"Wait… what?!"
Aamon nearly choked on his own disbelief as the simulation twisted.
Neuvillette had disguised himself as Furina.
He'd orchestrated the entire encounter to test Aamon's intentions.
---
The Hydro Dragon was no fool.
Every glance Aamon thought had gone unnoticed… had not.
From the moment his eyes lingered on Furina's leg, Neuvillette took mental note.
"So even after a year… he never dropped his obsession."
That final encounter wasn't opportunity.
It was a trap—designed to let Aamon relax his guard,
to lower his defenses,
to reveal whether his calm thinker trait was true... or just a mask.
---
Aamon now understood:
- His restraint, though impressive, hadn't truly fooled Neuvillette
- His every step had been measured
- And now… his fantasy had bumped into one of Teyvat's greatest tacticians
---
Divine Chat Spikes:
Yae Miko: "That twist… chef's kiss. Neuvillette really roleplayed as Furina?"
Nahida: "A true test of impulse vs intellect. He knew the Tier-5 Bathing Flames would eventually seek cracks."
Keqing: "Now the question is—how did Aamon respond in the simulation? Did he pass?"
Furina: "My image. My everything. I demand a divine court archive purge!"
---
Aamon stared at the final frame of the simulation.
[Simulation complete!]
[Survival Duration: 1 Year – Primary Survival Achievement Unlocked]
[Bonus: One Main Quest Card awarded. Remaining rewards… calculating…]
The glow of the system lingered.
Yet Aamon's heart wasn't dancing—it was sulking.
---
He'd almost made contact.
A single inch from brushing the leg that had fueled his madness, his discipline, his entire strategic existence.
But the Hydro Dragon had intercepted him at the final moment—in disguise.
Neuvillette's trap had snapped like a divine mousetrap, and Aamon was caught in the act of nearly acting.
"The whole year… and still he saw through me?"
Aamon didn't rage. He didn't spiral.
But a shadow of disappointment curled into him.
Because beneath all the scheming… he still hadn't evolved past the leg.
He hadn't ascended to admiration, or loyalty, or even heroism.
He'd just almost gotten what he wanted.
---
Divine Commentary Blazes Again:
Yae Miko: "Aamon, king of restraint… but still a leg-obsessed gremlin at heart."
Nahida: "One year of survival isn't nothing. But it proves obsession alone is a weak foundation."
Furina: "If I ever allow him near me again, I want cameras. Everywhere."
Navia: "Can we frame his survival certificate with a pair of thigh-highs for context?"
---
The simulation ended with a flourish—and this time, it wasn't stingy.
Three luxurious rewards hovered before Aamon:
[ 1 Elemental Mastery | Gain a full year's worth of refined Hydro control and combat proficiency ]
[ 2 Hydro Vision | A reset, allowing full retention and reawakening of elemental potential ]
[ 3 Mora Earnings | Withdraw all simulated currency from your role—use it to fund future plans ]
But that wasn't even the showstopper.
---
Main Quest Card Unlocked
[Quest: Create a Faction]
[Subtask: Invite Furina to Join]
[Completion Reward: The Disappearance of Fontaine's Prophecy]
Aamon blinked.
"So the prophecy haunting this nation… can be undone?"
Suddenly, his obsession wasn't just personal.
It had the potential to shift national fate.
Create a faction.
Not just any crew—but one strong enough to pull Furina into its orbit.
And with that, alter Fontaine's future.
---
Divine Commentary Brewing:
Yae Miko: "Faction creation? That's a power pivot. Let's see if he can evolve from leg chaser to legend."
Nahida: "If this task is genuine, then the system wants him to become more than just obsessed—it wants him to build."
Furina: "Me? Join his faction? I'll need divine proof this is real first."
---
Aamon's hands trembled slightly as he stared down at the Main Quest Card.
[Quest: Create a Faction]
[Subtask: Invite Furina]
[Reward: Fontaine's prophecy disappears.]
Control of destiny.
Rewriting history.
And maybe, salvation for his soul as a pure water spirit, no longer truly human.
He'd always feared the prophecy—that the sea would rise and melt away Fontaine's citizens.
But now?
Now he could fight it.
Not as a backup singer in Furina's orbit… but as a nation-builder.
"So if I gather allies, craft purpose, and make her believe in me… the waters will spare us."
That glow in his chest wasn't just excitement.
It was hope.
---
Divine Chat Sees the Tide Turn:
Nahida: "He finally got his narrative—beyond legs and longing. He's becoming tectonic."
Yae Miko: "Aamon, you slippery little tactician. You've dodged fate through charisma and obsession. Now build."
Furina: "If he makes a faction with actual policy, I'll consider it. But I swear, if 'worshipping my thighs' is part of the charter—so help me Archons."
---
Aamon's eyes gleamed as he scanned the reward list—his heart racing not from fantasy, but from fate finally bending toward him.
He didn't hesitate.
[Reward chosen: Hydro Vision]
[Confirmation: Granted. Added to system backpack.]
No longer was he a passive player.
Now, with elemental resonance reignited, he could shape reality.
And more importantly—he wasn't just surviving Fontaine's prophecy anymore…
He was dismantling it.
---
Questline Preview: Rise of the Aqueous Sovereign
Objective 1: Design a faction name, ethos, and founding members
Objective 2: Unlock recruitment mechanics for Furina
Objective 3: Investigate prophecy anchors around Fontaine
Bonus Unlock: Faction Banner & Elemental Signature Skill
This wasn't just a simulator. It was a blueprint for becoming a myth.
---
Divine Room Reacts:
Nahida: "God's Eye reselected. That means his soul still qualifies. Good sign."
Yae Miko: "Okay, now I'm really invested. If his faction's emblem is built around elegance and lunacy—I'm buying merch."
Furina: "Let's see if he builds a real movement or just a shrine for my leg."
---
As Aamon opened his system backpack, the glow of destiny shimmered faint blue.
[Inside rests the Hydro Vision—cool, elegant, and pulsing softly.]
He reached out.
The moment his fingers brushed its surface—everything changed.
The air grew richer.
Water particles in the atmosphere stirred, drawn to his heartbeat.
His veins felt like they had awakened after a long, divine nap.
"Is this… what true elemental resonance feels like?"
He focused.
Hands steady.
Mind clear.
And in his palm—a spinning blue water orb appeared, rippling gently.
"Not bad… not bad at all."
This was no longer theoretical.
This was power made tangible, earned through obsession, restraint, and survival.
From here on, he was no longer background.
He was elemental. Strategic. Capable.
---
Divine Banter:
Nahida: "First orb summoned. That alone proves he's syncing with Teyvat's heartbeat."
Yae Miko: "The water dances for him now. Let's hope it doesn't flood his sanity."
Furina: "That orb better not be flirting with me."
---
As Aamon concentrated on summoning Hydro orbs, the divine chat exploded again—mockery, shock, and a splash of pity swirled through the stream.
Yingmei: "No way—that wasn't Furina, it was Neuvillette? Bro hugged a water dragon in disguise!"
Nahida: "Poor Aamon… after all that restraint, not even one leg touch."
Yae Miko: "I'm wheezing! The Water Dragon played him like a harp."
Ningguang: "Final trial. Brilliantly cruel. He rushed, and the prophecy rushed back."
Hu Tao: "If he'd held steady just a bit longer, that thigh might've been legendary."
Keqing: "Five centuries of caution makes Neuvillette borderline unbeatable."
Furina: "Hold on. Final trial design? That was my idea. I'm the tactician here!"
Yanfei: "Really? Then why did the final shot show you panic-sprinting toward Aamon with your dress half-floating in stress?"
Aamon, still processing the aftermath, could only sigh internally.
One Hydro orb spinning calmly in his palm.
And a thousand divine voices spinning chaos around him.
---
Furina giggled, legs swaying gently as the plushie nestled in her arms.
She sat bathed in honeyed light, smug with satisfaction.
"Clean slate secured," she whispered.
"That scoundrel Aamon thought tricks would win him glory. Pffft."
Her smirk was radiant.
But her guard was relaxed.
Too relaxed.
Suddenly—
Knock knock.
A subtle thump echoed from the suite's door.
"Lady Furina… it's time to rest. Monday begins tomorrow."
Aamon's voice?
Neuvillette's assistant?
Or... someone else?
Furina's smile faltered ever so slightly.
Was tonight truly the calm after the storm—or the eye before it?
---
Divine Screen Comments:
Yae Miko: "That plushie deserves its own drama. It's seen too much."
Nahida: "She's at peace... until that knock. Bet ten primogems it's a plot twist."
Navia: "Please let it be Aamon. I need him to deliver soup and redemption."
---
From behind the suite door came the voice that shattered Furina's serenity:
"You must rest well. The opera performance is tomorrow."
Furina froze—one leg mid-swing, her plushie tumbling to the floor.
"Wait… the opera?! Tomorrow?!"
Her eyes widened.
"Doesn't that mean… there's a high chance I'll run into Aamon again?"
"Aiyaaaa—!!!"
Her shriek echoed through Palais Mermonia, rattling crystal vases and confusing her Hydro orbs into panic formation.
---
She had managed to dodge temptation, scandal, and leg-threatening chaos.
But the opera? That was public. That was dramatic. That was… Aamon's old domain.
---
Divine Reactions Blew Up:
Yae Miko: "Live opera? Yes please. Someone cue the love-hate duet!"
Nahida: "Depending on his faction plans, this might be the perfect moment to pitch unity."
Navia: "Just pray he doesn't offer her a thigh-emblazoned contract on stage."
Furina: "I need double security and ten feet of emotional distance."
---