While I was in Mondstadt, I never imagined becoming a god.

It was called a camp, but it was actually a naturally formed cave that Joseph had simply modified with animal hides and dry branches.

The entrance to the cave was mostly blocked by a large rock, which barely managed to block the fiercest wind and snow.

The two quickly started a fire, and then, exhausted, ate a few mouthfuls of dry rations.

Joseph was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "If I make it back alive, I'll definitely invite you to my house. That Joel kid will definitely like you."

Xu Chuan nodded, his hands continuing their work.

Joseph leaned against the fire, his leg wound having been retreated by Xu Chuan and bandaged with clean underwear.

"Your technique is quite skilled." Joseph looked at his neatly bandaged leg with some surprise.

Xu Chuan smiled. He never expected that he would actually need to use the skills he learned from Bear Grylls' show.

"how are you feeling?"

“He won’t die.” Joseph paused. “We’ll go down the mountain tomorrow; we can’t wait any longer in this awful weather.”

Xu Chuan grabbed a handful of snow and rubbed it vigorously to wash the blood off his hands.

Once I leave this damned snow mountain and descend to Mondstadt, I can wait for the story to begin and establish myself in Teyvat with the system rewards.

On the day he traversed Teyvat, under this false sky, no one could control his fate in the slightest.

He stared at the flickering flames and suddenly remembered the night before he traveled through time.

He was lying in bed scrolling through his phone when he came across a post that asked, "If you were transported to the continent of Teyvat, which country would you most like to visit?"

His reply was, "Mondstadt, because of freedom, because Aeolus is a slacker, and because the wine there is delicious."

Now he's here.

In the worst possible way.

"Go to sleep," Joseph said. "We have to travel tomorrow."

Xu Chuan responded, but did not close his eyes.

He touched his pockets, but they were empty; there was nothing there.

There was no divine eye, no weapons, and nothing that could be called a "trump card".

All he has left is his memory of the plot.

Those tasks he stayed up all night to complete, those research videos he watched, those settings he memorized perfectly when arguing with people on the forum.

As far as he knew, there were only a handful of people connected to the Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain.

Abedo, Sugar, Yura, and members of the Adventurers' Guild; it seems the Fatui also have forces in the snowy mountains...

This is his only asset at this moment.

Hopefully, this capital will allow him to leave this snow-capped mountain alive.

The next day, the wind and snow subsided somewhat.

In Joseph's words, this was a rare good day on Dragon Ridge.

Xu Chuan wrapped the animal skin tightly, helped Joseph up, and began their trek down the mountain.

Joseph was indeed very experienced; even with his leg problems, he could accurately point out which path was relatively easy to walk on and which direction would avoid the snow slopes that might collapse.

“Go that way.” Joseph pointed to a mountain ridge on the left. “After you cross it, there’s a valley. If you follow the valley, you can bypass the range of those ruin guards.”

"Is there a lot of money to be made here?" Xu Chuan seemed to remember something.

“Those guys are much scarier than the flower-scammers,” Joseph said with a wry smile. “I’ve seen it with my own eyes. It was a huge, rusty machine, as big as a small mountain.”

"Once that guy opens his eyes, he can easily blast a group of monsters into dust. Even the Knights of Favonius have to assemble a squad to take him down."

"I'm afraid only those with the Eye of God can have an enemy to contend with such inhuman power."

"Anyway, ever since then, I've avoided them. My own life is more important."

Xu Chuan nodded without saying anything.

Just as he asked that question, he suddenly remembered something very important.

This was a very bad thing for the two of them; if they really encountered it, their time-travel journey might have to come to an end.

The thought that he might follow in the footsteps of the Third Descendant and have his body turned into the heart of a god made Xu Chuan feel uneasy.

No, with my current strength, I don't even qualify to become the Heart of God; at most, I'm just a rare material from another world.

I hope I won't be that unlucky and actually run into one of those things, even if it's the Fools, it'll probably be better than that.

Xu Chuan suppressed the various thoughts in his mind, steadily supported Joseph, and walked forward step by step.

The snow crunched underfoot, and the wind howled past my ears like the weeping of countless wronged souls.

Xu Chuan's breath quickly condensed into frost, hanging on his eyebrows and eyelashes, making him look like a snowman.

"Stop." Joseph suddenly grabbed Xu Chuan's hand. "There are people ahead."

Xu Chuan's heart skipped a beat. Following Joseph's gaze, he saw a figure walking towards them through the snowstorm.

When the person's appearance came into view, Xu Chuan's pupils suddenly contracted.

Chapter Two: The Fake Aberdo

He recognized the face—the face he had seen countless times in the game.

Although it doesn't have the same anime art style, it does resemble Aberdo.

The chief alchemist of the Knights of Favonius, a genius among geniuses, an android, and the son of Chalk.

Xu Chuan's heart almost stopped beating for a second.

Upon seeing that face, a thought involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

Fake Aberdo.

That being, like Abedo, is a creation of the Golden Rhinedot, and is a dangerous entity that intends to replace Abedo's original form.

"There are other people here, that's wonderful!"

Joseph, standing beside him, erupted in ecstatic joy at surviving the ordeal.

If there are living people, it means there is a camp nearby, and they can ask him for help.

This greatly increased their chances of survival.

"Xu Chuan, we're saved!"

He was so excited that he trembled all over, and even wanted to break free from Xu Chuan's support and rush towards the approaching figure.

Xu Chuan grabbed him tightly, his fingers turning slightly white from the force.

"Don't move." His voice was extremely low, as if squeezed out from between his teeth.

"What's wrong?" Joseph asked, puzzled.

Xu Chuan did not answer.

His brain was racing at high speed, with countless thoughts flashing through his mind.

The distance was too far, and I couldn't see the other person's neck clearly.

No matter what you do, you have to figure out first whether this guy is the real Aberdo.

If the other party is indeed Abedo, then everything will be fine.

But what if it's a counterfeit?

With Joseph suffering from an injured leg, there was no way he could outrun a monster that could disguise itself as a human on this vast snowfield.

Exposed?

It's a dead end, and this is the stupidest way to provoke someone.

Soon, the other person approached and gave a gentle smile.

"It is truly a rare and precious fate that the two of you met in this snowstorm."

His voice was gentle and composed, with a touch of scholarly detachment.

“I am Abedo, an alchemist from the Knights of Favonius, and you are…”

"Mr. Abedo!"

Xu Chuan's voice carried just the right amount of surprise and a hint of nervousness.

"We were conducting a survey in the snow-capped mountains when he accidentally fell and injured his leg."

Abedo's gaze lingered on Xu Chuan's face for a moment.

His face held a calm scrutiny, then he looked at Joseph's legs with a concerned expression.

"The injury looks quite serious."

As he spoke, Xu Chuan's gaze inadvertently drifted to Abedo's neck.

That smooth skin was like a heavy hammer blow, completely shattering his last shred of hope.

My own suspicions have now been confirmed.

"Mr. Abedo."

Xu Chuan spoke first, his tone tinged with anxiety and a plea for help.

“This Mr. Joseph is a long-time resident of the area down the mountain, and the situation is rather urgent.”

“I originally wanted to take him down the mountain quickly, but his leg was injured again and he couldn’t walk fast.”

He paused, as if making some difficult decision, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face.

"With your alchemy skills, could you perhaps heal Mr. Joseph? Of course, we will pay for the alchemical potion."

“Alchemy potion…” Abedo’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"If it doesn't work, we won't trouble you too much. My friends are down the mountain; they should still have medicine for their wounds."

The fake Abedo looked at him, his gentle smile unchanged, but his eyes seemed to have deepened.

“If we go down the mountain from here, his injuries might not be enough to hold out until then.”

He spoke calmly, his tone carrying an undeniable professionalism.

“I have a temporary camp not far ahead. You can go there to rest and treat your wounds. We can make further plans when the wind and snow subside.”

Xu Chuan's heart sank.

The worst premonition came true.

Instead of escorting them down the mountain, they wanted to keep them there.

This reason seems reasonable, and even well-intentioned.

But Xu Chuan knew that once he stepped into that camp, he would completely lose the initiative.

But can he refuse?

"Then... thank you so much."

Xu Chuan lowered his head, feigning obedience, and helped Joseph catch up with the fake Abedo.

The three people walked in the wind and snow.

The fake Aberdo walked at the front, his steps leisurely, seemingly completely unaffected.

Joseph, who was being supported by Xu Chuan, said with some confusion.

"Isn't this the road leading to the Starlight Cave?"

"Yes, my camp is over there."

The fake Abedo answered Joseph's questions and shattered Xu Chuan's last illusions.

Starying Cave!

Xu Chuan unconsciously swallowed. He had gotten lost in that place even when looking at the mini-map, let alone actually going in there.

While seemingly focused on getting there, Xu Chuan was frantically scanning the surrounding terrain out of the corner of his eye, searching for any details that could be used.

How to do?