Fontaine, Hailu Port
"Finally arrived in Fontaine. Perfect timing, I've just finished writing the first act of my novel. I'll submit it to The Steambird soon." Lin Qiu sat on the cruise ship, reading the novel he had written.
The novel was called *Teyvat Anecdotes*.
Flipping to the first page, it read: 'Prologue: Act 1: The Outlander Who Caught the Wind'.
That's right. This novel was written by Lin Qiu based on the main storyline of Genshin itself.
"Sigh, for the sake of you, this damn system, I traveled all the way from Liyue to Fontaine. You better deliver." Lin Qiu checked for typos in the novel while complaining inwardly. If he wanted power, or to save people like Focalors and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, he could only rely on this system.
The system Lin Qiu had awakened was called the Emotion System. As the name suggested, it collected intense emotions from others, which Lin Qiu could then exchange for items and abilities.
Unfortunately, the system couldn't absorb emotions from the entire world. It could only do so in two ways.
One was through emotions generated by the host himself, either directly from him or from his works.
The other was collecting emotions near the host, but the range was limited. That's why Lin Qiu had come all the way to Fontaine.
After all, Fontaine had that magical Opéra Épicleuse. Trials held there always left people feeling regretful, whether over the victims' plight or the trial not being exciting enough. In short, this place was a hotbed for such emotions.
"Excuse me, sir, could I borrow that book in your hand to take a look?" A pleasant voice interrupted Lin Qiu's thoughts.
Lin Qiu looked toward the voice. It was a pink-haired girl not far to his left.
"Charlotte?" Lin Qiu finally noticed this playable character from Genshin.
The cruise ship was much larger than in the game, and there were plenty of people on board. Lin Qiu hadn't paid close attention to everyone, so he hadn't realized he was on the same voyage as Charlotte.
If all went as expected, this little reporter had probably just finished an interview and was heading back to The Steambird.
"Huh? You know me?" Charlotte was mildly surprised. She was just a reporter, not a celebrity. The man in front of her didn't look like a local Fontaine resident either, so how did he know her?
"I looked you up since I'm planning to submit to The Steambird," Lin Qiu made up on the spot.
"I see, no wonder I've never seen this book before." Charlotte nodded, then pulled out paper and pen. With expectant eyes, she looked at Lin Qiu and continued, " *Teyvat Anecdotes*. Is this your work? Are these bizarre tales you've encountered across Teyvat? Real experiences or pure fiction? Can I report on it and promote it?"
"?"
How many questions is that in one breath? Which one do I answer first?
"Ah, sorry, I got too excited." Charlotte realized she was being too eager and apologized.
"No worries."
"Let me introduce myself first. I'm Lin Qiu, pen name Qiu Cheng. From Liyue, 22 years old, single, ordinary unemployed drifter. Current monthly income: zero."
At that, Lin Qiu paused and looked at Charlotte, who was scribbling away, before asking, "Need more details?"
Charlotte replied while recording his words, "Of course. The more detailed, the better, if you're willing."
Lin Qiu's book wasn't out yet, and she didn't know if it would be a hit, but Charlotte had nothing better to do right now. How could she pass up a chance for an exclusive interview? What if he blew up?
"Alright." Lin Qiu nodded and smoothly shared his height, weight, and other non-private info.
After finishing her notes, Charlotte closed her little notebook.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Teacher Qiu Cheng."
Even though Lin Qiu's book wasn't published yet, Charlotte was already calling him "Teacher." Building a good relationship now meant plenty of exclusives later.
"Mind if I take a look at your work?" Charlotte asked tentatively.
After all, it was an unpublished piece. The author might not want to share with a stranger they'd just met.
"Of course." Lin Qiu handed the book over cooperatively.
To Lin Qiu, Charlotte wasn't a stranger. They didn't know each other personally, but she was familiar.
A familiar stranger, so to speak.
Charlotte took the book and began reading.
'Prologue: Act 1: The Outlander Who Caught the Wind'
[So, you're saying you drifted here from beyond this world?]
[But when you tried to leave for the next world, an unknown god blocked your path?]
The book described a white-haired god appearing before the twins, full of imposing presence.
[Outlanders, your journey ends here.]
[The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles hereby ends the transgression of the 'children of man.']
Just the opening lines carried so much information that Charlotte's brain nearly short-circuited.
Drifters from beyond the world? The next world? An unknown god? Sustainer of Heavenly Principles? Children of man? Transgression?
Even with all the info Charlotte had gathered as a reporter, these terms were completely foreign to her.
She'd thought she knew a lot from chasing news everywhere. As expected of a novelist, what an imagination.
Yes, right now, Charlotte figured the book was pure fantasy. She had no idea that outlanders and the Heavenly Principles actually existed in this world.
But whether it was real or not, the opening had hooked her. She wanted to keep reading to find out what these terms meant.
The rest described the travelers from beyond clashing with the white-haired Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, ultimately defeated and having their powers sealed.
After who-knows-how-many years, they awoke and encountered another white-haired floating mystery.
Then the protagonist Ying and the white floating thing Paimon headed to Mondstadt together.
(That's right, the protagonist of this book was Ying. Drew the Abyss Prince instead again on the Abyss pull.)
So who the heck was the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles!?
Where exactly did the protagonist come from!?
What was the 'transgression of the children of man'!?
How did it suddenly shift from fantasy to reality?
Digging holes without filling them, total cliffhanger!
Good thing the author was right there. She could just ask him.
Charlotte shot Lin Qiu a resentful glance and asked, "Teacher Qiu Cheng, why does your book suddenly switch from fantasy to reality? You're not filling the earlier holes?"
"Fantasy? My book has been reality from the start," Lin Qiu said.
"What? Reality?"
Charlotte looked at Lin Qiu in confusion. If this book was really based on reality, didn't that mean he knew far more than her, a reporter?
With that in mind, Charlotte hurriedly pulled out her pen and notebook again.
If he knew more than her, she had to seize this chance to learn.
As for whether Lin Qiu was telling the truth, Charlotte couldn't judge yet. She needed to gather the info first, collect more data, and compare.
Scholars verified truth; reporters collected information.
Of course, she wouldn't publish any of this as fact until verified.
"Excuse me, who exactly is the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles?"
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If you're enjoying this story so far, please add it to your collection and leave a comment or review. It really helps more readers find this fanfic and motivates me to keep going. I'll be uploading 10 chapters by tomorrow, so stay tuned for a proper binge read!