Ch 23

Lumine immediately approached a male player and asked, "Did you choose the Traveler to be a brother or a sister?"

"I'm a guy, so I chose the brother, of course," the male player replied without hesitation.

"Oh, you are the Traveler's sister!" Lumine didn't pay attention to the player's surprise and looked directly at his phone screen. The character was in the Skyward Sonnet storyline, and even though he chose the brother, the plot and experiences were the same.

Lumine had thought that selecting "empty" would allow her to play from the perspective of the Abyss Order's [Prince], but it seemed she had overthought it. Different identities, same experiences. Everything was because they woke up at different times, leading to different experiences. In this male player's storyline, she must have become the Abyss Order's [Princess].

It was a fate of opposition. Lumine remembered many years ago when she and Aether had tried to leave this world together, only to encounter that strange being. They were defeated and sealed separately, plunging into a nightmare-filled slumber. Now, after many years, she had awakened on this continent and lost all her power. It seemed her brother had awakened earlier and must have gone through some unforgettable experiences. What exactly had happened, perhaps the answers lay within this mobile game's storyline.

After realizing this, Lumine calmed down. "Are you okay... at least, we found a clue about your brother."

Paimon came over to comfort her. Lumine gave a faint smile. Indeed, she had acted a bit impulsively earlier. After apologizing to the male player, Lumine returned to her seat.

After a short rest, Lumine realized an important question. "Paimon, do you think, since Takumi is the one who designed these storylines, he might know the truth?"

"Well... I think it's quite possible!" Paimon rubbed her chin and analyzed. "But I don't think he'll tell you directly. How about we first find out what kind of person Takumi really is? What if... he's the mysterious deity who took away your brother?"

"Well... that's not very likely." ...

A female player pushed open the door of the game center and walked out. She had a faint smile on her face, clearly having had a good experience inside the game center. However, she hadn't walked far before a golden-haired girl stopped her.

"Huh? You want to know my impression of Mr. Takumi?"

"Haha, do I even need to say it? Mr. Takumi is undoubtedly the most handsome and talented man in all of Mondstadt!"

"I'm not hiding it; one of the main reasons I come to the game center is to catch a glimpse of Mr. Takumi."

"He's so young, so talented... Ah, if only I could marry him..."

As the female player spoke, her cheeks flushed, and it seemed she was lost in romantic daydreams.

Lumine: "..."

Paimon: "..."

Next, they intercepted several players leaving the game center, all of whom had extremely high praise for Takumi. Some believed he was the greatest figure in Mondstadt in nearly a century.

Developing a mobile game, such a groundbreaking endeavor, has had a profound impact and completely changed the way of life for the people of Mondstadt.

Some believe that Takumi is a silent guardian deity of Mondstadt. He protected Mondstadt, defeated the Fatui's enforcer, and even saved Dvalin. These achievements are even more glorious than those of the Traveler in the game. In any case, players have a great deal of respect, admiration, and love for Takumi.

Many female players even wanted to work at the game center for free, but Takumi rejected them, citing "we have enough staff." So, many female players envied Eula. She could spend the whole day with Takumi and even live at the game center.

"It seems that this Takumi is indeed an impressive figure," Paimon exclaimed. "I want to find an opportunity to ask Takumi directly, whether or not we can get answers, we should at least try."

"Yeah, I support you!"

...

...

The neighboring store had already been renovated. The seating, rooms, layout, and everything else were completed to Takumi's highest standards. Takumi walked in and looked around, nodding in satisfaction. Whether it was the ambiance or the style, it met his aesthetic standards.

"The new store is finally about to open," Takumi opened the system and spent 1 million points to confirm this as his second store. Now, his daily Mora income was in the tens of millions, so he wasn't short of money. He then spent 20 million points to buy a hundred smartphones, corresponding to a hundred gaming stations. The second store had some additional designs compared to the main store, such as private rooms and rooms with beds, catering to higher-end customers. Anyway, the space in this store was large enough.

Of course, the prices were slightly higher than the base rate of 10,000 Mora per hour, but the wealthy customers didn't care about the internet fees and were more willing to invest in wishes.

The gaming stations were all set up. Next was the staff for this branch. Takumi already had a good candidate in mind. After confirming everything was in order, he walked out of the shop, only to see Lumine and Paimon waiting outside. These two had become members of the many story enthusiasts since they started exploring the game.

They completed commissions during the day to earn Mora and then came to the game center in the evening to progress through the story. Their dedication was quite touching.

Unexpectedly, they were waiting outside the shop at this time.

"Takumi, about the mobile game... I've been playing it for two days now, and I have some questions. Can you help me answer them?" Lumine asked sincerely.

"Hehe, go ahead, but I can't guarantee I'll give you the answers you're looking for," Takumi nodded.

"Takumi, I want to know if the story in the mobile game corresponds to reality," Lumine asked.

"Of course, when I created it, I used the current Teyvat continent as the blueprint."

With this affirmative answer, Lumine couldn't help but take a deep breath. This confirmed that her brother was indeed currently within the Abyss Order.

"Well... Takumi, can you tell me more about my brother?"

Takumi chuckled. He approached Lumine, his hand gently resting on her head, leaving her slightly surprised. He ruffled her hair, making it a bit messy.

"Where did the hairpin on your head come from?" he asked.

"I've been wearing it since I woke up," Lumine replied. Suddenly, she seemed to realize something. "Wait, are you saying that my brother put this flower on my head? Does it... have some significance?"

"You see, Lumine, there are some answers that, even if I tell you directly, you may still have difficulty understanding," Takumi said in a deep voice. "Your brother has already had a journey of his own, so before you find the answers, you need to accumulate enough experiences to reach the so-called 'end point.'"

With that, Takumi left, leaving Lumine and Paimon with a mysterious and profound impression. Although it seemed like he had said something important, it also felt like he hadn't said much at all. Lumine would probably ponder over his words repeatedly in the days to come until a moment when her experiences aligned with his words, and she would have an epiphany. Was this the charm of the enigmatic one?

.....

In version 1.0, the Adventure Rank had already broken through, unlocking more gameplay features. First and foremost, character levels could now be increased. Most players' main characters had already broken through to level 40 from level 20.

To raise the level cap beyond 40, players needed to complete the Adventure Rank-Ascension Quest. This quest featured a challenging dungeon with the final boss being a Formless Thunder. For players who had been fighting hilichurls and slimes, this was undoubtedly a formidable test.

On the eastern wall of the game hall, several articles had been posted. Initially, there was just one article - a comprehensive strategy guide for challenging Dvalin, detailing the boss's attack mechanisms and effective strategies. At the bottom, it credited "Guide Teacher - Lisa."

As time passed, more and more players began posting their compiled strategies on this wall. This included articles like "Venti Character Usage Guide," "Analysis of Lord Diluc's Constellations," and "Captain Jean's Team Composition." In addition to the author's insights, there were many player comments on the pages.

Gradually, this wall became a platform for communication among players, becoming a unique sight within the game hall. Recently, many players were discussing the breakthrough quest for Adventure Rank 25. With the collective efforts of players sharing their experiences, the dungeon strategies for the breakthrough quest were finally perfected.

Newbie players would stand in front of the strategy wall every day, carefully reading and learning from it. The top players believed that whether or not you broke through to level 25 would create a significant gap in your team's strength. Once you broke through, not only did the Adventure Rank cap increase to level 30, but also the weapon level cap, character level cap, and talent level cap were raised to 60 and 4, respectively. Newbies might be newcomers, but they had dreams of becoming experts.

The second group of players didn't want to fall behind in the new version. Therefore, every strategy posted on the wall attracted repeated views from players. Although the damage from the Formless Thunder was high, with strategies now available, players knew how to handle it and could clear it within the time limit.

However, this was just the beginning. After the Adventure Rank breakthrough, the game truly started to unveil its gameplay. Character ascension materials began requiring drops from world bosses - Cryo Regisvine, Electro Hypostasis, and Anemo Hypostasis. These powerful enemies began tormenting players. Sweet Madame's brew was in high demand, and not even a pigeon feather could be found on Timmie's bridge.

The result of this situation was that the value of support characters skyrocketed. Takumi had made some adjustments during development, and since the game hall had not yet expanded to Mondstadt, characters from Mondstadt were temporarily excluded from the gacha pool. Mondstadt characters were now mostly available. There were currently four characters with healing abilities: Jean, Barbara, Diona, and Bennett.

Jean's value was naturally undeniable. She was a well-rounded character, and after unlocking her talent "Let the Wind Lead," each attack restored the health of all team members, making her the team's instant healer. She was hailed as the "Mondstadt Proxy Wind Spirit."

However, Jean was a five-star character, which made her quite expensive. Consequently, the four-star character Barbara received a lot of players' affection. Barbara was also a favorite idol of many Mondstadt residents. Among the four-star characters, she was the only one with an ultimate animation.

Next, there were many players investing in Diona. With her shield and healing abilities, she was a qualified support character, able to do it all. As for Bennett, he was completely neglected, to the point where players who drew him would jokingly complain, "Why did I get this unlucky guy? My luck must be terrible today!" Bennett had anticipated this situation, but experiencing it firsthand still left him feeling frustrated. Becoming a character in Takumi's game was a dream come true for so many people.

Whether it's a five-star or four-star character, each has their unique charm, and every character has their own group of devoted fans. However, it seems that Bennett, in particular, doesn't receive any favorable attention from players. Even when he goes to the game hall, he often faces complaints from many players, which has made him somewhat apprehensive about the place.

Today, Fischl had intentionally brought Bennett to the game hall. "Fischl, didn't we agree to go on an adventure together in your homeland, the 'Unreconciled Stars'? Why did you bring me to this place?"

"Cough... My homeland has temporarily sunk into the abyss of sinful desires, and as the witness to the 'Cleansing Eye' of this princess, you should experience a reversal of fate here," explained Oz.

"Eh...?" Bennett scratched his head. Following the princess's guidance, he saw the central article on the strategy wall, titled "The Most Overlooked Four-Star Character – Bennett!" These bold words caught his eye.

"I believe that the recent breakthrough quest has made everyone realize how important healing characters are. Currently, the only usable healing characters are the noble Captain Jean, Barbara, and Diona. However, today, while fighting the Cryo Regisvine, I suddenly thought of Bennett, who had been guarding the warehouse. Although most players think Bennett isn't very useful, with no damage and only a healing skill that can't even fully heal, he does have a Pyro Vision, right? Even if he's not very useful, using his elemental skill to put the Cryo Regisvine in a weakened state should be possible, right? Who would have thought that this attempt would lead me to discover Bennett's strength! My Diluc's ultimate skill damage, which was originally just over seven hundred, increased directly to over a thousand when standing within Bennett's ultimate skill area! And this is with Bennett only at level 20, without any enhancement! I immediately consulted Lisa, who had already been using Bennett in her team. Lisa even believes that Bennett is, in fact, a five-star mythical god disguised in four-star clothing! Why would Lisa give Bennett such high praise? Please see the detailed analysis of Bennett's skill mechanics below."

The analysis of the skill mechanics was a bit too hardcore for Bennett, who had just started playing the game. He couldn't quite understand it, but he was greatly amazed. On the second page, there were many comments left by other players.

"I just found out today that Bennett's ultimate skill smashes a giant thumbs-up, haha! I hereby christen Bennett as the 'Thumbs-Up Guy'!"

"I tried it out, standing in this area feels like taking off!"

"I was constantly tormented by the Cryo Regisvine, but now that I've added Bennett to my team, I've become the Cryo Regisvine's daddy!"

"What Bennett? He's my master!"

It seemed that Bennett's reputation was undergoing a significant change, and he couldn't help but feel surprised by this sudden turn of events.

"No Jean, no Barbara, but I accidentally discovered that my Bennett has already reached Constellation 5 and joining the team made my world take off!"

"I was wrong, truly wrong... I used to neglect Bennett, but now I only hope to pull a Bennett in the gacha."

"Who could have thought that this unlucky guy is actually a five-star mythical god in the game!"

"Bennett, the eternal god, can heal, support, tank, and deal damage. He can do it all by himself, I think he's a six-star true god!"

Reading these player comments, Bennett was stunned. He couldn't believe that he had turned the tables in the game. He had become a formidable character that everyone wanted!

The surprise came too suddenly, and for a moment, he couldn't quite accept it. "With everyone by your side, the wounds won't hurt!" a familiar voice came from beside him. The player who was controlling his character excitedly slapped his thigh and happened to see Bennett nearby. "Bennett, you're way too strong, man!"

"Come on, did you bribe Mr. Takumi to make you so powerful in the game!?"

....

With the explosion of Bennett's article, it seemed that all players were reevaluating this character. This directly shattered the law that five-star characters must be stronger than four-star characters. Many four-star characters began to receive widespread attention.

On this day, another exciting news was released. Mr. Takumi's second game hall was officially open for business! It was equipped with a whopping one hundred gaming stations. Finally, there was no need to rush to grab a station early in the morning or stay late at night. To celebrate the opening of the new store, Takumi also introduced a recharge event. "Recharge a hundred thousand, get a hundred thousand, recharge two hundred thousand, get three hundred thousand..." This triggered a frenzy of recharging internet fees.

In one of the seats in the new store, Maid Noelle stared at her phone screen without blinking. She was operating her character in a battle. Her emerald eyes reflected a bright gleam. Just like her usual work, even when playing games, she appeared extremely serious. So much so that Noelle didn't even notice that someone had already stood behind her, watching her play. Soon, the battle ended, and the monsters in this domain were cleared. She went to the Petrified Tree to collect her rewards. Noelle smiled gently.