Nighttime, Bronx, New York.
Damian stepped out of the bathroom, steam still curling from his damp hair. Without bothering to dry it, he hurried over and offered Dawei Qiuxian three incense sticks, two fresh cabbages, and eighteen full-color, hand-drawn portraits of Qiuqiu's mother.
Once the offering was complete, he clasped his hands together and muttered:
"Brother Dawei, as the saying goes: a day apart feels like three autumns. By that count, it's been over ten years since we last met.
We've known each other this long—I don't expect warm fuzzies. Just send me a huge sum of money.
All I ask for is one full set of ten consecutive pulls… and hey, even a single gold item is fine! I'm easily satisfied.
Don't feel embarrassed—this is literally your duty."
With that, Damian immersed his consciousness into the luminous orb floating in his mind.
Raw Stone Count: 118
The number startled him. He'd summoned Fischl and burned through every last Primogem—yet somehow, after the events of Thor (2011), he'd acquired a small fortune in Raw Stones.
But… it kind of makes sense, he mused. After Loki got inexplicably thrashed on Earth, he wasn't about to recklessly send the Destroyer for a demolition job. That same beating had also fast-tracked Thor's enlightenment in Longchang—earlier than in the original timeline. There, Thor saw through the Meow Meow Hammer's facade: beneath its devoted purring lay the form of a purple-haired demon.
Shame I never got to tell him the hammer was technically remarried.
Whether Loki would still fake his death—or whether Thor would honor his promise to Ray—remained uncertain. But Damian leaned toward the original timeline. If the divergence had been that severe, his Raw Stone haul would've been far greater.
Then again… he thought with a shiver, if the timeline really went off the rails, old man Gu Yi would've already kicked my door down and beaten me senseless.
Shaking off the paranoia, he refocused on the gacha panel before him.
"Brother Dawei," he pleaded, "I spent a fortune on those eighteen portraits of Qiuqiu! Don't let me down!"
He waved his hand—and tossed his entire Raw Stone balance into the wishing pool.
Whoosh—!
A serene sky of blue and white swept past, tinged faintly with violet.
Rewards:
• Character Card ×1
• Weapon Card ×1
• Item Cards ×9
---
Item: [Spinyback Fish] ×3
A swift, agile fish with spear-like snout and venomous spines. At full speed, it can split water like a blade—hence names like "Splitting Water Thorn" or "Arrow Hard to Catch."
Its neurotoxin is lethal to small prey but merely induces confusion or hallucinations in larger beings.
"Fill it up! Brother Geo Archon, fill it up for your brother!"
—A Liyue fisherman, shortly after being stabbed.
Item: [Sinking Jade Immortal Tea] ×4
Cultivated over millennia in Chenyu Valley's humid warmth, this tea's aroma carries for blocks. Its flavor lingers like memory itself.
Item: [Pure Water] ×2
An alchemical distillate said to draw forth the purest essence of one's inner power.
Effect: Awakens latent goodness and beauty; slightly boosts attack power.
Weapon: [Introduction to Magic] ★★★
Type: Catalyst
Base ATK: 354
Secondary Stat: Elemental Mastery +187
Passive – Still Water and Thunder:
Increases DMG against Hydro- or Electro-affected enemies by 24%.
"Twelfth Edition. New content added to reflect current developments. Typos from the 11th edition corrected."
Character Card: [Xingqiu]
Vision: Hydro
Constellation: Nishiki
Second son of Liyue's illustrious Feiyun Commerce Guild, Xingqiu is the model of diligence and decorum—everyone's "perfect child."
But beneath that polished exterior beats the heart of a wuxia romantic. He hollowed out textbooks to smuggle martial arts novels into class and spent his free time secretly resolving petty injustices across the city.
To curb his bookstore binges, his family enrolled him in the declining Guhua Sect. There, Xingqiu—through sheer brilliance and textual mastery—revived its lost techniques and became its legendary "master."
(Though if you ask for him, you'll likely hear: "The master's gone up the mountain to slack off.")
He and Chongyun are close—though Chongyun still calls him a "mischievous troublemaker" and has been known to whisper: "If anything happens… remember to form a victim alliance with me."
---
Damian stood silently, then sprang into action: he sliced a fruit platter for Dawei Qiu, lit two coils of mosquito repellent, clasped his hands, and declared with solemn sincerity:
"Brother Dawei, rest easy! From now on, you'll eat the freshest meat and the finest… uh… premium waste. I'll even get you a full-color comic book!"
All in all, it was a surprisingly strong pull.
First, [Pure Water]—a potential solution to his biggest dilemma: the Osborns' Green Goblin curse. He didn't want them to die from their genetic illness, nor did he want them turning into monsters. And while [Pure Water] might only offer temporary relief, it gave him a fighting chance.
Second, [Introduction to Magic]—the perfect catalyst. Ever since obtaining his Vision, Damian had dreamed of becoming a noble mage. But none of his allies used magic; the closest thing was… Oz?
Now? He had both a weapon and a textbook. P
ractically destiny.
And Xingqiu? That was the cherry on top—an unexpected but welcome ally.
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