Don't Even Think About Reincarnating! Lessons from the Anemo Archon

Even the Anemo Archon had said there was no hope of changing back into a man for now, so Ellin could only set that idea aside for the time being.

She nodded and said, "Yes. Actually, after getting my Anemo Vision, I ran into some trouble developing my Anemo power, so I'd like you to teach me."

"You know your stuff!" Venti raised an eyebrow and declared smugly, "No one in this world understands Anemo power better than me, the Anemo Archon."

"But personal lessons from the Anemo Archon don't come cheap!"

"I know! I know!"

Grinning, Ellin took out another three bottles of Special Apple Cider and placed them before Venti.

"The commission originally promised three bottles. You've already drunk one, so that leaves two. Consider this extra bottle a gift!"

"Wonderful!"

The instant Venti saw the three bottles of Special Apple Cider, he was overjoyed. He gathered them into his arms as though they were priceless treasures.

"Is this stuff really that good?" Ellin couldn't help asking.

"Of course!"

"Special Apple Cider and Special Dandelion Wine are produced in tiny quantities. The Dawn Winery only occasionally sends a few bottles to its biggest clients."

"Even when I was actively ruling, I rarely got to drink anything like this!"

"I really don't know how you persuaded Master Diluc to give you four bottles all at once!"

"Uh, well..."

Ellin froze. She had assumed anyone could buy this cider as long as they had the money. Only after hearing Venti's explanation did she realize how precious it was!

"Well... he actually gave me more than four bottles."

The corner of Ellin's mouth twitched. With a wave of her hand, she took another six bottles of Special Apple Cider out of her backpack.

"Ahem... he gave me ten bottles in total!"

"What?!"

Venti's eyes went wide at the sight of so much Special Apple Cider. Without another word, he immediately lunged for it.

But Ellin reacted quickly and put it back into her backpack.

Venti grabbed nothing but air. He could only straighten up and scratch his head helplessly.

"Aw... if you weren't going to give it to me, why take it out and show me? You're just tormenting me!"

"Seriously, what exactly did you do? Even the Dawn Winery's biggest clients only get five or six bottles of Special Apple Cider a year."

"Yet Master Diluc gave you ten bottles at once!"

Venti rubbed his chin, seemingly struck by a thought, then gave her a teasing smile. "Say, could Master Diluc have fallen for you?"

"Surely not?" Ellin blinked.

"I've only met him once, at the tavern. Besides, even if he likes me, I'm not interested in men!"

"Still, I never imagined this cider was so precious. Now I really owe him one."

Ellin glanced at Venti. "All right, stop staring. You can have more cider, depending on how well you teach me."

"Ehe~ No problem!" Venti readily agreed.

"And stop being so formal with me. It feels awkward. Just call me Venti."

"Come on, no time to waste. Channel Anemo and show me an attack."

"Okay!"

Ellin nodded, walked up to the training dummies, and thrust out her palm after channeling Anemo. Wind howled from her palm, forming a current that swept over the dummies.

Yet although the current was strong, wind was still only wind, no matter how hard it blew.

Even a force-ten gale would only make a large tree sway. How could the wind Ellin released do anything to the training dummies before her?

"All right, you can stop!"

Venti raised a hand to signal her to stop, then spoke.

"I understand where your problem lies now."

"The problem is that you've misunderstood Anemo!"

"Anemo's properties are completely different from those of Cryo, Pyro, Electro, and Geo."

"Whether it's Geo, Cryo, Electro, or Pyro, they all share one characteristic: once you've channeled them, they're ready to use!"

"Pyro can burn enemies directly, Electro can shock them, and Cryo can freeze them. With Geo, you can at least conjure a brick and trade blows with your enemy!"

"But when you channel Hydro, it's only water. How much damage can you do by throwing a ball of water at an enemy?"

"Similarly, Anemo is a gentler element, just like Hydro."

"When you gather Anemo, what you get is still just wind. Wind itself doesn't have much destructive power. Imagine a strong wind blowing straight into your face. Would it hurt?"

"So using Anemo well requires some special techniques!"

"Now, allow me, the Anemo Archon, to demonstrate personally. Watch closely!"

Venti stepped up to the training dummies and extended his arm.

"Wind can become a revitalizing breeze that awakens the earth, or it can become a wind of destruction."

"Wind itself doesn't have much destructive power, so to use Anemo well, you need to remember two properties of wind: [pushing] and [rotation]!"

"Use Elemental Sight and watch how Anemo flows around me."

After giving Ellin that instruction, Venti took a deep breath and thrust his hand toward the training dummies before him!

Through Elemental Sight, Ellin saw a great mass of Anemo gather in Venti's palm, where he instantly compressed it!

With that thrust of his hand, the compressed Anemo burst forth like a wild horse freed from its reins, blowing the training dummies in front of him away.

"This is pushing!"

As Venti demonstrated, his expression was serene. Vast amounts of Anemo power swirled around him, revealing the Anemo Archon's full majesty!

"Next comes rotation!"

With effortless poise, Venti flicked his hand. The Anemo in the air immediately surged, forming a rapidly spinning vortex that tore the airborne training dummies apart!

"Did you understand?" Venti asked, smiling.

Ellin nodded. "I did!"

"Excellent! You're a quick learner! Now practice on your own for a while. If you get anything wrong or don't understand something, I'll guide you!"

Four days later.

Near Cider Lake.

A bard wearing a green hat and green cape leaned against a fruit tree, a bottle of Special Apple Cider in hand, drinking to his heart's content.

Not far away, a white-haired girl in a white top and blue skirt was battling more than a dozen Hilichurls with a bow.

"Don't even think about reincarnating!"

The girl drew her bow and released an arrow brimming with Anemo.

The air currents instantly churned. A massive Storm Vortex formed out of nowhere, exerting a powerful suction over the area.

Dust surged backward and blades of grass danced wildly. The dozen or so Hilichurls were instantly sucked into the heart of the Storm Vortex, where they tumbled endlessly in the raging winds, unable to escape.

Then the girl took a deep breath. Vast amounts of Anemo gathered around her, clinging to her body and lifting her into the air!

High above the ground, she beckoned with one hand. A spear glowing green appeared in her grasp. She poured a great deal of Electro Power into it, then hurled it into the heart of the Storm Vortex!

Boom!

With a thunderous blast, the spear laden with Electro Power exploded at the center of the storm, raising a small mushroom cloud seven or eight meters high and instantly killing every Hilichurl!

"Clap, clap, clap...!"

Applause came from behind her.

Venti approached with his bottle in hand, beaming.

"Yes, yes, yes! Just what I'd expect from my student!"

"In only four days, you've learned to skillfully use Windriding and Compressed Wind Blade, and create a Storm Vortex. Your talent is truly a rarity in this world!"

"Wonderful! With you around, I can have fun with even less to worry about."

"Hehe!" Ellin scratched her head sheepishly. "That's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Venti!"

"Here, this last bottle of Special Apple Cider is yours!" Ellin took out a bottle and handed it to Venti.

"Huh? Aren't there three more bottles? Why are you calling this the last one?"

"I'm saving those three for my dad. Children who honor their parents are the kind of good people the Anemo Archon loves, aren't they?"

"Aw...?" Venti pouted sadly. "All right..."

"Pfft!" His aggrieved expression made Ellin laugh.

"All right, all right. When I get home, I'll ask my dad to dig up the fine aged wine he buried by Cider Lake and give you a few bottles!"

"Really? Wonderful!"

Venti's gloom vanished in an instant, and he beamed again!

"Let's go! Back to Mondstadt City. I'll treat you to a meal!"

Delighted with her progress, Ellin invited Venti to return to Mondstadt City with her for a meal.

"Yes, please!"

"Ever since I met you, I've finally had enough to eat and drink without worrying. You have no idea how hard it's been!" Venti put on a touched expression and even made a show of wiping away tears.

After cleaning up the battlefield, the two were about to return to Mondstadt City when sharp-eyed Ellin suddenly spotted, out of the corner of her eye, a girl with short blond hair standing beside the Statue of the Seven at distant Starfell Lake, dressed in foreign-style clothing.

The blond girl was touching the Statue of The Seven, making it glow cyan as dense Anemo power swirled around her.

And floating beside the blond girl was a... hmm... Emergency Food?