God of Alchemy | Genshin Impact x M!Reader

5

[ AN: I got C1 Bennett so have this one early. If I'm able to get Albedo for some reason (cause I'm saving up for Xiao) then I'll post the next two chapters early. ]

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Childe went on and on. Telling stories from when Aether and Paimon were still at Liyue. Of course excluding the fact that he's one of the Fatui's Harbingers and that Zhongli was, indeed, Rex Lapis. Jean actually listened while Diluc was putting his guard up. Watching Childe and make sure that he doesn't do anything. The two archons, on the other hand, were ignoring the situation. Either not wanting to deal with it or just doesn't care all in all.

"Umm, Childe? Why are you with Zhongli, anyway?" Paimon asked, cutting off Childe's chatter and storytelling. 

"I'm not really sure but he said that he wants me to accompany him! At first, I didn't want to go but when I heard that we'll be going to meet a really strong person, I thought why not?" Paimon deadpanned at Childe's answer. Already expecting the kind of tactic Zhongli had used on Childe to let the guy with him.  

"I didn't know the Fatui were that easy to talk with," Diluc said "If only the knights were to know that then there wouldn't be any kind of dispute between the delegates and the knights." Hearing this, Jean would've complained about his choice of words. However, he was right. In some way. As the Acting Grandmaster, she should really settle the strain on the relationship between the delegates from Snezhnaya. So she could only sigh and hope that it was that easy to talk with them.

"Hahaha! Well that depends, you know? And besides, I'm not the type of person that would deal with that kind of stuff so you shouldn't expect something diplomatic with me." As of right now, the uneasiness between the two groups is now inevitable. Impossible to ignore that even Aether and Paimon walked behind them. Venti tried to ignore the really obvious dislike between one another but he couldn't. He could feel the distaste between each other that a chill would run down his back. Glancing towards Zhongli, the tall man was surprisingly calm and a bit... happy? Venti isn't sure but his eyebrows were arched and a small grin was plastered on his face. Venti thought that the man was just happy to see an old friend of his but Zhongli was weirdly happy. Overjoyed that flowers were surrounding him. Looking back to the people behind, Venti could only saw the disgust on Diluc's face and Jean's face of trying to stay calm and be neutral between the two males indirectly insulting one another. Aether and Paimon were behind them, whispering to each other. Perchance because of the scene in front of them.

Upon arriving between Wuang Hill and Stone Gate, the two archons stopped their steps. The others following along. "The cave is usually hidden and sometimes the entrance changes location every few weeks. But Kojutsu gave us --- I mean me! He gave me a compass to know where the entrance is so we shouldn't find it in no time!" Fishing out said compass, Venti shook it a few times before it lit up. The compass was quite similar to a pocket watch. The difference is that it was a compass and it instead of giving us directions (i.e. North, South, West, etc...) it directly tells us where. Emitting a soft light and would glow to the direction that they need to take. The tiny glass inside the compass lighting up before it dimmed down. Already giving them a map of where they need to go. 

"West!" Venti announced. Walking in front of the group and directed them towards the entrance.

"How convenient," Childe said. Amazed at the gadget that Venti has. 

"Isn't it just an ordinary compass?" Diluc said a bit dumbfounded that Childe would find a compass-like that so convenient. 

"It may look like this but it directly tells us the location and giving us directions! So we shouldn't guess where the entrance is! Most of all, it only works if I'm the one holding it!" Venti explained. "

See? Convenient." Diluc knew that it was directed at him but he didn't dare to comment any further and just rolled his eyes.  Childe took this as a win for now.

After a while, "We're here!" Venti announced. Looking up, he saw a wall of stone. There weren't any kind of plants anywhere and it was just a plain meadow with only grass and a few insects here and there. The sun was practically showering them with its heated rays. Childe was sweating buckets at this point. Living in such a cold climate before, he never experienced a day like this since his first day at Liyue. Fanning himself, Childe couldn't help but let out a single and loud sigh of relief. 

"Are you sure? It's just a wall of stone..." Paimon asked. Staring at the humungous stone wall in front of them. 

"Hehe! Kojutsu is very good at hiding himself, you see? And besides, this is just magic," Venti said. Putting one of his hands on the wall.

"Aaah! It went through!" Paimon exclaimed. Her eyes widened in both shock and astonishment. She was not the only one to express this kind of reaction. Diluc, Childe, Aether, Jean, and even Zhongli for some reason. Although his feeling of surprise had disappeared faster than the others, Venti still took notice. A bit confused on why he was surprised by this. Even before the Archon War, this is how Kojutsu had always lived. Nevertheless, he disregarded it. Since the way Zhongli is acting is not the problem now. Rather, the problem now is how to kill those monsters in one go and get rid of them. As far from what Venti knows, the monsters had only been spread throughout Liyue and Mondstadt. Not even taking a step foot into either Dragonspine or anywhere else. It's quite weird for it to happen really.

"Let's go!" Venti said, taking the lead into walking into the cave.

Edited: July 2, 2021