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[Genshin Impact] Chapter 556: The Desert (2-in-1 Chapter)
🕑 Added 2025-08-19 06:30:02 +0000 UTCSumeru City, Amrita Pool.
This was the dock of Sumeru’s waterways. If one wanted to head for Port Ormos, taking a boat along the waterways was the fastest route.
But to reach the desert, there was no need to travel by water.
Simply take the ferry across from Amrita Pool’s dock, then follow the road to reach Caravan Ribat.
That outpost lay at the border between the desert and the rainforest, serving as an important transportation hub and the last supply stop before entering the sands.
Of course, with Nolan here, they didn’t need to waste much time on ordinary travel.
He turned toward Dehya and Nilou:
“Would you rather teleport straight to Caravan Ribat, or fly high through the skies and enjoy the scenery along the way?”
“Really?!” Nilou’s face lit with delight. “It’s not often one gets the chance to look down on all of Sumeru from above!”
“Seems Nilou prefers flying. What about you, Dehya?”
Nolan shifted his gaze to her.
“Haha, I don’t mind either way. Both are faster than riding a carriage.” Dehya laughed and added:
“And I’m not about to spoil Nilou’s excitement.”
“Mm, thank you, Dehya.” Nilou’s lovely face bloomed with a smile. She then turned her gaze to Nolan. “And thank you too, Adventurer.”
【Nilou Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 330 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.5 (300/500).】
“Alright then, let’s go.”
Standing on the dock, Nolan summoned an updraft with the power of Anemo.
The three unfurled their gliders and leapt into the column of wind. With a rushing fwoosh, the powerful lift shot them into the sky.
Dehya’s black-golden hair floated upward, while Nilou’s white tights-clad legs peeked out from under her dress. She quickly pressed her skirt down with her hand.
With a thought, the winds shifted.
Nolan infused them with Anemo, instantly making their bodies feel featherlight, as if gravity no longer bound them.
Leaning forward slightly, the wind carried them ahead.
The river mirrored the sunlight, reflecting the hulls of sailboats. Dragonflies skimmed the surface, leaving ripples. Boosted by Anemo, the three crossed the river swiftly and climbed even higher into the sky.
“Wow, the river looks so tiny from here!” Nilou gazed down, marveling aloud.
“True enough.” Nolan agreed, then turned his eyes to Dehya on Nilou’s right, asking curiously:
“By the way, Dehya, do you have business in the desert this time?”
Nilou tilted her head too, curiosity written across her face.
“Oh? So that’s what you’re wondering. It’s nothing big. After so long working as Miss’s bodyguard, I saved up some Mora. I don’t need much for myself, so I thought I’d contribute something to the desert’s development.”
Dehya kept her gaze forward.
The warm sunlight glowed on her sun-bronzed skin, reflecting a faint shimmer.
“Contribute to the desert? You mean donations?” Nilou’s green eyes flickered with puzzlement.
Everyone in Sumeru knew how harsh the desert was. To help its people, the Akademiya ran targeted aid projects each year—delivering supplies to key villages, building basic infrastructure, and so on.
But if the Akademiya had to fund everything alone, it wouldn’t last long. So they also accepted donations.
Nilou herself had donated a few times when she had enough to spare.
“Something like that,” Dehya nodded. “There’s very little land in the desert that can be farmed. If people want to earn more, aside from joining the Eremites as mercenaries, their only other option is becoming adventurers.
“Both jobs are dangerous—especially under the desert’s raging sandstorms. So, naturally, there are many more children left behind.
“Without parents to care for them, their lives are unbearably difficult. I can’t stand seeing that, so I donate Mora from time to time to help.
“The amounts aren’t much, and the effect limited… But aside from donating, I also visit my friends in Aaru Village. If you don’t drop by once in a while, relationships can grow distant.”
“I see… Dehya, you’re really such a kind-hearted person.”
Nilou’s eyes shone with admiration.
Nolan nodded as well.
“Don’t worry. That old Grand Sage only cared about colluding with the Fatui, so of course he didn’t pay attention to such things.
“Now that Lesser Lord Kusanali is in charge of the Akademiya, the desert’s living conditions will surely improve soon!”
Of course, managing the entire desert wouldn’t be possible in the short term. But improving conditions around major settlements was realistic—
Hire Geo Vision holders to build windbreak walls, easing the storms.
When new roads were constructed, build roadside shelters to let travelers rest and hide from sandstorms.
That would greatly improve safety for those working in the desert.
But these were only temporary fixes. To truly improve life in the sands, large-scale reforestation was necessary.
Yet the desert’s lack of water posed the greatest hurdle. Even if a Dendro Vision holder forced a forest into existence, it would wither quickly. That would only waste resources.
The real solution lay with the Amurta scholars of botany—only by researching drought-resistant, low-water plants that could survive in deserts could the problem be solved for good.
And that wasn’t all.
Rumor had it the desert had once belonged to the god-king King Deshret. If his authority still influenced the land, then spreading rainforest growth into the desert might not be so easy.
“Of course I believe in the Dendro Archon!”
For Nilou, the fact that Nahida had already resolved the Withering Disease was proof enough—she believed Lesser Lord Kusanali was in no way inferior to the Great Dendro Archon of the past.
“Mm!”
Nolan also trusted Nahida would have a plan for this—though he wasn’t sure how far along it was.
So, as Nilou and Dehya admired the scenery below, he kept flying while quietly reaching out to Nahida through the “Waymark,” seeking an update.
Hearing how harsh life in the desert was, Nolan also wanted to do something.
In response to his doubts, Nahida quickly gave an answer:
“Although King Deshret has passed away, the remnants of his authority still affect the desert. If you want to change that environment, those influences must first be removed.
“If it weren’t for the power of Deshret lingering, the Great Dendro Archon would have already extended the rainforest into the desert long ago.”
“Oh? So it really is that troublesome.” Nolan said helplessly.
“Don’t worry,” Nahida explained, “scholars of Amurta are cultivating plants that can bypass Deshret’s lingering authority. If their research succeeds, it may be possible to artificially create several large oases in the desert.”
“Oases, huh… that does sound nice.” Nolan nodded.
“Oh, and since you’re headed into the desert, pay attention and see if you can find traces of Deshret’s residual authority. If possible, gather them.
“That way their influence on the desert will gradually diminish.”
Before ending the conversation, Nahida entrusted him with this task.
“Alright, I’ll keep an eye out.” Nolan naturally agreed—after all, it was along the way.
—
With the help of Anemo blessings, their flight speed was extremely fast. From Amrita Pool, crossing Vanarana and heading to Caravan Ribat only took a single morning.
Along the way, they saw towering mountains and the vast jungle of Apam Woods with its gigantic trees.
Even Dehya, experienced as she was, had never viewed the jungle from such a height.
When she had led her mercenaries inside before, those massive trees only made her feel small.
Nilou, however, was overjoyed.
Before receiving her Vision, she had only been an ordinary girl of Sumeru—naturally she never visited such dangerous places. Even after receiving her Hydro Vision, she still considered herself ordinary.
At most, her Hydro powers served as special effects for her dancing; she had no battle experience.
So she had truly never gone into monster-infested places like Apam Woods.
Seeing those colossal trees from the sky for the first time opened her eyes. She even asked Nolan to stop so she could admire them for a while.
Afterward, she wore a look of deep fulfillment.
And she grew a little more fond of him:
【Nilou Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 360 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.6 (160/600).】
Seeing the notification pop up on his status panel, Nolan was delighted. One step closer to maxing out her affection skill.
—
“Caravan Ribat’s ahead. Do either of you need supplies?” Dehya asked, glancing at Nolan and Nilou.
They landed on the outpost grounds without attracting much attention. After all, Wind Gliders were a common sight.
At most, passersby assumed they had glided down from somewhere high.
“I don’t need any. I already stored everything in my Vision long ago.” Nilou shook her head, her twin red ponytails swaying.
Nolan also indicated he needed nothing.
“In that case, since Nilou’s here to gather inspiration for her art, there’s no need to fly further on the way to Aaru Village—we can walk.”
Dehya crossed her arms, adjusting her red-and-black corset slightly.
“Mm. Since it’s still before noon, if we set out now, we should reach Aaru Village by midday tomorrow.
“And because we flew part of the way, our pace is already much faster than normal. So we don’t have to rush—why not rest here in Caravan Ribat a bit?”
“Good idea. It’s still as lively as ever here. Perfect chance to see if anything has changed.” Nilou nodded slightly—she clearly knew the place well.
Nolan had never been here before, but with both Dehya and Nilou familiar with it, he was happy to let them guide him around.
“Sounds good. Let’s rest here for a while.” He agreed.
The three then wandered through the bustling streets of Caravan Ribat. Here, desert folk were far more numerous than in Sumeru City—it was the most vital supply hub, after all.
On the desert-facing side stood a great wall to block sandstorms. No need to worry about the whole outpost being buried by one.
Naturally, desert dwellers preferred to live here.
—
That afternoon, after resting, they prepared to head into the desert. But just then, a group rushed in through the gates.
At the lead, a young man carried someone covered in blood on his back, shouting anxiously:
“Doctor! Where’s the doctor?! Don’t block the way!”
Passersby quickly made way. Eremite mercenaries fighting and bleeding was nothing unusual here—locals were used to such scenes.
“That must hurt so much…” Nilou murmured sympathetically as she watched them hurry past.
Without knowing whether someone was good or bad, few could be happy watching another suffer. And from their worried faces, they didn’t look like villains.
“No helping it. If you choose to be a mercenary, you should be prepared for this.” Dehya’s tone was calm. After observing a moment, she added:
“I noticed his clothing was cut cleanly. Looks like a sword or blade wound. That rules out ordinary monsters—most likely he was injured in a fight with other humans in the desert.
“When we head in, we need to be careful too. Bandits and raiders are everywhere in the sands.”
“What? Then isn’t the desert incredibly dangerous?” Nilou’s green eyes widened.
“With me here—and especially with this legendary adventurer—no one foolish enough will dare trouble us!”
Dehya chuckled.
Unless they ran into a sandstorm or powerful monsters, she herself could roam the desert freely. Even if faced with an entire mercenary company, she could retreat with ease.
“Huu… you’re right. I guess I was worrying too much.”
Nilou glanced between Dehya and Nolan, patting her chest in relief.
“Eh? Adventurer, what’s that?”
She pointed curiously at a golden spark on Nolan’s fingertip.
“That mercenary seemed on the verge of bleeding out. Even with Sumeru City’s medical care, the chances of saving him were slim. So… I thought I’d help.”
With that, Nolan flicked the golden spark toward the retreating Eremites. It silently entered the injured man’s body.
Formed from his golden sword intent, the spark carried potent healing power. Saving that man’s life wouldn’t be a problem.
“Oh? Didn’t expect you to be so soft-hearted.” Dehya chuckled, while Nilou nodded in agreement.
【Dehya Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 340 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.4 (100/400).】
【Nilou Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 340 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.6 (500/600).】
—
(End of Chapter)
Comments
Msos
I wonder when we would go to the next area 🤔
