Player World
With the conclusion of the Liyue arc, Genshin Impact experienced a surge in popularity.
Yun Jin's performance even made it onto the national news!
Beyond China, countless overseas players also embraced the game, leading to a surge in streamers both domestically and internationally. Many established streamers, drawn by the game's immense popularity and viewership, transitioned to streaming Genshin Impact.
Chen Xiyao, known as Guojia, had been streaming Genshin Impact since its launch. Blessed with natural beauty and a knack for engaging her audience, her fanbase exploded, propelling her rapidly toward becoming a major streamer.
However, players began to notice a growing problem: Genshin Impact's updates were too infrequent.
The game typically updated every two weeks.
Each update brought a surge in viewership, but the hype quickly faded afterward.
Previously, Guojia would stream other content and play different games after completing the main storyline. Now, she preferred leading her audience on "land-clearing" expeditions.
The vast, beautiful world of Teyvat hid countless treasures, and she relished the joy of exploration.
-
Ten more days passed, and Genshin Impact received its next major update.
Teyvat
Lumine used the Teleport Waypoint, bringing Paimon from Liyue to Mondstadt in the blink of an eye.
Upon arriving in Mondstadt, the two immediately began asking around, searching for news of the golden-haired man.
Full of anticipation, Lumine finally met Dainsleif at the Angel's Share Tavern.
Disappointed that the visitor wasn't the person she'd hoped to see, Lumine couldn't bring herself to turn back empty-handed.
The story then unfolded according to the main questline: Dainsleif posed three questions to Lumine before exploring the Temple. He explained the Abyss's machinations to her, then led them to Wolvendom to search for traces of the Abyss Herald, ultimately taking them to Stormterror's Lair.
It was here that Lumine first felt Aether's presence firsthand.
Her face lit up with joy, for she now knew at least that Aether was here—he was in this world!
"Paimon, let's go."
"Huh? Where are we going?" Paimon asked.
"Back to Liyue."
Paimon scratched her head. "Um, shouldn't we visit Rola first? It's been ages since we last saw her!"
Lumine considered it. Since they were already in Mondstadt, it would be a pity not to see Rola.
"Alright, let's go find Rola!"
"Yeah!"
Whether by sheer luck or fate, the moment they approached Dawn Winery, they spotted Venti and Rola.
Paimon began waving her tiny hand from a distance, calling out:
"Rola! And the bard! Look over here!"
"Oh, it's little Paimon!"
Rola turned and ran toward them.
"I never expected to see you two here! You're back! How was Liyue? Did you see Qingge? I heard you became great heroes there!"
"Just as I'd expect from you two—causing such a stir wherever you go!"
Paimon puffed up with pride, grinning foolishly with her big teeth.
Venti: "Hello there, Traveler."
Curious, Lumine asked Venti, "Venti, what are you and Rola doing here?"
Before Venti could answer, Rola explained, "Lord Venti is teaching me how to use Elemental Power!"
"The bard actually doing something useful for once. Now that's rare."
"Ehe~"
After chatting for a while, Lumine and Paimon prepared to return to Liyue. They still had unfinished business there.
Live Stream Comments:
[Another glimpse of my adorable little angel Rola! So heartwarming!]
[Venti seems really fond of Rola. Not like that kind of fondness, of course.]
[Ha ha! You should check out Venti's backstory. Rola secretly stole Diluc's prized wine from home for him. No wonder he adores her!]
[Poor big bro Diluc! His little sister raided the family stash!]
-
Liyue.
At the Adventurer's Guild, Lumine and Paimon encountered Ganyu, who was currently speaking with Lan, the guild's branch master.
As the two approached, they learned about recent unusual activities by Treasure Hoarders in both Liyue and Mondstadt, seemingly connected to the Abyss.
Ganyu explained why she was there:
"Liyue has been facing major upheavals recently. The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Millelith are both overwhelmed, leaving them unable to deal with these rumored Treasure Hoarder operations."
"But my intuition tells me that anything related to the Abyss harbors unknown threats... So, I came to the Adventurer's Guild to post a quest."
After Ganyu finished, Paimon immediately puffed out her chest and declared confidently:
"Alright, we'll take this quest!"
"Thank you," Ganyu replied.
-
Player World.
[We Will Be Reunited]
The quest title is quite odd. Does it mean we'll finally reunite with Lumine/Aether?
For some unknown reason, Genshin Impact never had any previews; new quests just suddenly appeared after updates.
Still, this didn't diminish its popularity.
Guojia sipped her milk tea, meticulously advancing the plot while occasionally glancing at the live stream chat to interact with her viewers, completely unaware of what awaited her next.
Of course, neither her viewers nor any of the other players knew what was coming.
-
Teyvat Continent
Following a trail of clues, Lumine and Paimon arrived at an ancient ruin.
As soon as Lumine stepped inside, she felt a deep unease, her instincts urging her to flee immediately.
"Something's wrong here. Stick close to me, Paimon," she warned.
Paimon, sensing the ominous atmosphere, nodded gravely.
As they slowly approached the ruin's center, Lumine's sense of foreboding grew heavier.
Players experiencing the scene through Lumine's perspective felt a growing unease as Lumine and Paimon ventured deeper.
The surroundings increasingly resembled scenes from a horror film. Coupled with the occasional blurring of the screen to emphasize the Traveler's mounting dread, some timid players even hesitated to continue exploring.
[Mihoyo, you've genuinely scared me!]
[This is a 16+ game, right? There shouldn't be any graphic horror scenes, right?]
[Ugh...]
-
Inside the Domain:
"Traveler, do you think something scary will suddenly jump out at us here?" Paimon cowered behind Lumine, cautiously scanning their surroundings.
Having lived for many years, Lumine trusted her own judgment and slowly led Paimon deeper into the Domain.
Gradually, they reached a platform.
As they approached, Paimon's eyes widened at the scene before them. She pointed at a figure ahead, her voice trembling:
"Th-that... looks like a person!"
"Could it be... the Grand Thief?"
"Is he... praying to something?"
The figure knelt at the edge of the platform in a grotesquely twisted position, blood streaming from his seven orifices—a truly horrifying sight.
Suddenly, the object of his worship stirred, startling both Lumine and Paimon.
When they finally made out what it was, their hearts pounded in their chests.
"Th-that... that's..."
Lumine stepped forward, shielding Paimon:
"It's... a Statue of The Seven? A bizarre sight I've never encountered before..."
Before them hung upside down: Venti's Statue of The Seven.