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[Genshin Impact] Chapter 361: Unexpected (2-in-1 Chapter)
🕑 Added 2024-12-07 09:30:00 +0000 UTCNolan continued discussing the plan with everyone and confirmed there were no issues.
Once everything was set, he began reaching out to Acting Grand Master Jean and Lisa, asking them to join.
This plan wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment idea; Nolan had thought about it for a long time and had even discussed it with Jean and Lisa beforehand.
Jean had always found the Fatui’s actions despicable—building a Delusion factory in Inazuma and using it to manipulate the region’s affairs. While the factory wasn’t in Mondstadt, Jean’s strong sense of justice made her eager to destroy anything harmful to humanity.
Thus, after a brief consideration, she agreed to Nolan’s request without hesitation.
Lisa, on the other hand, was far less enthusiastic. Lazy by nature, she detested the idea of fighting battles during her downtime.
In the end, Nolan promised to help resolve the life-draining drawback of Lisa’s constellation, convincing her to lend a hand.
Lisa’s constellation, Hourglass, greatly accelerated her learning and research abilities, but at a steep cost: for every piece of new knowledge she acquired, an equivalent portion of her lifespan was consumed.
As a scholar, being unable to study or pursue new knowledge was a torment. However, for Lisa, her youthful appearance and remaining lifespan were far more important than gaining new information.
This trade-off led her to effectively “lie flat,” avoiding intense study altogether.
Now, with Nolan offering to solve this problem, Lisa couldn’t help but be tempted. She trusted him; he wasn’t the type to deceive others.
“Alright,” she had agreed reluctantly, “staying up late just this once to help you fight shouldn’t be too much trouble.”
---
After notifying Jean and Lisa, the two promptly teleported to Nolan’s side.
Two tall and graceful figures appeared beside him.
“Hehe, so this is Inazuma,” Lisa remarked, observing their surroundings with a slight smile. The pointed brim of her witch’s hat tilted as she scanned the area. “Even the grass here is infused with excess Electro energy, turning it purple. Truly fitting for the land under the Raiden Shogun’s will.”
Her black, butterfly-patterned high heels sunk slightly into the wet sand of the beach. Beyond the sand stretched a cliff covered with vibrant purple grass, and Lisa could feel the density of Electro energy in the air, far greater than anything in Mondstadt.
Jean, on the other hand, glanced around at everyone and greeted them with a nod. Her gaze lingered momentarily on Mona, clearly noticing that this unfamiliar girl also possessed the ability “Interstellar Travel.”
It didn’t take much thought for Jean to deduce that Nolan must have some personal interest in Mona.
Jean’s brows furrowed slightly as she cast a disapproving glare at Nolan. Can’t you restrain yourself a little? she thought, exasperated.
Still, she sighed inwardly, Fine… It doesn’t matter anymore. If he wants to gather more companions, that’s his business. As long as he takes responsibility for all of us.
To his credit, Nolan had been doing well in that regard—frequently stopping by her Acting Grand Master’s office and never neglecting her.
Noticing Jean’s distracted thoughts, Nolan reached out, took her hand gently, and smiled.
“We’ve already pinpointed the location of the Delusion factory. From here, all you need to do is stay in the Sanctuary, have some tea, and relax.”
Jean wasn’t used to holding hands in front of so many people. A faint blush crept across her pale cheeks as she quickly withdrew her hand and nodded.
“Alright. Be careful out there,” she replied, her voice slightly flustered.
“Haha! Jean is blushing again!” Paimon giggled. Then, realizing her own situation, she added, “Actually, Paimon won’t be much help during the upcoming battle either. Maybe Paimon will just stay in the Wonderland with Jean.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Nolan agreed.
Paimon’s combat abilities were limited; while she could handle routine adventures, the upcoming fight could involve Fatui Harbingers. It was far safer for her to remain hidden.
---
Jean and Paimon temporarily entered the Wonderland while Nolan, Lumine, Mona, and Lisa stayed behind to finalize their preparations.
Once everything was ready, Nolan activated his invisibility domain, cloaking the group as they made their way toward the Delusion factory pinpointed by Mona's divination.
With the advantage of being hidden, they proceeded cautiously.
---
The journey from the beach on Yashiori Island to the Fatui’s Delusion factory was a bit lengthy. To avoid disrupting the invisibility domain by using elemental energy, they had to travel on foot, which took about half an hour.
However, only Nolan and Lumine made the entire trek. Lisa and Mona, after running for a short while, complained of fatigue and decided to return to the Wonderland to chat with Jean and Paimon. They agreed to rejoin once the group reached the destination.
In hindsight, this worked out well since it conserved their energy for the battle ahead.
---
Upon arriving at the target location, Nolan and Lumine slowed their pace, now walking casually down a dirt path.
The surrounding forest was unnervingly quiet—too quiet. Nolan suspected that Fatui soldiers were hiding nearby, standing guard.
“This is a forest,” Lumine said, resting her hands on her hips and scanning the area. “There aren’t any large structures visible. Could the Fatui have built the Delusion factory inside a secret realm?”
“That’s likely,” Nolan nodded in agreement. “It would be too conspicuous otherwise. Even on a vast island like Yashiori, someone would notice.”
As he spoke, he noticed something unusual in a puddle along the dirt path ahead.
“Look,” he said, pointing, “there’s a wheel track here. It might’ve been left by carts the Fatui used to transport ‘Crystal Marrow.’”
Lumine raised an eyebrow in surprise. “So Mona’s divination was spot-on. Let’s follow the tracks and see where they lead,” she said with a smirk.
“Got it.”
---
Following the trail a little further, they eventually came upon a small Fatui outpost situated in a clearing.
These kinds of outposts were common in every nation across Teyvat, typically established by Fatui advance teams conducting illegal operations.
The soldiers stationed at these outposts were often armed with advanced elemental weapons developed by Snezhnaya, making them formidable foes. Ordinary adventurers usually avoided them, unwilling to provoke a fight.
Most of the time, the strength of these soldiers ranged from level 30 to 40.
However, with the golden “Eye of Judgment,” Nolan observed that the Fatui soldiers here were unusually strong, averaging level 60.
It was clear that this group was an elite unit, which made their presence at a remote outpost seem odd.
---
With their invisibility shielding them from detection, Nolan and Lumine confidently searched the outpost.
Before long, they discovered a portal embedded in a rocky cliff at the back of the camp. Two Fatui Pyro Gunners stood guard near the portal.
It was almost certain: the Delusion factory lay beyond this portal.
Nolan and Lumine exchanged a glance, silently agreeing not to alert the guards. They decided to sneak through the portal and gather more information about the factory’s layout and defenses.
The portal, which connected two distinct spaces, emitted no detectable energy fluctuations once activated.
As a result, Nolan and Lumine walked right past the guards and through the portal, completely unnoticed.
Crossing the threshold felt as simple as stepping from a living room into a bedroom—there was no sound or disturbance aside from the immediate change in scenery.
On the other side of the portal, they found themselves in a dimly lit corridor. Grimy kerosene lamps hung on rusted walls lined with old pipes.
Two more guards were stationed near the portal, but they, too, failed to detect the invisible intruders.
Nolan and Lumine avoided engaging the guards, knowing that any commotion could alert the Fatui Harbingers potentially present in the factory.
“Let’s keep moving,” Nolan whispered after a moment of thought.
“Alright,” Lumine replied softly, her amber eyes briefly concealed by the flicker of her pale eyelids as she nodded.
---
They began to explore the factory, moving slowly to avoid detection while mapping out the interior. Their primary goal was to assess the Fatui’s strength, locate the most powerful Harbinger inside, and execute a swift surprise attack to neutralize them. With the leader eliminated, they could then deal with the remaining forces and destroy the factory.
Maximizing their stealth advantage was critical.
The factory appeared to be divided into several distinct areas:
1. A raw materials zone filled with piles of Crystal Marrow and other resources.
2. A production zone where Delusions were being manufactured.
3. A furnace core that provided energy to the entire operation.
4. A dormitory area for the Fatui soldiers.
By eavesdropping on conversations among the soldiers, Nolan learned that La Signora and Scaramouche, two Fatui Harbingers, were both present in the factory.
La Signora had apparently just returned from Inazuma City.
The reason for the assembly of so many Fatui Harbingers was reportedly to welcome "The Doctor"—a figure who, for some unknown reason, had also come to Inazuma.
“The Doctor is here as well,” Lumine murmured, her gaze lowering thoughtfully to the ground. “It’s fortunate we didn’t rashly attack the Delusion factory without knowing this, or things might not have gone as smoothly as we’d hoped.”
She looked up at Nolan and continued, “From what the Fatui soldiers were saying, the Harbingers are all in a meeting room discussing something. Should we check it out?”
Nolan hadn’t anticipated The Doctor showing up in Inazuma. Could this be another ripple caused by his small butterfly effect? This unexpected variable might complicate their plan to destroy the factory.
“Let’s take a look first,” he agreed with a nod.
In the original timeline, The Doctor never appeared in Inazuma. His presence here could possibly be linked to their earlier encounter on Dragonspine, where Nolan and his team had caused him some minor setbacks. He might have come to warn his fellow Harbingers to stay alert, ensuring they didn’t fail in obtaining the Electro Archon’s Gnosis due to Nolan’s interference.
Such vigilance was entirely plausible, given that their arrival in Inazuma wasn’t exactly a secret. Considering The Doctor’s meticulous nature, it made sense for him to advise La Signora and Scaramouche.
Moreover, acquiring the Gnosis was critical for The Doctor’s experiments on divinity, a project tied to his prime form’s work in Sumeru.
Nolan needed to confirm whether the version of The Doctor here was one of his powerful “segments” or the prime form. If it turned out to be the latter, whose strength rivaled that of gods, it would be wise to quietly withdraw for now.
If it was the weaker version they had encountered on Dragonspine, Nolan was confident they could manage, at least enough to destroy the factory.
---
Soon, by eavesdropping on the soldiers’ chatter, Nolan and Lumine pinpointed the location of the meeting room.
When they reached the vicinity of the room, Nolan immediately sensed the presence of several powerful auras inside. Two of them felt familiar—likely La Signora and The Doctor—while the third, unfamiliar one, had to be Scaramouche.
The meeting room door was closed, so barging in wasn’t an option. Instead, Nolan led Lumine to a corner and used the properties of his “Form Concealment” ability to render a small section of the wall transparent.
Through the now-invisible wall, the scene inside the meeting room came into view. The warm yellow glow of kerosene lamps illuminated the space.
The room’s furnishings were simple: a large brown round table in the center, surrounded by a row of wooden chairs with backrests.
Three figures sat at intervals around the table:
1. La Signora – The 8th Fatui Harbinger, her face partially obscured by a black mask covering one side.
2. The Doctor (Dottore) – The 2nd Fatui Harbinger, his eyes concealed by a black mask that left only his cheeks exposed.
3. Scaramouche – The 6th Fatui Harbinger, seated with his back to them, wearing a wide hat with long draping tassels.
As Nolan observed them, his Golden Eye of Judgment analyzed their power levels:
- La Signora: [Level 86]
- The Doctor: [Level 89]
- Scaramouche: [Level 90]
La Signora’s level remained the same as when he last observed her, though her strength might surpass this during her Delusion’s release state—akin to Childe. He estimated her true power could exceed level 90.
The Doctor, fortunately, was the same segment they had encountered on Dragonspine, not his prime form. This brought Nolan some relief.
Scaramouche, however, was a surprise. His baseline strength being level 90 was unexpected but understandable, given his origins. As a prototype puppet created by Raiden Ei before crafting the Raiden Shogun, it was only natural that he possessed extraordinary strength.
---
“So there really are three Harbingers gathered here,” Lumine whispered. “Should we... wait for one of them to leave before attacking? It might be better to strike when the factory’s defenses are thinner.”
Her confidence wavered. Though she couldn’t perceive their exact power levels, her intuition and combat experience told her that these Harbingers were significantly stronger than her. Defeating them would not be easy.
Nolan pondered for a moment and agreed.
There was no need to risk a precarious battle just to destroy the factory now. It wasn’t going anywhere, and it was unlikely that three Harbingers would always be present.
Just as they were preparing to retreat and return later, a sudden shout erupted from inside the room:
“Who’s there?!”
Before they could react, a flash of lightning tore through the air like a raging dragon, surging toward them with terrifying speed.
---
(End of Chapter)
