Inside the Knights of Favonius headquarters, Kaeya was reporting the results of his mission to Jean.
"It's truly remarkable, Acting Grand Master Jean."
"How did you know that the source of Stormterror's power was located in that abandoned temple?" Kaeya asked, puzzled.
Usually, it was they who gathered intelligence to report to Jean, who would then make a decision.
This time, however, Jean had directly provided them with both the intelligence and the directive.
That was how Kaeya was able to eliminate the source of Stormterror's power so efficiently.
With this done, Stormterror should calm down for a little while.
"I obtained the intelligence from a mobile game hall in Mondstadt," Jean answered.
"A mobile game hall?"
Kaeya was taken aback.
That was a term he had never heard before.
"It's a long story. But for now, I'll have to trouble you to clear out the residual power in the other two temples."
"Hey now, Acting Grand Master. I just got back to Mondstadt. I haven't even had a chance to rest."
"Didn't you just say that the Hilichurls and Slimes in the temple were barely enough to get you warmed up?"
"Ah, this…"
A helpless expression crossed Kaeya's face.
It seemed he had dug his own grave.
Who would have known that Stormterror was drawing power from more than one domain? Besides its own temple, the other three all had residual sources of power.
Just then, there were three soft knocks on the office door.
"Lisa, is that you? Come in!"
"Jean, I have the latest intelligence. The truth behind Stormterror's betrayal of Mondstadt."
Lisa got straight to the point.
Standing beside them, Kaeya's heart skipped a beat.
Since when did Lisa have her own intelligence network?
And to come bearing such a "grand gift" right off the bat.
Kaeya was no outsider, so Lisa spoke directly: "The reason for Dvalin's rampage is because he was subjected to the curse and corruption of an Abyss Mage during his long slumber."
"An Abyss Mage… Damn it… So it really was them…"
A grave look appeared on Jean's face.
She sat down at her desk, contemplating their next move.
Kaeya, meanwhile, approached Lisa and asked in a low voice, "Lisa, where did you get this information?"
"From that mobile game hall, of course."
Lisa glanced at Kaeya before walking towards the bookshelves, clearly having no intention of playing the role of an explainer.
"Mobile game hall…"
Kaeya muttered the words under his breath. Soon, a smile touched his lips.
It seemed that while he was away, something interesting had appeared in Mondstadt.
---o---
In the evening, as the people of Mondstadt finished their day's work, the number of customers coming to experience the mobile game grew significantly.
All thirty-plus machines in the hall were occupied. New players were actively chatting with those who had been playing for a while.
It was starting to have the distinct atmosphere of an internet cafe.
Eula was constantly checking her notebook, occasionally glancing up at the clock on the wall to calculate whose time was about to end so she could go and remind them.
Although it was hectic, Eula carried out her duties in an orderly manner.
These customers were all young people from well-off families, open to trying new things, and they didn't pay much mind to Eula's family background.
Those who liked to discriminate were usually not doing so well in life themselves.
At a seat by the window, a young girl with a red, bunny-ear-like hairband was concentrating intently, operating her character in the game.
Eula walked over to the girl with a tray, smiled, and placed a glass of orange juice on her table.
"Amber, this is from our boss."
Hearing this, Amber put down her phone and looked curiously towards the counter.
"Just who in the world is your boss? This game actually has me in it, and as a controllable character, no less!"
On Amber's screen, she was controlling her in-game self, paused in a shooting stance.
"And the likeness is so perfect! Ugh, it makes me wonder if I somehow accidentally ran into this mobile game myself."
Eula gave a resigned smile.
"I don't know either. I just started working here today. It's not just you; even the Acting Grand Master is paying very close attention to him."
Amber shrugged her shoulders.
There was nothing she could do about it.
But she had to admit, she had gained an unprecedentedly novel experience from this game.
Amber was a curious girl. She wasn't as obsessed with advancing the game's plot as others were; instead, she was exploring the game's various functions.
She tried out the different menu options in the top-right corner of the interface one by one.
Soon, she clicked into the [Wish] interface.
Against a background of the sky, the figures of Jean and Diluc, holding a one-handed sword and a greatsword respectively, were emblazoned on a banner.
[Standard Wish - Wanderlust Invocation…]
[Every 10 wishes guarantees a 4-star or above item. There is a small chance to obtain the 5-star characters [Darknight Hero · Diluc], [Dandelion Knight · Jean], and the [Skyward Blade] weapon series…]
After a brief moment of stunned silence to process the meaning of the words, Amber suddenly drew in a sharp breath.
It wasn't out of fear, but from a massive, delightful shock!
After completing the quest to clear the Temples of the Four Winds, the four-person party was officially formed.
It consisted of the Anemo-elemental protagonist, the Traveler; the Pyro-elemental Amber; the Cryo-elemental Kaeya; and the Electro-elemental Lisa.
Essentially all the players had assumed that these were the game's four playable characters.
But now, this text was clearly stating that there weren't just four!
There were many more unrevealed characters, including the 5-star characters Diluc and Acting Grand Master Jean!
Amber couldn't help but share this news with the person next to her.
It first caused a ripple of shock among those seated nearby, and then it attracted the attention of every player in the hall.
"Amber made a major discovery!"
"This game has more than just four characters!"
"You can even pull for Acting Grand Master Jean and Master Diluc!"
In an instant, the mobile game hall erupted.