Genshin Impact: I Am a Slime

On the deck of the Yermak.

"Ah……"

"Reversing time... truly the power of the gods."

Pantalone was the first to break the eerie silence.

He felt the foreign sensation on his earlobe, carrying a slightly cool earthy feel, and then glanced at the sapphire earring that belonged to him in Zhongli's hand. The smile on his face, a mixture of greed and fervor, did not fade; instead, it deepened as if branded.

He seemed to completely ignore the destruction and reversal he had just experienced, or perhaps, in his eyes, the destruction was merely an insignificant interlude in achieving his current goal.

"It seems our deal is complete, Mr. Zhongli."

Pantalone's voice carried a strange hoarseness and satisfaction as he stared intently at Zhongli, as if trying to pierce through his mortal shell and look directly at the ancient divine core beneath.

"The contract is made."

Zhongli's voice was calm and even. His golden eyes swept over Pantalone's earlobe before returning to the sapphire earring in his palm, as if he were confirming the status of an ordinary item.

He casually tucked the earring into his sleeve, the movement natural and fluid, as if he were putting away an ordinary Mora.

"Then, Mr. Pantalone, shouldn't you keep your promise and end this pointless dispute?"

Famas chuckled, breaking the delicate tension between the two. He crossed his arms, his red eyes darting between Zhongli and Pantalone, his tone full of mischievous amusement.

"Tsk tsk tsk, a deal? A contract? The two of you... exchanging earrings in a setting like this?"

He shook his head dramatically, as if he had discovered some earth-shattering secret.

"Morax, I didn't know you knew about these kinds of things?"

FAMAS deliberately emphasized the name Morax, with a blatant provocation and schadenfreude.

Zhongli frowned almost imperceptibly, his golden eyes turning to Famas with a hint of helplessness and a faint warning.

“Lord Famas, please be careful with your words. Only Zhongli, a guest elder of the Hall of Rebirth, is here.”

Zhongli's tone remained calm, but the weight of his warning was undeniable.

"Very well, very well, mortal Zhongli."

FAMAS shrugged, giving a knowing look, but the mockery in his eyes deepened.

Pantalone ignored Famas's teasing; all his attention was focused on Zhongli.

Zhongli's words about the contract acted as a reassurance, calming the undercurrents churning in his eyes.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the boiling excitement in his heart from seizing the divine object, and finally shifted his gaze from Zhongli to the foolish soldiers around him who seemed bewildered and wary due to the reversal of time.

This time, the big banker's order was clear and forceful, carrying an unquestionable authority that pierced through the sea breeze.

"Everyone, lay down your weapons!"

"The conflict with Liyue is to end immediately. Bring all those who are still alive onto the Yermak."

Although the Fools soldiers who had been brought back to their senses were still bewildered by the time distortion they had just experienced, and their minds were still filled with vague, dreamlike fragments of devastating memories, their long-standing obedience to the executor's orders was ingrained in their very bones.

After a brief hesitation, the sound of metal clashing rang out, and the weapons that gleamed coldly were lowered and put away, and the tense encirclement silently loosened.

On the other side, aboard the Death Star, once time began to reverse on the Yermak, the gunners and crossbowmen who had been firing the shells ceased their attack.

Because all the shells and elemental bolts fired would abruptly stop upon entering the space surrounding the Yermak and then vanish abruptly.

Ningguang's fingers gripped the cold ship's railing tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force. Her eyes, which could see through the ever-changing business world of Liyue, were now filled with disbelief, shock, and deep doubt.

What was happening through the telescope was beyond her comprehension.

Just moments before, she clearly saw the Yermak explode violently under heavy artillery fire, listing and flooding with seawater. Zhongli's figure disappeared into the cabin, and the whole scene was like the end of the world.

But just as Beidou was about to order a strong attack, time seemed to be forcibly distorted by an invisible hand.

The flames of the explosion suddenly went out, the flying debris flew back, the tilted hull was righted in an instant, and even the movements of the Fools soldiers who rushed towards the cover were strangely reversed and frozen, before they resumed their posture of surrounding Zhongli.

Only the antique earring that appeared on Pantalone's earlobe, and the fleeting blue light in Zhongli's hand, were etched into her eyes like a brand, proving that it was not an illusion.

Immediately afterwards, she saw Pantalone issue a ceasefire order, and the Fools laid down their weapons.

"Ningguang! Did you see that? Just now... just now what exactly happened..."

Beidou's voice rang in Ningguang's ears, filled with unprecedented surprise and a hint of barely perceptible lingering fear. The usual fierceness on his face was replaced by a bewildered look as if his worldview had been shaken.

She saw the muzzle flashes reverse and the ship instantly return to its original shape, which is simply inexplicable by common sense.

Ningguang slowly lowered the binoculars, her fingertips icy cold. She didn't immediately answer Beidou, her gaze still fixed on the three figures at the bow of the Yermak.

Especially the guest of the Hall of Rebirth, with his upright posture and fluttering robes.

Zhongli stood there calmly, as if the devastating bombardment and the unbelievable time reversal had nothing to do with him.

"I saw it."

Ningguang's voice was unusually low, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, which was then replaced by a forced calm.

"The Fools have stopped."

She paused, then added, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between her teeth.

The time reversal of FAMAS did not include the distant Death Star, but was limited to the area around the Yermak, so Ningguang, Beidou, and the Traveler were not affected.

At this moment, Ningguang's inner turmoil was far from being as calm as it appeared on the surface.

Time reversal is undoubtedly the power of the demon god, but what kind of pact did Zhongli, as the messenger sent to persuade them to surrender, reach with Famas and Pantalone?

The traveler at the stern remained frozen in place, his hand on the sword finally slowly releasing, his palm covered in cold sweat.

Paimon, still shaken, floated beside her, her small hands gripping the traveler's shoulders tightly, her voice trembling:

"Traveler, just now Zhongli was taken inside, then there was an explosion, the ship was sinking... and then... time... reversed?"

Little Paimeng was rambling incoherently, trying to piece together what had just happened, his little face full of shock.

The traveler remained silent, his gaze sweeping across the distant Yermak, finally settling on the tall figure of Zhongli at the bow, before turning to Famas, who stood beside him with his arms crossed.

The girl's heart was filled with an unprecedented sense of solemnity and countless questions that urgently needed to be answered.

FAMAS displayed power beyond imagination, and the conversation between Zhongli and Pantalone amidst the gunfire was shrouded in mystery. (End of Chapter)