Genshin Impact: Villain Life Sim

Lucas was visibly surprised. "How is it you?"

Indeed, the black-haired beauty standing before Lucas and Shenhe was none other than the guest consultant of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Zhongli, whom Lucas had met briefly the day before.

"What's this?" Shenhe asked, puzzled. "You two know each other?"

"As for me, I don't think introductions are needed," Lucas gestured toward Shenhe and said, "This is Shenhe, Ganyu's junior apprentice."

"You must be the disciple of Cloud Retainer," Zhongli nodded slightly, her gaze carrying a hint of admiration. "Your aura is brimming yet restrained—clearly, she has trained you well."

Normally, Shenhe would scoff at such comments, but for some reason, she felt a natural fondness toward this woman she had never met before. She nodded and said softly, "Th-thank you for the compliment."

"Why are you so polite today?" Lucas asked in surprise. "Did you eat something unusual this morning? That's impossible; I made breakfast myself."

"You're the one who ate something strange!" Shenhe glared at him. "Is it so odd for me to be polite?"

Lucas thought for a moment and concluded it must be Zhongli's natural commanding presence. Even though Shenhe didn't know her true identity, she instinctively respected her.

"Well then, let's get started," Zhongli said, placing a briefcase on the table and opening it. "Over the next three days, I'll turn you from beginners into true masters of Genius Invokation TCG."

When Lucas and Shenhe saw the contents of the briefcase, their eyes widened in disbelief.

Inside was an impressive collection of card decks and an assortment of intricately crafted eight-sided dice. The dice came in various materials—bone, wood, and jade—all appearing quite luxurious.

It was reminiscent of the first episode of Yu-Gi-Oh! when Seto Kaiba carried a briefcase full of cards to challenge Yugi's grandfather for the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"This… this is way too much," Shenhe frowned slightly. "Didn't that woman say forty cards were enough?"

"One of the joys of Genius Invokation TCG lies in the combinations of different cards," Zhongli explained. "There are virtually no identical decks in this world. For skilled players, it's normal to have dozens of decks prepared for adjustments."

"But I didn't expect…" Lucas glanced at Zhongli curiously. "You're actually good at this game?"

After all, a 6,000-year-old Geo Archon's hobbies should lean more toward bird-watching, opera, chess, or traditional music. The thought of her playing Genius Invokation TCG was akin to visiting your grandparents and having them pull out their phones to ask you to join their team in Mobile Legends. It was a bit surreal.

"More accurately, I enjoy trying anything that can pass the time," Zhongli said, examining the cards in her hand. "Sometimes, having too much time isn't a blessing. Genius Invokation TCG is a rare gem of a game, but what's even rarer is finding someone to play it with."

As she spoke, a hint of melancholy flashed in her eyes.

"To buy osmanthus wine and share it with old friends—such days will never return, no matter how far you wander."

The Geo Archon's old companions were now few and far between. Her long life, rather than being a gift, might have been a torment.

"I wouldn't mind having more time," Lucas grinned. "Miss Zhongli, please teach us quickly so that I can play with you in the future."

Zhongli blinked, her eyes softening as a faint smile formed. "If that's the case, this lesson will prove most rewarding for me."

"Don't be fooled by his act," Shenhe interjected, pouring cold water on the moment. "That innocent look of his has already deceived countless girls."

"No matter," Zhongli replied nonchalantly. "If he can deceive me, that too is a skill."

What magnanimity!

The Geo Archon certainly lived up to her stature.

Zhongli then began explaining the basic rules of Genius Invokation TCG to Lucas and Shenhe.

As Ningguang had mentioned the day before, the rules were not overly complex. As Lucas listened, he found the game quite similar to the card game Yu-Gi-Oh! from his own world.

Cards are divided into two main categories: Combat Cards, used for battle, and Function Cards, which include Effect Cards, Counter Cards, Equipment Cards, and Element Cards.

Each Combat Card has two key attributes: "Level" and "Element." To summon a Combat Card, players must use dice matching the card's level and element. Cards can be summoned directly from the deck.

At the start of each turn, players roll eight Elemental Dice. The dice have eight faces: Hydro, Cryo, Pyro, Electro, Anemo, Geo, Dendro, and Universal. The Universal face can substitute for any element.

Combat Cards below Level 4 can only be summoned using Elemental Dice. Cards of Level 4 or higher can be summoned using dice or by sacrificing other Combat Cards. Level 5 and 6 cards require the sacrifice of one Combat Card, while Level 7 and 8 cards require two sacrifices.

Each player starts with 4,000 Life Points. A player loses when their Life Points reach zero. Combat Cards can damage an opponent's Life Points by destroying their cards or through direct attacks.

At the start of the game, each player draws five cards. At the beginning of each turn, they draw one more. The turn order is determined by a dice roll. The first player cannot attack during their initial turn.

These were the basic rules.

In essence, the game resembled the first-generation Yu-Gi-Oh! but introduced the new concept of summoning cards using Elemental Dice.

With bad luck, a player might not even be able to summon low-level cards. Conversely, with good luck, they could summon a Level 8 Combat Card on the very first turn.

"The rules are simple," Zhongli explained. "Rather than teaching more theory, it's better to practice. Use the cards I've brought to build your decks based on your instincts, then play a game of Genius Invokation TCG so I can assess your skills."

It took Lucas about half an hour to assemble what he thought was a reasonable deck. Shenhe, however, completed hers in less than five minutes!

"Hey... isn't it a bit too fast for you to finish building your deck?" Lucas asked, puzzled. "Don't tell me you just threw it together randomly?"

"Hmph, don't underestimate me," Shenhe shot Lucas a glare. "My deck is as strong as I am."

"Alright, let me take a look at your decks first," Zhongli interjected.

She took the decks Lucas and Shenhe had just assembled.

Starting with Lucas's deck, Zhongli reviewed the cards one by one, nodding as she did so. "Hmm, the balance between Combat Cards and Function Cards is excellent. Some of these cards also have good synergy. For a beginner, this is already quite impressive."

Lucas couldn't help but feel a bit smug. After all, he had experience with card games like Yu-Gi-Oh! in the real world and had read related manga. While he wasn't an expert, putting together a functional deck wasn't a challenge for him.

"Check mine out," Shenhe said as she shoved her deck into Zhongli's hands. "My deck is definitely better than his!"

Zhongli nodded, but as she examined Shenhe's deck, her brows furrowed slightly.

"Well? How is it?" Shenhe, unusually eager, leaned in.

Clearly, despite holding Cloud Retainer's Guide to Interpersonal Skills as gospel, Shenhe had learned absolutely nothing about reading the room.

Zhongli's expression practically screamed "it's complicated."

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Author's Note: Next chapter at 200 stones guys let's goo to ranking again!!

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