Genshin Impact: This Priest is Cringe, But She’s Also Unbeatable

Celeste ran her fingers over the character card, which pulsed with a soft purple light.

She simply couldn’t bring herself to put it away.

A strange dissonance connected from her fingertips, a conflict of two opposing forces.

The surface of the card was warm, a physical manifestation of the thirst for power that throbbed deep within her soul, tempting her to surrender to it.

Yet, the corners of the card were ice-cold, a chilling premonition from the alarms of social death screaming in her mind, raising a fresh patch of goosebumps on her arms.

The temptation to become stronger grew like wild vines, scaling the walls of her reason and threatening to choke it out.

At the same time, her instinctual, visceral resistance to making a fool of herself in public sent a faint chill through her fingertips.

“Ugh, forget it.

I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.” She shook her head, forcibly clearing the tangled mess of worries from her brain.

‘Having another trump card is always a good thing,’she reasoned.’As for when and how to use it…

that’s a problem for Future Me.’ Her gaze shifted to the single remaining pull in the [Beginner’s Welfare Pool], and then to the bottomless, enticing [Myriad Worlds Elation Permanent Pool] right beside it.

In that moment, her need for Elation Coins had never felt more urgent.

“To earn Elation Coins, I have to experience social death.” “To avoid social death, I have to get stronger.” “To get stronger, I have to pull from the gacha.” “And to pull from the gacha, I have to go through social death to earn Elation Coins…” She murmured the words aloud, a wave of despair washing over her as she realized the inescapable logic.

It was a perfect, unbreakable, infinite loop.

A gameplay grind from which there was no escape.

As if on cue, the system’s cold, mechanical voice rang out, sounding like a devil whispering a fatal temptation directly into her ear.

[Ding!

Host has been detected to have obtained their first permanent character card.

Unlocking the Character Card Usage Module.] [Usage Instructions: To activate the transformation, silently say “Use [Character Card Name]”.

The duration of the transformation is dependent on the Host’s personal attributes, stamina, and compatibility with the character card.

For the first use, it is recommended to do so in a safe and undisturbed environment.

To cancel the transformation, silently say “Cancel Transformation.”] [Please note: During the transformation, your words and actions may be somewhat influenced by the character’s personality.] Celeste shot a glance at the closed bedroom door, confirming the lock was securely in place.

She then walked over to the window and drew the heavy curtains shut, ensuring not a single sliver of light could leak in from the outside world.

Only after securing her privacy did she clutch the Noelle character card tightly in her palm.

A sense of grim solemnity settled over her, the kind one might feel when walking to their own execution.

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed.

In a voice that was barely a whisper and trembling slightly, she spoke the command.

“Use…

Noelle character card!” The instant the words left her lips, a soft purple light erupted from the card, completely swallowing her in its glow.

A power entirely different from the Millelith’s fierce aggression—something heavier, more stable, more unyielding—exploded from her heart like warm lava, surging through every inch of her body in a single, overwhelming wave.

Celeste stared, dumbfounded, at her reflection in the full-length mirror.

The young woman in the mirror seemed to have grown a few inches taller.

Her casual loungewear had vanished, replaced by a set of exquisitely detailed black-and-white maid-knight skirt armor that fit her form perfectly.

The Favonius Greatsword, a weapon as large as a door, was now held effortlessly in one hand.

Its heavy tip rested on the carpet, yet she couldn’t feel the slightest bit of its weight.

A deep sense of responsibility—an overwhelming desire to protect something, to shoulder every burden for someone—welled up from the depths of her heart without warning.

Her body moved on its own, her back straightening into a perfectly poised posture.

Her left hand brushed against the armored breastplate, and she gave a slight, formal nod to the familiar yet utterly strange woman staring back at her from the mirror.

Then, a voice that was both gentle and firm escaped her own lips.

“As you wish.” Celeste: “!!!” ‘Shut up!

Who the hell told you to speak?!’she screamed internally.’What is with this damn gentle, earnest, maid-knight tone!’ A tidal wave of shame crashed over her, instantly washing away the fleeting novelty and joy she’d felt from gaining new power.

She could already see it: on some future battlefield, in front of teammates and enemies alike, she would suddenly blurt out something just like that…

The mere thought of that scene was enough to make her die of cringe on the spot a hundred times over.

She bit her lip, hard, using every ounce of her willpower to suppress the words “Cancel Transformation” that were desperate to escape.

‘No!

Absolutely not!

I have to get used to this power first!’ Forcing herself to shift focus, she tried swinging the Favonius Greatsword.

The massive blade sliced through the air with a dull whistle, yet it felt as light as a feather in her hand.

An idea sparked in her mind.

The boundless Geo element power within her responded to the call, converging in an instant.

A hexagonal shield, shimmering with a heavy, earthen-yellow light, materialized around her, protecting her at its center.

‘Breastplate…

it feels so sturdy.’She could clearly sense the shield’s defensive strength; it was far more reliable than any protective measure she had mastered before.

What surprised her even more was that while the shield was active, every swing of her sword sent a faint, warm current flowing back up her arm and through her body, slowly restoring her spent stamina.’Passive healing!

This is so damn practical!’ Growing bolder, she tried to channel a sliver of power from the Elemental Burst, Sweeping Time.

Instantly, the Geo elements throughout the room became frenzied and chaotic.

The light emanating from the Favonius Greatsword surged violently, and a terrifying pressure, one that felt capable of cleaving mountains, condensed upon the blade.

Her face went pale.

She immediately cut off the flow of power, not daring to continue for even a second longer.

The transformation experience lasted for a full twelve minutes.

It wasn’t until a clear sense of fatigue washed over her like a rising tide that she, panting, actively deactivated the state.

“One hundred and twenty Constitution points for twelve minutes…

so, every ten points of Constitution supports one minute of transformation.” She leaned against the wall, silently running the numbers.

‘The duration isn’t long, but as a trump card for a burst of power in a critical moment, it’s more than enough.’ She recalled that the Venti trial card hadn’t seemed to have this kind of restriction.

This, she supposed, was the difference between a permanent card and a trial one.

After catching her breath, she turned her attention to the other gains from her ten-pull.

Five portions of [Sweet Madame] could heal a quarter of her health in an instant during a critical moment and also accelerated stamina recovery; they were treasures for combat endurance.

Four portions of [Mondstadt Hash Brown] had a simpler effect: restoring stamina and energy.

Perfect for long journeys or drawn-out fights.

Three portions of [Teyvat Fried Egg].

This one surprised her the most.

It could actually remove a random negative status effect.

Poison, paralysis, weakness…

in a treacherous Domain, this thing was practically a second life.

Next were two types of currency.

[Mora] x5000 and [Credit Points] x10000.

The system noted that both currencies could be used in the as-yet-unlocked System Shop.

It also “kindly” prompted her that the prices were on par with the Interstellar Peace Corporation’s headquarters at Pier Point, where a single bottle of purified water cost 1000 Mora or Credit Points.

‘What a black-hearted system,’ Celeste grumbled inwardly.

Still, having them was better than nothing.

It was an investment for the future.

Finally, there were two uniquely shaped bracers.

[Hidden Blade] x2: From the “Assassin’s Creed” series.

Assassinating non-boss creatures deals 500% DMG.

Ineffective against oversized creatures.

Celeste stared at the description, her expression turning thoughtful.

Assassination, huh…

‘Well,’she thought with a faint smile,’I’m sure it’ll come in handy eventually.’ ] ] ] ] ] x5000] x10000] x2] [Elysian’s Note: Having a good time with the story?

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