Crossover: Monthly Character Templates in the Multiverse Chat Group — Chapter 102

Chapter 102: There Really Is an Assassin

Like a swimming fish, yet possessing the grace of a soaring bird, the massive Oceanid hovered high in the sky.

Rhodeia’s watery form rippled with unease. A terrifying, suffocating aura had forced her out of hiding. Here, in the pristine waters of Qingce Village, her strength far exceeded what it had been back in Fontaine. If this was an assassin sent by the new Hydro Archon, she was more than ready to drown them in the depths of her domain!

“You’re flying way too high.”

A lazy voice drifted up from below.

Before Rhodeia could react, a tiny human figure leaped into the air, crossing the immense distance in a fraction of a second. A hand casually swatted at her.

Bang!

The kinetic force was absurd. Rhodeia’s massive, elemental body was swatted out of the sky like a pesky fly. She crashed violently against the jagged cliffside, sending a torrential spray of countless water droplets raining down over the village. The sheer weight of the blow left her core trembling with absolute horror.

“To kill me…” Rhodeia gasped, her voice echoing through the mist. “The Hydro Archon actually sent a monster like you?”

“Kill you? No, the Hydro Archon never planned on killing you.” Frez landed smoothly on the grass, brushing off his hands. “She’s already here herself.”

Following his gaze toward the top of the cliff, Rhodeia finally spotted the familiar, dramatic silhouette. She let out a shrill shriek. “How is that possible?! To execute me, she even came in person?!”

“I just said I never thought of killing you!”

Furina threw her hands up in utter exasperation, completely baffled by the Oceanid’s paranoia. “I’ve never wanted to kill any of you! Seriously, what goes on in your heads?”

“Then how do you explain the Tainted Water over there?!”

Everyone turned to follow Rhodeia’s trembling, watery appendage. Sure enough, lingering near the edge of the cliff not far away, two grotesque, murky entities writhed in the air—Tainted Hydro Phantasms.

“I have no idea what those are doing here!” Furina looked genuinely bewildered, shaking her head defensively. “I certainly didn’t place them there. I was even attacked by those things on the way here!”

It was only because she had cried out for help that Frez and the others had stepped in to save her earlier.

“So it wasn’t just a persecution complex. There really is an assassin.” Frez floated slightly off the ground, eyeing the murky elemental creatures. “But these things aren’t even that strong. Why is Rhodeia so terrified of them?”

It didn’t make sense. Rhodeia was a powerhouse. Among the Oceanids, she easily sat in the highest tier of combat strength, likely second only to Focalors before her ascension to godhood. Why would she cower before a couple of low-level mobs?

Furina sighed, adopting a slightly more authoritative tone to explain. “Oceanids are lifeforms condensed from the absolute purest Hydro elements. The purer the water, and the more abundant the Hydro energy, the stronger the Oceanid becomes. Conversely, if the water is tainted, they weaken and die. As long as a Tainted Hydro Phantasm touches Rhodeia and merges its polluted water with hers, she will die from the contamination.”

It was a tragic flaw in their biology. After the abyssal beast Elynas died in Fontaine, its toxic blood had polluted the region’s waters. From that point on, no more pure Oceanids were born in Fontaine; only these twisted, Tainted Hydro Phantasms emerged.

The dark disaster from five hundred years ago had permanently altered Fontaine’s ecosystem. Although the poison dissolved in the water had been heavily diluted and purified over the centuries, it was no longer the absolute pure water required to naturally birth an Oceanid.

If Rhodeia even brushed against a Tainted Phantasm, it would be a death sentence. Worse, her own pure Hydro attacks had absolutely no effect on them—they were completely immune to her element.

“I see.”

Frez raised a single finger, aiming it at the two writhing Phantasms. A spark of dark Void Flames ignited at his fingertip. In an instant, the two murky creatures boiled, hissed, and violently vaporized into nothing but dry steam.

“Let’s sweep the area for more.”

Clorinde drew her blade, her eyes sharp. She swiftly patrolled the perimeter of the cliff, quickly locating two more hidden Phantasms. A flash of Electro and the sharp crack of her pistol later, the remaining threats were eradicated.

With the area secure, Furina stood at the edge of the cliff, placing her hands proudly on her hips. “First of all, Rhodeia, I am the new Hydro Archon, Furina. I have absolutely no intention of killing you. If anything, I’ve been so overwhelmingly busy for the last five hundred years that I haven’t had a single spare second to worry about you. You were the one who cut off all contact with Fontaine on your own accord!”

She huffed, her twin-tails bobbing. “I don’t know who sent those murky assassins, but it definitely wasn’t me.”

Rhodeia fell silent. The massive water spirit looked at Furina, then shifted her gaze to Frez, who was stifling a yawn.

“I… believe you,” Rhodeia finally admitted.

It was simple logic. With a monster like Frez at her side, Furina could have erased her from existence in a single move. There was no need for elaborate theatrical assassinations.

“But I only acknowledge Lady Egeria,” Rhodeia added stubbornly.

“Suit yourself,” Furina waved a hand dismissively. “But I need your power to protect Fontaine. I’ll be stepping down sooner or later anyway.”

Furina’s long-term plan was simple: stockpile as much combat power for Fontaine as possible before she finally retired. Neuvillette was incredibly strong, yes, but he couldn’t be expected to manage every single crisis alone. Clorinde was a peerless duelist, but she was human—she would eventually age and pass away.

Therefore, securing the loyalty of powerful, immortal Oceanids was a necessary insurance policy.

“You’re stepping down?” Rhodeia’s watery form rippled with indignation. “Lady Egeria entrusted you with the position of Hydro Archon! Focalors, are you truly going to fail Lady Egeria’s expectations?”

“What else am I supposed to do? Are you going to solve Fontaine’s prophecy?” Furina shot back, her tone sharp.

The counter-question struck Rhodeia like a physical blow, leaving her completely speechless. She huffed, the water around her churning. “And can you solve the prophecy?”

This was the ultimate doom that had troubled Lady Egeria for her entire life. Could this seemingly dramatic, eccentric new Archon really defy fate?

“I can,” Furina stated, her voice surprisingly steady.

“Empty words. I want to witness it with my own eyes.”

With a sudden burst of light, Rhodeia’s massive body rapidly shrank, condensing until she transformed into a delicate, cool blue bracelet that smoothly clasped itself around Furina’s wrist.

“I will follow you back. I will see and witness for myself exactly how you intend to solve the unsolvable,” Rhodeia’s voice echoed directly into Furina’s mind.

Fontaine’s prophecy was a looming executioner’s blade that even Egeria couldn’t shatter. Since this new Hydro Archon spoke with such absolute confidence, Rhodeia was determined to see it through to the end.

“Suit yourself.” Furina glanced down at the cool blue bracelet on her wrist. She didn’t mind the extra baggage; if anything, she had just acquired a high-tier personal bodyguard.

Her mood instantly brightening, she spun around on her heel. “So, where do we go next?”

“From here, we cross Wuwang Hill, head down toward the Stone Gate, and then just follow the main road,” Frez mapped out, pointing toward the dense, fog-covered woods in the distance.

“I don’t want to walk.”

Kiana immediately raised her hand, pouting.

Frez gave her a deadpan stare. “You’ve been hovering in the air this entire time.”

“…I’m tired! I want to rest. Carry me!”

Refusing to take no for an answer, Kiana dropped out of the sky and plopped herself directly onto Frez’s shoulders. She wrapped her fair, smooth thighs tightly around his neck, essentially clamping his face in place.

The cool, soft sensation against his cheeks made him swallow his complaints.

Forget it, Frez thought, adjusting his grip to keep her steady. It’s not like I’m losing out on this deal.

They ventured into the dense canopy of Wuwang Hill. The sunlight vanished, replaced by an eerie, oppressive gloom. Wisps of unnatural blue fire floated between the dead, twisted trees.

Furina shrank back, her voice trembling slightly. “Frez… why is it so gloomy and creepy in here?”

“Because this is where the people of Liyue are buried after they die,” Frez replied casually, his voice slightly muffled by Kiana’s thighs.

“What?!”

Furina’s voice jumped an entire octave. “You mean we’re walking through a massive graveyard?!”

“Exactly. You might even see a few ghosts wandering around, but don’t worry, they’re mostly just harmless remnants recorded by the Ley Lines. Don’t be too afraid.”

His casual reassurance had the exact opposite effect. Furina was already terrified, practically latching onto Clorinde’s arm like a frightened koala.

“Lady Furina, there’s no need to fear,” Clorinde said, her hand resting calmly on the hilt of her sword. “I will protect you.”

“Let’s go, let’s just go quickly!” Furina squeaked, dragging the Champion Duelist forward.

“Look at you, what a scaredy-cat!” Kiana laughed from her perch on Frez’s shoulders.

But just as the words left her mouth, a sudden, freezing gust of wind blew directly against the back of her neck. A ghostly whisper seemed to brush past her ear. Kiana stiffened, a violent shudder wracking her body as a thick layer of goosebumps erupted across her skin.

“Don’t clamp your legs so hard, you’re suffocating me,” Frez grumbled, his voice entirely muffled now.

Panic overriding her teasing mood, Kiana threw her hands forward and instantly ripped open a shimmering spatial gate. “Go, go, go! We’re leaving!”

Without hesitation, the four of them dove through the portal.

The oppressive gloom of the graveyard vanished, instantly replaced by a violent, freezing blizzard that whipped harshly against their faces. Before them lay a desolate world of pure white snow and jagged ice, the temperature dropping to an indescribable, biting cold.

“Where are we now?” Furina shivered, rubbing her arms as her breath plumed into white mist. “Kiana, you didn’t accidentally teleport us all the way to Snezhnaya, did you?”

“No, look over there.”

Frez pointed through the swirling snow at a colossal, terrifying structure looming in the distance—a massive ribcage made of blackened bone, so large it looked like a jagged mountain range.

“We are in Dragonspine, specifically Wyrmrest Valley,” Frez explained, his breath steady despite the cold. “Those are the remains of the demonic dragon, Durin. The spatial gate opened a bit too far north. We’re heading to Springvale from here. There’s another Oceanid living there, commonly known as the Spring Fairy.”