( I have changed the name of our mc to Nathan )
Nathan walked alongside Keqing in the outskirts of Liyue.
The cold moonlight stretched their shadows ever longer.
Earlier, facing Keqing's request had suddenly triggered the simulator's options.
If he had chosen to refuse then, it would have immediately ended the simulation and unlocked an ending called "Iron-Hearted Virgin."
Under the girl's earnest pleading, only a truly iron-hearted virgin could have voiced rejection.
At least for now, Nathan hadn't reached that level of emotional detachment.
Faced with the cat-like Keqing, he instinctively chose to agree.
This was actually Nathan's first venture outside Liyue's city walls since his transmigration.
Unlike the steel forest of cities from his previous life, Liyue's outskirts were filled with mountains, waters, and lush greenery.
However, in the pitch-black night, only the hazy moonlight revealed their outlines.
"Qing, where are we going?"
Walking side by side, Nathan lowered his head slightly.
What concerned him most was the girl's tight grip on his palm.
Since leaving the city, they had been holding hands continuously.
Moreover, this intimate gesture had been initiated by Keqing herself.
"We're going to... resolve the knot that's been in my heart all this time."
Keqing's eyes were determined, her grip growing tighter.
........
Heading north, they arrived at a place called Nantianmen.
It was a river valley nestled between two mountains. Following the stream upward, they finally stopped before a cave entrance.
"Nate... this is where Uncle, Auntie... and my parents met their fate!"
Pointing at the hidden cave entrance, Keqing's voice trembled.
During her childhood, she had passed through here with her parents and Nathan's parents.
Keqing had lost consciousness then, and when she awoke... everyone else had vanished.
Since then... this cave had become an indelible shadow in the girl's heart.
Even though the Millelith had searched here several times without results, it couldn't help Keqing overcome her inner fear.
This mountain cave, where all her loved ones had met their doom, remained her most inexplicable fear.
Keqing knew very well that if she couldn't conquer this heavy burden, she would never be able to take that step toward growth.
So now, she had come here.
Beside her was Nathan, toward whom she felt guilty.
"Is this the place?"
Nathan peered into the cave entrance. For him, this was ultimately just a life simulation, unable to truly comprehend the girl's deep-seated fears.
"Nate!"
Seeing Nathan's movement, Keqing's nervous emotions instantly erupted.
Her grip on his hand immediately tightened.
"Don't worry, it seems like just an ordinary cave..."
Nathan returned a reassuring smile to the girl. At least from the entrance, there appeared to be nothing unusual inside.
But after he led Keqing inside, the pitch-black cave suddenly burst with phosphorescence.
It was a cold blue light, radiating from the cave's center.
Nathan immediately wanted to retreat, but the entrance had been sealed by a thick membrane of light.
"ROAR!!!"
From behind them, at the light's epicenter, came a terrifying howl.
"Holy... CRAP!!!"
With the exit sealed, Nathan spun around.
The sight behind them made him instinctively curse.
At the convergence of light stood an terrifyingly monstrous being.
A massive flesh-sphere, covered in countless eyeballs - its appearance was both horrifying and physically nauseating.
"No way, isn't this supposed to be the Genshin Impact world?"
Seeing this creature that seemed to have walked straight out of Lovecraftian mythology, Nathan mentally ranted.
This was Genshin, not some other horror game!
At least in the game he had played in his previous life, he had never encountered such a sanity-destroying monster.
"Z-Nate... it's it... I remember now, it's what devoured our parents!"
Face to face with this horrifying monster, Keqing's lost memories came flooding back.
This was the source of her fear, the trauma so severe it had made her lose those memories entirely.
"Nate, what should we do?"
At this moment, Keqing suddenly deeply regretted her rashness.
In her desperate desire to resolve her inner turmoil, she had dragged her childhood friend into danger.
"Get down!"
Instead of answering her question, Nathan tackled her to the ground.
Just then, the floating flesh-sphere had noticed their position.
Dozens of eyes opened, and that eerie blue light shot directly from their pupils.
Fortunately, Nathan's quick reaction in making them hit the ground helped them dodge this laser-like attack.
"BOOM!"
While Nathan and Keqing had escaped, the rock wall behind them wasn't so lucky.
Struck by the blue light, it exploded with a violent crash.
As the dust settled, a huge crater appeared in the thick stone wall.
"So... so terrifying!"
Seeing this, Keqing trembled in Nathan's embrace.
"Nate, I'm sorry..."
Lying in his arms, Keqing apologized for her rash actions.
She feared their lives might both end here in this mountain cave.
"Don't say such disheartening things, we haven't reached our limit yet."
Nathan stood up with Keqing in his arms, comforting the girl while questioning the simulation system.
"What exactly is this thing?"
[Evil Spirit, it's a collective of resentment. It feeds on human negative emotions, growing stronger the more it consumes!]
"Heh, I wonder if miHoYo knows they created such a monster?"
Nathan thought with a cold smile, seriously suspecting this horror was the simulator's unauthorized script alteration.
[Defeat by the Evil Spirit will unlock the Total Annihilation ending!]
[Defeating the Evil Spirit will earn system rewards!]
Ignoring Nathan's sarcasm, the simulation system presented two more answers.
Obviously, if struck by the Evil Spirit's light, both would perish - the so-called Total Annihilation ending.
For Nathan, this was absolutely unacceptable.
Since defeating this monster would earn corresponding rewards, he had to give it his all.
Considering the power of that light beam earlier, ordinary Yunlai Sword techniques wouldn't be effective.
For this, Nathan thought of his final trump card.
That golden talent he had drawn upon entering the life simulation---the Eight Gates technique!!!