Genshin Impact : I became a Traveler?

Both of them continued their journey westward, the direction where Mondstadt City was located. However, to reach Mondstadt, they first had to pass through Whispering Forest.

In the game, Whispering Forest wasn't very large, but in reality, its actual size was enormous. Traveling on foot would take at least seven hours to cross it, while using a cart pulled by a horse would take about two hours.

During their journey toward Whispering Forest, Aether noticed several broken transport carts, uneven roads, and destroyed bridges.

'It looks like something has happened.'

'Could this be caused by Hilichurls?'

'Paimon thinks so too, since Hilichurls love to rob people.'

They continued walking for another 30 minutes and finally arrived at the entrance—or exit—of Whispering Forest. Just as they were about to enter, Aether sensed danger and immediately pulled Paimon into hiding.

Paimon was about to scream, but Aether quickly covered her mouth. With his other hand, he pointed toward the sky.

In the sky, there was a dragon with sky-blue scales and six massive wings, three on each side. The dragon was at least 70 meters long and looked incredibly powerful.

If he were at his peak, this dragon would be nothing to him. But now, he had grown weaker, and facing it would be extremely dangerous.

'That seems to be Dvalin. If Dvalin is here, then Venti should appear as well.'

'As long as things haven't changed too much from what I remember, I should take advantage of this information and the storyline.' he thought.

Since he couldn't see Dvalin's status, he could only estimate its level, which he assumed was above 85.

Moments later, Dvalin dived into the depths of Whispering Forest and disappeared from sight. Aether finally let go of Paimon's mouth.

'Whoa, that was really dangerous.'

'Paimon didn't expect that we'd encounter a dragon on our first day of traveling.'

'Yeah, and now that dragon is inside Whispering Forest. There's a chance we might run into it again while crossing the forest.'

'So, what should we do, Traveler? Should we wait until the dragon leaves?'

'No, let's keep going. Even if there's a chance we'll run into it, the odds aren't that high.'

'After all, we'll be following the path made by the people of Mondstadt. That dragon shouldn't appear on this route, right?'

'That makes sense, Traveler! Alright, let's move on!'

'Just in case, I'll use the Anemo element to speed up my movement. Paimon, hold on to me.'

'Got it, Traveler!'

Aether then closed his eyes to gather Anemo energy—though it wasn't actually necessary. He was doing this to improve his mastery of the Anemo Element using the system.

Currently, he had 20,000 Primogems. He had earned 10,000 in the past two months by completing quests.

After obtaining the Anemo element, a new menu called 'Element' appeared in his system.

The menu displayed an organizational structure, with the Light Element at the top. Below it were the seven elements: Anemo, Geo, Electro, Dendro, Hydro, Pyro, and Cryo.

Each of the seven elements had three levels of mastery: Low, Intermediate, and High. Each of these levels was further divided into smaller stages.

For example, Aether's current Anemo mastery was at Low-Level Intermediate. Once any element reached the highest level of mastery, about 14% of the Light Element would become accessible.

To upgrade from Low-Level Intermediate to Low-Level Advanced, he needed 2,000 Primogems. Advancing to the next stage required 3,000 Primogems, and so on.

Since he decided to upgrade his Anemo mastery directly to Intermediate-Level Advanced, he had to spend 14,000 Primogems, consuming 70% of his total Primogems.

And the reason he didn't upgrade to the highest level of the lower tier was that it required 10,000 Primogems to do so.

He considered this quite reasonable since this level of mastery was only achieved by the gods and their guardians.

Besides, even if he had the Primogems, he wouldn't upgrade directly to the highest level because he felt his body wouldn't be able to withstand it.

At the very least, if he wanted to reach the highest level, he had to reach level 80 first.

The Anemo element in the air then began to surge wildly into his body, further strengthening him. His level increased once again. Previously, it was like this:

[Name: Aether]

[Level: 45 (Actual: 96)]

[HP: 17,465 (Actual: 372,984)]

[Attack: 1,342 (Actual: 14,390)]

[Def: 291 (Actual: 7,360)]

[Dex: 448 (Actual: 9,351)]

[Elemental Mastery: 200 (Actual: 2,000)]

[Stamina: 230 (Actual: 10,540)]

Now, it became like this:

[Name: Aether]

[Level: 54 (Actual: 96)]

[HP: 25,521 (Actual: 372,984)]

[Attack: 1,911 (Actual: 14,390)]

[Def: 411 (Actual: 7,360)]

[Dex: 782 (Actual: 9,351)]

[Elemental Mastery: 600 (Actual: 2,000)]

[Stamina: 450 (Actual: 10,540)]

His level had increased by nine levels at once, which he felt was quite fast. But still, his level was too low because elemental mastery of this degree should require at least level 70.

Because of this, even though he now possessed Intermediate-Level Advanced elemental mastery, he couldn't use it to its full potential. If he forced himself to try, he would only be able to endure it for a short time.

'I made a mistake.'

'I thought that with the help of the system, everything would go smoothly, but I was too naive and forgot that the system applies realistic policies.'

'Which means, that mastery over an element should ideally match the Level. However, the Level doesn't necessarily have to match the mastery of the Element. It seems that from now on, I should be more careful when increasing my mastery over other Elements.'

'Now, how can I level up quickly? In games, killing monsters grants EXP. There are also EXP books that can be found in treasure chests and Ley Line Blossoms.'

'But do I really have to go on a massacre just to become stronger? Because these 'monsters' include humans like the Fatui, Treasure Hoarders, and others.'

'This really isn't my style. Even though I have no problem killing, this isn't just about killing—it's about slaughtering them.'

'As for EXP books, I'm not sure if such things even exist. But at the very least, I should try looking for them first.'

After that, Aether opened his eyes and saw Paimon, who looked extremely worried since he had not opened his eyes for a while, even though the Anemo element that had gathered earlier had already disappeared.

'Traveler, you finally opened your eyes.'

'Paimon thought something had happened to you since the Anemo element in the air had disappeared, but you still hadn't opened your eyes.'

'Sorry for making you worry, Paimon. Alright then, let's move.'

'Yes, Traveler.'

Paimon then hugged Aether's neck from behind. Anemo energy surged from Aether's feet, and a thin shield of Anemo formed in front of him.

Then, Aether stomped his foot on the ground and leaped into the air, though not too high. With each subsequent jump, he kicked off the air.

Accompanied by Paimon's continuous screams, he had been doing this for five minutes. Each jump covered a distance of 10 meters, taking about 2 seconds per jump.

After reaching the middle of the forest, Aether stopped. Not only to replenish his Anemo energy but also because he noticed someone and a dragon about 50 meters away.

'It seems we're quite lucky, Paimon.'

'Lucky?'

'Did you find treasure, Traveler?'

Thinking that they had found treasure, Paimon's eyes sparkled.

'Treasure?'

'Well, you could say that. A dragon's body contains many valuable things.'

'Huh?'

'A dragon?'

'Wait, Traveler, do you mean the treasure is a dragon?!'

'Yes, it's the dragon we saw when entering Whispering Woods.'

'Traveler, that means we're not lucky!'

'What if the dragon eats us? Ugh, Paimon doesn't taste good, you know!'

'Don't worry, Paimon. I think that dragon is quite tame. There's someone talking to it over there.'

'Huh??'

'Let's take a closer look.'

'Wait, Traveler!'

Aether and Paimon moved closer until they were only 20 meters away from Venti and Dvalin.

For two powerful beings like them, such a close distance should have been enough for them to sense Aether and Paimon's presence. However, because they were too focused, they didn't notice—just like in the original Genshin Impact story.

In the original story, Dvalin suddenly sensed the presence of the Traveler and Paimon because, at that moment, Venti was using the purest form of Anemo to communicate and establish a connection to heal Dvalin, who was poisoned.

Unknowingly, the purest Anemo energy in the air was also absorbed into the Traveler's body. Since the Traveler had only just gained the power of Anemo at that time, they couldn't control it, causing a small disturbance that broke the connection.

This led to Venti suffering a backlash that poisoned him as well, worsening Dvalin's condition.

If it had been anyone else and not Venti, who inherently had a kind personality, the Traveler's journey might have ended before it even began.

But this was Aether's story, not the Traveler's.

Right now, he had mastered Anemo far beyond the Traveler. So even though the purest Anemo energy was present in the air, unless Aether actively chose to absorb it, it would not enter his body.

'You're right, someone is communicating with that dragon,' Paimon whispered.

Unlike in the game, where Venti was just about to try communicating with Dvalin, here, Venti had already established a connection and was even in the process of healing him.

'If this continues, the Archon Quest will be over before it even starts,' Aether thought.

But as the saying goes, good things never go as planned.

Just as one of the two sharp purple thorns on Dvalin's body was about to be destroyed, the wind suddenly whispered to Aether, warning him that Venti was in danger.

At that very moment, he sensed a dark presence filled with murderous intent—not directed at him or Paimon, but at Venti, who was healing Dvalin.

At that moment, a fire attack came from the darkness.

'Watch out!'

He shouted loudly, startling Paimon beside him. However, because he was too focused, Venti did not hear his shout at all and did not see the attack.

Without hesitation, Aether condensed Anemo energy in his legs and moved as fast as he could, even faster than when he entered Whispering Woods.

His goal was to block this attack because, even though Venti would be hit, the attack itself would not be enough to kill him. But don't forget the backlash effect from his connection with Dvalin being severed—at a critical moment like this, the backlash would surely be stronger.

If the attacker took advantage of Venti's injury and killed him, it would cause great chaos, and the world would undergo a significant change.

Be it due to the death of an Archon or the Abyss Order acting more boldly because they possess a very powerful 'weapon'.

If that happened, the little information he had—useful only up until Inazuma—would become meaningless. Since he had resolved to make use of this limited information, he would not allow such a thing to happen.

By the time the fire attack was just 5 meters away from Venti, he finally realized the danger and panicked for a moment. Because, of course, whatever Aether was thinking had also crossed Venti's mind—especially since Venti knew much more than him.

Due to this brief panic, the connection with Dvalin was severed. Venti suffered a backlash and was unable to move because the poison inside Dvalin had also begun to infect him.

As for Dvalin, the poison that was about to disappear returned to his body, causing him even greater pain than before. Enraged, he wanted to attack Venti, who was right in front of him.

When the fire attack was just 3 meters away from Venti, Aether appeared in front of him. Using Anemo energy, he created a wind current right along the fire's path, causing the attack to change direction and shoot into the sky.

Not stopping there, Aether vanished again and reappeared behind Venti. He grabbed the collar of Venti's clothes, then disappeared once more, emerging 15 meters away from their original position—just in time to avoid Dvalin's attack.

A furious roar echoed as Dvalin failed to hit anyone. Then, he flapped his wings and soared into the sky, no longer paying attention to Venti.

'Ughh... Dvalin.'

'Don't be hasty, you're poisoned,' Aether said.

Then, he looked toward the place where the fire attack had originated. At this moment, he could no longer sense the darkness, and the wind had calmed once more.

Since he no longer felt any threat, he placed his palm on Venti's shoulder. His goal, of course, was to purify the poison from Venti's body—or more precisely, to absorb it.

Unlike the Traveler, who initially did not know about his own uniqueness—whether due to being sealed for too long, which resulted in vague memories, or simply because he was unaware—Aether was quite certain about his own body.

As long as it was energy, he could absorb it, and the poison infecting Venti contained Abyss energy.

The moment it entered his body, the energy immediately transformed into the purest form, devoid of any elemental attributes.

Aether instantly used this energy to increase his own level. Although it wasn't enough to make him level up, it brought him closer to reaching Level 55.

'The poison is gone…'

'Thank you for helping me. You are?'

'Aether. You can call me that.'

'Traveler, I see.'

As the two talked, Paimon approached them.

'Traveler, are you okay?'

'Of course, Paimon.'

'Thank goodness.'

'I was really shocked when you shouted. Then you suddenly disappeared, reappeared, and disappeared again.'

'Did it look cool?'

'Yes! It was really cool, Traveler!'

'Ahem... Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but could you tell me how you did that?'

'Ah, the one who speaks with the Dragon.'

'Hello, little creature. My name is Venti.'

'Paimon is not a little creature! Paimon is Paimon!'

'Alright, I'll remember that, Paimon.'

'So, Traveler, can you tell me how you did it?'

'You want to purify the poison from that Dragon's body?'

'Yes, that dragon's name is Dvalin. He is my friend. He has been infected by that dangerous poison for a long time, and every day he suffers immense pain.'

Venti then began explaining how Dvalin got infected by the poison and the battle against Durin.

'I feel sorry for him, but the way I removed the poison from your body isn't something that can be easily learned. You could say… I'm special.'

'Huft… I see. That's really unfortunate,' he said, disappointed.

'Hey Traveler, how about we help him?'

'That dragon, Dvalin, is in such a pitiful state.'

Just as Paimon said that, the Quest screen suddenly appeared. Aether glanced at Paimon with a strange look for a moment.

'Yeah, I don't mind. Besides, making an Archon owe me a favor is a good thing.'

Of course, he didn't say that last part out loud, but instead, he whispered it, letting the wind carry his words to Venti—or rather, Barbatos.

'Heh, of course, you know,' Venti responded while scratching his cheek.

He wasn't surprised that Aether knew his true identity because he could sense Aether's mastery over the Anemo element.

It had been a long time since he last saw someone with such a high level of control— even the current Acting Grand Master was slightly below Aether.

He also noticed a certain incompatibility between Aether's body and his elemental mastery. Though he found it strange, he didn't think too much about it. Perhaps it was just a unique trait of an "outsider."

And how did he know this? Of course, the wind had told him.

'Know what?' Paimon asked.

Aether just smiled and didn't answer Paimon. Instead, he turned to Venti with a question.

'So, how are we going to do this?'

'Let me think for a moment about how to lure Dvalin out.'

'Hey, look over there,' Paimon suddenly said, pointing to where Dvalin had stood earlier.

Aether and Venti turned their gazes toward where Paimon was pointing. There, they saw a red crystal radiating an unpleasant aura.

The three of them walked closer to the red crystal, and as soon as he got a good look at it, Venti immediately recognized what it was.

'This is one of Dvalin's tears. Traveler, keep this with you. But can you purify it?'

'I want to confirm something.'

'Alright, no problem.'

Aether then held the red crystal. Instantly, the crystal, which had been radiating a disturbing aura, transformed into a clear crystal, emitting pure Anemo energy.

And with that, Aether was just a little closer to reaching Level 55.

'Is this the true appearance of Dvalin's Tear?'

'It's beautiful,' Paimon said.

'Just as I thought. Traveler, I've figured out how to lure Dvalin out.'

'As I said earlier, keep this with you—or, if you'd like, you can absorb the purest Anemo energy inside it, Traveler.'

'I think I'll just keep it as a memento.'

'And do you know who attacked you just now?'

'Yes, it seems to have been an Abyss Mage.'

'Abyss Mage?' Paimon asked.

'The Abyss Mage is a member of a terrorist organization, and that organization is called the Abyss Order.'

'Why did they attack you?'

'It seems they don't want me to heal Dvalin, and it looks like the recent chaos is also their doing.'

'Traveler and Paimon, I will investigate this matter first and also search for Dvalin's Tear Crystals in the places he has visited.'

'Then, do you want to go together?'

'No, you should go ahead. Once I'm done, I'll find you in Mondstadt.'

'Alright.'

'Be careful, Venti.'

'Yeah. Well then, I'll be off first, Traveler, Paimon.'

After saying that, Venti disappeared using his Anemo power.

'Do all Anemo users vanish like that, Traveler?'

'Not really. That's a high-level technique, Paimon.'

'He can use the high-level technique you mentioned, and he's also friends with a Dragon.'

'It seems Venti isn't just an ordinary person. You think so too, right, Traveler?'

'You still haven't figured it out, Paimon?'

'Figured out what, Traveler?'

'Have you realized who Venti really is?'

'Of course.'

'Who is he, Traveler?'

'I won't tell you, Paimon. Try to figure it out on your own first. If you give up, then I'll answer.'

'Traveler, you're so mean!'

'If you guess correctly, I'll cook five extra grilled fish for you, Paimon.'

'Deal!'