Sometimes, a powerful five-star gold card might not be satisfying.
Especially for those who have options—if a card is strong but has an aspect they can't accept, then it's unsatisfactory. Take Furina's [Abyssal Maw], for example. It allows the user to evolve by devouring others, making it undeniably powerful!
But Furina discarded it because it would make her ugly, so she simply dismantled it.
Of course, all of this hinges on having a choice!
Right now, [Ticket Shift + D] was the only option.
Some four-star purple cards are incredibly strong and beloved, but they're ultimately limited by their tier, which can feel frustrating.
And that's when a card that can raise their tier becomes especially precious!
Take the Traveler or Paimon as an example.
If none of today's five-star gold cards satisfy them, and they're unwilling to use them, then these gold cards can only be dismantled—or sold to someone who needs them.
At the same time, if a four-star card appears that's both satisfying and powerful, then its value skyrockets!
This is the essence of having options.
"You should pay more attention to four-star purple cards," Lu Heng said with a smile.
Lumine nodded seriously and turned to Paimon, instructing, "Keep an eye out for cards you like too—"
"Huh?"
Paimon froze for a moment, then her expression twisted with emotion.
Her lips trembled, and her eyes instantly reddened. "Y-you…"
"Touched, aren't you?" Lumine smirked, waving her hand dismissively. "I don't care what your identity really is, but the game's loading screen says it—Paimon is the best companion!"
"Ehh… Why say that so suddenly…"
Paimon blushed, overwhelmed with emotion.
She had thought she'd be cast aside, but Lumine treated her just like before—even better, in fact.
She was even willing to give Paimon a five-star gold card!
At a time when her identity was in question, such an act spoke volumes about Lumine's trust in her.
"Don't cry," Lumine pulled Paimon into a hug, her expression gentle and smiling. "You're my best companion! If I get something strong, of course I'll share it with you!"
Watching the deep bond between the Traveler duo, Lu Heng couldn't help but feel moved.
But like Lumine, he felt the same.
No matter what Paimon's true identity was, she was indeed the best companion.
Just think about it—throughout their journey, when fighting Childe and falling to the second level, Paimon immediately reached out to pull Lumine up.
Or during the confrontation at Tenshukaku, when the Raiden Shogun unleashed her Musou no Hitotachi, Paimon instinctively tried to shield Lumine despite her shock.
There were too many examples like this.
Paimon was mysterious, but her willingness to take a hit for the Traveler was genuine.
"We're the best companions!" Paimon declared loudly.
Lu Heng chuckled warmly from the side. "Seeing you trust each other like this makes me genuinely happy for you."
"Thank you~" Lumine said softly.
Paimon giggled bashfully.
Once their emotions settled, Lu Heng checked the time. "It's almost eight. Should we go eat?"
"Time flies so fast?" Lumine glanced at the clock. "Then we should hurry!"
Lu Heng, having nothing else to do, helped them sift through cards.
Four-star cards might not sound impressive, but in Teyvat, they were still upper-tier.
And some four-star purple cards were quite interesting.
While filtering through them, Lumine even called Xiangling to reserve a table.
Before long, the four-star cards were sorted.
Lumine shook her head. "I didn't find anything particularly suitable for Paimon."
Paimon sighed. "I didn't find anything I really liked either."
But then she perked up. "But I did find two great cards for you!"
Lu Heng pulled out a four-star purple card. "I found a pretty good one here."
[Vitality of Flora]
Tier: Four-Star (Purple)
Type: Skill Card
Attribute: Plant-Type (Attack/Defense/Healing)
Description: Just as a sea of flowers can heal the heart, thorny vines can also strike enemies.
"Eh?" Paimon gasped. "This attribute—does it mean this skill can attack, defend, and heal?"
"Exactly," Lu Heng confirmed.
"That's amazing!" Paimon nodded eagerly. "It's so versatile! It can support Lumi!"
"The key is whether you like it. I don't strictly need support," Lumine shrugged.
She was the Fourth Heavenly Calamity!
What did she need support for?
If one life wasn't enough to kill the enemy, she'd just revive. If the enemy wasn't at full health when she came back, they were done for.
Even if they still didn't die, she'd just revive a few more times. As long as they had a health bar, she'd whittle them down!
"I like it!" Paimon insisted. "This skill is really good! It won't make me look weird, right?"
"Definitely not. At most, you'll glow green for a second."
"Then this one it is!" Paimon decided.
After thinking it over and finding no downsides, Lumine agreed.
Then, they used [Rank +1].
The originally purple card shimmered with golden light.
In just a second, it transformed completely!
The illustration on the card changed to a lush forest.
[Nature's Offering]
Tier: Five-Star (Gold)
Type: Skill Card
Attribute: Flora-Type / Nature Affinity
Description: Blooming and withering are but one facet of nature's path.
"Even though it's limited to flora, it's still excellent!" Lu Heng remarked. "You know about the Dendro Archon, right?"
"I do," Lumine nodded. "Does this have something to do with her?"
"With just this card, you could compete for her title as the Sovereign of Flora," Lu Heng said.
"Wha—?!"
Paimon's eyes widened.
A single card could compete with an Archon's dominion over plants?!
Unbelievable!
But Lu Heng wasn't one to joke about such things. This meant that as long as her equipment tier kept up, she could truly achieve what he said!
"Competing for titles is unnecessary," Lumine shook her head, then smiled. "But Paimon will have self-defense abilities now. We should celebrate tonight!"
"Right!" Paimon nodded vigorously.
During the Mondstadt storyline, right after leaving the cathedral, she'd been frozen solid by La Signora's cryo winds!
She'd never forget the moment she was turned into an ice cube and sent flying!
If she'd had power back then, she wouldn't have been so helpless!
"Paimon's finally not just one-fifth of a wild boar's combat power anymore," Lumine teased.
"No time to mourn the weak Paimon! Now enters the divine Paimon!"
Paimon puffed out her chest proudly. "Hehe! Paimon's gonna be a big deal from now on!"
With the Traveler duo now so strong, they shouldn't be passing out randomly anymore, right?
Lu Heng mused silently.
If they still fainted after this, he'd truly have nothing left to say.
"Quick, dismantle cards to upgrade the equipment!" Lumine urged Paimon.
With her gamer template, many low-tier cards—no matter how good their effects—were useless to her.
So she dismantled them in bulk.
A few minutes later, Lumine's equipment reached Tier 5!
Paimon's equipment also hit Tier 5!
Both were at the baseline 1% progress into Tier 5.
With no more spare cards to dismantle, the two began studying their gains.
Paimon's was the simplest.
With a wave of her hand, a flower bud made of energy materialized in her palm.
The bud bloomed, releasing a surge of life energy—a healing effect!
Then another flower bloomed.
A crimson blossom withered the moment it opened, and the surrounding air grew heavy.
This was just a test—if she went all out, a single flower could likely devastate a ten-kilometer radius!
Meanwhile, Lumine unequipped her previously slotted cards.
With all twelve slots empty, she equipped [Gamer Mode] in the first slot.
The moment the card was equipped, she felt a surge of energy.
Her vision instantly transformed.
Every pedestrian on the street now had a health bar floating above their heads.
Most weren't at full health—hovering around 90%.
Lumine noticed an elderly man coughing, his health bar dipping slightly.
Clearly, the health bars currently reflected people's physical condition.
Some bars were long, others short.
Lumine turned to look at Lu Heng.
His head was empty.
Just as she was about to ask if his tier was too high, Lu Heng deliberately revealed his health bar.
Then—
A health bar so vast it spanned the horizon, stretching from one end of the sky to the other, with a thickness measured in kilometers, appeared before her.
Lumine fell silent.
Her eyelid twitched.
With an indescribable expression, she muttered, "Your health bar is… ridiculous."
Lu Heng smiled faintly.
This was him intentionally showing it to her—otherwise, she wouldn't have seen it at all!
"If I were in Mondstadt right now, could I still see your health bar?" Lumine asked.
"If you zoom out enough in-game, maybe?" Lu Heng wasn't entirely sure either.
Lumine took a deep breath, deciding not to dwell on it.
They hadn't even met, and his health bar was already poking her in the face!
Given Lu Heng's power, Lumine suspected she could probably see his health bar stretching across the sky even from a planet in another galaxy.
"See a health bar, and I'll whittle you down!"
That statement, Lumine realized, needed to be retracted.
Against Lu Heng… was it even possible to break his defense?
She highly doubted it.
On impulse, she asked, "Boss Lu, I'm curious—does someone as powerful as you even have a weakness?"
Lu Heng pondered.
Did he have a weakness?
Well, there was one—the universal weakness of men.
Even a light tap there could make anyone howl in pain.
Thinking of this, he nodded. "I do."
"You actually do?!"
Both Lumine and Paimon were shocked.
It was hard to imagine someone like Lu Heng having a vulnerability!
"But I can't tell you," Lu Heng shook his head.
Lumine nodded in understanding.
Of course, no one would willingly reveal their weakness—that'd be handing over their Achilles' heel.
Seeing her misunderstanding, Lu Heng didn't explain further.
Lumine equipped [SSS-Rank Mage Talent] in her second equipment slot.
She summoned her status panel.
The talent was now displayed, along with her personal information.
Part of it resembled the in-game UI, but it also included stats like [Physique] and [Agility].
Additionally, there was a skill list.
The mage talent came with two starter skills:
[Basic Elemental Magic] (Lv. 1)[Basic Potion Crafting] (Lv. 1)
Leveling up didn't require materials—just proficiency.
As for gaining new skills, she could either slot more cards or develop them herself.
For example, her sword techniques and cooking skills were already listed, and their levels weren't 1 due to her existing experience.
The panel also had an inventory tab, making storage incredibly convenient!
Lumine equipped a few more four-star purple cards, adding their corresponding skills to her list.
The skill levels here only reflected proficiency, not damage multipliers.
But higher proficiency meant smoother execution.
All in all, Lumine felt she'd struck gold.
"Then, shall we go for supper?" she asked cheerfully.
"Sure," Lu Heng agreed readily.
The trio left the shop.
Lu Heng carried a piece of Heavenly Tribulation Wood.
His hand moved like a blade, effortlessly carving a sword from the wood.
The wood radiated an oppressive aura—the overwhelming might of heavenly punishment, brimming with killing intent.
Unshakably fierce!
It could suppress evil and intimidate other beings.
In moments, Lu Heng handed the finished sword to Lumine.
She accepted it eagerly.
The sword wasn't heavy, weighing only about two or three pounds.
Though made of wood, it was from a divine tree, making it absurdly durable.
Calling it "sharp enough to split iron" would be an understatement.
The hilt was engraved with anti-slip patterns, and the blade bore intricate designs.
The entire sword looked like a work of art.
"Status panel!" Lumine called out.
The panel appeared.
Item cards didn't occupy equipment slots and were bound like regular cards—effectively refined.
In simpler terms, it was soul-bound.
The panel displayed Lumine's avatar, with the weapon now listed in her equipment.
[Unnamed Heavenly Tribulation Wood Sword]
Attack Power: 999
+20% Crit DMG against normal enemies
+50% Crit DMG against evil entities
Heavenly Tribulation Aura: Inflicts mental suppression on targets!
Razor Edge: Despite being wooden, its sharpness rivals divine weapons!
Ergonomic: Meticulously crafted for optimal handling. +10% Attack Power.
Description: A sword carved from Heavenly Tribulation Wood by a supreme being.
"So strong!" Lumine gasped, looking at Lu Heng. "No wonder it feels so natural to wield. Thank you!"
"A weapon should feel right in hand," Lu Heng said modestly.
For warriors, comfort was paramount.
Since he'd decided to help, he'd put in the extra effort.
"Mhm~" Lumine agreed warmly.
She didn't voice her gratitude further, keeping it in her heart.
With a flourish, she sheathed the sword in her inventory.
As they walked toward Wanmin Restaurant, she continued examining her panel.
There were many equipment slots, including a unique section.
"What's this?" she asked.
Lu Heng glanced over. "Artifact slots. Though they don't have to be artifacts—Relics work too."
It was the classic gear system from gacha games.
Some sets had four or five pieces.
Lumine's panel had ten slots, meaning she could equip two full sets!
"Wait… I have to farm artifacts in real life too?!" Lumine's scalp tingled.
"It's necessary for getting stronger," Lu Heng said sympathetically.
Were artifacts even meant for humans to farm?
Lu Heng had to be blunt—artifacts and relics were both garbage.
But there was no denying they provided massive power boosts.
Want to grow stronger?
Then start grinding!
"Ugh…" Lumine groaned, fully aware of the artifact grind's horrors.
The young girl slumped slightly, looking defeated.
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T/N:
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