Chapter 11: Awakening

"You're awake?"

"Is there any part of your body that still feels uncomfortable?"

As soon as Lin Feng opened his eyes, he heard Tighnari’s concerned inquiry.

"My mouth just tastes so bitter!"

Seeing the medicine bowl in Tighnari's hand, Lin Feng realized there was a heavy, bitter taste in his mouth—much like the time he had curiously bitten through the sugar coating of a pill when he was a child.

"That is the medicinal decoction I fed you while you were asleep. It is primarily for restoring your physical strength."

"To collapse and sleep for an entire day just from touching a Statue of The Seven—you really need to supplement your nutrition more, starting now." Tighnari looked at Lin Feng’s somewhat frail frame with a hint of worry. "Anyway, let's set that aside. Check and see if you have suddenly acquired a glass orb on your person."

Tighnari took his own Vision from his waist and pointed at it. "Something similar to this."

Clearly, Tighnari believed that the previous phenomenon was due to Lin Feng receiving the gaze of a god. Although he wasn't sure why the scene had been so spectacular, based on Lin Feng's elemental control at the time, he assumed Lin Feng must have received a Dendro Vision.

"No, I couldn't find one."

Hearing Tighnari’s words, Lin Feng didn't hold out any hope. Given his own situation at the time, it felt less like being favored by a god and receiving a gift, and more like he had brought a sack to the god’s home to loot the place.

*It’s fortunate this was in Sumeru,* he thought. *If it had been anywhere else, the deity might have shown up in person the moment I opened my eyes.*

"That is strange. Your physical fitness has been significantly enhanced, and that attraction to the elements has also strengthened. These manifestations are very similar to what happens after obtaining a Vision." Tighnari was visibly puzzled. "How do you feel now?"

"If there’s nothing seriously wrong, we could go outside and test if you can manipulate Dendro elemental energy." He proposed heading out to try it out.

"I have never felt better. Let's go and give it a try. Although I’ve never channeled elemental energy before, I might not be very skilled at it." Lin Feng was eager to try.

...

"Right here will do." Tighnari stopped and pointed at two targets in the clearing ahead. "This is where I usually practice my archery. Try to see if you can bind those two targets with vines."

Tighnari stepped back, leaving the space to Lin Feng.

"Alright, I'll try my best."

Lin Feng took a deep breath and began to recall the sensation from that day. The green particles in the air became visible once more, and Lin Feng attempted to issue a command to them.

"Bind!" Lin Feng called out softly.

*Boom!*

Watching the targets being crushed instantly by thick, thorny vines, Lin Feng was filled with confusion. *Is this the 'bind' intended for control? Something isn't right here, is it?*

"Whoa, that is truly astonishing. The power far exceeds expectations. Lin Feng, you really are quite special."

Tighnari, standing to the side, watched as the "vines"—which were nearly as thick as his own thighs—reshaped his understanding of Lin Feng's combat capability. "Hmm... the activation speed is a bit slow, but the power is extremely high. This level of attack power is even stronger than some elite monsters that wield Dendro energy." Tighnari jotted something down in his notebook. "Let's continue." He looked at Lin Feng with anticipation.

...

"Stop! That’s enough for today."

Seeing that Lin Feng was becoming exhausted, Tighnari halted his research. He looked around. The once-level practice ground was now riddled with craters from plant-based "landmines," giant thorny vines blanketed the ground, and the surrounding plants had even grown significantly taller due to the residual Dendro energy.

"Are we finally done? I am... I am absolutely exhausted."

Having spent half the day carpet-bombing the area, Lin Feng had a clear understanding of his own combat strength. Honestly... it was powerful! Even though his level wasn't high, the power of his techniques surpassed even Tighnari, who was level 51. It was just that he lacked a convenient weapon like Tighnari’s bow, so his methods were relatively singular—limited to the "Bind" of gathering vines, the "Earth Spikes" generated from the ground, and the "Explosion" created by compressing and binding the Dendro energy before hurling it all at once.

As for that extraordinary power, it was highly likely due to his "Elemental Affinity" being as high as level 7. In game terms, this would manifest as a massive increase in elemental damage bonuses—if quantified, it would be in the hundreds at the very least.

"You have quite the talent for elemental manipulation," Tighnari said as he stopped writing and walked over. "You don't have a Vision, yet your ability to control the elements is clearly superior to the vast majority of people." Tighnari was very surprised. "In fact, many holders of Dendro Visions cannot even generate sturdy vines; they simply attach the elemental energy to their weapons for a reinforcing effect. For you to achieve this the moment you acquire elemental energy... in my experience, there is perhaps only one friend who can compare to you in terms of combat."

Tighnari candidly praised Lin Feng's talent. "Although your shortcomings are also quite obvious, such as a lack of precision in your attacks and a lack of sufficient combat experience and diverse techniques."

"However, I will help you improve these issues slowly in the future. With your combat power, I can finally have an easier time; my ears were practically drooping from fatigue after clearing out monsters every single day." Tighnari revealed a heartfelt smile.

"Are you saying that in the future, I will be assisting you with the task of clearing out monster camps?" Lin Feng asked, catching the implication in Tighnari's words.

"Of course. After all, your goal is to travel the seven nations, right? Combat skills are indispensable." Tighnari tossed his pen and caught it, smiling as he replied. "I originally intended to teach you some archery, but since you’ve acquired elemental energy, it seems we’ll need to add some relevant lessons."

"Let’s head back. After dinner, I’ll go process some backlogged reports, and you should rest for the night."

"As it happens, there is a Hilichurl camp nearby that needs clearing. I’ll take you along tomorrow to experience actual combat firsthand. Make sure to get some sleep early tonight."

After informing Lin Feng of tomorrow's itinerary, Tighnari left. Clearly, the time spent testing Lin Feng’s abilities had caused a significant pile of reports to accumulate.

*Hilichurls, huh... I wonder what they actually look like?*

Back in his small room, Lin Feng ate the meat roll he had bought on the way back, feeling curious about the most well-known enemies in the game. As a speed-runner of the Mondstadt daily commissions, Lin Feng had collected thousands of Hilichurl masks in the game, but since arriving in Teyvat, he hadn't seen a single real Hilichurl.

Filled with anticipation for his first real battle, Lin Feng washed up and went to bed early. As a wave of inexplicable sleepiness washed over him, he slowly drifted off into a dream.