With seven slimes added to the camp, life had gotten a lot livelier—though also a lot messier.
For example, the Pyro Slime and the Electro Slime. When fire touched lightning, the result was Overloaded. The resulting mini-explosion blew Zhang Hao's makeshift shelter straight into the sky.
"Why the hell is my house flying?!"
Zhang Hao was on the verge of tears. Apparently, he was going to have to sit his slimes down and teach them not to crash into each other when their elements were dangerously reactive.
At least the Geo Slime was dependable—Geo was stable. A little bump just made a harmless crystallization reaction, not a bomb going off.
Either way, he needed to rebuild his shelter. Sleeping under the stars was only romantic in stories.
Still, the slimes weren't without their perks. Their attacks weren't that powerful on their own, but the elemental immunity blessing he'd awakened made them insanely useful.
When I get to Inazuma, I'll bring my "General Raiden Slime" with me. Think you can cut through that with Musou no Hitotachi, Shogun?
Of course, that was just how the game worked. Reality was different—archons weren't just about elemental damage, and Ei was a god. Still, the thought of nullifying her ultimate with a slime was tempting.
Imagine the look on her face… tears, tantrums, and everything.
By the time he finished rebuilding, his second shelter was sturdier and more comfortable than the first. Practice made perfect.
At last, he decided to pay a visit to Starfell Lake.
In the center, on the island, stood a Statue of The Seven. It was his first time approaching one since arriving in Teyvat.
He swam across with ease, climbed ashore, and stood before the towering monument.
"…Come to think of it, doesn't this statue look a lot like Venti? Aside from Jean, does no one else notice?" Zhang Hao muttered.
Few people suspected the bard's identity. Who would connect a drunkard in a green cape with Mondstadt's god of freedom? The songs and scriptures portrayed Barbatos as holy, mighty, gentle, kind… That image was etched into Mondstadters' collective mind.
No one would guess that their so-called divine patron spent most of his days drinking dandelion wine and lazing around.
"Forget it. That drunkard isn't my problem. Let's see if I can get something out of this statue."
He reached out, placing his hand on the cold stone. Would he awaken elemental power like the Traveler twins had? He had no Vision, but this was his only shot.
The wind howled softly. Pure Anemo energy surged into his body.
As long as you do not lose your nobility, the world shall open its arms to you.
"…So this is wind elemental power?"
Zhang Hao opened his eyes, green light flickering faintly in his pupils. Like the Traveler, he could wield the elements without a Vision.
But there was more. Strange panels appeared in his mind's eye:
[Blessing of Beastmastery]: Greatly increases affinity with other creatures.
[Blessing of Anemo]: Grants perfect command of wind elemental power.
[Blessing of Element Immunity]: Negates harmful elemental damage.
"!!!"
His jaw nearly hit the ground. So I really do have blessings on me…!
It reminded him of Reinhard from another story—the man nicknamed "Reinhard the Cheat" because of his ridiculous, almost infinite blessings.
If Zhang Hao had the same kind of stacked abilities… then wasn't he also basically invincible?
"Guess you can call me Zhang Hao, a.k.a. Zhang Sun-of-Heaven."
He coughed and forced himself to calm down. No need to get cocky—yet.
Still, his excitement was impossible to contain. No wonder the slimes had followed him so easily; that must have been the Beastmaster blessing. And the reason he wasn't fried by the Electro Slime? That had been Element Immunity, awakening without him realizing.
The Anemo blessing, meanwhile…
Zhang Hao raised his palm. A sphere of wind swirled to life in his hand, flexible and responsive. With a thought, he shaped it into a little Anemo Slime.
"Take this!"
Boom! A compressed air ball shot into Starfell Lake, erupting into a geyser of spray. A school of fish floated belly-up.
"Not bad."
For the first time since arriving in this world, he felt like he wasn't just a fragile, powerless human.
Still, he reminded himself not to get reckless. No turning into certain pufferfish streamers who thought they were invincible.
That night, Zhang Hao lay sideways on his wooden bed, staring at the fire. With blessings on his side, the future finally felt hopeful.
Because reality in Teyvat was far harsher than the game.
The Abyss, for one, was a genuine existential threat. Nations weren't just playgrounds for stories—they had wars, disasters, casualties.
Dragonspine's plague, Osial's attack on Liyue Harbor, the civil war in Inazuma… Behind every "questline" lay real blood and loss.
His thoughts were cut off by a loud bang.
The Hydro Slime had rolled too close to the Dendro Slime. That triggered a Dendro Core. Which the Pyro Slime promptly touched.
Chain reaction.
Bloom, Burning, Overloaded. A spectacular explosion.
Thanks to Element Immunity, Zhang Hao was unharmed. His house, however, was once again launched into the sky.
"…Second time now. Great."
At this rate, he'd have to start disciplining his slimes, or else when he eventually rented a place in Mondstadt, it wouldn't just be rent he owed—it would be massive compensation.