Watching Lu Heng's smile linger even after putting down his phone, Furina, nestled in his arms, couldn't help but feel curious. With a light chuckle, she asked, "What happened that made you so happy?"
"Something joyful, of course."
Furina rolled her eyes and pinched him. "That's a useless answer!"
"If I spoil it for you, it won't be as fun," Lu Heng shook his head. Even if Furina pretended not to know afterward, the subtle influence of prior knowledge would still affect her reactions.
The difference between genuine ignorance and feigned ignorance was vast. Even if the reactions seemed similar, the details would inevitably differ.
Lu Heng wasn't worried about Furina disrupting the timeline—he just didn't want to ruin the surprise. He wanted her to feel genuine anticipation and excitement when the moment arrived.
"Just wait and see," he said with a smirk. "A truly spectacular clown show is about to begin."
With that, he stood up and extended a hand to her. "Let's go. Time to head back and let the Civilization Core get to work."
"Mm~" Furina let him pull her up.
Back at the shop, the Civilization Core was busy at work. Lu Heng instructed, "Release the game later."
The mechanical voice replied without pause, "Understood!"
Furina blinked in surprise. Normally, Lu Heng wouldn't interfere with the Civilization Core's plans. But now, he was pushing for an early release—even though the mobile user base wasn't fully developed yet.
In a typical market, such a move might be seen as rushing to beat competitors. But in Teyvat's digital space, who would dare challenge Lu Heng's dominance?
Plus, Genshin Impact was originally part of the future. People would naturally be curious to see how things unfolded.
Yet now, Lu Heng had made a new decision—clearly tied to whatever had just happened.
Furina's curiosity deepened.
What could make Lu Heng so happy?
Since he wouldn't tell her, she'd have to wait and see for herself.
Sitting on the sofa, she waited.
Soon, Furina and the Great Dendro Archon returned.
"Kids should go to bed early," Lu Heng glanced at the Great Dendro Archon.
"…?"
Am I a child?
The Great Dendro Archon opened her mouth but then glanced at Furina and Furina's alternate self before silently conceding.
Fine.
In some ways, she was still an inexperienced "child."
"Then I won't disturb you. I'll take my leave!"
Her words came out in a flustered rush, her cheeks tinged pink as she scurried away on short legs.
Lu Heng turned his amused gaze to Furina.
"Huh? Why are you looking at me?"
Furina got along well with the Great Dendro Archon—mainly because no matter what she said, the Dendro Archon could always keep up with the conversation.
She had originally planned to stay up late chatting, but now…
"What about Furina?" she asked hesitantly.
"Of course, you're coming too," Furina's alternate self teased.
"T-Together?!"
One person could do nothing.
Two could play chess.
Three could play cards.
Four could play mahjong.
Wait—
Furina's face flushed crimson. "I-I'm not tired! I'll watch TV! Yeah, Genshin Impact is releasing tonight!"
She tried to slip away, but Lu Heng's hand landed on her shoulder.
"You can watch tomorrow," he said.
"Wuwu…" Furina let out a pitiful whimper.
She wasn't as shameless as her alternate self!
And so, Furina was "captured" by Lu Heng and her other self.
Following Lu Heng's instructions, the Civilization Core had already developed Genshin Impact up to the end of the Fontaine storyline, with Natlan still locked.
At 10 PM, the long-promised "Fate Game" officially launched!
The announcement sent waves across Teyvat!
People scrolling through short videos, reading novels, or watching shows produced by the Civilization Core—even those with work the next day—found time to check out the new release.
The news spread to every smartphone in Teyvat.
Liyue Border
"10 PM release? That's an odd time, isn't it?" Venti scratched his head.
From a business standpoint, a morning release would make more sense.
"Master Lu must have his reasons," Tartaglia mused.
"First, let people understand the original future. Then, compare it with the new one to see the differences!"
Zhongli nodded.
Just as mortals couldn't fathom the Geo Archon's plans, the same logic applied to Lu Heng.
"Let's not overthink it," Venti waved a hand. "Let's just play!"
The game's file size was small.
Though cities across Teyvat were lively at night, entertainment options were still limited. Now, with smartphones and the internet, night owls had more to do.
Bored?
Lu Heng had the highest authority over the Civilization Core, which in turn controlled the network.
Meanwhile, in Liyue's Yuehai Pavilion, Ningguang was playing the game on her computer.
Like many others, she pondered the implications.
If Xiao believed Zhongli's leisurely demeanor hid deeper intentions, Tartaglia's guess wasn't far off.
Lu Heng had always intended to reveal Teyvat's future—the Civilization Core had merely delayed it due to the limited number of smartphone users.
Now, with the world's future about to shift dramatically, there was no time to wait.
"The more unusual the timing, the more it suggests something significant is happening—or has already happened."
Though Lu Heng appeared young, his actions often carried profound meaning. This wasn't just about experience—it was about differences in life hierarchy, power, and status that made his next moves unpredictable.
The moment she clicked download, the game installed instantly.
Logging in automatically, the first character to appear made Venti freeze.
"The Sustainer?" Zhongli raised an eyebrow and leaned in.
"Huh? Interesting."
Tartaglia immediately had Andrei take the wheel. Though Andrei had been severely injured earlier, he'd recovered enough to drive.
The three of them studied the game in the car.
And they weren't the only ones.
Across Teyvat, nearly everyone with a smartphone—aside from those asleep or otherwise occupied—downloaded the game.
The appeal of Genshin Impact wasn't just as a game—it was a glimpse into Teyvat's future without the Card Shop's influence.
People were eager to know: What would Teyvat's fate have been without Lu Heng's intervention?
Jean, still at work in Mondstadt, immediately downloaded the game upon receiving the notification.
When people learned of the future, what would they do?
If the future was desirable, they'd strive to achieve it in an even better way.
If it was undesirable, they'd fight to change it.
What would the Knights of Favonius' fate have been in the original timeline?
Without Venti bringing Klee to heal Dvalin, how would the Stormterror crisis have unfolded?
Ningguang, though the Tianquan, was at heart a merchant.
She first considered Liyue's future as its leader, then looked for business opportunities as a merchant.
The Geo Archon's retirement was already known to the Qixing. But how would he have retired in the original future without Lu Heng's influence?
Keqing had already realized her past misconceptions.
It wasn't that Liyue needed the Geo Archon—it was that Liyue relied on his protection.
But times had changed.
If the Archon wished to retire, she would support it—by working overtime to prove Liyue's independence!
Fontaine – Palais Mermonia
"The original future…" Neuvillette already knew the broad strokes of Fontaine's fate, but many details remained unclear.
He was eager to learn more.
Additionally:
"Once the in-game storyline reaches Fontaine, Lady Furina will have to publicly acknowledge the truth about her identity."
This task originally fell to Neuvillette, but he held no resentment.
He simply hoped the matter would conclude quickly so the Oratrice could shift its focus from monitoring the Primordial Sea.
This night would be anything but peaceful.
Cyno's group had already reached the Sumeru desert, having hitched a ride on a Fontaine ship.
Though they had to disembark early, they had an off-road vehicle ordered from the Civilization Core.
With an AI assistant teaching them, Cyno and Tighnari quickly learned to drive.
"What would Sumeru's original future have been?" Tighnari wondered.
"Unknown," Cyno replied. "But one thing's certain—the Dendro Archon might have perished completely."
"True," Tighnari nodded. "I wonder what the sages were planning. Will the game reveal that?"
"Even if the Traveler's perspective doesn't show it, the Eye of Justice will," Cyno said calmly.
"Remember to remove your Akasha Terminal before re-entering the rainforest," he reminded.
"I know. I barely use it anyway," Tighnari agreed. "Let's head straight to Gandharva Ville. The sages can wait—let's see what the game reveals first."
Though Cyno's strength had greatly increased, he was still far from godhood. Charging into the Akademiya recklessly was unwise.
Gathering intel first would reduce resistance later—especially if the sages decided to act desperately.
"We should rest in Gandharva Ville for a few days," Tighnari suggested. "We've been traveling nonstop."
Even Collei, though she didn't complain, was clearly exhausted.
Cyno agreed.
Twenty kilometers beyond Liyue's border
Thud!
The car door shut as Tartaglia surveyed the scene under the headlights.
Few signs of struggle—just a large explosion mark, likely from a local Teyvat bomb.
Bending down, Tartaglia brushed a dried bloodstain on a leaf—likely from a convoy member.
Four dead, eight severely injured, six lightly wounded.
The lightly wounded were likely knocked out instantly.
Venti sniffed the wind.
"Overwhelming force."
Zhongli crouched near the roadside, spotting a faint footprint.
"Who was here?" he asked.
Andrei shook his head. "Not one of ours."
Zhongli stood. "The footprint suggests the culprit wasn't disguising their size."
"I'll check for vantage points."
Venti climbed onto the car roof, summoning the winds. Even after ten hours, traces of the assailant's energy lingered.
Two million Mora well spent. Tartaglia marveled.
Venti could extract a person's unique energy signature from the wind—something even Tartaglia couldn't easily discern.
Between Zhongli "reviewing surveillance" and Venti "analyzing DNA," they had a professional investigation team.
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T/N:
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