I Must Be Seeing Things: Zhongli Was Turned In! [Genshin Impact]

[Updates daily. This story will go premium on December 13, with a 10,000-character update that day. Thank you all for your continued support!] [Check out my upcoming story, blurb at the bottom: A fun derivative danmei story: Oh, My Dear Akivili [Honkai: Star Rail/Elation x Trailblaze]] Story blurb: Also known as: Human Ways to Die of Embarrassment After serving as Rex Lapis around the clock for over three thousand years, Zhongli finally announced his official retirement after the war against the Heavenly Principles. Watching the Qixing work so hard, Zhongli decided it was time to take a spur-of-the-moment trip and see the worlds beyond the sea of stars that the Traveler had described. But as soon as he stepped through the star gate, a mudslide came rushing straight at him. Zhongli: ??? Did I come through the wrong door? A video blogger and Genshin Impact player always thought his bad luck was limited to gacha pulls, until he encountered an earthquake and a mudslide during his very first outdoor livestream. He was ready to close his eyes and wait for death when a familiar figure stepped out of a fantastical portal. The man calmly glanced at the approaching torrent of mud. A golden light spread out, and the disaster came to an abrupt halt. He and the other Genshin Impact players watching the livestream stared dumbly at the man, and managed to stammer out, "Holy crap!" He'd gotten up too fast. Zhongli had just broken through dimensions and appeared in front of them. The senior officials of Lingyou had thought there was nothing they hadn't seen in this day and age. But they'd never seen anyone hand in a 2D character. Looking at the Rex Lapis calmly sipping tea, they had to admit: Dragons really are irresistible! Who could possibly not love a dragon?! They just hadn't expected this to be only the beginning. A certain devotee of the Conqueror of Demons, a certain bard who was a thousand-year-old friend, and others all came to visit in turn. Later, while wandering around the modern world, the dragon casually pulled a cultivator out of his world. From there, things spiraled out of control. *The Rex Lapis is a dragon in his true form, with an invented backstory. *When Venti and the others appear later on, there will be ensemble scenes. Chapters with significant appearances by them will be identified in the title and content warnings. *No pairings for anyone!!! But since this story involves crossing dimensions, some fandom-related discussions, including fan pairings, will be mentioned. Discussion only!! The characters aren't paired with anyone!!! *The setting is a fictional modern world that also made the Genshin Impact game. Derivative danmei story: Oh, My Dear Akivili [Honkai: Star Rail/Elation x Trailblaze] Akivili, Aeon of Trailblaze and the universe's social butterfly, could drive a beat-up scooter into Qlipoth's wall one moment, then steal the train conductor's pot with Aha the next. In the end, though, he fell off a branch of the Imaginary Tree. After falling and sleeping for many years, he thought he'd wake up still hanging from a branch in the southeast. Instead, the moment he opened his eyes, he found himself face-to-face with a smiling delivery person. "Hello. You're finally awake. There's a parcel with five Amber Eras' worth of unpaid postage due. Please pay now." Akivili, penniless: "..." He didn't even have to guess who was behind this. "Aha!!!" "You must understand, my friend. Akivili's fall is a fact acknowledged by the entire cosmos." "Put it in plain language." "I don't have any money either." "Don't get violent, my dear Akivili, my dear Emanator. Leave it to Aha. Aha will take care of everything." "Wait! Explain how I became an Emanator of Elation in the first place!" So, when the Astral Express crew finished their trip to Penacony and prepared to set off again, the train suddenly went berserk. Laughter of Elation filled the train, forcibly changing its destination. "Destination changed! Next stop: Akivili's place of rebirth!" All the Aeons knew that no one understood Aha's thought process except Akivili. But who knew those two would pull off something so huge without a word? Can someone explain whether turning each other into their own Emanators is some new Aeon way of showing affection? *Please note: 1. The pairing is Elation (Aha) x Trailblaze (Akivili). Akivili has a slight "star-god first love" setup. 2. The Trailblazer is Stelle. It leans somewhat toward an ensemble cast. Since the author still favors Dan Heng, he may have more scenes. 3. The official lore is incomplete so far, so there are lots of author-created details! Theme: The gods love the world