Ch 27

A large group of people gathered outside, discussing animatedly and eager to try. Takumi walked around the hall and observed the players' actions. "This group of players is really hard to lead..."

Except for old man Zhong Li, who diligently followed the storyline and entered Mondstadt City, everyone else was trying to run in the direction of Liyue. As a result, some drowned while swimming, some fell to their deaths while climbing, and some were beaten to death by monsters. These players found it all very amusing and were tirelessly attempting different approaches.

Takumi shook his head. It would probably take them a month to clear Mondstadt's storyline and officially begin the Liyue Archon Quest.

At this moment, Keqing returned after previously leaving. While activating her account, Takumi noticed that this account wasn't the one Keqing initially registered. "Did you requisition someone else's account?" Takumi didn't expect Keqing to have done such thorough research.

This meant that she would undoubtedly be among the Liyue players with the fastest progress. Since the previous account holder had already completed Mondstadt's storyline quests, Keqing could immediately experience the latest Liyue storyline.

Takumi looked over at Zhong Li, who was intently staring at his phone screen, his expression filled with contemplation and seriousness. It was clear he had immersed himself in the game. But Zhong Li still didn't know that his plans were about to be fully exposed in the Liyue Archon Quest.

[In the Eastern Land of Liyue, Chapter 1, Act 1 Begins...]

"Head to Liyue Harbor..." Although she could directly initiate the Liyue storyline, Keqing felt a slight discomfort when actually experiencing it. Previously, she had simply viewed this game as a tool for gathering information, a means to an end. She thought she would only look at the parts she needed.

However, once she entered the game, she realized the richness of its content. The sky, flying birds, beasts, architecture... It felt like a subtly realistic world. She realized that she might have been too impatient. This mobile game was not just a tool but an epic about the land of Teyvat. To truly appreciate its charm, she had to experience it from start to finish.

Just as Keqing temporarily put down her phone, she heard some commotion from outside the private room. "Ningguang Lady has also arrived!" "My goodness, both Seven-Star Lords are gathered here. I almost can't wait to see what's next."

Ningguang had also arrived? Keqing pushed aside the curtain and indeed saw the elegant and regal Ningguang. "Keqing, you're quick to act," Ningguang greeted with a smile. "Are you also interested in this mobile game?"

"That's for sure," Ningguang replied after briefly surveying the private room area. She turned to Keqing and suggested, "Keqing, there are private rooms for two here. How about we explore this game together? Since it's our first time encountering this new thing, it would be convenient for us to communicate."

From Ningguang's words, it seemed like she intended to start experiencing this mobile game from scratch. Keqing originally thought that someone like Ningguang, who was willing to resort to any means to make money, would choose to directly begin the Liyue storyline, just like herself. However, Ningguang had different plans, and it made Keqing feel a bit hasty in comparison. Due to this unexpected turn of events, Keqing agreed to Ningguang's proposal.

Inside the private room, Keqing asked Ningguang about her curiosity. "I do have an account provided by one of my subordinates that has already completed the Mondstadt storyline, but I declined it. From the preliminary understanding of the game's content, I can sense that this is not just a fanciful virtual game but another 'Teyvat' constructed based on reality. Therefore, I must personally experience it from start to finish to grasp the game's essence and ensure that every detail is under my control."

Keqing heard a hint of audacity in Ningguang's tone. Coupled with her earlier wavering, Keqing decided to embark on this journey from the very beginning with Ningguang.

....

In Mondstadt City, after days of relentless effort, Lumine finally caught up with the first group and completed the Mondstadt storyline in its entirety. She saved Dvalin, witnessed Venti lose his Archon Gnosis, and stood beneath the colossal Windborne Tree in Windrise. Venti informed her that Liyue's "Rite of Descension" was about to begin, an annual opportunity to meet the Geo Archon. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's head to Liyue quickly!" Paimon urged.

"Paimon, why the rush?" Lumine displayed a helpless expression. "This is just the timeline in the game. In reality, I asked someone, and it's still nearly a month away."

"Oh... I see," Paimon scratched his head, concealing his embarrassment. "Speaking of which, it's truly incredible. In this game, we've gone through such a splendid adventure and made so many companions."

"In reality, it's quite similar," Lumine added. In these days, Lumine had gotten to know Amber, Lisa, and Kaeya, and they even had meals together. It was all because the game's storyline had left a deep impression, making it feel as if they had already become acquainted with each other.

Moreover, during an adventure commission yesterday, they unexpectedly encountered the bard, Venti. The entire city now knew that Venti was none other than the Anemo Archon, Barbatos. Venti mentioned how the game had made his life difficult, and now he was constantly surrounded by onlookers. Previously, he could exchange a performance for a glass of wine, but now he didn't even dare to go to crowded places. Venti had decided to temporarily leave Mondstadt and find solace in another country.

Lumine and Paimon expressed sympathy for the Wind Archon's predicament. They then steered the conversation to the main point. "Actually, on that night, the leader of the Fatui, a 'lady,' had already taken my 'Gnosis.'"

"The game's portrayal of the Fatui's goals is accurate," Venti explained. "The Cryo Archon indeed wishes to collect the Gnosis of all seven gods, but I'm not quite sure about the specifics of her objectives."

Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances. Paimon whispered, "Now that the Anemo Archon has been ruled out, it sounds like the Cryo Archon might be the one who took away your brother, huh?"

"But my brother is currently with the Abyss Order..." Lumine sighed.

"Ahhh, so many mysteries! My head's going to explode!" Paimon held his head and shook it vigorously.

"Haha, leave these mysteries for your future journey to solve. Or you can go ask Takumi if he's willing to share... By the way, I'll gladly accept the alcohol in your backpack!" Venti chuckled.

"Hey, Bard! You didn't come to see us just for the alcohol, did you?"

Thinking back to yesterday's encounter, Paimon couldn't help but shake his head. Venti's appearance in the game was identical to reality, a true wine-loving bard.

"The new version has been updated, and we can set off towards Liyue in the game!" Lumine clenched her fist. "This way, we can get a preliminary understanding of what Liyue is like, and maybe we'll even encounter the Geo Archon in the game."

Paimon cleared his thoughts and focused his attention entirely on the new storyline.

Following the mission instructions, they passed through a place called "Stone Gate" and arrived at the center of the distant Dihua Marsh, where they saw the Wangshu Inn.

"Wow! The architectural style in Liyue is so unique!" Paimon couldn't help but exclaim.

"It's already been simplified quite a bit; the real Wangshu Inn is even more magnificent." Lisa smiled beside him.

"Indeed, it's the great librarian for you! So knowledgeable," Paimon said with a grin.

"Hehe, you're quite eloquent," Lisa replied.

At this moment, there were also many players in the hall expressing their amazement. Most of them had never been to Mondstadt and were seeing the iconic building of Liyue for the first time, prompting them to let out exclamations of admiration.

Soon, they followed the main road of Dihua Marsh and arrived at the Seven Statue in the distance, which emitted a red glow.

"Is this... the statue of the Geo Archon?" The corners of the players' mouths twitched.

This guy was way too arrogant, wasn't he? Everyone else's statues stood upright, in a prayer pose, representing the deity's protection over its people. But this Geo Archon was different. He leaned against his divine seat, his right hand gripping the symbol of his power, Geo elemental energy, as if saying, "The world is vast, and I am the greatest!"

"The old man Geo Archon must be quite the unruly character," a player commented.

"Even though I haven't seen the Geo Archon, you can tell from the posture of the statue that this god is definitely not one to be trifled with," a young player with glasses spoke up among the crowd.

"'The Windblume Ode'? What's that?" Clearly, this player had done some historical research, and when he mentioned this name, it piqued Lisa's interest.

"The content of this Ode was actually a treasonous deal," the player with glasses continued, attracting the attention of many. They leaned in to hear more.

"It was during the era of the old aristocracy. In this contract, they betrayed the Anemo Archon and sold everything in Mondstadt to the neighboring Geo Archon."

"What!?"

"Is that even possible?"

"Young man, you shouldn't make up such stories lightly!"

"I'm not making it up. My ancestors were once soldiers in Mondstadt, and they witnessed it firsthand. At the end of that contract, there was a divine seal that said, '[Rex Lapis].'"

Many players gasped in shock. Their emotions weren't just rooted in their hatred for the corrupt old aristocrats, but also in their fear of this '[Rex Lapis].' If this was true, wouldn't Mondstadt belong to Liyue now?

The player with glasses continued, "When my ancestors and other soldiers learned about the contents of this contract, they were terrified. It meant that they would all become slaves of a foreign nation."

In the crowd, there were several exclamations of surprise. They hadn't expected such a hidden secret in that struggle.

Fortunately, the old aristocrats were completely overthrown. Otherwise, today's Mondstadt wouldn't be a city of freedom but a small city under the rule of this '[Rex Lapis].'

"In reality, that contract was probably a forgery," Lisa suddenly spoke up.

"Because the Geo Archon of the neighboring nation is the God of wealth and trade, and he places the utmost importance on completing 'contracts.'"

"There's an old saying in Liyue: '[Even if the heavens fall, the contract must be fulfilled].'"

"If they had really signed such a contract, that '[Rex Lapis]' would surely have personally come to Mondstadt to settle the score."

"Besides being the God of Contracts, he also holds the title of the 'God of War.'"

"Do you all think that our Anemo Archon alone can withstand the wrath of this god?" Lisa's words left many players stunned, then they gradually realized the truth.

It seemed plausible. Just by looking at the appearance of the Geo Archon's Seven Statue, it was clear that this god was no pushover. Even if the old aristocrats were overthrown, it was unlikely that those who violated the contract would be let off so easily.

"But at the end of the contract, there is a divine seal that must be made by none other than a god. How do you explain that!?" The player with glasses still wanted to argue.

"It's simple. This seal was most likely forged by Barbatos himself."

"How is that possible? The Anemo Archon would never be so bored as to imitate the signatures of other gods..."

He paused mid-sentence, realizing that, with Venti, it was actually quite possible for him to do something that absurd.

In the moment of interacting with the statue, the corresponding area of the map lit up, a familiar operation for the players of Mondstadt. However, within the interaction options, there was an additional one - "Resonate with Geo Element."

"Buzz!" After selecting this option, the Geo Archon statue's stone block emitted a golden glow. When her perspective returned to normal, her accessories had all transformed into a yellow radiance symbolizing the power of Geo.

This situation had been anticipated long ago and was one of the things many players were looking forward to when unlocking the Liyue map. Players immediately began checking the Geo element data and testing his skills.

After a moment, surprised voices rang out.

"The damage multiplier for Geo element is impressive!"

"The damage output is indeed quite high."

"I declare, Geo element is a great element!"

"When will the main character become a Pyro character..."

After obtaining the new elemental power, players continued exploring the map. Upon reaching Wangshu Inn, they found a teleport waypoint. By now, players in Mondstadt had developed a habit – whenever they saw a teleport waypoint, they had to unlock it, as it was incredibly convenient.

However, while unlocking the teleport waypoint at Wangshu Inn, they finally experienced the torment of climbing to high places. Most of Mondstadt's terrain was flat, and teleport waypoints were distributed conspicuously. But the first waypoint in Liyue was already showing signs of challenging the players.

Geo element "Starfell" also played a role as a stepping stone. Meanwhile, players who had previously drawn Venti were the real winners.

Long-pressing the Elemental Skill for the Wind Traveler was simply too convenient! Players who had Venti saw others using Geo element "Starfell" to find footholds, while they had already reached the highest point, and they couldn't help but gloat.

Many players were frustrated and opened the wish system, ready to spend money to obtain Venti. However, they soon discovered that Venti's limited-time banner had already ended. The banner was closed.

They were on the verge of tears when they suddenly noticed that the standard banner had undergone some changes.

The original banner cover featured "The Dark Side of Dawn," but now it showed two new characters, "Frozen Reunion" Chongyun and "Thundering Pulse" Beidou.

Wow, two new 5-star characters in one update! This discovery immediately caused a sensation.

"Takumi just posted a new announcement with explanations about these two new 5-star characters!"

"Qiqi is a herbalist and apprentice at Bubu Pharmacy, a pale, expressionless Zombie. She rarely speaks."

"Wow... Is this the wonder of Liyue, a land where zombie exist? I've never heard of such a thing!"

"I feel like these are just the tip of the iceberg in Liyue. I can't wait to explore this magical land."

"Let's see what Qiqi is really like..."

As Takumi's specially created video was clicked on, his warm and magnetic voice filled the screen.

"It's actually Takumi himself doing the voiceover, awesome!"

"Qiqi, a master of the Cryo element, can provide strong healing for the team."

"[Using her Elemental Skill, Qiqi summons the Herald of Frost to swirl around her, dealing Cryo damage to nearby enemies.]"

"[Additionally, at intervals, the skill will heal the current character...]"

"So, she's a healing character, not bad at all! Now, we have an extra layer of safety while exploring the vast world."

"Even though she's called an 'Undying,' she looks so cute!"

"Her movements are quite stiff, and she hardly ever shows emotions. It strangely resonates with me..."

At this point, in the video, Qiqi formed hand seals, and a massive Cryo elemental storm erupted around her. Faintly visible within the storm were drifting ice spirits.

Accompanying the storm's effects, the enemies around her were marked with a symbol.

"[Qiqi releases the sealed power within her to mark surrounding enemies with 'Yun Fei Zhen Symbols' and deals Cryo damage. When enemies marked by 'Yun Fei Zhen Symbols' take damage, they will regenerate the current character's HP.]"

In the video, Qiqi, who was initially low on health, had her HP rapidly replenished after a series of attacks. This healing capacity was truly astonishing. She might be the character with the strongest healing ability among all characters currently available.

"It looks like it's necessary to get Qiqi!"

"I drew Klee before and got Diluc, so this time, I'll wait for the limited banner to come out. Maybe I'll get Qiqi in the limited pool."

"That's true. Since she's in the standard banner, we'll have more chances in the future."

"Hey, don't forget, there's another character!"

"This one is named Keqing, and she looks really strong!"

"I agree! She gives off an explosive sense of power."

"Quick, let's see Takumi's introduction of Keqing!"

Above the video, there was a character introduction.

"...Keqing is the Yuheng Star among the Seven Stars of Liyue, responsible for land management and construction, and always keeps an eye on various matters within Liyue."

"It looks like she's a significant figure in Liyue!"

"The Seven Stars of Liyue can be compared to our Knights of Favonius' Jean, so she's definitely a big deal."

"I wonder how her strength compares to Jean in the mobile game."

With anticipation, the players began playing Takumi's explanation video.

"Keqing's swordsmanship is swift and deadly, making her a main DPS character."

"Press her Elemental Skill, 'Starward Sword,' and Keqing will rapidly toss out Thunder Jacks. On impact, it deals Electro damage to enemies in a small area and leaves behind a 'Thunder Jack' mark."

"During the duration of the 'Thunder Jack' mark, when Keqing triggers 'Starward Sword' again, it will clear the 'Thunder Jack' mark and instantly teleport her to the marked location to perform a slash."

"Long-pressing 'Starward Sword' allows you to adjust the direction of the 'Thunder Jack' mark..."

In the video, Keqing faced off against a Ruin Guard. By long-pressing her Elemental Skill, she marked the Ruin Guard's weak point on its head with the 'Thunder Jack.'

Following a two-stage teleportation and slash attack, the Ruin Guard immediately fell into paralysis.

Seeing this skill, many players' eyes lit up. This skill not only allowed her to deal with enemies with different weak points but would also be an incredible asset when exploring the vast world and climbing to high points.