Chapter 50 - of Water and Sky (Part 10)

Words : 1063 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Ye had put a lot of thought into designing Themis. Unlike Astrea, who gained popularity as a support character, Themis was introduced as a main DPS. So, how could Themis, as a main DPS, gain high popularity? The answer was simple: power. A C0 R1 Themis could rival the strength of other main DPS characters at C6 R1, and a C6 R1 Themis would still only match other C6 R1 main DPS characters. In short, constellations offered almost no improvement—this was Ye's design. Huh? Why design her this way? Of course, it was for popularity. In Version 1.0, aside from high-spending players, free-to-play (F2P) and low-spending players had almost no chance of pulling a character to C6 unless they were dedicated fans. In other words, the strength of a C6 character was something most players couldn't experience at this stage. But Themis allowed F2P players to achieve the strength of a C6 character with minimal investment, giving them a taste of the power that high-spending players enjoyed. Getting to C6 was difficult, but C0 R1 was achievable even for F2P players with some grinding. As for low-spending players, a small investment would give them a powerful character equivalent to a C6 main DPS. Isn't that a great deal? In fact, even F2P players might be tempted to spend a little, since a character this strong at C0 might be a one-time opportunity. What? You think it's unfair? What? You think this is forcing players to spend? Kiana: "Uh... congratulations, you're right." In any case, with Ye's design, Themis' popularity and reputation were guaranteed. Players would only regret not having her, not complain about her being overpowered at C0. What? You're worried this might "power creep" other characters? That her C0 R1 strength might make future main DPS characters less appealing? That Genshin Impact might decline? For high-spending players, C6 is a must, so there's no issue. A C6 Themis is on par with other C6 limited 5-star characters, so there's no power creep. For low-spending players, investing in one strong character to guarantee clearing one half of the Spiral Abyss leaves the other half open for personal preference—whether for strength or waifu/husbando reasons. As for F2P players... for those who rely solely on grinding for Primogems, the issue is whether they have enough to pull for both Themis and her signature weapon. If not, there's no power creep problem—what you can't have is always the most desirable. And if they do have enough... isn't that even better? F2P players can finally start building their second team for the Abyss. And once the second team is set, they can start pulling based on personal preference... though success depends on luck, as Abyss difficulty scales with updates. In short, for a game that's essentially single-player, Themis simply makes a C6-level character accessible to more players. So, there's no power creep issue. What? You're asking about Genshin Impact: Clash? In Genshin Impact: Clash, Themis has a completely different skill set. Clash aims for balance, with each character having unique strengths. Even free characters like Barbara can shine if used well. So, Ye wasn't worried about Themis' popularity—not just in this world's gaming environment, but even in another world. She's a must-have character, and with her design, anyone who can pull for her will. Those who can't will envy those who do and will pull during her rerun. There's no need to worry about her popularity dropping. In fact, if Ye could play Genshin Impact, he'd pull for her too. After all, he designed her, and she perfectly fits his preferences. So, instead of worrying about that, Ye was more concerned about something else. As Ye watched Axue's livestream, the Story Quest was nearing its end. Themis brought Lumine back to Liyue Harbor. The game transitioned into dialogue. "Themis, how are you feeling now?" Facing Paimon's question, Themis replied softly, "Much better. The Supreme Bishop was right." Lumine nodded. "Indeed, killing him once really lifts your mood." Paimon complained, "It's not like you killed him." "Watching him die is just as satisfying." "Hahaha." For the first time, Themis laughed. "Oh my god!" Axue was mesmerized by Themis' smile. "She's so beautiful. Mihoyo really knows how to create contrast." While Axue was intoxicated, Themis stopped smiling and calmly said, "I'll consider your earlier advice, but for now, I don't want to separate from my sister—even if I'm no longer afraid of myself, I still worry about her." "True," Paimon nodded repeatedly. "Rea's personality is worrying. Having you by her side is a big relief." Rea didn't say more, simply locking eyes with Lumine and whispering: "Like my sister, I acknowledge you." "However, don't consider me your friend. If you get hurt, don't blame me." "Of course, if you need help, you can come to me. Even if it's for my sister, I'll help you." Chapter of Water and Sky, Act I, Complete [Sin of Envy, Song of Justice] Quest Complete Seeing this, Ye turned off the screen and looked at Bao'er, who was sitting on the table. "Why? Shouldn't the popularity be enough?" Earlier, while watching the livestream, Ye had casually asked Bao'er to create a new alternate account. With Themis' banner and Story Quest released, he estimated there would be enough popularity. But Bao'er said, "Master, maybe we shouldn't create a new account right now?" Naturally, Ye was puzzled. Bao'er blinked and explained, "Master, you gain half the popularity from alternate accounts. With Themis' popularity, plus Astrea, Fischl, Fansetty, and your own popularity, you've accumulated enough to slightly heal your 'injuries.'" Ye looked at Bao'er calmly. "What injuries? I don't recall having any." "After you were cast into this 'world,' you naturally became the Original Sin. To escape this path, you forcibly absorbed the concept of Purity, causing severe internal conflict. That's why you're in this state." Bao'er cupped her cheeks, smiling: "As your golden finger, rather than creating alternate accounts to satisfy your... ahem preferences, I think it's more important to help you resolve the conflict within the Original Sin path, don't you think?"

Chapter 50 - of Water and Sky (Part 10)

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