Following that, Yae Miko subjected Lu Chen to relentless, high-intensity training around the clock.
He was practically worn out.
Don't get the wrong idea—it was writing training.
She taught him how to identify trending elements in the online fiction market and incorporate them effectively. She covered character development for leads and supporting roles, how to construct plot conflicts, build reader anticipation...
She even taught him how to end chapters at just the right moment.
All of it was meant to hook readers, to drive them so wild with anticipation they'd want to lock the author in a dark room with only a keyboard and a whip—forcing him to write 28 hours a day...
Terrifying!
(But our lovely readers would never do that.)
...
Late at night, after leaving Yae Miko's room, Lu Chen returned to his own and found Ei fast asleep at the desk.
She had a physics textbook under her arm and a pen clutched in her hand. Her notebook was filled with neatly written problem-solving methods—graceful handwriting across the pages.
Ei was working hard to become a top-tier STEM expert and restore Inazuma's glory.
Lu Chen checked the time. Normally, she'd be asleep by now.
He gently ran his fingers through her hair. In his mind, he pictured Raiden Ei resting her chin on her hand, doing tedious physics problems, stealing glances toward the door, bored and yawning.
She'd been waiting for him...
But Lu Chen had been too caught up cramming writing techniques, leaving her waiting deep into the night.
With a helpless smile, Lu Chen carefully wrapped his arms around her and tried to lift her to the bed.
Sleeping slumped over a desk wasn't comfortable.
Even though he moved carefully, he still woke her.
"Chen..."
Ei lifted her head slightly, eyes fluttering open in a sleepy daze. She looked incredibly cute like that.
"Why didn't you go sleep in bed?"
Lu Chen still picked her up. As her body left the chair, her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck.
"So sleepy..."
"Then go to bed already..." Lu Chen said with a sigh.
Those beautiful violet eyes were so close, he could see his own reflection in them.
Ei's arms tightened around his neck. She shifted her weight, clinging to him like a koala, and Lu Chen almost couldn't hold her steady.
"Don't squirm..." He staggered a bit and nearly dropped her.
Ei's eyes drifted shut again, but her lips curled into a gentle smile that lingered as she drifted back to sleep.
...
The next morning, Lu Chen woke up feeling chilly all over.
Raiden Ei had stolen three-quarters of the blanket again...
Without disturbing her, Lu Chen took a hot shower and then headed out alone to train.
Time for his daily slime-fighting fun.
A self-disciplined man—now that's real charm.
His level had already reached Lv39. Just a bit more experience and he'd hit Lv40. Looking at the bouncing Hydro Slimes in the distance, Lu Chen thought, "Alright, you're up first today!"
Channeling the Anemo element, Lu Chen charged into the monster horde with the Lion's Roar in hand.
More Hydro Mimics were approaching from the far side of the tidal flat—perfect.
With his Cryo talents awakened, Lu Chen no longer feared getting surrounded. Lacking only experience, he actually wished there were more enemies.
This time, he tried a combo of Cryo and Anemo elements.
Kamiyato Style: Ice Bloom + Song of the High Sky—Cryo energy burst outward, rapidly freezing the area around him. Lu Chen swung his one-handed sword, instantly locking a swarm of Hydro creatures in ice.
Then he raised the Debate Club and smashed through them. One spin later, only a slick of slime condensate remained.
After collecting the loot, Lu Chen finally reached Lv40.
Right then, the system chimed in with a prompt.
[Congratulations, player Lu Chen, on reaching level 40. Archon Quest progress: 10%.]
[To encourage players to continue opening the gates of Teyvat, the system will undergo an upgrade for a better experience.]
[The new version will fix several bugs.]
[The new version will update follow-up challenge missions for older characters.]
[The new version will include more task-friendly reward adjustments.]
[Estimated update time: 3 hours. The system will be under maintenance during this period. Please stay tuned after the update is complete.]
[Use your time wisely, beware of scams, protect yourself, and enjoy a healthy life.]
"..."
Lu Chen stared at the system panel, deep in thought.
So even the Real Teyvat System gets updates?
The update notes were actually pretty interesting. That "reward adjustments" part sounded especially promising.
Half a minute after the prompt, the panel went dark with the message: "System updating, please wait."
At least the inventory still worked. Lu Chen returned the thick, heavy Debate Club to the system.
With excitement building, he summoned Anemo power to head back. Judging by the timing, the system should be done updating by the time he got to class.
But after only a short walk, Lu Chen suddenly stopped.
In the distance, he spotted a uniformed squad heading his way, formation neat and pace brisk.
Those uniforms looked familiar—he'd seen them at the end of his trip to the snowy mountains.
Their destination seemed to be the very tidal flat where he had just fought.
Lu Chen quickly activated Anemo, and with wind power and 6 Agility, turned into a blur as he sprinted toward the rocky shoreline beyond the flats.
Hiding among the stones, he carefully observed the newcomers.
As they approached, Lu Chen could see they were all armed with standard-issue weapons.
Their expressions were stern, movements efficient—they were clearly prepared for the strange anomalies here.
They had to be an official force.
Lu Chen furrowed his brow and remained hidden. Even though he cleared out monsters daily, he wasn't dumb enough to walk up and claim credit. Better to stay under the radar.
...
Captain Gu of the "Special Operations Task Force for Anomalies" stood by the endless coastline, frowning.
He'd just received intel about another large monster outbreak in this area. But by the time they arrived, everything was already wiped out.
"Strange..."
He squinted ahead and asked a team member, "Was someone just there?"
"Yes, looked like a young person," the member replied honestly.
Captain Gu scanned the coastline with a puzzled expression. "Where did they go? Just blinked and... gone."