Ch2 (Proof read)

As soon as the Traveller touched the statue, the golden engravings on it suddenly admitted a glow of Anemo energy, the entire statue seems to resonate with the power of Anemo, gathering it into a sphere at the hands of the Anemo Archon.

Elemental particles imbued with the Anemo Element left the Statue of The Seven and fused into the Traveller's body which in turn, causes some subtle changes to the Traveller's clothes.

At the same time, the map showing the northern part of Mondstadt was illuminated.

"Starfell Lake… Starsnatch Cliff… and Mondstadt City…"

Jean cross-referenced the in-game map with her memories and found that, as she had expected, the important geographical features had been faithfully replicated whereas some less important areas were left out.

In addition, the relative proportions had been significantly reduced giving it a sandbox-like feel however the level of detail here was far richer than in a typical sandbox game. She had a feeling that this was just the tip of the iceberg.

Focusing back on the game, Jean's attention was now focused on the plot of this game, waiting to see if it could help her in the real world.

"Ooh! Did you just feel the elements of the world?"

"Seems all you had to do was just touch the statue and you got the power of Anemo!"

"As much as they may want it, people in this world can never get hold of powers as easily as you…"

Jean was a perceptive person. She noticed that after the Traveler activated the Statue of The Seven, the colour of the clothes on her body, which had initially been grey, had some subtle radiance of emerald glow, symbolising her gaining the power of Anemo.

As Paimon had mentioned, harnessing the elemental powers typically requires a vision.

Jeans subconsciously touched the Anemo vision at her waist. She had observed the owner of the cafe and he did not have a vision on his person. Could it be that the Traveller gaining elemental power in the game was a representation of the owner himself harbouring a desire to harness elemental power?

"If we keep heading west from here, will eventually reach Mondstadt, the City of Freedom."

"Mondstadt is the city of wind because they worship the God of Anemo."

"So perhaps, because you got your powers from the God of Anemo, you can find some clues there."

"There are also lots of bards there, so perhaps one of them has heard the news of your brother."

As the guide, Paimon gives a detailed introduction to the city that they are heading.

As someone who had grown up in Mondstadt, Jean was naturally very familiar with the city and what Paimon said matched most outsiders' first impressions of Mondstadt.

After resonating with the statue, the area of the screen that had originally contained only an attack button now had additional buttons added for elemental skill and element burst. It seemed that this was the power the Traveller had just obtained.

Just ahead there were several Pyro Slimes, perfect for practice. Jean uses her newly required Anemo Elemental Burst to eliminate them.

The Traveler's Elemental Burst summoned a small tornado, a very remarkable display of elemental control even among elemental power users.

After becoming familiar with her skills Jean continued onward towards Mondstadt City.

However, As she jumped down a small rock face, a large shadow appeared on the ground, and the viewpoint shifted to the sky.

"ROAR!!!"

Jean cast a somewhat complex look towards the owner she took a sip of water to temporarily calm herself down.

Indeed, as the owner had hinted, she may find answers to some questions during the game plot, and these answers will be of great significance to possibly ending the issue of Mondstadt's windborne dragon's rampage in the real world.

She refocused all her energy on the game.

"Huh? Look at that," Paimon says

The Traveler and Paimon followed the direction of the dragon. When they were close, they hid themselves behind a tree, just in time to see a person in green and white somehow talking to Stormterror.

"… Don't be afraid. It's all right now, I'm back," Said the unidentified person in a gentle voice.

"Is he talking… to a dragon?"

The Traveller's Elemental Power unexpectedly flares up, which garners the attention of Stormterror and the unidentified person.

"Who's there!?" The unknown person exclaims.

The stranger then disappears into a beam of elemental energy, and the dragon leaves immediately after.

"That was close! Paimon almost got blown away!"

"Luckily, Paimon managed to grab a hold of your hair! Thanks."

"Just what was that? Paimon thought we were going to get eaten."

After a bit of conversation, Paimon then notices something red and shiny nearby.

"Oh, what's that? There's some kind of shiny red thingy on the big rock over there... Let's go get a closer look."

They get to the shiny, red thingy.

"Paimon's never seen a stone like this before, so Paimon can't tell what it is."

"All Paimon knows that it's dangerous. Best we put it away for now"

"Okay, we've got it! Now let's get out of here"

They continue walking along the path till they're out of the forest.

"Hey, you! stop right there!"

A familiar voice calls out to them. The screen then showed a person with a pair of red rabbit ear headbands running to them, jumping from her vantage points and landing in front of the Traveller, barely managing to stop her momentum.

"No way… Could it be…" Jean, the expression turned incredulous

"May the Anemo God protect you, stranger!"

The girl's full figure appeared at the Centre of the screen. It was indeed her! The Outrider of the Knights of Favonius, Amber.

Jean felt a wave of surprise and disbelief. It was one thing to see the familiar Mondstadt scenery in the game but to see that even Amber had made an appearance in the game.

Furthermore, her behaviour and appearance were remarkably accurate to the real Amber. It was like a perfect replica. Jean couldn't help but wonder how Amber would feel when she saw herself in this scene if she played the game.

"Hello, I'm Jean," The Traveller said.

"…Doesn't sound like a local name to me" Amber replied, looking at the Traveller then to his companion. " And this… mascot what's the deal with it?"

At this, 2 options appeared on the screen. Seeing the second option Jean couldn't help but chuckle. "[Emergency food]" It seemed a bit too teasing Jean opted for the more straightforward "[We're friends]".

"So to sum it up your travelling partners, right?" Amber asked "Well look there's been a large dragon sighted around Mondstadt recently. Best you get inside the city as soon as possible. It's not far from here unless court you there."

Like the real Amber, she was enthusiastic and friendly which caused Jean to have a strange feeling, as if she really had a whole new identity and arrived in Mondstadt as a traveller from afar in this game.

After the conversation with Amber, a notification appeared on the screen indicating that Amber had been obtained as a playable character.

'Being able to control Amber in this game... This game has gone beyond my expectations,' Jean thought

'I wonder if I'll meet Kaeya, Lisa and others when I enter the city later.'

With the help of the on-screen text prompts, Jean roughly understood Amber's attack style. "It's still unbelievable that Amber is a playable character. She uses a bow and possesses a Pyro Vision, without a doubt, she's Amber..."

Amber had a mission this time when she left the city. Thankfully, escorting any traveller did not conflict with her mission as a lone Hilichurl caught her attention.

Following the hilichurl's path, they soon arrived at a Hilichurl's camp. Jean had a sense of déjà vu in the scene because she had issued missions to Amber as an Outrider to clear the Hilichurl camps outside the city within the scope of her abilities. This seemed like Amber's perspective while on a mission.

"These monsters have been getting too close to the city recently. My task this time is to clear out their camp." Amber explained.

Just clear the camp and unlock the chest. Jean quickly got the hang of it as she dispatched the Hilichurls.

Paimon then raised a good question. "Now that you mention it, how is it the Hilichurls ended up here? These creatures don't seem like the type to set up camp so close to cities like this."

Amber replied, "Exactly. It's more normal for them to be much further out in the wilderness. But because the dragon 'Stormterror' has been around a lot more recently, our orchards have been destroyed and the local market has been affected as well."

"When the storms hit, we usually end up with at least a few injuries, so the Knights of Favonius have been tied up doing the best they can to defend the area."

Jean's expression is serious throughout Amber's words. A simple yet accurate portrayal of the impact Stormterror had inflicted upon Mondstadt.

As the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, she was very familiar with these issues herself. it seems that this game had been built on the foundation of reality. Therefore, a way to eliminate the Stormterror problem could be found in this game and be used to solve it in reality.

Moreover, she had enough time in the game to try various possibilities. If she fails, she could simply start over until she finds the best solution without the inherent danger of it.

With this in mind, Jean's eyes lit up slightly in renewed hope. She hadn't expected that, by entering this mystical game cafe tonight, she would have the opportunity to find a solution to the Stormterror issue. A problem that had been troubling her day and night for weeks, not only because she had to take responsibility for the Knight of Favonius, and the people of Mondstadt, but also because of the diplomatic pressures that had been arising from this matter, which had truly burdened Jean.

Now that she had a goal, she was naturally very excited as next it was time to enter Mondstadt for real. She wondered how faithfully the game's version of Mondstadt would be recreated as the Traveller and what kind of experiences would she have in the city.

===

"Let me officially introduce the City of Wind, dandelions and freedom, Travellers under the protection of the Knights of Favonius, welcome to Mondstadt!" Amber enthusiastically introduced it to the Traveler and Paimon.

Jeans faintly smiled at the infectious warmth and smile Amber showed to the Traveller. Yes, that's exactly how Amber would greet every traveller from afar.

Paimon rubbed her hands and excitement. "Finally no more having to camp outdoors! But… the city folk don't look too cheery."

"Everyone's been put out of place by Stormterror recently. But everything will turn out fine, as long as Jean is with us." Amber put her hands on her hips.

"Jean?"

"The Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius. Jean Defender of Mondstadt."

"With Jean on our side, surely even the vicious Stormterror will be no match for us."

While watching this scene Jean herself couldn't help but blush, is this truly how Amber saw her? Viewing this much trust from her perspective made her feel a bit embarrassed. However, Jean felt a warm feeling inside as if all she had done for Mondstadt, all her efforts and hardship suddenly felt all worthwhile.

While, changing the conversation, Amber expressed her gratitude to the Traveler for helping her clear the Hilichurl camp by offering a small gift.

They then made their way to a high point in the city, taking the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Mondstadt city.

Although it wasn't as bustling or as vast as the real Mondstadt, it had all the necessary infrastructures and buildings with some adjustments made. The roads and less important buildings were essentially made into a small-scale replica of Mondstadt. Yet, one could completely immerse themselves in the feeling of being in Mondstadt without feeling out of place.

"So the present I want to give you is… A Wind Glider"

This result was expected by Jean, because, after all, Amber was a wind gliding expert. In this game, it seemed that many factors like wind direction and terrain had been greatly simplified.

Just as she was flying towards Mondstadt's fountain square, a new animation began.

Jean knew that this marked the beginning of a new plot, and had taken a major turn. The sky quickly darkened, and there was a feeling of an impending storm coming.

Just when Amber called out in worry from the side, a colossal blue dragon flew through the blue mist and flew right into Mondstadt City. It circled back around to the outside of the city walls, smashing the eaves of houses, ascending higher into the sky and letting out a furious roar.

A terrifying storm gathered over Mondstadt, and three black tornadoes descended from the sky. The citizens all packed and fled, and in the process of evacuating, Jean, playing the Traveler was swept up by one of the tornadoes.

In an instant, she was carried up into the sky but managed to deploy the wind glider she had just received, avoiding the fate of falling from a great height. She dodged a flyby from Stormterror hiding in the mist.

The series of actions would've killed any ordinary person many times over and she could only be grateful for the Traveler's extraordinary luck.

"Huh? How are you staying afloat like this with just a Wind Glider?" Said Paimon.

"I'm preventing your fall with the power of a thousand winds." Said an unidentified voice.

At this point, they had reached an extremely high altitude, and they could even see the clouds swirling below. In front of them, Stormterror continued to flap its wings and move at high speeds, seemingly uninterested in turning around to attack.

Jean quickly realised that she could use the Anemo elemental energy to continuously attack the colossal dragon just ahead. After a short fight, Stormterror seemingly got tired of this meaningless pursuit and let out a loud roar. Powerful winds pushed the Traveller backwards, and then Stormterror displayed even greater agility as it broke through the clouds and disappeared.

The Traveler had no more means to give chase and used the Wind Glider to slowly glide down, landing in the square just before the statue of the Anemo Archon.

"A-Are you hurt." Amber rushed over anxiously, gripping the traveller's arms with concern

Clap… Clap… Clap…

Accompanied by rhythmic applause, a man slowly stepped onto the stage. "You've actually got the power to go up against the dragon… Are you a new ally… or a new storm?"

It was Kaeya… was this unexpected or within expectations? With Kaeya's appearance in this storyline... It made Jean's heart feel somewhat uneasy.

Currently, Stormterror was only causing disturbances on the outskirts of the city. It already caused a lot of trouble but it hadn't yet escalated to a 'direct threat' level. But if the plot in this game were to unfold as it portrayed, would Stormterror truly attack the city directly?

Although the plot didn't provide detailed descriptions of the full extent of Mondstadt's damage, Jean was well aware that the consequences of such an event would be immeasurable.

Just those black tornadoes alone would reap the lives of so many of Mondstadt citizens. Jean absolutely couldn't allow that to happen.

"Your fight to defend the city against the dragon just now was witnessed by no small number of citizens."

"The Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius is also very interested in meeting you and formally invites you both to our headquarters."

Jean was slightly taken aback as the plot was now involving her. If such a thing were to really happen, She would definitely want to meet the Traveller who could battle the dragon firsthand, wouldn't she? But all of this hadn't happened yet things seemed to be heading in this unimaginable direction.

Just as Jean was about to continue experiencing the next part of the plot, the owner walked over to her. "I'm sorry Miss Jean, but your two-hour experience time has already ended."

"What? Already?" Jean looked up at the clock on the wall and realised it was already past 3 a.m. Not only had two hours passed she even exceeded that time, how could she not have noticed?

===

"Dear customer if you want to continue experiencing the mobile game, you will need to pay with Mora." The owner said with a smile

Jean checked her pockets and found that she didn't have enough Mora with her. She should be working at the Knights of Favonius Headquarters and had only intended to go out for a short, stroll and some fresh air. It was already late at night at the time so she naturally didn't think to bring any Mora with her. Now she only had a few thousand Mora in small change, not even enough for one hour.

However, at this critical juncture of the plot Jean urgently wanted to know what would happen next.

"Sir, can you put on my tab for tonight? I'll have the Knights of Favonius pay for it later."

"Sorry, but we do not accept tabs in this establishment." The owner refused without a moment of hesitation.

Jean took a deep breath, surprised that the boss was unwilling to accept tabs. She asked him seriously, "Do you know who I am, sir?"

Obviously, Jean would never abuse her authority or position, but she wanted to test and see if someone with a high enough position or power could make the owner bend the rules.

"I apologise miss, but regardless of your identity, when you're in my store, you are just my customer. The only difference between customers is the amount of Mora they're paying which determines the level of service they will receive."

The store owner still maintained his indifferent demeanour, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes, indicating that he was all too aware of her identity.

Through the magical nature of this mobile game, Jean concluded that the owner was definitely not an ordinary person, and seemed completely indifferent to her role as Acting Grand Master

"All right sir. Sorry for my behaviour. I'll go back and get the money." Jean quickly apologised. Picking up her shawl, she prepared to return to the Knights of Favonius Headquarters.

However, the owner "considerately" reminded her, "Miss Jean, judging by the fatigue visible on your face, it seems you haven't had a proper rest In many days. I suggest a more balanced work-rest schedule and not overwork yourself."

Jean, who just reached the door, heard these words, and her expression shifted slightly. She turned back around and smiled kindly at the owner "Thank you"

Just before Jean left, she realised she had not even asked the store owner for his name. She turned back around and asked the owner, "Sir, may I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"

The store owner looked back and, with a smile on his face, answered, " My name is Taylor McCall. A pleasure to officially introduce myself."

Jean nods at that. "It has been a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Taylor. I look forward to when we see each other again."

...

Back at the Knights of Favonius headquarters, Jean didn't heed Taylor's advice to rest but instead began working at her desk the moment she arrived. The experience from playing the game earlier served as a significant warning, and she needed to formally set the city's defence measures.

If things were to truly develop in the same direction as they did in the mobile game, Jean needed to be prepared to minimise the risk of an attack on Mondstadt.

Oblivious to Jean, the view outside the window shifted from the darkness of the night to the light of dawn. The other door was pushed open, and a mature and charming woman walked in, while still yawning.

"Jean? Another all-nighter?" She teased as she approached.

"Doing this too often isn't good you know. Lack of sleep is the greatest enemy of a young girl's beauty and work efficiency." She added with a smile.

Not minding Lisa's jest, Jean, with a serious expression, put down her pen and walked towards her.

Seeing Jean like this, Lisa couldn't help but shake her head in worry, sensing that there was some trouble brewing.

"Lisa, last night in Mondstadt, I discovered something worth our attention."

"Oh? What happened?"

Lisa lazily leaned against the railing, listening to Jean explain what she had seen last night. As she listened. Lisa's demeanour shifted from casual to serious, her relaxed posture turned into a more upright posture.

"From what you have said, it seems that the owner of this game cafe might not be any ordinary person." A subtle gleam of seriousness passes emerald pupils as Lisa looks at Jean.

"What concerns me more right now is Stormterror. If it attacks Mondstadt, it will cause significant losses. Therefore, I worked overnight to create a series of enhanced defence plans." Jean said presenting various documents on her desk to Lisa.

Seeing Jean's dedication, Lisa gently patted her on the shoulder. "No need to show me. I trust you, but the owner of the game café does peak my interest."

"That's actually what I wanted to ask you to help with," Jean said seriously. " I'll have to personally carry out these measures, so I won't have the time. But the matter with the game café is also very important so Lisa I'll have to ask you to go to the store and experience it yourself."

Lisa nodded. She was also curious about the 'mobile game' after hearing Jean's description.

"Oh, and there's this." Jean pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. "Taylor said this is my 'account' and 'password'. If it is not this account, you'll have to start the game from scratch."

Lisa showed a very keen interest that she took the piece of paper and replied, "I understand," She then headed straight to the address Jean had given her.

…

"It's hidden quite well," Lisa remarked as she gazed at the store at the end of the street. The sign outside read 'Mobile Game Café'.

This was the place, no doubt about it. The location was a bit remote. Most people wouldn't actually notice it unless they were specifically looking for it.

"Welcome to the mobile game café," A fit young man greeted as she entered the store.

"You're the store owner? I did not expect you to be so young," Lisa commented.

"Well respected customer, you also appear equally young and beautiful," Taylor replied.

"Hehe…" Lisa chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand "What sweet words leave your lips... Someone introduced me here and I heard that new customers can experience it for free for two hours. Is that right?"

Taylor nodded "Yes, but unfortunately, that was a promotion for the opening event yesterday. After maintenance that happened at 4 a.m., that promotion officially ended. So if you want to experience the mobile game now, it'll be one hour for 10,000 Mora."

Lisa noticed the price board inside the store. "I see, so if I want to play now, I need to pay 10,000 Mora for one hour."

"That's correct, although the free trial for new customers has ended, there is a new promotion. Recharge 100,000 Mora and get 50,000 Mora worth of hours as a free bonus. It's only available for a limited time so you don't wanna miss it."