[EARLY ACCESS] SHRINK IMPACT | GENSHIN IMPACT - CHAPTER 41

Ganyu tumbled into the grass outside Xianyun’s lair, her lungs burning, her mind racing with fear and guilt. She was free. 

The cool night air lapped over her, smelling like wildflowers, and so relieving for a moment. But there was no time for relief—every second mattered, with you and Mona left behind. 

They’re going to get digested if I don’t act fast!

She staggered upright, shivering, cowering as shadows of grass and roots rose around her like ancient trees. Everything at this size felt impossibly vast, every pebble a boulder, every bug a monster. There was so much she had to be careful of.

Suddenly she felt she could understand how afraid you must have been, being so tiny too. It really did make you feel utterly helpless.

Still, she pushed on, driven by raw instinct. Soon, in the distance, she spotted the orange flicker of firelight, and heard the hopeful murmur of voices. She had been right to go this way.

Ganyu crept closer, squinting between blades of grass, her heart leaping when she saw two familiar figures around the flames: Hu Tao, her impish smile in full force as she tended a bubbling pot of hotpot, and Xinyan, sprawled out with her guitar across her lap, singing softly between mouthfuls of spicy skewers.

The two were comfortable together, complimenting each other: Hu Tao’s playfulness, while Xinyan’s warm laughter and steady strumming sounded in the early night. For a moment, Ganyu was so overcome with relief she nearly called out for help.

But then the aroma of the food hit her—savory, spicy, and so delicious her stomach twisted painfully in protest. Her hunger was a physical ache. 

Don’t get distracted!

At this size, the feast spread across the abandoned picnic table looked impossibly massive: glossy mushrooms glistening with oil, plump dumplings the size of her torso, crimson-hot chilies bobbing in a cauldron of bubbling broth.

Ganyu crept to the edge of the camp, ducking behind a fallen leaf. The risk was obvious: one wrong move and she’d be in trouble. But if she could reach that pot and scale it, they’d be able to see her clearly, since that was all they were focused on it seemed. Inch by inch, she scaled the rough wood of the bench and slipped onto the edge of the table.

The air up here was sweltering, the heat from the soup stinging her cheeks already. Hu Tao’s chopsticks flashed quick, as she stirred the bubbling pot. Xinyan crooned a snatch of song, flicking a chunk of tofu Hu Tao’s way, into her bowl.

“Eat up!”

Ganyu carefully scaled the edges of the pot, using her powers to shield her hands from getting burned, finally reaching the lip of it. She attempted to straighten up and catch their attention as they both leaned in for another portion.

But her foot slipped, and she found herself tumbling down into the broth.

Acting on instinct, she focused the last reserves of her power. Frost shimmered along her palm and spread out in a thin, sparkling layer, cooling and freezing the slick soup into harmless crystals just beneath her. It wasn’t much, but it spared her skin as she landed.

But just then, Hu Tao’s chopsticks swooped down, catching both a slice of carrot and Ganyu. Ganyu’s world lurched skyward, wind whistling past her as she clung desperately to the frozen vegetable, the scent of spice and pepper overwhelming.

She barely had time to scream as she soared, glinting ice scattering as Hu Tao lifted the morsel toward her open mouth. The world filled with humid heat—the cavernous dark, the pink gleam of tongue, the teeth that could crush her with a snap.

The world before her was suddenly consumed by Hu Tao’s open mouth—an immense, dark, glistening cavern. She could see every detail, from the pearly arch of teeth to the pink sheen of her tongue, slick with anticipation. Steam curled inside, rising from her last bite. 

The tongue twitched, rolling with restless hunger, and a glimmer of saliva pooled at the back of her throat, stretching in thick strands between her palate and the roof of her mouth. The scent was overpowering—a heady mix of spicy broth and the sweet, unmistakable tang of breath and saliva.

For a moment, Ganyu stared into that abyss. Hu Tao’s lips stretched wide, framing the darkness in soft, glistening red. The light of the fire flickered over the wet curves inside, glinting off the moisture that coated every surface.

As the carrot moved closer, Ganyu could hear every sound: the squelch of Hu Tao’s tongue pressing against her palate, the faint click of her teeth. The air was thick, sticky, so close she felt the warmth of Hu Tao’s exhale brush against her skin.

So easily, she could have suffered the same fate. Been sent plummeting down into a stomach several times her size, reduced to nothing in no time.

Desperate, Ganyu forced her body to move. She summoned another quick burst of Cryo, shattering the carrot into sudden slivers and sending herself sliding sideways—off the chopsticks, tumbling along Hu Tao’s palm, then landing in the crook of her sleeve with a thud. Hot broth soaked her, but the chill she left behind cooled it enough that she only stung, not burned.

Above her, Hu Tao seemed not to notice the near-miss. She popped the carrot slice into her mouth, chewed happily, and swallowed. “Spicy enough for you, Xinyan?”

Xinyan grinned, plucking a chili from the pot. “You know it! Whoo, this one’ll put hair on your chest!”

Ganyu pressed herself into the fabric of the sleeve, heart pounding, shivering from the shock and the rapid cooling of her damp clothes. For a moment, she considered yelling, but fear clamped her throat shut. If she were discovered now—her size, her helplessness—she could just as easily be mistaken for a bug, or worse, a snack.

She wasn’t sure she could trust anyone right now.

Instead, she stayed hidden, curling tighter into the warm darkness, listening to the distant thrum of Xinyan’s guitar and the carefree banter of the two women. Tears pricked her eyes. She was so close to help, yet still a world away.

Traveler…Mona…please, hang on.
I’ll find a way. I have to.