Genshin Impact: The Road to Reversal

“Yes!” Peruvieri and Clévy replied in unison.

"Great! We can fight side by side again!" Karin said excitedly to Mona.

Seeing this, Mengna winked at her and gave her a knowing smile.

Before they could continue, Rek'os looked at them and said, "Don't worry, this operation has nothing to do with you."

"what?"

Karin's excitement froze instantly, as if she had been doused with a bucket of cold water.

"Why?" she pressed urgently. "We've fought them before, we have experience! And having more people means more strength, doesn't it?"

Although Mo Yan, Zhao Heng, and Zi Xuan did not speak, they also showed doubt and confusion.

He coldly replied, "The trial will begin in two days. This is your only task at present. Of course, if you want to give up the opportunity, I will not stop you, but let me state in advance that the trial is a condition required by the Holy Venerable. Even if you help the Ice River, I will not give you the certificate out of gratitude."

"Just like someone said before, we won't allow others to run rampant on our own territory. The Fallen Gods Guild is our problem, and we'll handle it. Your mission is to pass the trial. Being distracted will only make you die faster in the trial."

As he spoke, he subconsciously looked at Rednos.

Rednos shrugged, but the smile on his lips deepened.

The office was completely silent.

Karin opened her mouth, but found herself unable to refute. Hadn't they endured countless hardships to collect the Guardian Tokens, open the path to Dreamland, and return to reality?

The trial is a necessary hurdle to overcome; this was a condition set by Rek'os from the very beginning.

But is it really okay to just ignore it like this?

Mo Yan was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "We understand, the trial is the most important thing."

Even so, the hesitation in everyone's hearts could not be put aside.

With the tasks assigned, everyone left the office without another word, leaving only Rednos there, reluctant to depart.

……

In the hallway, Karin looked sullen. Mona walked over, put her arm around her shoulder, and comforted her with a smile, "Don't be sad, we'll celebrate your successful trial after we take care of those bugs!"

Furna stood to the side, her gaze involuntarily drifting towards Peruvieri. Peruvieri was also looking at her, her pupils filled with complex emotions, but in the end, she only nodded slightly to her before turning and leaving with Clévius.

"Let's go back and prepare," Mo Yan said to his companions, glancing at Meng Nai one last time. "I wish you all the best in your mission."

"Don't worry, with me here, there won't be any problems!" Mengna patted her chest, full of confidence.

……

Only Rek'os and Rednos remained in the office.

A subtle, almost confrontational silence filled the air.

Rednos looked towards the door, crossed his arms, and gave a cold laugh.

"That's really strict. You're not even going to give those kids a chance for 'extracurricular activities'. Their enthusiasm will be dampened."

Rek'os snorted coldly: "Stop talking nonsense. If there's nothing else, could you please leave? My ears can't stand roundabout ways of speaking."

"Heh, how cold. We're colleagues, after all. Let's not even mention the time we fought side by side. I haven't thanked you yet for saving Miss Funina in the Abyss. Although you secretly concealed your aura at the time, we've been together for so long, I'm not so dense as to not even detect that. Besides... the Abyss is a territory I personally built." Rednos said in a lazy and teasing tone.

"Is that so? That's a real shame. Well then, if there's nothing else, you may leave, or would you like me to personally 'invite' you out?" His voice remained indifferent.

However, Rednos disagreed: "I already told you, don't be so cold. To show my gratitude, didn't I even bring reinforcements to help you?"

"Heh, thanks?" Rek'os turned to Rednos and sneered, "Then I'd like to ask you, how many of the reinforcements you brought are your own contractors?"

“Miss Mona’s Seven Stars were established by the Holy One; the same applies to Caesar’s so-called Six Evil Saints. And since you know that I saved Funina, you should also know about her connection with Phoenix.”

"Three people in total, with no connection to your contract whatsoever. Is this what you call reinforcements? Or are you, the Guardian, planning to personally take the field? I doubt it. If that's the case, why bring them along? Besides, although you're prone to causing trouble, you seem to prefer 'strategizing' behind the scenes rather than charging into battle." Rek'os's lips curled into a sneer, his sarcasm undisguised.

Rednos's smile remained unchanged, as if Rek'os's words were merely a gentle breeze brushing past his ear. He even casually adjusted his posture, leaning more relaxed against the wall.

"Oh dear, you don't trust me that much? We're related by blood, after all." His tone was light, with a hint of innocent slyness. "I'm just preparing for any eventuality. The Fallen Gods Guild always has a backup plan, and they know us very well. Whether it's our past or the relics buried in history, anything that guy is interested in will eventually be used."

"You buried countless things under the glacier with your own hands. You wouldn't want any of them to escape, would you? Especially that one deep in the Abyss. As the one who started it all, you must know why Solgalie said the Abyss was not suitable for ordinary people to live in, right?"

Rednos's words were like needles, precisely piercing the most taboo and forbidden zone in Rek'os's heart.

The Abyss, the deepest and most forbidden place in the glacier. Solgarlie's rebellion was not only for the survival of the Abyss's inhabitants, but also because it sealed away something that even Rek'os himself found troublesome, and even... unwilling to mention easily.

The Fallen Gods Guild... They even know this?

"They...are trying to take it?"

His voice was terrifyingly low, no longer the indifference or sarcasm of before, but a calm that seemed to precede a storm.

Rednos watched his reaction with satisfaction.

“It is a mad scientist. For him, anything that is ‘ancient,’ ‘powerful,’ or ‘forbidden’ has a fatal attraction. Whether it is the dimensional shadow stone, Sang Yang’s forbidden experimental data, or… what is buried under the glacier.”

He shrugged: "So you see, the reinforcements I brought may not be my contractors, but each of them has experience or potential in dealing with 'unconventional' threats. Mona is good at dealing with troublesome individuals; Funina... the Phoenix power within her might play an unexpected role at crucial moments; as for Caesar, no one is more suitable than him to deal with those tough-skinned or elementally counteracting 'big guys'."