"I'm back~"
Lu Chen stepped into the house with a bag full of pastries, his face glowing with joy.
The moment he opened the door, the golden hues of the setting sun spilled through the balcony, bathing the four-bedroom apartment in warm light. It was a beautiful sight—perfectly matching his mood.
If someone had greeted him at that moment, he probably would've blurted out, "How did you know I pulled gold on a ten-pull?"
Scanning the room for Ei, Lu Chen felt like a man who had just hit the jackpot and couldn't wait to go home and brag to his wife.
Just then, Raiden Ei's head peeked out from the kitchen, her beautiful eyes blinking.
"Good evening."
With that, she ducked back into the kitchen, where the clatter of pots and pans hinted she was busy cooking something.
She was... cooking?
...
It took Lu Chen a second to register—she was cooking!!
The combination of "Raiden Shogun" and "cooking" was nothing short of a recipe for disaster.
He still hadn't recovered from the last incident, when the pressure cooker blew a hole in the wall. His heart skipped a beat as he rushed into the kitchen.
The scene was a mess—eggshells and yolk were splattered across the cabinets.
But at least it wasn't a complete war zone this time...
Lu Chen stared at her helplessly.
Raiden Ei was still wearing that adorable chick-print apron. She held a copy of The Complete Guide to Chinese Cuisine in one hand and clumsily balanced a frying pan in the other.
In the pan was a charred, unidentifiable blob of food.
"This is..." Lu Chen glanced at the scattered eggshells. "An omelet?"
"Mm." Raiden Ei nodded seriously. "It's an omelet."
You're using a cookbook to make an omelet?
Lu Chen looked at her seriously studying the recipe and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
She was brilliant with math—why did her brain short-circuit the moment she tried to cook...?
"Omelets need low heat and a good amount of oil..."
With a sigh, Lu Chen stepped in, taking the pan and spatula from behind her. "First rule: make sure the pan is properly heated before you start."
He wrapped his arms around her as he showed her how to cook properly—almost like he was hugging her.
Her purple hair swayed gently near his face, and a light, pleasant fragrance drifted to his nose.
It was the scent of the shampoo he'd bought for her.
Lu Chen tossed the burnt mess and carefully cracked a new egg into the pan, guiding her hand step by step.
"See? Isn't that easy?"
The aroma of eggs slowly filled the air, but Lu Chen realized Ei hadn't moved at all in his arms. She wasn't even speaking.
He turned his head slightly—her flawless, fair cheeks were tinged pink.
Her entire face was red.
For a second, Lu Chen had the overwhelming urge to just... bite her.
Who would've thought that the dignified, divine Raiden Shogun would show such a shy, girlish side?
Absolutely stunning.
"A-Chen..."
"Hmm?"
Raiden Ei raised a finger and pointed at the frying pan.
Lu Chen looked over—he'd been so distracted watching her that the egg had burned again. A curl of black smoke was rising from the pan.
Another omelet, ruined.
...
Lu Chen was starting to think that "Raiden Shogun Can't Cook" might be some unbreakable cosmic law.
Like how it always rains when Bennett goes outside, how Klee never manages to blow herself up, or how Lu Chen is the most handsome man alive—some truths simply couldn't be changed.
To challenge those truths was to defy the will of the universe...
So he decided to give up.
"Forget it." Lu Chen waved his hand.
He placed the pastries on the table and turned back to see Raiden Ei looking surprised and delighted.
Of course she was—it was all her favorite stuff.
"Also, your school admission paperwork came through. Start getting ready—you're coming with me next week."
"Really?" Raiden Ei put down the cupcake in her hand, clearly surprised.
"At the moment, your science level is fine—around eighth grade. Your history and literature are barely passable, but your English is the worst," Lu Chen said.
Given her admiration for modern 'mechanical arts' and her Inazuman tech background, it was no surprise she did well in science. Math, after all, was the universal language of all civilizations.
But English was completely foreign to her—she had to start from scratch.
The problem was, there wasn't nearly enough time. If a teacher called on her in class, she'd be completely exposed.
If only those attribute points that boosted intelligence could be used on her... That was the real reason Lu Chen was learning so absurdly fast lately.
Fortunately, since she was enrolled as a student with athletic talent, she wouldn't spend much time in regular classes...
Lu Chen also shared the news of his ten-pull and proudly showed off his newest prize—a massive, intimidating greatsword: Debate Club.
It added 39 base attack power and had an air of authority just from holding it.
[Debate Club: A solid foundation in any argument. Speak with power and conviction. No matter the opponent, you can wield this weapon to win through reason.]
So "Debate Club" basically meant... beat people into submission with logic and a very large stick?
Two artifacts also caught his eye:
[Wandering Doctor's Silver Lotus]
[Wandering Doctor's Pocket Watch]
[2-piece set bonus: Increases healing effectiveness by 10%]
These might be underwhelming three-star relics in the game, but in the real world? They could be miraculous.
A 10% boost to healing could mean the difference between life and death. At the very least, Lu Chen wouldn't have to worry about getting ganged up on and killed by Hydro Slimes.
Lately, he'd been patrolling the coastline in his spare time. During high tide, the number of Hydro Slimes was increasing—and he could barely keep up with them...
After using all his experience books and stat points, Lu Chen checked his status panel again:
[Lu Chen]
Level: Lv19
Attributes: Intelligence 8; Charisma 7; Stamina 4; Agility 5
Base Stats: Attack 212; Defense 130; Crit Rate 5; Energy Recharge 21
Skills: None
Items: Electro Treasure Compass; Vision (Anemo)
Primogems: 30
Too bad the stat point he pulled went into "Charisma" instead of the "Stamina" he wanted.
He was clearly over-leveled in intelligence and charm. Meanwhile, his stamina was pathetic, and his attack stat wasn't exactly impressive either...
What did he need all that "charisma" for anyway? Attracting a harem? He already had Ei.
Lu Chen stood silently in front of the mirror, examining his reflection.
Did anything change...? Maybe something had, but being a straight guy, Lu Chen had no idea how to describe it.
Were his eyes brighter? His features more refined?
...
And last—but definitely not least—was the jackpot from this gacha pull.
Lu Chen raised his hand, and a gem-like object appeared in his palm: a Vision.
An Anemo Vision, like a regal emerald with delicate feathered edges.
In Teyvat, when one earned a god's recognition, they received a Vision—an elemental organ used to channel power.
Which meant... Lu Chen could now wield elemental power in this world. Specifically, wind.
"A Vision?" Raiden Ei noticed the strange aura and looked over.
"Yeah," Lu Chen nodded. Back in Inazuma, he had a Vision—but it was probably taken by the system when he returned to the real world.
Now, everything had to start from scratch.
But this world's elemental energy was so thin... how could he even begin to channel Anemo and use a skill?
It would be like trying to create something out of nothing.
As he pondered this, a system notification suddenly sounded.
[Challenge Quest...]
A new challenge quest?
Could it be... a new character was about to arrive?