"So, you're saying... you drifted here from outside this world?"
As the game's opening cinematic began, Lu Nanqing officially started her gaming journey.
The screen showed a golden beach with two stars drawn in the sand.
As a small crab scuttled across the beach, the scene changed again.
A soft, gentle narrator's voice began to speak.
Two golden shooting stars, trailing rainbow-colored light, streaked across the skies of Liyue and Mondstadt.
"But when you tried to leave this world and journey to the next, a strange god blocked your path?"
The scene shifted to Celestia, where the twin siblings, standing side by side, were confronted by the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.
"Outlanders, your journey ends here!"
Their eyes met—they were enemies!
Without another word, the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles attacked.
The Twins were forced to unfurl their wings and summon their golden signature weapons, engaging in a fierce battle.
After the intense combat cutscene, Aether and Lumine's attacks were effortlessly blocked by the Sustainer.
The game then prompted the player to choose one of the Twins.
Lu Nanqing's fingers hovered over the keyboard, her eyes glued to the Twins on the screen, her breath quickening.
She had seen Genshin Impact's promotional videos on live streams before, always pretending to be unimpressed.
But now, experiencing it firsthand, her heart couldn't help but pound wildly.
"Holy crap! This cutscene is insane!"
She slammed her hand on the desk, her voice filled with excitement. Her earlier listlessness was gone, replaced by an energy that made her look like she was about to jump out of her seat.
On the left side of the screen, Aether stood bathed in the morning light. On the right, Lumine was illuminated by starlight.
Even the way their clothes fluttered was exquisitely detailed.
Though they faced away from the screen, their striking presence was undeniable.
(PS: Classic setting—Genshin Impact's stats are maxed out in every aspect!)
Lu Nanqing stared at the two characters for a full ten seconds, her grin widening. "Family, my analysis paralysis is kicking in!"
"I've read online that Aether is faster and Lumine has higher damage. Which one should I pick?"
The moment she finished speaking, the live stream's chat exploded. A dense wall of comments nearly covered the entire screen:
"Pick Lumine! Lumine is the GOAT!"
"Don't listen to them! Pick Aether! Genshin's official lore says Aether is the main story protagonist!"
"What's the point of picking Aether? High damage is king, okay?!"
"Streamer, stop hesitating! Pick Lumine! Just imagine the future scenes—a beauty getting close to another beauty. Wouldn't that be awesome?"
"..."
Lu Nanqing laughed out loud at the chat.
Her mouse moved over Aether, and she clicked without hesitation.
Nothing happened.
A flood of ellipses scrolled across the chat.
"Wait! There are three people on the screen! Why won't it let me pick her?!" Lu Nanqing exploded, frantically clicking on the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.
This was a total scam!
Male or female didn't mean or not an option!
"Hahaha, Qingbao is so cute I can't stop laughing."
"Same question! Why can't we pick the one in the middle? Mihoyo, look what you've done!"
"LMAO, Qingbao's first reaction was the same as mine. Now I feel better."
"I still say pick Aether. He's the main story protagonist, so the immersion is stronger!"
"Get lost, you upstairs! By your logic, the streamer is a girl, so wouldn't picking Lumine be even more immersive?"
"..."
The live stream chat was on the verge of erupting into a full-blown argument.
Lu Nanqing quickly stepped in to stop the chaos.
"Your arguments are all very persuasive. And even though I can't pick the one in the middle... I already have my answer!"
She paused, deliberately building suspense.
As the chat spammed "Hurry up and pick, streamer!" and "The suspense is killing me!", she finally smiled and clicked on Lumine's icon.
"Lumine... right? My life in Teyvat is in your hands now!"
Once her choice was confirmed, the camera focused on Lumine.
After she entered a nickname, the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles confiscated Lumine's weapon and sealed Aether away.
The cutscene continued, showing how Lumine fished Paimon out of the water, marking the beginning of their journey together.
The game then switched to manual control.
Following the chat's instructions, Lu Nanqing clumsily familiarized herself with the game's controls.
After achieving the astonishing feat of drowning twenty times, she gloriously claimed the chest in the shallow sea nearby.
"Hehe, I'm pretty talented, aren't I?" Lu Nanqing proudly rubbed her nose.
Live Stream Audience: "..."
Guys, she's so full of herself... and so bad at the game!
But... she's so pretty and cute. How can we bring ourselves to flame her?
And so, amidst the chat's sarcastic praise, the clueless Lu Nanqing was successfully tricked into believing she was a prodigy.
-
The Whispering Woods.
Lydia flashed through the forest, a white blur among the tree trunks, her snow-white hair whipping wildly in the wind.
She was incredibly fast, kicking off a tree trunk with her left foot and lightly tapping a branch with her right.
She drifted to another tree like a feather, not even disturbing the fallen leaves beneath her.
Behind her, a horde of Hilichurls pursued relentlessly, brandishing clubs and torches while howling "Wuwuwu!"
The Mitachurl at the front, shouldering a massive axe, could only watch in frustration as the dense, crisscrossing branches blocked its path.
It reached out to grab Lydia's skirt, only to be thwarted by a thick tree trunk.
The axe slammed into the wood with a loud thud, sending a numbing shock through its arm.
Perched high on a branch, Lydia looked down at the chaotic mob of Hilichurls below and stuck her tongue out at them.
"Can't catch me, can you? Blehh!"
She deliberately snapped off a thin twig, aimed at the Mitachurl's head, and tossed it lightly.
The twig bounced harmlessly off its mask, enraging the brute even further, but all it could do was spin in circles at the base of the tree.
The chase continued like this for nearly an hour, until the Hilichurls began to tire.
They stared up at Lydia, who moved through the trees with the agility of a monkey, their eyes filled with a mixture of resentment and helplessness.
The leading Hilichurl Shaman chattered a few words, apparently giving the order to retreat.
Muttering curses, the Hilichurls reluctantly sheathed their weapons and began to withdraw from the forest, glancing back every few steps.
This "flying" human was impossible to catch; continuing the pursuit would be a waste of energy.
Only when the last Hilichurl had vanished into the depths of the woods did Lydia finally let out a sigh of relief. She slid down the tree, using both her hands and feet.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, she planted her hands on her hips and glared in the direction the Hilichurls had gone, the frustration she'd been holding back finally erupting.
"You brainless, stupid Hilichurls! You messed up my hair!"
"I only kicked you once! Was all this really necessary?!"
The wind carried her curses far away.
But as she vented, Lydia's own anger began to fizzle out.
She pulled a mirror from her pocket and looked at her reflection, her face immediately falling.
Her once-pristine white skirt was now stained with dirt, and she looked utterly disheveled.
Her snow-white hair was tangled with dried leaves and grass clippings, making her look like a beggar who hadn't bathed in weeks.
Even the two Visions at her waist had been knocked askew to her back during the frantic chase.
The straps had loosened so much that a single touch could have made them fall off.
"Phew, that was close. I can't afford to lose these treasures," Lydia muttered, carefully re-tying the straps of her Visions.
Initially, Lydia had no intention of provoking the Hilichurls.
She had planned to head straight to the Whispering Woods to find Venti and the Traveler.
But as she passed the first Hilichurl camp, she spotted several of them surrounding an adventurer.
In her haste, Lydia had rushed over and kicked the Hilichurls in their rears.
The aggro was successfully drawn; the adventurer escaped as planned, but the Hilichurls turned their fury on her instead!
She had only meant to lead them away, but as she ran, she stumbled right into another Hilichurl camp!
Seeing Lydia with a horde of their kind chasing her, this new group immediately formed the "Anti-Lydia Alliance" without a second thought.
One thing led to another, and the number of Hilichurls pursuing her swelled from a handful to dozens
To shake them off, Lydia had no choice but to sprint toward the Whispering Woods at full speed.
She grumbled as she ran, "This is nothing like the game's stupid mechanics! Shouldn't they give up after chasing for a bit and losing their target?! But these Hilichurls are acting like they're on drugs, chasing me for dozens of miles!"
"Next time, I'm bringing Noelle to wipe you all out!" Lydia huffed, angrily brushing the dried leaves from her hair.
"I should've just minded my own business..."
But as soon as the words left her mouth, she remembered the adventurer, and the corners of her lips couldn't help but curl into a slight smile.
Even though I'm a mess, at least I saved someone!
She patted the dust off her clothes and smoothed out her wrinkled skirt.
Then, looking into her mirror, she carefully picked the leaves from her hair one by one and used a damp handkerchief to wipe the grime from her face.
She still looked a bit disheveled, but at least she no longer looked like she'd just crawled out of a garbage heap.
Lydia nodded in satisfaction, then touched the Visions at her waist, confirming the straps were securely tied. Only then did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"I'm dying of thirst."
Lydia looked up at a nearby fruit tree laden with Sunsettias.
She licked her lips and ran lightly toward it.
Deftly climbing the trunk, she reached for the largest, reddest Sunsettia at the very top.
But just as her fingertips were about to touch the fruit, a familiar teal figure flashed in her peripheral vision, moving through a clearing in the woods.
Lydia froze instantly, forgetting to even hold onto the branch in her hand.
That outfit... that iconic hat... isn't that Venti?
She squinted, trying to get a better look. The figure had his back to her.
Opposite him, a massive dragon wing covered in black patterns slowly unfurled.
The wind from its flapping wings rustled the leaves on trees dozens of meters away.
Stormterror! Lydia's heart skipped a beat, immediately followed by a surge of excitement.
Venti really is here, helping Dvalin purify the Corrupted Dragon Blood!
Lost in her excitement, she lost her footing and slipped from the trunk with a yelp.
"Aah!"
Luckily, her reflexes were quick, and she managed to grab a thick branch.
"That scared me to death!" Lydia patted her chest, resolving not to be so careless again.
Using both hands and feet, she climbed back down the tree, then crouched low and crept toward Venti's location.
She wanted to get a closer look, but she was afraid Venti would discover she had secretly followed him.
Using the dense bushes for cover, Lydia crept forward step by step.
The closer she got, the more clearly she could hear Venti's voice.
He seemed to be... saying something to Dvalin? His tone was gentle, tinged with pity.
Dvalin's low roars, however, held an undeniable anguish.
Lydia crouched behind the bushes, about to shift her position for a better view.
Suddenly, thud—the back of her head collided with something hard.
"Hiss—" Lydia sucked in a sharp breath, wincing in pain.
Clutching the back of her head, she turned around to see a girl in strange clothes rubbing her own forehead.
Floating beside her was a small companion. Both wore expressions of utter bewilderment.
It's Lumine and Paimon!