Genshin Impact: I'm a Slime

"At this moment, this cup of wine with friends is the most precious...!"

Venti, who was drinking at the Angel's Share tavern, suddenly felt an immense and terrifying surge of Pyro energy erupt to the north of Mondstadt.

"Huh? Did that old lady from Natlan come?"

Venti shook his head, but his chest suddenly ached, as if something very important had been shattered.

"Whatever! Let's drink!"

Beside Venti sat a bard dressed in dark green clothes, already thoroughly drunk.

"Here, drink!"

Taking the wine handed to him by Six-Fingered José, Venti didn't think too much about it. Even if that old lady from Natlan had come, it was a matter between the old gods and the new rulers. What did it have to do with him, Barbatos?

Meanwhile, at Starfell Lake, Klee stared in shock at the completely transformed landscape of the lake's central island.

The entire island, along with Barbatos's Statue of the Seven, had been utterly obliterated by Famas's attack. The water around the lake surged, filling the massive crater Famas had just created.

The explosion was louder than anything Klee had ever heard, deafening and earth-shaking. The resulting waves drenched Klee's freshly dried clothes once again.

Looking at the churning lake, Famas felt a sense of release, as if years of pent-up frustration had finally been let out.

After dismissing the fiery generals formed from his Pyro energy, Famas turned his gaze to the far side of the lake. There, floating face-down in the water, was a girl with blue hair, wearing a brown-yellow qipao, her figure slender and graceful. She seemed to have been knocked unconscious by Famas's attack.

"Brother Famas, look! There's someone in the water!"

Klee pointed excitedly at the girl in the middle of Starfell Lake. "Is she catching fish too?"

"No, Klee, she's probably drowning."

Famas realized that his attack had likely knocked out this poor girl who had been fishing.

"Her outfit looks like she's from Liyue, doesn't it?"

Klee and Famas rushed to the lakeside. A wave of Pyro energy carried Famas across the water toward the motionless girl.

With a cool demeanor, Famas used the blunt end of his spear to lift the drowning girl and toss her onto the shore.

"Heave-ho... I'll catch her!"

The petite Klee immediately ran to the landing spot, ready to catch the blue-haired girl Famas had thrown.

"Wait, Klee, be careful!"

Seeing the falling figure approaching Klee, Famas knew that despite Klee's explosive abilities, she was still just a child. There was always a risk of her getting hurt.

"Sigh."

Famas sighed and, just before the girl could crash into Klee, teleported to her side and caught the girl.

"Liyue's master chef, Xiangling?"

Famas laid the soaked, Liyue-dressed girl on the soft grass.

With her deep blue hair, a crimson spear, and a Pyro Vision hanging at her waist, there was no mistaking her identity.

"Is this a gift from Celestia?"

Looking at the Vision on Xiangling's waist, Famas almost couldn't suppress a smile. He had been wondering how to get his hands on Klee's Vision, and now one had practically fallen into his lap.

"Ahem, let's save her first."

Although he knew that Vision bearers were blessed by the gods and wouldn't die easily, Famas, out of a sense of humanitarianism, knelt beside Xiangling and immediately began performing CPR.

"I didn't notice before, but Xiangling is quite... well-endowed..."

"Pfft..."

Klee, supporting Xiangling, watched as Famas's repeated compressions finally made Xiangling spit out a mouthful of water, followed by continuous retching. Klee helped the still-dazed Xiangling sit up, patting her back with her small hands.

"She's awake!"

Klee happily leaned in close to Xiangling, examining her face with curiosity.

While Xiangling was still in a daze, Famas quietly reached for the Vision on her waist, intending to take it.

Suddenly, a round, fluffy creature popped out from Xiangling's waist and bit Famas's finger.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!"

Caught off guard, Famas yelped and raised his hand.

Hanging from his palm was a small, earthy-brown bear with dark brown paws and matching patterns on its back.

"Guoba! You can't bite our savior!"

Xiangling, now fully awake, quickly realized that these two Mondstadters had saved her.

Grabbing Guoba by his round little tail, she pulled him off Famas's hand and struggled to sit up. With an apologetic expression, she said, "Thank you for saving me. Is the bite okay? I know some first aid and can help treat it."

"No, it's fine."

Famas hid his hand behind his back, his mouth twitching as he glared at Guoba, who was now hiding behind Xiangling. The little bear stared back at Famas with its dark-ringed eyes, as if mocking his attempt to steal Xiangling's Vision.

"Guoba isn't usually like this. He must have swallowed some water when we fell into the lake."

Regaining her composure, Xiangling held up Guoba and pinched his chubby cheeks.

"Come on, apologize to them, Guoba!"

"Mm-hmm!"

Guoba turned his head away, refusing to even look at Famas.

"You little rascal, you're quite bold..."

With Klee by his side, Famas smiled and waved his hand, pretending it was nothing. Although he had made the first move, Famas quietly noted this little bear in his mental blacklist.

"After all that, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Xiangling, from Liyue Harbor. And you two?"

Xiangling stood up from the grass, seemingly unaffected by her near-drowning experience.

"I'm Famas, and this is Klee. We're both residents of Mondstadt."

Famas replied.

Klee looked up at Xiangling. "Sister Xiangling, why were you in the lake? Were you also blowing up fish?"

"No, Klee, but I was indeed catching fish..."

Xiangling frowned. "I heard that Mondstadt has a creature called the Dragon of the East. If I could catch it, I could make an amazing dish!"

As if imagining the delicious meal, Xiangling's eyes lit up, and she licked her lips.

"So I came here and found some legendary Golden Loach in the lake. I was just diving in when..."

Xiangling turned and pointed at the now-devastated Starfell Lake.

"Wait! Where's the island?! And the Statue of the Seven?"

Facing away from the lake, Xiangling finally noticed that the scenery behind her had completely changed.

The once-gleaming Statue of the Seven was now shattered into tiny pieces, some sinking into the lake, while others were nowhere to be seen. The entire central island was gone, and the once-clear blue water was now murky, with intense Pyro energy lingering in the air.

"What... happened?"

Xiangling's jaw dropped as she took in the scene of devastation.

"Klee knows! It was Brother Famas—"

Smack.

Klee raised her hand, eager to explain, but Famas quickly covered her mouth and pinched her chubby cheeks, squeezing them tightly.

Xiangling looked at the two with confusion.

"Well, we also felt the battle here and came to investigate."

Famas gave Xiangling an innocent look, his hair swaying gently in the Pyro-infused breeze. The contrast between his innocent expression and the ruined landscape behind him created a bizarre sense of dissonance.

"I thought I heard Klee say something about... blowing up fish?"

Xiangling glanced at Famas, who was clearly trying to hide something.

"No, absolutely not!"

Klee also caught on, pulling Famas's hand away. Both of them shook their heads vigorously, pretending they knew nothing.

"Alright..."

The three of them stood by the lakeside, the gentle breeze carrying a sense of unease. It seemed someone was approaching.

A/n - Read chapters ahead on my patreon.com/nneol