Genshin Impact : Joining the Genius Club

Chapter 6: Rosaline's Invitation

"Yo~ Looks like you're having a lot of fun~"

Upon hearing that Rosaline had arrived, Su Ran didn't stay in his lab for long. He stepped out, carrying a small armed doll—a big duck version. To Rosaline, though, it looked more like a two-headed version of the Tsaritsa, the Ice Queen.

"This feels like blasphemy against the gods of Snezhnaya," Rosaline muttered. "If Her Majesty knew you made something like this, she'd probably be furious, right?"

Rosaline had always felt indebted to the Ice Queen for the immense favor she had received—a debt as heavy as a mountain. She didn't mind the miniature version of herself Su Ran had created; in fact, she found it amusing. But when it came to the Tsaritsa, she wouldn't be as lenient.

"Don't worry, she's easy to please. I even have a picture of her posing with the little duck." Su Ran pulled out his phone and showed Rosaline a photo of the Ice Queen visiting his workshop two days ago, smiling as she posed for a group picture with the small duck.

The smile on the Tsaritsa's face in the photo wasn't fake. Rosaline couldn't get mad after seeing that.

"The plan to gather the Gnoses is about to start," Rosaline reminded him. "We need a force capable of resisting Celestia. The Jester has asked you and me to head to Mondstadt to retrieve the Anemo Archon's Gnosis."

The Fatui's long-standing plan to collect all the Gnoses was critical—perhaps the most important part of their overarching strategy. If necessary, they were prepared to abandon all other operations to focus on securing these divine remnants.

"You just want their corpses," Su Ran replied bluntly, disgust evident in his voice.

Rosaline caught his disdain, but she had no choice in the matter. The Gnosis was the remains of one of the Third Descenders and contained fragments of their power. To challenge the natural order, they needed more than just Snezhnaya's local strength. The original elemental dragons had proven that much. The only hope left was to seek out power from beyond the skies.

"You don't understand the natural order," Su Ran added.

Even if they succeeded in collecting all seven Gnoses, there was no guarantee they could defeat Celestia—no certainty they would even survive. The Gnoses were relics of a bygone era, the remnants of a fallen Third Descender. And in the end, that Descender had lost. The Gnoses, powerful as they were, held no true importance for the Seven Archons—they did nothing to strengthen them.

But for the Fatui, these relics were a necessity. Besides the Gnoses, they had only the advanced technology of Khaenri'ah, brought to them by the Harbinger known as Pierro, and the scientific talents of Dottore and Sandrone. They were the only ones capable of strengthening Snezhnaya's arsenal—until now. Su Ran had joined their ranks, but he had yet to produce anything significant to improve Snezhnaya's strength.

"You don't know me at all," Su Ran sighed, continuing to comb the feathers of the little duck doll in his hand. "If I were interested, I could advance Snezhnaya's technology by thousands of years."

Even with limited inspiration, Su Ran knew it was possible for him to push Snezhnaya to the level of a modern space-faring civilization.

"Do you think I'm that gullible?" Rosaline scoffed.

Advancing Snezhnaya's technology by thousands of years? Was he joking? Snezhnaya itself had only existed for a few millennia. If Su Ran were really that powerful, would he need to remain a mere executive? Wouldn't he be vying for godhood instead?

"Hmph! Foolish human, can someone as dense as you even comprehend the brilliance of a genius?" Sandrone mocked, setting down her book with a smirk on her face.

"My existence is proof enough of his genius!" she continued, her voice dripping with narcissism.

Rosaline raised an eyebrow. This Sandrone really did resemble the original—down to the arrogance and self-admiration.

"I don't have time for this," Rosaline said, cutting the conversation short. "I'll be leaving for Mondstadt in three days. Are you coming or not?"

As a lower-ranked Harbinger, Rosaline couldn't force Su Ran to join her. All she could do was ask. If he decided to go, they would go together. If not, she would go alone. After all, retrieving the Anemo Archon's Gnosis wouldn't be difficult. The cowardly Wind God posed little threat to her.

"Three days? I'm not particularly interested in Mondstadt," Su Ran replied, pausing. "But maybe I should go. I've been cooped up here for too long."

The Gnosis didn't really matter to him, but it had been a while since he'd interacted with people from outside Snezhnaya. Plus, seeing the characters from Genshin Impact in real life was something that had intrigued him ever since he arrived in this world.

Just then, his phone buzzed with a new notification. Su Ran checked the latest messages, pleased with the new emoticons he had received.

"Since you've agreed, my purpose here is fulfilled," Rosaline said, glancing at the armed puppets scattered around the workshop. "If the others knew you made these little creations, they'd probably have a few questions for you."

These puppets, modeled after the Fatui Harbingers, were more than just replicas—they even had similar personalities. Except they were much cuter.

"It's fine. I doubt they'll mind," Su Ran replied, unconcerned. "After all, you don't seem to have any objections."

In Su Ran's eyes, Rosaline had the worst temper of the group. If she didn't mind these creations, there was no reason to worry about the others.

"Just remember, we leave in three days!" Rosaline called over her shoulder as she left the workshop.

"Rosaline-chan, see her out," Su Ran instructed.

Rosaline-chan, who had been sitting primly nearby, stood and began escorting the real Rosaline out.

Outside the house, another guest had arrived. She was struggling with the recognition system at the door and had been for some time.

"Recognition failed. Please show a sad expression, as if you're about to cry, for verification," the system prompted again.

The girl outside tilted her head, thought for a moment, and then made the requested expression.