Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue.

"Indeed."

To be cautious, Gu Sanqiu activated his shield before taking the blue orb from Albedo's hands.

"By the way, you alright?"

Cough. 

"Nothing serious," Albedo replied calmly. "The energy depletion is just a bit high since I aimed to resolve it all in one go. Had I simply sparred using pure swordsmanship, I likely wouldn't have pushed myself this far. Retrieving this would have been much easier."

He added, "Then again, among those I know, there are very few who could trade blows in pure greatsword technique with an opponent like that. I can see why you chose me as the test subject."

Gu Sanqiu glanced over at him, faintly wondering if he'd bleed oil or real blood if he got injured.

Beside him, Tartaglia asked, "So, what's this orb for?"

"You're asking the wrong person," Albedo replied, folding his arms. "Shouldn't you be directing that question to him?"

"Fine, let me show you."

Gu Sanqiu was guessing, but seeing as it had materialized as a weapon, he figured the orb must have some strengthening effect when applied to a weapon. He pulled out a longsword, pressing the blue light into it. As he'd anticipated, the orb melded into the blade.

The sword emitted a faint hum, vibrating as thin tendrils of sword energy seeped from the edges, undergoing a subtle yet intense transformation.

The three watched the blade closely for a solid ten minutes. Once he was certain it was stable, Gu Sanqiu picked up the longsword and swung it toward an empty patch of ground.

Swish—

The earth split open like a fresh cut on flesh, clean and precise.

"Hmm. Sharpness is still a bit behind weapons made in the Chasm, but what matters is this sword still seems to have room for improvement."

Albedo nodded, "Yes, its potential has increased—and significantly so. After a bit of reforging, this would be the kind of weapon seasoned adventurers would scramble for."

Tartaglia snatched the sword from Gu Sanqiu and shook his head.

"You two really don't get it. This isn't how this weapon should be used."

"Oh? Do enlighten us." Albedo's eyes gleamed with curiosity, while Gu Sanqiu sighed, glancing helplessly at Tartaglia.

He had planned to share this trick once Albedo left, but he supposed he could understand the excitement.

"Hah!"

Ever the prodigy, Tartaglia merely held the sword for a moment before resting it before him, creating a faint barrier of condensed sword energy around himself.

"See that? The Sword Aura Domain. I'm calling it Sword Armor. Imagine how useful this would be for a team without a shieldbearer."

"Hm, so it's not about increasing an object's potential but more about enhancing the underlying knowledge contained within," Albedo remarked approvingly. Gu Sanqiu, however, shook his head.

"Not feasible. Sure, you picked it up quickly, but that's just because you're naturally talented. For most people, starting from scratch on a skill like this would be ineffective."

"It's better to see if these weapon enhancements can apply to different weapon types first—focus on keeping people alive with stronger tools and pass down the advanced techniques for the next generation. That's the only efficient approach."

"Got it."

Tartaglia nodded as though he understood, then casually kept the sword in his hand as if he had no intention of returning it.

"Hey, give that sword back! What do you think you're doing?"

Tartaglia gave him an innocent look. "I came out here to help you with such a dangerous experiment—shouldn't there be some kind of reward?"

"Didn't you say you enjoyed risky missions like this?"

"Enjoy them, sure, but that doesn't mean the reward should be discounted. My enthusiasm shouldn't be used to fill in the gaps in compensation. That's just poor business practice."

Expressionless, Gu Sanqiu shot back, "Poor business practice, huh? We're not exactly in an employer-employee contract here, so I don't owe you anything. Hand it over, now."

"C'mon, can't you just make another one? You clearly know how."

Gu Sanqiu turned to Albedo.

"Don't look at me. That took a significant amount of energy, and I was diverting part of it to minimize the explosion's impact on the surroundings. I'm already too low to attempt that again," Albedo replied. "However, I do have a suggestion. Reducing the number of offerings should make the resulting object easier to handle."

"That sword just now had enough skill to guarantee a prolonged battle for anyone, regardless of experience. It makes sense that the quality of the offering impacts the result, so feel free to experiment with fewer offerings if you're interested."

"And even if the next summon is as difficult as the last, with all three of us, it should be manageable," Albedo added.

Tartaglia looked at him in surprise. "This is just a research collaboration, or more like a peace offering—did you really need to put in this much thought?"

Albedo placed his right hand on his chest. "Experiments must be handled with care, to avoid needless casualties. And as a decent person, I need to take my amends seriously."

"Look at that, then look at yourself," Gu Sanqiu said, shooting Tartaglia a disapproving look. "He's offering thoughtful insights while all you've thought of is how to snatch my sword."

Tartaglia scowled. "Suit yourself."

"Alright, if that's the case, let's go again. I'll lower the number of offerings this time," Gu Sanqiu said, nodding to Tartaglia. "You're up next. Keep calm, and think about connecting with the stars above. That's it."

"About time."

Tartaglia eagerly leapt onto the altar. "And, if I summon something worthwhile, how about we trade? I get the better one."

…

A vein pulsed on Gu Sanqiu's forehead. "You seriously belong in Liyue's business scene. You're not even bothering to cover up how you plan to pull this off. You're just what commerce needs—a shameless prodigy."

Albedo nodded approvingly. "Likewise, Mondstadt could use someone like you to handle petty civilian demands and the bizarre egos of noble heirs."

"My name isn't 'sir'—it's Tartaglia. Now, hurry up and start the ritual! I'm itching to see what I can summon."

"Fine, I'll cut back on the offerings."

Tartaglia set his weapon on his knees, eagerly calming his mind while Gu Sanqiu began reciting the ritual prayer.

Boom!

It worked.

"Hold on, this time the light is purple."

What?!

Gu Sanqiu's gaze shot skyward, spotting the streak of purple light descending toward them.

Achievement unlocked—Summoning Purple Light on the Tenth Pull.

From one unlucky player's hard-earned lesson.

---

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!

Posture and water check!

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