Genshin Impacti: This Priest is Cringe, But She's Also Unbeatable — Chapter 63

Chapter 63: Social Death: Pick One? System, You Aren’t Even Pretending Anymore, Are You!

Lin Qingtian picked up the second business card. It was a deep, tranquil blue, the design simple and elegant.

“Second, Tianshu University.”

“This school has a rather wild streak,” he explained. “They specialize in the fusion of ancient martial arts, forgotten cultivation methods, and modern supernatural systems. Their ‘Ancient Martial Arts Academy’ is considered second to none.”

He looked at Celeste, the smile in his eyes deepening with amusement.

“That costume you used for your disguise, and that sword technique… although the aesthetic and styling were, hmm… quite creative.” Lin Qingtian chose his words with diplomatic care. “But the martial arts foundation beneath it all was undeniably real.”

“Those old fossils at the observation center were practically screaming into my ear about it over the phone yesterday,” he added with a chuckle. “Tianshu University is full of old masters who are obsessed with ‘new applications of ancient martial arts.’ If you go there, they’ll probably treat you like a national treasure.”

Celeste’s eyes lit up instantly. His words had struck a chord deep within her.

The swordplay of [The Hunt · March 7th] had been a temporary instinct, a fleeting gift from the System. But the spear and sword techniques of the Millelith were different; they were now etched into her very muscle memory. If she could receive professional guidance to truly master them, her baseline combat power would skyrocket.

“,” Lin Qingtian added, “Tianshu University develops an atmosphere of absolute freedom. They encourage students to engage in all kinds of personalized research. As long as you’re strong enough and show enough potential, even if you wear a different costume to class every day, they’ll just assume you’re ‘experiencing the character’ as part of some unique cultivation method.”

“The downside,” he concluded, “is that they are extremely specialized. Outside of ancient martial arts, their other departments are merely second-rate.”

Celeste nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Selene immediately declared her allegiance. “Wherever Big Sister goes, I go!”

Yan Shuyu smiled and gently ruffled her younger daughter’s hair, her eyes overflowing with doting affection.

“And the third one.”

Lin Qingtian picked up the final business card. It was silver-gray, its design sleek and futuristic.

“Yuheng University.”

His tone carried a hint of genuine admiration. “This school is a gathering place for a pack of madmen and geniuses. They aren’t satisfied with the existing career systems and are hell-bent on forging entirely new paths.”

“I heard from an old friend over there that a new career system they’re developing, called ‘Knight-Errant,’is nearing completion. It’s not just a simple mix of’warrior plus light footwork,’ but a brand-new system that integrates Eastern philosophy, martial spirit, elemental application, and modern combat theory.”

Selene asked curiously, “Dad, is a new career like that… reliable?”

“Who knows?” Lin Qingtian shook his head. “Innovation always comes with risk. But at the same time, it also represents unimaginable opportunity.”

“Look at America,” he continued. “They’ve already managed to create a new ‘Cowboy’ career, which integrates firearms, lassos, and magical beast taming. Its combat effectiveness is quite impressive.”

An image instantly flashed through Celeste’s mind: herself, perched atop an Undead Warhorse, a gleaming Desert Eagle in each hand, shouting “Yee-haw, partners!” as she unleashed a storm of bullets.

…The mental picture was so ridiculously awesome that she couldn’t help but replay it.

“The advantage of Yuheng University is its powerful atmosphere of innovation,” Lin Qingtian summarized, looking pointedly at Celeste. “They encourage students to shatter conventions, making it perfect for talents who can’t be neatly defined by the existing systems.”

“The disadvantage, however, is more severe. The training plans for these new careers are all in the experimental stage. They require a colossal investment of resources, and the failure rate is astronomically high. To put it bluntly, if you go there, you might very well become their most precious… and also their most disposable experimental subject.”

The living room fell silent for a moment.

Celeste stared at the three business cards on the coffee table, her mind racing.

Jingcheng University was the royal road to the peak, but it was paved with restrictions.

Tianshu University was a martial arts sanctuary practically tailor-made for her, but the path was so narrow it could easily become a cage.

Yuheng University was an uncharted territory brimming with infinite possibilities, but one wrong step could lead to utter ruin.

Lin Qingtian picked up his teacup and said no more, leaving the final decision to his daughter.

Yan Shuyu gently reminded her, “There’s no rush, Qingyue. When the admissions officers visit tomorrow, you can ask them all your questions in person.”

Celeste nodded, her fingertips hovering over the three cards, her gaze shifting between them, fraught with uncertainty.

Just as she was agonizing over the choice, on the verge of stressing out a strand of hair, the familiar mechanical “ding” echoed in her mind, arriving right on cue.

[Ding! Detected that the Host is facing a major life choice. Triggering the limited-time mission “Social Death: Pick One”!]

[Option One: Choose Jingcheng University. Become the wildest force of chaos in the most hallowed halls of academia! Reward: Unique Passive, “Rules Are Meant To Be Broken”.]

[Effect: When you perform any outrageous action that breaks convention, you have a high probability of being “selectively ignored” by others, who will rationalize it as “harmless innovation.” The Elation Coins obtained from the event will receive a critical multiplier of 2x to 10x, depending on the level of joy generated!]

Celeste was speechless. ‘…”System, are you handing me a Schrödinger’s Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free card and then daring me to tap-dance on the razor’s edge of expulsion? Are you testing the thickness of my skin, or the structural integrity of the old professors’ hearts?’

[Option Two: Choose Tianshu University. Forge a brand-new path of COSPLAY on the grand road of reviving ancient martial arts! Reward: “Overtones” upgraded to “Overtones · Divine Charm”!]

[Effect: Skill trigger probability increased to 10%. Internal cooldown removed! When disguised as a character, there is a chance to obtain “permanent skill books” related to that character!]

Celeste almost choked back a laugh.

She could already picture it: dressed in Yun Jin’s complex opera attire, her back flags fluttering, she would execute a spear thrust as fluid as a dragon while her personal BGM automatically switched to the sorrowful aria, “Autumn geese fold their wings, the solitary pair is hard to find~”

Moments later, she might transform into a certain cryo polearm user, chanting “Eight Winds Flapping Wings!” and “The Adeptus has arrived!” as the music shifted to the ethereal and misty melody of an immortal’s lonely drink.

Then, right in front of a group of esteemed scholars who were painstakingly deciphering ancient sword manuals, she would perform an on-the-spot ascension into godhood.

‘Is this promoting ancient martial arts?’she thought hysterically.’This is giving the entire wuxia world a lethal dose of two-dimensional culture shock!”Also, wait a minute… Overtones had an internal cooldown this whole time?!’

[Option Three: Choose Yuheng University. Lead the wave of a new era in the name of “Joy”! Reward: Unique Passive, “Joy, In My Name!”.]

[Effect: When you actively or passively disguise, a high-definition holographic projection will be generated above your head, randomly playing videos related to the corresponding character. This includes, but is not limited to: official PVs, character demos, slow-motion skill displays, and… popular fan creations!]

Fan creations!

Celeste’s world went black.

Fan creations… that was a grand exhibition of humanity’s most unhinged creations, a fever dream of shitposts, bizarre edits, and deep-fried memes!

She could already see herself disguised as Yanfei, a holographic screen materializing above her head where a Q-version chibi of the legal advisor sat primly, speaking eloquently to a camera: “If I really wanted to commit a crime…”

She saw herself transformed into Sparkle, with a dozen different versions of the “Guess Who I Am” meme compilations flashing above her, all accompanied by the rising and falling chorus of “Sam!” and “Sparkle!” in a full-blown barrage of danmaku. The entire world would be saturated with an atmosphere of pure, unadulterated, chaotic joy.

The image was so vivid, so specific, that Celeste had to cover her face with her hands, her body trembling slightly.

It was over. She was completely and utterly screwed.

What was she supposed to do when she didn’t want to choose any of them?!

And that mission name… “Social Death: Pick One.”

‘System,’she thought, her soul crumbling,’you’re not even pretending anymore, are you?’

Fine. Of the three evils, she had to choose the lesser…