Bonus Chapter!
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Finally, the cargo ship sailed out of the storm zone, and the weather cleared up slightly. The waves were no longer as turbulent as before, and the glow from the two Visions at Luo Qing's waist gradually faded.
All that talk about wanting to "get close to the gods" was nonsense—his real goal was to test the strength of his newly acquired Visions. He wanted to see what he could achieve by using both simultaneously.
The control of elemental power was closely tied to one's mental strength. Thanks to his thirty-five-fold enhanced physique, Luo Qing's mental strength had also skyrocketed, allowing him to control elemental forces with far greater power.
Even his speech skill Time Zero could now amplify time dilation by one hundred times in a standard range, and if he narrowed the field, it could slow time by two hundred times in a small area.
And as it turned out, even when using both Visions at the same time, his control over each element didn't weaken at all. Both the Electro and Hydro elements were fully under his command.
"That's more like it," Luo Qing nodded in satisfaction.
"Who'd have multiple elements but only use one at a time, anyway?"
With the storm behind them, the rest of the journey posed no significant threats—they simply needed to sail towards Yashiori Island.
For some reason, Luo Qing noticed that Captain Haigel, the rugged ship's captain, had suddenly become much more polite to him. His tone had softened, almost becoming… delicate. Could he be… one of those?
Yikes…
...
The cargo ship was loaded with goods: half of them were materials needed for the Delusion Factory, and the other half consisted of supplies from Snezhnaya, disguised as trade goods for Tatarasuna.
Tatarasuna was once the hub of all trade between Inazuma and other nations. Before the lockdown, almost all merchant ships stopped at Tatarasuna. However, after the war between the Resistance and the Shogunate began, trade was essentially cut off, and the island had to rely on its own resources.
Seeing this, the Fatui began trading secretly with Tatarasuna, both for profit and to further infiltrate the region for information and influence.
And, of course, there was the Delusion operation.
Soon, the cargo ship reached Yashiori Island. Thunderstorms continued to rage over the island, black clouds hanging low in the sky, while thunder echoed constantly, rumbling through the atmosphere.
The skeletal remains of a giant serpent sprawled across Yashiori Island, its towering head looming over everything. At the center of the island, a crackling, violet chasm divided the landscape—the infamous Musoujin Gorge, where the Musou no Hitotachi was said to have struck. Even after a hundred years, the electrified chasm still pulsed with lightning.
With lightning constantly striking down on Yashiori Island, the ship couldn't remain docked for long. The crew worked swiftly to unload the cargo, while Fatui advance teams onshore received the goods and ferried them into the Delusion Factory.
"Ugh… Master Luo Qing, what kind of place is this? Even Gu Yun Stone Forest was more comfortable than here," Teresa, the Electro mage, grumbled, looking at the grim landscape. She couldn't help but feel that being imprisoned in Gu Yun Stone Forest might've been better—at least the view was nicer there.
"Don't worry, we're only here for a quick stop. We won't be staying long," Luo Qing said, glancing at the massive serpent's head in the distance before heading towards the shore.
Due to the sensitive nature of the mission, the Sixth Fatui Harbinger, Scaramouche, couldn't openly appear on Narukami Island, nor could he interact directly with the higher-ups of the Shogunate. He had to remain within the Delusion Factory to oversee operations.
With La Signora absent, the task of infiltrating and destabilizing Inazuma fell squarely on Luo Qing's shoulders.
It would be at least half a year before she arrived in Inazuma. In the meantime, Luo Qing was expected to follow the orders outlined in her letter: intensifying the conflict between the Resistance and the Shogunate, and infiltrating and eventually controlling the Kujou Clan.
In essence, his role would mirror what Tartaglia had done in Liyue—stir up trouble and sow discord wherever possible.
However, something seemed odd to Luo Qing. The letter mentioned the Grand Narukami Shrine briefly, advising caution around the shrine's head priestess, but no specific instructions beyond that.
It was almost as if Rosalyne didn't know who actually held the Electro Archon's Gnosis.
If she did know, wouldn't she have ordered him to deal with that sly fox, Yae Miko?
But that wasn't his concern. After taking in the heavy atmosphere of Yashiori Island, Luo Qing proceeded toward the Delusion Factory.
He left Natalia and the others outside, following an advance guard inside the factory.
The interior was filled with a faint, purplish mist. The emotion-amplifying energy that seeped from the Delusion production process filled the air, making it impossible to stay inside for long, even with protective measures in place.
"Lord Scaramouche, Lord Luo Qing has arrived," one of the guards announced.
"I know. You can leave now."
"Yes, sir."
The guard quickly left, not wanting to spend even a second longer in Scaramouche's presence.
Scaramouche turned, sneering at Luo Qing. "Rosalyne's little lackey, huh?"
"..."
[Frustration Value from Luo Qing +1]
Luo Qing was speechless. If Scaramouche weren't technically his superior, Luo Qing would've had no problem tearing into him with his quick wit. He could've easily hit him with a line like:
Shut your mouth, snow leopard! You're just a mama's boy!
"Humph. I heard you were recently promoted to trainee Harbinger. This place might be a bit too dangerous for a newborn like you," Scaramouche chuckled coldly. "Hope you make it back to Snezhnaya alive."
"..."
"That's very considerate of you, Lord Scaramouche," Luo Qing said, trying to keep his voice steady. Then he added, "Though, it seems like you're stuck here in this factory all day. How about we switch places? You go to Narukami Island instead."
"Hah! I wouldn't waste my time in that false paradise," Scaramouche scoffed, glancing briefly at Luo Qing before turning away.
"This place doesn't need you either. Go handle your own assignments."
Watching Scaramouche walk away, Luo Qing shook his head slightly.
Even though he had mentally prepared himself for this meeting, hearing Scaramouche speak still made his blood pressure spike.
Not that Luo Qing cared. Scaramouche clearly didn't like him, and Luo Qing had no intention of getting too close either. After a quick glance at the Delusion production line, he headed back outside.
He was only here to introduce himself, after all. There would be plenty of chances to interact later on. No need to cozy up to Scaramouche now, especially with his attitude.
Spending too much time around him would only give Luo Qing a headache.
…
By the time the ship docked, it was already evening. They wouldn't be able to set off for Narukami Island until the next day, so Luo Qing and his group decided to rest at the nearby Fatui camp for the night and leave in the morning.
Having just arrived, Luo Qing was curious about Inazuma's landscape, but with the constant storms on Yashiori Island, Natalia and the others didn't dare venture out. So, he decided to go exploring alone.
Not long after leaving the camp, Luo Qing felt as if someone was watching him. He turned around.
From behind a bush, a figure was quietly spying on him.
"Come out. I can see you," Luo Qing called.
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T/N: This is Luo Qing's PR team he is an ally he just feels bad about breaking the guys heart. Plz dont cancel him.
If there are any mistakes let me know!
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