The Search

What kind of person was Bennett?

Anyone who knew him would probably say he was an unlucky boy haunted by "misfortune."

His bad luck defied all reason. He would encounter inexplicable rockslides during his adventures, and even when treasure was right before his eyes, all sorts of mishaps would leave him returning empty-handed.

He was always covered in wounds, like a boy abandoned by the world.

Yet his passion for adventure burned like fire. He treated every misfortune as a stepping stone toward becoming a great adventurer.

When Li Qiuzhi learned about Bennett's story in the original game, he was deeply moved by the boy and filled with admiration.

What kind of passion and willpower did it take to get back up after falling again and again, and still smile?

Li Qiuzhi let out a deep breath.

"Bennett, going alone is too dangerous."

Katheryne gently shook her head, refusing Bennett's request.

"Ah..." Bennett scratched the back of his head, then pressed his palms together in supplication. "Please, Miss Katheryne. I already asked the members of Benny's Adventuring Team. They said they'd eaten something bad recently and couldn't come.

"But as their leader, I have to keep adventuring, even if I'm on my own, right? I want to set a good example for them. Please, Miss Katheryne!"

Bennett pleaded earnestly once more.

Watching from the side, Li Qiuzhi felt the urge to remark, Your teammates have already joined other teams. Miss Katheryne just doesn't want to tell you to your face.

Katheryne looked somewhat troubled as well.

Li Qiuzhi wondered whether he could form a temporary team with Bennett.

Although Bennett was unlucky enough to drag those around him into his misfortune, none of his teammates had ever suffered serious injuries because of it. And Li Qiuzhi was considerably stronger than the average adventurer.

He believed he could handle Bennett's bad luck.

Besides, Li Qiuzhi glanced at the Pyro Vision hanging from the compact pack at Bennett's waist.

As everyone knew, a Vision embodied its wielder's "wish."

Everyone's wishes were different, so even wielders of the same type of Vision developed different abilities through their individual understanding and insights.

Take Pyro Visions, for example.

Their most basic ability was, of course, to channel and control Pyro. Beyond that came an Elemental Skill developed through the wielder's own traits or strengths.

Amber, who also wielded Pyro, had an Elemental Skill that combined Pyro with the stuffed Baron Bunny, creating a throwable bomb that attracted monsters' attention.

Bennett's Elemental Skill, Passion Overload, was a little more unusual.

He could concentrate Pyro and his passion for adventure into his sword, with different results depending on how much passion he gathered.

Ordinarily, it was a simple Pyro-infused strike. With a little more passion, it could send smaller enemies flying. When his passion overflowed, it became even more powerful, but he would end up being blown away too.

It was truly fascinating.

Using an Elemental Skill also built up elemental energy. Once the body had absorbed enough, the wielder could unleash an even more powerful Elemental Burst.

Amber had learned to infuse her arrows with Pyro and release a continuous rain of arrows.

Bennett had developed his own understanding of his Elemental Burst, gently releasing Pyro to create an inspiration field called Fantastic Voyage.

It could heal people and boost the strength of those within its range. Anyone who had played the game knew how powerful it was.

So Li Qiuzhi wondered whether combining Fantastic Voyage with his Adventurer's Hunting Bow would leave monsters completely helpless. He could simply snipe them from a distance!

The advantage would be especially overwhelming against Ruin Guards, with their obvious weak points.

He happened to need teammates himself, and his admiration for Bennett's unyielding spirit made him genuinely eager to team up with him.

So, while the two of them were at an impasse, he spoke up.

"Katheryne... er, and Mr. Bennett, I happen to be without teammates too. How about... the two of us team up?"

"Really?!"

Bennett had looked rather dejected, but the moment he heard the unfamiliar adventurer beside him speak, he sprang back to life.

His emerald-green eyes sparkled like stars.

His terrible luck meant that, ever since his teammates had taken leave, he had mostly adventured alone. Now someone was actually willing to explore a domain with him. Words could hardly describe how happy he was.

"Of course," Li Qiuzhi replied firmly.

"That's fine, but you need at least three people. You'll still have to find one more teammate."

Seeing Bennett find a teammate, Katheryne quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Great!" Bennett was thrilled by Li Qiuzhi's answer, only for Katheryne's words to dampen his spirits again. "So we still need one more teammate..."

Although the veteran adventurers at the Guild took good care of him, getting them to adventure with him was another matter entirely.

With his abysmal luck, finding another teammate really would be difficult.

"Don't worry. Leave finding the last teammate to me," Li Qiuzhi said with a smile.

Despite saying that, Li Qiuzhi couldn't guarantee he would find anyone. For now, he would try looking for Noelle at the Knights of Favonius headquarters.

With that thought, Li Qiuzhi asked Bennett:

"I have a friend in the Knights of Favonius. I can go ask her now. Would you like to come?"

"Oh, I see. Then I'll try the tavern and see if any adventurers want to join us. I can't leave all the work to you."

The pale-blond Bennett touched the strip of cloth covering the scrape on his nose as he spoke.

"All right."

After briefly introducing themselves, Li Qiuzhi and Bennett left the Adventurers' Guild for the time being. They agreed to meet back there at four in the afternoon, whether or not they found a teammate.

Li Qiuzhi arrived at the Knights of Favonius headquarters once again. Hanging around outside would look a little too strange.

He went inside on the pretext of borrowing a book, hoping to see whether Noelle was there.

The hall was as spacious and empty as ever. The Knight of Favonius named Virag stood guard outside the library door.

Li Qiuzhi approached him and asked:

"Hello, Mr. Virag. May I ask you something?"

"Oh, it's you. Here to see Miss Amber again?" The armored Knight of Favonius, Virag, still remembered the young adventurer from Liyue. "She's out on a scouting mission. She won't be back until this afternoon."

"Er, I'm not here to see Miss Amber this time. I wanted to ask whether Miss Noelle is here."

Although Li Qiuzhi was friends with both of them, he felt it was better to address them more politely in front of others.

"Miss Noelle? Let me think..." Virag rubbed his chin with his metal gauntlet. After a moment, he said, "Now I remember. Little Klee tried to sneak out on some grand adventure first thing this morning, but Acting Grand Master Jean caught her red-handed. To stop little Klee from slipping away again, she sent Miss Noelle to keep an eye on her."

Dear readers, this book is currently in its first round of recommendations. Please add it to your favorites and keep reading. I'd be endlessly grateful!