"Hmm hmm hmm… Aaaahhhhhhhh!"
A strange sound, source unknown, rang out, startling all the staff members in Yuehai Pavilion into instinctively pausing their work.
"Wh-what's with that weird noise?"
"It sounded just like the wails of piglets trapped in a pigpen crushed by an avalanche."
"But I'm pretty sure we don't have an interrogation room in Yuehai Pavilion…"
Indeed, despite the fairly soundproof office Ganyu worked in, the sounds from the lounge had lingered for quite a while. Even Ganyu, who had been resting outside, couldn't help but be startled for a moment.
After a long while, the office door finally creaked open.
However, the one who emerged… was only Raiksha.
"Mouthwash, do you have any?" That was the first thing she said upon exiting.
"Y-yes, it's right here." Ganyu handed Raiksha her usual mouthwash, asking curiously, "Where's Lucas? And… what on earth just happened in there?"
"He's still lying inside." Raiksha picked up the mouthwash and said, "He probably needs a bit more time to recover. But as for this round… I'd say I won."
With that, she poured the mouthwash into her mouth and began to gargle with a loud "glug-glug-glug."
Ganyu didn't dare hesitate and quickly rushed into the room. The moment she stepped inside, she immediately sensed that something was off.
"There are residual Electro particles…"
Sensing the dense concentration of Electro particles in the surroundings puzzled Ganyu.
Under normal circumstances, only when elemental power is used intensely and for prolonged periods would such an amount of elemental particles be left behind. Just what exactly had the two of them been doing in this room to result in this?
She turned toward the bed—and her eyes widened.
"Lucas, are… are you okay?"
There was Lucas, lying face down on the bed, looking completely drained. His body still trembled slightly, and from time to time a jolt of electricity would spark across him, making his whole body twitch involuntarily.
And in his hand—was a grip strength trainer capable of withstanding thousands of pounds of force… now snapped in two!
That alone made it perfectly clear that this round had been a victory for "Keqing."
However, Ganyu had no time to care about the result of the competition. She hurried to help Lucas up, only to see his face dazed and unfocused, as if he were still savoring something, murmuring, "I-I'm fine."
Of course, Ganyu didn't know that Lucas's anterior cingulate cortex had just undergone a lightning-filled, intense adventure.
She helped him out of the room and prepared to let him sit on the sofa to rest for a bit. But the moment his backside touched the cushion, he jumped up as if electrocuted.
Seeing Ganyu's puzzled expression, Lucas hurried to explain, "I… I feel like standing for a bit."
He was far too sensitive right now.
"So, how was it?" Raiksha blinked and smiled. "Lady Ganyu, do you concede?"
"This round… I indeed lost," Ganyu admitted without the slightest attempt to argue. "So now it's one win each."
"Excellent. That means we can settle things with a final match." Raiksha turned to Lucas. "So? For the last round, what do you want to compete in?"
However, after a moment of contemplation, Lucas shook his head and said, "No more matches."
"No more?" Ganyu and Raiksha spoke in unison.
"That's right. Only children make choices. As an adult…" Lucas patted his chest and declared, "I want it all!"
"Oh?" Raiksha raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly do you intend to 'have it all'?"
"I'll work at Lady Keqing's on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. At Lady Ganyu's on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays," Lucas said solemnly. "Weekends are for slacking off."
"N-no slacking off!" Ganyu shook her head shyly. "Yuehai Pavilion just issued a memo—slacking off is strictly prohibited."
"No, no, it's not slacking off!" Lucas quickly corrected. "It's flexible dedication."
Ganyu: "..."
Raiksha: "..."
After a moment of silence, Raiksha finally said, "Very well. Continuing to fight over him like this is meaningless. Let's go with his suggestion."
"Only three days a week…" Ganyu looked a bit reluctant, but still nodded. "The rest of the time will be spent focusing on work."
Seeing the two previously fiery rivals finally reach an agreement, Lucas let out a sigh of relief.
"Wait a second, something's not right…" Suddenly, Raiksha stroked her chin and stared at Lucas. "So those previous two matches were totally pointless. You got to enjoy both for free… You completely won out."
"Now that you mention it…" Ganyu nodded thoughtfully. "That does seem to be the case. Lucas, could it be… you planned all this from the beginning, and the competitions were just a pretense?"
"Lady Ganyu," Raiksha clenched her fist, her face breaking into a mischievous smile. "How should we punish a subordinate who deceives their superiors?"
"I'm not sure how the Qixing would handle it," Ganyu's face also showed a "gentle and kind" smile. "But here in Yuehai Pavilion, I make the rules. First punishment: solitary confinement."
"W-wait, you two can take your time talking this out," Lucas sensed danger and quickly tried to flee. "I still have to prepare for the Tianshu Election tomorrow, so I'll be going now!"
"You stop right there!"
Raiksha tried to chase after him, but Ganyu suddenly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Keqing, please wait a moment…"
Seeing Ganyu's cheeks tinged with a faint blush, Raiksha furrowed her brows slightly. "What is it?"
"About what you did to Lucas in the lounge just now…" Ganyu said bashfully, "C-could you teach me?"
"Oh?"
A mischievous grin instinctively appeared on Raiksha's face. "If I'm not mistaken, the high and mighty Lady Ganyu… is making a request of me?"
In terms of status and influence, Ganyu undoubtedly stood above Keqing. No matter how you looked at it, Raiksha's actions had clearly been a "rebellion from below."
Keqing might never do something like that, but Raiksha… was the "chaotic evil" version of Keqing.
"That's right…" Ganyu actually lowered her noble head for this matter. "Please… teach me!"
"Teaching you isn't a problem," Raiksha stuck out her tongue and lightly licked her lips. "But just so you know—my lessons are very strict."
At this moment, Lucas still didn't know that in the near future, Raiksha's signature technique, "Lightning Viper Strike," would be refined by Ganyu into the "Cryo Viper Strike."
What he had to face now was a far more important task—the upcoming third round of the Tianshu Election.
The next day.
The third round of the competition began as scheduled.
Unlike the previous two rounds, the remaining contestants in this final round made up less than ten percent of the original participants. Moreover, the venue had also been changed from the front of the Yuehai Pavilion to none other than the Jade Chamber.
Lucas was familiar with most of the finalists.
Yelan, Shenhe, Hu Tao—these names needed no further elaboration. Beidou, Xingqiu, and Chongyun had also made an appearance.
The only ones he was less familiar with were likely Baiye, the descendant of the white beast Baizhu, and Zhiyi, a disciple of the previous Tianshu.
Yes, the very same "Zhiyi" who, in the game's storyline, had betrayed the former Tianshu Star—he had also successfully advanced to the third round. With a pair of glasses perched on his nose, he looked gentle, refined, and completely harmless, easily lowering others' guards.
The Jade Chamber, as Ningguang's most treasured domain, was not a place that just anyone could step foot into. The very act of inviting the contestants here already demonstrated her high regard for the competition and the respect she held for the participants.
If nothing else, simply being able to ascend the Jade Chamber and gaze upon the breathtaking view of Liyue Harbor was already worth the price of admission.
Even though it wasn't Lucas's first time atop the Jade Chamber, seeing Liyue spread out before him like a painting still brought a strange sense of peace to his heart.
Ever since his arrival in this world, this city had gradually become another home to him.
However, even as all the contestants had arrived, Ningguang—who was supposed to host the event—had yet to appear. Only Baixiao, one of her three personal secretaries, was standing by the door with a blank expression.
"Lady Ningguang is currently preparing her appearance. We have refreshments and tea ready. In the meantime, feel free to look around at your leisure."
No one voiced any complaints. After all, they had already waited this long; a bit more wouldn't hurt. Besides, an opportunity to wander around the Jade Chamber was not something that came by often.
"Strange…" Lucas, on the other hand, wore a slightly puzzled expression. "Ningguang is known for her punctuality. How could she possibly be the one keeping us waiting?"
"You really don't understand girls at all, do you?" A playful voice came from behind him.
Lucas turned his head. The speaker was none other than Hu Tao.
Perhaps it was because of how many times he'd already encountered "simulator versions" of her, but Lucas no longer felt any strange emotions when running into characters he'd previously met through the simulator.
"So it's Director Hu," Lucas said with a smile. "It's been a while."
Been a while?
They'd clearly just "met" two nights ago.
Hu Tao shot him a sidelong glance. Her personality had always been unpredictable. Even though she had dreamed about Lucas, she showed no hint of awkwardness, simply smiling and saying, "Just call me Hu Tao. 'Director' sounds way too formal. Also…"
Suddenly, she lowered her voice and said, "You haven't forgotten our deal, have you?"
"Of course not," Lucas nodded, pulling a bottle of milk from who-knows-where and handing it to her. "Just milked it this morning. Super fresh."
"Hehe! Then I won't hold back!" Hu Tao eagerly twisted off the cap and downed the entire bottle in one go. She let out a satisfied milk burp and said, "Yup, that same familiar osmanthus flavor. Strange… even though the taste is kind of weird, I'm actually starting to get used to it…"
"I-is that so?" Lucas showed an awkward smile. "That's… great to hear."
Right now, all Lucas hoped was that Hu Tao wouldn't get married anytime soon. Otherwise, once she found out the truth behind that so-called "osmanthus flavor" in the milk, who knew what kind of reaction she'd have…
"Apologies for keeping you all waiting."
Just then, the doors finally opened. Ningguang stepped out with a serene smile and said, "Today's match involves a rather unique setup that required some adjustments. I hope you can forgive the delay."
"It's not a big deal," said Beidou, folding her arms and chuckling. "But seriously, what kind of interesting challenge did you cook up this time? Come on, let's see it already."
"Please be patient, Miss Beidou," Ningguang offered a slight bow. "Everyone, follow me."
The group followed her into the room, but Lucas couldn't shake the feeling that something was… off.
"Hurry up," Shenhe gently tapped Lucas on the shoulder. "Why are you spacing out?"
"Ah… let's go." Lucas shook his head. "I'm probably just overthinking it. This is the Jade Chamber, and with Ningguang's personality, there shouldn't be any mistakes."
Once they entered the room, the scene before them took them by surprise.
In the center of the spacious room, a massive circular magic array had been drawn onto the floor. Even with dozens of people standing in it, there would be no sense of crowding.
"The first match assessed management capabilities. The second tested your overall strength," Ningguang explained. "As for this round… it will test your willpower."
"Willpower?" Xingqiu nodded slightly. "That's a bit abstract. How exactly do you plan to assess that?"
"This method was something I learned from the scholars of the Akademiya in Sumeru," Ningguang said, pointing toward the array. "Once you step into this array and breathe in a special incense, you'll enter a consciousness space similar to a dream. Within this dream, you will encounter what you fear most."
The crowd looked around at each other in confusion.
"Rest assured, this method is commonly used by scholars in Sumeru to train their minds," Ningguang continued. "Theoretically, it is very safe."
"Theoretically?" Lucas couldn't help but interject. "So… there is a chance something could go wrong."
"Of course, everything carries some risk," Ningguang said with narrowed eyes. "In fact, some scholars in Sumeru, unable to endure the experience, have fallen into a state of madness known as 'Forest-Dweller's Delirium.'"
"I know. When I was delivering cargo to Sumeru, I encountered those people," Beidou frowned and said. "Rather than calling it some 'Forest-Dweller's Delirium,' they're really just a bunch of mad scholars."
"Indeed. For those with weak willpower…" Ningguang's eyes suddenly turned sharp. "There is a chance they may lose their minds during the trial. Of course, participation in this test is completely voluntary."
Before he knew it, Lucas had walked up beside Yelan and whispered, "Ningguang… would she really come up with such a dangerous test?"
"I'm not sure either. In fact, I haven't had any contact with her these past few days," Yelan frowned slightly and said. "Based on what I know of her, she wouldn't normally do something so risky. I suspect… this might just be a bluff, meant to weed out contestants who lack strong willpower in advance."
That explanation did sound reasonable.
Though Ningguang's words had planted some doubt in their minds, who among them would want to give up after coming this far?
In the end, only a few scattered contestants, aware that their odds of winning were slim, chose to withdraw early.
"I'm glad to see you've all chosen to stay," Ningguang looked at the remaining dozen or so contestants and said, "Additionally, this round will be the final round. Whoever is the first to break through the illusion and awaken from the dream will be the final winner of the Tianshu Election… and the next Tianshu Star."
Upon hearing this, everyone showed signs of surprise.
They had assumed that the Tianshu Election would span at least four or five rounds. They hadn't expected the third round to already be the final one.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Shenhe, ever direct, was the first to speak. "Let's begin."
"To ensure fairness in this match, everyone must enter a meditative state within the array at the same time," Ningguang said with a smile. "Even if you can't break through the illusion, that's fine. Once the first victor emerges, I will extinguish the incense and awaken everyone else."
Though Lucas still harbored some doubts, there was no turning back at this point.
Moreover, entering an illusionary realm felt quite similar to using the simulator. This type of assessment would undoubtedly play to Lucas's strengths.
As he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes, he suddenly felt something soft press against his palm. Opening his eyes, he saw that Shenhe had, at some point, silently taken hold of his hand.
Though there weren't many people around, everyone had already closed their eyes, so no one noticed their small interaction.
"What are you looking at?" Shenhe's cheeks flushed slightly. "Do you have a problem with this?"
"Not really," Lucas smiled. "Say, are you… scared?"
"As if!" Shenhe glared at him. "It's just an illusion. What's there to be afraid of?"
"It's fine to be afraid," Lucas said comfortingly. "If you get lost in the dream, just call my name."
"I won't need your help," Shenhe said proudly. "But you—if you get so scared you wet yourself, don't expect me to come save you."
Lucas was just about to reply when Ningguang said, "Everyone, please quiet down. Close your eyes and clear your mind…"
Following her instructions, the group fell silent. Soon after, Lucas smelled a strange scent—and then, his consciousness began to blur and fade.
...
"Where is this…"
After some time, Lucas slowly opened his eyes and saw a very familiar place before him.
Wasn't this… Ganyu's residence?
Ever since arriving in Teyvat, Lucas had wandered from place to place, but Ganyu's home had been where he stayed the longest. Naturally, he knew it well.
"So… this is the illusion?" Lucas scratched his cheek and murmured, "Scary? Not scary at all."
Weren't they supposed to encounter their greatest fears?
Was it because he'd experienced too many simulator runs that his heart had grown numb?
Just as he was puzzled, he suddenly heard the sounds of a scuffle in the distance. Alarmed, he carefully crept toward the source.
Peeking around a wall, he saw in the courtyard two little girls exchanging punches and kicks, seemingly sparring with one another.
Though they looked no older than ten, their movements were sharp and refined. From what Lucas could tell, they were on par with typical second-tier fighters.
But… why did they look so familiar?
The blue-haired girl was sweet and adorable, with two red-and-black intertwined beast-like horns on her head.
The silver-haired girl had a cold aura and fought with swift, ruthless efficiency.
Wait a minute… wasn't that Shenhe and Ganyu?
Could it be… these were their childhood forms?
What was scary about this?
If anything, they were cute!
But something still felt slightly off. Lucas had seen young Ganyu in past dreams, and compared to this "Little Ganyu," the real one had been noticeably more chubby and round-faced.
"Bam!"
At that moment, Little Shenhe suddenly dropped low and swept Little Ganyu's legs, knocking her to the ground. Then she crossed her arms and smugly declared, "Weak! You're so weak! You're the big sister but can't even beat your little sister?"
"Ahhh!" Without another word, Little Ganyu sprang up and tackled Little Shenhe. Though her skills were slightly inferior, she carried the blood of a divine beast. The two began wrestling and scuffling, evenly matched in their struggle.
"Don't fight! No fighting!"
Seeing this, Lucas immediately rushed over and pulled the two apart, holding them up one in each hand. "You're both disciples under the same master—how can you be so rough with each other?"
But Little Ganyu tilted her head in confusion and said, "But we're not fellow disciples. We're… real sisters."
"Put me down! I'm gonna show her who's boss!" Little Shenhe fumed. "You always take her side, Dad! You're so biased!"
…Dad?
Lucas froze.
Even as he held the two by the scruffs of their necks, they continued kicking their short legs and waving their tiny fists at each other like feisty kittens, eager to settle the score.
Just as Lucas was still wondering if he was hearing things, a gentle voice suddenly called out from behind him.
"Xiao Qi, Xiao Jiu, are you two fighting again?"
That voice—it was so familiar. Lucas instinctively turned around and saw a stunning blue-haired woman smiling at him. "Careful, or Daddy's going to get mad and spank your little butts."
The woman before him looked identical to Ganyu, except her long blue hair was tied in a single ponytail, draped over her left shoulder and resting atop her chest.
Not only that, her temperament had also shifted—less dazed, and more elegant and composed.
She was practically the picture of a woman who had been married for many years.
"Mom! Xiao Jiu bullied me!" Little Ganyu ran into Big Ganyu's arms, sniffling. "We agreed no kicking!"
"You let your guard down. That's your fault," Little Shenhe said disdainfully. "Can't beat me and now you're whining to Auntie? What a lame big sister."
Lucas frowned. What's with this brat's cocky attitude?
Wait a minute…
Dad? Mom? Auntie?
Don't tell me…
"Husband?" Ganyu smiled gently. "What are you spacing out for?"
As expected…
Lucas finally understood.
These two little ones were apparently his daughters, and Ganyu—undoubtedly—was his wife.
How could this be a nightmare? This was clearly a blissful spring… or rather, autumn dream!
Could it be that, due to his vast experience, the illusion array and the incense simply didn't work on him?
"N-no reason!" Lucas laughed sheepishly. "Just thinking… life is beautiful."
"Hehe, you're still the same as always, spouting nonsense at every turn," Ganyu patted her two daughters' heads and said, "Alright, off you go to Wanmin Restaurant. Xiangling Auntie made some new pastries today."
"Snacks! Let's go!"
The two little girls immediately tossed aside their earlier grudge and skipped away hand-in-hand, beaming with excitement.
Wait… now there's a Xiangling Auntie too?
This family structure was starting to get complicated.
Watching his two daughters vanish from sight, Ganyu smiled. "Finally, got them out of the way."
"Yeah, kids really are…" Lucas suddenly sensed something off and a few black lines appeared on his face. "Wait… what do you mean by 'got them out of the way'?"
"There are certain things we can't do with children around," Ganyu's hand had unknowingly grasped Lucas's wrist. "Let's go."
Don't be fooled by her gentle appearance—her delicate, boneless hand felt like an iron vice. Even with Lucas's strength, he couldn't break free. He could only obediently let her lead him into the room.
The room wasn't much different from the one they had shared previously, though the furnishings had been slightly rearranged. The most eye-catching feature was the massive family portrait hanging above the bed.
Wait a second… was this really a family portrait?
Besides Ganyu, Lucas saw many familiar faces in it.
Shenhe, Xiangling, Hu Tao…
Before he could take a closer look, Ganyu suddenly flung him onto the bed with unexpected force.
What the heck?
Since when did Ganyu become this bold?
Lucas instinctively swallowed and said, "Dear… what… what are you trying to do?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Ganyu caressed her temple and smiled. "What else do you think we'd be doing on the bed? Reviewing documents? I took the whole day off today just for this."
So it's true—married women really are something else…
"But… it's not even dark yet," Lucas said with a wry smile. "How about we wait until evening?"
"Evening? We've got evening assignments to take care of too. How can we lump those together?" Ganyu leaned close, her expression tinged with faint grievance. "My father and mother sent another letter a few days ago, urging us to revitalize the Qilin bloodline. The pressure on me is immense."
Who would've thought—marrying Ganyu came with such a heavy responsibility.
"But… don't we already have kids?" Lucas asked in confusion. "Didn't you just call them Xiao Jiu and Xiao Qi?"
He figured those names were assigned by birth order.
"Don't joke around," Ganyu chuckled softly. "Xiao Qi is my daughter with you. Xiao Jiu is your daughter with A-He. I didn't give birth to her."
At that, her gaze suddenly took on a hint of resentment. "Even though I married you before A-He, she's already had more children than I have. At this rate, how can I restore the Qilin lineage? My father only agreed to let me marry you because you promised to give our clan dozens of grandchildren, didn't you?"
Dozens!?
Are they trying to form multiple football teams to crush the Liyue United?
"That… makes sense!" Lucas nodded quickly. "How about this: I'll go take a shower first and then—"
Before he could finish, Ganyu had already pinned his wrist down. "Husband… no backing out now…"
"W-wait a second…"
His voice soon faded into silence—replaced by the rhythmic crashing of waves against stone, a ceaseless symphony of rising tides.
...
Three hours later.
Lucas emerged from the room, supporting his waist with one hand.
Now he finally understood why this test was labeled high-risk.
Was it terrifying?
Yes. Absolutely terrifying.
Because it was a dream, not reality, his stamina theoretically had no upper limit. But the sensations—were far too real.
It was like taking a juicy lemon that never ran dry and tossing it into a high-speed juicer. No matter how much lemon juice had already been squeezed—enough to sustain a dozen bubble tea shops—it still wouldn't stop.
No doubt about it: Lucas was that poor lemon, and Ganyu…
He never expected the difference between pre-marriage Ganyu and post-marriage Ganyu to be so drastic.
Thankfully, he managed to edge out a narrow victory in the end. Once the "battle" ended, Ganyu quickly drifted off to sleep, giving him a chance to sneak away.
Was this… what he feared deep in his subconscious?
Was it Ganyu's relentless nature—or… the very idea of marriage itself?
No, no, now's not the time to be thinking about all these messy thoughts.
Lucas slapped his cheeks lightly. The most important thing right now, of course, was figuring out how to escape from this so-called "illusion."
If the mechanism of this trial was indeed a "nightmare," then logically, he should have already experienced it.
Unless... there was something even more "terrifying" still waiting for him.
As Lucas pondered, he wandered forward aimlessly. But before he had gone even a hundred meters, he suddenly heard a sharp snap—the window of a nearby room swung open. A silver-haired woman leaned on the windowsill and said coldly, "Judging by your look, I suppose you were just with Senior Ganyu, working on your plan to 'revive the Qilin clan,' huh?"
The silver-haired woman was icy in appearance—clearly, it was Shenhe. However, her once-flowing long hair had now been cut short to chin-length. Surprisingly, it gave her a more mature and graceful air.
"Y-Yeah," Lucas replied instinctively. "Why did you cut your hair?"
"You've got the nerve to ask?" Shenhe glared at him coldly. "Long hair is just too much trouble for someone in my current state."
"What's so inconvenient about it?" Lucas asked in confusion.
"Are you playing dumb with me on purpose?" Shenhe narrowed her eyes. "Get in here. Now."
There it was!
That horror movie energy!
Seeing that Shenhe looked like she was about to explode, Lucas didn't dare defy her and quickly stepped into the room. He saw Shenhe lying on the bed—and finally understood why she had said things were "inconvenient."
Her belly was significantly swollen—clearly six to seven months pregnant.
And yet her figure remained impressively well-maintained. If not for the bump, one wouldn't even realize she was expecting. No wonder Lucas hadn't noticed anything odd when he only saw her face from outside the window earlier.
Seeing this, Lucas suddenly let out a breath of relief.
The reason was simple: since the landlord already had a tenant in the belly, the tenant—himself—didn't need to pay rent anymore.
"I bet you're thinking..." Shenhe seemed to see right through Lucas's thoughts. She rolled her eyes and said, "Thank goodness I'm pregnant, so you don't have to 'pay rent,' right?"
"Absolutely not!" Lucas shook his head quickly. "Is there anything you need me to help with?"
"No need. It's not the first time anyway," Shenhe sat up briskly and said, "I've got plenty of experience by now."
"Plenty of experience?" Lucas thought to himself, realizing this was ultimately the result of his own handiwork. He nodded and said, "Maybe after this one, you should take a few years off."
"No can do," Shenhe shook her head. "If I rest too long, won't Senior Ganyu end up outnumbering me?"
Are you guys… having some kind of childbearing arms race?
Or is there some family policy where each kid nets you a hundred million Mora?
Suddenly, a pained expression flickered across Shenhe's face. Lucas quickly asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's… it's nothing," Shenhe bit her lip. "It's the usual—always happens around this stage…"
"Hold on, let me take your pulse." With his [Medical Sage] talent, handling gynecological issues was second nature. Lucas grasped her wrist and muttered, "Let me see... your issue should be…"
Midway through the pulse check, Lucas's eyes suddenly widened. "There's nothing wrong. In fact, judging by the pulse, it looks like you're carrying twins."
"Really?" Shenhe brightened immediately. "I thought something was different this time—my belly did feel a bit larger."
"Then what was bothering you just now?" Lucas asked in concern. "Where were you uncomfortable?"
"You're really asking me that?" Shenhe said irritably. "You've always been the one helping me deal with it before, haven't you? Hurry up—when it builds up, it gets unbearable!"
Only then did Lucas realize what kind of discomfort she meant. He quickly said, "Didn't we buy that special tool for this?"
"That thing's not as good as you!" Shenhe, already known for her fiery temper, was in even worse shape now with the unpredictability of pregnancy. She immediately grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him. "Heartless bastard! You only care about your own pleasure?"
Lucas didn't dare delay and rushed forward. "Alright, alright… I'm coming… glug…"
...
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Earlier, he had come out of Ganyu's room holding his waist. This time, leaving Shenhe's room, Lucas had to hold his belly instead. After drinking too much water, his stomach now looked slightly bloated, giving him the appearance of a middle-aged man starting to gain weight.
Those two really were sisters—if nothing else, they sure believed in quantity and abundance.
Hic!
Lucas let out an unseemly burp and quickly covered his mouth, afraid of waking Shenhe, who had just fallen asleep.
If she woke up and wanted another round, he might just develop lactose intolerance from the ordeal.
He had only passed "two rounds," and who knew how many more lay ahead. This illusion was proving to be a gauntlet of trials.
No—he had to find a way out of here, and fast. The longer this dragged on, the slimmer his chances of victory would become.
"I-I finally found you!"
Just as Lucas was deep in thought, a somewhat urgent voice called out behind him.
A young woman with a neat secretary outfit, glasses, and a single ponytail came hurrying over. Lucas stared at her for a moment before recognizing her—wasn't this "Baishi," one of Ningguang's three personal secretaries?
"No way…" Lucas raised his hand and patted Baishi's shoulder. "I didn't even spare you?"
Beastly!
Seeing his hand on her shoulder, Baishi blushed and said, "Y-Young Master… even if no one else is around, you… you shouldn't do such things to me…"
Young Master?
If there's a "Young Master," shouldn't there be a daughter involved first?
"Although the three of us serve Lady Ningguang, now that she's married to you, technically we came with her as part of the dowry…" Baishi pushed her glasses up and muttered to herself, "Still, we have our pride! We're not those kinds of girls who just give in so easily!"
So it was a misunderstanding!
Lucas finally felt the weight in his heart lift. If he had ended up involving the secretary trio as well, then he really would've become an emotionless bulldozer.
But unexpectedly, Baishi kept rambling on, "Still, if I could offer myself to Young Master, wouldn't that mean I'd also get the chance to serve you alongside Lady Ningguang? That way, I could help her wear the phoenix-embroidered purple silk dudou I hand-stitched with golden thread, and the silken gauze dress of cicada-wing blue... hehe… hehe…"
As she spoke, the young girl's face took on a dreamy, obsessed expression—drool even began to trickle from the corner of her mouth.
Hearing this, black lines appeared on Lucas's forehead.
Was this little secretary already playing out some outrageous fantasy in her head?
Suddenly, Baishi grabbed Lucas's hand, her eyes burning with resolve. "I understand now. To protect Baixiao and Baiwen, I… I'm willing to sacrifice myself! Come, reach out with your sinful claws and make me your slave, just like in those novels—threaten me using Lady Ningguang, force me to betray her, and make me suffer the agony of guilt every single day…"
"Hey hey, what kind of novels are you even reading?! And also, I'm not seeing even a hint of pain on your face!" Lucas rubbed his temples and added, "And wipe your drool already."
Gulp—Baishi swallowed hard and lowered her head. "According to the schedule, you're to head to the Jade Chamber in half an hour to meet with Lady Ningguang. Accounting for travel time, we've still got twenty minutes to… eh?"
When Baishi looked up again, the "Young Master" was already nowhere to be seen. She gave a light huff and muttered, "Playing hard to get, huh? No matter. If it's for the sake of doing this and that with Lady Ningguang, I'll definitely sedu—attract her, no matter what!"
......
Right now, Lucas could only describe his situation as "completely clueless." So, he had no choice but to treat it like an RPG, following the so-called "quest markers" and proceeding one step at a time.
The Jade Chamber.
This celestial palace had undergone significant changes from its real-world counterpart—most notably in size. It had expanded to several times its original scale. Although it still couldn't compare to the simulator version he'd seen before, it was already enormous.
For some reason, though, Lucas instinctively knew the entire layout and headed straight into Ningguang's office.
The moment he pushed open the door, a fragrant breeze wafted over him, followed by a soft, gentle voice: "You're quite early today."
Inside the office, besides Ningguang, Yelan was also present. Their appearances hadn't changed much from reality. No surprise there—their ages had always been mysterious, and time seemed to leave no mark on them.
Their cheeks were still unlined, their skin remained flawless and pale, and their bellies bore no trace of fat…
Wait a second—why could he see their bellies?
Lucas stared blankly. "You two… why aren't you wearing any clothes?"
Indeed, both of them stood before him with not a single thread on. In this private space—just the two of them, women alone—could it be that the two of them were…
"Ugh, this was your own rule, wasn't it?" Yelan rolled her eyes. "On the Jade Chamber, no one's allowed to wear more than socks without your permission. What, pretending to be clueless now?"
"And it's not like he hasn't come up with plenty of strange rules," Ningguang chuckled, "Like that monthly 'Tail Day.' It could've been a hanging one, but you insisted on the embedded version..."
"Y-You're not allowed to bring that up again!" Yelan's rare blush surfaced. "Last time, on Wine Day—someone drank too much and did it right on Yuehai Pavilion! Good thing there was some drizzle, or that great Tianshu Star might've become the Great Leaky Star."
Good grief…
Lucas thought to himself, what kind of wild, debauched life had he been living?
Even King Zhou of Shang would frown. Even Dong Zhuo would bow his head in shame.
"So, since it's such a rare opportunity…"
Unbeknownst to him, Yelan had slipped behind Lucas, whispering softly into his ear, "Why not take the chance to discuss some major life matters?"
"Yelan, now's not the time for that kind of thing," said Ningguang, who—like performing a magic trick—suddenly brought out a towering stack of documents and handed them to Lucas. "This is your work for today. Get started."
Lucas took the stack, slightly stunned. "Work?"
"Of course. What's gotten into you today, Lord Tianshu? You're acting like you're dreaming." Ningguang folded her arms. "The reason we tolerate so many of your absurd requests is because your work efficiency really is excellent. As the head of the Liyue Qixing, you mustn't slack off."
"I… I understand." Though helpless inside, Lucas could only obediently start reviewing the documents.
To his surprise, he seemed to have a natural knack for it—he processed the files at incredible speed. The various issues faced by Liyue Harbor were no more difficult to him than elementary school winter break homework.
Before he realized it, two hours had passed. The mountain of documents was now completely reviewed. As he set down the final file, Lucas let out a long sigh of relief.
As expected—those who wear the crown must bear its weight.
Not a single nap comes free.
"Well done," Yelan, who had apparently been waiting for this moment, placed her slender hands on Lucas's shoulders and began to gently massage them. "Today, it's my turn to reward you."
"Reward?" Lucas blinked. "What kind of reward?"
"Well, that depends on your luck," Yelan said with a smile as she placed a die in his hand. "Go on."
A die?
Lucas examined the beautifully crafted object. Unlike ordinary dice, each face bore words rather than numbers.
He casually tossed it onto the desk. It spun for a few moments before settling—on the side that read: "Dragon Swimming Beneath the Armpit."
"This one's your favorite, isn't it?" Yelan said with a grin. She opened a drawer and took out a bottle of thick, blue liquid. With practiced ease, she uncorked it. "Looks like you're in luck today."
Very soon, Lucas finally understood what "Dragon Swimming Beneath the Armpit" actually meant.
Though he had previously experienced the night with Yelan, that had merely been a dry and direct duel. Now, however, with Yelan using her Hydro abilities to craft a specially formulated lubricant gel, the experience had improved by at least thirty percent.
As a reward for diligent work, it was indeed most appropriate.
However, just as Lucas was basking in the lingering sensation of that "reward," the office door suddenly opened. Ningguang strolled in slowly and smiled. "Looks like you two are finished?"
Lucas was startled. Out of instinct, he tried to pull up his pants, but Ningguang raised her brow slightly and said, "No need to rush. It's not like I haven't seen it before."
"Seems like it's about time," Yelan stood up as well and casually wiped beneath her ribs. "Is the Teleportation Waypoint ready?"
"Of course," Ningguang nodded. "Several messages have already come in from Mondstadt. If we don't send Lucas over soon, it might escalate into an international incident."
"Mondstadt?" Lucas was confused. "What's going on now?"
"Playing dumb won't help you," Ningguang crossed her arms and shook her head with a smile. "Hurry and get dressed. It's fine to be casual here in Liyue—after all, it's your home—but once you're in Mondstadt, you'd better mind your manners. After all…"
"After all, what?" Lucas suddenly had a very bad feeling.
"After all, you're the joint head of the three great clans," Yelan chimed in. "Alright, alright, I know—it's something to be proud of. But you don't need to emphasize it in such a flashy way, right?"
Joint head of Mondstadt's three great clans?
How was this getting more and more absurd?
If it were just the Gunnhildr and Lawrence clans, that might still be plausible—but what did the Ragnvindr clan of Diluc have anything to do with him?
"Oh, right, Diluc sent you a message through someone last time," Ningguang added at just the right moment. "He's currently traveling in Fontaine and even negotiated a new order for you. Having a big brother like him, your luck's not bad, huh?"
Diluc is my brother?
This wasn't just absurd.
This was absurdity's mother opening the door for absurdity—it had come home and brought its luggage.
Before Lucas could even finish processing the massive flood of information, he was already being pulled out of the meeting room by Ningguang. Outside, a Teleportation Waypoint stood prominently on the Jade Chamber's deck.
With a practiced wave of her hand, Ningguang activated the waypoint. A holographic map immediately appeared before it, and besides Liyue and Mondstadt, the other regions of Teyvat also had their teleport points already lit.
"According to the itinerary," Ningguang flipped through her notepad and smiled, "you're scheduled to spend the next forty-eight hours in Mondstadt handling affairs. You have only twenty-five minutes of personal time, so plan wisely."
"W-Wait a second—!"
Before Lucas could even get a word out, his vision suddenly blurred. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself inside a vaguely familiar office.
A birchwood desk piled with documents, a weapon rack with a gleaming longsword, and a bookshelf beside it filled with neatly arranged books. But if one looked closely, nestled between serious volumes like History of the Wind Nation, Cultural Analysis of Mondstadt's Wine, and The Prince, were titles like Liyue Wives of Mondstadt? and Inazuma's Forty-Eight Hands.
"Daddy!"
Before Lucas could fully adjust to his new surroundings, a bright and energetic voice called out from behind him. Reflexively turning around, he saw a red figure leap into his arms with such force that he had to take a few steps back to keep his balance.
The girl in his arms looked around fifteen or sixteen, dressed in a red dress and hat, with golden twin tails, and a little ahoge poking playfully from the edge of her cap.
"You're… Klee?" Lucas couldn't help but laugh. "You've gotten so big!"
Indeed, with just one glance, Lucas recognized the girl. The pointy elf ears and the Dodoco charm hanging from her waist were unmistakable.
"Daddy's being weird today…" Klee tilted her head. "Klee's always been this big, hasn't she?"
Based on Lucas's previous observations, this illusionary world was set at least seven or eight years in the future, so Klee's age made sense.
"Sorry, I was just… happy to see you." Lucas gently rubbed Klee's head and smiled. "Daddy… is really happy."
No matter what, in the simulator, the father-daughter bond between Lucas and Klee had never once wavered. To him, Klee was no different from his own daughter. Seeing her healthy and grown now, Lucas was naturally moved.
"Klee's super happy to see Daddy too!" Klee rubbed her cheek against his chest proudly. "Oh—and last week, Klee was promoted to captain of the Knights of Favonius Bomb Squad!"
The Knights have a Bomb Squad now?
Was it created specifically for Klee?
Lucas couldn't imagine another reason that someone as strict as Jean would approve something so dangerous.
Creak~
Just then, the office door opened, and two tall women wearing Knights of Favonius uniforms walked in.
One was blonde, elegant and gentle; the other had blue hair and a cold, aloof demeanor. Both were stunning, yet their temperaments couldn't have been more different.
"Eula? And… Acting Grand Master Jean?" Lucas tested cautiously.
"Acting Grand Master?" Eula raised a brow, clearly displeased. "You still haven't gotten rid of that habit? She's Vice Grand Master Jean now!"
"Oh?" Lucas blinked. "Did Grand Master Varka return?"
"Of course not!" Eula scoffed. "He returned long ago, but he was seriously injured and resigned his post."
"Right, it's been years now," Lucas murmured. "If he were still on expedition, he might've conquered Snezhnaya by now."
Hearing this, Jean chuckled behind her hand, while Eula clenched her fists, teeth gritted. "You picking a fight on purpose? I'm the current Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius! I'll remember this insult!"
"Lucas, have you forgotten?" Jean explained, "Four years ago, I stepped down voluntarily because I was pregnant, and handed the position of Grand Master over to Eula."
"I see," Lucas mused. "But you've been away from the role for four whole years—haven't you returned to office yet?"
"There you go again, pretending not to know," Jean gave Lucas a rare glare and said, "It was all because of you. You insisted that the Gunnhildr family lacked heirs and needed to focus on increasing the population. As a result, two years ago, I had another one, and returning as Grand Master had to be postponed again."
"Later on, I simply stepped aside altogether to make time to care for the children," Jean continued. "Eula's abilities are no worse than mine, and she gradually earned everyone's recognition. I figured, then let her keep the title of Grand Master. After all… we're all one family. Whether one is the formal leader or the vice leader, it doesn't really matter."
As expected of Jean—the most maternal character in all of Teyvat. Lucas thought to himself: I really didn't waste her talent.
"So…" Lucas glanced at Eula with a hint of doubt in his eyes.
"What's with that look?! There's nothing wrong with my body—doctors have all said I'm perfectly healthy!" Eula's ultimate move was instantly baited out by Lucas's basic attack. "It's just that the timing was always off! And several times—Jean intercepted it first!"
You can even intercept something like this?
"Eula, that's not quite fair," Jean shook her head with a gentle smile. "Lucas was the one who decided to give it to me—it wasn't my doing."
"Oh, spare me!" Eula crossed her arms. "Don't think I don't know—every time it's your turn, you use your Anemo Vision to create a vacuum vortex. How is he supposed to resist that?!"
Vacuum vortex?
For some reason, Lucas… kind of looked forward to it a little.
As expected of one of Mondstadt's top younger-generation experts—she seemed to have mastered the use of elemental power in every imaginable way.
"You have a Vision too, don't you?" Jean, who was usually mild, didn't back down on this subject at all. "You should come up with your own signature techniques."
"Daddy…" Klee, standing off to the side, looked totally lost. "Why does Klee not understand anything they're saying?"
"If even you understood…" Lucas sighed, "Auntie Shenhe would definitely show up and bring divine judgment."
Jean and Eula appeared fully committed to this quarrel. Eula clenched her fists and declared, "Signature moves? I've been working on one too! Using cycles of rapid freezing and melting via Cryo, I can create an alternating hot-and-cold effect. It's definitely more powerful than your vacuum vortex!"
Alternating hot and cold?
Wait a second—did you learn that from Ganyu?
"Empty words mean nothing," Jean showed no sign of backing down, smiling faintly. "Since Lucas is right here, why don't we put it to the test?"
"Gladly!" Eula rolled up her sleeves. "Let's play, then!"
Play, huh?
Lucas immediately felt a little weak in the knees.
That's not play…
That's clearly just a game where I'm the toy!
Though his physique was far beyond that of an ordinary person, as the saying goes—there are only bulls that die of exhaustion, never plowed land that breaks down from overuse. He had only been in this illusion for a few hours, yet he'd already drained a significant amount of energy. Even with a body of iron, he was starting to reach his limits.
"Play?" At the sound of that word, Klee's ears instantly perked up. Her face lit up with excitement. "Are you going to play something? Klee wants to play too!"
"Ahem, Klee," Jean gently patted her on the shoulder and said, "Your daddy and I have something to 'discuss.' Why don't you step out for a while? Two hours—no, three should be enough."
"No!" Klee clung tightly to Lucas's sleeve. "Klee wants to stay with Daddy!"
Klee truly was Daddy's best girl.
Hearing her words, Lucas was instantly moved to tears.
With Klee as his "human shield," he just might be able to dodge this calamity.
"Klee," Jean, however, simply smiled and said, "Today, I'll grant you special permission to go fish-blasting three times—without being locked up afterward. I hear it's breeding season for the blue-bell lotus? If you go to Cider Lake, you might get quite the haul."
"Come on—fishing versus your beloved Daddy," Lucas said confidently. "Isn't the choice obvious?"
But the very next second, Klee released his sleeve.
"Sorry, Daddy. Even though Klee really wants to be with you…" With lightning speed, Klee pushed open the office door and said, "It's just… it's been so long since I got to blow up some fish! I'll make grilled fish for you tonight, okay? Bye-bye!"
With that, the little girl dashed out without even a glance back. Clearly, the fish bursting out of the lake in a glorious explosion was far more tempting than her father.
"Klee!"
Lucas tried to chase after her, but both his shoulders were firmly pinned down—by Jean on the left and Eula on the right.
"Dear, you're not going anywhere," Jean said with a sweet smile. "You're the 'referee' for this match, after all."
"That's right," Eula added, refusing to be outdone. "You should start thinking about the future heir of the Lawrence line, don't you think?"
"W-Wait a second!" Lucas swallowed hard. "Shouldn't we be working instead?"
If he recalled correctly, he'd been sent to Mondstadt to help with work.
"Producing an excellent heir for the three major clans is the most important job."
With a snap of her fingers, Jean triggered something. With a soft click, the massive desk in the center of the office detached from its base and folded away, transforming into a bed lined with sapphire-blue silk. Simultaneously, all the curtains over the office's windows drew shut automatically.
Clearly, this office had long since been remodeled—and for obvious reasons…
As someone who treasured time as much as Jean did, she wouldn't waste precious minutes on traveling home. Taking a break in the middle of work could relieve stress and revitalize—why not kill two birds with one stone?
And who would have guessed that Jean and Eula, who usually clashed like fire and ice, could show such flawless teamwork in this very room?
In the first half, Lucas could still find openings amid their joint defense to make some breakthroughs. But by the second half, he could only suffer like Team Celestia at the World Cup—completely steamrolled from every angle.
Granted, he was still better off than Team Celestia in one regard:
At least… he made it onto the field.
....
The clouds had parted, and the rain had ceased.
Lucas lay on the bed that had transformed from an office desk, his arms resting beneath Jean and Eula on either side.
Aside from feeling a little drained, everything… seemed absolutely perfect.
Looking at the serene, blissful expressions on the faces of the beauties beside him, he couldn't help but wonder—could this be what his future life looked like?
In Liyue, he was the head of the Qixing, master of the Jade Chamber.
In Mondstadt, he was the joint leader of the three great clans, with the wealth of Dawn Winery under his name, and in charge of both the Gunnhildr and Lawrence families.
Not to mention his successful career, a household full of wives and children, unimaginable wealth… from any angle, he was the unquestionable winner in life.
Wasn't this illusion simply another form of a simulator world?
In the previous simulators, he had always endured great hardships, with most endings far from ideal.
But here, without suffering, he could enjoy the perfect life.
If he wanted, Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine, Snezhnaya, and Natlan—one day, all could fall into his hands.
The Seven Archons bowing to him, the Heavenly Principles subdued… that dream might not be so distant.
What? This was an illusion?
No, Lucas had long understood the truth. The so-called "simulators" were all real parallel worlds. This so-called "illusion" might very well be one too—and the perfect one, at that.
Since that was the case, why bother returning to so-called "reality"?
Rather than being forced by the system to play the villain, he might as well enjoy himself here in peace.
The warmth in his arms, the fragrance in the air—it all told him that this place was not an illusion.
At that thought, a wave of drowsiness came over him. He slowly closed his eyes, tightening his embrace around Jean and Eula. His consciousness began to drift…
[Wake up!]
Suddenly, a voice rang out—familiar yet distant, as if right beside him yet echoing from afar.
[It's all a trap. Wake up, now!]
That voice… Xiao Xi? (System's name if you forgot)
Lucas slowly opened his eyes—and to his shock, the soft bed had vanished. He was now surrounded by an endless black void. Jean and Eula's figures were gone without a trace.
He tried to sit up, but his body had grown impossibly heavy. He looked down and saw that he was sinking—his body gradually being pulled into the black void, like a swamp of some unknown, dark substance.
Soon, only his head remained above the mire.
With all his strength, Lucas thrust one arm upward.
"Help… me!"
[Grab my hand!]
A humanoid silhouette appeared before him, casting light across the void. "It" reached out a hand, and Lucas tried desperately to grab it—only to grasp at nothing.
[I have no physical form. I can't save you. The only one who can save you… is yourself.]
"Damn it! I'm not going to die here for no reason!"
Lucas flailed the one hand still free of the black mire, but he couldn't resist the sinking any longer. His strength was nearly gone. His fate seemed sealed.
"You seriously giving up? Back when I was being hunted by Raiksha, I never even thought of quitting."
A figure suddenly appeared, grabbing Lucas's sinking hand.
It wasn't a phantom. It was Lucas himself—the version of him from the first simulation, a silk-robed, arrogant young master.
"Aunt Shenhe's still waiting outside. Dying here would be way too lame."
Another hand grabbed his—this one belonging to the version of him who had once been a student council president in the second simulation.
"Better to become my test subject than die here, right? Kidding. You've still got things to do. This isn't the time to sleep."
This time, it was the "Doctor" version of Lucas.
"If you die, you can't generate surplus value anymore," said the version of him who was a capitalist.
"You're not allowed to die before you revive the Lawrence clan," said the head of the Lawrence family version, gripping his hand with a scornful sneer.
"Klee's still waiting for you to come back. If you die, she'll definitely be heartbroken."
"In Inazuma… there are still people waiting. Yae Miko and the others still need your help."
"Dying like a pathetic little human? How could this king have such a weak incarnation?"
"You haven't even tasted all the food yet! With the glutton's bloodline flowing through you, are you really okay with dying like this?"
"You haven't even cooked all your recipes yet! Don't you want to see those smiles again, when everyone eats your dishes?"
"You still haven't climbed to the very top! Becoming the Tianshu Star was only the first step. Can't even handle this simple thing?"
"If you die like this, not even a spirit-summoning rite could bring you back."
One voice after another—some mocking, some gentle, some indignant, some amused…
And all their hands overlapped, firmly gripping Lucas's.
So this was what it meant… to be saved by yourself?
With the combined strength of more than a dozen versions of himself, Lucas's body slowly began to rise from the mire that had been dragging him under.
He raised his fist—and smashed it into the void before him. Boom! With a heavy sound, the empty blackness cracked like fractured glass.
"Let me… out of here!"
He punched again. The mirror-like void shattered completely—and along with it, everything around him collapsed.
When the fragments of the illusion faded, Lucas found himself back in the grand hall atop the Jade Chamber.
The other contestants around him were still unconscious. That meant… he was the first to escape the illusion.
In other words—the sole winner of this round.
Just then, a sharp voice called out from behind the screen: "Zhiyi? You've already woken up? Excellent. Get yourself ready—I'll wake the others shortly…"
As the voice faded, the person behind the screen stepped out—none other than "Ningguang."
She paused upon seeing Lucas, her expression briefly stunned. But then, she forced an awkward smile and said:
"C-Congratulations. Looks like… you're the winner of this round."
"Yes, Lady Ningguang…" Lucas narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "But… if I didn't hear wrong just now, you called me 'Zhiyi,' didn't you?"
"Y-You must've misheard," Ningguang shook her head. "How could I possibly know ahead of time who would win?"
"Knowing the future might be impossible," Lucas said coldly, "but what if the winner… had already been chosen from the start? Now speak—where is the real Ningguang? She is one of the Liyue Qixing. If you've harmed her, Liyue will never let you go."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ningguang's expression turned serious. "I… am Ningguang."
"Oh?" Lucas sneered. "If you really are Ningguang, then you should definitely remember what we did on your office desk a week ago, right?"
Her eyes darted momentarily, then she forced a smile. "O-Of course I remember. That night… you were really rough, weren't you…"
Before she could finish, Lucas slammed his hand down on her neck—smack!—pressing her face hard against the desk. He said icily, "I didn't even come to the Jade Chamber a week ago. Let's find out… what you really are."
With that, he began to feel around her face, trying to detect any signs of disguise.
He had suspected something was off with Ningguang even before the competition started, and her behavior just now had only confirmed his suspicions.
But after feeling around for quite a while, he still couldn't find any trace of a disguise. This face, identical to Ningguang's in every way… was not fake.
"How is this possible?" Lucas murmured. "Isn't this some kind of disguise technique?"
"Let me go already!" Ningguang snapped. "I told you—I'm the real Ningguang!"
Just as Lucas was deep in thought, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back. Whipping around, he saw a dagger buried in him—and the one who had attacked him was none other than Zhiyi.
"This dagger was a gift from that lord," Zhiyi said as he backed away. "It's coated in a colorless, odorless poison. Don't blame me for being ruthless—blame yourself for getting in the way."
Poison?
Lucas inwardly chuckled. Never mind his nearly poison-immune constitution—thanks to his [Pure Yang Indestructible Vajra Body], Zhiyi's strike hadn't even pierced his skin.
Still, Lucas made a split-second decision. He clenched the dagger in place with his muscles and pretended to collapse in pain, flopping onto the ground and groaning. "Y-You two… were in it together?"
The fake Ningguang stood up and straightened her clothes, sneering. "Well then, at least let you die with some clarity. The real Ningguang is currently imprisoned. This final round… was our plan from the very beginning."
"Enough with the pointless talk," Zhiyi said, clearly more cautious. "He won't live long anyway. We just need a believable cover for his death."
"That's easy," the fake Ningguang said calmly. "We'll say he failed the test and died suddenly inside the illusion. I remember he once offended that lord. Killing him now will earn us even more favor."
That lord?
Here we go again with the riddles.
Lucas still remembered from the game storyline—Zhiyi was connected to the forces of Snezhnaya. If he was right, the "lord" behind all this was likely one of the Fatui Harbingers.
"My ascension to the Tianshu Star position can't afford any loose ends," Zhiyi said with a frown. "Just take care of the body."
"You're really good at giving orders, huh?" Fake Ningguang seemed annoyed. "Why should I be the one to do it?"
"The dagger's still in his body," Zhiyi pointed to the blade stuck in Lucas's back. "The poison is troublesome even on contact with skin. Only you can handle it."
"Hmph…" The fake Ningguang scoffed and stepped toward Lucas. Raising one foot, she said coldly, "Didn't you act all arrogant earlier? I'll humiliate you properly before sending you off."
Just as she was about to stomp down, Lucas suddenly sprang up and caught her foot, flipping her to the floor with a crash. In one swift motion, he yanked out the dagger and slashed it across her wrist.
The razor-sharp blade sliced through her skin in an instant—but what came out wasn't red blood.
It was a blue, gel-like fluid.
"No wonder you didn't fear the poison… and didn't need any disguise," Lucas sneered, his foot pressed firmly against her back. "So you're a synthetic puppet after all."