Blue Star, Jiang City, in an old, rented apartment.
*Clap!*
Lin Xuan pressed his palms together and knelt reverently on the worn prayer mat.
On the altar stood an incense burner, its bowl filled with three burning sticks of incense.
"Amitabha, Hallelujah, Blessed Lord..."
"May the Eightfold Buddha of the Universe protect me! Please let me pull Furina!"
Lin Xuan prostrated himself in fervent prayer, his mind racing with anxious thoughts.
In the swirling incense smoke, he swallowed nervously.
With only ten minutes remaining until the end of Furina's banner, he had just enough time for a final ten-pull.
If this pull failed, he would have to wait for her rerun.
Lin Xuan cursed the black-hearted developers under his breath, his frustration boiling over.
"Damn it, this cursed gacha! I'm going to get Fufu, no matter what!"
Lin Xuan, fueled by determination, prepared to unleash a barrage of pulls. He steeled himself, his fingers poised over the screen, ready to tap repeatedly.
"Come on, Fufu! Just one more pull!"
As the screen roared to life, a golden glow erupted, illuminating the virtual world.
"Aha! I finally got Fufu! Take that, you stupid gacha!"
Overjoyed, Lin Xuan leaped up and down like an excited monkey, his heart pounding with triumph.
But as the screen flickered, Lin Xuan gradually sensed something was off. The golden glow seemed... different.
This wasn't the golden glow of a five-star character. This was the golden glow of a *two-star* character!
The silhouette on the screen began to materialize, revealing a familiar figure. How could this be? Was this some kind of sick joke?
As the image fully materialized, Lin Xuan nearly fainted.
"What the hell?! Qiqi?!"
A wave of righteous fury surged through him. Lin Xuan had always considered himself unlucky, but this was beyond the pale.
As Qiqi's image solidified on the screen, her lifeless eyes stared back at him.
A corporate slave and an unlucky bastard—Lin Xuan's misery had reached a new level.
Qiqi's presence felt like the final straw, crushing his already strained patience.
"Damn it! Not Fufu!" Lin Xuan slammed his fist against the screen.
The computer, accustomed to Lin Xuan's antics, probably didn't even flinch.
*Damn it!*
Moments later, the entire rented room was filled with a choking mix of smoke and black fumes.
Lin Xuan gasped for breath, his vision blurring as he teetered on the edge of consciousness.
*It's been too long.*
**Ding! System detected host on the brink of death. System initiating binding!**
**0%**
**50%**
**100%**
**System binding successful!**
Lin Xuan jerked upright, sitting bolt upright.
*A System? A real System!*
He had transmigrated to this world, only to be saddled with a System that was on the verge of shutting down.
*Great!*
Now that he had a System, Lin Xuan immediately began investigating its functions.
**Dimensional Encounter System: Invite characters from the Teyvat Continent to become guests.**
**Function: Randomly invite characters from Teyvat as guests. Limited to one guest at a time.**
**Level: 1**
**Heat: 0/1000**
**Upgrade Method: Accumulate Heat through invitations. Upgrade when the required value is reached.**
**[Notification: Heat Points can only be used for System upgrades, not for lottery draws.]**
**[Notification: Once the System reaches Level 10, you will be able to return to Blue Star or Teyvat at any time.]**
Lin Xuan stroked his chin, musing that the System hadn't been wrong about this.
Now that he was finally ready to start inviting characters, who should he invite first?
After a moment's thought, he shouted, "System, hurry up and send out the invitation!"
**[Ding! The System has initiated the random invitation process!]**
***
A flash of light illuminated Lin Xuan, revealing an unfamiliar scene.
"Where am I...?"
Lin Xuan turned in a circle, realizing he was inside a single-story house.
The interior was modestly decorated, not luxurious but tastefully refined, resembling a small Western-style villa.
As a seasoned gamer familiar with various architectural styles, Lin Xuan recognized the building from his memories.
"If I'm not mistaken, this must be..."
Lin Xuan muttered to himself, his voice trailing off as he suddenly heard voices from another room.
"Hmm... What's for dinner tonight?"
"Probably pasta. Let's have tomato sauce on Monday and meat sauce on Tuesday."
"Wait, today's Wednesday..."
A young woman in a blue dress entered the room, tossing a bag of pasta onto the table.
As she turned around, she let out a sharp scream.
"Ahhh! Help! Who are you?!"
"Hey, hey, hey! You must be a thief!"
Startled by the sudden appearance of a stranger, the woman jumped back in alarm.
Lin Xuan froze for a moment, then scratched his head awkwardly. "Uh, sorry. Am I... your dog or something?"
After finishing, Lin Xuan immediately regretted his words.
*Damn it, why did I have to say something so stupid?*
He was already terrified of Furina, but now he was even more scared.
Huddling in a corner, his face pale with terror, he muttered, "I'm done for. She'll never forgive me for trying to steal from her. Given her temperament, she might just kill me!"
*But I can't really blame Furina for misunderstanding me. After all, who wouldn't react this way if someone called them a 'dog'?*
"S-she's so powerful... I'm doomed!"
"Not only is she acquainted with highly influential travelers, but she's also friends with the high-ranking official Vile!"
"She's going to kill me! I... I..."
"Please, don't kill me! I beg you! Waaah!"
Lin Xuan froze, speechless. He stood awkwardly behind Furina, unsure how to salvage the situation.
"Ahem!"
Gathering her composure, Lin Xuan spoke as gently as possible. "Furina-sama, my name is Lin Xuan. I'm just a traveler, not a bad person."
"Hmm?"
Furina blinked her large, curious eyes, her face filled with confusion.
"Y-you're not going to kill me?"
"Of course not! Do you think I'm some kind of handsome villain?"
Furina fell silent, while Lin Xuan couldn't help but blurt out, "..."
"Things aren't as simple as they seem," Furina finally said. "I've invited you here as a guest."
Sensing Lin Xuan's hostility, she leaned closer to him.
"If you wanted to say that, you should have said it sooner! You scared me!"
"The rumors about Furina's divine presence have spread far and wide. Sigh, even the stars in the sky seem troubled by it."
Furina deliberately shook her head, feigning distress.
Lin Xuan paused, feeling a pang of guilt for Fufu.
But upon closer inspection, Furina's appearance was even more exquisite and captivating than her in-game counterpart!
Especially her playful, mischievous eyes.
*These eyes could prolong life itself! I wouldn't dare even glance at them!*
"Why are you staring at me like that? Show some manners!"
Furina seemed slightly flustered by Lin Xuan's intense gaze.
"No offense," Lin Xuan quickly retracted his gaze, chuckling sheepishly. "I just couldn't help but look."
Furina, who had expected Lin Xuan to be evasive, was taken aback by his sudden honesty. Now it was her turn to panic.
Though Furina was undeniably beautiful, Lin Xuan thought, *I should probably keep my distance!*
"Lady Furina, would you do me the honor of inviting our esteemed guests to join us?"
Lin Xuan suddenly composed himself, extending his hand with gentlemanly grace.
Furina hesitated. *Should I accept or decline?*
(End of Chapter)