Genshin Impact, all those behind-the-scenes big shots are me

Using the power of ice, she sculpted a crystal-clear rose, which the girl presented to you with a smile, saying it was a 'gift for becoming an apprentice'.

"This is really quite shabby..." you couldn't help but laugh, then, seeing the slightly nervous yet expectant look on the girl's face, you said, "Okay, I'll teach you from now on."

Bronya is a studious child, and she is intelligent enough to possess superhuman wisdom and temperament. You also discover that her power is not weak; while not reaching the level of a top-tier demon god, it's sufficient for self-preservation in this chaotic world.

So you began to teach her how to better utilize her power. Bronya was clearly reluctant at first, but you told her that 'power is a powerful tool for practicing wisdom,' and from then on, Bronya began to work harder.

[In the fiftieth year of the entropy calendar, a massive cold wave swept across the country this winter.]

This was not caused by the power of a demon god, but by a true natural disaster. Daylight was replaced by a long night, and heavy snow fell everywhere, as if to bury all civilization.

[Initially, you thought it was due to the geographical location of the Winter Solstice Kingdom. Since it was a naturally occurring, prolonged winter, it couldn't possibly last long. But you soon realized you were wrong.]

In the fifty-first year of the entropy calendar, a cold wave lasted for a year, destroying all food crops within Utopia.

In this era, there was no concept of greenhouses. People relied on the mountains and rivers for their livelihood, and their outdated farming techniques were utterly ineffective against massive natural disasters.

In the 52nd year of the Entropy Calendar, the entire land of Utopia ran out of food. Moreover, as the cold wave intensified, more and more people froze to death, plunging Utopia into a massive catastrophe as winter approached.

[In the fifty-third year of the Entropy Era, the population of Utopia has plummeted by 60%, forcing you to order your people to gather and seek refuge in the royal city.]

[You used your power to protect the entire royal city, but even so, the city's resources were insufficient to sustain everyone. Therefore, you ordered the ice wolves and guards to venture into the frigid zone in search of food.]

"The ancient prophecy has been opened; this will be the end of one cycle and the beginning of the next."

At some point, this rumor began to circulate in the city.

It is said that in ancient times, messengers from the sky traveled across the land, bringing prosperity and knowledge to humankind and spreading the greatness of the sky.

The sky rejoices when humans laugh and grieves when humans grieve.

But later, the sin of transgression was born deep within the heart, and divine punishment descended, causing civilization to operate between rise and fall.

"What a cruel prophecy." Inside the palace, Bronya's usual smile had vanished. She looked at the tiny child suffering from hunger and cold, feeling an indescribable heartache.

"Must civilization, which was achieved through hard work, be destroyed? So-called usurpation is nothing more than a rooster stretching its neck; it will never become a phoenix... So what is the sky afraid of?"

Looking at her, Su Chen said softly, "They're just rumors, not true. We don't need to care what the sky thinks. Just focus on doing what's in front of us."

“But teacher…” Bronya said sadly, “No matter how hard we try, there are things we can’t do. These poor little ones, all they want is to live peacefully, is that not even allowed?”

Su Chen said, "If the position of the Ice God can be determined, there will be no more conflict in winter, and only then can humanity truly live in peace."

"The God of Ice?" Bronya raised her eyes, full of anticipation, and said, "Teacher, you should be the God of Ice!"

You said nothing about Bronya's suggestion, because there was no need to think about it; the most urgent matter was how to protect the people of Utopia.

The hunting guards died one after another in the snow, their bodies frozen and torn apart by the cold wind. In such harsh weather, even ice wolves could not move freely, let alone the wild beasts. If the wild beasts were all dead, how could they hunt?

[In the fifty-fourth year of the Entropy Calendar, the trend of population decline has not slowed down, and food has become the biggest problem for survival. Even in the Utopia Royal City, conflicts over survival continue to unfold every day.]

You realize that things can't continue like this. Perhaps this land has violated a taboo of the heavens, which is why this punishment has been brought down. The heavens don't care about the lives of humans; perhaps some mischievous gods would rather see humanity struggle in despair.

[So you began searching for a solution to the cold wave. You immersed your consciousness in the Void Treasury to obtain information from within. Perhaps sensing your intense desire, this time the will of the Void Treasury did not stop you.]

After spending six months, you've found a potentially feasible method.

[You asked Bronya to help you set up seven altars in the Ophelia Mountains, using ancient power to inscribe mysterious and obscure magic circles, and then unleashed the full power of ice within you.]

When the altar's power was activated, the freezing ice sealed off the sky, and all the falling snow melted away between heaven and earth.

"Bravo!"

On a hillside, Bronya, who witnessed all of this, covered her lips and exclaimed in amazement.

As the altars operated, the power of the earth's veins was forcibly extracted to maintain the existence of this space. The temperature gradually rose between the sky and the earth, between the ancient trees and the mountains. A huge device rose above the seven altars, and the energy it emitted collided with the sky above the Ophit Mountains, forming a white light that was enough to illuminate everything, just like the sun.

When the device is turned on, the sun rises high in the sky; when the device is turned off, night falls.

This was the first time Bronya had ever witnessed such a magnificent feat.

This must be a miracle! ...She thought to herself, no one could do such a miracle except her teacher.

Thanks to your efforts, the icy winds of the sky were kept beyond the Ophelia Mountains. The people, now free and thriving, rejoiced, singing your praises and calling you 'Chaos,' a name that signifies the god of creation.

Everything in the Ophelia Mountains gradually returned to its original state. The people of Utopia emerged from the city, breathing greedily, and then began to thrive and multiply on this land once more.

"Finally, I can live freely again." Bronya smiled from the bottom of her heart as she looked at the utopia that was beginning to be rebuilt.

"Freedom...?" Su Chen raised his head, his gaze passing through the white-lit sky, only to see the despairing wind, snow, and cold waves... Where was the freedom? It was nothing more than his efforts to create an even bigger cage for his people.

At this moment, a powerful emotion spreads within you—is it anger? Resentment? You feel as if the sky has trampled your dignity, ruthlessly crushing your carefully nurtured masterpiece.

But you quickly calmed down, realizing that as the prophecy foretold, rise and fall are a cycle of decline, and now they are at the tail end of that cycle.

"It's a pity about those people in the Ofit Mountains; they'll probably only die in despair."

Bronya sighed.

“There’s nothing we can do about it. Bronya, remember this: if you try to protect everything, you’ll end up protecting nothing.” Su Chen said softly. “Before you do something, first think about how much you can do.”

"I remember, teacher."

In the 56th year of the Entropy Calendar, the people of Utopia began to establish a new civilization in the Ophit Mountains. The old cities, buried by snow and wind, were gradually unearthed through their efforts.

More and more people are venturing out from the snow and winds to these mountains, seeking Chaos's protection.

Although the cold wave wiped out a large number of humans, as more and more people sought refuge, and even demons and their followers came to join them, these people gathered together. Although the land was temporarily sufficient, food and supplies became the biggest problem plaguing Utopia.

Instead of driving away those who sought refuge with you, you made a decision after careful consideration.

“The land of Liyue is rich in resources, and with the Human Emperor having established the Nine Provinces, the war between the Demon Gods there has long ended. The land of Liyue is now unified, and they should have stockpiled a lot of food,” Su Chen said to Bronya. “So I plan to go and take a look.”

Bronya asked worriedly, "But is Morax really willing to lend us the food?"

"It's not a loan, it's an exchange. There are many valuable items in the city that we don't need. We can use these to exchange for food, which should be enough for the people of the Ophit Mountains to get through the most difficult period. Don't worry, I know the Emperor of Liyue, so I think Morax will give me some face."

Unfortunately, the Human Emperor collapsed in the 38th year of the Entropy Calendar, otherwise he could have let the Human Emperor make the decision directly.

The Desert Emperor in Sumeru did log into his account, but unfortunately, Sumeru and Winter Solstice are too far apart, making it inconvenient to deliver large amounts of supplies. Moreover, this period coincides with the end of the conflict between the six kingdoms instigated by the Desert Emperor. Although the Desert Emperor has reached a very powerful level, Shurima has suffered heavy losses, and its national strength has also declined significantly.

After saying that, Su Chen sighed again. With such powerful talent and template, plus the help of the Human Emperor, he thought it was a perfect start, but even the best conditions couldn't withstand that wave of cold wave.

He had simulated so many times, but he had never been so desperate as he was now, to the point of having to ask others for food to survive.

"One day, I'll poke a hole in this damn sky," Su Chen muttered in dissatisfaction.

"What did you just say, teacher?" Bronya tilted her head.

"It's nothing," Su Chen waved his hand. "I just mean you're really cute."

Bronya blinked.

"Teacher, can I go to Liyue with you?"

"Alright, I'll take you out to see the world."

[Other demons already reside within Utopia, and there are no external threats beneath the tides, so you have no worries about being attacked.]

Soon, you and Bronya arrived in Liyue.

The Collection of Returning to Separation!

In the familiar streets and alleys, crowds thronged, and lively shouts vied for attention, as if whoever shouted the loudest could attract more business.

When Su Chen entered, he realized that today was actually the Human Emperor's Festival.

"It's so lively!"

Bronya exclaimed in astonishment, "Is this really the time of the Demon God War? Or did I open my eyes wrong today?"

Su Chen was speechless: "Today is the Human Emperor's Festival, of course it's lively."

"The Human Emperor's Sacrifice?" Bronya turned her head. "Teacher, didn't you say the Human Emperor was your friend? Since he has such a great influence in Liyue, let's go find him."

"Well... that might be a bit difficult."

"why?"

"Because he's already kicked the bucket."

Bronya: "..."

No, teacher, the Human Emperor is dead. Are you sure your little bit of influence will work here? Morax won't kick us out, will they?

Despite her worries, the girl couldn't resist her curiosity and excitedly explored the festival.

Because a unified currency has not yet been established, the currency used in Liyue is still the temporary currency agreed upon by the Emperor and Morax. Of course, bartering is not refused, as this is the core of trade.

This time, Su Chen brought a large amount of spices and gold, which were accumulated during the development of Utopia. Unfortunately, under the cold wave, even a lot of gold could not be exchanged for a single grain of rice.

"Teacher, over here, over here!"

Bronya was completely immersed in the lively atmosphere of the Emperor's Festival.

Her lively figure and stunning beauty quickly attracted the attention of the people of Liyue, and Su Chen, who was traveling with her, naturally also drew attention.

Then the people of Liyue discovered a problem.

"Holy crap! The Human Emperor?!"

"The Human Emperor? Where is he? Where is he?"

"Over there! Look, doesn't that person look remarkably like His Majesty the Human Emperor?"

"Holy crap! This isn't just similar, it's incredibly similar!"

"Do you think he really is the Human Emperor?"

Eighteen years have passed since the passing of the Human Emperor, yet his majesty remains, especially for this generation of Liyue people, who have grown up almost entirely under his protection.

Look at Liyue, and then look at Mondstadt and Sumeru next door. The difference is like heaven and earth!

Therefore, the people of Liyue in this generation have the most fanatical faith in the Human Emperor.

It's no exaggeration to say that if these people knew that the people of Liyue in the real world had turned the ruins of the Human Emperor into a tourist attraction and made a fortune in the name of the Human Emperor, they would definitely tear the coffin lid off!

No, there's no need to even lift the coffin lid. Just stop having children altogether, and the family line will end!

"Haha~ Teacher, look, this little guy looks just like you." Bronya picked up a chibi-style figurine from the stall. Due to her lack of skill, the figurines these days are far less detailed than real ones, but you can still make out the general outline.

Bronya looked up and smiled at Su Chen, but soon realized that something was wrong with the situation around her.

"Teacher, why are they all looking at us?"

"Excuse me, are you His Majesty the Human Emperor?" a Liyue person asked, mustering his courage.

Su Chen's lips twitched slightly as he said, "No, I'm here to pay homage to the Human Emperor as well."