Chapter 323: Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [323]
Gu Sanqiu took a deep breath. Don't be fooled by the adorable little girl in front of him. If handled poorly, she might just send half of Mondstadt flying into the sky.
"Klee, what brings you here?"
Gu Sanqiu unwrapped a piece of chocolate and handed it to Klee. The little troublemaker immediately forgot about her earlier excitement, eagerly taking the chocolate with both hands and beginning her hamster-like nibbling.
"Mm... mmph!"
"Slow down, slow down. Swallow the chocolate before talking."
Klee gulped down her treat before looking up at him. "I went to see Albedo, but he said he was busy. Then he told me Brother Sanqiu was in Mondstadt and said I should come find you!"
Huh?
What on earth? I came to Mondstadt for a vacation, and now you want me to babysit a little troublemaker?
Gu Sanqiu froze for a moment before glancing thoughtfully at Klee.
"Klee, did Albedo say anything else?"
"Anything else? I dunno!" Klee replied, her cheeks still puffed with chocolate as she shrugged innocently.
...Right.
He had forgotten the most critical thing: Klee wasn't exactly the best messenger. If Albedo had something important to convey, he'd probably leave a written note or arrange something more reliable.
So, this was just a simple babysitting job, huh?
Gu Sanqiu turned to Barbara. "My dear student—"
"Sorry, Teacher!" Barbara clasped her hands together apologetically, her mischievous smile betraying her words as she gave him a wink.
"I've got work to do later, so I can't help you with this. Good luck!"
Gu Sanqiu glanced up at the sun, then back down at Klee, who was still happily chewing. Deciding it was best to get her out of the sun, he led her to a shaded spot.
Clearly, Albedo trusted him enough to leave Klee in his care. But upon further reflection, Gu Sanqiu realized he didn't exactly possess the qualifications to babysit.
Hmm... let's think about this. Is there any overlap between what I know and what Klee likes to do?
Ding!
An imaginary lightbulb lit up above his head.
"Klee."
Gu Sanqiu's expression softened into a smile as he crouched down, though he looked every bit like a suspicious villain about to lure a child away.
"Want to see a big explosion?"
"You can make bombs too, Brother Sanqiu?"
Klee's big, sparkling eyes lit up with curiosity, her excitement growing.
"Of course! It's one of my specialties." Gu Sanqiu gave her a confident thumbs-up. "So? Wanna go outside and make some big explosions together?"
"I wanna go!" Klee cheered, throwing her hands into the air. Then, hesitating, she grabbed the hem of her shirt nervously.
"But... but if Captain Jean catches me, I'll get locked up again! Setting the mountains on fire means Klee's doomed. If I get caught, I won't be able to play outside for a long time."
(´;ω;`)
Ding!
This time, a lightbulb appeared over Klee's head.
"Wait, I've got it, Brother Sanqiu!" Klee grinned, her mood shifting instantly. "When we go out to play, you'll keep watch! If Captain Jean shows up, you have to warn me, okay?"
Keep watch?
In Mondstadt? With his detection abilities, aside from Venti, no one could sneak past him unnoticed.
But then again...
"Klee." Gu Sanqiu's voice turned serious. "When you cause a big explosion, do you really think Captain Jean won't figure out it's you, even if she doesn't catch you red-handed?"
Klee froze, her expression stiffening. "N-no, that's not true! If that happens, it must be because someone's trying to frame Klee! They just want to steal my Dodoco!"
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
"Yeah, totally," Gu Sanqiu replied, deadpan.
Klee: Self-deception activated.
"Alright, don't worry. I've got a plan." Gu Sanqiu gave her a reassuring thumbs-up. "I promise you won't get locked up for damaging the environment this time."
"Let's go have some fun."
"Yay!" Klee cheered, leaping onto Gu Sanqiu's back and pointing ahead like a fearless commander.
"Onward, Brother Sanqiu Number One!"
"Haha, maybe one day you'll meet Number Two," Gu Sanqiu chuckled. If that guy ever showed up again, they could mess with others by pulling the classic twin pranks.
Guess which one's the older brother and which one's the younger brother.
Wrong—we're not even related!
"Hold tight," Gu Sanqiu said, lifting off with Anemo energy as Klee cheered, heading toward the outskirts of Mondstadt.
---
"Brother Sanqiu, look! I made this bomb myself!"
Klee pulled out a bouncy bomb and proudly handed it to Gu Sanqiu, who weighed it in his hand. After some thought, he wrapped it in Geo energy and carefully floated it mid-air.
"Klee, try detonating it now."
"Hmph! This is easy for Klee!"
Confidently placing her hands on her hips, she waited for Gu Sanqiu's signal. Then, with a dramatic flourish, she snapped her tiny fingers.
Boom!
BOOM!
The bomb exploded, sending shockwaves through the air. Gu Sanqiu glanced at the intact Geo sphere, then dispelled it to sniff the residual smoke and dust.
"Hmm. This formula's pretty basic." Gu Sanqiu looked at Klee. "Got anything with more firepower?"
Klee's eyes sparkled with determination. "I get it! It's a challenge! I'll definitely break Brother Sanqiu's Geo shield!"
Just don't make one that turns the terrain into a crater, Gu Sanqiu thought as Klee rummaged through her oversized backpack. Honestly, he suspected it was some kind of dimensional storage device—there was no way it could hold so much otherwise.
"Ta-da~! This is Klee's newest creation: the 'Captain Jean Scaredy-Bomb!'"
"Alright, let's see it."
Klee hoisted the large bomb and tossed it skyward. Gu Sanqiu formed another Geo sphere, this time fortifying it with two additional layers of shields just in case the new bomb packed an unexpected punch.
BOOM!
This time, the explosion visibly warped the Geo sphere, with shockwaves slicing through it like weapons. Had Gu Sanqiu not reinforced the shield with an extra dose of Geo energy, it would have shattered completely.
"What incredible power... no, precision," Gu Sanqiu mused. Klee's talent and destructive potential were unmatched. Whether in large-scale warfare or solo missions, her bombs offered a significant edge.
It was like when he used meteor storms to hammer Albedo or flame barriers to trap Childe. To enemies unfamiliar with such tactics, encountering Klee could only mean defeat—or perhaps a prayer that her bombs would mercifully obliterate them rather than leave them half-dead and suffering.
"You're almost there, Klee! Keep it up!"
Klee's expression turned adorably "fierce" as she stomped her tiny foot and pulled out an even larger bomb from her backpack.
"Klee's going to succeed today for sure!"
Cradling the bomb with one arm, she raised a tiny fist with the other, pointing it at Gu Sanqiu.
"Prepare to face Klee's wrath, Brother Sanqiu the Big Bad Boss!"
...Huh?