"Ow, damn, it hurts!" Reisen Riou, wrapped head-to-toe in bandages, groaned.
Good thing he was a youkai—and a local one at that. With yesterday's injuries, a human would've been done for.
"Lord Guardian, don't squirm, or your wounds'll reopen," a junior miko said, stifling a giggle as she applied herbs to speed his healing.
"Damn it, this isn't over," Reisen Riou muttered. His injuries weren't even that bad—just a naginata haft to the head (breaking his dominant state) and three or four punches.
All to the face, mind you. The swelling was understandable, as were the arm strains from rapid-fire archery. That was normal.
But the fractures, bruises, and scrapes? Where'd those come from?
He strongly suspected that wicked woman roughed him up after knocking him out.
"Lord Guardian, please, let it go," the miko urged, recalling how he'd been dragged back like a dead dog.
Those fractures, bruises, and scrapes? From being hauled seven or eight kilometers up the mountain to Ritou Shrine.
"No way, we're sworn enemies!" Reisen Riou declared.
Of course, he was just venting. He, Anko Kanno, and the junior mikos knew it wasn't serious.
When Anko approached, pain flared through him.
"Stay back!"
If he weren't too sore to move, he'd have bolted.
But even immobile…
Reisen Riou conjured a one-shot Thunder Pole, zapping himself to the roof's crossbeam.
"Pfft, haha!" Anko burst out laughing at his expression.
"I'm here to apologize. I was wrong to knock you out and drag you to the battlefield," she said. "But you get it—things were urgent. I knew it was safe, with Lady Ei herself fighting. Plus, she ordered me to bring you. I'd never defy my teacher."
"I accept your apology, but can you leave? Seeing you makes me jumpy," Reisen Riou said, clinging awkwardly to the beam.
"Fine, since you put it that way." Anko left. She was injured too and needed rest. Unlike Reisen Riou, who drew healing energy from local Ley Lines, she relied on Heart Flow to speed recovery—slower than his youkai perk.
That non-human edge, though lost off Ritou, was enviable.
Once Anko was gone, Reisen Riou zapped back down.
The miko tending him griped about reopened wounds, reapplying herbs and bandages.
What should've taken months to heal mended in ten days, thanks to his local youkai passive and a new trick: he'd analyzed the passive, turning it into an active skill.
Ability: Self-Healing LV2 (12/100)
Passive Effect: Recover 5 HP per hour in Inazuma; 15 HP per hour in Ritou.
At Life Level LV45, with Artifacts boosting him to 13,800 HP, it was a game-changer.
Oh, right—Reisen Riou had Artifacts.
In Teyvat, Artifacts were sacred power systems, crystallized memories and thoughts, manifesting as five types: Flower (foundation), Feather (guard), Sands (cycle), Goblet (ascension), and Circlet (ultimate power).
His Artifacts formed post-mortem from his past life's worship, granted at his "birth" as a youkai.
Initially white-quality, LV1, they were: Flower of Erosion (Flower of Life), Feather of Craving (Plume of Death), Emblem of Gazing (Sands of Eon), Goblet of Contemplation (Goblet of Eonothem), and Ring of Intellect (Circlet of Logos).
Now green-quality, LV7, they'd hit LV8 at Life Level 50. Upon his 50th-level breakthrough, they'd glow blue.
He guessed Anko had broken past LV50.
That was the human limit without elemental power.
Despite her third life-lock break (LV50), without elemental aid, she couldn't climb higher.
In a wuxia world, she'd be a Grandmaster or Innate-tier. Teyvat's elemental forces, ruled by Celestia, locked humans out unless they tapped the Abyss's Ley Lines or earned a Vision.
Visions were Celestia's investment—and surveillance.
…
Freshly healed, Reisen Riou got an invite from Sumeru scholar Bona for him and Anko to attend the hydrographic station's groundbreaking.
After long prep, Bona had secured the materials.
"The town magistrate offered to cover some building costs, but if I abandon it, they'll take over," Bona said.
"What's your take?" Reisen Riou asked, sensing a scam.
"I'm fine with it. It's just a few hundred thousand Mora—pocket change," Bona shrugged.
"Alright, I'll be there," Reisen Riou said. Worst case, he'd keep an eye out. As Ritou Shrine's guardian, he had some sway locally. Hopefully, the magistrate's crew were smart enough not to push it.
--------------------
Want to read ahead? Early chapters on: patreon.com/ShadowKage