"Did Hogni get defeated?"
"Tsk~ That guy clearly held back at the last moment!"
"No, no, no. That's not holding back. That's underestimating your opponent… He started preaching before winning, and then made a stupid rookie mistake himself. Unbelievable."
"I swear, if that idiot dies in the future, it'll be entirely his own fault."
…
Not far away, harsh words from the Gulliver Brothers reached the ears of the silver-haired half-elf, already collapsed on the ground.
Tsk~
What should I do… I just want to cut those bastards down.
And… I actually lost… I actually lost… lost?
So embarrassing… so painful… I just want to go home!
QAQ
I'm so frustrated… I want to cry.
Stop staring at me!
I have to hold it together.
My outstanding junior is standing right there.
No matter what, I can't let him see me humiliated.
Just then…
"Sorry about that, I hit you straight in the face just now."
Renjiro (Aether) scratched his head and stepped beside Hogni, giving a helpless smile. "I noticed that particular attack trajectory was the hardest for you to block. Any other position… hmm, you might have just chopped off my hand."
He had that intuition.
And he was correct.
Hogni really could have reacted like that in such a critical moment.
However, at that instant, the silver-haired dark elf was too shocked, and since he had no real intent to kill, Renjiro (Aether) was able, from the perfect angle… ahem, to leave Hogni with a swollen face.
"I'll patch you up first."
Speaking of which, following Lumine's advice, Renjiro (Aether) didn't use the "Genshin Descent" magic to summon reinforcements, indirectly saving a lot of mana.
At this stage, since he was present, the Stellar Abyss skill only gave a ×4 mana recovery buff.
Under these conditions, no Genshin avatars could permanently stay in the real world.
Of course, with Renjiro's current mana, temporarily summoning one or two avatars wasn't difficult.
So, seeing that his own battle was over, Renjiro (Aether) summoned Diona.
The little cat poured icy elemental liquor onto Hogni's face, consuming her mana.
"Thank you, otherworldly servant, for your help."
Renjiro (Aether) felt Hogni would get along perfectly with Fischl.
Unfortunately, Fischl hadn't awakened her true consciousness yet. If he forced the avatar's consciousness to deal with such extremely dramatic lines… sorry, I'd rather die.
Look, Diona's face was already full of disdain.
She finished her healing duty and immediately withdrew from the real world.
Just then…
"Not bad, young man… Your name is 'Aether,' right?"
"Even though Hogni's hopeless, you defeated him at just Lv.3. That's something worth bragging about for a while."
"Yeah, but you only defeated an idiot, don't get carried away."
"That little cat was so cute~"
…
The four brothers of the Gulliver family, hailing from the Pahrum (smallfolk) tribe, gathered around Renjiro (Aether). While showering him with praise… they couldn't resist mocking Hogni a bit.
Hogni, now healed from minor injuries, frowned.
"You idiots, all you're good at is yapping."
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
The atmosphere between the five men and the Gulliver Brothers became tense, weapons lifted, spears, swords, hammers, axes, all at the ready.
It looked like an all-out fight was about to break out…
BOOM~
The distant clash interrupted the brewing chaos here.
Thunder roared violently, and everyone, including Renjiro (Aether), instinctively turned their eyes to the scene.
Not far away, Riveria and the others did the same.
Compared to Renjiro, the Loki familia was far more focused on Lumine's fight.
By the way…
"Are there too many idiots staring around?"
Alfrigg, the eldest of the Gulliver brothers, muttered.
He didn't like seeing members of his familia treated like monkeys.
Of course, the battle between Hedin and Lumine was far more attention-grabbing than Renjiro and Hogni's.
If anything, it was a "full special effects" spectacle, with both sides showing excellent technique.
Because of this, even bystanders and seasoned warriors alike had their attention drawn to that fight.
Then…
"Don't bother."
Hogni, who understood Hedin's usual behavior best, spoke seriously. "This battle will embody supreme glory…"
"Speak human!"
"Speak human!"
"Speak human!"
…
Hearing the impatience of the Gulliver Brothers, the silver-haired dark elf fell silent.
You're putting me in a tough spot, Hogni…
Luckily…
"Hedin isn't the type to stir trouble without reason."
Renjiro (Aether) spoke from the side. "With his personality, he doesn't waste effort."
"We just watch and wait."
In fact, even without full memory of Lumine's side, Renjiro could already analyze the situation at a basic level.
First, the Freya familia members were wild and hostile to the Loki familia, but they weren't brainless, no one bites everyone they see.
Second, Hedin is an elf. If he attacked Riveria, it would break serious familia taboos.
Looking at the ongoing one-on-one fight… the battlefield is full of craters and even lava, places Hedin had blasted with magic.
This is Hedin's real skill.
Compare that to the earlier attack that destroyed a dark-golden hut, it was clear he wasn't serious.
Sure, the attack was real, but he dissipated its full power to the sides.
With his mana control, he could easily do that.
Otherwise, Lumine's temporary rock shield wouldn't have withstood it entirely.
Also, from information gained from Freya and Renjiro's foresight before crossing worlds, it's clear… Hedin Selland is extremely decisive and meticulous.
That golden-haired white elf is the last person in the Freya familia you'd call a "hothead."
So, combining all these points…
"Hedin, your surname is Seland."
Renjiro (Aether) felt a bit speechless. Why act so serious like a BOOM truck hitting the scene?
He didn't say it out loud.
He trusted that Riveria's side had noticed similar cues.
At this point, to advance the "cooperation" for successfully subjugating Antares, smart people would feign ignorance and let things play out.
Small matters aside, big things are achieved.
It's just…
If you're purposely playing the serious face, why fight so seriously?
Renjiro (Aether) could see that Hedin had a purpose while causing trouble, but… he fought earnestly.
At least that golden-haired white elf didn't hold back like Hogni.
Meanwhile, Lumine's approach was strange.
Despite a tough battle, she refused to use Genshin Descent or Divine God Appearance.
She relied solely on her own strength.
Even with Renjiro's consent, she temporarily severed the mental link.
For this…
What exactly is a shared consciousness?
Could she (another me) undergo "special" changes too?
Renjiro (Aether) was extremely curious and wanted a precise answer while observing the situation.
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