When Arthur tapped this app, a note appeared containing the following details:
"This world's area is 10 square kilometers. You can adjust the time inside this world either when you enter it or from the app outside. The fixed, unchangeable time ratio is one hour inside this small world equaling one day outside. You can control this ratio from the app or while inside the world.
The Attribute Panel and Storage apps can be used to bring items into this small world, or you can introduce them directly. This world allows living beings to enter, provided they consent, and they must be within ten meters of you to be brought in.
The size of this world increases each time you unlock one of your Gene Locks. This world follows the rules of Teyvat, and it can nurture plants and seeds using elemental power—because this world adheres to Teyvat's elemental principles."
Arthur thought to himself, utterly delighted—he nearly fainted from the sheer joy of everything he could do in this small world. He could train with a sword or bow, plant seeds, all thanks to the ability to manipulate time inside. He imagined training for long hours within the world while barely any time passed outside, or growing crops that would sustain him for months due to the accelerated time. Excitement surged through him as he recalled dreaming of such abilities in video games during his previous life.
Then Arthur wondered, "How do I enter this world?"
A note appeared on the app screen:
"Enter the small world: Yes / No"
And below it: "Tap here to adjust the small world's time. Current small world time: 1 hour outside = 1 day inside."
Instead of adjusting the time, Arthur tapped "Yes."
Suddenly, he vanished from his spot. The phone fell to the ground without a single scratch, blending seamlessly into the surroundings—no one could see it except Arthur himself.
Arthur found himself standing in the middle of a flat, grassy plain. The entire world was like this: vast green land, free of any complex terrain, resembling the most beautiful plains of Teyvat on a perfect day. He looked up at the sky—it mirrored Teyvat's, without stars, lit by a gently shining sun. The air felt like eternal spring, with soft breezes carrying the scent of wildflowers. Peace washed over Arthur's heart; it was as if he had found a safe haven far from the dangers of the outside world—Hilichurls, Fatui agents, and all.
Full of enthusiasm, Arthur began running around to explore this 10-square-kilometer world. Everything was just short green grass and flat land, yet he sensed a hidden energy pulsing beneath his feet, as though Teyvat's primal elements—like Anemo and Geo—flowed freely here.
He decided to gather some plant seeds and test planting them in this world. Then he thought, "How do I leave?"
A transparent phone identical to the one outside appeared, displaying the words:
"Exit the small world: Yes / No."
Arthur tapped "Yes" and returned to his original spot.
A wave of worry hit him when he saw the phone lying beside his foot. He quickly bent down, picked it up with his right hand, and inspected it from every angle. He sighed in relief: "Nothing happened to it."
He almost wanted to slap himself, thinking inwardly, "I should have placed it on my shabby bed before tapping Yes."
Then he reconsidered: "How could a mysterious phone like this be damaged by a fall? Maybe it's part of the system itself."
He began thinking about how he would wait four days to accumulate four attribute points so he could experiment with allocating them to Strength, Body, Spirit, and Speed. He also planned to collect various types of seeds and plant them in the small world to build a source of food and resources.
Arthur worked at a fruit shop owned by a pot-bellied boss, laboring from morning till night for a meager wage of 30,000 Mora. In this real Teyvat, Mora differed from the game's currency—it was the actual coin of the world, made of shiny metal resembling gold infused with elemental traces, bearing numbers like 5, 10, or 100 in the center of each coin.
After four full days—mostly spent working from dawn to dusk—he managed to gather some apple seeds and Sunsettia seeds. That was all he could collect, thanks to his stingy, overweight boss. He also bought about twenty Sweet Flower seeds, commonly used for making sugar and in cooking, and planted them all on the second day.
He entered the small world several times to check their progress and saw they were growing wonderfully. The grass seemed to nourish them thanks to the flowing elemental energy, and tiny green sprouts emerged from the soil at an astonishing speed.
Then Arthur thought: "Now that I've accumulated four attribute points, I'll add them."
He was about to open the Attribute Panel app when he remembered that allocating the four points might cause something strange to happen. To be safe, he decided to enter the small world first and set its time to match the outside world—one hour inside equaling one hour outside—so he could avoid any unexpected time discrepancies during the experiment.
He carefully placed the phone on his pillow before entering. Once inside the small world, a transparent phone appeared with a thought. Arthur opened the Attribute Panel app on it and tapped the increase buttons that appeared next to each stat, allocating all four points.
A strange energy surged through his entire body. Intense pain struck him, and he fainted.
As he lay unconscious, sticky black substance began oozing from his pores, expelling impurities from his body. It filled the air with a strange metallic odor and spread across the surrounding grass—marking the beginning of a profound transformation in his abilities.