Ch 14

He didn't initially intend to make such a big scene, but during the confrontation, Takumi found that his power had increased to an almost exaggerated extent.

The power can rival electro Archon was practically a hammer blow to this world. None of the lady's attacks could affect him in the slightest, which was terrifying. With his current strength, he estimated that he had surpassed the Seven and reached the level of a Maintainer of Order.

This time, when he faced the lady, he had only used a tenth of his power. If he went all out, the entire Mondstadt would probably be turned upside down. After all, the Electro Archon was born for destruction and annihilation.

In this base, there were some of Doctor's research results, some mechanical guards similar to Ruin Guards, and some experimental areas with remnants of ancient gods. Takumi destroyed them all effortlessly. Explosions echoed continuously throughout the base.

Takumi seemed to be savoring a destructive pleasure. When he had finished the destruction, he looked up. This base was likely built underground, separated from the surface by a certain distance, and required a specific channel to return to the surface. But it didn't matter to him.

With a resounding crash, he created an opening straight to the surface above. Takumi transformed into lightning and returned to the surface through the opening. His speed remained unabated until he reached the sky.

The land below retreated rapidly. "The real Teyvat Continent is vast, much larger than in the game," he thought.

About five minutes later, Takumi returned to Mondstadt. A red lightning descended from the sky, and he reappeared in front of the mobile game center. There were already many people gathered there, including Captain Jean, Kaeya, Eula, and Diluc.

Takumi's unique entrance immediately surprised everyone. They only breathed a sigh of relief after recognizing him.

Captain Jean was the first to approach Takumi. With a concerned expression, she asked, "Takumi, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Takumi smiled. "By the way, I found a Fool's Assembly research base outside Mondstadt. They seem to be conducting dangerous experiments."

Jean appeared somewhat surprised at the news, but she quickly adjusted. "The Fool's Assembly's executive, [the lady], dares to act so recklessly within Mondstadt. I will definitely hold her accountable for this," Jean vowed firmly. This matter had crossed her bottom line. In the future, all Fool's Assembly members within Mondstadt's territory would face a major reshuffle.

"Of course, we also have to thank you for your contribution to protecting Mondstadt. We've witnessed your valiant battle," Jean continued, her tone filled with affirmation. "For the sake of protecting the people of Mondstadt, you disregarded your own safety and forcibly transferred the Fool's Assembly's executive from Mondstadt into mid-air. Such dedication is truly admirable!"

Takumi felt slightly bewildered. He had come to confront the lady, and she had caused trouble for him. But in Captain Jean's eyes, it seemed as if he had stepped forward to protect Mondstadt. Furthermore, she described it as "forcibly transferring the Fool's Assembly's executive from Mondstadt into mid-air."

Even Takumi himself was a bit surprised. Was he really this great?

"Now, on behalf of the Knights of Favonius, I confer upon you the title of [Honorary Knight]," Jean declared.

Takumi: "???"

Wow, did I just replace the Traveler?

Anyway, it's a misunderstanding. Takumi reluctantly accepted this designation.

"Captain Jean, you're too kind. I'm doing what I can," Takumi replied. "After all, this place is my home."

Jean nodded in agreement. "That's well said. Tomorrow, we'll use that as the headline for the Knights' report."

"Boss!" Eula rushed over from the crowd. Seeing that Takumi was safe and sound, she was excited and happy. She immediately gave him a big hug.

Takumi suddenly felt like he had a proud Slime on his chest. It was a bit overwhelming.

In any case, although this incident had caused quite a stir, with the entire city witnessing the anomaly in the pitch-black night sky, there were ultimately no casualties or losses. It could be considered a narrow escape.

Early the next morning, the Knights of Favonius issued an official statement. The gist of it was that, for some unknown reason, the Fool's Assembly's executive had launched an attack on Mondstadt. Fortunately, the owner of the mobile game center, Takumi, had engaged in a fierce battle with the Fool's Assembly's executive and eventually gravely wounded her, driving her out of Mondstadt.

All remaining members of the Fool's Assembly within Mondstadt would face severe consequences. Those involved in this incident would be directly imprisoned in Mondstadt's dungeons.

This was undoubtedly a major news story. The citizens couldn't stop discussing it. They hadn't expected the owner of the mobile game center, who appeared mild and gentle, to exhibit such power when it mattered most, enough to protect the entire Mondstadt. It could be said that Takumi had become the recognized hero of Mondstadt.

Many young Mondstadt girls were enchanted by this talented and powerful young man, and they admired him. Besides players, the mobile game center also attracted numerous young women with good looks and figures. They came not only to play games but also in the hope of meeting [Honorary Knight] Takumi and perhaps forming a connection. This led to some players expressing their grievances privately. These female fans were just too crazy. They would spend a lot of money just to secure a seat in the mobile game center. They weren't here to play games; they just wanted to see Takumi.

....

Suddenly becoming a celebrity in Mondstadt, Takumi needed some time to adjust. So many young girls were sending him secret signals of affection. Fortunately, Eula, a goddess-level beauty, was by his side. Otherwise, Takumi doubted whether he could withstand such a test.

One noon, Lisa brought some good news. The adjacent storefront to the mobile game center, which had originally belonged to a member of the Fool's Assembly, had been confiscated after the Fool's Assembly member was incarcerated in Mondstadt's dungeons. The Knights of Favonius, or rather Captain Jean, intended to give this shop as a reward to Takumi. Lisa could also see that the mobile game center was now extremely popular and almost overcrowded. They urgently needed to expand their business.

Takumi had no reason to refuse the benefits of such a freebie. After some pleasantries, Lisa got to the point.

"Boss, it's been two days since I completed Act II of the story. When will you release the new version?"

"You've asked at the right time. We're updating the new version at 4 AM today."

Lisa showed a pleasant surprise. She was already a bit addicted to this mobile game and had high expectations for the new version's content.

Takumi also made an in-game announcement that the new game version would be released tonight. Genshin Impact Mobile Game would be getting a brand new 1.0 version. Simultaneously, Takumi introduced a series of events, such as the previously unavailable first-time recharge bonus and various discounts on in-game purchases.

As soon as this news spread in the gaming community, it caused a sensation! Many players jokingly apologized to their wallets, saying they really needed to pay for their internet fees. Nowadays, most people chose to recharge their internet fees. Those who had extra money to spend on in-game purchases were considered truly wealthy. Spending hundreds of thousands of Mora without blinking an eye was not uncommon.

This mobile game didn't necessarily require spending money to continue playing. Even with the initial four-star characters given for free, players could continue to enjoy the game. At 3 PM, Takumi issued another announcement, briefly summarizing the contents of this update.

"Brand new limited character, 'The Poet in the Bottle,'?"

"I can't stand it. In the story, he's been slacking off, trying to snatch Jean's skies and find the dragon's tears. He hasn't participated at all!"

"I'm telling you, whoever draws Venti is just unlucky!"

"Do you want to draw Venti? Anyway, I won't."

"With these Primogems, why not draw Diluc, the Lord of Fire, from the standard pool? Do you understand the value of a Pyro claymore user?"

The most anticipated aspect of this update was the introduction of this new limited character. Players had a lot to say about Venti. Most people believed that Venti was not as good as Diluc and Acting Grand Master Jean. Fortunately, this banner was a separate limited banner, so it wouldn't affect their chances of getting Diluc from the standard banner.

Now, in the eyes of the players, Diluc was like a godly presence. Those who progressed the storyline the fastest were already at the stage of collecting dragon tears, and most of them owned Diluc.

The Pyro claymore user was unbeatable! Truth be told! Besides the new character, there was also considerable interest in the other updates.

"The prologue, Act III, 'Of the Dragon and Freedom,' will be opening soon."

"New legendary quest, 'Legend of the Night Hero,' a day off for the Acting Grand Master, if you're stuck in a windless place..."

Lisa saw these new additions, and a subtle curve formed at the corner of her mouth. After two days of longing, she was feeling quite "thirsty." Moreover, it seemed that these new quests might reveal some crucial information.

The librarian's curiosity was burning fiercely...

"100,000 Mora recharge tier added to the top-up system..."

In addition to updates to the game's content, various systems within the game received many optimizations. Diluc nodded in satisfaction. Finally, he wouldn't have to recharge Primogems tens of thousands of times.

This change was quite friendly to him. Diluc had also successfully completed Act II of the storyline today. The revealed content in the storyline also surprised him. Venti was actually the Wind God Barbatos.

Well, although this news was somewhat unexpected, it made sense. He and Kaeya had both believed that Takumi was the Wind God before. But since the day Takumi clashed with the lady, that idea had been ruled out. The Wind God wouldn't just give up Wind Elemental power and use a dark-red lightning power instead.

So, what was Takumi's true identity? The God of Thunder from Inazuma? Or was he an unknown figure from Teyvat's history? Judging by Takumi's performance, he possessed incredibly powerful abilities. In theory, such an existence could be very dangerous.

However, after spending so many days together and observing him closely, Diluc hadn't sensed any danger from him. Takumi was refined and had fully integrated into Mondstadt's atmosphere of freedom and relaxation.

Diluc could only think that Takumi was a formidable, yet obscure presence in Teyvat's history. Rather than delving into Takumi's true identity, Diluc felt that he should focus more on the content of this mobile game.

For example, at the end of Act II, the Abyss Order referred to the other Twin as "Your Highness." This had important implications for Diluc's understanding of the Abyss Order.

.....

Inside a certain hall in Mondstadt, after [Childe] listened to the report of what the lady had experienced in Mondstadt, a considerable amount of time passed. He remained silent, and his expression didn't reveal whether it was clear or cloudy.

After pondering for a moment, [Childe] finally spoke.

"An unknown powerful figure has appeared in Mondstadt and even created this '[mobile game].' Even Her Majesty, the Queen, couldn't have foreseen this."

"You acted recklessly in this matter, attacking without knowing the opponent's background. Fortunately, the opponent hasn't gone all out yet."

The lady complexion looked terrible. She had been chased from Mondstadt City all the way to the base outside the city. In the end, she had to use her God's Heart as a price to escape death.

This feat, when it spread, would surely be ridiculed by her colleagues. Of course, the [Doctor] didn't have the opportunity for that anymore. Even [Childe] didn't expect the Doctor to die so casually.

Being a member of the Foolish Gang, although he had prepared for it a long time ago, he still felt somewhat regretful. He had quite high hopes for the Doctor's plan to create gods.

Childe continued, "Let's set aside the God's Heart of the Anemo Archon for now. Once you've recovered, prepare to go to Liyue. The Queen and the Geo Archon have formed a '[Final Pact].' According to the terms of the pact, you just need to cooperate with him to stage a play, and you'll obtain Morax's God's Heart."

The lady opened her mouth, wanting to say something. She felt that Takumi's words before leaving held a deeper meaning. Liyue was connected to Mondstadt, almost like a neighboring nation, and she was worried that she might encounter Takumi in Liyue Harbor. This series of events had left her with some psychological trauma. She needed some time to adjust her mindset.

Originally, she had wanted to request to go to Inazuma directly, but when it came to her lips, she felt that such an approach might be too timid for her. After all, she was the Eighth Seat "Lady," a Crimson Witch of Flame who could reduce everything to ashes! If anyone was afraid, it should be herself, not anyone else. With this in mind, the lady didn't refuse Childe's proposal and chose to accept it.

"Wouldn't that guy Tartaglia also be in Liyue Harbor? Heh, this time, I'm afraid we'll have to deal with him too."

...

"Boss, um... you mentioned free meals and accommodations. So, can I stay here tonight?"

At the counter, Eula, facing Takumi, hesitantly asked. Perhaps it was the experiences of these past few days that had made her aware of her true feelings, which led her to ask this bold question. For Eula, it took a lot of courage to say this.

In response to her request, Takumi smiled faintly and said, "Of course, you can. The room is reserved for you."

Upon hearing this response, Eula's eyes lit up with joy and excitement, nearly overflowing with emotion. However, she quickly realized that she shouldn't show too much emotion. She needed to be composed.

"Cough... Well, then, Boss, I'll go back to my rental house first to get some daily necessities..."

"Sure, go ahead."

As Eula left the shop, she couldn't help but cover her slightly flushed cheeks with her hands. Moving in to live with Takumi was an important step she had taken.

Half a month ago, Eula had never thought that she would anticipate her future like this. She had always carried the "sins" of her family and aimed to break free from those prejudices with her own efforts. However, now it seemed that life had gained new warmth.

After Eula left, Takumi also prepared to start updating the new version's content. There were no issues with the data, so he could implement it directly. Shortly after, Eula returned with a large bag. Seeing Takumi busy, she sensibly refrained from disturbing him.

She went upstairs to her own room, starting to tidy up and plan her space. About an hour later, Takumi had already completed the maintenance work faster than he had anticipated. As usual, he sent 600 Primogems as compensation to every player's mailbox.

After completing all this, Takumi stood up and stretched his arms. He felt like he should go upstairs and rest for a while. Although there was no physical discomfort or fatigue, it was quite late, and he was accustomed to lying in his own bed.

His phone and the shop's protection system were shared, and a warning would be triggered if he moved a certain distance away from the terminal, forcing him back to the terminal. So there was no need to worry about theft. Since players were manually activating their memberships now, Takumi decided to leave the shop's door open and went straight to his room on the second floor to rest.

Four hours later, it was already 8 in the morning. Takumi naturally woke up from his bed.

"As expected, it's important to strike a balance between work and rest."

His senses seemed sharper and more acute. His mental state was also good. After freshening up, Takumi strolled downstairs as if in a leisurely manner.

Eula had already started working at the counter. In the lobby, there were already about forty to fifty players gathered. These players seemed even more active than the boss himself. However, at this moment, the atmosphere seemed a bit too lively. The gaming hall was as noisy as a market.

Fortunately, Lisa, Amber, and the others were maintaining order, but the players still appeared quite excited. Eula looked somewhat helpless as she watched all of this.

"What happened, Eula?"

"Boss, you're awake... Well... because quite a few players have already completed the second act of the storyline, the fact that Venti is Barbatos has been exposed."

....

"Venti is Lord Barbatos? My goodness, I saw him singing in the square the day before yesterday!"

"That can't be, it's impossible! Lord Barbatos wouldn't be a wandering bard who does nothing!"

"I feel like my faith is collapsing..."

"So Venti wasn't joking in the cathedral; he really is the true Wind Archon."

"Everything makes sense now. No wonder he could communicate with the Windborne Dragon and know so much about the past. Originally, he was Barbatos."

"Lord Barbatos has returned, but not entirely."

"I need some time to accept Lord Barbatos' current identity..."