In the end, Lisa paid 10,000 Mora to try the game for one hour.
After all, she was still completely unfamiliar with this "mobile game." Topping up 100,000 Mora right off the bat would just make her a sucker.
Thanks to Jean's prior description, Lisa had a general understanding of the object called a "mobile phone."
However, upon actually holding it in her hands, she couldn't suppress a flicker of astonishment.
As a genius witch from the Sumeru Academia, the likes of which had not been seen in two hundred years, Lisa's erudition was beyond question.
From the forbidden knowledge of wilderness demons and the processing methods for elemental flora, to a brewing technique that could reduce the distillation process by one step using only a two-layered porcelain bowl, Lisa had mastered it all to perfection.
But this small, glowing box, with its incredibly detailed images that one could interact with by touch—this truly impressed her.
She even felt a burgeoning desire to understand the principles by which it operated.
However, she quickly set these thoughts aside for the moment.
Under Lin Yu's guidance, she logged into Genshin Impact using Jean's account.
"According to Jean, she experienced a battle with Stormterror yesterday. Afterward, the in-game version of 'Jean' invited the traveler to the Knights of Favonius Headquarters for a meeting."
Lisa got the hang of the game quickly, familiarizing herself with the character controls in no time.
She didn't immediately proceed to the headquarters for the meeting. Instead, she wandered around the in-game version of Mondstadt.
"It's just as Jean said. Many of the scenes have been perfectly recreated."
Lisa even saw some familiar faces.
For instance, Sara from the Good Hunter restaurant and Blanche, the shopkeeper at Mondstadt General Goods.
However, their shops had been simplified, reduced to mere storefronts.
It seemed the mobile game couldn't be a perfect one-to-one copy of reality.
Due to Stormterror's earlier attack, the entire city was enveloped in a hurricane, casting a gray pall over everything. The screen constantly showed the effect of leaves being blown about by the wind.
"Jean must have been so alarmed by this sight that she rushed off to draft a series of defense measures."
Ultimately, Lisa guided the traveler to the Knights of Favonius Headquarters.
After tapping to enter, the scene changed.
The camera first focused on a close-up of a pair of long legs, clad in form-fitting white trousers adorned with golden patterns.
Then, the view panned up to the character's upper body.
Slightly wavy golden hair was tied back in a ponytail.
With a hint of anxiety, the in-game Jean looked up at the clock on the wall.
"Hehe, my dear Grand Master Jean really has been perfectly recreated in this game."
In Lisa's opinion, from her attire to her expression, the character was identical to the real Jean.
She even wondered if Jean had chosen not to come back herself because she knew she would appear in the game, wanting to avoid a massive sense of cognitive dissonance.
However, Lisa's teasing mood lasted less than a second. The faint curve of her lips froze.
On the screen, she herself had appeared!
Her in-game self was holding a book, speaking in a composed tone, "Jean, you're being too hasty. Didn't we agree to meet her here?"
Lisa's gaze shot toward Lin Yu at the counter.
This shopkeeper... did he do this on purpose?!
Did he know I would be coming today, so he added my character into the game?
No.
The decision for me to come was just made with Jean this morning.
This shopkeeper couldn't possibly have known in advance.
In that case, there was only one possibility.
Her appearance was part of the originally designed plot.
"You'd better not tarnish my image, little shopkeeper, or I'll be sure to punish you," Lisa thought to herself.
She continued watching the cutscene.
"Stormterror seems to be active outside the city as well. After I meet her, I want to..."
"Don't worry. I'll help out later as well."
Her on-screen counterpart leaned against a railing. Compared to Jean's anxiety, she appeared much more calm and composed.
She radiated a sense of having everything under control.
She had to admit, the shopkeeper's portrayal of her was quite good!
At the very least, she, the person in question, couldn't find any faults with it.
Next, led by Amber and Kaeya, the traveler arrived in the office.
After introductions were made, Jean first expressed her gratitude for the traveler's heroic actions before getting down to business.
"Through Lisa's magical reconnaissance, the source of the storm enveloping Mondstadt has been exposed."
"So, the answer is...?" Kaeya asked.
"The abandoned Temples of the Four Winds," her in-game self replied. "Stormterror is able to conjure a storm of this magnitude precisely by harnessing the residual power within them."
Seeing this, a look of surprise crossed Lisa's face.
To reverse-engineer the elemental flow of the storm that covers Mondstadt and thereby locate the source of Stormterror's power...
This was something she was actually capable of doing.
But...
How did this shopkeeper know that?
Compared to Jean, who was focused on the game's plot, Lisa was far more interested in the owner of this mobile game hall.
He looked so young, yet he possessed a depth and calmness that belied his age.
To be able to create a game with such rich content proved that he had an incredibly deep understanding of Mondstadt and of every person living within its walls.
In Lisa's mind, the only person who could achieve something like that was, perhaps...
With her suspicions about Lin Yu growing, Lisa continued to advance the game's plot.
The next steps were simple.
Now that the source of Stormterror's power had been identified, the plan was to tackle the Temples of the Four Winds one by one.
"Each character in here has their own unique skills, I see..."
"Using an 'Elemental Skill' causes 'Elemental Particles' to drop, which in turn charge the 'Elemental Burst'..."
Lisa stroked her chin with one hand as she studied the game's combat mechanics.
Even the most difficult of magical experiments were easy for Lisa to master, so the combat system of a game was naturally no challenge for her.
However, since this was her first time encountering such a thing, it took her a short while to get used to it.
Before long, she had not only grasped the combat mechanics but had even figured out Elemental Reactions.
The first dungeon involved delving into the Temple of the Falcon with Outrider Amber.
"So the temples have been made into their own independent spaces."
Lisa, of course, was unfamiliar with the concept of a "dungeon."
In the real Mondstadt, the Temple of the Falcon was a vast area.
It had long since been deserted and was rarely visited by anyone.
In the game, however, one entered a separate space through a domain gate.
"Well then, let's give this a try."
Faced with the upcoming battle, Lisa felt a surge of eagerness.