets!" Paimon couldn't help but shrug at Lumine: "This guy's attitude is terrible..." Lumine didn't give up immediately: "About the price... can you lower it?" "You're asking about the price before even buying?" Wagner frowned, then suddenly understood: "Oh~, I get it. Did Kurisu and his gang send you to plead for them? Hah, they have no say in this. The price stays the same." Paimon complained: "How can you be like this?" Wagner shooed them away: "Go on, tell Kurisu and the others they should be grateful they can even buy from me. Without me, they wouldn't even be able to pay their taxes." Paimon looked helplessly at Lumine: "What do we do? There's no reasoning with him." Lumine didn't speak but slightly turned her head to look in the direction she came from. Sure enough, she saw the Supreme Bishop walking over. (I took the lead, and now he's aware of the situation. I wonder how he'll solve this problem.) As Lumine thought this, Wagner also noticed the new arrival and frowned again: "Why is it so busy today? Another one looking for me?" Ye walked up to Wagner and nodded slightly in greeting: "May the Anemo Archon guide you." "Uh... uh..." Wagner opened his mouth, seemingly unsure how to respond. After a while, he managed to squeeze out a similar phrase: "May the Anemo Archon protect you, stranger. What brings you here?" "Following the wind's guidance." Ye looked at him with calm eyes and spoke in an equally calm voice: "It is the wind that led me here, to guide a lost child of Mondstadt back to the right path."