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Chapter 36: The Abyss Order's Plan
"Thanks for reminding me. I'll consider this carefully," Jean said, her tone carrying a trace of excitement.
She had been struggling to find a way to break through the current situation. Much of Mondstadt's outskirts were overrun with monsters, and even if the Knights of Favonius were to launch an all-out effort, it would be like trying to empty the ocean with a bucket.
Perhaps now, Klee's power was exactly what they needed.
Even if she couldn't personally see the explosions, Klee would undoubtedly be thrilled to help.
Seeing Jean deep in thought, Aiden didn't say much more.
Some things were best left unsaidâotherwise, it might seem like he had ulterior motives.
After finishing their meal at Angel's Share, Jean escorted Aiden home before hurrying back to her own responsibilities. She had a mountain of work waiting for her, and there was no time to rest.
The moment Aiden stepped into his room, a gust of wind swept through the space. A green figure appeared before him.
"You're finally here." Aiden glanced at the intruderâBarbatos, the Anemo Archon, or rather, Venti. "By the way, why did you leave in such a hurry earlier?"
"The Abyss Order stole one of Mondstadt's Statues of The Seven," Venti said, his normally carefree demeanor replaced by rare seriousness. "They're trying to corrupt it with Abyssal energy."
Aiden narrowed his eyes. "Will that affect you?"
"A little," Venti admitted, shrugging. "If left unchecked for too long, I could be tainted by the Abyss, but in the short term, it won't harm me much. The real issue is that the Statues of The Seven help regulate the ley lines. If a statue becomes corrupted, the ley lines could spiral into chaos."
Aiden fell silent.
Mondstadt was already dealing with massive problems.
The ley lines were unstableâpartially due to Stormterror's rampageâand without the direct presence of the Anemo Archon, the city's situation had deteriorated even further. With much of the Knights' forces deployed elsewhere, they lacked the manpower to contain the increasing monster threats.
In terms of ley line disruption, Mondstadt was likely the worst off among all of Teyvat's nations.
Zhongli had once mentioned to Aiden that there were disturbances in the Chasm as well, likely linked to the Abyss Order's movements.
This made Aiden think about Inazuma.
Mondstadt's troubles were severe, but what about Inazuma?
If the ley lines were becoming unstable across Teyvat, then the Sacred Sakura in Inazuma might also struggle to suppress the accumulated filth.
If that happened, Inazuma wouldn't just be in crisisâit would implode.
Worse still, Inazuma bordered the Dark Sea. If corruption spread there, the entire continent could be in danger.
Aiden exhaled sharply. Looks like I'll need to head to Inazuma once things settle here.
But facing Raiden Ei... that was another issue entirely.
Zhongli had once given Aiden an estimate of his odds in a fight against the Electro Archon. If they clashed, it would be 2.5 to 7.5 in Ei's favor.
That was already impressiveâZhongli himself was the God of War, after all.
But when it came to pure martial ability, even he didn't think he had a clear edge over the twin rulers of Inazuma, Raiden Ei and Raiden Makoto. Their existence itself was unique.
So, Aiden didn't want to confront Ei yet. If she realized that Celestia had fallen silent and that the Heavenly Principles were no longer watching... who knew how she would react?
Better to handle things differently.
Maybe I should start by recruiting Yae Miko.
That fox shrine maiden was incredibly lazy, but there was no way she'd ignore a threat to Inazuma.
Let her do the worrying instead.
Aiden turned back to Venti. "Did you manage to recover the Statue of The Seven?"
Venti scratched the back of his head. "Not yet. But thanks to your power, even if the Abyss tries to corrupt me, they won't have an easy time of it. And who knows? I might even get something useful out of this."
Then his expression darkened. "But honestly, I think they're targeting me on purpose."
Aiden raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"First, they turned Stormterror against me. Now they're corrupting the statues. It feels like they're pushing me into action, forcing me to take back my role as Mondstadt's Archon."
Aiden frowned. "The Abyss Order..." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'd love to wipe them out completely, but if they really have the power to oppose Celestia, I doubt I could handle them right now."
If the Abyss Order ever discovered the truthâthat Celestia's rule had weakened and that Aiden himself was still growing in strengthâthey would likely stop at nothing to eliminate him.
Venti nodded. "Exactly. That's why I've arranged for someone to deal with the situation." He smirked. "She should be arriving in Mondstadt soon. Watch closelyâshe's got a special talent for purifying Abyssal corruption."
Aiden immediately understood. Barbara?
He wasn't surprisedâJean's younger sister had a strong connection to Hydro, which naturally carried purifying properties.
Still, the one who truly piqued his interest was Paimon.
The latest events in Fontaine had practically confirmed that Paimon was connected to Celestia.
Some even speculated she might be one of the Four Shadesâthough perhaps weakened or stripped of her power.
Aiden wasn't sure yet, but meeting Paimon in person would certainly help him figure things out.
What a shame she's already following the Traveler.
Otherwise, he wouldn't mind "kidnapping" her and keeping her around as a pet.
She might eat a lot, but Aiden wasn't exactly short on Mora.
Actually... if I run into the male Traveler, maybe I can just take Paimon for myself?
If it was Lumine instead, well... he'd have to reconsider.