Genshin Impact: The Road to Reversal

Chapter 505: Chronology (5)

As I stepped into the rift, I felt a strong sense of dizziness, and in my ears was a sharp buzzing sound caused by the distortion of time and space. The scene in front of me was spinning wildly like crushed paint.

When they opened their eyes again, they were already in town. Their feet were paved with bluestone slabs, smooth and warm from the passage of time. Sunlight filtered through the eaves of the wooden buildings on either side, casting tiny specks of light on the ground.

In the nearby market, the hawkers' calls echoed with a vibrant rhythm. Looking down the street, one could see the endless ocean in the distance.

"Isn't this Sangang Bay?" Kailin asked with her hands spread out.

Diablo nodded. "Indeed, this is one of the most peaceful times in Teyvat, two hundred years ago, before the Sanyang Rebellion. It's a shame that such a time will soon bring about an unprecedented catastrophe."

"In that case, why don't we just go and stop the Sangyang Rebellion from happening?" Karin put her hands on her hips and subconsciously took a step forward.

Diablo suddenly smiled, then said with a hint of resignation, "Forget it. We come from the future, and our current role is merely to observe the past. How can the cause and effect of history be altered just because of you or me? Even if you change a certain outcome, history will correct itself."

"Ah? How could that be? Then we can only watch and do nothing?" Kailin's tone was filled with resentment. "We knew so many people would die tragically, but we couldn't do anything. This is too frustrating!"

Diablo spread his hands, a complicated look in his eyes. "It's frustrating, but there's nothing I can do about it. This is the law of time and space. Besides, I've already said that we're just passing spectators now, so don't waste your energy."

As he spoke, he looked away again. After a quick glance, he saw a man dressed as a homeless person sneaking around in a small alley not far away. He kept looking in the direction of the market, his fingers clutching the cloth bag in his arms.

"Looks like the foreplay is about to begin." Diablo's voice deepened a bit, and the playfulness in his scarlet eyes faded away, replaced by a subtle solemnity.

"He is?" asked Kailin.

"A terrorist hired by the Sanyang people," Diablo said in a low voice. "This group of people has a special organization and only does things for money. This time, they received instructions to infiltrate various places to create chaos. This time, his mission is to use the high elemental power stored in the elemental storage stone in his arms to destroy the town. In addition to them, the Sanyang people have bribed local dignitaries, who work with them to secretly spread rumors and confuse people, so that the Sanyang people can take advantage of the situation."

Kailin's eyes were startled: "What are we waiting for? Let's go and stop him!"

Diablo shook his head. "You forgot what I said again? We are just spectators of the past now, and the cause and effect of history cannot be easily changed. Even if you try to stop it, history will continue to develop as usual."

"Then we can't just stand here and watch," Mo Yan said. "We clearly know the other party's conspiracy, but we still pretend to be ignorant spectators. How is this any different from watching someone die without helping?"

Diablo fell silent. He looked at Mo Yan, a complex wave flashing in his eyes, a feeling of helplessness towards the "rules" but also recognition of this persistence. At this moment, he suddenly felt a surge of elements flowing around him.

"Is this... a contract of evil? Got it." He smiled slightly, as if he had an idea.

He looked around and after making sure that no one was paying attention, he did something that even Mo Yan and Karen could not imagine.

He gently stretched out his hand, activated the elemental power, and carefully drew a huge summoning circle on the street.

"Demon summoning? Are you crazy?" Kailin exclaimed in a low voice.

Diablo smiled softly. "Of course not. I just thought that if the demon could take over his mission, the losses would be greatly reduced."

It's true that the Sangyang people's goal is to "create chaos." They want to incite panic among the civilian population and suspicion among the powerful, paving the way for subsequent invasions. However, the destruction of demons and that of terrorists, while developing differently, are of exactly the same nature.

Hired humans would burn down homes, escalating the disaster, but the "kind" he summoned knew how to precisely control the scope of the destruction.

Soon, a dazzling light emanated from the magic circle, and a massive cocoon emerged from its center. Dark purple elemental energy coiled around it like spider silk, emitting a subtle sizzling sound.

The surface of the cocoon gradually cracked, and a pair of claws covered with dark scales broke out of the cocoon first. Then, a demon the size of a wolf with blue flames burning all over its body slowly walked out.

"Yes, it's a demon!"

"Run!"

The crowd in the market suddenly exploded. The originally lively shouting turned into screams one after another. The vendors hurriedly packed up their stalls, and pedestrians rushed to escape to the alleys on both sides of the street. The bluestone road suddenly became a mess.

The demon swung its tail covered with dark scales, and dark blue flames danced around it, but did not spread to the surrounding wooden buildings at all.

Just as Diablo had said, it precisely controlled the scope of the destruction, growling only towards the center of the deserted street, using its intimidation to create panic rather than actual slaughter.

The Wanderer, hiding in the shadows at the alley entrance, saw this, a flicker of panic in his eyes. He clutched the Storage Stone in his arms, intending to wait for the crowd to disperse before taking action, but a demon suddenly appeared, disrupting his plans.

He gritted his teeth and turned around quietly, but Mo Yan, who had slipped into the shadows, froze him in place with the shadow element, looking as if he had seen a ghost.

At this time, the devil was still roaring. Suddenly, a huge sword fell from the sky and hit the devil's head directly. Then a white-haired boy jumped down from the roof and landed steadily in front of the devil.

"It's Yaohui!" Kailin shouted.

"Really? Strange! Shouldn't he be in the Black Domain?" Mo Yan looked at Diablo again. "You knew this a long time ago?"

"Of course." He smiled softly. "As a demon, I am very sensitive to the element of evil, and as the guardian of evil, he has a strong evil contract."

"So, next we just have to wait for Yaohui to kill the demon and then catch that guy?" Kailin asked.

Diablo nodded. "Indeed, this way, we can avoid violating the law of cause and effect and minimize the sacrifices and losses here."

He looked towards the field. Yaohui's eyes were sharp, and he showed no fear in the face of the demon. The evil elements wrapped around his hands like a pair of giant wolf claws.

He leaped forward with the greatsword in hand, and the elemental force that spread to the sword multiplied its size several times. The demon barely managed to react when its head was severed.

As expected, the battle ended quickly and decisively. Yaohui, with overwhelming force, defeated his foe with a single blow. Diablo, who stood by and watched, gasped in surprise.