The World of Teyvat
High in the sky, a black portal opened without warning, and a lone figure slowly stepped through.
He glanced around, frowning.
"Where is this…?"
His name was Fu Ning, one of the twelve Ninth-Level Transcendents of Blue Star. After defeating the final demon, he—possessing all twelve supreme talents—chose to leave his world behind to witness the scenery of another.
However, this was his first attempt at dimensional travel. There were bound to be some errors.
"Hmm? Interesting… This world is surprisingly tolerant. It even gave me a gift."
Fu Ning raised his head to the sky. Reflected in his pupils were six glimmering stars—a mark of his constellation.
His first constellation had already been unlocked.
Its name…
Level One: The Void.
After a moment's thought, Fu Ning declared,
"Then my destiny shall be called… the Dark God Fu Ningzuo."
Looking around, he noticed the nearest structure: a floating island suspended high in the air.
Falling from such a height wouldn't kill him—not only because he possessed the power of flight, but because his body had long surpassed the limits of mortal durability. For someone like him to die from a fall would be absurd.
He decided to head to the floating island to investigate.
After all, this was a new world. Everything here was unknown.
Upon landing on the island, Fu Ning scanned his surroundings.
Suddenly, he sensed a fluctuation in space. His eyes narrowed.
A brilliant black and red portal opened before him, and from it stepped a regal figure—her presence commanding, her gaze cold.
"Outlander," she declared, "your presence here violates the divine laws."
Fu Ning raised his left hand. With a pulse of energy, a weapon materialized—a meter-long, pitch-black staff.
The Void Staff.
"And what sort of god are you?" he asked coolly.
"I am the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles," the woman replied. A red-and-black cube hovered into her palm. "I eliminate those who should not exist in this world."
Her disdainful voice echoed in the air.
Fu Ning: "…"
He had just arrived and done nothing—and yet she already deemed him an anomaly. Clearly, she was no friend.
Sensing the energy surging beneath him, Fu Ning acted. In a flash, he launched himself into the air, narrowly avoiding the spatial blocks rising from the ground.
His pupils contracted slightly.
That spatial pressure—it was dangerously strong.
'Meele Talent: Sequence Three!'
A multicolored light flickered in Fu Ning's eyes, and in the next moment, his body radiated with explosive strength.
There were twelve supreme talents in total—each one with a unique and extraordinary effect. During their final battle, he and the other eleven transcendents had shared all of their talents to increase their power.
Fu Ning's original talent had been the strongest offensive one: Sequence Eight.
Glaring at the self-proclaimed upholder of justice, he noted that she was far weaker than he was—at least, in his prime.
Unfortunately, after the battle with the final demon and traversing countless space-time layers, his strength had sharply declined.
In his current state, he couldn't defeat her.
Black and red cubes surged forward like tentacles, targeting his location.
'Defensive Talent: Sequence Seven!'
He raised his Void Staff, and space itself solidified before him. The Sustainer's cubes came to a halt, unable to break through.
She seemed briefly surprised—but her expression quickly hardened as she summoned more energy to attack.
"…"
Her assault was relentless. Though his techniques were clever, his injuries and depleted power left him at a disadvantage. Eventually, he was gravely wounded.
But the Sustainer hadn't emerged unscathed either.
Her body was partially torn by the black hole energy, her aura unstable, and her robe in tatters.
Fu Ning stood shakily, then said with calm sarcasm,
"You're not going to gain much from this fight, Sustainer. Why don't we call it a draw and part ways?"
His words were answered with another furious barrage.
"…nm."
'Solo Talent: Sequence Twelve!'
He swung the staff. Gray orbs of light swirled into the air before firing toward the Sustainer.
From beneath the floating island, an unseen attack struck Fu Ning in the back. His body convulsed with pain.
Sneak attack!
Rule number one: Never take a direct hit from spatial energy.
Gritting his teeth, Fu Ning realized he had to act.
'Spacial Talent: Sequence One!'
Space in front of him shattered. Glancing at the Sustainer—distracted by the Sequence Twelve assault—he memorized her face before leaping into the fractured space.
He hadn't yet mastered Sequence One, and could only use its most basic functions.
The Sustainer dispelled the gray orbs with a flick of her hand, then slowly descended to the ground, breathing heavily.
"…Incredible. And clearly not at full power…" she muttered. "Even I was injured…"
Fontaine – Outskirts
A black portal opened again above Fontaine's verdant countryside. After a pause, it seemed to cough Fu Ning out like a broken artifact.
He was unconscious.
Had it not been for the Vitality Talent: Sequence Eleven, constantly repairing his broken body, he would have died the moment he arrived.
"Uh… are you okay?"
Fu Ning had been discovered.
A blue-haired girl knelt beside him, gently poking his face. Her dual-colored eyes—one light blue, one deep blue—shimmered with a mix of wonder and fear.
This was Furina, Hydro Archon of Fontaine. At this moment, she wore her public persona: the cheerful and dramatic Funina.
She examined his body—riddled with horrifying wounds, as if slashed by countless blades.
According to Furina's understanding, a human should've died from just one of those injuries, let alone dozens.
And yet… this stranger was still breathing.
Even more alarming—his wounds were visibly healing.
Her eyes lit up.
Wait—could this person not be human at all? Could he be… a demon?
That would explain everything!
Oh, heavens! Furina, you genius! First you discovered Villette… and now you've found another demon!
She began spinning stories in her mind already: she would take this unknown demon back to Fontaine, make him her follower, and—together with Neuvillette—usher in a glorious new age for Fontaine.
But of course, before any of that could happen… she had to make sure he didn't die.