When it came to pure individual strength, Arlecchino's power was undeniable.
Lu Heng couldn't remember where he'd heard it, but there was a rumor that the top three Harbingers of the Fatui possessed strength comparable to that of Archons.
And Arlecchino was the Fourth Harbinger.
Tartaglia had once said that the ranking of the Fatui Harbingers was determined by strength.
Arlecchino stood just below the level of an Archon!
And that was before she obtained any cards!
To look at it another way—
That puppet was ranked sixth among the Harbingers.
Yet he was created by the Raiden Shogun herself just to hold the Gnosis!
The Gnosis might have been useless to Ei, but she wouldn't just throw it away carelessly, right?
Moreover, it still held power—enough to potentially create another "Scaramouche."
You could think of Scaramouche as a prototype for the Raiden Shogun.
Ei understood the difference in power between Archons, and she especially knew the gap between gods and mortals.
So when creating this prototype, she had considered many factors.
Thus, that puppet's strength was undeniably among the strongest below the level of an Archon.
And yet, even he was only ranked sixth!
Say what you will, but the Fatui truly had no shortage of powerful individuals.
That aside—
Arlecchino, who was already formidable to begin with, now possessed [Absolute Control].
The moment this card appeared, her strength had already undergone a breakthrough.
Imagine how terrifying someone would become if they could precisely control every single cell in their body?
And that was without even accounting for Arlecchino's existing supernatural abilities.
At this point, even if you ignored the tier of her equipment, she was at least a Tier 5 powerhouse.
The word "absolute" in [Absolute Control] wasn't just for show.
Even if equipment tiers imposed some restrictions, it was still heaven-defying!
Then there was [Bloody Harvest].
What did this mean?
As long as you were evil, killing you would allow her to absorb your strength for herself!
Two absolutely broken Tier 5 gold cards!
The only thing that could hinder Arlecchino's path to greater strength was the tier of her equipment.
Once that was no longer an issue, her ceiling would at least be that of a top-tier Archon.
Lu Heng sighed inwardly.
Arlecchino… might have been blessed with some serious luck.
If not for her insane fortune, how could she have pulled those two cards before?
And if she got another good pull this time, Lu Heng had a feeling she'd probably give it to Lynette.
Unless the card was perfect for her, she'd definitely do so—that was just the kind of person she was.
Lu Heng set aside his thoughts and took a sip of tea.
At that moment, Arlecchino made her move.
Six hundred million Mora—sixty thousand pulls.
"I can't guarantee my luck will stay consistent, so it's best if we don't waste any."
Arlecchino glanced at Lyney and Lynette.
The former was the heir she had chosen for the House of the Hearth.
The latter was also someone she held in high regard.
"Thank you, Father!" Lyney didn't refuse.
He had heard stories from older members about what the House of the Hearth used to be like—
A place of cruelty and blood, where people fought and killed each other like insects in a jar.
But that was all in the past.
Now, the House of the Hearth truly had the warmth of a "home"—even if it wasn't a real one.
The children respected and adored "Father," who was like a stern yet not overly rigid elder.
Faced with this opportunity, neither Lyney nor Lynette declined.
"I hope you both gain something from this."
With that, Arlecchino performed two ten-thousand-pull batches herself.
Neither yielded anything.
She smiled faintly after checking.
"It seems my foresight was correct."
"Maybe there are some decent Tier 4 purple cards worth keeping," Lu Heng said with a chuckle.
Just because Tier 5 gold cards existed didn't mean Tier 4 purples were useless.
After all, few people started a fight by immediately unleashing their ultimate move.
If Tier 5 was the "ultimate," then Tier 4 was more like a basic skill.
"I'll sort through them later," Arlecchino nodded.
Lyney stepped forward and performed two ten-thousand-pull batches as well.
The first yielded nothing.
The second—
Gold light erupted!
A hit!
Lyney's face lit up with excitement.
Arlecchino observed him calmly.
Lyney was still young.
A bit too easily stirred.
But at his age, getting worked up over something like this was only natural.
She had no intention of scolding him—she had plenty of time to wait for him to mature and eventually take her place.
"Please don't let it be a material card…"
Lyney prayed silently as he handed the Tier 5 gold card to Lu Heng.
"Mr. Lu, could you take a look?"
Lu Heng accepted it.
The card depicted a gemstone.
He ran his fingers over the surface, and golden light bloomed as the gem gained color—
A five-hued jewel, each shade corresponding to a tier from one to five.
At the same time, the card's information appeared:
[Gem of the Gods]
Tier: 5 • Gold
Type: Equipment Card
Traits: [Offense-Defense Hybrid] [Amplification] [Near-Death • Protective Healing]
Description: Legend says that during the great war of the celestial gods, a goddess's necklace was shattered, and one of its gems fell from the heavens, landing in the mortal world as a five-colored mountain.
…Seriously?
Lu Heng was reminded of many similar tales.
Were there really so many overlapping stories across different worlds?
But then again, with countless worlds out there, some were bound to be strikingly alike.
Shaking off the thought, Lu Heng continued, "First, the [Offense-Defense Hybrid] trait. Just by carrying it, the gem will automatically generate a shield when an attack is about to land on you."
"For offense, you need to activate it manually—it works as an amplifier, as described in the traits. I won't go into detail."
"The key here is [Near-Death • Protective Healing]."
Lu Heng studied the description further.
"When it detects you're on the verge of death, it automatically creates a barrier that isolates you from external harm, suspends your life force, and initiates slow healing. Think of it like being frozen in ice—except the ice can heal you."
That made it easy to understand.
An all-around powerhouse of a card!
Offense, defense, and healing!
Lu Heng returned the card to Lyney, who immediately offered it to Arlecchino.
"Keep it for yourself," she declined.
"But—"
Lyney wasn't going to lie—he wanted it.
But it felt too precious, and he wasn't sure he could handle the responsibility.
"Or give it to Lynette," Arlecchino suggested.
"Huh?"
Lynette blinked.
Arlecchino's gaze drifted to Lynette's neck and chest.
She nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing.
"Turn it into a necklace for her. It'll look lovely."
Lyney immediately agreed and handed the card over.
Just as Lynette was about to speak, Arlecchino cut in, "Times have changed."
This phrase had been used often lately, always signaling a drastic shift from the past.
Before, Lynette could afford to keep a low profile—even hide in plain sight.
But not anymore.
Lynette was now a playable character in Genshin Impact—far too many eyes were on her.
Her identity and affiliations were already exposed.
So wearing flashy accessories didn't matter anymore.
Once you stood in the spotlight, the only way to disappear was to completely reinvent yourself.
"...Thank you, Father."
Understanding this, Lynette bowed slightly and accepted the card.
"If you're making it into a necklace, make sure the chain is sturdy," Lu Heng advised.
"It doesn't need to be anything extravagant, but avoid anything that might snap from a light hit. Losing it at a critical moment would be… awkward."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
The gem was linked to the equipment system, so it could be retrieved if lost.
But if it fell off during a fight, the enemy wouldn't give you a chance to pick it back up.
Lynette, who was naturally cautious, wouldn't make such a basic mistake.
Lu Heng's reminder only made her more meticulous.
"Two ten-thousand-pulls left," Arlecchino noted.
Lynette stepped forward.
She wasn't one for many words.
First ten-thousand-pull:
Ten Tier 4 purple cards—an excellent haul.
Second ten-thousand-pull:
Gold light flashed!
"Not bad," Lu Heng remarked.
"The children's luck is better than mine," Arlecchino acknowledged with a slight nod.
Her mood was good—if this Tier 5 gold card also had a strong effect, it'd be even better.
Lu Heng flipped the card over to examine it.
[Strong Attack]
Tier: 5 • Gold
Type: Skill Card
Traits: [Passive] [Damage Amplification]
Description: Every third successful attack on an enemy enhances the effect of the next attack.
"Oh?"
Lu Heng was mildly surprised.
This card was quite similar to his own [Two Charges, One Strike Shatters Mountains and Rivers]!
But there were key differences.
Lu Heng's card only required two charges—even clenching his fist counted as stacking the buff—and the multiplier was higher.
Lynette's card, however, required landing three hits on an enemy before amplifying the next damaging skill.
It reminded Lu Heng of a rune from a certain game—even the name was the same, though the effects differed slightly.
Because this [Strong Attack] could amplify the effects of other card skills!
"Upper-mid Tier 5," Lu Heng declared.
"More than sufficient," Arlecchino said.
"It'll be a huge help for Father," Lyney added seriously.
Arlecchino was already strong enough—with this card, she'd be even stronger!
Lynette offered the card to Arlecchino.
Arlecchino shook her head.
"Lyney can keep it. I don't need it."
"Me?"
Lyney was stunned.
"My strength is more than enough," Arlecchino said flatly. "You're the one who needs improvement."
"T-Thank you, Father!" Lyney's voice trembled with excitement.
Lu Heng grinned and teased, "Witnessed by all of us, a terrifying sharpshooter is born today."
"Huh?"
Lyney was confused.
"Have you not even looked at your own card setup?" Lu Heng laughed.
Lyney checked his equipment interface and immediately smacked his forehead in realization.
Tier 4 Purple Card—[Deadeye]!
Description: When equipped, drawing a bow enhances the arms and grants [Arrow Intent], ensuring perfect accuracy within a thousand meters!
This was the card Lyney had obtained during his first visit to the shop, and he'd kept it equipped ever since.
But since he hadn't been in any fights lately, he'd almost forgotten about it.
Now, it hit him—combining [Deadeye] with [Strong Attack] effectively turned him into a human artillery piece with auto-aim!
Lyney couldn't help but imagine it:
In battle, he'd draw his bow.
Within a thousand meters, every shot would land.
And every fourth arrow—empowered by [Strong Attack]—would deal devastating damage!
Unless the enemy vastly outclassed him, who could possibly withstand that fourth shot?
And if they somehow survived, only to find themselves still unable to close the distance—
How would they handle the eighth arrow?
Lyney turned to Arlecchino, eyes shining.
"Father, even if you won't say it, I know you must have thought of this combo when you gave me [Strong Attack], right?"
Arlecchino paused, then replied after a brief silence,
"You're overthinking it. It was just a coincidence."
She hadn't actually remembered Lyney having this card.
Lyney: "..."
Oh.
Lu Heng barely stifled a laugh and cleared his throat.
"Should we wrap up this gacha session? I've already appraised the Tier 4 purples—a quick glance tells me some are quite good."
Arlecchino nodded.
"There are also quite a few decent Tier 3 cards. The children of the House of the Hearth won't fall behind in this new era."
"With a 'Father' like you, they'd have to try to fall behind," Lu Heng chuckled.
Arlecchino didn't respond.
She wouldn't coddle the children forever.
Like any parent, she couldn't carry them their entire lives.
She could guide them for a time, but their future was their own to shape.
At the very least, she had fulfilled her duty without regret.
"Mr. Lu, we'll take our leave now," Arlecchino said.
She had no intention of sorting and dismantling cards on the spot.
The children of the House of the Hearth would have the final say.
Some cards she deemed mediocre might be perfect for certain individuals.
Once everyone had picked what they wanted, the leftovers could be brought back for dismantling.
"Of course," Lu Heng nodded.
After exchanging farewells with Furina and the others, Arlecchino left with Lyney and Lynette in tow.
Lu Heng turned to the remaining group.
"All settled?"
"Focalors is the best—she gave me half!" Furina grinned.
"So, when are you planning to pull?"
Lu Heng smirked. "At the current pace, the Inazuma Archon Quest is almost done. Next is Sumeru, and then Fontaine."
"If you don't start preparing soon, you won't be able to put on your act when the time comes."
If Furina failed, Lu Heng could always step in.
But if this silly girl wanted to show off on her own, he'd support her.
"There's plenty of time—more than enough!"
Furina puffed out her chest confidently.
"And now, I'm going to spend this batch!"
"Seventy-five thousand pulls… What could that get you?" Lu Heng mused.
"Seems like you don't understand my luck."
Furina planted one hand on her hip and wagged a finger at him.
No one understood being a gacha god better than her—because she was one!
Some people needed a hundred thousand pulls for a gold card. Others took forty or fifty thousand.
But she, Furina, had once pulled three gold cards in thirty thousand pulls!
Sure, a single miraculous pull might seem luckier, but that wasn't sustainable!
Only by tallying all her pulls and dividing by the number of gold cards would the truth emerge:
Sure, Furina had been a bit unlucky at first—but that was only a few hundred pulls!
After that, she'd proven her luck was heaven-defying!
"Really?" Focalors looked skeptical.
"Furina's that lucky with gacha?" The Dendro Archon, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up.
Seeing their disbelief, Furina lifted her chin.
"Watch and learn. You're about to witness true luck!"
Lu Heng stood and gestured grandly.
"Then by all means—impress us."
"You'll be shocked!"
With a wave of her hand, Furina summoned several crates of Mora.
The counter devoured them like a ravenous beast, not leaving a single coin behind.
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T/N:
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