That day, Teyvat was still going through its usual motions.
The troublemaking drunkard of a bard had just had his attempt to rescue an old friend interrupted and was now in Mondstadt, trying every possible way to get some wine out of the Angel's Share.
The penniless street loafer had finished lunch at Wanmin Restaurant, only to feel around his waist and discover he had forgotten his wallet again. He could only say, as usual, "Put it on the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's tab."
In the Plane of Euthymia, the shut-in pursuing eternity remained oblivious to the outside world, meditating with her eyes closed as she fought the urge to read light novels and eat sweets.
In the Sanctuary of Surasthana, the master of wisdom abandoned her own physical shell and witnessed the world through the dreams of Sumeru's children.
Inside the Opera Epiclese, Furina watched a trial no different from any other, without any wild twists. Bored out of her mind, she propped one hand on the armrest, rested her head against it, and muttered, "Boring."
Natlan's Pyro Dragon Sovereign looked with something of a headache at the fellow dragon asking for aid yet again: the Electro Dragon Sovereign, who was far too young, had none of a Dragon Sovereign's dignity, and had even been frightened into fleeing by a despicable god immediately after being born.
The Cryo Archon of Snezhnaya sat upon her frozen throne, quietly watching the Fatui Harbingers under her command steadily advance her grand plan amid their scheming against one another.
On just such a day, no different from any other, a mysterious screen suddenly descended upon Teyvat.
No one noticed how it appeared. They only knew that by the time they became aware of its existence, it was already there.
It was an extraordinary screen. For every intelligent being in Teyvat, regardless of which of the Seven Nations they were in, whether they were aboveground, underground, or even inside a domain, and regardless of the angle from which they looked, the screen faced them directly, thirty degrees above their line of sight.
Furthermore, regardless of whether their vision was normal-even if they had lost their sight and were blind-a clear image of the screen was reflected in their optic nerves, while their auditory nerves could directly construct the sounds coming from the screen inside their brains.
"Interesting."
On a street in Liyue, a lavishly dressed young man, far more composed than his appearance suggested, paused briefly before continuing toward the establishment where he usually listened to storytellers.
His powers could not probe this screen that had appeared out of thin air at all. He had never encountered anything like it in his life as a god. Even the lofty Celestia, though he could not resist it, at least belonged within a framework of power familiar to him. It had never left him understanding and knowing absolutely nothing, as this screen did.
Neither this screen's existence nor the power it contained was something Zhongli could comprehend.
This definitely isn't a creation of Teyvat. Perhaps it's a miracle from beyond this world, the kind the Heavenly Principles guard against so warily?
Zhongli was not entirely certain. After all, Teyvat was so vast. Even the underground nation of Khaenri'ah had managed to pull off something enormous right under the noses of the seven gods. In this land blessed with so many outstanding people, who could say whether there was someone capable of creating this screen?
Since he could neither understand it nor probe it, he could only observe it before making a decision. He was, after all, an old hand over six thousand years old. He possessed at least that much composure.
And since he was going to observe it, his elderly habits naturally dictated that he visit a familiar establishment, sit by the window overlooking the scenery of Liyue Harbor he never tired of, order a pot of fine tea, and watch quietly.
[The "Genshin Impact" video observation station is now online. Esteemed five-star user, you have automatically gained access to online messaging, online quizzes, online check-ins, and other functions. As an esteemed five-star user, you have the special privilege of exemption from failure penalties three times per month. Please consult your profile for further user privileges.]
"..."
Zhongli had just sat down at a tea table and signaled the still somewhat dazed waiter to bring a pot of his usual tea when this message popped up on the screen before him.
After a moment's thought, Zhongli soon found the so-called profile in the screen's upper-right corner.
Name: Zhongli (Morax/Rex Lapis/Rex Lapis/...) (Names collapsed; expandable) User level: Five-star User privileges: Comment section posting, failure penalty exemptions (3/month), 20% shop discount (5/month)...
Although he did not understand why he had suddenly become what this newly appeared screen called an esteemed five-star user, nor what exactly these privileges did, Zhongli had at least figured that much out.
"This thing must be related to those objects from beyond Teyvat that Miss Alice so often gets her hands on, right?"
Could this whole spectacle have been that very dangerous witch's doing?
No, probably not.
Seeing a message suddenly appear in the screen's so-called discussion area, Zhongli silently ruled out one of his guesses.
[Alice: Damn it, which world did this piece of trash drift in from now?! Why am I a three-star ordinary user???]
[Klee: Ah, it's Mom! Mom, Klee's right here~!]
[Alice: Mm~ yes, it's my little Klee. Mommy's so happy to see you too-huh, does this count as seeing Klee?]
[Jean: Miss Alice (exasperated), you ought to be more cautious. Please don't interact so casually with something of unknown origin.]
A screen had suddenly appeared and assigned everyone a ranked user account without asking. Anyone with even a little caution would not rashly speak here, would they?
But since Klee had already spoken here, Jean could not simply ignore it. She could only stop the other knights from joining in for the moment and enter alone to test the waters.
[Alice: Oh, Jean, you're just too cautious. I've seen this sort of thing before-though only in otherworld novels. Basically, it pops up to make us watch videos, answer questions, and react in all sorts of ways, while the audience outside the box gets entertained and moved. I've seen plenty of this routine!]
[Yae Miko: Oh~ my, that's a fine idea. Let's use this topic for Yae Publishing House's next themed light novel submission call.]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: I see. So this screen is visible not just to those of us on Watatsumi Island, but to everyone in Teyvat?]
Watching people she did not know at all, some whose names she had merely heard, chat in the so-called discussion area-and eventually even the Electro Archon's familiar speak there-Sangonomiya Kokomi, Watatsumi Island's strategist and leader, silently analyzed the situation.
From how things looked, that really did seem to be the case.
Watching the messages from both familiar and unfamiliar people on the screen, Zhongli, the Geo Archon, was also silently analyzing the situation.
At the very least, judging by those who had spoken on the screen so far, Mondstadt, Liyue, and Inazuma were within its range of influence. As for anything beyond that... well, knowing where Alice had traveled to now would reveal just how far the screen's coverage extended.
But from the current situation, it might really cover all of Teyvat.
He just did not know whether it would affect Celestia as well, or elicit some response from the Heavenly Principles, which had remained unresponsive for five hundred years.
As for the guess that Alice was the source of this disturbance, Zhongli had silently discarded it as soon as he saw her reveal that she was a three-star user.
Based on his experience looking after that lawless witch throughout her travels in Liyue, if she really had made this thing, there was no way she would not have given herself a six-star supreme user account ranking above his five-star one.
After all, keeping a low profile or playing the pig to eat the tiger did not suit that witch's personality. Brazenly doing as she pleased was Alice's style.
[Arataki Itto: Hahahaha! Good thing the boys woke me up. I almost missed something this fun. This observation-whatever lets you talk to all of Teyvat, right?! Ahem, come on, all eyes on me! I've got an announcement!]
[Kuki Shinobu: Boss (exasperated), shut up!]
[Arataki Itto: Don't stop me, Shinobu! I'm going to expand our Arataki Gang!]
[Kuki Shinobu: Keep this up, and our Arataki Gang won't be expanding. It'll be wiped out!]
[Kujou Sara: It's fine. Let him speak. A recruitment advertisement should at least mention where his headquarters are, right? I've already assembled five hundred people, ready to show our support.]
[Arataki Itto: Hahahaha! Look, Shinobu, even that lousy tengu has surrendered to your boss's char-pff!]
[Kuki Shinobu: Sorry, our boss accidentally ate some roasted beans and just had a hysterical episode. Please pay him no mind.]
[Alice: Hahahaha! This system really is rather interesting. The main course hasn't even arrived, and the side dishes already have me hooked!]
[Hu Tao: Oh my, are you done with your recruitment ads? Does that mean it's my turn?]
[Hu Tao: Ahem, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's regular grand promotion! Buy one, get one free! Buy two, get three free! The more you buy, the more you get! Luxury burial plots, fully furnished! Second headstone half price, with complimentary burial clothes and professional grooming for the deceased...]
[Zhongli: Director...]
Under the amused gazes of the other teahouse patrons, Zhongli felt the urge to cover his face for the first time.
Sure enough, he could not handle this child.
[Hu Tao: Haha, you're here too, Consultant! Come on, hurry up and help me spam some ads. Whether Wangsheng Funeral Parlor can grow big and strong and become a multinational enterprise depends on today!]
[Furina: Hahahahaha! A fine comedy. Continue to entertain me!]
[Furina: Why is everyone else still silent? Cowards have no right to dance alongside me, Focalors, upon this grand stage. You're all here, aren't you? Since I, Focalors, am here, the other six members of Teyvat's group, The Seven, should be here as well!]
Inside the Opera Epiclese, Furina, who had looked utterly bored just moments earlier, now held her head high with a proud expression, though inwardly she was deeply apprehensive as she tested the waters in the comment section.
She was very afraid that the other six members of The Seven really were not in this system. If so, the deception she had maintained for five hundred years might encounter complications.
Fortunately, although Venti and Zhongli could not conveniently answer, and Ei and the Cryo Archon disdained to answer, there was still one considerate little sweetheart who would willingly play along with the performance of the senior she imagined.
[Nahida: Hello, Senior Focalors (bows respectfully). I am Buer, the current Dendro Archon. I look forward to your guidance.]
She appeared!
A reigning god really appeared!
Furina swallowed almost imperceptibly, her pupils trembling slightly.
Pretending to be the Hydro Archon before other gods was far more nerve-racking than pretending to be the Hydro Archon before a crowd of mortals.
Weeping silently inside, Furina suppressed her complaint of Don't make this harder for me! while responding on the screen.
[Furina: Mm-hmm, so you're the current Dendro Archon. I remember you only assumed your position five hundred years ago. If there's anything you don't understand or find difficult, feel free to ask a senior like me for advice!]
[Nahida: All right. Thank you, big sister Focalors (well-behaved).]
With that, discussion of the screen throughout Teyvat immediately rose to another level.
Even the gods of the various nations had been drawn into this screen?
If even the gods were users of this screen, did their own probing and resistance still mean anything?
[Alice: Though I feel like I ought to say something right now, I'm not some kind of devil... uh, never mind. Considering how many years you've sacrificed, I won't say it-anyway, I have a question now. What user levels are listed in your profiles? This is very important to me, so please make sure you tell me.]
[Klee: Mom, Klee's five-star~!]
[Jean: Miss Alice, I'm five-star as well.]
[Arataki Itto: Me, I'm five-star too. Ahem.]
[Keqing: Five-star.]
[Ningguang: ??? Why am I four-star?]
Ningguang found it utterly baffling. She could set aside the people she did not know. Jean, the one person with whom she had some acquaintance, was the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, which theoretically governed Mondstadt at present. Ningguang found her five-star rating reasonable. After all, even the renowned Miss Alice was only three-star.
There was also some explanation for why she, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, was only four-star. After all, although the Tianquan held precedence, the Qixing were officially equals. As one-seventh of a nation's leadership, being four-star seemed understandable.
But why was Keqing, that still-immature Yuheng, five-star, while she, the Tianquan, was only four-star?
[Yae Miko: I'm five-star as well, Miss Alice.]
[Lumine: Mine... should be five-star too?]
The Traveler, who had just happened to meet Mondstadt's little angel Amber, looked curiously at her glittering golden interface.
As a Traveler who had journeyed through the sea of stars, she had encountered things like screens before and had read all kinds of novels. She had her own particular understanding of the situation before her.
Originally, she had not wanted to speak rashly, to avoid being noticed by the unknown god who had stopped her and her brother back then.
But little Paimon's words, "Maybe your brother's in here too," had struck a chord with Lumine, prompting her to boldly post a message in the discussion area.
If my brother's here too, he'll surely respond when he sees my message, won't he?
That was what Lumine thought.