Kael knows all too well how stingy the System can be. Suspicion fills his face as he asks,
"Are you trying to save energy, so you set up rules like this on purpose?"
Back when Kael first started the life simulations, he was still a newcomer and didn't see through the System's tricks.
But after going through this several times, he's caught on.
These Talents and rules consume far less energy when they're applied to characters from Genshin Impact.
[…]
The System falls into a suspicious silence for a moment before replying.
[The condition of this Talent is that it can only be applied to characters who have Affection toward the host.]
[However, within a life simulation, the energy consumed comes from my stored reserves, so it cannot be applied to everyone who has Affection toward the host.]
[The host may only possess characters with high Affection.]
"If this were the real world, then who could I use this Talent on?"
[The host already possesses the Talent "Kind-hearted". Aside from a very small number of people who are hostile toward or dislike the host from the start, almost everyone will develop Affection toward the host upon first meeting.]
[The Affection provided by the Kind-hearted Talent alone is already sufficient to activate the Possession Talent.]
Doesn't that mean anyone who's met him even once could be possessed?
If that's the case, then this Talent is actually pretty useful.
And maybe because of this life simulation, Kael's first thought is how incredibly convenient this would be for gathering information in the future.
But…
"I remember this Talent only activates after I die, right? And there's a usage limit?"
[That is simply how the Talent manifests within a life simulation.]
[In the real world, a Gold Talent can exert far greater power than it does in a life simulation.]
[After all, in the real world, the Talent consumes the energy of all Teyvat. This energy is regenerative and essentially limitless.]
[In the real world, as long as the host falls into an unconscious state, this Talent can be activated, whether voluntarily or passively.]
[There is also no usage limit. Once activated, it lasts for three days. After a cooldown of one month, it may be used again.]
So all the Talents he's obtained are powered by the energy of Teyvat itself…?
Kael silently commits that information to memory.
The more life simulations he goes through, the more curious he becomes about the System bound to him.
Where did it come from?
Why can it harvest energy through the emotions of Genshin characters?
And why do the Talents it grants draw directly from the energy of Teyvat?
Before Kael can think any deeper, the System speaks again.
[Host, your spirit form has five minutes remaining. Please choose a possession target as soon as possible.]
"Yelan."
Kael answers without the slightest hesitation.
In a situation like this, there's nothing to think about.
He has to possess Yelan.
He needs to personally confirm that both Yelan and Chenxi are safe.
And he also needs to see whether Yelan noticed the message he left behind.
[Received. Activating the Talent "Possession".]
Kael suddenly feels an overwhelming pulling force. The space around him twists violently.
When his senses stabilize again, he finds himself beside Yelan.
Kael takes in his surroundings.
It looks like Yelan brought Chenxi to hide inside a concealed cave.
"Yelan… it's quiet again up there…"
Chenxi lifts her head from Yelan's arms, her eyes filled with fragile hope.
"Did big brother defeat all the Fatui…?"
"Is he coming back soon?"
Only now does Kael notice that Yelan's hair and clothes are covered in dust.
Small fragments of rock are scattered around her and Chenxi.
It seems the shockwaves from Childe's powerful attacks caused intense tremors deep within The Chasm.
These stones must have fallen during the underground quakes.
Compared to Yelan, Chenxi's face and clothes are much cleaner.
Yelan must have pulled her into her arms the moment the tremors started, shielding her from the falling debris.
When Yelan hears Chenxi's question, the emptiness in her eyes slowly refocuses.
She gently brushes the dust from Chenxi's skirt and speaks softly.
"Mhm… he'll be back soon… let's go wait for him…"
Yelan leads Chenxi back toward the exit of The Chasm.
Nearly a full day has passed since Kael left.
The thick ice sealing the exit has melted considerably. Through the thinning ice wall, the outside can already be seen faintly.
Yelan brings Chenxi to stand beside the ice wall, her palm pressing lightly against it.
A bone-chilling cold seeps through her hand and sinks straight into her heart.
Lowering her gaze, Yelan speaks quietly.
"Chenxi, let's wait for him here."
Kael follows along beside Yelan, growing anxious when he hears this.
"No, this ice is already so thin. One arrow would be enough to shatter it!"
"Chenxi still has a Fatui device on her!"
"We don't even know whether it's for surveillance or tracking!"
"The longer we stay in The Chasm, the greater the danger!"
"We should leave immediately and return to Liyue!"
Kael refuses to believe someone as perceptive as Yelan wouldn't realize this…
Then he sees it.
The hand Yelan has pressed against the ice wall is trembling ever so slightly.
---
Next target 100PS :)