Two simple numbers silenced everyone present.
Paimon scratched her head.
“I remember when we were preparing the Farewell Ceremony for the Geo Archon,
that longevity incense also cost three million Mora, right?”
Lumine lowered her gaze and turned to look at Paimon.
“It was two million nine hundred ninety nine thousand.”
“Does it make a difference?”
“From a universal perspective, it's one thousand less.”
“Don't try to imitate Zhongli!”
While Paimon and Lumine bickered, Alhaitham seemed to have thought of something and asked,
“According to your rules, I believe we can work off the debt, right?”
Of course, Si Xuan knew these people couldn't afford three million Mora.
He had already prepared a solution.
He took out the purple crystal chip he had used before.
“Stick this chip to your God's Eye. Don't worry, it won't affect your elemental power usage, it's just for data recording.
Five chips for three million, ten chips for ten million. Of course, there's also a bonus for those who frequently use elemental power, for a week.”
His research on will-power and elemental power lacked data.
He had gathered data from almost all God's Eye holders in Fontaine.
Now, he needed to start collecting data on God's Eye usage outside of Fontaine.
“What is this?”
Paimon curiously picked up a chip and flipped it over.
“This is a new recording chip developed by the Fontaine Academy of Sciences.
It can record data about God's Eye holders.
The Academy doesn't have a name for it yet, so it's currently called a ‘Will-Power Chip.’”
Alhaitham quickly thought about the God's Eye holders within Sumeru, holding ten chips in his hand.
Himself, Cyno, Layla, a certain tenant who can't afford rent, Tighnari, and Collei.
Six individuals who he was sure wouldn't be a problem.
The rest were Dori, the current Candace and Dehya, and Nilou from the Great Bazaar troupe.
He would need some time to persuade them.
But he had enough individuals.
“We'll take all ten. Currently, we can only guarantee six, we'll complete the data recording for the remaining ones after this incident.”
After Alhaitham finished, Cyno added,
“On the authority of the Grand Sage, I assure you we will not default on our payment.”
“Don't worry, no one dares to challenge me. Since that's settled, we're now on the same team.”
At that moment, a gust of wind roared from outside.
The tightly shut door was suddenly blown open by a large amount of yellow sand.
Paimon was startled by the sudden gust of wind.
“What happened? What's going on outside?”
Candace smiled, soothing Paimon like a mother comforting her child.
“Don't worry, it's just a normal sandstorm. It happens often in this area of the desert.”
As soon as Candace finished speaking, the sound of monstrous tearing and roaring came from outside.
Paimon's relieved heart sank again.
“That sound... Is that also normal?”
Candace's smile didn't falter.
“When there's a sandstorm, there will be some beasts hunting outside. It's normal.
I'll go take care of it.”
Paimon suddenly realized that this seemingly gentle, wife-and-mother-like big sister
was actually a tough character.
But at this moment, Si Xuan suddenly stood up.
“Let me go.”
Everyone present thought the sun had risen in the west.
The Fontaine diplomat, who always prioritized his own benefit, would actually volunteer for a task?
“Let's be clear, this is voluntary, we don't have the money to pay you.”
Paimon was terrified by Si Xuan's high fee.
She was afraid that after Si Xuan returned, he would ask them for money.
“Don't worry, I won't ask you for money this time.”
Si Xuan walked out of the room.
At this time, the Aaru Village was enveloped in a sandstorm.
Visibility was almost zero.
Beasts hid in the yellow sand, occasionally emitting piercing roars,
sending chills down one's spine.
Si Xuan patted his clothes.
The auspicious cloud pattern on his clothes emitted a faint glow.
Golden light flowed on the clothes, connecting all the auspicious clouds.
They formed a mysterious rune.
A protective shield, about three centimeters in diameter, formed around Si Xuan, protecting him.
His eyes were also fitted with energy-powered, frameless tactical goggles, provided by the clothes.
Not only could it help him block sand, but it could also help him locate targets.
Through the goggles, Si Xuan saw about twenty dark shadows floating outside.
Some emanated Electro energy, while others were Geo.
They were Beast-Realm Hounds, commonly known as Blood Hounds.
These creatures had collectively come out to hunt during the sandstorm.
But this was what Si Xuan had expected.
The reason he came out to work for free was to test the skills of his dual guns.
The dual guns at his waist were Fontaine's only semi-automatic pistols, made by Fontaine scientists based on Si Xuan's ideas.
These pistols could be loaded with both ordinary gunpowder bullets
and special bullets imbued with Apep's energy.
The kinetic energy required to fire the bullets was not gunpowder.
It was the energy of the Earth's veins, or the power of the human world.
Energy provided by the clothes on Si Xuan's body.
These two pistols were named ‘Lingyuan Dual Pistols’ by the Fontaine scientists.
Si Xuan first tried the ordinary gunpowder bullets. He drew his dual pistols.
He locked on to two Blood Hounds with his tactical goggles.
His two index fingers quickly pulled the triggers.
“Bang bang bang.”
The bullets hit the hounds' heads.
The tactical goggles immediately began analyzing the hit Blood Hounds.
Even though the bullets hit the head, ordinary gunpowder bullets caused limited damage to Blood Hounds.
If Blood Hounds had health bars, they would have lost about ten percent of their HP at this point.
Si Xuan had already emptied his magazine.
Ordinary gunpowder wouldn't do much against these alchemical creatures born from Abyssal power.
Their energy levels were on completely different scales.
Si Xuan recognized the magazine and switched his pistols to Apep mode.
At that moment, the Blood Hounds, startled, began surrounding him.
Black claws emerged from the yellow sand without warning.
“Thump.”
Although the claws were blocked by the energy shield, black energy seeped into the shield.
The Abyssal power brushed against Si Xuan's hand,
and he immediately felt a stinging pain on the back of his hand.
“No wonder Zhongli's Geo can't defend against Blood Hounds. So Abyssal power can ignore elemental shields.”
He muttered to himself, Si Xuan immediately stepped back.
The clothes on his body glowed brightly, golden energy flowing along the auspicious cloud pattern to the back of his hand.
The black Abyssal power was dispelled almost instantly.
The Abyssal power of the Blood Hounds was too weak.
If it were the power from the Liyue Qiongji, it wouldn't be so easy to get rid of once it stuck.
Si Xuan aimed his dual pistols at the Blood Hounds. Two purple and yellow bullets quickly shot towards the Blood Hounds.
Although the Blood Hounds were agile, they were far too slow compared to the speed of the bullets.
The hit Blood Hounds were immediately killed by these two energies.
Si Xuan quickly fired at the Blood Hounds in other directions.
The pure Apep energy wasn't something the weak Abyssal power could withstand.
Every Blood Hound that was hit was either heavily injured or killed instantly.
In three minutes, only three or five Blood Hounds remained, gathered together.
“It's time to try my ultimate move.”
Si Xuan aimed his dual pistols at the remaining Blood Hounds. Purple and yellow lights flickered on the guns.
As Si Xuan pulled the trigger, two energy bullets were fired.
Normally, at this distance, they would fly in a straight line.
But this time, the two energy bullets flew in a curve.
In front of the Blood Hounds, the two Apep energy bullets collided.
An annihilation reaction occurred instantly, and the massive energy it released instantly turned the Blood Hounds into dust.
Even the yellow sand in the area where they stood disappeared momentarily.
Si Xuan walked to the spot where the annihilation reaction occurred.
He repeatedly analyzed it with his tactical goggles and collected some residue.
“The purity is still too low.”
With those words, Si Xuan returned to the room.