Thankfully, the mental link had a private chat function.
And, luckily, the scatterbrained little sister hadn't gone all the way.
Otherwise…
"Ais didn't take the full Stellar Restoration. If she had, she'd probably have gone full-force on me~"
Renjiro shivered at the thought. Why me? I'm just a Lv.2…
"Sigh~"
Though part of him secretly wanted to be stepped on—ahem—he was still very much a cautious young man. He sighed helplessly.
Hearing him muttering over the mental link…
"But once your level reaches Lv.3, Miss Keqing can raise her Genshin level to Lv.50."
That single remark from the cheeky Lumine left Renjiro utterly speechless.
"Do we really need to destroy people's hopes?"
"Sigh hey~"
=====
In reality, compared to the harmless little back-and-forth between Renjiro and Lumine, Ais was the one in real trouble.
She lost.
Completely. Without a shadow of a chance to fight back.
If she remembered correctly, the interdimensional strong beings summoned by the "Genshin Descent" magic could at most match the Twin Stars in raw base strength.
Although the latter had gained the Lv.5 achievement after the previous Antares Incident, they were still in the process of accumulating power, continuously honing their [Basic Abilities].
In other words:
"I can't even defeat a Lv.4 adventurer."
Fine. Single-minded Ais was clearly overthinking again.
Normally, she would understand the unique nature of the Genshin and the Twin Stars.
After all, not long ago she had a serious training match against Lumine.
Back then, she realized that Lv.4 Lumine (Genshin Lv.40) could easily suppress Lv.5 Ais.
So now…
"Miss Ais…"
Because Keqing had deliberately deviated the last strike of her final sword, Ais wasn't seriously injured.
She had only a few scratches and was exhausted.
But compared to that…
"Are you okay?"
Lefiya walked over to the blonde girl. Her tone and expression showed genuine concern.
"I'm fine."
Undoubtedly, Ais was putting on a bit of a brave face.
At this moment…
"You seem very disheartened by the result of the fight."
Keqing, having sheathed Lion's Roar, walked slowly to Ais's side.
The moment she spoke, all eyes from the Loki family turned to her.
Especially Ais…
Her gaze toward Keqing was complex.
And facing this silent girl's stare…
"I don't know how to comfort you, but if your concern is purely about your own strength…"
Keqing smiled lightly. "After returning today, you can ask your patron deity to update your [Ability Values]. You might get some unexpected gains~"
Hearing this…
"Little girl, you mean…"
Even Finn and the other two immediately thought of a potentially shocking possibility.
The straightforwardGareth didn't hesitate to ask curiously.
To which…
"Let Lumine and I explain this."
Renjiro, walking closer, took the chance to continue, "Lumine and I have, in a way, gone through this ourselves. We've personally experienced it…"
Seeing Finn and the others turn to look at him, he raised the corner of his mouth in a mysterious smile. "After high-intensity simulated training with the Genshin—including Miss Keqing—our [Basic Abilities] improved drastically."
"And, on this foundation, if one is fortunate enough to be personally guided by a Genshin with high compatibility, one can efficiently enrich experience in technique and strategy."
"For example… my friend Welf, who was Lv.1 before, received sword training from a Genshin… Their compatibility wasn't perfect, but it had a remarkable effect on his growth."
"Before, Welf struggled even against a young dragon, but after the training, he could handle a few moves under Goliath's control."
Honestly, Renjiro thought this unique feature could almost be considered a skill or [Development Potential].
If it's a skill, call it — Hero Creation.
If it's a development potential, call it — Mentor.
In short…
"Such a thing really exists?"
At this moment, though Finn and the others didn't speak it aloud, their astonished expressions said it all.
At once…
"Even imagining the most outrageous possibilities for the value of the Genshin Descent magic, I still underestimated it."
Finn smiled wryly. "This ability is basically a cornerstone capable of cultivating a superpowerful familia."
"Honestly, I'm glad you shared this vital information."
In fact, Finn wanted to tell Lumine, Thanks to Goddess Frigg allowing you to pass on such an important magic.
He subconsciously analyzed…
"From this alone, the relationship between Goddess Frigg and Goddess Freyamust be extraordinary."
"Perhaps they are as close as lifelong friends in the divine realm."
"Once we return, I'll ask Loki about this. She might know something."
As he mused silently…
"Um… Miss Keqing."
"Hmm?"
Ais's actions became more direct. She stepped in front of the Yuheng Star, her expression serious, and earnestly requested, "Could you help train me again tomorrow?"
To this…
"Absolutely not!"
Wah~
Rejected without hesitation by the purple-haired girl, Ais looked very disappointed.
But then…
"Not tomorrow, but in the future… we can consider it."
Keqing spoke earnestly. "For others who work beside me, I usually tell them not to relax too much."
"But you…"
The purple-haired girl's apricot eyes narrowed. "It's really time you learned the value of balance between work and rest."
"Here's what we'll do."
Earlier, Renjiro seemed to have exchanged a brief thought with Keqing over the mental link, casually giving a small suggestion…
"Ais, before coming today, Lumine told me a lot about you."
"I'm personally interested in you as an opponent, which is why I accepted today's match."
"But after this…"
Keqing's tone became serious. "My homeland—Liyue—is a commercial nation protected by the Geo Archon for thousands of years, a country that values keeping promises."
"If you wish to officially commission me, first clarify what compensation you can provide and, on that basis, make an unwavering promise to honor it."
"Think it through carefully."