After viewing the waterfall, the two walked back along the same path, returning to the inn after noon.
Ronava went upstairs to rest for a while.
She definitely needed a rest; after all, Arlecchino that morning.
He stayed in the room for a while, and Ronava's breathing gradually deepened, he tiptoed out the door.
There is a river in front of the hotel. The water is not wide, but the current is very steady. It is a tributary of the canal.
Lin En found a secluded spot on the riverbank, squatted down, and stretched his hand above the water.
The system had said that the reward for completing the Fontaine Canal Night Cruise mission was an increase in Hydro affinity. He did indeed feel a cool sensation in his body now, but he hadn't had a chance to try it out yet.
He closed his eyes and tried to guide the Hydro as he would the Anemo.
At first there was no reaction, the water surface remained completely still, so he tried several different methods.
A few minutes later, there was a slight movement below my palm. The water surface swelled up slightly, as if something was supporting it from below. Then a thin column of water rose from the river surface, about the thickness of a forearm and half a meter high.
Lin En stared at the small jet of water for two seconds, thinking that using it to hit someone would be about the same as splashing water, at most getting them wet.
But he soon realized something was wrong.
The water column didn't dissipate immediately after leaving the river surface, but hovered above his palm, maintaining a stable shape. Moreover, the cool sensation within his body was slowly flowing, from his palm to his fingertips, and then back to his wrist, forming a small loop.
He tried to touch the water column with his other hand. As soon as his fingers touched the water, he felt a warm, restorative coolness seep into his skin and travel along the meridians in his arm to the depths of his body.
He had previously fractured his left arm, and although Ronava had applied medication and he had almost fully recovered, he would still experience occasional dull pain when exerting too much force.
But as the coolness flowed through my left arm, the soreness gradually subsided, as if someone were gently wiping away old wounds between my bones with cool silk.
"Treat?"
Lin En paused for a moment, then tried again.
This time, he intentionally directed the Hydro towards the old injury on his left arm. After the coolness flowed over, the soreness lessened somewhat. Although it didn't completely disappear, it was indeed improving.
He squatted by the river for a little while longer, confirming two things:
First, he can indeed control water, but in very small quantities, making it too weak for attack.
Secondly, this water has a healing effect, although it's slow, but continued use should be able to heal any hidden injuries on the body.
"Alright, at least it wasn't a complete waste of time."
He patted the water off his hands, stood up, and suddenly remembered something else.
The system's rewards for the Fontaine Canal night cruise included an increased affinity with Hydro and a chance to win a prize. He had been so focused on testing the waters that he had forgotten about that.
"System."
He shouted in his heart.
"Ding--Host has one lottery draw left. Do you wish to draw now?"
"Smoke."
This system really understands him; it asked the question before even mentioning the lottery.
A semi-transparent spinning wheel appeared before his eyes, densely divided into more than a dozen squares, each corresponding to a different reward.
He glanced at it; most of the items were consumables and materials, such as 500,000 Mora... In the upper middle position was a large red square with a sword icon inside, the sword blade long and slender, the hilt glowing red.
"The grand prize is this weapon? This sword looks so much like the one Ronava gave me?"
Lin En stared at the square for two seconds, then took out the sword Ronava had given him and compared it for a long time.
"Isn't this the same...? But I can have another one, two one-handed swords, and be the neighborhood chief."
He pressed the lottery button in the center of the wheel, and the pointer started spinning, getting faster and faster before gradually slowing down.
Lin En stared at the pointer, watching it sweep across the "Grand Prize" square, then across it again, circle back, then sweep across it again, finally stopping on the "Talent x1" square.
"Talent?"
Lin En wondered, could it be the kind of talent in Genshin Impact? For example: not disturbing small animals and displaying regional specialties?
A card pops up next to the pointer, with a line of small print on it:
Talent Card: The lower the health, the stronger the power. When health is below 1%, the power can be increased up to 3 times.
He read the line twice, his expression somewhat complicated.
"Below 1%? That's practically a death sentence!"
He imagined the scene: himself covered in blood, staggering on the battlefield, then, because he was about to die, his strength increased by half, and he rushed forward only to be slapped to death.
Double is indeed a lot, but the premise is that you have to risk your life first. This talent would be quite suitable for someone who is not afraid of death.
But now that Ronava by his side, if she sees him about to unleash his power when his health is almost depleted, she'll probably pin him to the ground to prevent him from attacking.
"Well, it's better than nothing."
He put the card away, stood up, and brushed the dirt off his knees.
"At least Hydro can heal wounds, that's really useful."
An arrow whistled through the air from behind, but Lin En blocked it with a rock wall. Someone was trying to assassinate him? Perfect, he could test his current strength.
The arrowhead was embedded in the rock surface, its fletching still trembling; it had struck with considerable force, penetrating three-tenths of an inch into the stone.
Lin En pushed aside the rock wall and looked in the direction the arrow had come from.
A person stood on a rooftop across the river, his face mostly covered by a black veil, revealing only his eyes, and his bow already nocked a second arrow.
At the same time, a person emerged from each of the alleys on either side, one carrying a short sword and the other a large sword, their steps unhurried, as if they had been waiting there for a long time.
Three people—an archer, a short swordsman, and a greatsword user? He recognized them immediately; they were probably just there to test his strength.
Lin En took a deep breath and took out the longsword that Ronava had given him; the dark red blade gleamed in the sunlight.
He took two steps back, leaning against the stone railing on the riverbank, and scanned the positions of the three people.
The greatsword moved first. The man's steps were heavy, and he charged like a small tank. The greatsword dragged on the ground, leaving a trail of sparks. When he got close, he swung it up and swept it horizontally.
Lin En didn't take the hit head-on. Anemo spread out beneath his feet, and he was thrown to the side. The greatsword slashed past where he had just been standing, smashing a section of the stone railing and sending shards of stone flying.
Before he even landed, the swordsman's thrust had already arrived. The longsword was fast and cunning, aiming straight for the opening in his ribs.
Lin En twisted his waist in mid-air, his dark red sword blade flashing horizontally to deflect the attack. The moment the two swords clashed, he sensed that his opponent's strength was not great, but his speed was extremely fast. He immediately withdrew his sword and retreated after missing his target, giving him no chance to counterattack.
At that moment, another arrow flew in, aiming straight for his chest; clearly, the other party hadn't intended to kill him.
Lin En caught the arrow with his bare hands, sustaining only a minor injury that was quickly healed by the Hydro.
It seems I need to teach these three kids a lesson. Lin En became serious.