Genshin Impact: I am developing a mobile game in Mondstadt

Mondstadt.

Jean walked out of the office of the Knights of Favonius. It was already late at night. She reached behind her head and skillfully tightened her loose ponytail. Under her slightly tousled golden hair, there was a slightly tired but pretty face.

It had been quite a busy season lately. The creature known as the "Stormterror" had been causing frequent disturbances around Mondstadt, and the monsters outside the city had become extremely active as a result. The requests piled up on her desk every day like a small mountain.

All the other members of the Knights had already gone to rest, but Jean herself was planning to stay up late to handle those matters. Now, she had come out alone just to catch a breath and rest for a moment before continuing her work.

Unconsciously, she found herself on the streets in the northern part of the city. During the day, there were many shops open, but of course, they were all closed at this hour.

However, at the end of the street, Jean saw a peculiar storefront with its lights still on.

"A mobile game experience center?"

Jean read the words on the sign, feeling a sense of puzzlement. Mobile games? What were those? She had no impression of this place; was it newly opened?

Driven by curiosity, Jean stepped into the shop.

"Welcome."

As soon as she entered, a clear male voice reached Jean's ears. She looked at the shop's owner, who turned out to be a young man with a clean-cut appearance and simple clothing.

Jean then took a moment to survey the interior. The space wasn't particularly large, but it had a fresh and elegant ambiance. It somewhat resembled the taverns in Mondstadt, but there was no overpowering alcohol scent in the air. Instead, it was filled with a faint, refreshing fragrance.

It seemed to have a refreshing and awakening effect, calming the restlessness in her heart. Even though there was not much inside this shop, at least the tranquil atmosphere made it a suitable place for a brief respite.

Inside, there were semi-open small booths separated from each other, each with comfortable seating.

"May I ask what you do here?" Jean couldn't help but inquire.

"Of course, we're here to experience mobile games," Takumi smiled and pointed to a sign standing at the front desk.

"The first mobile game experience center in all of Mondstadt!"

"Price for using the console: ten thousand Mora per hour."

Ten thousand Mora for one hour? Jean's expression revealed surprise.

Clearly, this price was quite expensive. On the continent of Teyvat, ten thousand Mora was roughly equivalent to 30 Usd in purchasing power. Moreover, it was only for a mere one-hour session. Even the largest tavern in Mondstadt, 'Angel's Gift,' didn't dare to charge such a fee.

Looking at the seemingly harmless shopkeeper, Jean hadn't expected such an exorbitant pricing standard to be set.

Takumi noticed Jean's change in demeanor and naturally understood her thoughts. With a slight smile, he spoke, "Perhaps the price is indeed a bit steep, but trust me, what you'll experience next will definitely make you feel it's worth every Mora."

Jean shook her head slightly. In her view, this was just an unconventional place for relaxation and leisure. The term "mobile games" might refer to some special massage technique, but Jean didn't feel the need to waste her time here.

She had only come to clear her mind. Compared to physical fatigue, her mental exhaustion was more burdensome. Although, as the acting Grand Master, ten thousand Mora was not a significant amount for her.

"Dear guest, since my shop is newly opened, I'll offer you a complimentary two-hour trial. If you're not satisfied, you're free to leave at any time," Takumi calmly stated.

He knew all too well about how to attract customers. Once they experienced it once, they would soon return for a second and third time. After all, Takumi had great confidence in the content of his "mobile games." They would surely become a sensation in Mondstadt!

To Takumi's surprise, the first customer happened to be none other than Jean, the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius. This made Takumi put in a little extra effort.

Upon hearing Takumi's offer, Jean's initial resistance started to waver.

So, it's a newly opened shop. Two hours of free trial... If that's the case, trying it out might not hurt?

...

Sitting on an elegant bench, Jean moved her neck slightly and then loosened her shawl, placing it on the nearby table, revealing her smooth neck and delicate collarbones. She gently closed her eyes, awaiting the next "mobile game."

In Mondstadt, the customs were still quite simple, and even massages were conducted very formally. Jean never thought that Takumi would take advantage of the situation. Instead, she relaxed her mind and waited for the next step.

However, after waiting for a long time without feeling any massage, Jean became puzzled and couldn't help but open her eyes.

Before her was a handsome face, gazing at her with a complex expression. Because Jean had purposely sat up, the two of them were now very close.

She was just a hair's breadth away from getting close.

Jean was quite sheltered, and she had never been in such close contact with a member of the opposite sex before. Her face turned red in an instant.

"What... What are you doing...!"

"I was about to ask you the same thing. I've opened the mobile game for you, but what are you doing?" Takumi was equally puzzled.

She had just placed the phone on the table and thoughtfully logged into Jean's account. She was waiting for Jean to touch the screen and start playing. However, Jean had unexpectedly reclined in the chair, looking like she was waiting for something. Moreover, she had taken off her shawl in advance, revealing her fair skin.

Could it be... No way... My Captain Jean isn't like this!

===

"Cough, cough..."

She gently brushed her hair away from her ear.

Maintaining a slightly upright posture, Jean realized that there had been a misunderstanding earlier, and now there was a somewhat awkward atmosphere. She could only focus her gaze on the small palm-sized "box" in front of her.

"Boss, you're saying this thing is called a 'phone'?"

"And 'mobile games' refer to the games inside this 'phone'?"

"You catch on quickly."

Jean found it somewhat unbelievable, but soon, she was captivated by this palm-sized device.

"It can actually emit light, and there are images on it. It's truly amazing."

At this moment, the screen of the phone displayed the game's entry interface: a mysterious sky background with a simple and ancient stone arch in the center.

"The screen is touch-sensitive. You can try tapping the screen," Takumi reminded her as Jean had been staring at the phone, clearly unfamiliar with how to operate it.

Upon hearing Takumi's guidance, she used her slender index finger to tap the screen.

"Buzz!"

The stone archway suddenly opened, and a white light enveloped the entire screen. It looked as if one had entered a new world after passing through the gate. After a brief loading period, the game officially began.

Normally, upon entering the game, there would be an introductory cinematic featuring Lumine and Aether battling the Defenders of the Realm in the skies over Mondstadt. However, Takumi, as the developer, had removed this segment and replaced it with an aerial view animation of various landscapes in the Mondstadt region—like Starlit Cape, Starfall Lake, and Windrise.

The final scene returned to Mondstadt City. Under the setting sun, the massive windmill turned, outlining the city with a golden silhouette, making it appear exceptionally tranquil and beautiful.

Takumi had removed the "Airborne Lumine Fire" animation because he knew that in this world, his Genshin Impact mobile game would be targeted at an audience not familiar with experienced gamers but a group of modest and technologically naive people from the land of Teyvat. The animation was something Old Mi had created to showcase his technical prowess and create anticipation for the game. However, in this world, Takumi didn't need this method to generate traffic because his mobile game was truly unique here. Furthermore, the game's content was closely related to this world. After playing it once, no one could resist such a realistic game. Moreover, the opening PV "Airborne Lumine Fire" contained a vast amount of information. Takumi predicted that his mobile game lounge would undoubtedly become popular, and as more players joined, there would naturally be people who could understand this opening animation. Takumi didn't want to be summoned by some powerful entities in this world just when his "business" was getting started. Of course, Takumi wouldn't waste this segment of the plot. In the future, when he had enough power, he could turn it into a new storyline.

Seeing such a "realistic" style, Jean couldn't help but show a surprised expression. On this small metal box, she unexpectedly saw many important landmarks of Mondstadt, including Mondstadt City itself! How could this not astonish her? With this thing, there would be no need for any maps in the future; you could simply view the real scenery inside!

"Boss, what's going on? Why does the scenery of Mondstadt City appear inside?" Jean couldn't help but ask.

"Why are you so excited? I told you, this is just a game. You can play as a traveler here and freely explore the world of 'Mondstadt' in this game."

Following Takumi's direction, Jean redirected her gaze to the phone screen. On the screen, two opposing figures appeared. On the left was a boy with braided hair, and on the right was a short-haired girl. Both had golden hair and wore exotic clothing, seemingly a pair of siblings. Combined with what Takumi had just said, Jean understood that she needed to choose one of them to role-play as, just like immersing herself in a illustrated novel's protagonist. Without much hesitation, Jean selected Lumine. After all, she was female, and it would be more immersive to play as the girl. At this moment, Jean had been completely captivated by this "mobile game." It was her first time encountering something so peculiar, and she was eager to find out what would happen next. After choosing her character, the system prompted her to set a nickname for herself. Jean used her finger to write the word "Jean" on the phone screen.

Hmm, it's very simple and straightforward. Nothing like the creative and genius player names from Takumi's previous life. But after all, they're just starting to get acquainted with this new thing, and everything is still in the exploration phase, without too much fancy stuff.

Once everything was ready, the story began.

"A foreign god took away my brother, and I was sealed, losing my original power..."

"How many years ago was that? I don't know, but I'll find out..."

"Since waking up, I've been wandering alone until I met you."

Lumine sat on a stone on the beach, speaking to the white creature in front of the camera.

The scene shifted, and the camera faced the white creature. It looked like a... sprite with the face of a little girl?

The sprite nodded and said, "Yes, thanks to you! Otherwise, I would probably have drowned..."

"So, I'll try to be a good guide."

"It's time to set off. Let's go!"

As Paimon finished speaking, the perspective unlocked. When Jean saw the scenery in the picture, she couldn't help but speak, "So familiar, this place is... the river below Starfell Valley!"

===

"You hold the phone like this, the left side is for character movement, and the right side is for attack commands," Takumi patiently taught Captain Jean how to play the mobile game.

The inevitable physical contact between the two made Captain Jean's heart flutter, but compared to the experienced driver Takumi, he seemed more composed, as if he was teaching Jean attentively. This made Jean feel a hint of embarrassment.

After teaching Jean the basic controls, Takumi didn't guide her on other things. After all, Genshin Impact was an open-world game with diverse gameplay options. Even just exploring the open world and enjoying the scenery was a good way to pass the time.

When activating this ultimate mobile game development system, Takumi had put in some effort to create the Genshin Impact mobile game. Of course, it was still in its early stages, with content similar to version 1.0 of the original game's public release.

The number of playable characters wasn't extensive yet. Among the five-star characters, there were only Diluc and Captain Jean. Among the four-star characters, aside from the three designated characters, there were Noelle, Razor, Barbara, and other Mondstadt characters.

Since the promotion of the mobile game had just begun, it didn't need too many flashy characters. What was most important was that updates and new game content would require payment in Mora to obtain resources from the system.

Additionally, this system had a lottery function that could draw various items that could impact this world.

The prize pool was divided as follows:

Common Lottery: 10,000 Mora per draw

Rare Lottery: 100,000 Mora per draw

Epic Lottery: 1,000,000 Mora per draw

Legendary Lottery: 10,000,000 Mora per draw

He was still just an ordinary person in this world with monsters and gods, and he was quite insignificant. Although there was a beginner protection system in this storefront, it didn't guarantee safety outside.

But we can't always stay holed up in this small shop, can we? So, for Takumi, the most important thing right now is to earn Mora through the Genshin Impact mobile game! Then, draw powerful equipment and abilities. Stroll around Teyvat and do the activities that Takumi wants.

So, for this goal, Takumi opened this mobile game experience center in Mondstadt. Although the location was a bit off the beaten path, good wine doesn't fear deep alleys. Just like that, the first heavyweight customer, Captain Jean, walked in by herself.

After Takumi's guidance, Jean began to try controlling her character in the game. As she passed by the river, a Hydro Slime suddenly jumped out. Jean didn't panic; she followed Takumi's instructions, used the attack command on the right, and smoothly defeated the Hydro Slime with a series of sword attacks.

"This mobile game is quite interesting..."

Continuing to follow the instructions, they activated a teleportation waypoint. Jean learned that the purpose of these waypoints was to teleport in this space, which added to her curiosity about Teyvat in this mobile game. Although the overall map wasn't as vast as the real Teyvat, some important landscapes seemed to have been faithfully recreated.

Jean sneakily glanced at Takumi behind the bar. Besides being amazed by the game itself, she also felt curious about the owner of this mobile game center. To design such a game, one must be exceptional!

"So, let's follow the route we agreed on."

"The destination is the Statue of The Seven!"

Suggested by the little creature named Paimon.

Jean had gradually adapted to this mode of movement. Along the way, she carefully collected items like Sweet Flowers and Sunsettias. As a traveler, Jean knew she had to gather sufficient supplies to deal with various needs.

Soon, she followed Paimon to the top of a cliff, where she could overlook a vast Mondstadt landscape. The island in the lake ahead emitted a red glow - the Statue of The Seven.

In the distance, she could clearly see Mondstadt City. The massive windmill slowly turned, and the cathedral in the far distance was an iconic building.

"I didn't expect to see Mondstadt City in this game's world."

Jean took a deep breath and jumped off the cliff right in front of her because the Statue of The Seven was just ahead, and the height was estimated to be only seven or eight meters - an easy jump for Jean without any adverse effects.

But as soon as she landed, her health bar disappeared, and she turned into particles of light, dissipating.

"This... isn't the end..."

I... died from falling...?

Jean was dumbfounded.

The journey had ended before it even began?

Fortunately, after clicking the "Revive" option, she respawned near the teleportation waypoint. With this experience, Jean realized that while the game looked very realistic, there were still some aspects that defied common sense.

For example, falling from a height of seven or eight meters could kill you.

For example, running out of stamina while swimming would result in drowning.

For example, you could climb vertical smooth walls with enough stamina.

After a series of attempts, Jean returned to the plot and followed Paimon.

"As we all know, language and poetry drift with the wind, and there must be information about your brother among them! That's what I think."

"Of course, whether we can get a response from the gods, we'll only know after we try."

They arrived in front of the Statue of The Seven. Both herself and the traveler in the game hoped to receive a response from the Anemo Archon.

At this moment, the traveler placed their hand on the golden ornament on the statue, and something magical happened!