Explanation

"Firstly, I believe an explanation of this place is in order. Wouldn't you agree?"

With Paul nodding his head in affirmation, Zhongli went on to explain, "This place is known as the Intersection of Fate. As you no doubt have guessed, its form and structure are made to resemble the Wish System from your previous world. By sacrificing Intertwined and Acquaint Fates, you possess the ability to summon entities from my world into yours."

Pointing towards the ten holes engraved in the rather intricate pattern beneath her feet, Zhongli continued, explaining, "Once you obtain a Fate, you can insert them into these holes. As for what comes out, well, that is also up to Fate. All I know for sure is that the probability of summoning a powerful ally or item increases if you submit ten identical Fates."

Though he had anticipated it, Paul couldn't help adopting a deadpan expression when he heard Zhongli's words, asking, "The fates of our worlds are on the line, and the solution your Gods came up with was a Gacha System?"

Nodding her head in affirmation, Zhongli crossed her arms and calmly replied, "It's the Law of Equivalence. Everything has a price, even Fate itself. As for the actual value, I believe it was 10 Asura Gold Coins for an Intertwined Fate. If that is beyond your means, Acquaint Fates can be obtained by completing important Quests or fulfilling certain conditions. I would recommend joining your world's Adventurer's Guild if you intend to pursue that route."

Exhaling a sigh, Paul ran his fingers through his hair in a vain attempt to comfort himself. His allowance was only a single Asura Gold Coin every month. He could probably convince his father to give him more, but that was already the equivalent of a skilled Maid's salary. If it was given to a peasant family, averaging around five people, they could survive on it for an entire year.

Shaking his head, Paul brought his index finger and thumb to his chin as he muttered, "Summoning people and items out of thin air would be too suspicious. For now, I should focus on saving money..."

Raising his head, Paul met Zhongli's gaze, asking, "What are you planning to do? Judging by your outfit, I would assume you intend to be employed as my Maid...?"

Though she nodded her head in affirmation, Zhongli clarified, "That is the guise I intend to assume. However, my actual purpose is to keep you safe and act as something of an Advisor. My powers are currently limited, but I am still one of the Seven Archons."

As if to demonstrate her power, Zhongli held out her right hand, palm up as a mass of brown and luminescent gold energy began to condense into the form of a yellow, diamond-shaped crystal resembling amber.

After a moment of stunned silence, Paul, wide-eyed, asked, "Is that what I think it is...?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Zhongli answered, "I cannot presume to know what you're thinking. However, if it's regarding whether or not this is a Geo Vision, the answer is yes."

Pushing her hand forward Paul, Zhongli sent the luminous piece of crystal floating toward him, adding, "Whenever you first summon an Archon, you will receive their corresponding Vision. Whether you use them or gift them to your allies is ultimately up to you. Just know that my power is far from absolute, especially in my current form. If a time comes when I am unable to protect you, please do not hesitate to make use of it. Your death would effectively spell the end of both of our worlds..."

Feeling a shiver run through his body, Paul snatched the Geo Vision out of the air and held it to his chest. It was a lot warmer than he expected, and the moment it entered his grasp, an earthy aroma filled his nose. Then, as if responding to his will, a shimmering, glass-like golden shield covered in runes appeared around him.

Nodding her head in approval, Zhongli explained, "Geo is the Element of Protection, Resonance, and Creation. It is incompatible with Anemo and Dendro, but protects against all elements. The form and function of your Geo abilities will depend on your innermost desires and ambitions. In my prime, I could create spears the size of mountains, so I'm looking forward to seeing how far you're able to develop your abilities, Champion."

Furrowing his brows, Paul lowered his hands and said, "You don't need to call me that. I don't want to be like the Traveler back in the game. I have a name, and it's Paul. Paul Notos Greyrat."

Causing Paul even greater discomfort, Zhongli pulled up the sides of her dress, performing a proper curtsy as she said, "I will be sure to take that into consideration, Master Paul."

Despite his brow twitching, Paul didn't bother to correct Zhongli's form of address. It would cause problems for both of them if she simply referred to him by name. He already had a headache thinking about how he would explain her existence to his parents, so, for the time being, he settled on asking, "Will everyone I summon through Intersection of Fate be like you? A child, I mean."

Shaking her head, Zhongli explained, "It depends on your circumstances. Had you been independent of your family, I may have been summoned in my adult form. In other words, I was given this form to better protect and accompany you. I imagine anyone else you summon over the next five to ten years will have to tolerate similar conditions."

"Right..."

Though he briefly imagined child-like versions of Ningguang and Ganyu, Paul didn't intend to summon anyone else for the time being. Back in his original world, the chances of summoning a 5-Star Character or Weapon were around 1%. If that applied to the Intersection of Fate, trying to pull for a specific person was like throwing a rock into the winds of a tornado and expecting to hit the bullseye painted on a particular tree.

Gathering his thoughts, Paul asked, "Can you tell me which char—I mean, which people will appear in the summoning pool? If there's something like banners, I might cry."

Adopting a wry smile that filled Paul with dread, Zhongli explained, "The Intersection of Fate is currently in the process of repairing itself. You no doubt noticed that Luciana, the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, was on the verge of degenerating. It is her power that sustains this place, so, as reluctant as I am to inform you, the pool is limited to a handful of people at a time..."

Though he didn't cry, Paul had to crouch down and cover his face for a few minutes. Gacha had literally claimed his previous life, so the notion of his new live revolving around it weighed heavily on his soul. Sure, he was more than a little excited about the idea of teaming up with certain people from the game he had grown to love, but he would need to invest a literal fortune just for a chance to meet them...

Remembering that he had been born with a diamond spoon in his mouth, Paul gradually collected himself before rising to his feet and saying, "My apologies...I momentarily forgot myself..."

Empathizing with Paul's plight, a faint smile developed across Zhongli's face as she stated, "You need not apologize. You've been presented with a set of circumstances that would overwhelm anyone. In my opinion, you have reacted spectacularly thus far."

Feeling the sincerity in Zhongli's praise, a rare commodity in his past and present lives, Paul felt a mixture of awkwardness and gratification. There was a certain 'surety' to her words, like there was no doubt that what she was saying was the truth.

Despite his training conditioning him not to, Paul offered a soft, "Thanks..." as he scratched the back of his head. In response, Zhongli offered a curt yet approving nod, stating, "You're very welcome." before adding, "Now, I believe it's long past your time for bed. There is also a limit to the amount of time you can stay in this place, so you should return posthaste."

Raising his brows, Paul paused for a moment before asking, "Are you not coming with me?" in an audibly confused tone.

Adopting an ostensibly amused smile, Zhongli asked, "And how, pray tell, would you explain my existence to your parents? No. For the time being, I will patiently remain here. Once you are in a situation where my presence will not inconvenience you, feel free to return. Time does not exist within this place when you're not present, so you need not concern yourself with my well-being. From my perspective, you will only be gone a moment."

Blinking in surprise, Paul was about to ask if he could store things within, but Zhongli preempted him, explaining, "Once you reach Adventure Rank 35, you will be able to acquire a Serenitea Pot. Xiao Ping, along with many of the other Adepti, are among those you can summon."

Though he had never completed the Serenitea Pot Quest due to his short playtime and limited Adventure Rank, Paul was familiar with the portable dwelling. It was effectively a pocket dimension that allowed the owner to alter its structure and layout at their leisure. The basic Serenitea Pot even included a small mansion to house and accumulate friend experience with your characters.

Regaining some of his earlier excitement, a smile developed across Paul's face as he replied, "Something to look forward to in the future, I suppose. My only question is, how do I increase my Adventure Rank?"

Raising her brows ever so slightly, Zhongli seemed genuinely taken aback as she replied, "I would have thought it was obvious..."

Shaking her head, Zhongli fixed her expression before dutifully explaining, "Once you have registered with your world's Adventurer's Guild, you will be able to acquire experience by completing Quests, defeating monsters, and exploring Dungeons. You can also accumulate it by defeating Mages and Swordsmen of a certain Rank, but I would advise against it until you have increased your own. Even I cannot protect you if you antagonize a Saint-Rank Swordsman at my current level."

Tensing in response to the word 'level', the color drained from Paul's face as he said, "Please don't tell me you and the others I summon will need to level up, ascend, and unlock constellations..."

Since he asked her not to tell him, Zhongli remained silent in response to Paul's remark. He understood the reason for her silence and, as a result, returned to his crouching position, this time crying for real...

...

..

.

Waking after less than three hours of sleep, Paul reached under his pillow to pull out the glimmering crystal hidden beneath. Its existence confirmed the previous night hadn't been a dream, so, after a moment of silence, he rose to a seated position and muttered, "Don't panic, Paul. At least for the time being, nothing has changed. You just have more...options available to you..."

After convincing himself that everything was going to be okay, Paul spent a few minutes trying to find something to fasten his newly acquired Vision to. According to Zhongli, it needed to be visible to others in order to make use of its power, so hiding it within his clothes wasn't really an option.

While he had no intention of using it just yet, having the option was better than not. Thus, even though it was rather crude, Paul pulled out the face of a pocket watch his father had given him before securing the Vision in place using a combination of metal twine and wax sealant. After that, he performed his morning routine of stretching, wiping himself down using a lightly perfumed towel, and getting dressed. The mansion had a bath, but it was in a detached building behind the property.

Despite existing for more than seven thousand years, the Asura Kingdom had never developed complex piping and plumbing. The only people who could afford baths were Nobles and Mages proficient with Water and Fire Magic. Thus, unless he started to feel particularly grimy, Paul would only take proper baths when his father and mother forced him to join. Skinship was very important to Asura Nobles, so much so that it wasn't uncommon for close friends and family to partake of the same sauna or bath. In fact, one of the classes Paul would be taking at school literally revolved around teaching people how to behave and interact with others in the bath...