Genshin Impact : Joining the Genius Club

Chapter 8: Columbia Is Shocked

Though Columbia had decided not to stay overnight, her curiosity about Su Ran's research had only grown. From what she knew, this new Second Seat was a scientific genius, comparable to Dottore and the Puppet. Such talent was highly valuable to the Fatui, as their research directly contributed to the organization's military strength.

At that moment, Su Ran was debugging a floating cannon, a highly advanced piece of technology he planned to take with him soon. Even if Dottore were there, he would have been baffled by it, let alone Columbia.

She stood there, staring blankly as Su Ran worked on the weapon. Curiosity got the better of her.

"Is this a weapon?" she asked.

"Of course! And it's a very powerful one!" Su Ran replied.

The floating cannon was actually a versatile combat unit, capable of both sniping and bombing. Even though Su Ran couldn't transform into Ultraman, he could still "shoot light," thanks to this technology. It was far too advanced for the people of Teyvat, but he didn't plan to share it with everyone. In fact, he intended to equip only himself with it.

"Even a demon god would have no choice but to perish if they faced my floating cannon," Su Ran said confidently.

Because he hadn't had much time to refine it, the weapon's power hadn't been fully enhanced yet. He had focused more on making it portable. Still, if he wanted to, he could increase its power to the point where it could destroy an entire planet. Such was his talent—and he could supply enough energy to make it happen.

"That's incredible," Columbia said, clapping her hands with a neutral expression. A newcomer to the Fatui, and already claiming to have created a weapon capable of killing a demon god? She wasn't naïve, but she wasn't a fool either. Even Dottore didn't make such bold statements.

Yet here was Su Ran, a mere newcomer, daring to make that claim. Could he really take on the Fatui's enemies alone? she thought.

Su Ran noticed her skepticism and smiled. "Columbia, I'm not lying~"

As he thought it, one of the floating cannons responded to his brainwave signal and immediately hovered in the air, pointing its barrel directly at Columbia. Though no attack was launched, just the mere act of aiming it at her created an overwhelming sense of danger.

"Miss Columbia, ignorance can be terrifying, especially when you don't know what you're facing," Su Ran said, still smiling.

If it had been Dottore questioning him, Su Ran wouldn't have hesitated to demonstrate the cannon's power right away. After all, Dottore had plenty of clones; killing one would hardly matter. But Columbia didn't have such luxury. If she died, she'd be gone for good. And Su Ran had no intention of harming someone he found intriguing.

"Ignorance is dangerous because it leads to poor decisions, like questioning my invention right now," Su Ran continued, glancing around. He hesitated to show Columbia the full capabilities of his weapon inside the lab. After all, he couldn't just destroy his own home to impress a pretty girl.

"Come on! Let's go outside the city, and I'll show you the true power of technology!" he said, grabbing Columbia's delicate hand and flying them both out of Winter City.

On the way, Su Ran couldn't resist giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Fairy hands really are softer than the girls I knew before, he thought.

It was the first time Columbia had ever been held by a man, and the shock left her speechless. Before she could fully process the situation, they had already arrived at a clearing outside the city.

"This spot will do," Su Ran said, landing in the open area.

Columbia glanced back at the city walls behind them. "Are you sure it's safe to test so close to the main city?"

"Don't worry, it won't hurt anyone," Su Ran assured her.

While the floating cannon didn't have the same allure as a full-fledged Gundam, it was still a key part of the technology. It was time for the backward people of Teyvat to witness the true power of modern science.

With a snap of his fingers, the eight floating cannons surrounding Su Ran instantly aimed at the empty field ahead. In unison, they fired.

A deafening explosion echoed across the snowy plain, and for a brief moment, a miniature sun seemed to rise outside Winter City, lighting up a portion of the city itself. The blast woke most of the sleeping residents, many of whom thought judgment day had arrived.

"What's happening?" Dottore, who had been training alone, felt the tremor. "This power... Could it be a demon god?" he muttered, shocked. How could a demon god appear so close to the city when Her Majesty the Queen was present in the palace?

Gripping his water blades tightly, he rushed toward the source of the disturbance. Other Fatui members quickly followed suit, abandoning their tasks to investigate. An explosion so close to the city couldn't be ignored. If it were an enemy attack, any delay could lead to catastrophic losses.

Though the Fatui had a notorious reputation outside of Snezhnaya, within Winter, they were regarded as heroes. It was their duty to protect the people and their Queen.

Meanwhile, back in the snow-covered field, Columbia stood frozen in place, her eyes wide with disbelief. Initially, she hadn't believed Su Ran's claims about killing a demon god with his new invention. As a member of the fairy clan, and possessing the power of a demon god herself, she knew how difficult it was to defeat one.

But now, staring at the massive crater before her—500 meters in diameter and 100 meters deep—she had no choice but to believe him. This level of destruction was on par with the full strength of some demon gods.

"It still needs improvement, but overall, it's satisfactory," Su Ran said, assessing the results of the test. For a first experiment, the outcome was impressive.

However, the noise had attracted attention. Executives and Fatui members were already on their way. The Ice Queen, it seemed, was aware of the disturbance but chose not to investigate personally.

Su Ran turned to face the first person who arrived.

"Good evening~" he greeted with a smile.

"Good evening..." the person responded, equally stunned by what they were seeing.