Ch 8

"The membership system has been upgraded. Take a look at the process board here," Takumi pointed to the sign by the entrance. He had detailed the process on it the previous night. It was actually quite simple – just activate your account on the tablet at the entrance. However, for the people of Mondstadt, it was still a relatively new concept, so Takumi felt it necessary to provide some guidance.

Once the three of them understood the operating process, they each topped up 100,000 Mora. Judging by their attire, they were likely well-off, although they couldn't compare to Diluc, of course.

The three of them chose familiar seats and started using the machines. Perhaps it was Diluc's strong presence that kept them from speaking too much. One of them, with a bit more courage, sat behind Diluc and observed his gameplay.

Although Diluc's performance wasn't exceptionally smooth, it was still significantly better than theirs. The young man mustered the courage to ask, "Lord Diluc, why don't you try your performance in the game?"

"What did you say? I'm also one of the controllable characters in this game?" Diluc turned around, looking somewhat surprised.

"Lord Diluc, you didn't know? You are a five-star character, and you can only obtain it through wishes..." The young man pointed to the banner and explained.

Guided by the young man, Diluc opened the wish interface. When he saw his own image on the poster, he was momentarily lost in thought. He realized he had made an initial error in judgment. He had previously mocked Kaeya for dealing too little damage, not knowing that the game featured more than just four characters. He and Jean were also playable characters.

"This is interesting..." Diluc now had four chances to make a wish. One by one, he used them, and as expected, he only received four blue glows, resulting in four three-star weapons.

"Do I have to accumulate 'Encounter Fate' through continuous quests to gain more wish chances?" Diluc noticed the primogems in the upper right corner, realizing they could be exchanged for 'Encounter Fate.' Seeing the '+' sign next to the number, he thought for a moment and clicked on it.

Sure enough, the screen transitioned to another interface.

10,000 Mora = 100 Primogems.

50,000 Mora = 500 Primogems.

100,000 Mora = 1,000 Primogems.

There were three different tiers of recharge options. Diluc's eyes lit up with pleasant surprise. For him, anything that could be solved with Mora was no big deal!

He directly clicked on the highest tier of 100,000 Mora, and a golden radiance appeared on the screen. "Please place the Mora under the golden light..."

Diluc took out 100,000 Mora and placed it on the table. In the next moment, under the golden light in his phone, the Mora also turned into a golden radiance and disappeared. "Similar to using a magic catalyst..." Diluc saw this scene and became even more convinced that Takumi was indeed the Wind Archon.

Following that, the phone interface displayed that 1,000 Primogems had been credited! The three young people were left in awe as they gasped in shock. For them, it was half a month's allowance, and they had just spent it all on becoming members and the internet fee.

As for Diluc, it seemed like this was just the beginning.

"Hundred thousand... Hundred thousand... Hundred thousand..."

For Diluc, these Mora were as insignificant as scrap paper, and he spent them without any hesitation. In the meantime, he even went out to the tavern, summoned the bartender, and had him help with the top-up. This series of actions left the three young men dumbfounded.

Many citizens of Mondstadt witnessed this scene, which attracted a lot of people to the game center to witness Lord Diluc's extravagant spending!

Among them was Lisa, who enjoyed the privilege of playing games at public expense. "Diluc truly lives up to his reputation, splurging so extravagantly."

She didn't rush to activate her account but, like others, took a seat nearby to see how far Diluc would go.

After dozens of minutes, Diluc nodded. "Alright, that's enough for today."

Lisa's gaze fell on Diluc's phone screen, which displayed that he now had 100,000 Primogems! Calculating it, Diluc had spent a total of 10 million Mora! For ordinary people, it was undoubtedly an astronomical figure, but for Diluc, it was just a drop in the bucket.

If he used 160 Primogems to exchange for one "Encounter Fate," he now had 625 chances to make wishes. Although no one had drawn a five-star character from the standard banner so far, with this many chances, he should be able to get one.

Next was the time to witness the "whale" phenomenon.

In the game center's lobby, more than twenty players had already gathered. None of them were playing the game but instead had gathered around Diluc, eager to witness the birth of the first five-star character!

"Morning Sunshine's Dark Side????? Conqueror of the Dandelion Knight??..."

What was the difference between these two characters and the four-star ones? What were their elemental abilities?

With these expectations in mind, Diluc began making wishes.

Ten pulls...

Obtained a new character, "Fate Material????? – Birch!"

Right from the start, he received a new character, but Bennett was also a four-star character. Other than some people exclaiming that this "unlucky guy" had surprisingly become a character in the game, it didn't cause much of a commotion.

In the next forty pulls, Fischl, Razor, and Noelle appeared one by one, along with a four-star weapon, "Sacrificial Sword."

The onlookers marveled. Indeed, this game featured many other characters. Except for Razor, both Fischl and Noelle were characters actively present in Mondstadt City.

This raised expectations in some people's hearts. Could they also be characters in the wish pool? However, at the moment, it seemed that only those who possessed the Vision of the Gods were eligible to appear.

When the sixtieth pull came, a golden light descended from the heavens!

Gasps filled the air.

It's here, it's here!

Finally, it's here!

Everyone's faces lit up with joyful surprise, as if they themselves had drawn the character. It was Jean, the acting Grand Master! Holding a sword imbued with wind elemental power, she stood proudly with an oath-like posture, her feet stirring a mighty gust of wind.

"Proud Knight of the Dandelion, Jean, applying for entry. From now on, my honor and loyalty shall be with you!"

Jean's voice resounded in the game.

===

The onlookers were extremely excited, some eagerly desiring to adventure alongside Jean, some clenching their fists tightly, their faces flushed with excitement, and others firmly patting their companions' shoulders, tears glistening in their eyes.

However, Diluc showed no signs of stopping. Just having drawn Jean was not enough; he had yet to make his appearance.

Another ten-pull, and once again, golden light emerged!

"Oh my, another five-star character!"

"Diluc's luck is unbelievable!"

"It must be a character of Lord Diluc!"

However, this time, it was still Jean. A repeated character?

Diluc lightly tapped the table with his fingers. On the bottom right corner of the phone screen, it indicated that he had obtained "Jean's Fate Star." Fate Star? What was its purpose?

At this moment, a voice sounded from the crowd. "Lord Diluc, have you ever heard of the 'Seat of Destiny'?"

"The Seat of Destiny?"

Seeing that everyone's gaze turned toward her, Lisa smiled lightly and began to explain, "Astrologers believe that the 'Seat of Destiny' is the celestial reflection of a Vision holder's fate in the night sky, serving as a crucial basis for divination. In this game, there's a similar concept—the Seat of Destiny. Repeatedly obtaining each character will transform into corresponding 'Fate Stars,' which can enhance the Seat of Destiny's level. It can reach up to six levels, each greatly amplifying the character's abilities. According to my research, some characters' Seats of Destiny will even bring about a qualitative change in the characters themselves."

A murmur of realization swept through the crowd. Truly, Mondstadt's most erudite librarian was at the forefront when it came to understanding the game.

"I see..." Diluc nodded slightly. "Then, let's draw all the characters and fill up their Seats of Destiny."

"Gasp..." The hall was filled with shocked gasps. Was this even possible? While ordinary people celebrated having one character, Lord Diluc was aiming to max out their Seats of Destiny?

However, if Diluc continued to have such good luck, perhaps it was indeed achievable with 100,000 Primogems!

Finally, at the seventieth pull, accompanied by a golden light, Diluc finally drew his in-game self.

"Diluc of Mondstadt, here as promised..."

Everyone finally saw Diluc's complete illustration, holding a heavy greatsword in his firm grip, and the fiery phoenix behind him seemed to surge forth from the screen.

"Oh my goodness! Lord Diluc is so handsome!"

"Wow, if I could draw this, it would make my whole life worthwhile!"

"I'd give ten years of my life, please, Wind God, bless me with a Diluc!"

----

As the fifth golden light descended, it wasn't a character that appeared but a dark red greatsword, named..."Wolf's Gravestone."

"So, weapons can also be five-star! This should be the most powerful weapon in the game, right?"

"Wolf's Gravestone, what a strange name."

"It looks weird too, like a sword cast from solid iron..."

All the players felt their horizons expanding; Lord Diluc's extravagant spending today would undoubtedly cause quite a stir in Mondstadt.

Diluc, however, paid no attention to the gazes of those around him. He opened his character interface and, in the weapon section, equipped the "Wolf's Gravestone."

For some reason, he felt that this greatsword was a perfect fit for him, as if it were tailor-made.

Below the weapon's attributes, there was a brief description of the weapon: "[Wolf's Gravestone], the greatsword wielded by the Wolf Knight. Originally just a heavy iron slab given to him by the city's blacksmith, it gained legendary power through his friendship with a wolf."

"The Wolf Knight...?" Diluc's gaze sharpened. Among Mondstadt's Four Winds Protectors, one of them was the wolf of the north. And among the titles inherited by the knights of the Knights of Favonius, there was also a "Knight of the North Wind." The current Knight of the North Wind was the Grand Master, Jean.

Legend had it that in earlier times, a Knight of the North Wind had roamed the wilds of Mondstadt, and his companion was a legendary lone wolf. Could this sword be the weapon of that Knight of the North Wind?

"Lord Diluc and this greatsword are a perfect match!"

"Both in color and appearance, they fit perfectly."

"A five-star character with a five-star weapon; Lord Diluc is going to dominate this game, isn't he?"

Hearing this, Diluc dismissed it, saying, "It's just a better starting point. Weapon levels, character levels, talents, artifacts, and more all need to be constantly improved in the game, and this can't be compensated for with money alone."

Clearly, Diluc had his own understanding of the game. He knew that investing a large amount of money wouldn't make him invincible. Developing all aspects required players' time and effort, which was the charm of the game.

Nevertheless, Diluc was not willing to stop. After a few hundred pulls, he finally accumulated enough Fate Stars.

"Fifth level of the Seat of Destiny, the Dawn-bringing Firebird, illuminate!"

"Sixth level of the Seat of Destiny, the Fiery Sword of Reckoning, illuminate!"

With 100,000 Primogems, Diluc successfully maxed out "himself," obtaining a full Seat of Destiny. Additionally, he acquired a Windblume Ode, a Skyward Blade, and Wolf's Gravestone.

Diluc could sense that these three five-star weapons were highly prestigious, but it wasn't the time to study them closely yet because all the pairs of eyes around him were filled with anticipation.

They wanted to see what "Jean" and "Diluc" were capable of.

Well then, as you wish.

Diluc himself was somewhat curious.

With Kaeya's case as a precedent, Diluc believed that the skills wouldn't reveal too much of his true strength.

He opened the map and teleported to the Valley of the Wolves, a well-known dangerous area overrun with Hilichurls.

Diluc directly leveled himself and his weapon to level 20, removing Lisa and Amber from his team and replacing them with himself and Jean.

Diluc's first test subject was Jean.

Her normal attack, the "Gust of the West," was simple and unadorned.

Her elemental skill, "Gale Blade," instantly sent the Hilichurls in front of her flying several meters away. When held, it could continuously control the enemies in front of her.

She truly deserved to be a five-star character, as this level of control was indeed powerful.

And when she had accumulated enough elemental energy, her elemental burst left those around her in awe.

"Oh, Wind of the Heavens, guide us!"

At the moment of activating her elemental burst, the camera focused directly on Jean.

She placed the blade against her chest, and with her eyes wide open, she summoned the protection of the wind. Dandelions danced around her, and beneath her feet, the symbol of a Western Falcon in the Wind appeared.

Her previous battle damage was instantly restored to full health, and the Hilichurls around her were defeated in an instant.

"Wow, is this a five-star character? She even gets her own close-up when activating the elemental burst!"

"That determined look in Jean's eyes is truly amazing!"

"I won't say more; I'm going to charge 500,000 Mora. I have to have Jean join my adventure!"

Many people were feeling their blood boil, impressed by Jean's abilities.

But there were also many who were looking forward to Lord Diluc's performance.

Diluc summoned himself.

His normal attack, called "Blazing Sword," had the characteristic power of a claymore character, and each segment dealt very high damage.

His elemental skill, "Dawn," enveloped the Wolf's Gravestone in flames, and in the first segment, he directly cleaved down at the monsters in front.

"Boom!"

The flames flowed, and the first segment instantly smashed the nearby Shaman Hilichurl to death. The second and third segments struck empty air.

The crowd was amazed.

This...the damage is just too high!

"Oh my lord, is this damage too exaggerated?"

"This is only the elemental skill; it's even stronger than the elemental bursts of other characters."

"Could it be because Lord Diluc has a five-star weapon?"

"His weapon hasn't been upgraded to a very high level yet. I checked, and it doesn't have much of a difference compared to other weapons. It can only mean that Lord Diluc himself is the most powerful DPS character!"

"I'm done. I was just thinking about pulling Jean earlier, but now that Lord Diluc's damage is so exaggerated, I want to pull Diluc!"

"Just spend money, learn from Lord Diluc, 10 million Mora, and not even a blink of an eye..."

The monsters in this camp had already been cleared. Diluc moved to another camp, where he planned to test his own elemental burst.

The Hilichurls in the camp were dancing, and when they noticed someone approaching, they immediately charged forward, swinging their flaming sticks.

Many new players were caught off guard by this move and died miserably under the Hilichurls' fire sticks.

Behind them, there was an even stronger Hilichurl Thug wielding a giant axe, also charging forward.

Most ordinary players, upon seeing this scene, had a one-word reaction - run.

However, Diluc's elemental burst was fully charged.

When the monsters came close, he tapped on the fiery red icon.

"In this—judgment!"

Diluc's greatsword erupted with a blaze of power, and the surrounding enemies seemed to be pushed back by this powerful aura. Then, that fire was condensed onto his weapon, and a giant fiery bird swooped down towards the front.

"Buzz..."

Those Hilichurls were directly engulfed in the blaze of the firebird and quickly turned into ashes. The firebird flapped its wings and disappeared into the sky.

This elemental burst move was called "Dawn," and it was currently nighttime. At the moment when the firebird disappeared, the night sky seemed to be ignited briefly, creating a momentary burst of light.

"Before dawn arrives, someone must illuminate the darkness a bit."

Everyone present was dumbfounded. They had imagined many possible elemental burst scenes for Diluc, but not this one. Swinging a sword to create a surging firebird that swept away all enemies in its path.

Even the strongest Hilichurl Thug couldn't withstand the impact.

It was like a myth.

Diluc himself was also somewhat surprised. Condensing elemental power into a tangible entity was not easy, especially such a lifelike creature. It had to be admitted that this was an extremely powerful display!

After a brief moment of tranquility, the hall suddenly exploded.

"Oh my goodness, isn't he just too handsome!"

"Are we playing the same game? Why does Lord Diluc look like a god!"

"I don't care anymore, even if I have to eat dirt this month!"

"Being able to invite Lord Diluc to join the team makes my whole life worthwhile!"

The gacha frenzy was ignited!

Eula, who had just arrived at the store, was shocked.

It was only eight in the morning, and there were already so many people in the store? And they all looked like they had just had an adrenaline rush, with their eyes shining brightly.

"Boss, are these people okay?" Eula asked quietly.

"Don't worry, they're just a bit too excited because they've seen a five-star character for the first time."

"Five-star characters? Are they Diluc and Jean?" Eula asked. Clearly, she had some knowledge of the mobile game and was getting excited.

"What are their abilities? Did you see them, boss? Tell me quickly!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Eula realized she had acted foolishly.

She touched her nose apologetically. "Sorry, boss, I forgot that you're the developer of this game."

"It's okay," Takumi said casually. "By the way, have you had breakfast?"

Eula shook her head. She wouldn't tell Takumi that she had spent half an hour choosing her outfit in the morning before deciding on this black and white dress.