Genshin Impact : Joining the Genius Club

Chapter 1: Invitation from Master Boshi

"It's done! It's done! I've done it!"

In a cave buried deep in a snowfield, a young, handsome man stood before a glowing miniature tower, his face alight with fanaticism. His grin was so wide it looked as if it might split his face in two. If his footing were steadier and the ground softer, he might have broken into an impromptu jig right then and there.

"Genius! I am a genius! A one-in-a-million genius!"

The man's name was Su Ran, a time traveler blessed—and cursed—with extraordinary luck. Six months earlier, he had been sent to another world, the victim of a truck driver attempting to meet a performance quota. For most, this would have been the start of a fantasy adventure. But for Su Ran, it began with sheer disaster:

He found himself stranded in an endless, frozen wasteland.

Fortunately, fate wasn't entirely cruel. Along with his arrival in this world, Su Ran had been bound to a mysterious system that granted him rewards for completing tasks. The first reward was a free choice—either "the power to surpass all living beings" or "wisdom beyond imagination."

Freezing and barely able to move, Su Ran made a choice that few others would. He rejected invincible strength and chose wisdom instead. The reason was simple: with enhanced wisdom, he could make better decisions when future opportunities arose.

The result far exceeded his expectations. The "wisdom" he gained wasn't just an increase in intelligence—it was a near-supernatural ability to think and create. With this gift, Su Ran quickly realized that brute force paled in comparison to a sharp mind.

Over the next six months, armed with limited resources and his extraordinary intellect, he accomplished the impossible. He created what he now called Plasma Spark Light, an artificial sun capable of evolving humans into beings of immense power—beings not unlike Ultraman from the tokusatsu series he remembered from Earth.

The glowing light filled the cave, dispelling the cold as if a bonfire had erupted from within.

"It's better than fire!" Su Ran muttered, staring at the glowing device with satisfaction.

After much deliberation, he decided the safest place to keep the Plasma Spark was within his own body. After all, it was designed to fuse with humans. Though the energy it generated wasn't as potent as a true sun, it was powerful enough to change the course of his existence.

With a deep breath, Su Ran pressed the light into his chest.

"Hiss!"

A sharp, stinging sensation spread throughout his body as the light merged with him. It didn't kill him, but the overwhelming energy coursing through his veins left him paralyzed.

'Did I mess up the script?' he thought, his body collapsing like a puppet with cut strings.

He hit the ground hard, his limbs useless and his vision fading.

As the darkness closed in, Su Ran's mind raced. 'Is this it? Did I just create the ultimate power only to die from it?'

Just as despair began to take hold, a brilliant red light pierced the void. It dominated his sight, blotting out all else.

A massive machine materialized before him, its crimson eyes glaring down.

"What I built was a Plasma Spark," Su Ran muttered, staring blankly at the towering machine. "What is this?"

The machine's voice boomed, mechanical and emotionless: "Question: What species are you?"

Su Ran blinked, raising a trembling arm to inspect his skin in the machine's crimson glow. His body appeared unchanged—still human.

"I… I'm human. Probably?"

"Veto. You are no longer a carbon-based lifeform," the machine replied coldly.

Su Ran's eyes widened. "Wait… does that mean I succeeded?"

Ignoring his question, the machine asked another: "Question: Are you alive?"

Su Ran hesitated, thinking carefully. His body felt alien, yet his thoughts and emotions remained intact.

"Of course," he replied after a pause. "In my opinion, as long as you have thoughts and emotions, you're alive—even if your heart doesn't beat."

The machine's red eyes flickered, processing his words.

"Proposal: Would you like to become an envoy of 'intelligence'?"

Su Ran fell silent, lost in thought. Half a year of isolation and his focus on survival had dulled his memory of the games he once played. But as he stared at the massive machine, recognition began to dawn.

"Is this… Yarilo-VI?" he murmured, recalling Honkai: Star Rail.

"No," the machine replied, shattering his hopes. "This is a primitive planet. The creatures here lack the ability to traverse space."

"Ah… I see," Su Ran muttered, disappointed. "I guess I won't be meeting Yaya or Seele anytime soon."

Still, the machine's offer intrigued him. Though it carried risks, Su Ran wasn't one to shy away from the unknown.

"I accept your blessing," he said at last. "Becoming an envoy can't hurt, right?"

The machine didn't respond. Instead, the red light enveloped Su Ran once more.

When he opened his eyes, he was back in the cave. The cold was gone, replaced by a warmth radiating from within. His body thrummed with energy, and his mind felt sharper than ever before.

Before he could celebrate, a message echoed through his mind:

"Su Ran, 85th member of the Genius Society, discovered on a remote, insignificant planet. Creator of near-perfect intelligent life. Composition and nature: incomprehensible. Trait: immortality."

Su Ran froze, his mind spinning.

"What did I just get myself into?"