Genshin Impact: Villain Impact

"Where did this doll come from?" Lucas asked, feeling a bit frantic. "Could it have been stolen from Raiden Shogun's stash?"

[I figured she wasn't using it anyway...]

So it was stolen!

This system is too sneaky! System rewards that are stolen? Did you pickpocket or something?

[Relax, Raiden Shogun's storage is filled with abandoned dolls. It probably won't be noticed.]

"'Probably won't be noticed…'" Lucas mumbled, suddenly realizing something. He quickly started inspecting Raiden Mai's body.

[As expected of you, not even sparing a doll]

"I knew it!" Lucas pushed aside Raiden Mai's long hair, pointing to a serial number on the back of her neck. "Look, this doll is numbered. If Raiden Shogun ever decides to clean out her inventory, she's definitely going to notice one is missing! System, what should I do?"

[...Oh, hey, isn't that our neighbor Duoshan? He's gotten so tall since I last saw him. Come here, let me hug you!]

"You're just a system! Don't try to act like you've bumped into an old friend! Just send this thing back before Raiden Shogun notices!" Lucas smacked his forehead in frustration and squinted at the number on the back of Raiden Mai's neck. "The serial number is… LD-0413?"

The moment Lucas finished speaking, the doll suddenly sprang to life, flipping off the bed like a fish leaping out of water. In a mechanical voice, it spoke, "Serial number LD-0413, officially activated. Voice source confirmed. Owner recognition progress: 1%... 50%... 100%, ownership confirmed!"

After saying this, Raiden Mai turned her gaze to Lucas and said, "Pleased to meet you, my master."

A cold sweat began to trickle down Lucas's forehead.

He had thought that if the system returned the doll quickly enough, maybe it wouldn't be a big deal. 

But now, it seemed this doll had already recognized him as its master.

[Ownership confirmed. It seems there's no going back now.]

"Uh..." Lucas awkwardly said to Raiden Mai, "Can you… please do a factory reset?"

"This command is not understood," Raiden Mai replied, expressionless. "Please give a more specific command, Master."

Looks like she can't be reset. Of course, this is a doll, not a smartphone.

"Never mind..." Lucas sighed. "Can you power down?"

After all, suddenly having a living doll around wasn't easy to manage. Now that the situation was set, the best option was to hide her somewhere no one would find.

"Power down?" Raiden Mai tried to process the request. "Does Master wish for LD-0413 to initiate the self-destruct sequence?"

"No, no, no!" Lucas quickly shook his head. "That's not what I meant."

[Tsk tsk, if she self-destructs, all your problems would be solved. You're too soft-hearted.]

It was true. If Raiden Mai self-destructed, there wouldn't be any evidence left behind. 

But Lucas just couldn't treat this doll, which looked so much like a real person, as a mere emotionless machine.

"Wait!"

An idea popped into Lucas's mind. He stretched out his hand, and in his palm appeared a delicate "teapot," which quickly grew larger as it spun in his hand—it was the "Serenitea Pot," a reward he had received from a loot box earlier.

The Serenitea Pot's effect was that it provided an "independent space" outside of Teyvat. If Raiden Mai were "stored" here, she would have no chance of being discovered.

This was the first time Lucas had used the Serenitea Pot since receiving it.

"Enter the Serenitea Pot!"

With Lucas's command, both he and Raiden Mai were sucked into the pot together.

The sensation was similar to entering immersive mode.

Before him was a beautiful landscape, complete with grasslands, forests, mountains, hills, and streams… everything you could think of.

In the game, the "Serenitea Pot Realm" was just a platform surrounded by unreachable boundaries.

But here, it felt like a true miniature world.

The sight brought back memories for Lucas of his time grinding to craft furniture and buildings in the game.

Lucas instructed, "You can live here for now."

"Understood," Raiden Mai responded mechanically, "Please give me a task, Master."

"A task?" Lucas scratched his cheek. "There's nothing I really need you to do..."

At those words, a hint of disappointment seemed to flicker in Raiden Mai's eyes.

Unlike Raiden Shogun, she didn't have much of her own consciousness. But for a "machine" like her, being idle for too long was a cruel fate.

"Ahem," Lucas thought for a moment and then said, "Why don't you build some houses here?"

He wasn't particularly keen on creating a vacation resort inside the pot, he just wanted to give Raiden Mai something to do so she wouldn't get bored.

"Understood!" Raiden Mai's spirits seemed to lift at the new task. She turned around and approached a large tree. A blade shot out from her smooth arm, and with a swift slash, she cut the tree clean in half.

Then, she retracted the blade, and from her other arm, a chainsaw emerged with a buzzing sound, and she began sawing the wood into pieces.

Her movements were so fluid and skilled that Lucas couldn't help but think of a master craftsman.

Wow, this isn't a doll, it's a full-on Swiss army knife.

Raiden Shogun really knows how to make advanced stuff—Inazuma's tech is definitely the best in Teyvat.

...

Meanwhile, over in Mondstadt, the Knights of Favonius had their own little incident.

Though it was late at night, the light in the Acting Grand Master's office was still on. For Jean, working through the night was nothing unusual.

*Knock knock knock...*

Suddenly, there was a light knock at the door.

"Come in," Jean said, rubbing her tired eyes. "The door isn't locked."

The door opened softly, and standing there, looking a bit distraught, was Barbara.

"Barbara?" Jean was surprised. "What brings you here so late?"

"I... I had a strange dream," Barbara said, wiping away the tears still lingering in the corners of her eyes. "Tonight, can I sleep with you, Sister?"

Unlike the storyline in the simulator, in reality, Jean and Barbara were still sisters. However, due to their parents' differing views, they parted ways at a young age. 

Jean remained with the Gunnhildr family, receiving a traditional knight's education. She exhibited impressive talent from an early age and was blessed with a Vision. Now, at a young age, she had already become the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius.

Meanwhile, Barbara followed their father, Seamus Pegg, and became a nun at the Church of Favonius.

Despite being separated from a young age, the bond between the two sisters remained strong. Still, for various reasons, they usually refrained from calling each other sisters in public.

Jean wanted to remind Barbara of this, but seeing her pitiful expression, she softened and gently asked, "Is it another nightmare about the Stormterror attacking Mondstadt?"

No, that wasn't it at all!

Barbara wasn't as fragile as she seemed. In the dream where she became an idol, her sister had been severely injured and lay in a coma. In the end, Barbara had to help her sister end her life.

So, upon waking from the dream, the first thing Barbara thought of was rushing to see her sister. Only after confirming that Jean was safe and sound did Barbara finally feel relieved.

However, the content of the dream was far too shameful to share, so she nodded and said, "Y-yes, it was about the Stormterror."

"Don't worry," Jean comforted her. "Miss Keqing from Liyue Harbor just sent a letter saying they are preparing to send weapons and equipment. When the time comes, I will lead the Knights of Favonius, along with the warriors of the family, to defeat Stormterror and restore peace to Mondstadt."

Recalling the events of her dream, where Jean was gravely injured in the battle against Stormterror, Barbara blurted out, "No, you can't!"

"W-why not?" Jean was surprised. Barbara was usually calm and gentle, and it was rare for her to react so emotionally.

"It's n-nothing," Barbara said, trying to calm herself. "I'm just afraid you might get hurt."

"Don't worry. I'll be fine, and so will everyone else," Jean reassured her. Then, as if remembering something, she added, "By the way, I might be a bit busy over the next couple of days. Could you help receive the representative coming from Liyue?"

"Of course!" Barbara nodded and smiled. "I'd be happy to help ease your workload, Sister."

A representative from Liyue, huh?

Barbara looked out at the bright moon shining through the window, curious. What kind of person would it be?

...

The next morning.

At dawn, Lucas set out with a convoy carrying the equipment from Liyue Harbor.

If traveling alone on horseback at top speed, one could reach Mondstadt in a day. However, with the convoy, the journey would take much longer—at least two days.

The trade route between Liyue and Mondstadt was generally safe, though occasionally there were attacks by monsters or treasure hoarders.

Recently, there had even been rumors of mutated monsters becoming more aggressive. Some people claimed to have encountered slimes ten times their usual size or Whopperflowers capable of extending vines to ensnare targets.

Both the Millelith and the Adventurers' Guild had dispatched people to investigate, but no significant discoveries had been made.

Some even speculated that these rumors were spread by convoy companies to inflate their prices.

Indeed, Liyue had dedicated convoy companies responsible for transporting goods or protecting merchants. However, this time, Keqing hadn't hired any mercenaries.

First, she trusted Lucas's abilities. Second, she had already planted several skilled individuals within the convoy, and on top of that, Zhang Luo, the man who had introduced Lucas to Keqing, was also accompanying them. He had extensive experience in commerce and was more than capable of handling any emergencies that might arise.

By noon, the convoy had already traveled dozens of miles.

"Brother Lucas, I knew I wasn't wrong about you," Zhang Luo said, riding beside him with a look of admiration. "You've gained Miss Keqing's trust so quickly."

"I've just been lucky," Lucas replied modestly with a smile. "Besides, if I hadn't met you, I probably wouldn't have this opportunity."

"Well, Brother Lucas, when you make it big, don't forget about me," Zhang Luo laughed heartily. "At this pace, we should reach Mondstadt by tomorrow afternoon. When we get there, I'll treat you to drinks at the Cat's Tail."

"Isn't 'Angel's Share' the more famous tavern in Mondstadt?" Lucas asked curiously.

"Master Diluc's tavern does have excellent wine," Zhang Luo nodded, "but if you haven't tried Miss Diona's special cocktails, you'd regret it for the rest of your life."

"Oh, by the way," Lucas suddenly asked, "what do you think of the recent rumors about 'monster mutations' in the area?"

"I haven't seen anything like that myself," Zhang Luo stroked his chin, "but according to my sources, there have been reports of strange Hilichurls in the area."

"Strange Hilichurls?" Lucas frowned. "Aren't all Hilichurls strange?"

"No, I mean like female Hilichurls who look almost human," Zhang Luo said with a mysterious grin. "It's said they knock out strong men with wooden clubs and carry them away. There have been more than a dozen cases of men disappearing around here."

"Seriously?" Lucas felt a chill down his spine. "Why would they kidnap men?"

"No one knows for sure. Some say it's to kill them for food," Zhang Luo shook his head. "Others say they're taken as slaves. Who knows?"

Lucas nodded thoughtfully, but he still couldn't picture what a Hilichurl that looked like a human woman would be like.

"Let's take a break and grab a bite to eat here."

The convoy halted beside a lake, and Lucas ordered the group to rest for a while.

However, just as he took a sip of water, a faint cry for help came from the nearby forest. "Help… help!"

"Someone's calling for help?" Lucas was startled. "Zhang Luo, did you hear that?"

"Brother Lucas, it's best not to get involved," Zhang Luo replied calmly, waving his hand. "In a place like this, hearing someone suddenly cry for help is very suspicious, don't you think?"

Lucas was kind-hearted but not foolish. He quickly realized that Zhang Luo had a point.

"As the saying goes, 'Don't enter the forest, and don't cross water,'" Zhang Luo continued. "There could be a trap set up in there."

Lucas nodded, but the cries for help continued, growing weaker and more pitiful.

Eventually, Lucas couldn't suppress his instincts any longer. He stood up and said, "Brother Zhang, you stay here and rest. I'll go check it out. Don't worry, with my skills, even if I run into danger, I can handle myself."

Lucas wasn't bragging. Even though he lacked combat experience, the rewards he had accumulated were more than enough to handle strong enemies.

"Sigh."

Zhang Luo shook his head with a wry smile. "Brother Lucas, you're too kind-hearted for your own good. You'll suffer for it one day. But fine, I can't stop you. Just remember, if anything goes wrong, call for help immediately."

Zhang Luo had faith in Lucas's abilities. Besides, there were plenty of skilled fighters in the convoy, so even if Lucas left for a while, they could still fend off any threats.

"Thanks!"

With that, Lucas quickly headed into the forest.

Though the cries were faint now, he followed the sound deeper into the woods.

There, hanging upside down from the branch of a large tree, was a blonde girl!

----

However, the girl's attire seemed quite peculiar—almost like an overly elaborate cosplay outfit.

Not only that, she wore a black eyepatch, leaving only one emerald-green eye visible, gleaming like jade.

Of course, since she was hanging upside down, her dress wasn't defying gravity like those you see in anime. As a result, her delicate and beautiful figure was fully exposed in front of Lucas.

"W-where are you looking?!" The blonde girl, realizing her embarrassing situation, started to wriggle and blushed as she said, "Hurry up and release me, your princess commands it!"

"Oh... oh, right!"

Snapping back to reality, Lucas reached out toward the thick branch she was hanging from. With a snap, the branch—about as thick as a bowl—broke off, causing the girl to immediately fall.

This was thanks to the [Dendro God Gene] ability within Lucas, which allowed him to control plants to a certain extent. A mere branch like this was no challenge.

"Ahhhh!"

The girl screamed as she fell, but Lucas quickly leaped forward and caught her safely in his arms.

[You've gained 1,000 virtue points!]

It seemed this trip wasn't in vain after all.

"Don't worry," Lucas said gently. "You're safe now."

The girl cautiously opened her eyes, muttering, "That… that was terrifying…"

But halfway through her sentence, she suddenly cleared her throat and, with a deeper, more dramatic voice, continued, "I, who descended from another realm, fell from the heavens unscathed. This height is nothing to someone like me…"

"Is that so?" Lucas responded with a slightly awkward smile. "However…"

Drip…

Golden droplets fell from her clothes onto the ground, shattering into sparkling fragments.

The girl stiffened and looked down at the small puddle forming beneath her. Her already flushed cheeks from hanging upside down grew even redder.

"D-don't misunderstand!" the girl's face was now hot enough to fry an egg. "That's just… just my sweat!"

"It seems you have quite the, uh, active sweat glands," Lucas said, trying to ease her embarrassment. "There's a spring over there. Why don't you wash up?"

...

The girl had now immersed herself in the cool spring water. Separated by a large rock, she began to explain her situation to Lucas.

"I, Fischl, am the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, Sovereign of Immernachtreich" the girl introduced herself, her teeth slightly chattering as she spoke. "After descending into this realm, I've disguised myself as an investigator for the Adventurers Guild."

As expected...

Lucas had already guessed her identity.

After all, with her eccentric outfit, eyepatch, and the way she referred to herself as "Prinzessin," it was hard not to think of Fischl from the game.

Strangely, though, Fischl's familiar, Oz, wasn't with her.

In the game, Fischl was a full-fledged "chuunibyou" (delusional teenager). She was deeply immersed in her own fantasy world, firmly believing herself to be the heroine from the fictional novel The Chronicles of the Princess Fischl.

"So, you're the Prinzessin?" Lucas said, playing along. "It's an honor to meet you. My name is Lucas, and I'm from Liyue."

"W-what did you call me?" Fischl's voice wavered, though it was unclear whether it was from the cold or excitement.

"Prinzessin… der Verurteilung?" Lucas repeated.

"Y-yes! It seems you're not like the ordinary fools," Fischl said, clearly pleased. Then, suddenly, she seemed to realize something. "Oz, look! Someone who recognizes my identity… Wait! Where's my familiar?!"

It was only then that Fischl realized her familiar, Oz, was nowhere to be found. She jumped out of the spring in a panic, shouting, "Oz! Where are you? Your princess summons you…"

However, instead of Oz, what greeted her was Lucas, standing there awkwardly.

"Um…"

Lucas quickly averted his gaze. "Prinzessin, perhaps you should put on some clothes first. I've prepared clean ones—they're right by the spring."

Oh no...

The Prinzessin had just been seen completely exposed!

In her panic, Fischl had completely forgotten there was a strange man nearby.

But no, this wouldn't do. If she screamed like any ordinary girl, he might think less of her. After all, he was one of the rare people who genuinely believed she was the Prinzessin der Verurteilung.

"Don't worry," Lucas reassured her. "I didn't see anything."

"Ahem, it wouldn't matter even if you did," Fischl said, trying to suppress her embarrassment. She crossed her arms and added, "After all, it's just a mere mortal body."

"I get it" Lucas said, laughing awkwardly. "Please, just put on your clothes"

Since her original outfit was soaked with "sweat," Fischl couldn't wear it anymore. Lucas had exchanged some women's clothes from the Virtue Points Shop.

Fischl's comment on the new clothes was direct: "My royal attire is woven from the feathers of a thousand black swans. This mundane fabric will only stifle my power."

"Well, you'll just have to make do for now, Prinzessin," Lucas shrugged, then asked, "By the way, the 'Oz' you mentioned—is that your companion?"

"Yes, he's my most loyal familiar," Fischl replied, clenching her fists. "He must have been captured by those Hilichurls who drank the blood of demons."

"Hilichurls who drank demon blood?" Lucas asked, puzzled. "Is that a new kind of Hilichurl?"

"They're a devious lot!" Fischl fumed. "Not only do they look like humans, but they also use underhanded tactics. They ambushed me while I was meditating!"

Meditating?

It seemed more like she'd been sleeping when they attacked...

"But why didn't those Hilichurls capture or hurt you? Why just tie you up here?" Lucas rubbed his chin. Then, realizing something, he exclaimed, "Oh no! It's a diversion!"

With that, he quickly bolted back toward the convoy.

"Wait for me!" Fischl frowned and hurried after him.

...

"What… what happened?"

Lucas was stunned by what he saw when they returned to the convoy.

The reason was simple…

All the weapons and equipment were still there, untouched.

But the people guarding the convoy had vanished without a trace.

Although the cargo wasn't gold or silver, the high-quality weapons could still fetch a hefty price.

This indicated that the attackers true goal had been to capture people from the start.

Lucas couldn't help but remember the conversation he'd had with Zhang Luo earlier. Several adult men had gone missing in the area recently. Could this really be the work of Hilichurls?

But could simple-minded Hilichurls really come up with a plan to lure them away using a fake distress call?

"It looks like those Hilichurls were behind this," Fischl said, pointing at the footprints on the ground. "The tracks are fresh. These Hilichurls, although their bodies have changed, still don't wear shoes."

"Can you track them?" Lucas asked.

"Of course! I'm Mondstadt's best investigator!" Fischl puffed out her chest proudly. "Lucas, would you be willing to form a contract with me?"

"A contract?" Lucas asked, confused. "What kind of contract?"

"Temporarily become my familiar and follow my orders," Fischl said, striking a somewhat embarrassing pose. "I can help you find the Hilichurls hideout, and you'll help me defeat them… Not that I need help, but those filthy creatures aren't worthy of my power."

Her words weren't entirely boastful.

Though she had a Vision, Fischl's combat abilities weren't particularly strong. However, thanks to her ability to share vision with Oz, she had a distinct advantage as an investigator.

Many of the key intelligence reports for both the Adventurers Guild and the Knights of Favonius came from Fischl and Oz.

Her mission at the Mondstadt border was to investigate the rumored mutated Hilichurls, but she hadn't expected to be ambushed and used as bait—nor to lose her familiar.

Even without Oz, Fischl's experience as an investigator had equipped her with excellent tracking skills.

"Very well" Lucas agreed without hesitation. "Prinzessin, I will gladly serve as your ally, for now."

"I'm looking forward to your performance," Fischl replied, her cheeks flushing slightly as she looked at Lucas's gentle smile. "If you do well, I might even consider promoting you to a permanent position."

As for the convoy's equipment, Lucas considered storing it in the Serenitea Pot, but it wouldn't go in.

The Serenitea Pot followed its own set of "rules." For non-living items, only things that belonged to the owner could be stored inside. The convoy's cargo clearly wasn't Lucas's property.

The Serenitea Pot, being an artifact crafted by an adeptus, had rules in place to prevent anyone from using it for malicious purposes.

...

Fischl's investigative skills were impressive. Using the traces left by the Hilichurls, they soon spotted a camp in the distance. The uniquely shaped watchtower was unmistakably a Hilichurl outpost.

"Strange…" Fischl murmured, peering through binoculars. "I've investigated dozens of Hilichurl camps, but this one seems different. It's much larger, and the buildings aren't as crude… Damn, when did these creatures learn to build with stone?"

Before she could finish speaking, Lucas covered her mouth and pulled her into the bushes.

"Someone's coming."

Sure enough, two Hilichurls, armed with wooden clubs, were patrolling around the camp.

But when Lucas saw them, his eyes widened in disbelief.

From their masks and weapons to their gait, everything resembled typical Hilichurls. But the odd part was that their bodies were not like the usual emaciated Hilichurls. Instead, they had the figures of normal human women.

The only difference was their slightly tanned skin, which gave them a healthy bronze hue. Moreover, their well-toned, athletic bodies had very defined curves—slim where they should be and… rather well-endowed in other areas.

[Picture here]

Simply put, these two Hilichurls had surprisingly attractive figures.

"Tsk, tsk," Fischl whispered, clicking her tongue. "Where exactly are you looking? Your eyes are practically falling out."

"N-nothing…" Lucas stammered, embarrassed. "But… are you sure these are really Hilichurls?"

Lucas had encountered Hilichurls in this world before.

Compared to the two in front of him, there was no real resemblance—not even close.

In theory, there were tribal differences among Hilichurls, but those differences were usually minor. Some had darker skin, and some were more muscular.

But these two Hilichurls? If someone told Lucas they were humans in cosplay, he might believe them.

"To be honest, I also found it unbelievable when I first saw them," Fischl nodded. "But considering that some Hilichurl tribes have unique individuals like 'Hilichurl Berserkers,' it's not impossible for other special forms to exist, right?"

That was true. In Hilichurl tribes, stronger Hilichurls would grow in size, eventually becoming the more powerful "Hilichurl Berserkers." It was a form of natural selection, survival of the fittest.

But what was the point of evolving into something like this? Just to be easier on the eyes?

"In any case, saving the people—and of course, the bird—is the priority," Lucas said, his eyes lighting up with an idea. "We don't know the situation inside the camp yet, so why don't we disguise ourselves and sneak in?"

"Disguise?" Fischl asked, puzzled. "How do we do that?"

"Wait here," Lucas said, cracking his knuckles. "I'll go remove their helmets first."

Without waiting for a response, Lucas silently slipped out of the bushes. Taking advantage of the Hilichurls' lack of awareness, he swiftly struck the neck of one with a chop. The Hilichurl didn't even make a sound before collapsing unconscious.

The other Hilichurl quickly noticed something was wrong. She raised her wooden club and swung it at Lucas with all her might.

Wooden clubs were the most common weapons among Hilichurls, requiring little to no craftsmanship. But the club in this Hilichurl's hand had a dozen iron spikes embedded in it, turning it into a spiked mace.

Although Hilichurls were generally shorter than adult humans, they possessed surprising strength. Despite the female form, this Hilichurl wielded the heavy mace with ease.

Lucas deftly stepped back a few paces, dodging the blow. The mace slammed into the ground with a loud thud, leaving a large crater.

However, instead of getting frustrated after missing, the Hilichurl's eyes—hidden behind her mask—seemed to glimmer with excitement. She muttered, "Man… strong… chief likes… give to her… reward… a lot…"

To Lucas's surprise, the Hilichurl spoke human language. Though her speech was awkward and stilted, he understood the gist of it.

She wanted to capture him for her chief.

Before he could react, the excited Hilichurl swung her spiked mace at him again, charging forward with reckless abandon. Her attacks lacked any form or technique, but her immense strength and speed made her a formidable opponent.

Unfortunately for her, that was only against ordinary humans.

This time, instead of dodging, Lucas raised his arm and blocked her attack head-on.

The spikes pierced his skin, and he felt a sharp pain, but thanks to the ability [Charging First], the pain transformed into something else—a sense of power, a surge of "Heroic Intent."

----- 

"Charging Fist!" 

Lucas raised his glowing fist and smashed it into the spiked mace. The sheer force shattered the mace instantly, and the energy from his punch surged like a wild beast, sending the Hilichurl flying.

With a thud, the Hilichurl crashed into a tree and fainted, muttering something barely audible that sounded like…

"So good…"

Wait, was this some kind of masochist Hilichurl tribe?

"Amazing!" 

Fischl suddenly emerged from the bushes, exclaiming before quickly regaining her composure. She tried to act nonchalant and said, "N-no surprise, given that you're the familiar I've chosen."

"Well, let's borrow their outfits for now," Lucas said, hesitating slightly as he removed one of the Hilichurls' masks.

He had hesitated because he feared that such a well-proportioned body might be paired with a grotesque face, which would be a real shock.

But to his surprise, the face beneath the mask looked almost entirely human, except for two long, rabbit-like ears on top of her head.

Curious, Lucas tugged gently at one of the ears. The unconscious Hilichurl flinched slightly, indicating it was real.

So, these weren't fake…

But why had Hilichurls transformed into this?

"What are you doing, standing there?" Fischl's voice broke his train of thought. "Didn't you say we'd disguise ourselves as Hilichurls?"

When Lucas turned around, he saw that Fischl had already changed into one of the Hilichurl outfits.

However, the oversized spiked mace seemed too heavy for her to carry, and more awkwardly, the chest wraps worn by the Hilichurls were far too loose on Fischl, whose figure wasn't as well-endowed.

As expected… she couldn't fill it out…

"Hey…" Fischl suddenly squinted her eyes. "You're not thinking something rude, are you?"

"N-no, nothing like that!" Lucas quickly changed the subject. "But, Prinzessin, your skin tone doesn't quite match these Hilichurls'. Couldn't that be a problem?"

Indeed, while the Hilichurls had a tanned complexion, Fischl's skin was fair and pale, making the contrast rather obvious.

"Don't underestimate an investigator's preparations," Fischl said, pulling out a bottle that resembled foundation from her belt. "This is camouflage paint. It can temporarily change the color of my skin."

As she spoke, she applied some of the paint to her arm, instantly turning her snow-white skin into a shade of light brown.

It made sense that an investigator like Fischl would carry such tools for disguise.

"My familiar, accept the first command from your Prinzessin," Fischl said with a slightly embarrassed expression. "Help me… apply it to my back."

The camouflage paint was only applied to exposed skin, and since Hilichurl outfits consisted of a chest wrap and skirt, Fischl's back was mostly exposed. With no way to reach her own back, and without Oz to assist, she had no choice but to ask Lucas for help.

Lucas didn't overthink it. He grabbed the paint and began applying it to Fischl's smooth, pale back.

"G-gently!" Fischl blushed. "Though I'm powerful, my mortal body is still quite sensitive."

Despite her strong words, the rough sensation of his fingers brushing against her skin sent shivers through her, like an electric current running down her spine.

Not that ordinary electricity would affect someone like Fischl, who had an Electro Vision.

"Uh…" Lucas asked suddenly. "Do I need to apply it under the chest wrap as well?"

"D-don't even think about it!" Fischl stammered. "It's fine—nothing will show through the wrap."

Lucas agreed; besides, it felt inappropriate to even ask something like that.

And so, the two of them finished their "odd" Hilichurl disguises—one with a strong, muscular build, and the other much more slender.

Fortunately, both wore the Hilichurls' oversized masks, making their appearance less conspicuous.

Now, they could only hope the Hilichurls weren't clever enough to see through their "poor" disguise.

Mimicking the Hilichurls' unique, clumsy walking pattern, the two made their way to the entrance of the camp.

Just as Fischl had said, the camp was well hidden but much larger than most Hilichurl camps. The two female Hilichurls guarding the entrance didn't seem to notice anything odd about the "unusual" pair in front of them and nodded, allowing them in.

Inside, the camp didn't look much different from a typical Hilichurl camp, aside from being cleaner. Not far away, animals like boars were enclosed in a pen, and if it weren't for the large Hilichurl totem in the center, the place might have been mistaken for a peaceful, remote village.

"This place is strange…" Fischl whispered, scanning the area. "Why are there only female Hilichurls here?"

Generally, Hilichurls didn't have obvious gender distinctions, and some scholars even believed they didn't have genders at all, as no one had ever observed them reproducing.

Fischl thought that even if these Hilichurls had mutated into humanoid forms, there should still be both males and females. Yet, so far, they hadn't seen a single male.

As a transmigrator, Lucas knew that most Hilichurls were originally the cursed remnants of Khaenri'ah, an ancient civilization destroyed 500 years ago. These cursed people had been transformed into the Hilichurl-like creatures wandering Teyvat.

Hilichurls didn't truly die in the conventional sense. If killed, they would return to the ley lines and eventually "revive" through them.

In other words, the Hilichurls wandering Teyvat today were all over 500 years old.

So, the transformation of these Hilichurls into humanoid forms wasn't exactly a mutation. It was more like a form of atavism.

(AN: Atavism = reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence.)

Suddenly, a loud horn echoed through the camp. One of the Hilichurls lowered the horn and shouted, "The chief, come out! The men, newly caught, bring them up!"

At this, all the Hilichurls in the camp immediately stopped what they were doing and lined up in two rows, bowing their heads respectfully.

Seeing this, Lucas and Fischl quickly blended in with the others.

From the largest building in the camp emerged a tall female Hilichurl, easily over 175 cm (AN: 5'9).

Her feminine features were even more pronounced, and even the smallest of her movements as she walked caused quite a distracting sight for Lucas.

So, this was the chief?

Could it be that this tribe chose its chief based on… size? The bigger, the higher the rank?

That would fit the simple-minded nature of Hilichurls, after all.

The chief raised her arm and shouted, "Bring the men up!"

Lucas, glancing over, couldn't help but notice—nice armpits.

Although Hilichurls had thick hair on their heads, their bodies were mostly hairless.

Moments later, several men with their hands and feet bound were pushed forward by other Hilichurls. Among them were Zhang Luo and the rest of the convoy members.

So, they really were captured by these Hilichurls!

However, Lucas knew that these men, though lacking Visions, were skilled fighters. They shouldn't have been overpowered so easily by Hilichurls.

Could it be that these Hilichurls had not only changed in appearance but also gained strength?

But what was the purpose of capturing these men?

Were they to be used as food? That seemed unlikely—there had never been any reports of Hilichurls eating human flesh.

Were they going to be used as slaves? Also doubtful, as there had been no signs of human enslavement in the camp.

Could they be meant for some kind of sacrifice?

The female chief walked among the captured men, much like someone inspecting watermelons at a fruit stall. She even patted a few of them before shaking her head in disappointment.

"These men… not strong enough," she said in broken human speech. "Give you chance. All of you fight me. Win, and go free."

The men exchanged glances. The reason they had lost earlier was due to being vastly outnumbered. Now, it was a one-on-one fight, and their opponent was just one Hilichurl. Naturally, they all agreed.

After the men were untied, the chief pointed to a weapons rack nearby and said, "Pick what you want. Don't disappoint me."

Her words were dripping with provocation. The seven or eight men, except for Zhang Luo, who didn't know how to fight, grabbed spiked maces, axes, and other weapons, then surrounded the chief.

Luckily, the chief had darker skin while the human men were fair-skinned. Otherwise, Lucas might have been reminded of a certain visual contrast best left unexplored.

These men had been trained in Keqing's martial arts school and had plenty of combat experience. They exchanged glances and then moved in unison.

"Attack!"

As soon as the command was given, the seven or eight skilled men launched a coordinated attack on the female chieftain.

Their timing and angles were perfect, moving in unison with impressive synchronization. The chieftain had no room to evade.

"Hmph!"

Without hesitation, the chieftain raised her enormous spiked club and swung it around in a wide arc. "Taste my big spiked club!"

The sheer force of her swing created a shockwave, blasting all her attackers backward with a loud thud. 

Though the men were trained fighters, they were still ordinary humans and couldn't withstand such monstrous strength. Before they could react, they were thrown back and knocked unconscious.

Indeed, as the saying goes, overwhelming strength can defeat even the most skilled techniques. In the face of absolute power, no amount of skill mattered.

"Disappointing, utterly disappointing," the chieftain muttered, shaking her head as she swung her giant club. "Take them away."

The other Hilichurls immediately jumped into action, dragging the defeated men away. Zhang Luo, who hadn't participated in the fight, shouted, "Chief! Please spare us! Our master will pay a hefty ransom, I—" Thud!

One of the Hilichurls, irritated by his shouting, knocked him out with a club.

Well, that escalated quickly…

Lucas began calculating his chances of defeating these Hilichurls and escaping unharmed. While the ordinary Hilichurls didn't seem too threatening, the chieftain was a different story—her strength was on par with some of the higher-level Genshin characters.

It seemed he needed a different approach.

Perhaps poisoning them, knocking them all unconscious, and then escaping with the captives?

For someone like Lucas, who preferred to avoid unnecessary conflict, this was the most straightforward plan.

He opened the shop's "Poison" section, and a list of strange names appeared: Smiling Half-Step Death, Seven-Day Certain Death Pill, Yin-Yang Harmony Powder, I Love a Little Stick… Wait, what the heck are these?

Lucas hesitated, wondering what kind of strange effects the last two might have if given to the Hilichurls.

After some thought, he decided to purchase a large bag of Monghan Medicine, a knockout powder. His plan was to drug the Hilichurls, knock them out, and then call in the Millelith to handle the situation.

Although the Hilichurls hadn't shown any intention to kill, their habit of kidnapping humans was still a serious problem.

"Start the fire!"

With a command from the chieftain, a large cauldron was placed in the center of the camp. This was part of the Hilichurl tribe's unique "cuisine," similar to a hotpot.

Simply put, the Hilichurls would take turns throwing ingredients they had gathered into the pot to be cooked together.

As for how it tasted… given the randomness of the ingredients, it probably wasn't anything special.

One by one, the Hilichurls lined up, tossing their ingredients into the pot.

There were some relatively normal ingredients like pork legs, pigeon meat, tomatoes, corn, and potatoes. Then there were the odd ones like apples, raspberries, and crystallized cores. One even threw a rock into the pot.

When it was Lucas's turn, he hesitated for a moment, then discreetly tossed in a packet of powder, hidden among some lettuce leaves.

However, the sharp-eyed chieftain noticed and asked in her deep, rumbling voice, "What did you throw… in there?"

"Seasoning! Human seasoning. Tastes good!" Lucas mimicked the Hilichurls' broken speech.

To his surprise, the chieftain didn't seem suspicious. In fact, she nodded approvingly and said, "You have… good ideas. I like. Too bad… you are female."

Lucas broke into a cold sweat.

Uh… you don't have any men in this camp anyway…

Soon, the peculiar Hilichurl hotpot was ready. Even without the knockout powder, the sight of the purple-foaming stew was enough to make Lucas lose his appetite.

As the Hilichurls gathered to eat, they took off their masks. This allowed Lucas to finally see their faces.

Just like the two Hilichurls he had knocked out earlier, these Hilichurls all had human-like female faces. However, their features weren't as sharp as those of Mondstadt residents or as delicate as those from Liyue. Instead, their appearance had an exotic touch, and their tanned skin didn't seem to have evolved from the original dark Hilichurl skin but looked more like their natural complexion.

Their grasp of the human language didn't seem to be something they had learned recently. It felt like they already knew it but had become rusty from not using it for so long.

The Hilichurls devoured the overcooked meat and washed it down with rough, homemade liquor, seeming entirely unbothered by their mutated bodies. In fact, they appeared quite content.

It was said that Hilichurls wore masks because they feared seeing their distorted, ugly reflections in water.

But now, they seemed to have no such concerns.

If not for the fact that they kidnapped humans, Lucas would have been reluctant to disturb the peaceful life they had here, far away from civilization.

However, perhaps because of their strong physiques, the effects of the knockout powder hadn't kicked in yet.

-----

After eating and drinking her fill, the female chieftain suddenly stood up, clapped her hands, and shouted, "Everyone! Let's dance!"

Dance? 

Right after eating? Aren't they worried about indigestion?

All the Hilichurls immediately stood up and began dancing along with the chieftain in a series of strange, rhythmic movements. 

It seemed that even after transforming into humanoid forms, they retained many of their Hilichurl habits.

"W-what should we do?" Fischl asked nervously. "I-I don't know how to dance!"

"It's fine. Just jump around randomly," Lucas said, pulling her to her feet. "If we don't join in, they'll definitely suspect something. Hang in there, the medicine should kick in soon."

"Ugh, this is so embarrassing!" Fischl groaned as she reluctantly followed the strange dance moves of the Hilichurls. "If anyone ever dares to record this in the chronicles of the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, I swear I'll personally smite them!"

Meanwhile, the chieftain continued dancing while chanting strange lyrics in rhythm:

"I am a Hilichurl! We need to reproduce! Reproduction needs men! Weak men won't do! Our offspring won't be strong! Where are the strong men? Where, where, where?"

For some reason, as the chieftain sang, Lucas couldn't help but think of the tune of a folk song about Yunnan Province...

But from the lyrics, it became clear—the reason they were capturing men was for reproduction.

Survival and reproduction are basic instincts for nearly all living creatures, and monsters are no exception.

After transforming into humanoid forms, these Hilichurls naturally developed a reproductive instinct. However, since there were no males in their tribe, they resorted to kidnapping human men.

But even in choosing mates, the Hilichurls maintained their monstrous instincts of natural selection. They sought strong mates, believing that only strong fathers could pass on strong genes, which explained why they had no interest in weaker men.

Of course, for these powerful Hilichurls, ordinary humans likely wouldn't meet their standards.

"I-I can't take this anymore…" Fischl panted, struggling to keep up with the bizarre dance. "I-I can't keep dancing!"

Perhaps because of her petite figure, or maybe due to the reduced friction from her sweat, there was a sudden snap, and the chest wrap that had been barely holding on slipped from her body and fell to the ground.

Normally, such a thing wouldn't matter much to the free-spirited Hilichurls—many of them had already discarded their clothes in the heat of the dance. But because Fischl had only applied camouflage paint to the skin outside her chest wrap, the stark contrast between her pale and painted skin immediately caught everyone's attention.

Luckily, there were no males in the tribe, or else Fischl might have faced a different kind of embarrassment.

"You!"

The chieftain pointed at Fischl and shouted angrily, "You're not one of us!"

"W-wait!" Fischl hastily covered herself and stammered, "I-I just have lighter skin!"

"It's not about your skin color," the chieftain said, shaking her head and pointing at Fischl's chest. "In our tribe, no one is… that small."

Lucas could almost hear the sound of something shattering. It was probably Fischl's pride.

Thankfully, she was still wearing a mask, so no one could see her likely mortified expression.

"You're a human! A liar! A bad person!" the chieftain growled, clearly hating deception. "Take her away and punish her!"

Things were falling apart just when the knockout powder was about to take effect.

As the Hilichurls approached to grab Fischl, Lucas could no longer stand by. He stepped in front of her, removed his mask, and shouted, "Stop!"

"Don't move!"

The moment the chieftain saw Lucas, her eyes lit up with interest. She clenched her fists excitedly and said, "A man, not like the others."

"That's right, I am a man," Lucas said, trying to buy time. "You said earlier that if we defeat you, we can leave, correct?"

"Correct!" The chieftain nodded. "Hilichurls don't lie. Unlike humans, who are deceitful."

"Hey!" Fischl whispered urgently from behind him. "Are you really going to fight this monster?"

Fischl had initially thought little of the Hilichurls, but after witnessing the strength of the chieftain—who was far stronger than a Hilichurl Berserker—she was concerned. The group of men who had fought her together couldn't win, so what chance did Lucas have alone?

"Don't worry," Lucas said, turning slightly to give her a reassuring smile. "I'll protect you."

"Protect me…?" Fischl's face turned red as she bit her lip. "W-who asked you to protect me? I am the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, ruler of the Immernachtreich…"

"Yes, yes," Lucas chuckled softly. "But protecting you is the duty of a familiar, isn't it?"

"Familiar's duty…?" Watching Lucas walk toward the chieftain, Fischl steadied her breath, muttering to herself, "Saying such unfair things… I guess I have no choice but to promote you."

"Choose your weapon," the chieftain said confidently, gesturing to the weapon rack like she had done before.

There was something different about this man. He had an unusual aura, unlike any of the other captured men. But the chieftain was confident in her strength and had no intention of holding back.

She wanted to meet a man strong enough to defeat her, but she would never go easy on anyone.

"No need, I have my own."

Lucas reached into the void and pulled out the sword Keqing had gifted him, the Lion's Roar. As he drew the blade, it let out a clear, ringing sound.

"Don't disappoint me!"

The chieftain charged forward with her spiked club, moving with the force of a tank. Though she was tall and well-built, her speed and power were overwhelming.

"Vine Snare!"

Lucas extended his hand toward the ground, and suddenly, a thick vine shot up from the earth, tripping the chieftain.

This was a move Lucas had developed by mastering his ability to control plants—using vines to trip up enemies.

Of course, this technique had its limitations. It only worked on plant-filled terrain, and it wasn't effective against agile opponents.

However, the straightforward chieftain had no idea how to counter such a tactic. With a loud crash, she tripped over the vine and fell flat on her face.

Fortunately for her, she was naturally well-padded(thicc), so the fall didn't cause much harm.

Seeing his opportunity, Lucas didn't hesitate. He gripped the Lion's Roar and slashed at the chieftain.

The swordsmanship he used was the Favonius Swordmanship: Wolf's Fang, a skill he had learned in the simulator. Though he had only mastered its form and not its true essence, even the form alone was enough to rank him among the top swordsmen.

The chieftain, who relied solely on brute strength and reckless charges, had never encountered such refined and elusive swordplay. She found herself unable to land a single blow, being forced back step by step by Lucas's precise strikes.

Yet, instead of feeling frustrated, a glimmer of excitement appeared in her eyes.

Finally, after so long, she had found a male who could fight her. How could she not be thrilled?

Her plan for reproduction would begin today!

For some reason, when Lucas looked into the fiery eyes of the female chieftain, he felt less like her opponent and more like a piece of meat on a chopping block.

To be fair, the chieftain's exotic features held a certain allure, but the savage, crazed grin on her face made her seem ferociously dangerous.

"My blood... is burning!!"

Like a character straight out of JoJo, the chieftain reached her peak of excitement, her body emanating a crimson aura akin to battle energy. The veins on her skin bulged, and her strength and speed skyrocketed.

Each time Lucas blocked the spiked club, the impact sent painful shocks through his arms.

"Come on! Show me! Just how strong you really are!" The chieftain, now in a frenzied state, attacked Lucas with a relentless storm of strikes, yelling wildly, "Don't stop! I need more!"

Not only was the chieftain getting hyped, but the surrounding Hilichurls were also growing increasingly excited. 

In truth, many of them had been waiting for someone to defeat their leader. If the chieftain fell, they might get a piece of the rewards themselves. The chieftain had long enforced a rule that only strong men could be used for reproduction, not weaklings.

Lucas found himself on the defensive, forced back by the chieftain's fierce barrage of attacks.

Nearby, Fischl, growing concerned, shouted, "If you can't win, just give up! After all—"

After all, once the drug kicked in, the Hilichurls would all pass out.

Of course, even Fischl knew better than to shout out this plan.

Lucas had no desire to prolong the fight, but the relentless attacks from the raging chieftain left him no chance to catch his breath.

The chieftain swung her spiked club high, and when she slammed it down, though Lucas blocked the attack with his sword, the immense force drove his feet deep into the ground.

"You're not strong enough," the chieftain said, shaking her head. "It's a shame. Surrender."

"Watch closely, I've still got..." Lucas suddenly raised his left hand, revealing the Giant's Gauntlet. All the damage he had blocked earlier had been absorbed into the gauntlet's power through Charging Fist. "...another hand!"

His fist rapidly swelled in size like an inflated balloon. Before the chieftain could react, Lucas unleashed all the stored-up energy in a devastating blow.

Thud! 

The thick spiked club shattered on impact, and the chieftain herself was launched backward, crashing to the ground.

The power of Charging Fist was simple—the more damage the user took, the more devastating the counterattack. Lucas had just returned all the accumulated damage to the chieftain in a single hit.

"Urgh!" 

The chieftain coughed up blood, using the broken club as a crutch to help herself up. But instead of anger, she smiled. "I lost. You're big. I like that."

Of course, she was talking about his fist.

But according to the straightforward logic of the Hilichurls, a big fist meant everything else was big too.

"I apologize," Lucas said, massaging his sore hand. "I trust you'll keep your word and let us go. Also, I'm taking the others with me."

"Of course," the chieftain replied, nodding. "Hilichurls don't lie. With you here, the others don't matter."

She then stepped forward and grabbed Lucas's wrist, laughing heartily. "The ceremony is complete. You may leave."

"Ceremony?" Lucas asked, puzzled. "What ceremony?"

"The ceremony… for reproduction. You're strong, so your offspring will be strong too!" The chieftain said, pulling Lucas toward her tent. "Come! Into the hut with me!"

"Wait! This wasn't part of the deal!" Lucas exclaimed, half-laughing, half-panicking. "Is it really necessary to go this far for reproduction?"

Around them, the other Hilichurls began chanting in unison: "Let us have a child! Let us have a child! Let us have a child!"

"Patience!" the chieftain declared righteously. "Everyone will get a child! One by one!"

One by one?!

In the simulator, this might have been doable.

But in real life? Not a chance.

Lucas glanced desperately at Fischl, hoping for help, but her expression was filled with amusement. Her eyes practically said it all:

"Why not just sacrifice yourself for the greater good?"

Just as Lucas was torn between self-sacrifice and survival, the chieftain suddenly staggered and collapsed, falling asleep on the ground.

The effects of the knockout powder had finally kicked in. The other Hilichurls also began swaying, eventually dropping to the ground, one after another.

"They're down! They're down!"

With Lucas's call, the once-rowdy Hilichurl camp instantly fell silent.

It was undeniable that these Hilichurls had incredible endurance. If an ordinary human had consumed that amount of Monghan Medicine, they would have been unconscious in minutes, but these Hilichurls had managed to hold out much longer.

"Finally, it's over," Fischl said, letting out a sigh of relief. "As the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, I sentence you all to—wait, what exactly is the crime?"

"Uh... attempted something," Lucas replied casually. "Anyway, let's free the captives and find your bird."

"Oh right, my bird..." Fischl suddenly corrected herself, looking flustered. "It's not a bird! It's my familiar!"

At that moment, the sound of footsteps approached from the camp's entrance. Lucas turned to see a group of about ten people, all dressed as adventurers, entering the camp.

The man at the front, who appeared to be their leader, was a brown-haired man in his thirties. His face showed a brief flash of surprise upon seeing the scene, but he quickly composed himself. Looking at Lucas, he said, "We're from the Adventurers' Guild, here to deal with the mutated Hilichurls. Leave these Hilichurls to us."

"I…"

Just as Lucas was about to respond, the system notification appeared suddenly:

[Liar's Bane activated. Target's statement detected as false.]

"You guys arrived pretty late!" Fischl remarked, unaware of the lie, and asked, "Which guild are you with, anyway? I don't seem to recall seeing you before."

Though Fischl was young, she had worked with the Adventurers' Guild for quite some time. Despite her eccentric behavior, she was well-acquainted with many adventurers, even though she only had a few friends.

----

As an investigator, Fischl was familiar with almost every adventuring team, from the well-established "Windborne Adventurer's Guild" and "Dandelion Adventurer's Guild" to the one-man "Bennett Adventuring Team."

Yet, she had no recollection of the adventurer group before her.

Her suspicion confirmed that this so-called "adventuring team" was indeed suspicious.

The man, however, didn't seem fazed. He calmly replied, "We are the Pale Adventuring Team. We travel across many nations and aren't based in any one city. It's normal that you haven't heard of us. My name is—"

"Your name is Afriel. You're a retired captain from Snezhnaya, fond of strong spirits and archery. You enjoy dark rye bread and have two sons and a daughter," Lucas interrupted. "If I'm not mistaken, your team also includes Nokkeg, a thief from Fontaine, and Tanaka Jiro, a samurai from Inazuma. Am I right?"

The group's faces filled with shock, and the man named Afriel frowned. "How… how do you know that?"

"These backstories are common false identities used by Fatui operatives during covert missions," Lucas said casually. "Which division are you from, and who's your superior?"

Lucas knew this because, in the simulator, he had once served as the Fatui Harbinger, The Doctor. He had learned much about the Fatui's tactics and methods.

To his surprise, the real Fatui operated with the same "template" as in the simulator.

While these Hilichurls had kidnapped humans, they meant no harm. However, if the Fatui got hold of them, who knew what experiments or horrors would ensue?

No one knew the Fatui's methods better than The Doctor himself.

The Fatui members exchanged uneasy glances. They didn't recognize the man in front of them, but the internal hierarchy of the Fatui was incredibly convoluted. Who knew if he was some hidden higher-up?

There was even a story about a clueless Fatui recruit who mocked the Harbinger Scaramouche for being "short" and was punished with three years of latrine duty.

Afriel narrowed his eyes and asked, "Who are you?"

Lucas, not wanting to escalate things further, smirked coldly. "You don't seem like rookies. How can you not recognize a Harbinger? When you return to Snezhnaya, you'd better be ready to run laps around Red Square while shouting, 'I'm sorry, Lord Tartaglia, I'll keep saying it until you can hear me!'"

Channeling the commanding aura he had mastered as a Harbinger in the simulator, Lucas radiated an intimidating presence.

[Liar's Bane activated: Intelligence check required.]

[Check successful: The target is deceived.]

An intelligence check? This felt more like a tabletop RPG! But, luckily for Lucas, these Fatui operatives had never seen Tartaglia in person. They only knew he was young, handsome, temperamental, and extraordinarily powerful—qualities that seemed to match the man before them.

Coupled with the dark, calculating aura Lucas was exuding, they were convinced he wasn't bluffing.

"Collecting these Hilichurls was an order from The Doctor," Afriel quickly bowed. "We didn't mean to offend you, Lord Tartaglia. Once the mission is complete, we'll be sure to put in a good word for you with The Doctor."

So, these were The Doctor's underlings?

This felt like a classic case of mistaken identity!

Though Lucas didn't know much about The Doctor in this world, if he was even remotely similar to the one in the simulator, it was clear these transformed Hilichurls were likely the result of his experiments.

"Trying to use The Doctor's name against me?" Lucas scoffed, fully embracing the role. "These Hilichurls are my prey. If you think you can take them from me… you're welcome to try."

The tension in the air grew thick with a subtle hint of danger. The Fatui operatives stood frozen in silence.

"I… I understand," Afriel finally sighed. "Lord Tartaglia, forgive us. We'll leave now."

Afriel knew that if he reported back to The Doctor, the worst he'd face was some punishment. But if he angered Tartaglia, he might lose his life.

As the group began to depart, Lucas let out a sigh of relief. However, at that moment, footsteps came from a nearby tent, and Zhang Luo emerged, holding a short knife. It appeared he had cut himself free.

"Brother Lucas!" Zhang Luo called out with a smile. "I knew you'd come to rescue me! When we get back, I'll make sure to sing your praises to Lady Keqing!"

Lucas facepalmed.

Zhang, my man… thank you, but you just ruined everything!

The departing Fatui operatives froze, their expressions growing dark.

"Damn it!" Afriel snarled through clenched teeth. "You dare deceive the Fatui? You must be courting death!"

"W-what's going on?" Zhang Luo asked, still oblivious to the situation. Before he could finish speaking, a sharp crossbow bolt pierced his abdomen.

Afriel, holding a small crossbow, sneered coldly. "These people know too much. Kill them all. Leave no survivors!"

"Brother Zhang!"

Lucas's pupils dilated with shock. Though he hadn't known Zhang Luo for long, the man had always been kind and helpful. Even though Zhang had accidentally exposed their cover, Lucas felt no anger toward him.

Now, seeing Zhang cut down in cold blood, even the normally calm Lucas felt a surge of fury. His dark irises began to glow faintly with a red hue.

"Kill the liar first!" Afriel barked, gesturing toward Fischl with a cruel smile. "As for the girl, she's pretty enough. We can have some fun with her before we're done."

The other Fatui members grinned lecherously at his suggestion.

Boom!

A deafening bang echoed in the air, startling Afriel. A strange coldness swept over him, and he looked down to see a bloodied chunk of flesh—a severed ear—on the ground by his feet.

After a brief moment of shock, Afriel finally registered the excruciating pain and let out a scream.

"I may not be Tartaglia..." Lucas's eyes were cold. "But Tartaglia might have spared you. I won't."

"It's… it's a firearm!" Afriel gritted his teeth through the pain, commanding, "Find cover! Firearm troops, prepare to counterattack!"

The Fatui soldiers, well-trained as they were, reacted quickly. But before they could find shelter, two sharp pops rang out. Two Fatui soldiers were shot directly between the eyes, falling to the ground instantly.

This time, Lucas wasn't using rubber bullets.

This was his first time killing someone in the real world, but strangely, he felt no turmoil. It was as though he had just performed a mundane task. Perhaps it was because, in the simulator, he had already taken countless lives.

"Redeem skill—Gun Kata."

[Skill Redeemed]

[Gun Kata Beta]

[Effect: A combat technique that combines close-quarters combat with firearms. Must be equipped with at least one firearm to use.]

"Fire!"

At Afriel's order, two riflemen raised their firearms and shot at Lucas.

Guns weren't uncommon in Teyvat. Although powerful, they were cumbersome to reload and maintain. As a result, only Snezhnaya deployed them on a large scale.

The riflemen's shots weren't bullets but pellets. One grazed Lucas's cheek, while the other hit him square in the forehead.

"Got him!" Afriel grinned wickedly. "Not so tough after all, huh?"

"Tough after all, huh?" Lucas's voice echoed.

The pellet hadn't pierced Lucas's skull but had dropped harmlessly to the ground, as if hitting steel. Only a shallow mark was left on his forehead.

[Effect of 'Diamond Body' activated, 90% of damage blocked (remaining uses for the day: 0).]

True, Lucas didn't have the monstrous body of The Doctor from the simulator, but his Diamond Body skill had helped absorb much of the damage.

The riflemen were low-tier, unable to wield elemental powers, but their ammunition was still potent enough to pierce boar hide. Yet to this man, it was nothing more than a scratch.

"He… he's a monster!"

One of the riflemen trembled violently, dropping his weapon and trying to flee. He didn't get far before a shot to the back of his head ended his escape.

"Three bullets left. Seven targets remaining," Lucas said as he charged forward, wielding both a gun and a sword.

"Damn it!" 

Seeing Lucas charging, Afriel discarded his crossbow and drew a short sword. He swung at Lucas, but his strength were not even close to the Hilichurl chieftain that Lucas had already bested earlier. With one swing, Lucas's sword shattered Afriel's blade.

At that moment, a rifleman behind Lucas finished reloading and fired at him again. Lucas, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, grabbed Afriel by the collar and used him as a shield. The shot hit Afriel in the chest, leaving a bloody hole.

"These three bullets..." Lucas pressed his M1911 to Afriel's lower back and fired three shots. Three more holes appeared in Afriel's body. "...are for Zhang Luo."

Lucas casually discarded Afriel's corpse like a broken toy.

He brought the smoking gun to his nose, inhaling the scent of gunpowder deeply. His body trembled ever so slightly.

Rather than feeling anxious or uncomfortable from taking his first life, Lucas felt a long-lost thrill.

After reloading the magazine with expert precision, Lucas fired two shots into the air before turning to the remaining six Fatui soldiers. He smiled.

"There are five bullets left in the magazine. One of you might survive."

The six soldiers, already terrified by Lucas's monstrous prowess, dropped their weapons and fled, hoping to outrun the others. They weren't fighting Lucas now—they were racing against each other to live.

Former comrades were now their greatest threat.

Boom! A loud crash followed by a scream: one of the soldiers tripped over a vine and desperately grabbed the leg of the person in front of him.

"Help… help me…"

"Get off me!"

His plea was answered with a vicious kick.

Dazed, the soldier looked up, only to see the barrel of Lucas's gun pointed at him.

"One down."

Clapping his hands, Lucas called out to the fleeing soldiers with a famous movie quote, "Run, Forrest, run!" 

The sound of gunfire cracked through the air like a whip. The soldiers ran faster, feeling as if the Grim Reaper himself was chasing them.

In Lucas's mind, the fleeing soldiers began to morph, turning into the Mondstadt citizens who had once thrown garbage at him, the soldiers of Snezhnaya who had tried to stop him, even the Fatui Harbinger Capitano and the Tsaritsa herself.

"Second down."

A bullet pierced through a soldier's throat, sending a fountain of blood spraying several meters into the air.

"Third down."

The third soldier was shot in the lung. He wouldn't die instantly, but the blood and air leaking from his chest would soon suffocate him.

Fourth and fifth… 

Thanks to his Doctor talent, Lucas's knowledge of the human body allowed him to target precisely where his bullets would be most lethal.

Five shots, five corpses. The final surviving soldier, now several hundred meters away, screamed with joy.

"I'm alive! I survived!"

But at that moment, the ground trembled. A massive shadow loomed over him.

The surviving soldier slowly turned, only to find himself facing a colossal creature with black armor plating and blue stripes across its body.

Its sharp horns and clawed limbs gleamed under the sunlight.

The beast opened its maw wide, and within it, a large fireball began to form.

"No... no!"

Before he could finish his plea, the fireball engulfed him, reducing him to a charred corpse.

"Return, Greymon."

Far in the distance, Lucas held a PokeBall between his fingers, and the massive creature dissolved into light, returning to the PokeBall in his hand.

This was one of the rewards he had obtained from the loot box: Greymon.

"I only said I wouldn't shoot," Lucas said softly.

Of course, no one was left to hear him.

As the battle ended, Lucas finally realized he had just killed ten people. More precisely, it wasn't a fight—it was a massacre.

And yet, his heart remained unsettlingly calm.

-----

He knew perfectly well that this was reality, not the simulator. Yet, the coldness and killing instinct honed in the simulator wouldn't just disappear because he was back in the real world.

If forced to choose between killing and being killed, Lucas would always choose the former without hesitation.

[Well done.]

The system's praise sounded more like a mockery.

"No big deal."

This time, Lucas didn't argue with the system, almost as if he was mocking himself.

However, upon returning to the camp, he found something unbelievable.

Zhang Luo, who had taken an arrow to the abdomen earlier, was now waving at Lucas as if nothing had happened.

"Brother Zhang, you... you're okay?" Lucas asked, bewildered.

"Ha, when you're out in the world, you have to be prepared," Zhang Luo replied, lifting his shirt to reveal an iron pot hidden beneath. The arrow had only pierced through the pot's bottom and hadn't harmed him. "I secretly hid it when I slipped away."

Lucas had to admit, while Zhang Luo's combat skills were average, his shrewd awareness of how to survive in an often hostile environment were impressive.

"It's my fault..." Lucas sighed. "If I hadn't fallen for the trap, you wouldn't have been captured."

"No worries. And didn't you save that little girl, anyway?" Zhang Luo seemed unfazed and chuckled. "Besides, these Hilichurls didn't harm us. It was just a close call."

"This was more than just a close call," Fischl, who had been silent until now, spoke with a complex expression. "I didn't expect this matter to involve the Fatui. You didn't leave any survivors, did you?"

"No," Lucas replied calmly.

"Good," Fischl sighed in relief. "If the Fatui found out what you did, it would've caused serious trouble."

Surprisingly, Fischl didn't seem to have any moral qualms about his recent killings. If anything, she appeared to approve.

"What is it?" Fischl seemed to notice Lucas's confusion and frowned. "Don't tell me you thought I, the Prinzessin, would be scared of a few corpses?"

Lucas didn't answer but nodded slightly.

"Don't think the job of an investigator is just traveling around, observing the movement of monsters," Fischl's eyes showed a hint of complexity. "Investigating missing adventurers is also part of the job. I've seen my share of bodies, whether they were smashed by Hilichurl berserkers or dissolved by Slime acid."

At that moment, Lucas realized he had oversimplified Teyvat.

This wasn't some sanitized 12+ game world, and the monsters were far from cute or harmless.

Every year, new adventurers eagerly filled out their registration forms, but most of them did not last more than three years.

They either retired due to severe injuries or quit because of the mental toll... Of course, many of them never returned from their adventures at all.

"Wait, they were really from the Fatui?" Zhang Luo's face paled with alarm. "We'd better leave before we get into more trouble."

Lucas searched Afriel's body and found a Fatui insignia hidden close to his skin. Frowning, he said, "He was a Fatui sergeant... Their mission records will be logged, and these insignias usually have tracking functions. It won't be long before someone comes looking for them."

"So... what do we do now?" Even the experienced Zhang Luo was momentarily at a loss. "First, we need to get rid of these bodies."

"Dispose of the bodies..." Lucas's eyes lit up. "Why didn't I think of that earlier?"

He summoned the Serenitea Pot. "We'll toss the bodies in here. That way, no one will ever find them."

"Throw the bodies... into a teapot?" Fischl looked puzzled.

"Wait, is this the Serenitea Pot?!" Zhang Luo's eyes gleamed with excitement. "This is an incredibly rare treasure... Was this something the young lady gave you?"

"Uh... yeah, sort of," Lucas nodded, playing it off casually.

He couldn't exactly tell them it was something he had exchanged from the system's store.

Zhang Luo, ever the shrewd observer, began to suspect that Lady Keqing saw Lucas as more than an ordinary servant. She had assigned him missions, given him precious items, and the sword in his hand must have been from her as well.

This whole escort mission seemed like an opportunity to polish up a future husband.

With that thought in mind, Zhang Luo's respect for Lucas deepened.

In no time, the three of them tossed the ten bodies into the Serenitea Pot. Afterward, Lucas noticed that Fischl was staring at him with an odd expression.

"Is there something wrong?" Lucas asked, perplexed.

"I've had a strange feeling ever since earlier..." Fischl narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why are you so familiar with the Fatui? You even managed to fool actual members of the Fatui. Who... are you really?"

Despite her eccentric, chūnibyō persona, Fischl was Mondstadt's top investigator. Her sharp observational skills were unparalleled.

She once organized a fan-fiction contest called "Fischl, Princess of Judgment: Tales of the Abyssal Night" using her own money. She rejected every single submission that didn't strictly adhere to the original lore. Any slight deviation in character or background settings was immediately spotted and disqualified.

The winner, a work by "Little Amy," was criticized for being too focused on rigidly sticking to the lore, making it boring. While technically accurate, it was lifeless.

The lesson? No matter how detailed the lore is, what truly makes a story engaging is its ability to entertain. Overemphasizing accuracy at the expense of storytelling turns even the most detailed work into dull reading.

Faced with Fischl's question, Lucas suddenly realized that his behavior had indeed been suspicious.

Though the events in the simulator were virtual, he had grown so used to living as The Doctor that it had become second nature.

When he deceived the Fatui soldiers earlier, it wasn't just acting—it felt like he was drawing from his real experience.

As Lucas was considering how to craft a believable lie, Fischl suddenly smirked. "Even if you don't admit it, I've already figured it out. You're really a Fatui Harbinger, aren't you?"

Lucas froze.

How could she have known about his identity from the simulator?

"You were originally the Undead King of a necromantic kingdom. Your queen was the Empress of Flames. But one day, you were betrayed by your subjects, and during the rebellion, your queen sacrificed herself to protect you..."

Fischl pulled out a notebook and began writing feverishly. "Your grief turned into a burning rage, and you destroyed your entire kingdom. After losing your beloved queen, you wandered through countless realms like a walking corpse, eventually arriving in Teyvat—just like me."

"Wait, wait..." Lucas interrupted, realizing where this was going. "You're making all of this up, aren't you?"

"Don't interrupt me!"

Clearly inspired, Fischl continued her fantastical tale. "After five hundred years of wandering, you finally found someone in Snezhnaya who looked exactly like your lost queen. She was a Fatui Harbinger. To be close to her, you joined the Fatui and rose to become a Harbinger yourself."

Lucas knew that this was just Fischl's chūnibyō imagination at work, but he couldn't help feeling a bit startled. Her fictional story seemed to align oddly with the simulator's events.

"But eventually, you realized she wasn't your true love. Heartbroken, you left the Fatui, assumed a new identity, and settled in Liyue Harbor," Fischl snapped her notebook shut, pointing dramatically at Lucas. "But fate has decreed that you and I would meet! The Undead King from the Necromantic Realm is destined to become my vassal!"

For a moment, Lucas was speechless. Just then, a loud screech echoed from the sky, and a black raven swooped down, circling a few times before landing on Fischl's shoulder.

"Oz?" Fischl exclaimed in surprise. "Weren't you captured?"

"Miss, you're safe, thank goodness," the raven spoke in a surprisingly gentlemanly voice. "Those Hilichurls couldn't possibly catch me. After you were knocked unconscious and strung up, I couldn't use my power, so I went to find help. When I returned, you were gone, so I figured you'd escaped to rescue me. I followed your trail and found you here. Thank the heavens you're alright."

"Those lowly Hilichurls could never pose a threat to me!" Fischl replied, clearly trying to save face. "Of course, my other vassal helped a little. Oz, meet the Undead King from the Necromantic Realm. He's already sworn allegiance to me!"

To avoid arousing Fischl's suspicion further, Lucas reluctantly said, "Yes, I... am the Undead King."

Oz gave Lucas a sympathetic look. "A pleasure to meet you, Undead King. I am Oz, Miss Fischl's loyal retainer."

Ugh, this is mortifying.

If a five-year-old said they were Ultraman, people might think it was cute.

But a twenty-year-old saying something like this? People would think they are delusional.

Oz fluttered onto Lucas's shoulder, whispering, "I'm terribly sorry. By now, you've probably realized that our Miss... isn't quite like other people."

"It's fine," Lucas smiled. "Actually, I think she's quite charming."

"Thank you for indulging her. As for this 'Undead King' business, please don't take it to heart."

Oz paused for a moment before continuing. "A young astrologer told Miss Fischl not long ago that she would meet an Undead King from another world. I assume it was just meant to be a joke, but Miss Fischl took it seriously and even wrote an elaborate backstory."

A young astrologer? Lucas could only think of Mona.

But if Mona had said it, there might be something to it—her astrology was known to be quite accurate, and she never softened her predictions.

The "Undead King"... that was just an identity from the simulator. It had to be a coincidence.

"Oh, right," Fischl said, pointing to the unconscious Hilichurls. "What are you going to do with them? If we just leave, the Fatui will come back and capture them."

From the information he had gathered, Lucas had already deduced that these Hilichurls' transformation was linked to the Fatui, likely the result of one of The Doctor's experiments.

"I don't have much choice," Lucas sighed. "Looks like I'll have to take responsibility for this."

---

Half an hour later.

"Yawn..."

The Hilichurl chieftain stretched and opened her eyes, only to find herself in unfamiliar surroundings.

The environment was pleasant, with several wooden huts standing around her. Though simple, they were sturdy.

This was, of course, the world inside the Serenitea Pot, and the huts had been constructed by Raiden Mai.

Lucas had given her the task of building houses just to keep her occupied, but to his surprise, she had built an entire village.

As the chieftain woke, the other Hilichurls began to stir as well, all of them astonished by their new surroundings.

"You're all finally awake," Lucas said as he stepped forward. "Everyone, look at me. I've got an announcement. I'm... ahem, your new chieftain."

Hilichurls had a simple social structure, and in most tribes, the strongest individual became the leader.

Lucas didn't particularly care about being their chieftain, just as humans wouldn't aspire to become a king of monkeys.

Instead of explaining the complicated situation, it was easier to have them submit and follow orders.

The Hilichurls were confused and turned to their original chieftain.

Surprisingly, she removed her mask, the symbol of leadership, and handed it to Lucas. Smiling, she said, "You are strong, stronger than me. You be chieftain!"

With their former leader's approval, the other Hilichurls didn't hesitate and all began chanting "chieftain."

"Since I'm now your chieftain, you'll all have to follow my orders," Lucas nodded. "From today, you'll live here. There are no humans here, so you can roam freely."

Hearing this, the Hilichurls were overjoyed.

After all, while they were stronger than humans, their numbers were small, which forced them to hide their camps in remote, hidden locations to avoid human detection.

Living without the threat of humans meant they could live freely.

"So, when do we... start reproducing?" The Hilichurl chieftain grabbed Lucas's arm again. "I've been waiting!"

"Not yet!" Lucas had anticipated this and already had a plan in mind. "You're not strong enough yet. You don't have the right to bear my offspring."

"You make a good point," the chieftain nodded seriously. "So what do we need to do to earn the right?"

"Simple," Lucas pointed to Raiden Mai, who was busy with carpentry nearby. "Just defeat her."

The chieftain hadn't expected that earning the right to reproduce would be so "simple." Without a second thought, she grabbed a wooden club and charged at Raiden Mai, shouting enthusiastically, "Long live reproduction!"

However, despite the chieftain's aggressive approach, Raiden Mai remained perfectly calm. Like a machine, she muttered to herself, "Hostile target detected. Estimated threat level: low. Adjusting combat mode to: suppression. Additional directive: do not cause fatal harm."

In an instant, Raiden Mai extended a sharp blade from her arm, slicing the chieftain's wooden club in half. She then delivered a seemingly effortless palm strike to the chieftain's chest, sending her flying several meters through the air.

Raiden Mai, after all, was created by Raiden Ei as a backup puppet to take her place, even though she wasn't ultimately chosen. Among all the "backups," her quality was exceptional. Even without specific training from Raiden Ei, Raiden Mai possessed high level strength. Dealing with a mutated Hilichurl was an easy task for her.

Of course, the non-lethal directive had been set by Lucas in advance. Without it, Raiden Mai, with her lack of restraint, might have easily killed the chieftain.

These Hilichurls, being simple-minded and revering strength, now gazed at Raiden Mai with newfound respect.

"I'll leave the management of these Hilichurls to you," Lucas said, patting Raiden Mai on the shoulder. "But they'll need something to do."

In the Serenitea Pot realm, the Hilichurls no longer needed to worry about survival, which would leave them with a lot of free time. Rather than letting them grow lazy and idle, it was better to find something productive for them to do.

They couldn't keep building houses forever. At Raiden Mai's current rate, they'd have an entire neighborhood constructed in a few days, but it would be useless—no one was going to come here to buy homes anyway.

Lucas didn't seem to realize why he was thinking this way. Perhaps it was a lingering influence from the last simulation, where he had lived the mindset of a capitalist.

He had to extract every bit of value from these Hilichurls!

Raiden Mai appeared to understand Lucas's intent. She scanned him up and down before her gaze settled on the sword at his waist. "Master, may I borrow your sword for a moment?"

"My sword?" Lucas didn't think much of it and handed over the Lion's Roar at his waist. "If you like it, I'll get you one someday. This one was a gift from Keqing, so I can't give it to you."

Raiden Mai carefully held the sword, and from her eyes, beams of light emerged to scan the Lion's Roar. She muttered to herself, "Authentic craftsmanship, quality verified. Material analysis complete. Replication and forging possible."

----