Genshin Impact: I Opened Blind Boxes in Liyue

The rhythmic clanking of bronze gears echoed through the dark waterway as Lumine pressed her face against the observation window, her golden hair rippling under the blue glow of the elemental lamp. "The Scarlet King's waterways are drier than the desert. How do these mosses survive?" 

"Thanks to Candace's 'Scarlet Resonance Device.'" Kazuha tapped the diamond-shaped apparatus at the control panel's center, where hourglass-shaped runes seeped golden light. "It awakens residual Hydro energy in the ley lines—watch out!" 

The submarine lurched violently, and Lumine grabbed a mechanical otter flying overhead. The little creature clutched a screw larger than its head, its electronic eyes curving into crescent moons. "Beep-boop!" Clattering noises came from the cargo hold as piles of blind boxes bounced in the safety net, one stamped with a Dendro emblem stuck in the vent. 

"Thirteenth mechanical malfunction," Lumine sighed, hooking her foot around the tilting control lever. "I told you I should've used Anemo to boost us." 

"Fontainians hate direct elemental interference with machinery—remember what happened last week at Port Ormos?" Kazuha yanked open the pressure valve, steam revealing a holographic route map. "You gave a merchant ship wind wings, and they mistook it for a smuggling airship…" 

Lumine stomped her boot, shaking the instrument needles. "They just don't appreciate good craftsmanship!" The mechanical otter seized the chance to escape, darting into the pipeline with the screw. 

It was the fifth day since the *Blind Box* set sail. The 30-meter streamlined vessel, powered by an Akademiya core and assembled by Fontaine engineers, glided like a luminous silver fish through the Scarlet King's underground waterways. Lumine wiped condensation off the window and pointed starboard. "Look! The Ruin Machines are dancing!" 

Pale blue beams pierced the water as twelve Ruin Machines twisted their joints in eerie motions, a cracked blind box floating above them—the one that had gotten stuck in the vent. Kazuha slammed the control panel. "Did you pack something weird in the boxes?!" 

"That's the 'Fungal Beast Taming Device' prototype for Tighnari!" Lumine's cape wrapped around the runaway steering wheel. "Wait, they're mimicking Sumeru dance puppets!" 

The submarine slipped beneath the mechanical troupe, Lumine's Geo construct holding the cargo door shut. As the last blue light faded, Kazuha collapsed into his Fontaine-gear-patterned seat. "First thing in the Court of Fontaine—hire a quality inspector…" 

At noon, the submarine surfaced for air. Lumine lay on the roof drying her cape, then gasped. "Is that… a floating theater?" Kazuha handed her a monocular. "More like a projection ad for the Palais Mermonia. They're promoting 'Art and Machinery Coexistence Week.'" 

Through the lens, the Court of Fontaine shimmered with metallic and crystalline brilliance. Mechanical pigeons carried ribbons past Gothic spires, ladies in whalebone skirts rode rainbow bubble elevators, and top-hatted gentlemen tapped gold-inlaid canes to summon floating menus. Lumine suddenly grabbed the controls. "Hard to port! Vortex at nine o'clock!" 

Kazuha lunged for the emergency wheel. "That's an Arkhe Energy Collector! Two million Mora if we break it!" The submarine narrowly dodged the spinning azure crystal, startling a group of Blubberbeasts. Lumine watched their round rumps bump the porthole, leaving lotus-shaped water stains. "Even Fontaine's animals are… artistic?" 

"Remind me to buy waterproof paint ashore." Kazuha unfolded the blueprint. "Should the storefront be Mermonia Blue or Dewlight Silver?" 

"What about Liyue's Vermilion?" Lumine pinned the blueprint to the wall with Anemo. "See that pastry shop in the northwest corner? Pink and green stripes are quite charming." 

"We're here to expand the market, not host tea parties." Kazuha tapped the data. "According to thirty street surveys, Fontaine's elite prefer cool tones, but we need 15% warm hues to attract younger customers—how about replacing Liyue cloud motifs with gear inlays?" 

Lumine suddenly pulled out a camera. "A mechanical penguin just flew off with our flyer!" 

"That's the Steambird's auto-collector!" Kazuha snatched the camera. "Quick, check if it caught you using elemental energy! Fontaine's *Unnatural Energy Control Act* Article…" 

As the sun set, the *Blind Box* finally docked west of the Dewlight Spring. Lumine jumped ashore with the last crate, her boots sinking into damp sand. "Why right across from the Palais Mermonia?" 

"The Chief Justice passes by three times a day." Kazuha unfolded the display shelves. "Safest place to set up shop—especially for new businesses needing 'risk assessments.'" 

Lumine whistled as the store frame self-assembled. Mechanical otters formed a line, carrying glazed tiles up the scaffolding. One tripped over its tail, but the tile landed perfectly on a companion's head. Kazuha activated the energy core. "Try Fontaine's 'Dewlight Crystal'?" 

Lumine pressed the glowing blue crystal into the slot, and the building rippled with watery light. A gear-shaped sign descended from the roof, *Celestial Blind Box* shimmering with mother-of-pearl luster. A passing Melusine paused, her ears twitching to the light's rhythm. 

"Should we add a rotating stage?" Lumine tested the newly laid oak floor. "I heard Furina loves impromptu performances." 

Kazuha tossed her a box of screws. "Focus on the waterproof shelves first. Last week, Sumeru's sandalwood cabinets all molded, and customers opened boxes full of mushrooms…" 

As night deepened, the shop finally took shape. Lumine sprawled on a newly assembled enamel bench, watching otters apply bumper strips to display cases. Kazuha threw her a Fontaine-style coat. "Wear this for tomorrow's opening." 

"High collar and corset?" Lumine held up the dark blue jacket adorned with gear motifs. "Can't we go for a standing-collar cloak?" 

"Gotta blend in." Kazuha pointed outside—the Steambird building projected a fashion show, models strutting in mechanical-feather gowns. "Unless you want to be mistaken for a wandering bard." 

Lumine suddenly jumped up. "Blubberbeasts are chewing the sign!" 

They rushed outside to find three round creatures testing the metal's hardness with their teeth. Kazuha raised the camera. "Tomorrow's headline: 'Mystery Shop Inspected by Unknown Creatures Before Opening.'" 

Lumine gently waved, Anemo lifting the Blubberbeasts back to the shallows. They let out pipe-organ-like calls, wagging their tails toward the Palais Mermonia. Moonlight spilled over the shop's glass facade, reflecting their crooked silhouettes. 

"Seriously," Lumine suddenly asked, "why me instead of Nilou?" 

Kazuha inspected the newly installed hydraulic door. "Sumeru's branch needs her to handle Akademiya scholars, and…" He paused. "You dismantle traps three times faster." 

Lumine's laughter startled roosting mechanical pigeons, their iridescent wings brushing the shop sign like flowing stars.