At this moment, on Earth.
There was one day left until Genshin Impact's official launch.
The female streamer Guinaifen was struggling against the Chained Ogre in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
She had been fighting for two hours and still hadn't beaten it.
She had already died countless times.
But of course, the audience wasn't here to learn techniques.
They were here to watch her...
No, they were here to watch her fail spectacularly.
[Streamer's about to go nuclear!]
[Warning! Warning!]
[Sweetie, if you can't do it, just use cheat engine.]
[Can the trolls just leave? Did I come here to watch the streamer clear the game?]
This was Little Gui's closest attempt at defeating the Chained Ogre yet.
All she had to do was survive a little longer and land one more combo.
But then, a paid message notification suddenly played in the stream.
"Thank you 'Spicy Hotpot' for the super chat!"
"Streamer, streamer, have you seen the new PV Genshin just released? The content is insane, miHoYo is godly!"
"Huh? The PV's out?"
Guinaifen got distracted for just a second.
And the elite Chained Ogre killed her.
[HAHAHAHAHA]
[Streamer fell for it again, it wasn't even posted.]
[Posted my ass, I refreshed like ten times and saw nothing.]
[Ban this guy for 365 days!]
Guinaifen stared at the giant "DEATH" on her screen.
Furious.
She slammed her desk.
Causing a certain pair of assets to tremble violently.
"Ah, damn it! Mods, take him down!"
"Thank you 'Spicy Hotpot' for the super chat!"
"Bro, don't troll on a new account, it's really out this time. The PV's called Footprints."
User "Spicy Hotpot" has been banned for 365 days.
[Oh my god, it's actually out.]
[Little Gui, it's real this time. Quick, quick, I wanna watch it with you!]
[All I can say is, miHoYo is godly!]
[Spoilers = 365-day ban!]
Half-doubting, Guinaifen clicked open the Bilibili webpage.
Right on the homepage was miHoYo's new PV—Footprints.
Posted just one minute ago!
Meanwhile, in Teyvat.
Mu Yang had already returned to his home in Yilong Wharf.
Through his system panel, he could connect to Earth's livestreams and forums.
Right now, he was also watching Guinaifen's stream.
This PV was one he had modified and had the system release early.
The Footprints trailer had plenty of exciting moments.
Whether it was the lore or the music.
But of course, the highlight was the story preview.
Especially the Liyue storyline...
He needed to make an appearance in Mondstadt.
The journey wouldn't be short.
And along the way, there'd be all sorts of dangers—Hilichurls, Treasure Hoarders, and the like.
It'd be safer if he boosted his popularity first and strengthened himself before traveling.
Back in the real world.
Guinaifen clicked on the video.
The voice of "Aether" spoke.
"We didn't even have time to say goodbye."
"So... I won't treat this as a farewell."
Next was the cryptic monologue by Dainsleif.
"The war has already begun—a continuation of the last war."
"The gods have adorned the contours of desire with seven hues."
"Thus proclaiming that their authority can be attained."
"Yet beneath the foundation of this world lie smoldering remnants."
"A warning to those who overreach."
"The divine throne in the heavens above was never reserved for you."
"But you who overreach, do not stop here."
"No one can watch from the sidelines..."
Guinaifen stared blankly.
"Chat, what is he even saying?"
[Da-da-da-di-da-da, I dunno.]
[Riddler, get out of Gotham!]
[Batman immediately sent Dainsleif to Arkham.]
[Feels weak, not even close to We Will Be Reunited.]
[miHoYo burned out before even starting?]
The chat was full of disappointment.
After all the hype,
They thought miHoYo was cooking something amazing.
But instead, they dropped a stinker.
After a brief black screen, the video moved to the next segment.
[Mondstadt]
[Stranger in the Wind]
"The dragon who guarded the city of freedom for millennia."
"Has finally begun to question freedom itself."
"Can freedom commanded by the God of Freedom still be called freedom?"
On screen,
Diluc gripped his greatsword with both hands.
A fiery phoenix blazed behind him.
[HOLY CRAP, IT'S LIT (literally)!]
[OMG! HUSBANDO!]
[Diluc, change your sword—my hilt isn't bad either.]
[Bro, you're too down bad.]
Guinaifen watched the chat flood by.
"Have some dignity, chat. It's like you've never seen anything cool before."
The video transitioned to the next segment.
[Liyue]
[Farewell, Ancient Lord]
"Before the eyes of all, the God of Contracts was murdered."
"In his final moments, he would sign a 'contract' to end all contracts."
On screen,
A white-haired young man stood in black-and-white attire.
His robes were embroidered with intricate patterns.
A Jadeite accessory and a Cryo Vision hung at his waist.
His gaze was deep and dangerous—
Unfitting for someone his age.
In his right hand, he held an unusual sword.
A classic image of an ancient swordsman.
Only after this did the scene shift to the rich lady Ningguang.
This was the part Mu Yang had modified.
He had inserted his own character art before Ningguang's.
Little Gui blurted out, "HUSBANDO!"
[???]
[???]
[OH NO, A NEW RIVAL?]
[Streamer, wipe your drool first.]
[If he's your husband and my husband, what does that make us?]
[That's called bigamy, jail time.]
[Streamer's too busy simping to notice the "God of Contracts was murdered" part.]
[Lore enjoyers are suffering.]
"But he's so handsome, I'm in love."
"What's his name? When can I pull for him?"
From then on,
Guinaifen couldn't focus on the rest of the video.
All she cared about now was finding out her husband's name.
[Three minutes. I need this man's full profile.]
[Three minutes? I only need three seconds!]
[Are we even talking about the same thing?]
[You're truly down bad.]
[This stream's degeneracy is as strong as ever.]
[Did none of you read the description? "Liyue Chapter—Mu Yang, Ningguang."]
[Since Ningguang is the female character later, your husband must be Mu Yang.]
The chat's opinion instantly flipped.
Everyone was now simping hard over Mu Yang's art.
Declaring miHoYo as the GOAT.
"Any chat members here who participated in the beta? Spill the details."
"When does Mu Yang show up?"
Guinaifen hadn't participated in Genshin's beta.
The slots were limited, and she hadn't gotten one.
[The beta didn't even reach Liyue. It ended after Mondstadt's story.] (Parallel Earth setting)
[This is insane. Honestly, I'm tired of Mondstadt's classic RPG vibe, but now—MURDERING THE GEO ARCHON?!]
[GODDAMN IT, WHY IS LAUNCH TOMORROW?!]
[AHHH! This is what it means to suffer through time!]
[Someone knock me out, thanks.]
"Alright, chat, I'm ending stream. Not in the mood to game anymore."
Guinaifen announced to her viewers.
"Gonna dip. See you all tomorrow for launch. Bye-bye, mwah mwah mwah."
And with that, she ended the stream at lightning speed.
Back in Teyvat.
Mu Yang was very satisfied with Guinaifen's stream reactions.
Next, he checked out a few other streams.
———
Silver Wolf's Stream
Unlike Guinaifen,
This streamer's title was: Universe's Top Gaming Prodigy—
Her whole vibe was "chill companionship."
She seemed to have deep game knowledge.
At first, Silver Wolf was seriously discussing characters.
Talking about early-game team comps, how low-spenders should play, etc.
But then, out of nowhere, she pivoted to Mu Yang.
Gushing about how handsome he was, how he fit her taste perfectly.
She had to C6 him!
[Tragic. Streamer's in love, and the object is my husband.]
[Your husband? My husband!]
[Saving for C6—this is streamer's game knowledge!]
———
Sparkle's Stream
The flat-chested streamer Sparkle, dressed in cosplay, had just finished watching Footprints.
"How strong is Mu Yang, chat?"
[No clue, but he's probably the only male character you can accurately cosplay.]
[Now that you mention it, no other female streamer could pull off Mu Yang's cosplay like our "flatboard," right?]
[Coming from another stream, I agree.]
"I'm being serious here. Can you guys be useful for once?"
[Little jokesters follow their master—utterly useless.]
[Meta slaves are so cringe. With art like this, I'd pull even if he healed the enemies.]
[Flatboard, put on a white wig. I'm almost there.]
"PISS OFF!"
———
The reactions were pretty much the same everywhere.
Most were simping over Mu Yang's design.
In every sense of the word.
A smaller group of beta lore enthusiasts started analyzing the story.
Speculating about Mu Yang's identity.
All of this was part of Mu Yang's plan.
He wanted to portray himself as a mysterious, high-stakes assassin in Mondstadt.
Let players mistakenly link him to the Geo Archon's murder.
Ride the hype of Rex Lapis' "death" to boost discussion.
All he needed were a few key scenes.
By the time the Liyue story actually released,
Players would realize it wasn't what they thought.
And if they complained?
They could blame the cryptic riddler Dainsleif.