Finally free from Yae Miko and her light novel, Lu Chen joined Zhongli and Qiqi to watch TV.
Though he'd escaped her clutches, Ei wasn't so lucky—Miko had her tightly locked onto the sofa, refusing to let go.
Ei tried to keep a straight face, pretending to enjoy reading I Turned Into a Beautiful Girl with Miko, but her resentful glare kept drifting toward Lu Chen.
Lu Chen, on the other hand, was grinning from ear to ear. Miko always enjoyed sharing her bizarre light novels with Ei, whether she wanted to read them or not.
He gave Ei a sympathetic look, then turned his eyes to the TV.
The screen showed a news program. The camera cut to a beach that looked like it had been ravaged by artillery.
The area was now cordoned off. The scene was chaotic, filled with uniformed personnel. A stern-looking middle-aged man was being interviewed by a reporter.
Lu Chen recognized him. On the day the system update dropped, he'd been slicing through slimes at the beach when this man had arrived with a team—nearly discovering him.
"Next, Captain Gu from the 'Special Task Force for Anomalous Phenomena' joins us for an interview."
Captain Gu had a square-jawed face and a calm demeanor. His speech was deliberate and measured.
He began by reporting the frequent abnormal events occurring lately and urged coastal residents to stay alert and report any emergencies promptly.
He stressed how seriously the higher-ups were treating the situation, as well as their follow-up efforts in handling these anomalies.
Lu Chen paid close attention. This so-called Task Force seemed to specialize in dealing with "anomalous phenomena."
He'd encountered them twice before. Their average power level was very high—he wouldn't be surprised if some were "human masters."
While the exact causes of these phenomena remained unclear, Captain Gu mentioned that coastal zones where "anomalous creatures" frequently appeared had already been tightly secured. The Task Force was prepared to respond at a moment's notice. He also urged so-called "civilian adventurers" not to act rashly and disrupt public order...
Still, Lu Chen figured that now the real culprit behind the Hydro disturbances—the Oceanid—was dead, things along that coastline probably wouldn't flare up again.
The hordes of Hydro Slimes and Hydro Mimics would vanish, and the unsung hero of the waterway cleanup—Lu Chen—would remain unknown.
But with the slow opening of the Gate of Teyvat, the interference between the two worlds would only intensify. Anomalous events would keep appearing in new and unpredictable ways, anytime and anywhere.
...
After the breaking news ended, Lu Chen asked Qiqi, who had the remote, to flip through channels for Zhongli. Meanwhile, he pulled out his phone to check his author dashboard.
With Liyue: A Thousand Rocks Floating in the World continuing its serialization, the story had entered the peak of Liyue's great development era.
The people of Morax had expanded from the southern base of Mt. Tianheng all the way to the northern plains of Guili. The citizens of Liyue lived off mining and agriculture, and under the rule of the twin Archons, the land flourished—poverty was a thing of the past.
Thanks to the contract between the Geo Lord and the Liyue Adepti, many new characters had joined the story.
Like Cloud Retainer, who proudly called herself an inventor.
Or the friendly, lovable stove Archon, Makoshu (Guoba).
And even a chubby, mixed-blood little qilin...
Under Lu Chen's pen, gods, immortals, and mortals each had their own vivid traits, unique personalities, and memorable quirks.
Guoba, ever fond of humans, loved tending stoves and helping people cook. Every household, in gratitude, would give him more naan than he could possibly eat—until it piled up into a small mountain in his house.
Cloud Retainer claimed unmatched mastery of mechanisms but often clashed with Guizhong. The two would constantly come up with all kinds of quirky contraptions, then have the Emperor judge whose invention was better.
As for Ganyu... she was so round that she'd often accidentally roll down mountains, making everyone burst into laughter.
Despite its slice-of-life tone, the charming characters and spirited world-building kept readers hooked, eagerly anticipating Liyue's future.
"Makoshu is so cute, I want to raise him!"
"With an Archon's appetite? Good luck affording that."
"I love Guizhong and Morax! Why won't they just get together already? Author, have a heart!"
"Ganyu is mine. Who's with me?"
"Keep dreaming."
"The author's depiction of Liyue's people—hardworking, kind, and unyielding in their pursuit of survival—reminds me of ancient Chinese epics. Liyue: A Thousand Rocks Floating in the World is sorely underrated."
That last comment left Lu Chen both surprised and flattered.
He was very pleased with the book's current success—it was, after all, his first novel.
Its readership had exploded, quietly surpassing 400,000.
At this rate, he might complete the challenge today. Yet, the plot had only reached a fifth of the story. Clearly, Liyue: A Thousand Rocks Floating in the World had taken off.
Thanks to the book's sudden rise, "Yae Publishing House's Star Writer Chen" had become a hot commodity among editors. His online editor even said that if this pace continued, it could be a contender for Book of the Year, and the title of bestselling author was practically guaranteed.
Lu Chen had already laid the groundwork for the story's climax—the grand, heart-wrenching Archon War.
This would be the book's peak.
The fall of gods, the deaths of comrades...
The better things were now, the more devastating the coming war would be.
Lu Chen kept his eyes glued to his rising stats while prepping the fish he'd bought that morning, then set it to stew.
As the kitchen filled with the smell of savory fish broth, the system notification popped up.
[Assist Yae Miko in rebuilding "Yae Publishing House" in the real world, and publish a bestselling novel with over 500,000 views.]
[Mission complete. Rewards: 3,200 Primogems, and 3.2 million real-world currency.]
Lu Chen turned off the stove and shared the great news with everyone.
Yae Miko was thrilled. She'd been following Liyue: A Thousand Rocks Floating in the World religiously—reading chapters even before they were posted—and screened every draft herself.
Of course... none of her strange suggestions made it into the book.
Like gender-swapping "Geo Empress."
Or adding chaotic love triangle drama...
Too twisted. Totally her style.
"Congrats, our new bestselling author!" Miko said with a grin.
"Since the Chief Editor is so happy, how about a reward for your diligent, tireless writer?"
Miko instinctively pulled back, narrowing her eyes at him. "What are you up to?"
Lu Chen glanced at her ears hidden beneath her pink hair. Miko looked even more alert.
"Never mind. Boring," Lu Chen said, waving her off as he went to serve the fish soup.
While eating, Lu Chen checked the system panel. He still hadn't used the reward from Venti's album quest, and it looked like his Primogem stash had grown...
[Primogems: 8020]
He really was like a hamster—hadn't checked in a while, and somehow, it had piled up.
There were 3,200 from Venti's quest, 3,200 from Miko's, and 1,000 from the Oceanid bounty.
Plus treasure chests and miscellaneous achievement rewards.
A full 50-pull batch.
Let's do this! Lu Chen fixed his eyes on the wish screen under the blue sky and clouds.
He tapped "Draw All."