Evening.
In the vast forested stretch of Windrise, somewhere on the continent of Teyvat, two weary figures trudged forward, supporting each other as they went.
Floating beside them was a small, white-haired girl with a downcast expression. Though she had no wings, she hovered through the air, her body rising and falling gently with the breeze. Her starry scarf fluttered in the wind, twinkling faintly under the dusk-lit sky.
No one knew how she could fly without wings, but from her sluggish movements, it was clear she didn't have much strength left.
"I'm starving..." Clutching her belly, the blonde girl sighed pitifully after climbing a small hill. She glanced toward the young man walking beside her. "Su Mo, I think we've gone a whole day without eating."
Su Mo calmly checked the small pack slung across his back. "All the Sunsettias we found earlier are gone. We've only got some mushrooms and fish left." "Eating is important, but there might be Hilichurl patrols nearby. We should find a safe spot before lighting a fire and warming up."
Hilichurls—monstrous goblin-like creatures native to this world—weren't something you wanted to encounter while exhausted and defenceless. Su Mo might not have had any survival training, but he knew at least the basics: clean water and warmth were top priorities.
"Okay!" The blonde girl nodded firmly. Su Mo's instincts had proven reliable many times by now, and she trusted his judgment completely. Maybe it was the promise of food that lifted her spirits, but she began moving with a lot more energy—so much so that Su Mo nearly struggled to keep up.
"Oh! Finally, we're gonna eat!" The floating girl—who had been drifting around lifelessly—suddenly perked up after overhearing their conversation. "Su Mo! Traveler! Wait for me! Paimon's hungry too!"
The mysterious floating companion—Paimon—immediately zipped ahead to follow.
Before long, the trio found a small elevated platform of rock. It was high enough that wild beasts or Hilichurls couldn't climb up, making it an ideal safe point. A nearby stream only a few dozen meters away solved the problem of fresh water too.
Su Mo wasn't much of a climber, but the blonde girl was agile and strong. She helped him up one-handed while Paimon hovered behind, giving him an extra boost. Thanks to their help, Su Mo made it to the top without trouble.
Reaching the safety of the high ground, Su Mo finally let out a breath of relief.
The blonde girl visibly relaxed as well. They shared a small smile and sat back to back, taking a much-needed rest and regaining their strength.
"Lumine... it's been nearly a month now, hasn't it?" Su Mo suddenly spoke, referring to how long it had been since they met—and since he arrived in this world.
"Mhm." Lumine nodded. A faint smile broke through her usually stoic expression.
"I still remember the shock I felt when I reeled you and Paimon out of the water..."
She chuckled at the memory. A month ago, she had been fishing along the shoreline when suddenly, her line had yanked hard. Expecting a big catch, she pulled with all her strength—only to find she'd hooked two people. By some ridiculous coincidence, the fishing hook had snagged through their clothes and hoisted them out of the ocean.
Su Mo had been the first to wake up, followed shortly by Paimon.
"I've been meaning to ask you something," Lumine grinned. "You and Paimon—how exactly did you end up in the sea like that?"
Su Mo shrugged. "Even if you ask, I really don't know." He wasn't hiding anything—he genuinely had no idea. One moment he was in his original world, and the next, he was suddenly here, waking up to find a blonde girl pulling him out of the water.
When he learned her name—and then saw Paimon floating beside him—Su Mo finally realized what world he'd landed in.
The Genshin World.
More specifically: Teyvat.
A land ruled by the Seven Archons of Anemo, Geo, Electro, Hydro, Pyro, Cyro and Dendro... and watched over by the enigmatic Heavenly Principles.
Su Mo had played the game in his past life. He was familiar with the lore and settings of this world. Which meant... he also knew that now that Lumine had arrived, the world was on the brink of monumental change.
And by some twist of fate, he had encountered her before the official story even began—along with Paimon—when they all washed ashore together.
The only problem? He hadn't inherited any kind of cheat ability or supernatural gift. No power, no Vision—nothing. So, during this time they had travelled together, the only reason Su Mo had survived was by relying on bits of scattered knowledge from his past life—and clinging tightly to Lumine's coattails.
Whether it was wild boars or aggressive Hilichurls, as a regular human, he had no chance of defending himself. The reality of that made him anxious. If he remained powerless...
If he never gained a Vision or some other ability...
Then sooner or later, he and Lumine would have to part ways.
After all, the path Lumine was destined to take was far too dangerous. If he insisted on tagging along, not only would he slow her down, but he'd also risk his own life.
And that kind of reckless drag-along behavior? Su Mo had always hated people like that. He refused to become one himself.
So, in his heart, he came to a conclusion: "If I still can't awaken any power by the time we reach Mondstadt... then that's where we say goodbye."
It was painful to think about, but it was the most reasonable path forward.
As for all the "wives" he used to have in his game account— Ganyu, Keqing, Ningguang...
At this point, he doubted he'd ever get the chance to meet them.
The only ones he might realistically encounter were people like Noelle, the ever-helpful maid; Barbara, the gentle healer...
And maybe, maybe, the quirky funeral director Hu Tao.
But then again— "Nope!"
Su Mo shook his head violently. As much as he liked Hu Tao, he definitely didn't want to meet her too soon.
He had no intention of dying young.