Her heart pounded erratically in Furina's chest like a startled fawn.
"Outside the World"... these four words echoed repeatedly in her mind, each syllable carrying the weight of the forbidden.
King was a "Descenders," an existence that transcended the laws of Teyvat.
That prophecy... the prophecy that could drown all of Fontaine... If he were willing to act, would it be possible...? The spark of hope had just ignited, only to be ruthlessly extinguished by her own cold rationality.
No.
Absolutely not.
She had made a contract with "the one in the mirror."
Five hundred years of effort could not be wasted now!
Any unexpected variable could render all her previous perseverance meaningless!
Furina's slender fingers dug hard into her palm, using the sharp pain to force herself to calm down.
She put her characteristic exaggerated smile back on her face.
[Detected intense sorrowful emotion from Furina. Emotion Points +5000.]
King: "..."
He hadn't said anything just now, so where did this sorrowful emotion come from?
"Ah, hehehe, what an astonishing background!"
Furina picked up her teacup and took another sip to mask her feelings. "However, since Mr. Su Ze is now my bodyguard, regarding your duties..."
She began rambling about the precautions necessary for a divine guard, focusing entirely on one subject—her safety.
King just listened quietly, occasionally humming in acknowledgment.
His silent demeanor made Furina feel even more that he was reliable.
All the experts in Liyue novels are like this!
"...That's about it."
Furina finally finished, feeling more exhausted than if she had performed an opera for three consecutive days.
"In that case, I won't disturb Mr. Su Ze's rest."
"If you need anything, you can always instruct the Melusine outside the door."
She stood up, performed an elegant bow, and then, maintaining her divine posture, walked out of the room step by step.
The door closed softly.
Almost the moment the lock clicked, King's perpetually tense back instantly relaxed, and he slumped into the comfortable armchair as if all his bones had been removed.
"Phew... that scared your old man to death..."
He let out a long breath, feeling the cold sweat soaking his back.
The pressure of being alone with a beautiful Archon was immense!
It was more mentally draining than beating ten Soulslike Games in a row.
King had been desperately suppressing the "King Engine" the entire time, terrified of making Furina cry again.
Luckily, Furina left early; otherwise, facing the full power of the King Engine alone would surely have left her drenched in sweat.
"System,"
he called out in his mind, "Open my Status Panel."
A light screen unfolded before his eyes:
[Host: King]
[Current Template: KING (Compatibility 99.9%)]
[Current Emotion Points: 5000]
[Skills Owned:]
[King Engine (Passive/Active):??? Rank]
[Automatically triggered when the Host's emotions fluctuate violently; can also be activated proactively.]
[Effect: Powerful Aura Intimidation. Specific strength is related to the magnitude of the Host's emotional fluctuations and the surrounding environment.]
[Home Cooking Mastery (Rank D)]
[Love Game Master (Rank D)]
Looking at this list of "trash" Skills, King felt a pang of stomach ache.
The only Skill that sounded powerful, the King Engine, had an elusive effect.
"System, why is the King Engine's rank a question mark?"
[The King Engine is the KING Template's Core Ability.]
[Its potential and power cannot be measured by conventional ranks. It depends on the Host's 'Reputation' and external 'Recognition.']
[Please explore the specific details yourself, Host.]
"Reputation? Recognition?"
King pondered, "Does this mean the more famous I am, and the more others believe I am strong, the stronger this ability becomes?"
Doesn't this basically mean I have to keep up the pretense until the end?!
He rubbed his temples, feeling that his future was fraught with difficulty.
But since things had come to this, he could only take things one step at a time.
Over the next few days, King's life in the Opera Epiclese was both "peaceful" and "bizarre."
He stayed indoors, spending most of his time in his luxurious suite.
Furina seemed to be deliberately avoiding him as well; apart from the daily awkward greetings and being fed snacks, she hadn't assigned him any substantial guard duties.
Of course, this suited him perfectly.
However, he didn't know how his "reclusive" demeanor had been interpreted by the staff of the Opera Epiclese and the upper echelon of Fontaine.
"That Lord King is truly extraordinary."
A Melusine responsible for cleaning the corridor whispered to her companion:
"Every time I pass his door, I feel that legendary, heart-stopping pressure..."
"Yes, yes,"
another Melusine nodded emphatically:
"I heard he is undergoing a Deep Meditation from Outside the World, and his spirit is already wandering among the Sea of Stars!"
Similar rumors spread rapidly in private.
"Did you know, Lord King's meals are extremely simple, he doesn't care about luxury at all—truly the demeanor of a powerhouse!"
In reality, King was just tired of Fontaine's sweets and was too embarrassed to say anything, so he just ate some bread to fill his stomach.
"I once glimpsed Lord King standing by the window, gazing at the night sky. His eyes looked as if he were recalling his conquests and glory!"
Actually, King was just looking at the stars, marveling at how bright the alien world's starry sky was, and incidentally missing Earth's cuisine.
"I heard he occasionally talks to himself; those must be powerful world-destroying incantations!"
That was King mumbling about how he hadn't deleted his browsing history and hoped the police officers wouldn't be too shocked.
Everything unconventional about King was interpreted as the aloofness, mystery, and power of a true strongman.
And the source of all these rumors—
Furina, believed it even more deeply.
She had been secretly observing King.
Every time she saw the man standing silently by the window, or expressionlessly enjoying the snacks she sent, she felt an invisible, suffocating power.
The occasional indifferent glance he gave her often made Furina's heart skip a beat, bringing both fear and a hint of indescribable reassurance.
With him here, perhaps... perhaps it really could... No, absolutely not! She couldn't rely on him for this one thing!
Furina violently shook her head, discarding the inappropriate thoughts... That afternoon, King was lying idly on a lounge chair on the balcony, using his enhanced, nimble fingers—thanks to [Finger Dexterity Enhancement]—to attempt stacking Macarons a hundred layers high, playing a childish balance game.
Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps approached and stopped outside his door.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
The knocking was much heavier than Furina's usual tap, carrying clear urgency.
"Lord King! Are you there? Lady Furina has run into some trouble!"
It was Clorinde's voice. Although she maintained her composure, her speech was slightly faster than usual.
King's heart immediately sank!
Trouble?
What kind of trouble?
Did some idiot actually try to assassinate the Hydro Archon?
Holy crap! What about my Three-move Routine... Wait, I don't even have an axe!
"Boom..."
"Boom!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!!!"
The familiar sound of War Drums pounded.
King Engine, activated!