Player World.
After waiting half a month, Genshin Impact finally received an update.
However, this update didn't introduce a new main quest. Instead, it launched an event in Inazuma called Misty Menace: Akitsu Kimodameshi.
Following the guide, Chen Xiyao traveled to Inazuma, first registering at the Kamisato Estate before setting off for the Arataki Gang's hideout.
"See? We all had the same idea! It's been too long since we've seen our adorable Yuna!" Chen Xiyao remarked, glancing at the chat. "In Inazuma, Yuna's our best friend. We always grab a meal with her when we visit, ha! Suddenly, it feels like anywhere Yuna is, that's home... ha..."
The chat erupted in laughter, and the players felt the same way.
Seeing Yuna always brought a sense of warmth and familiarity. While the other Inazuma characters were friendly, the feeling was entirely different from the warmth they felt around Yuna.
The feeling intensified when they discovered Yuna had prepared an elaborate feast in advance to welcome them.
[Yuna, my sweet Yuna, why aren't you in the gacha yet? I'm genuinely terrified...]
[She really does love me! Look at all this delicious food she made!]
[Seriously, how good is Yuna's cooking? I need to try it!]
[Mihoyo, please, don't you dare hurt her!]
-
"Wahhh, this is so delicious! Lumine, what kind of lives were we living before...?" Paimon sobbed, clutching a chicken drumstick in each hand, her mouth so full she could barely speak.
Lumine turned her back, cradling a bowl. I don't even recognize Paimon when she eats like this.
Yuna stood with her hands on her hips, watching everyone eat with a satisfied expression. She wasn't hungry herself, so she wasn't eager to join in. Seeing everyone so captivated by her cooking filled her with a deep sense of fulfillment.
Paimon's wild, rapid eating was truly infectious.
Kuki Shinobu offered Yuna a bowl of soup. "Eat up," she said. "We still have training later."
Yuna took a sip, glanced at Paimon, and took another sip. It really does make you want to eat more.
Noticing Yuna watching her, Paimon hastily hid the chicken drumsticks behind her back and gave Yuna a goofy grin.
Pfft!
Yuna nearly spat out her soup, but quickly covered her mouth.
Itto slurped down a bowl of ramen. Yuna's ramen was one of his favorite foods—the kind he could devour even after being full.
By the end of the meal, the vast majority of the food had disappeared into Paimon's stomach.
Paimon, stuffed to the brim, floated in the air, clutching her little belly and occasionally burping contentedly. Yuna seized the opportunity to playfully poke and prod the little one, eliciting giggles.
Lumine watched the scene with a warm smile, but her expression quickly turned cold as thoughts of the Abyss resurfaced.
She shook her head, banishing the unwanted memories. Now isn't the time to dwell on painful things.
Just then, Kuki Shinobu approached and spoke briefly with Lumine before gesturing towards Yuna.
Yuna, instantly alert at being singled out by Second Sister, turned to see Kuki Shinobu and Lumine walking towards her.
"You wanted to train, right?" Kuki Shinobu said. "The Traveler has extensive experience and formidable strength. Why not have her guide you?"
Lumine nodded appropriately, signaling her willingness to share her expertise.
Yuna didn't hesitate. Sparring with the Traveler would undoubtedly be more effective than sparring with the Boss, who always held back for fear of hurting her and never took their training seriously.
Oblivious to the slight, Itto remained slumped in his chair, still dizzy from the carbonation.
Yuna was undeniably strong, but she still had much to learn compared to the Traveler, especially in combat experience. Lumine consistently pinpointed Yuna's weaknesses and offered constructive advice.
The session proved invaluable. Yuna, having gained considerable insights, withdrew to the side to digest her new knowledge.
-
Time flew by, and before they knew it, the Test of Courage was about to begin.
For the past two days, Lumine and the others had been eating at the Arataki Gang's hideout. Yuna had been experimenting with foreign ingredients brought by the Traveler, creating new delicacies that were a huge hit. Even her own culinary skills had improved significantly.
Initially, Second Sister Kuki Shinobu had only registered Yuna for the event. But when Itto learned that Yuna had signed up, he immediately registered himself as well.
However, the two weren't on the same team. Yuna planned to participate seriously, while Itto had something else in mind—he wanted to be a scary NPC.
On the night the Test of Courage officially began, Yuna set off first, carrying freshly prepared delicacies.
As a friendly sponsor of the event, she needed to deliver the food to the miko sisters at Grand Narukami Shrine, who would then hide it.
Since she was also a participant, the hiding spots for the food were kept secret from her.
After handing over the food to the miko sisters, Yuna entered Chinju Forest alone.
She had also brought along some small snacks, planning to share them with the Little Tanuki around Ioroi.
-
Meanwhile, Lumine and Paimon had arrived at Chinju Forest.
Whether it was just their imagination or not, the atmosphere in the forest felt unusually eerie today. It seemed darker than usual, and the air was noticeably cooler.
Lumine and Paimon found the staff member stationed there—a miko from Grand Narukami Shrine.
During their conversation, they learned that Lumine and Paimon hadn't been registered separately when they signed up. In other words, although two people had signed up, they only occupied one slot, and Paimon hadn't been counted.
Little Paimon stomped her tiny feet in anger, but her expression quickly changed when she realized that their pair now effectively had three members.
Actually, this isn't so bad after all!
At the miko's suggestion, Lumine and Paimon prepared to search Chinju Forest for their other teammate.
-
Player World.
After the miko's prompt, different characters appeared in various locations on the players' screens:
Ayaka, Kazuha, Gorou, and Yuna. The first three stood in normal poses, while Yuna lay on her back, a string of Z's floating above her face, clearly asleep.
The moment these four characters appeared, the live stream chat exploded with activity as viewers spontaneously began voting.
[Ayaka!]
[Yuna-chan's actually asleep? Talk about guts!]
[Yuna!!! (voice cracking)]
[Kazuha!]
[No one's choosing the puppy? Gorou's so cute~]
[I'm voting for Yuna! Hehe, I want to see the streamer choose someone else. So many streamers pick Yuna, it's getting boring.]
The chat buzzed with conflicting opinions, but it seemed Yuna's supporters were the majority.
Chen Xiyao had already made up her mind the moment she saw Yuna, but she wanted to check out the other characters first.
Controlling her in-game avatar, Chen Xiyao wandered through Chinju Forest until she found Gorou.
Gorou explained why he was there: essentially, he'd been tricked and goaded into coming by Yae Miko.
When the topic shifted to teammates, Gorou's eyes sparkled as he looked at Lumine and invited her to join his party.
Outside the screen, Chen Xiyao hissed.
H-how can I refuse?
I feel so guilty!