Even if Zhongli had not said anything, Yin Kong would have prioritized maxing out his level.
Very quickly, Zhongli's level was raised to twenty, and his weapon was replaced with a level-twenty [Black Tassel Spear].
Unfortunately, he had yet to obtain a single artifact in this world.
"It truly is incredible... As expected of a Traveler, you always display abilities that completely defy common sense." Feeling the changes in his body, Zhongli's voice carried a hint of amazement. "So, because you lack crucial materials, you cannot continue increasing this incarnation's strength?"
"That's right. Do you have a solution, Zhongli?"
Yin Kong nodded vigorously, his heart full of anticipation.
Whether breaking through level twenty or improving talents, both required materials unique to the Teyvat Continent.
He could still obtain Mora and Experience Books through quests for the time being, but when it came to these ascension materials, he was truly at a loss.
Zhongli fell into thought.
"Indeed. I can sense that although this incarnation originated from my true body, it can no longer establish a connection with Teyvat, nor can it transport supplies. However, if the goal is merely to enhance this incarnation's power, I may be able to find some substitutes. It will simply require a certain amount of ti—Traveler! Dodge left!"
Zhongli suddenly shouted in a low voice halfway through his sentence.
Yin Kong was startled, but out of trust for the Geo Archon, he dodged to the left without hesitation.
Yin Kong felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. By the time he came back to his senses, there was already a bone-deep gash on his right arm.
"Found you!"
A familiar female voice rang out from the center of the apartment. Without question, the ambusher was the monster wearing Vermouth's appearance.
She stuck out her tongue and licked the flesh and blood she had torn from Yin Kong's arm off her claws. A flush of excitement immediately rose on her beautiful face.
"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! How could such a wonderful taste exist in this world?!
"Sure enough, you are special. Even more special than a Sacrificial Person..."
How the hell had this thing tracked him down?!
Facing Chris's scorching gaze, which seemed as though it might melt him alive, Yin Kong suddenly had the urge to curse out loud.
Paimon's Little Treasury
Damn it, this monster could not only move quickly through mirrors, but had even tracked him all the way to the apartment?!
Yin Kong did not immediately use food to treat his wound. Instead, he glanced at the full-length mirror, his heart filled with disbelief.
Because Zhongli had already told him that the other party had suddenly flown out of the mirror just now.
Behind him, Paimon had already very skillfully wrapped herself around Ono Yoko, not daring to make the slightest sound.
The little one knew perfectly well that not panicking and distracting Yin Kong was already the greatest help she could offer.
Yin Kong did not immediately use food to recover from his injury either. Instead, he probed, "What exactly are you? And what is a Sacrificial Person?"
"We are naturally this world's true masters. As for Sacrificial Persons—" Chris's eyes were fanatical as she continuously licked the flesh from her claws, seemingly forcing herself to restrain her ever-growing hunger. "As long as you first tell me who you are and whether you have any family, I can grant you an answer as well."
Yin Kong immediately said, "Me? I'm merely an ordinary Traveler. As for family, unfortunately, they are no longer in this world."
"What a pity. Then I can only—"
Having received her answer, Chris's face was naturally full of disappointment.
The next instant, her figure vanished from where she stood.
"—eat you first!"
Before her words even faded, Chris had appeared before Yin Kong. Her pitch-black beast claw stabbed viciously toward his shoulder.
But the bloodlust on the monster's face quickly turned to surprise.
Because at the instant her claw was about to touch Yin Kong's body, he suddenly blurred, then transformed without warning into a tall, valiant man with golden eyes.
More importantly, the man held a black spear in his hand, its sharp tip aimed directly at her right eye.
The scene was practically as though she had voluntarily rammed her own eye into the spear's tip.
However, Chris's surprise soon turned into contempt.
Just an ordinary human after all. Though he possessed some unknown tricks, as long as she became serious, these seemingly sharp weapons would struggle to even pierce her skin.
She neither dodged nor evaded. She merely closed her right eye and continued charging into the spear tip.
Zhongli's gaze shifted slightly. A golden Geo Construct immediately rose behind him, pressing precisely against the end of the Black Tassel Spear.
Driven by terrifying force, the end of the Black Tassel Spear let out a teeth-grating sound as it embedded deeply into the Geo Construct.
But accordingly, the sharp spear tip successfully pierced through Chris's eyelid and bored through her skull along her eye socket.
HP-4396!
A white number representing physical damage floated upward, and Chris finally let out a pained shriek.
Yet Yin Kong helplessly noticed that this unprecedented damage had only reduced the monster's health bar by a tiny fraction, less than one-fifth.
Clearly, an injury that would have killed an ordinary person several times over was still far from fatal to these monsters.
Still, while the damage from that strike was not high, its humiliation value was extreme.
At the very least, Chris had clearly been completely enraged.
With a roar, her right claw changed from a thrust into a sweeping strike. Black light gleamed from its tips as though it intended to tear Yin Kong to pieces.
However, Zhongli had anticipated her reaction long ago.
He raised his right hand. Golden Geo Elemental Power instantly gathered into an intricate seal: Liyue's [Demon-Quelling Incantation]. He then slammed it onto the [Black Tassel Spear].
The golden ancient seal traveled along the Black Tassel Spear and directly entered Chris's head. Then—
It exploded!
HP-37659!
A huge golden damage number immediately rose above Chris's head. The rest of her health bar was instantly emptied, and she collapsed limply to the ground.
"Zhongli?!"
Only then did Paimon finally react.
She stared at Zhongli, her voice overflowing with delight.
"That's great! It's actually Zhongli! We're saved!"
She shared the same feeling of reassurance brought by the Geo Archon.
But just as Paimon had breathed a sigh of relief, Zhongli suddenly raised a hand, signaling for her not to act rashly.
"Wait. Don't come over yet. It isn't dead!"
At Zhongli's reminder, Yin Kong also noticed something strange.
Although Chris had fallen, she had not dropped any materials.
If this was not a story event, then that meant—
This damned thing actually had a second phase?!
Zhongli moved swiftly. The Black Tassel Spear had already lifted Chris's remaining body.
But before he could make any further move, the monster's body exploded first, turning into clumps of black liquid.
The sludge-like liquid gathered together again in midair, quickly forming a blurry humanoid shape.
"Level 59 Chameleon Witch?"
Only now did Yin Kong finally learn this monster's true level and name.
However, looking at that blood-red level fifty-nine and the health bar that had been fully restored, he could not help feeling uneasy.
Even if Zhongli possessed the Geo Archon's consciousness, asking a level-twenty character whose weapon, artifacts, and talents had not been upgraded to fight a level-fifty-nine monster was asking far too much, wasn't it?
"I've changed my mind. I'm going to tear your flesh off piece by piece, then slowly eat it one bite at a time!"
The Chameleon Witch's voice became cold and rough, no longer carrying a superstar's sweet charm. Her hatred for Yin Kong had clearly reached its peak.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh...
More than ten tentacles made of black liquid descended toward Zhongli like sharp swords, completely sealing off every direction in which he could dodge.
A golden Jade Screen Shield abruptly rose, only to shatter in an instant.
Clearly, the horrifying level gap between them meant that even Zhongli's shield could only hold for a brief moment.
Though the Geo Archon had used that instant to successfully escape the deadly cage she had woven around him.
Very quickly, the Chameleon Witch began cursing loudly.
"Damn it! Do you only know how to scurry around like a bug?!"
Because she was incomparably shocked to discover that whether in speed, strength, or reactions, she far surpassed Zhongli.
More precisely, she completely crushed him.
By all rights, the battle should have ended in an instant.
Yet in reality, Zhongli seemed to have predicted all her movements, always finding the weakest point through which to break free.
Even when he occasionally found himself cornered with no way out, he could still use the Jade Screen Shield to create an opportunity to escape.
It felt like a mosquito constantly buzzing around her ears, one she could never catch no matter what.
"Damn it, Zhongli's level is too low!"
Seeing this, Paimon anxiously stamped her foot.
Although Zhongli had temporarily entangled the monster, she knew that this act of dancing on a blade could not continue forever.
And if the monster turned its attention toward them, things would be even worse.
After hesitating for a while, Paimon finally shouted, "Traveler, use the little treasury in my shoe!"
The little treasury in her shoe?!
Yin Kong froze for a moment, then felt helpless.
He actually knew about the little treasury hidden in Paimon's shoe.
He simply had not expected her to have actually brought it along.
Besides, what he urgently needed now were character ascension materials, not Mora.
"No, Traveler. Mora is useful. Please take it out."
But Zhongli's voice suddenly rang out in Yin Kong's mind.
What Does It Mean to Be the Geo Archon? (Tactical Lean Back)
[Paimon's Food Fund].
Looking at the slime-shaped little piggy bank that had suddenly appeared in his inventory, Yin Kong hesitated for a moment before choosing to open it.
[Mora] ×300000.
Three hundred thousand Mora?!
As expected of you, Paimon.
Yin Kong recalled the past two months of exhausting work. The Mora he had earned in total was probably only around two hundred thousand. He had never imagined that a rich woman had been right beside him all along.
But then again, how had so many gold coins been stuffed into Paimon's tiny shoe sole?
Of course, now was not the time to investigate that.
At Zhongli's signal, Yin Kong immediately took out all the Mora.
Looking at the gold coins that had suddenly appeared before Zhongli, glowing with an alluring light, the [Chameleon Witch] floating in midair clearly misunderstood his intentions and said disdainfully, "You only want to beg for mercy now? Don't you think it's too late?"
Besides, human gold, silver, and jewels held no attraction whatsoever for them.
What was more, Paimon's voice had reminded her.
Before you continue