Inside Lumine's livestream.
Nasia suddenly noticed something wrong around them. As expected, a group of Eremites who had been lying in ambush revealed themselves.
Seeing this, Lumine and the others immediately tried to escape from the garden. But in the chaos, Nasia failed to keep up with Lumine and the others. Lumine reached out desperately, trying to grab her, but it was too late!
The body Nasia inhabited was pierced through by a weapon. In the final moment, as Lumine's hand brushed against Nasia's, their consciousnesses intertwined briefly—then she was gone.
At the same time, the atmosphere in the livestream chat turned strange.
"Wait, what? Lumine didn't manage to pull Nasia up?!"
"Streamer, seriously? You've got four elements at your disposal, and you're telling me you can't wipe out a few Eremites? How are you getting forced into this situation?!"
"If I had even one element, I'd clear these guys with ease. You've got four! What are you doing?!"
"You don't get it, do you? She's obviously just advancing the story! Can't you tell?"
"That's a flimsy excuse if I've ever heard one."
"Still, it is odd. With Lumine's strength, this shouldn't even be a challenge."
Watching her own performance in the story, Lumine's face instantly flushed red with anger.
"Seriously?! What the hell is that supposed to be?!"
"Calm down, calm down." Paimon quickly tried to comfort her. "It's just a tiny slip-up, nothing you can't recover from!"
Though Paimon's words were meant to soothe, the subtle look on her face only made Lumine feel more humiliated.
What was she doing in the story?
The Eremites were basically ordinary people, nowhere near her level. Even if there were a lot of them, with her strength they were nothing more than an armed mob.
She had the power of four elements!
What did that even mean?
She'd fought Childe, fought La Signora. Even if her fight against the Raiden Shogun had been complicated by the wishes of the people, she still held her own.
By all logic, Lumine believed herself to be at least on par with a Harbinger. Yet in the story she was running away from a group of mere mercenaries… and Nasia still got killed.
It was exactly as the chat said: she looked like she was deliberately feeding the plot.
But this wasn't a game! In reality, people died from things like this.
"Damn it!"
With a furious slam, Lumine struck the desk. The monitor shook from the impact.
"Brothers!" she declared. "I have to admit something right now!"
Taking a deep breath, her face solemn and determined, she announced, "From this moment on, I will abandon the elemental system and join the far superior Card System!"
"Because look—if I had cards, I could have just warped Nasia out of there instantly. None of this nonsense would've happened!"
The chat erupted.
"Since you brought up cards… why warp out with Nasia instead of just going straight to the Akademiya?"
"I know you're in a hurry, but can you not?" Lumine glared at Paimon.
Seriously, this little companion wasn't helping at all. Instead of covering for her, Paimon was just poking holes!
"It's all for the sake of livestream content!" Paimon shrugged innocently. "But still… don't you think story-Lumine really does look weaker than even a random Vision holder?"
"…Yeah." Lumine grimaced.
It was humiliating, but she had to admit it. In the story, she looked downright pathetic.
She had beaten Harbingers, wielded multiple elements. And yet here she was, shown as little better than a struggling adventurer.
"The elemental system is garbage." Lumine shook her head firmly. "Of course, I mean for me, not for everyone else. Don't twist my words."
"Got it. Spread the word—Lumine says the Seven Archons are garbage."
"Exactly. According to Lumine, anyone who uses elements is just an ant."
"So bold! How dare you mock the strongest system in Teyvat!"
"Don't slander me!" Lumine snapped.
She sighed, leaning back. "Whatever. Let's keep pushing the story. Let's see how much worse it gets."
But then she quickly raised her guard. "And listen carefully—this so-called Lumine in the story? That's not me. I don't know her. Don't you dare compare us!"
"Cutting ties that fast, huh?" Paimon chuckled. "You're quick to claim the glory, but the shame? You wash your hands clean."
"Human nature!" Lumine said with mock righteousness.
After a deep breath, she added softly, "Still… knowing the future has its uses. I think I understand now why Lu Heng acted that way."
A faint smile crossed her lips. She could see it clearly: many times, her actions in the story had been disappointing.
"But from now on, I'll never be that pathetic again." Her resolve burned.
She wanted Lu Heng to see her differently.
Even though he once told her not to live for other people's approval, she still couldn't bear the thought of letting him down.
…
As noon approached, more and more people flooded into her livestream.
After all, nothing drew crowds like the promise of the future. And news of the Akademiya and Fatui seemingly attempting to create a god was spreading fast.
A god—always a being beyond reach. And now, mortals were daring to forge one?
The audacity shocked people, but also made them laugh.
Even if their courage was admirable, their methods were dead wrong. The Dendro Archon was still very much alive—what were they thinking, creating a replacement?
Although what happened in Sumeru didn't directly concern citizens of the other six nations, it didn't stop them from watching the spectacle.
In Sumeru City, the so-called "F4" had gathered.
Since Alhaitham and Kaveh were both central figures, they too had been dragged into the matter—and even ended up buying equipment from Dori.
"The nation's reputation is practically in shambles." Cyno's face was dark as he watched the stream.
Now he understood what the Akademiya and Fatui had been scheming. No wonder so many rare materials had been transported to the desert—they were all for this "new god."
"Instead of worrying about that, you should worry about the economic damage this so-called god might bring," Alhaitham said calmly.
As Scribe, he could already see the hidden ambition of the Sages: the fantasy of mankind creating its own deity.
"What should we do then?" Kaveh asked.
"Wait," Alhaitham replied.
"Wait? That's it?"
"There's another option," Alhaitham said dryly. "Storm the Akademiya right now and kill every Sage on the spot."
Kaveh twitched. "That's not an option—that's suicide!"
"Exactly." Cyno exhaled. "It's maddening to feel this powerless."
"If only I could warp straight into a card shop and draw a miracle pull…" Kaveh muttered.
"In broad daylight? Stop dreaming." Alhaitham shook his head. "By the way, I heard someone spent sixty thousand Mora on gear and a phone?"
Both Tighnari and Cyno looked at Kaveh in shock.
"W-what?!" Kaveh stammered nervously. "They're so useful! Isn't that worth sixty thousand?"
"Or you could've just asked us first and paid a fraction of that," Alhaitham said with a cold laugh. "This is exactly why I keep my distance—you always manage to embody the purest form of foolishness."
"Wait—what do you mean?!" Kaveh panicked.
"Those items are worth twenty thousand Mora. At most, twenty-five thousand with transport costs," Tighnari explained.
"What?!" Kaveh's eyes went wide as he turned to Alhaitham.
"Twenty-two thousand," Alhaitham said flatly. "That's what you would've paid if you had just asked first."
Kaveh's face turned pale. "Forget Sumeru's economic loss—we should be worrying about mine! My poor family's finances are doomed!"
Alhaitham ignored him, turning his attention back to the livestream.
In the story, Cyno was already "hunting" him, because he carried "canned knowledge of the gods."
As a sandstorm rolled in, the group sought shelter in Aaru Village, where they began exchanging intelligence.
Meanwhile in Aaru Village, Candace's face was clouded with worry.
"So even our village has been dragged into this mess…"
As a guardian of the village and descendant of King Deshret, she had no choice but to care. Whatever the Akademiya or Fatui wanted, she couldn't allow Aaru Village to suffer.
It was her duty.
In Liyue, at Wanmin Restaurant.
When Lu Heng arrived with Shenhe, they saw many diners glued to their phones, watching the Sumeru livestream.
The story's popularity was undeniable. Lu Heng couldn't help but smile. Spoilers? Best to spoil everything, so the whole world knew the truth.
"Over here, Brother Lu!" Xiangling waved, calling him over.
He had already reserved a table, but her cheerful greeting drew more eyes to him.
"Oh? Mr. Lu also eats here?" someone said in surprise.
"Of course," Lu Heng chuckled. "With Xiangling's cooking, how could I possibly miss out?"
"Exactly! Whenever Xiangling's at the stove, Wanmin Restaurant is always our first choice!"
"Mr. Lu, let me cover your meal today!" someone offered boldly.
"Thank you for the kindness, but I'll pass," Lu Heng said with a polite smile. "Meeting by chance in this vast harbor is already a blessing. Let's all just focus on enjoying the food."
Xiangling brought out the dishes he ordered, beaming. "Brother Lu, I made your favorites. Want me to bring them to the courtyard?"
"Perfect," he nodded.
Shenhe, still a little distracted by how warmly Lu Heng was received, blinked when she heard him. "I don't mind trying something spicier now and then."
"Spice is like cultivation," Lu Heng smiled. "Step by step, or it'll overwhelm you."
"Exactly!" Xiangling chimed in. "If you're not used to it, eating something extremely spicy all at once can feel like your mouth is on fire."
"Like Guoba," she added with a laugh. "When he eats Jueyun peppers, he literally breathes fire!"
Shenhe's eyes widened slightly. "That's… impressive."
They chatted about cooking, about legendary knives, about rare beast meat too tough for normal blades—until Xiangling mentioned the golden dragon jade knife she'd been gifted.
With it, she no longer had to worry about cutting through the impossible.
"Still…" she sighed. "Sometimes even my Pyro Vision isn't enough to cook certain monster meats. They just won't burn through."
"I'll keep an eye out for higher flames," Lu Heng said. "There are special kinds of fire—easily dozens of times hotter than ordinary flames."
"Really?!" Xiangling's eyes shone, her imagination running wild.
She soon excused herself, eager to earn more Mora for her next pull, and bounded off with her usual energy.
Watching her leave, Shenhe murmured with a hint of envy, "She's so lively. If only I could…"
"You don't need to be like Xiangling," Lu Heng said gently. "You're already fine as you are."
Shenhe paused, then nodded slowly. "If you say so… I'll believe you."
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T/N:
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