<h4>Chapter 121: Viin Simtor, Ch 120</h4>


    Keqing sneered as she finally pressed her knees together, walking out in a strange manner.


    Clearly, leaving in a swift, mysterious fashion wasn''t very realistic in her current state.


    [Crisis resolved. Awarded Character Card: "Keqing – Thunder Rakshasa"]


    A delicate card appeared, gentlynding in Lucas''s palm.


    The card''s artwork depicted Keqing herself, but dressed in the Abyss Order attire, her body faintly traced with ominous magical patterns—the "Rakshasa" version.


    In other words, it was essentially a new skin for Keqing!


    [Keqing – Thunder Rakshasa]


    [Effect: Grants ess to the skill "Secret Sword: Celestial Expedition"]


    "A character card?" Lucas looked down at the card in his hand, puzzled. "What''s this supposed to do?"


    [Character Cards are a type of special reward. When carried, they grant bonuses rted to the character. In addition, using a character card allows the yer to either teleport to the character''s location or summon them to your side.]


    After a long absence, the system finally responded, answering Lucas''s question in its usual manner.


    "Oh, there you are, System—it''s been a while," Lucas snickered. "Let''s hear it. How much have you been keeping from me? Were you intentionally misleading me, or are you just trying to dodge for as long as you can?"


    [This system provides answers based on situational logic. I am, however, curious. Even after learning the "truth" about the Simtor, do you still choose to be a viin?]


    Lucas''s system certainly had a knack for "adapting to circumstances."


    For as long as Lucas had been questioning the system''s mechanics, it had always fabricated "reasonable" exnations, convincing him that all his viinous actions in the Simtor were simply part of a "game" without real consequences.


    But the appearance of Alice, who could traverse dimensions, had made Lucas realize the Simtor''s reality.


    Had the system failed?


    No, it had seeded.


    After all, through ying the viin across these Simtor scenarios, Lucas hade to ept his dark side. Or perhaps, he had started to understand the true nature of "evil."


    In response to the system''s question, Lucas asked back, "System, of all the parallel worlds you''re aware of, is there any worldpletely free of viins?"


    [None. With light, there is shadow; with purity, there is impurity. And with goodness... there will inevitably be evil.]


    "Exactly. I''vee to understand," Lucas said calmly. "If this world must have a viin, then why can''t that viin be me?"


    [What?]


    "Now I have a dream—to be the ultimate viin" Lucas proimed, cing a hand over his heart with resolute conviction. "If I''m destined to be the viin, then I''ll rise to the very top and rule over all viins."


    Lucas'' thoughts were simple: if he couldn''t change his role as a viin, he might as well climb to the pinnacle of viiny, bringing "evil" under his own control.


    In this way, he could transform "chaotic evil" into wful evil."


    Even the system seemed taken aback by Lucas''s answer.


    In truth, Lucas wasn''t the first to undergo the Viin Simtor''s trials, but previous participants had almost always met tragic ends.


    Some couldn''t ept their evil deeds and chose to end their own lives.


    Others were consumed by malice, straying down a dark path with no happy ending.


    And still others simply gave up, living in a constant, numbed state.


    But a participant like Lucas, who embraced the concept of "evil" and aspired to reach the pinnacle of viiny... the system had never seen before.


    Perhaps... this man might actually change something.


    [Whatever path the host chooses, this system will do its utmost to assist.]


    "No need for the formalities," Lucas scoffed. "I just have one small request—when I ask you questions, could you avoid dodging them from now on?"


    [Within the bounds of my permissions, I will answer all the host''s questions.]


    <i>How artful,</i> Lucas thought sarcastically.


    "By the way," he added, "aside from entering this dimension, can I ess other Simtor worlds?"


    [Yes, but only within the moments before your death in each one, as in this instance.]


    In other words, even if he entered other dimensions, he would only be able to experience his character''s final moments.


    If he entered a scenario where his character died of natural causes, he would still die peacefully, without changing the storyline.


    It was like a novel nearing its end: even if he edited the ending, it wouldn''t alter the preceding plot.


    However, in those dimensions where he "died prematurely," he just might have the chance to defy fate.


    [Three hours have psed. The yer has survived and will be returned to the game world.]


    With the appearance of this message, Lucas felt himself being transported back to the game board once again.


    "Daddy!"


    Klee, who had been waiting in ce, immediately leapt into his arms, her small voice full of relief. "Are you okay?"


    "Look, I''m perfectly fine," Lucasforted her, patting her head. "Your dad''s tougher than you think."


    "I knew nothing would happen to you." Jean also approached, curiosity evident on her face. "By the way, who was it that wanted to kill you?"


    Lucas hesitated. He couldn''t very well tell Jean that the person who wanted him dead was none other than his superior, Keqing.


    "Oh, just some crazy woman," he offered vaguely, changing the subject. "Speaking of which, where''s Barbara?"


    "Oh, don''t even ask! She felt embarrassed about being so big, so she wandered off alone to get some space," Jean sighed. "I was worried it might be dangerous for her, but... look."


    Following Jean''s gaze, Lucas saw that, given the ind''s small size, Barbara''s massive form was still visible in the distance.


    With her towering presence, she was likely impervious to danger here on this tiny ind—or even back on the maind.


    "Let''s let her have some time alone," Lucas said, sitting down on the ground to rest. "I want to recharge a bit so that if there''s any more danger in the next round, I''ll be ready for it."


    Klee and Jean both nodded in agreement. After a few rounds of this game, they''d realized one thing: as long as no one rolled the dice, the ind remainedpletely safe.


    ---


    <i>Meanwhile, in a modest home in Mondstadt...</i>


    "Esteemed Father and Mother, I have returned," Fischl announced as she stepped into the house, offering her parents a formal bow. "May I inquire if Mother has prepared the evening feast?"


    "Ahem..."


    Her father, seated at the dining table with a newspaper, put it down and sighed. "Amy, you''re old enough now. Don''t you think it''s time to... stop with all this?"


    "Yes, you''re not a little girl anymore," her mother added, setting a stew on the table with a weary smile. "You should start to move on from these fairytales."


    "What... what are you saying?" Fischl asked, a hurt look on her face. "You weren''t like this before..."


    "Well, that''s because you were a child then, and of course, we wanted to make you happy," her father replied, patting her head gently. "Listen, starting tomorrow, how about letting go of these strange phrases and outfits, hmm?"


    "But how could it all be fake?" Fischl pointed to Oz perched on her shoulder. "You can see Oz, can''t you? He''s the King of the Night and proof of my true identity."


    "Amy! Stop it. We can''t see any raven friend of yours!" her father''s voice hardened. "Before, we pretended we could see it to make you happy. But there''s no Netherworld, no Oz, and no Prinzessin der Verurteilung. All of that... is nothing but fantasy!"


    "F-Fantasy?"


    Fischl looked back at her shoulder, only to find that her faithfulpanion Oz had vanished.


    Tears slipped down her cheeks in an instant.


    "Honey, don''t be so harsh on her!" Her mother rushed over, trying to soothe the girl. "It''s nothing unusual. We all have ''imaginary friends'' at some point. You just need time to let go of the fantasy."


    "Oz isn''t some imaginary friend!" Fischl''s voice cracked as she shouted, "He''s real!"


    With that, Fischl turned and ran out the door.


    "Amy!" Her mother tried to chase after her, but her father held her back.


    "Let her be. She needs some time to face things alone." He shook his head, looking defeated. "This wasn''t entirely her fault. If we hadn''t indulged her in all those role-ying games back then, maybe she wouldn''t have grown up like this."


    "Maybe we''re being too hard on her," her mother murmured thoughtfully. "Let''s talk to her once she''s calmed down."


    ---


    Fischl walked aimlessly through Mondstadt''s streets, her spirit shattered.


    Deep down, she knew. She''d always known. The so-called "Immernacht Realm" and her title as "Prinzessin der Verurteilung" were nothing more than fantasy.


    She clung to them all this time to mask her own weakness, unwilling to face reality.


    The truth was that "Fischl" was a persona Amy had created to deceive herself, to escape into a world where she wasn''t just... ordinary.


    "So even Oz is fake?" Fischl wiped away a stray tear, muttering, "Did he vanish because I finally faced reality?"


    As if sensing her despair, a thunderp suddenly echoed through the sky, followed by a bolt of lightning. In an instant, rain poured down, draping the entire city in a heavy, relentless curtain.


    Within seconds, Fischl was drenched, her once-pristine dress clinging to her, soaked and bedraggled.


    "Well, well, isn''t that the Prinzessin herself?"


    "I''d say she looks more like the ''Drenched Duchess''! Hah!"


    "She''s probably talking to that invisible raven of hers again. My mom says she''s not right in the head!"


    "Such a shame... she''s cute but totally nuts."


    A few passing kids, sheltered under their umbres, caught sight of Fischl''s miserable state and began mocking her.


    On any other day, proud Fischl would have stood up, hands on her hips, and fired back at them. But now, she only hugged herself, lowering her head in silence.


    "Enough, you noisy brats!"


    With a sudden, icy voice, a figure appeared, and raindrops began to freeze into hailstones, crashing down and leaving holes in the kids'' umbres.


    "It''s that wicked woman from the Lawrence family!"


    "R-run!"


    Fischl looked up, surprised, to find a tall woman with blue hair standing over her, an umbre shielding them both from the rain. The woman raised an eyebrow, smirking. "It''s you, huh? What, couldn''t get your big bird to shield you from the rain?"


    It was E.


    Fischl''s eyes widened. "You... can you see Oz?"


    "What are you talking about?" E frowned. "Of course I can see him. What, did you cook him for stew?"


    "Of course not! Oz... he just disappeared." Fischl''s voice dropped, sounding deste. "I... can''t find him anywhere."


    "I know someone," E replied with a small smile. "He might be able to help you."


    "Who?" Fischl asked eagerly.


    "Lucas, of course. Isn''t he supposed to be your loyal ''vassal''?" E raised an eyebrow. "Besides, I get the feeling there''s not much he can''t fix. You''ll probably find him at the Knights of Favonius."


    "You''re right!" A flicker of hope reignited in Fischl''s eyes. "I''ll go to him right away!"


    "Hold on," E said, passing her umbre to Fischl. "Take this with you."


    "But..." Fischl took the umbre, confused. "What about you?"


    "Watch and learn."


    E lifted her hand, forming a delicate umbre of ice, shimmering and beautiful.


    "Thank you..." Fischl said gratefully, then hesitated. "But... why are you helping me?"


    She knew that her rtionship with E wasn''t exactly friendly, especially after their previous sh over Lucas.


    "I don''t know. Maybe it''s because..." E paused, then shrugged. "In everyone else''s eyes, we''re both ''outsiders,'' I suppose."


    "You''re not an outsider," Fischl replied, taking a few steps before ncing back with a grin. "You''re just... a little too grumpy, that''s all."


    "This girl... After getting help, she''s got the nerve to tease me." E chuckled softly. "I''ll remember this grudge."


    ---


    Knights of Favonius Headquarters, Captain''s Office.


    "Sorry to intrude," Fischl announced as she pushed open the office door. "The gate guard told me that Lucas was here... huh?"


    ----


    Author''s Note: Next extra chap at 1800 :)