C16 You Said Donkey Ears Right?

Mu Jin had a deep, dream-filled sleep. In her dream, she was joyfully swimming through a boundless sea of crystals. Suddenly, she found herself surrounded by a throng of Origin Deity girls, who watched her with predatory intensity. Among them were her close friends Hu Tao and Xiangling, as well as Keqing and Ganyu, acquaintances she had met a few times. And on the fringes... was that Catherine?

"You... Ahh!?" Before Mu Jin could utter another word, they seized her.

They stripped off Mu Jin's clothes, revealing Kiana Kaslana's pristine white body to their unrelenting gaze. The dream ended with Mu Jin being strangled by a woman bearing a striking resemblance to Raiden Mei, her eyes void of life.

"Why don't you belong to us?" a voice asked. "Tell me... which version of you is the real one?"

The story concluded with a 'Bad End Blood' finale.

Jolted awake by the terrifyingly real sensation of suffocation in her dream, Mu Jin's heart pounded fiercely. She lay there, unable to shake off the shock, staring blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling overhead. As she attempted to sit up, she discovered the source of her suffocation: her pet rice crust, sound asleep on her blanket.

Good grief, it was you causing that feeling!

"Gululu~" The rice crust hummed contentedly, oblivious to Mu Jin's discomfort, and simply rolled over to continue its slumber.

Mu Jin sat up slowly, her gaze drifting to the window where she saw the first light of dawn. Xiangling, too, was sleeping peacefully. But why was the rice crust on her bed? She felt her forehead, slick with cold sweat.

Wait a second... what was that dream about again?

She pinched the bridge of her nose, but the dream's details eluded her. She vaguely recalled the system mentioning something about a recording... but what recording?

The system was as silent as the grave, ignoring Mu Jin's calls.

Fine, ignore me then.

Mu Jin ran her fingers through her tousled hair, her blue eyes clouded with confusion. Sleep was out of the question now. She gently moved the rice crust aside, donned her Valkyrja armor, slipped on her coat, and decided to step outside for some fresh air.

Pushing hard today, she could make it to Mondstadt.

She hoped against hope that nothing would go awry.

Mu Jin was itching to give her past, doom-predicting self a good smack.

Clutching her baseball bat—the source of her comfort—she fixed a steely gaze on the once amiable crowd.

Back-to-back with Xiangling, they stood ready with their weapons, bracing against the oncoming surge of Treasure Hoarders.

"There's too many... We have no choice... we've got to split up... Meet in Mondstadt, Xiangling..."

"But what about you?"

Xiangling, though skilled in her family's martial arts, was overwhelmed by the sheer number of Treasure Hoarders.

"Heh, I'm Kaslana... Don't worry, I'll make it to Mondstadt to meet you."

"I'll seize the moment. When the opportunity arises, I'll make a break for it."

Mu Jin offered a reassuring smile, taking deep breaths to regain her strength.

"Boss, you think these ladies are scared out of their wits? Hahaha, they're still whispering secrets!"

"They've hurt so many of our guys! Charge!"

Just a bunch of Treasure Hoarders? They've got another thing coming if they think they can take on my baseball bat!

The first Treasure Hoarder to charge was sent flying by Mu Jin's powerful swing.

He hit the ground, motionless, and upon closer inspection, was missing a front tooth.

"Damn women!"

Xiangling bit back her frustration, knowing they were so close to Mondstadt: "Rice crust! Fire!"

They carved a path through their enemies, exchanging a knowing glance. Running together now would make them easy targets.

They split up, and Xiangling quickly passed the map to Mu Jin before the Treasure Hoarders could regroup.

"We'll regroup in Mondstadt. I'll wait for you."

"Got it!"

Splitting up, Mu Jin was thrust into a tense and perilous escape.

A scar from a Treasure Hoarder's thrown knife marked her cheek.

She longed to give her assailant another thrashing, but escaping with her life was the priority.

Damn it! How dare he scratch a beautiful girl's face!

Luckily, I've already knocked out that jerk's front teeth; that's some sweet revenge.

'Now I'm on my own...'

Mu Jin furrowed her brow at the sound of pursuers closing in behind her. Clutched in her hand was a trial card for Yae Sakura.

Time-limited mission: Ensure your escape from this crisis, defeat the encroaching Treasure Hoarders, and successfully rendezvous with Xiangling in Mondstadt.

Reward: 100 crystals, 200 experience points.

Mu Jin felt a twinge of excitement. Completing this mission would mean she could draw from the standard pool!

Without a second thought, she tapped the character card of the formidable miko, Yae Sakura.

"Son of a... Where did that white-haired witch run off to?!"

The toothless Treasure Hoarder spat in frustration, scanning the area with a menacing glare, desperate to uncover Mu Jin's hiding spot.

She definitely ran this way!

Damn it! My teeth! My dashing good looks!

Something caught the eye of the Treasure Hoarders, changing their expressions. They rallied a group of their cronies and marched forward with a threatening air.

"Hey! You, with the pink hair and donkey ears! Have you seen a white-haired individual?"

Her gaze lowered, the hint of red at the corner of her eyes exuding allure, yet her detached, pale purple eyes emitted a sense of danger.

The girl's eyes harbored an obscure darkness, her delicate hand gripping the saber's hilt. Her voice, cool and steady, began to rise.

"You just mentioned... donkey ears... didn't you?"