The frequency of the flaming wingbeats gradually decreased as Jun Bai landed in the Whispering Woods near Mondstadt City. The wings behind him folded and retracted into his body.
"The feeling of free flight isn't bad." Jun Bai steadied himself and stretched. "By the way, since Kujou Sara also has wings, shouldn't she theoretically be able to fly too?"
[The game is the game; reality is reality. In the real world of Teyvat, Kujou Sara naturally uses her own wings, not a Wind Glider.]
[Just like the real Mondstadt City isn't as small as it is in the game.]
"So the actual Mondstadt City is twice as big as a normal city… or even larger?"
Jun Bai looked at the towering city walls not far away. Using the nearby trees as a reference for mental scaling, he estimated the walls to be about a hundred meters tall.
In-game data only listed them as a little over ten meters, making Mondstadt City seem like a village compared to the cities of the other four nations.
Only by seeing it with one's own eyes could one appreciate the magnificence of this ancient Roman–inspired city built upon a thousand years of history.
From a mortal's perspective, one would feel their insignificance; from an Archon's perspective, one would admire the strength and wisdom of humanity.
Mondstadt was truly worthy of being one of the Seven Nations.
Jun Bai walked onto the bridge across Cider Lake leading to Mondstadt City. A white pigeon landed on his shoulder, behaving affectionately.
The pigeons on the bridge fluttered their wings, moving closer to him.
"Wow, big brother, the pigeons really like you!" a little boy standing by the bridge exclaimed.
Seeing this boy, Jun Bai recalled his days of being unable to obtain Fowl.
Yes—standing before him was none other than Teyvat's largest Fowl supplier, the poor NPC whose pigeons were slaughtered in countless ways every day—Timmy!
"Birds tend to like me." Jun Bai gave Timmy a friendly smile.
[Friendly (X), Guilty Conscience (√)]
Timmy looked at him enviously and asked, "Big brother, do you have a secret? Can you tell me? I want to get closer to the pigeons too."
"I'm sorry, little one. It's innate for me," Jun Bai apologized, then gently picked up the pigeon from his shoulder and placed it in Timmy's arms.
He patted Timmy's head and prepared to enter Mondstadt City.
However, seeing the circle of pigeons gathering around his feet, Jun Bai realized his current avian affinity might be a bit too strong.
He smiled wryly, then leaped up, jumping out of the encirclement without touching a single pigeon.
Under Timmy's admiring gaze, Jun Bai walked into Mondstadt City.
[By the way, I still don't understand the purpose of your 'Avian Creature Affinity' setting.]
"It fits my background, and some players like characters who are good with small animals."
[Don't get it. Whatever, as long as you're happy.]
Jun Bai smiled and didn't respond.
When designing his story, he had wondered: since Teyvat had Elemental Dragons, could there be creatures similar to Phoenixes or Immortal Birds?
And if he were to create an Archon's story, could he base an Archon on a Phoenix?
That was how the Phoenix Archon came to be.
The Archon of Nirvana in his background story was originally a Fire Phoenix. As the king of all birds, it would feel off if he lacked affinity for avian creatures.
On the bright side, this affinity would help him make a stunning appearance before the Traveler tomorrow. On the downside, it didn't seem to cause him any inconvenience either.
This was the day before the main storyline officially began. In other words, Mondstadt was still dealing with the "Stormterror" crisis.
To prevent troublemakers from entering Mondstadt City during this period, every stranger entering the city needed to undergo questioning by the Knights of Favonius.
Of course, Jun Bai—who understood Mondstadt—knew that the Knights' interrogation was only a formality. The ones truly responsible for identifying potential threats were the three nighttime operatives of Mondstadt: Kaeya, Rosaria, and Diluc.
So, when asked about his purpose for coming to Mondstadt, Jun Bai decided to have some fun:
"I'm here to visit two old friends."
"Please state the names and general descriptions of your friends. The Knights will verify with residents in the city who match your descriptions."
Jun Bai pretended to think and said, "Of the two I wish to visit, it isn't convenient to disclose information about one of them. The other is a bard named Venti. From what I know, he often recites poetry and composes songs under the Statue of The Seven in front of the Favonius Cathedral, and sometimes he can be found at Angel's Share."
"Understood. I will notify another knight to verify this shortly."
The knight in charge made a note and called another knight over to investigate.
Only after confirming the information did they allow Jun Bai into Mondstadt City.
Seeking out Venti was an excuse to enter the city, but it was also something Jun Bai genuinely intended to do—just not today. He planned to meet him tomorrow, on the route where Dvalin entered the city.
After all, the other person he wanted to find was still by the seaside at this moment.
Jun Bai found an inn in the city, checked in, and lay down to conserve his energy for tomorrow's plot.
...
Parallel World.
"Folks, miHoYo said the official launch is at 10 AM. It's only 8 AM, and Guinaifen is already sitting in front of the computer, ready to grab a UID."
Guinaifen sat before her computer, greeting the viewers in her stream with enthusiasm.
[Guinaifen, you're not alone. I'm also sitting in front of the computer, watching your stream.]
[I'm preparing to grab a UID too. After all, we don't know if miHoYo might open the servers early.]
[Same here.]
[Same here.]
[Same here.]
Seeing the wall of [Same here] comments, Guinaifen laughed. "All of you woke up early today, not to work hard, but to squat in front of your computer waiting for the game to launch? Aren't you afraid your boss will dock your pay?"
[Doesn't matter. My perfect attendance bonus is already gone. Just showing up is already giving the boss face.]
[Doesn't matter. I don't have a job.]
[Doesn't matter. My parents owe me an apartment in Beijing. I can rightfully mooch off them.]
[Doesn't matte— Wait, upstairs, are you that big shot whose family ancestral grave produced green smoke four times?]
Seeing the chat gradually veering off course, Guinaifen quickly changed the subject: "Speaking of which, everyone must have seen the character illustration the official account posted on HoYoLAB a couple of days ago, right?"
"Guinaifen is just so impressed by the illustrator. My husband's illustration is flawlessly handsome from every angle."
"And the artist really understands our tastes. That choker and thigh strap are simply—"
[Guina! Wake up, stop swooning, or the stream will get banned!]
[Guinaifen! Stop daydreaming! MiHoYo is being sneaky; they opened the servers early!]
[Whoa! They really launched early! Guinaifen, hurry up!]
"Ah?! They launched early?" Guinaifen sprang upright as if electrocuted, slamming the table angrily. "MiHoYo, you're breaking the rules!"
Desk HP -1.
Guinaifen clicked to enter, spreading her arms wide as she shouted, "Genshin Impact, start!"
Genshin Impact in the parallel world officially launched.
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
Please support the original author: 失渝光
Raw:宝可梦:我的冠军老婆沙奈朵