Genshin Impacti: This Priest is Cringe, But She's Also Unbeatable — Chapter 102

Chapter 102: The Elven Reward! All Members Upgraded

Following behind Eldara, they walked out of the royal palace hall, leaving the magnificent structure woven from moonlight and ancient trees in their wake. The heavy doors swung shut behind them, a deep, resonant sound that finally cut off the Queen’s unfathomable gaze.

The invisible pressure that had been weighing down on them finally dissipated completely.

“Phew—” Selene let out a long, shuddering breath, her entire body slumping in relief. She raised a hand to pat her back, which was still board-stiff. “Oh my god, my back was so tight just now! I seriously felt like if I breathed even a little too loudly, Her Majesty’s eyes would pierce right through me!”

“That’s just your imagination,” Celeste dismantled her sister’s drama without mercy, gleefully swaying the “Embrace of Moonlight” earring in her hand. “Her Majesty’s attention was on me from start to finish. At most, you were just a pretty background prop.”

“Sister!” Selene puffed out her cheeks, her large eyes glaring as she reached out to pinch the sliver of skin at Celeste’s waist.

‘Dammit! She’s showing off again! But still… Sister really is amazing. To be that calm and composed in front of the Queen, and even get a reward that suits her so perfectly! Dammit! I’m even more jealous now!’

“Alright, you two, stop fooling around,” Su Wan intervened, a rare occurrence. A faint, relaxed smile graced her lips, a stark contrast to her usual dignified expression. Clearly, she was also in an excellent mood.

Only Xia Lian remained lost in the aftershocks of the royal audience. She carefully tugged at Celeste’s sleeve and asked in a hushed voice, “Sister Celeste, that majestic Queen… when she was young, would she really… do that stuff with humans?”

Celeste recalled the Queen’s stunning majesty and those eyes as deep and vast as a sea of stars. Then, she pictured a younger, rebellious Priestess wandering the continent, flirting with abandon and casually playing the princes of various kingdoms like fiddles.

The wonderful, chaotic sense of contrast made her burst out laughing. “Pfft.”

“Who knows?” She gave Xia Lian a mysterious wink. “But I bet her adventures were definitely much more exciting than we can imagine.”

Eldara, leading the way, overheard the discussion behind her. Her footsteps never faltered, but her back, encased in black heavy armor, seemed just a fraction stiffer than before.

After crossing several sky corridors woven from Moonlight Vines, they arrived before another massive building carved from a colossal ancient tree. This place lacked the opulent grace of the royal palace, its atmosphere instead thick with a cold, murderous aura. The elves guarding the entrance were not the ceremonial sentries in ornate dress uniforms, but true, battle-hardened warriors.

Upon seeing Eldara, they immediately saluted with hands pressed to their chests. Their eyes were filled with heartfelt respect, devoid of the exclusion and aloofness they had encountered from the elves at Dawn Harbor.

“This is the Silver Moon Armory,” Eldara introduced succinctly. “It houses the finest standard-issue weapons, armor, and magical items of our Elven race.”

“Standard-issue?” Selene caught the keyword.

“Yes,” Eldara nodded, her tone like that of a dutiful narrator. “Standard-issue means the craftsmanship is mature and can be mass-produced, making it convenient to quickly equip the army.” She paused, then added a summary. “Simply put: effective, durable, and plentiful.”

She led the four inside, and a massive circular space unfolded before them. A unique scent—a mix of cold iron, ozone, and enchanting materials—wafted over them, sharp and stimulating. The walls extended from the ground all the way to a dome so high its peak was lost in shadow, every inch densely covered with all kinds of equipment.

Sabers, spears, swords, halberds, bows, crossbows, and staves—every conceivable weapon was there. Each piece of equipment flowed with a magical glow, some restrained and subtle, others flamboyant and proud, all silently speaking of their extraordinary nature.

“You may choose any one piece of equipment from the first three floors as a thank-you gift,” Eldara announced, looking at them. “Choose according to your own classes and needs.”

“Awesome!” Xia Lian’s eyes lit up instantly, her gaze already glued to a row of exquisite shortbows hanging on the wall.

Celeste looked around, her mind also racing with calculations.

‘What do I lack most right now? Offensive methods? Defensive capabilities? No…”Right, it’s a cover! A Priest cover that can disguise me as someone normal!”Under the influence of Overtones, every time I heal, there’s a chance some weird BGM or holographic PV will pop out. If I run into a situation where I need to keep a low profile and just pretend to be an ordinary Priest, this passive is basically a social death time bomb.”I need to find an item that can substitute for my own spellcasting. I’ll use it for healing normally, and then in critical moments, I’ll do it myself to give the enemy a big, nasty surprise! Heh.’

Having made up her mind, Celeste spoke directly to Eldara. “Commander, I want an off-hand piece of equipment. Preferably a Libram or a Codex. Functionally, I hope it can cast some healing spells; they don’t need to be too powerful.”

Eldara’s sharp eyes turned to her, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. The look seemed to say: You just received a Legendary-grade reward from the Queen, and now you come to the armory asking for something a novice Priest would use?

But she asked nothing, only nodding and leading Celeste to a wall specifically displaying off-hand equipment.

“The heritage of Elven Priests is slightly different from that of the human Holy Light Church; we lean more toward the Path of Discipline.” Eldara took a book from the shelf. Its cover was made of moonlight wood and inlaid with green gems. “The Moon Language Sacred Canon. It has three commonly used healing spells solidified within. You just need to inject mana to trigger them.”

Celeste took it; the wood felt warm in her hand. She flipped open the pages, and lines of data appeared before her eyes.

[Moon Language Sacred Canon]

[Quality: Fine]

[Intelligence +10, Faith +10]

[Special Effect: Contains the power of life. Can consume mental energy to release: Prayer of Mending (passive trigger-type healing), Divine Aegis (shield skill), and Penance (multi-wave group healing).]

[Remark: A great helper for novice Priests, making you look like a professional even when you’re in a frantic rush.]

‘Perfect!’

Wasn’t this the exact “cover” she had been dreaming of?

“I’ll take this one. Thank you, Commander!” Celeste put the canon into her bag with immense satisfaction.

On the other side, Su Wan stood before a counter carved from a single piece of crystal. Inside, a necklace with an ice-blue gem on a mithril chain lay on velvet, coating the surrounding air in a thin layer of frost.

“Heart of Winter,” Eldara had appeared behind her at some point. “It can increase the power of your ice spells by ten percent and speed up mana recovery by ten percent.”

Her voice carried a hint of warning. “But its cold aura will continuously corrode the wearer. Only a mage with absolute control over frost power can master it.”

Su Wan didn’t speak. She simply reached out a slender finger to lightly touch the cold crystal surface. The layer of stubborn white frost cracked like a spiderweb from her fingertip and then melted away into nothing. A stream of clear, pure mana surged into her body through her finger. Far from feeling cold, it made her slightly tired spirit feel refreshed and invigorated.

The corners of her lips curled into a slight, confident smile. She took out the necklace and fastened it around her snow-white neck.

“Thank you, Commander. This is the one.”

Selene’s requirements were much more straightforward.

“I want a Libram that can enhance my defensive capabilities! Preferably one with a shock-absorption effect!” She swung her arm forcefully for emphasis. “Always using my shield to take those big guys’ attacks head-on, I feel like my arm is about to go numb from the vibration!”

A flash of approval showed in Eldara’s eyes. “A smart choice. Pure hardness is not the ultimate defense; redirection and cushioning are equally important.”

She led Selene to a row of ancient books and took down a heavy libram with a cover polished from solid rock, its page edges glowing with an earthy yellow aura.

“Resilience of the Mountain.” Eldara handed the libram to her. “It has gravity runes inscribed inside, which can form a ‘Resilience Field’ to absorb and deflect physical impact.”

Selene’s eyes lit up as she took the libram. It felt heavy in her hands, as if she were holding a small mountain. She tried injecting a sliver of Holy Light into it. The runes on the libram suddenly glowed, and a soft yet tenacious power instantly enveloped her entire body. The heavy sense of pressure vanished, replaced by a feeling of being supported and lifted by the earth itself.

She looked at Eldara, her eyes full of excitement and an eagerness to try it out. “Commander, can you give me a push? Use some force!”

Eldara expressionlessly reached out, her armor-clad fingers giving Selene a seemingly casual push on the shoulder.

The massive, bone-jarring impact Selene had anticipated never came. Her whole body seemed to be enveloped by an invisible force, sliding her back two steps. When she landed, it was completely silent, her feet as steady as if rooted to the ground.

“Wow! This feels amazing! Now I don’t have to worry about being knocked dizzy anymore!”

Finally, it was Xia Lian’s turn. She lingered in front of a row of longbows, each one a masterpiece of craftsmanship that made her small face wrinkle in indecision. “They’re… they’re all so beautiful. I don’t know how to choose.”

Eldara walked over, her gaze scanning the longbows before finally landing on a shortbow made of starwood. Its body was a deep blue-purple that seemed to blend into the night sky.

“Night Star Whisper.” She reached out and took down the shortbow. “Arrows fired from this bow will carry a ‘Star Hide’ effect, erasing their trajectory and sound.”

Eldara’s gaze fell on Xia Lian. “Given your class characteristics, this one suits you best.”

After saying this, she turned and took a pair of dark, sleekly-shaped short swords from a nearby weapon rack.

“I’ll give you these ‘Shadowstrike Fangs’ as well.” Eldara’s tone was flat, matter-of-fact. “Consider it a small personal gift from me.”

Xia Lian was completely stunned and hurriedly waved her hands. “No, no, no, this is too valuable! I can’t…”

“Accept it, Xia Lian,” Celeste said, patting her shoulder. “This is the Commander’s recognition of your strength.”

Only then did Xia Lian, her face flushed red, carefully take the bow and short swords, hugging them to her chest like precious treasures.

“Alright, now that the equipment is chosen, let’s go to the Great Library.” Eldara turned, her black heavy armor flashing with a cold light under the magical lamps.

“There is something there that you need even more.”