Shade of Teyvat: The Rapture of Shadows

3. Unique Commision

After the Great Maccao Hunt, Viz had plunged himself into his work with the fervor of someone running away from something, but not quite knowing what. The thrill of battle had become his sustenance, his breath, his blood. He had faced creatures of every shape and size, from the agile and cunning to the enormous and terrifying. Each victory sharpened him, each battle honed his instincts and reflexes, until he was no longer just a hunter. He was a weapon.

But the thrill of the hunt had begun to feel like a double-edged sword. Every victory meant something more-there was a weight to his success, an expectation that others placed upon him. He had become the protector of Hearthglen, the small village nestled in the northern reaches of Teyvat. It was a role he accepted with pride, but one that felt heavier with each passing day.

The villagers looked to him not only for safety from the wild beasts that prowled the forest but for hope. And, as the fires of the Archon War began to flare, that hope seemed harder and harder to sustain. With every monstrous beast slain and every battle fought, the stakes seemed to grow.

The Archon War wasn't a distant threat anymore-it was at their doorstep. Each skirmish, each new enemy, was a reminder of what hung over them all. It was with that thought in mind that Viz found himself standing outside his cabin one bright morning, the chill air biting at his skin as he prepared his gear. He could feel the weight of responsibility settling on his shoulders again, and he pushed it down, focusing on the task at hand.

Just as he was about to head toward the village, the sound of hurried footsteps reached his ears. Turning, he saw a familiar figure rushing toward him-a figure that always seemed to bring a breath of fresh air into the otherwise heavy days.

Lyra, the village's herbalist, was someone he respected immensely. She was not just a healer, but a skilled archer who wielded an Electro Vision with great skill, harnessing the power of lightning as an extension of her will. Her bow was an extension of herself, and she used it with as much precision as she did with her knowledge of the local flora and fauna.

"Viz! Just the hunter I was hoping to see!" Lyra's voice rang out, a mix of excitement and urgency. She was dressed in her usual traveling cloak, the dark purple fabric swirling around her as she jogged up to him.

He turned to her, wiping his hands on his tunic, his expression curious. "What's going on, Lyra? You seem in a hurry."

Her usual warm, green eyes were filled with something more today-an intensity that gave him pause. She took a deep breath, her fingers flexing with the familiar grace of someone ready for action. "There's a commission I need to discuss with you, and it's not like anything we've ever done before."

Viz raised an eyebrow. He had worked with Lyra countless times, and while some of the hunts had been more dangerous than others, she had never been this serious. "Go on."

Her gaze flickered to the horizon before locking onto his. "We need to capture a Ruin Guard."

At the mention of the Ruin Guard, a shiver ran down Viz's spine. He had heard the stories-ancient, powerful automatons created to protect the ruins of a long-forgotten civilization. They were massive, nearly indestructible, and imbued with energy so volatile it could level entire cities. "A Ruin Guard?" He frowned, his mind immediately jumping to the khaenriah Technology called Field Tiller he'd heard in passing. "Aren't those things nearly impossible to fight?"

"They are," Lyra confirmed, her voice grave. "But that's exactly why we need one. With the Archon War escalating, we need every advantage we can get. A Ruin Guard's core is a treasure trove of power. If we can capture one, we can extract that energy and use it to upgrade our weapons and armor, making us much stronger. It could give us the edge we need to survive what's coming."