Genshin Impact: I Am a Slime

The Yermak was like a withered leaf in a giant wave amidst the fierce gunfire, its hull groaning under the strain, each explosion bringing violent turbulence and a piercing tearing sound.

Thick, acrid gunpowder smoke mingled with flying wood chips and debris, obscuring the vision of Ningguang and Beidou.

The deck tilted violently, causing the Fools soldiers leaning against the ship's railing to stagger like drunkards, their screams and curses swallowed up by the deafening roar of cannons.

Only Famas, Pantalone, and Zhongli seemed to be at the absolute center of the storm.

They stood firmly in front of the swaying cabin door, their figures as upright as ancient pines and rocks. No matter how the ship rocked, they remained rooted to the spot, their figures forming a breathtaking contrast with the chaos around them.

The pervasive smoke and dust slightly blurred the vision, and also seemed to diminish Zhongli's usual detached and aloof demeanor.

His golden eyes, like the morning sun piercing through the mist, calmly fell upon Pantalone, and his steady voice rang out clearly in the brief lull of the gunfire, carrying an undeniable weight:

"Pantarone, when will this pointless struggle finally end?"

Pantalone gazed at Zhongli's divine and awe-inspiring demeanor amidst the smoke of battle, showing no awe whatsoever; instead, the almost morbid fanaticism in his eyes burned even more intensely.

He narrowed his long, thin eyes slightly, staring directly at the former God of Rock without any hesitation. After a moment, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

Pantalone seemed to have caught a brilliant idea, tilting his head slightly, a smile playing on his lips—a smile that was a mixture of greed and knowing meaning.

“Mr. Zhongli, if you were Morax, I would certainly be willing to listen to your opinion… However, I regret to inform you that you are not…”

"In that case, if you would be willing to give me one of your possessions, this commotion will immediately subside."

Zhongli's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Pantalone's request seemed to instantly pull him back from the smoke-filled realm of gods to the identity of the mortal Zhongli.

Zhongli lowered his eyes subconsciously, his gaze calmly sweeping over his simple clothes. These were the clothes that the deceased General Xin Yuan had carefully designed for him, and they were also the last memento left by his deceased friend. Apart from these clothes, he truly had nothing else.

"I have nothing on me that is worth giving you."

Zhongli's voice remained steady, yet it carried a hint of worldly helplessness.

Pantalone remained silent, but his sharp gaze was fixed firmly on Zhongli's earlobe, as if it were a physical object.

There hung half of a yellow and white amber earring.

Zhongli immediately caught that gaze. He remained silent for a moment, a hint of understanding flashing in his golden eyes, before returning to his calm and composed state.

The Emperor raised his hand and deftly unhooked the earring with his fingertips, removing the amber earring from his earlobe.

Just at this time.

"Boom!!!"

A deafening explosion suddenly erupted near the ship's side, and a violent shockwave, carrying a scorching heat wave, slammed into the hull. The entire Yermak seemed to have been struck by an invisible giant fist, emitting a tooth-grinding metallic twisting sound, and the ship instantly tilted violently to one side.

The screams and cries on the deck were completely swallowed up by the deafening explosion.

The thick wooden beams snapped, and splinters of wood, accompanied by sparks and thick smoke, poured down like a torrential rain. In an instant, the field of vision was filled with swirling gray-black smoke and dust, and the scorching, acrid smell choked the lungs.

However, at the heart of this devastating storm that turned the world upside down.

Zhongli raised his arm without the slightest hesitation. His fingertips, which held the earring, were as steady as a rock. His movements were precise and fluid, as if the surrounding explosions, turbulence, and flying deadly fragments were nothing more than insignificant background noise.

The golden pupils remained clear and firm amidst the smoke and dust, locking onto the warm, shimmering amber between his fingers.

Pantalone remained completely still; his outstretched hand toward Zhongli did not even deviate by the slightest bit despite the ship's violent tilt.

The banker's sickly smile appeared even clearer and more eerie in the light of the explosion. A near-obsessive focus burned deep in his pupils as he stared intently at Zhong Li's action of removing the earring, as if it were the only thing in the world worthy of his attention.

"This is just a piece of fine amber that I happened to acquire, which I casually carved to decorate myself."

“If Mr. Pantalone does not mind, it is perfectly acceptable to give it to you.” Zhongli’s voice was calm and even, as if stating a perfectly ordinary fact.

These earrings have no special origin; Zhongli simply found a piece of amber of excellent quality by chance, carved it into shape in his spare time, and has worn it ever since. Giving it to Pantalone is certainly not unreasonable for Zhongli.

As Pantalone watched Zhong Li remove his earring, a morbid excitement almost overflowed in his eyes, and his lips twisted upwards despite his best efforts to suppress it.

He slowly stepped forward, elegantly yet with an undeniable aggressiveness, and opened his hands to Zhongli.

Without hesitation, Zhongli gently placed the amber earring in the other person's outstretched palm.

At the moment their fingers met, there was an extremely brief, almost imperceptible touch between their fingertips.

In the instant that tiny contact occurred, the twisted and fanatical expression on Pantalone's face, which he had been trying so hard to suppress, suddenly intensified, like a beast about to break free of its shackles.

He took a deep breath, his Adam's apple bobbing and his jawline taut, barely managing to suppress the excitement that was almost tearing his reason apart, but the flames in his eyes burned even more fiercely.

After a brief exchange, Pantalone responded almost immediately.

He also raised his hand and removed the shimmering, teardrop-shaped blue gemstone pendant from his right earlobe, his movement carrying an unusual solemnity, as if he were performing some kind of ritual.

Then, he handed the earring, which shimmered with a deep blue luster, to Zhong Li.

“Fair trade has always been my belief, Mr. Zhongli.”

Pantalone's voice was low and hoarse, and his sickly smile finally bloomed unrestrainedly.

"Please, sir, accept my return gift."

Zhongli's gaze lingered on the exquisite blue earring for a moment.

He calmly reached out and took it, the cool touch landing in his palm. After carefully gathering it between his fingers, Zhongli raised his golden eyes again, gazing at the other person with composure, as if silently awaiting the final outcome of this transaction.

Pantalone, however, did not immediately order the Fools' soldiers to surrender.

He picked up the warm, smooth amber earring with his fingertips, feeling the calm and slightly cool touch of the rock element that remained on it.

Under Zhongli's calm gaze, the banker elegantly raised his hand, his fingertips tracing his earlobe, and precisely and calmly fastened the white and blue earring to the spot on his right earlobe where the deep blue teardrop originally belonged.

"despair."

A soft click of a clasp was unusually clear amidst the roar of artillery fire.

Pantalone lowered his hand, tilted his head, as if savoring the new decoration. The simple, heavy, earthy amber, combined with his sophisticated dark executive uniform and the calculating and cold temperament that permeated the very bones of the Northern Bank's controller, created an extremely jarring sense of incongruity.

This incongruous feeling is like a piece of Liyue rock forcibly embedded in the icy plains of deep winter.

However, Pantalone was completely unconcerned about this visual and stylistic conflict.

Instead, he adjusted the angle of the earring with great interest, making it hang more conspicuously, as if displaying a fresh trophy, a badge personally plucked from a god.

Then, Pantalone raised her eyes again, her fox-like eyes curving into a pleased arc, a deceptively gentle smile playing on her lips, her gaze fixed directly and unabashedly on Zhongli.

That smile was brimming with undisguised satisfaction, a kind of satiation at having obtained what one desires, as if silently proclaiming that the divine possession is now mine, Pantalone's.

Famas watched the exchange between the two, his eyes widening in surprise before he looked as if he'd been startled, appearing even more excited than Pantalone.

Who in their right mind would exchange earrings during such a dangerous time?

Famas hadn't realized that Zhongli, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, knew this trick.

He and Wendy had never swapped earrings before. (End of Chapter)