Inside the Haizhou Academy gymnasium, Raiden Ei, dressed in a form-fitting white fencing uniform, was undergoing her first training session since enrolling.
Although it was called "training," the scene wasn't much different from her previous duel with the team captain.
On the 14-meter-long fencing strip, two opponents stood poised in their gear—Ei's opponent once again the captain.
After being thoroughly overwhelmed in their last match, the captain had been obsessed with a rematch. He'd thrown himself into relentless training, day and night, all to earn another shot at her.
Now, his chance had come.
The rest of the school team lined up on both sides, cheering him on. Even athletes from other sports had paused their own routines to watch.
Everyone had heard the legend of the fencing senior. The rumors were almost mythical—today, they were lucky enough to witness her in person.
Lu Chen sat in the stands, watching the match with interest.
This time, Ei didn't stay rooted like before. As soon as the match began, she launched the first attack.
She lunged forward in a perfect bow stance—one knee bent, body extended forward.
The scoring machine beeped.
In the blink of an eye, she landed the first point.
Even Lu Chen barely caught it. In a flash, her flexible épée had struck the captain's mask, the blade curving into a sleek silver arc.
Such textbook form was no accident—it was thanks to the countless nights the two of them spent at home, reviewing fencing videos and perfecting her technique. All so her attacks wouldn't look like she was swinging a katana.
(Huh~)
The captain froze, clearly shaken by how effortlessly she scored.
Despite all his secret training, he still couldn't block her. Unless he figured out how to counter her sheer speed, the outcome would be the same as before.
A complete and utter rout.
"Miss Ei is incredible! Honestly, this place can't hold her talents," Zhang Zikai said from the seat next to Lu Chen.
Lu Chen shot him a glance. This guy had somehow become unusually friendly lately—always trying to start a conversation, intentionally or not.
When he heard Lu Chen was coming to watch Raiden Ei train, he followed along like a fanboy and sat down beside him without hesitation.
As Ei scored another point, Zhang Zikai erupted like a loyal supporter.
"Miss Ei is insane!"
"She's the GOAT!"
Lu Chen smirked. She really was a god.
The eternal one, at that.
(The Archon of Eternity)
Zhang Zikai wasn't wrong. For someone like Raiden Shogun, participating in a school-level competition was beyond trivial.
Even the so-called "national tournaments" that others placed so much value on meant little to them.
If Lu Chen joined, he might walk away with a medal too.
As Lu Chen pondered, the match suddenly paused. Some discussion was taking place on the floor, and from the coach's expression, he looked pretty annoyed.
Lu Chen looked down curiously and saw Ei facing the coach, speaking calmly—but her words were anything but modest.
"Stop wasting time. All of you come at me."
"All of us?" the coach, the captain, and even Zhang Zikai said in unison, jaws dropping.
She seriously wanted to solo the entire team. The problem was—this wasn't how fencing worked! There were no group fights!
This was going to be fun.
For a moment, the gym fell into stunned silence. The male and female fencers exchanged looks, then turned to the coach and captain.
Ei's face remained serene. "I told you, once I understand the rules, winning any title you want is easy. Your training methods don't suit me. Do I need to prove that?"
She had clearly rejected the coach's regimented style.
Which made sense. Someone like Ei didn't need to grind through daily drills with everyone else. She had her own methods.
"Damn, Miss Ei so badass…" Zhang Zikai leaned over. "Is she like this at home too?"
Lu Chen thought about it. The word "badass" couldn't be further from her usual self.
She loved staying home, flipping through cookbooks, experimenting with impossible recipes, and casually reading textbooks—especially science and engineering ones...
In Lu Chen's eyes, Ei was the ultimate homebody—sweet, spacey, and quietly brilliant.
Back on the strip, Ei had apparently convinced—or provoked—the coach enough. Now she was surrounded: one opponent in front, one behind, one on each side, and the captain as well.
Five versus one.
She stood in the center, holding her sword loosely at her side, blade pointed downward, posture straight and proud.
Still calm and composed, though to her opponents, she probably looked unbearably arrogant.
One fencer couldn't take it anymore and lunged without hesitation, aiming straight for her torso.
"Wanna bet?" Lu Chen said. "See who wins?"
"I'm betting a pack of spicy sticks on Miss Ei," Zhang Zikai answered without pause.
"That confident?" Lu Chen had hoped he'd bet against her. Apparently, the beating he took at the bike shed left a lasting impression.
He glanced at him. "So, what do you really want?"
Despite watching the match intently, Zhang Zikai turned instantly at the question.
"Haha! You're sharp, Lu Chen—I do want something…"
He gave an awkward, pleading smile.
"What is it?" Lu Chen asked, returning his focus to the match.
It seemed they were playing sudden-death: one point meant elimination.
Ei stood still as a statue amidst five opponents.
When one finally struck, she countered so fast it left only a blur. With a single, forceful parry, she disarmed her attacker.
One down. Four left.
Zhang Zikai clearly wasn't here for the fencing. Despite the intensity below, he didn't even glance down.
Instead, he leaned closer. "Lately there've been a lot of rumors about people with powers. You know what I mean—because they're talking about you guys…"
"Get to the point."
Zhang Zikai suddenly clasped his hands like he was praying. His face turned dead serious.
Lu Chen side-eyed him. What now?
"Please teach me how to become a superpowered person! I want to be like you!"
"Please!"
"Big Bro Lu!"
Lu Chen wasn't expecting that. He laughed. "Superpowered, huh? It's not something you become just because you want to."
Besides, the correct term wasn't "superpowered." It was "Vision holder."
Even in Teyvat, such people were rare—elite among elites, with the potential to ascend to Celestia and become gods.
That's what it meant to be a "Genshin."
Zhang Zikai's physical stats couldn't even match Lu Chen's old self back when he only had 4 Stamina. He showed no signs of elemental affinity either. The guy was dreaming.
Back in the match—
Ei swept her sword in a clean arc, wielding the épée like a naginata. Three opponents fell in one move. She didn't take a single hit.
Fortunately, épées allowed slashes. Only the captain remained.
Lu Chen could practically feel the tremble behind the captain's mask.
Zhang Zikai, hands still clasped, said sincerely, "Don't I have what it takes to be your disciple?"
"What makes you qualified?" Lu Chen asked flatly.
"I…" He hesitated. "I have money!"
Lu Chen looked at him.
"That's your dad's money."
"I—I have connections!"
"Your dad's connections."
Zhang Zikai slumped in defeat, digging through seventeen years of life for anything worth bragging about...
He thought hard.
There really wasn't much.
"I—I have the heart to get stronger!" He thumped his chest. "Seriously! Don't underestimate me! I'll trample everyone in my family who looks down on me!"
Lu Chen thought he sounded like a proper chuunibyou. At least he had the fire. He'd probably get along great with Zhou Yang and his dream of becoming the god of the new world.
In the arena, Zhang Zikai watched with awe as Raiden Ei eliminated the captain in one swift move.
Lu Chen clapped in sync with the finish, then turned to him. "Becoming a 'superpowered person' depends on fate. But I can help you get stronger."
He thought back to the bespectacled guy they'd met by the sea. For ordinary people, fighting Slimes was the only real path to growth.
"There's really a way?" Zhang Zikai lit up. "Then from today on, you're my boss!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Lu Chen cut in. "Even Slimes aren't that easy."
"Got it, boss!"
Lu Chen gave him a look. "Skip the 'boss' thing—it's cringey. Just do me a favor."
"Anything!" Zhang Zikai said automatically, patting his chest.
Then he paused. Last time he helped Lu Chen, it took all his effort to convince his dad to visit the school. This time...
"What kind of favor?" His tone had lost its earlier confidence.
"It's nothing hard. I just want you to look into something..."
Lu Chen wanted to find out the music teacher recruitment criteria at Haizhou Academy, and the current state of the department. For Zhang Zikai, it was simple recon work.
"Oh, that's it..." He nodded, then frowned. "Wait—why are you looking into music teachers?"
He suddenly widened his eyes. "Don't tell me you're trying to sneak someone into the school again! You can't just insert a teacher like a student—it affects curriculum quality! It needs board approval—"
"Relax, I'm not making things hard for you. Just get the info." Lu Chen clapped him on the shoulder and stood up.
Zhang Zikai remained seated, still visibly confused.
Earlier, when Lu Chen and Venti were discussing the challenge quest, Venti had promised—
"Just give me one interview! When it comes to music, I'm 100% confident I'll win them over and become your school's new music teacher!"
He'd slapped his chest like a true bard, full of conviction. It hadn't even sounded like a bluff.
Lu Chen wanted to believe him.
If only Venti hadn't said it while drinking. Then maybe Lu Chen wouldn't have assumed he was just drunk and talking nonsense.