Ch 7

"Uh...?" Amber was even more shocked.

Earlier, when she tried out the elemental combat skills, someone mentioned that Razor's elemental combat skills were similar to Lisa's. She didn't expect there to be a real connection. Amber wanted to ask Lisa for more information about this wolf boy, but when she saw Lisa deep in thought, she dismissed the idea. It was common knowledge in the Knights of Favonius not to disturb Lisa when she was serious.

...

"It seems like the tavern has had a lot fewer customers lately. Is it because of the dragon's influence?" In the Angel's Share tavern, Diluc came to the bar, prepared himself a glass of grape juice, and asked the bartender.

"Diluc, sir, don't you know yet? There's a new gaming arcade at the end of this street, and all the young people in Mondstadt have been flocking there," the bartender replied.

Diluc was slightly taken aback. He had just come from Dawn Winery and had been busy investigating the activities of the Abyss Order within Mondstadt, so he was unaware of the changes in the city.

"A gaming arcade? What's so special about it?"

"Well, I can't quite explain, but you'll have to experience it for yourself. It's rather mysterious, and even the Knights of Favonius are keeping an eye on it," the bartender said.

Diluc nodded. "I see. Thanks for the information."

The bartender advised, "Sir, I suggest you go a bit later; it's crowded right now, and you might not even find an empty seat."

Diluc, who was putting on his gloves, paused for a moment. Was it really that peculiar?

...

It wasn't until 1 AM that players in the gaming arcade began to leave one by one. Before departing, many of them eagerly discussed various aspects of the game with their companions and made plans to meet up again after completing their work tomorrow.

After seeing off the last customer, Eula sat behind the bar and let out a long sigh. At first, she thought this job would be easy, but she had worked from noon until now.

Sitting on the stool, Eula poured herself a glass of orange juice. Ever since she tasted it while she was drunk, she couldn't forget the taste, especially when it was served with ice cubes. It outshone all other orange juice drinks.

This was also a kind of solace during work. Takumi had promised her that she could freely enjoy drinks from this "automatic beverage machine."

After tidying up her attire a bit, Eula decided to wear a more professional outfit tomorrow. Since she had decided to take on this job, she was determined to do it well.

When serving drinks to every customer, they would unconsciously say "thank you" to her, which made Eula feel a kind of respect she had never experienced before. When she was a member of the Knights of Favonius, she had to deal with harsh weather and fierce monsters every day, but no one ever thanked her.

On her first day of work here, she received so much gratitude, which made Eula feel quite happy amidst the exhaustion.

She also felt more grateful to Takumi.

At that moment, Takumi walked out of the room holding a tablet in his hand. "Boss, what's this? A new phone?"

Takumi smiled and replied, "Sort of." He then fixed it on the wall at the entrance of the hall.

On the screen was the activation interface for member accounts.

"In the future, let the players activate their accounts here. You just need to handle the payments, and the game duration will be directly reflected in their accounts."

Hearing Takumi's explanation of the system's functions, Eula couldn't help but express her amazement. This would eliminate the need to manually calculate the remaining playtime for each player, making her job much easier.

"Boss, are you an inventor?"

"You guess~"

"..."

Although they hadn't spent much time together, Eula had gained some understanding of her boss. Despite being mysterious in many ways, he had an easygoing personality and was generous to her.

"How's the income today?"

"Boss, come and take a look."

Under the counter, there was a drawer filled with glistening Mora.

"All this Mora adds up to at least a million."

When Eula first started collecting Mora, she was constantly amazed. But as more and more players came in, she became numb to it. She realized that it would take her a long time to accumulate this much Mora on her own, but Takumi had earned it in just one day. However, Eula didn't feel any jealousy; she only admired Takumi.

It was impressive that he didn't show any excitement upon seeing so much Mora. A slight smile appeared on Takumi's lips. This situation was entirely within his expectations. Charging for the use of the computer terminals was just the first step. This way of making money had its limits, and once all the customers had bought memberships, there would be a period of stagnation. The real source of income would be the in-game "recharge" system. He believed that players would discover this feature soon. The allure of spending money in the game was not something anyone could resist.

"Well then, Boss, see you tomorrow."

Although Takumi offered her free meals and accommodation, Eula was accustomed to returning to her own room. Takumi nodded and watched Eula leave. Before leaving, Eula had already cleaned all the tables and chairs, so hygiene and cleanliness were not a concern. It seemed that the people of Mondstadt were not accustomed to staying up late at night. Takumi was considering whether it was necessary to operate the place 24 hours a day, or if he could take some time off at night. However, there were more important matters at hand.

Takumi's gaze fell on the drawer filled with glistening Mora. He planned to use one million Mora for an epic-level lottery!

...

"Whoosh..."

"Obtained the awakening ability... [Thunderlord]!"

"Do you wish to extract it immediately?"

Looking at the illusionary purple gem in front of him, Takumi couldn't help but sigh. It was indeed an epic-level lottery costing one million Mora, and it even allowed him to draw a character from the Genshin Impact universe, just like in the Honkai Impact universe.

The Thunderlord's ability, in simple terms, was the control of electromagnetism, with absolute control over thunder and lightning. From this perspective, it was similar to the power of the Thunder God. However, its upper limit was much higher than that of a god who controlled the element of thunder...

Takumi immediately confirmed the extraction. What he wanted was the power to walk in this world, and this reward was exactly what he had wished for.

"Confirm extraction!"

In an instant, the illusionary purple gem turned into reality.

This is the Conquest Gem, symbolizing the power of the Thunderlord to conquer all things. Takumi didn't hesitate and directly grasped it.

...

"A boom...!" The sky was filled with lightning in Mondstadt's sky. It had been clear during the day, but now it was unexpectedly thundering and lightning, making people marvel at the world's unpredictability. In a rugged mountainous area, a giant dragon crouched below a cliff, seeking shelter from the sudden thunderstorm. Such harsh weather was rare in Mondstadt, and the dragon wasn't afraid of natural thunderstorms. However, within this thunderstorm, there seemed to be a powerful pressure that forced it to find refuge here. It was this invisible pressure that also suppressed the corrosive power within the dragon, allowing it a brief moment of clarity. There was a hint of clarity in the dragon's cloudy eyes.

It was at this moment that a green light appeared. Venti's figure emerged within the green light.

"Roar..." The dragon instinctively sensed something familiar. But just then, an ice elemental attack struck where Venti was standing. The dragon seemed to be ignited in an instant, flapping its wings, causing a fierce wind to sweep through the entire mountainside.

In such a situation, Venti couldn't communicate with Dvalin. He looked towards a high point ahead, where a monster named Abyss Mage was swinging his staff and chanting ancient incantations. He had no choice but to temporarily withdraw. Fortunately, he had already tracked Dvalin whereabouts, so continuing to follow might provide an opportunity.

...

"This weather is a bit strange..." Diluc looked up at the night sky. Just a moment ago, it was densely clouded with thunderclouds, giving the impression that a storm was imminent. But now, in an instant, the clouds dispersed, revealing a clear starry sky. Could it be an omen caused by the Windward Oath?

Diluc shook his head. Right now, he had other things to do. However, just as he turned a corner, about to reach the gaming arcade, he almost collided with a man coming from the opposite direction.

"I thought it was someone else, turns out it's you."

The man spoke with a helpless tone. "Kaeya, weren't you supposed to be on a mission outside the city? Don't tell me you came to this gaming arcade too?"

The person in front of him was the seemingly innocent Kaeya.

"You're quite well-informed... But compared to the monsters outside the city, I'm more interested in this mysterious shop."

"Coincidentally, I feel the same way."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two silently made their way inside the shop, without mentioning why they had arrived at the shop so late at night.

"Welcome, dear Customer."

The young shopkeeper opened the door. Inside the hall were rows of clean and tidy seats, and at this late hour, there were no other customers. Diluc's expression was slightly startled. He had casually glanced at the shopkeeper earlier and seemed to have seen an image of lightning interwoven on his body. But when he looked again, everything appeared normal.

Perhaps it was due to the lighting that he was feeling a bit dizzy...

"Let's recharge with a hundred thousand Mora each," Diluc said upon seeing the promotional sign.

Kaeya did the same. Both of them now had a balance of one hundred and fifty thousand Mora in their accounts.

"From now on, you two are members of our gaming arcade."

Under Takumi's guidance, they activated their accounts using the latest membership activation system and chose their seats to start playing.

Takumi hadn't expected them to arrive so late. Just after obtaining the power of the Thunderlord, he couldn't control the immense power and caused an anomaly in the sky over all of Mondstadt. Fortunately, Takumi managed to quickly contain it. The feeling was somewhat like wearing a winter coat in the middle of summer—a bit stifling. However, Takumi deliberately calmed himself down. He needed to harness the power of lightning, not be controlled by it. After some time, he finally managed to suppress that unruly feeling. He couldn't help but stretch his waist. This advancement of both body and soul, the elevation of his life level, indeed brought a tremendous sense of satisfaction. He had felt a bit tired before, but now he was full of energy, and his senses were incredibly sharp. He was in a good mood.

Takumi prepared two glasses of wine and placed them on Kaeya and Diluc's tables.

"Thanks, boss," Kaeya said with a smile. "I heard there's a character in this game that looks like me. Boss, should I charge some appearance fees?"

Before Takumi could react, Kaeya chuckled, "Haha, just kidding. I'm honored to appear as a character in this [mobile game]."

===

The long night stretched on, but for the two in the gaming arcade, it didn't feel long at all. Both of them were intelligent individuals, and after going through the initial game tutorial, they quickly became familiar with the gameplay of this mobile game. Unlike ordinary players, both Diluc and Kaeya gradually realized the enormous amount of hidden information within the game and its references to reality while advancing the storyline.

Especially for Kaeya, who had originally become interested in this place because of Jean and Lisa's remarks, experiencing it firsthand made him understand why they valued this mobile game so much.

The progress of the two in advancing the storyline was similar, and they would exchange a few whispered words from time to time. When it came to clearing the Four Winds' Temples, Kaeya's eyes narrowed. Not long ago, he had personally cleared this Temple of the Falcon as the Cavalry Captain, and the two matched perfectly. It could even be said that this mobile game was another "real world" with a faster time flow. The only difference was that in the true Teyvat, these Hillchurl's actions wouldn't be as sluggish, and defeating them wouldn't be as easy as in the game. However, the crucial elements had been faithfully reproduced.

After clearing this temple, they also acquired the character "Kaeya."

Diluc opened the character's attribute panel and lingered on Kaeya's interface.

"Why? Are you interested in my appearance? To be honest, I think they did a great job in perfectly reproducing my Cavalry Captain style."

"Especially that [Freeze!] line, heh, it really feels great. I might give it a try next time when using elemental powers," Kaeya remarked.

Diluc shook his head slightly and opened Kaeya's talent interface.

"Here, your normal attack is named [Ritual Swordsmanship], which seems to be more of a ceremonial and performance-based swordsmanship. It appears that the owner is hinting at your hidden potential," Diluc explained.

Kaeya paused for a moment and then sighed. "You pay quite a lot of attention to details, don't you?"

"This mobile game is worth it," Diluc replied.

Behind the bar, Takumi, with his heightened senses, overheard their conversation. He smiled unconcernedly. In the original game, there were character-specific voice lines and stories, but Takumi had deleted all of that. He preferred to keep those secrets to himself, as revealing them would only cause confusion. Nevertheless, there were still many aspects of the game worth exploring, and Takumi believed that Diluc and Kaeya could see that.

...

"Look, you're on screen," Kaeya pointed to the display, where Diluc was currently beating up an Abyss Mage. Diluc's expression remained indifferent, but a faint glint in his eyes hinted that he wasn't as calm as he appeared.

Indeed, he had been investigating the Abyss Order recently, but this was something only he should know about. "Kaeya, don't you find it strange? In the storyline of this mobile game, everything aligns with reality as if the person who designed it knows everything, as if they're looking down on everything from a 'god's' perspective."

Kaeya pondered for a moment, not revealing his thoughts, and then said, "If you want to test him, I won't stop you."

Diluc's expression changed. After appearing in the game's storyline himself, he did have the urge to test the depths of this owner. However, Kaeya seemed to know something.

After some contemplation, Diluc asked, "Has someone already done this before?"

"You should know Lisa's abilities, right?" Kaeya lowered his voice and continued, "She tried once before, but couldn't discern anything."

Diluc's eyes revealed a sudden realization. No result could also be a kind of result. This owner's power was probably beyond that of a mere "mortal."

"Could it be... he's the long-lost Anemo Archon, Barbatos..." Diluc speculated. If that were the case, everything seemed to make sense. Creating and developing a mobile game that offered a perfect recreation of Mondstadt for its residents, with hidden layers of information, wasn't so difficult to understand. After all, he was the god of Mondstadt and had a deep understanding of this land. The Wind Archon might be trying to guide the current people on how to deal with the impending dragon disaster and save Mondstadt.

Diluc and Kaeya exchanged a confirming look. Evidently, this was also Kaeya's conjecture. Diluc glanced at Takumi behind the bar, who was lying on a bench pretending to nap.

With the speculation they had just discussed, the faint curve at the corner of Takumi's mouth now seemed to possess a profound and inscrutable significance. Diluc reached for the wine on the table and took a sip. The taste was exceptionally pure, leaving a lingering aftertaste. It was no less superior than the fine wines produced in his vineyard. Perhaps only the Wind Archon could brew such pure wine over the long years.

...

...

The hope of resolving the dragon crisis lies within this game's storyline! With this clarity in mind, Diluc and Kaeya focused their efforts on advancing the plot. They cleared the other two Anemo Statues of The Seven, and the storm shrouding Mondstadt finally dissipated.

During this process, they gradually gained some understanding of the game's combat mechanics. They learned how to gauge the strength of their attacks through numerical interactions. Diluc even teased Kaeya, saying that their attacks dealt only twenty or thirty points of damage, feeling like a gentle massage.

Kaeya didn't mind and believed that his Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst were quite powerful. And so, the two of them continued playing until morning.

It was evident that staying up late was nothing new for them, and with their constitution as Vision holders, an all-nighter posed no problem. Perhaps they found enjoyment in the game, as their interactions became more frequent, resembling the times when they used to play together as children. Diluc even displayed a rare smile.

As the morning sun rose, casting its warm light through the window, Kaeya stretched lazily, indicating that he needed to return to his duties within the Knights of Favonius. In the game, they had cleared three temples, but in reality, one temple still awaited his attention.

Diluc, on the other hand, had no intentions of leaving. He was currently immersed in Kaeya's legendary quest, and after completing it, he could increase his Adventure Rank to 10 and unlock new main storyline quests.

After Kaeya left, the door to the establishment swung open, and three young individuals entered in succession.

"Yesterday, the temple of the Anemo Lion was so difficult! I wiped out several times!"

"Although I got Lisa, it feels like I can't deal any damage!"

"Today, we must clear the Temple of the Lion and rescue Mondstadt from the hurricane's grasp!"

The three of them excitedly discussed in-game matters, eager to get started. However, when they saw a familiar figure already seated at the gaming stations in the hall, they were visibly surprised.

"It's Lord Diluc!"

"Lord Diluc, you're here so early?"

"We never expected to meet the real Lord Diluc here..."

It seemed that the three's enthusiastic chatter bothered Diluc somewhat. He furrowed his brows slightly, glanced at them, and spoke, "Are you here to experience the mobile game as well? Find a seat, and please keep it down."

The three immediately nodded like chicks pecking for food.