Snezhnaya, Fatui New Recruit Training Ground
"Ha! Hyah!..."
Within the icy training grounds, rhythmic shouts echoed. Groups of Fatui officers were rigorously training their fresh recruits.
The young recruits' chests were filled with unwavering loyalty and passion for Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa. They fought with all their might against the frigid weather, pouring their youthful sweat onto the snow-covered training grounds.
Half an hour later, after a grueling session, the recruits were led by their respective officers to the rest area at the edge of the training ground to recover before the next round of training.
Suddenly, a new squad marched through the doors. Their officer looked full of energy, carrying something resembling a large phonograph on his shoulder.
In contrast to their leader's spirited demeanor, the recruits trailing behind looked utterly lifeless. It was as if they weren't walking toward a training session but toward their impending doom.
"At ease! Attention! Look right... Align!"
At the command, Luo Qing looked over his young subordinates and nodded with satisfaction, his voice booming.
"Alright, boys, you know the drill. Warm-up first! Form four lines, spread out!"
At Luo Qing's command, the soldiers reluctantly shifted into formation, lining up in four neat rows. Once they were set, he placed the oversized phonograph down, inserted a disc, and hit play.
The disc began to spin, and after a brief burst of white noise, a deep male voice filled the training grounds:
"The vast horizon is my love, flowers blooming beneath the endless green hills, what kind of rhythm makes you sway the most..."
As the catchy tune blared, the four rows of recruits started to dance rhythmically to the beat.
"The winding river comes from the sky, flowing towards a sea of vibrant colors..."
Some of the newer recruits, witnessing this bizarre scene for the first time, couldn't hold back their confusion.
"Sergeant... Is this their training? Why does it look so... abstract?"
"It's normal. Their sergeant is even more abstract."
Belov, who was observing the scene, lit a cigarette and sighed. Luo Qing was doing just fine before. Why, a month ago, did he suddenly go off the rails and start playing this abstract game...?
"Alright, boys! For Her Majesty's... uh, long legs—no, I mean, for Her Majesty's honor! Train hard, no slacking! I'll be keeping an eye on you!"
After the peculiar dance routine concluded, Luo Qing glanced at his system interface.
[Frustration Value from Jiekar +1]
[Frustration Value from Tomeli +1]
[Frustration Value from Newnhoude +1]
[Frustration Value from Volderhund +1]
[Total collected: 30 Frustration Points]
Feeling quite satisfied, he offered a few words of encouragement before heading to the rest area.
"Luo Qing, you keep messing with them like this without proper training. If they go complain to Childe, you might not even get to keep your job as a training officer."
Belov glanced at Luo Qing, who had ditched supervising to slack off in the rest area, and sneered while taking a drag from his cigarette.
"You just don't get it, Belov. In the freezing cold, you need to warm up before training. I'm doing them a favor! Now, hand me a cigarette."
Unfazed, Luo Qing took the cigarette from Belov and watched his recruits from a distance while puffing clouds of smoke.
"By the way, did you hear the latest news from above?" Belov asked casually.
"News?" Luo Qing asked, confused. "What news?"
Belov took another long drag and explained calmly,
"Since Childe rose to his position, the Trainee Harbinger spot has been vacant. Word is they plan to pick another Trainee Harbinger soon to accompany Childe to Liyue."
"A Trainee Harbinger? Is that a thing?"
"You've been a training officer for years now, and you didn't know?"
Belov gave Luo Qing a disdainful look and continued,
"Becoming a Trainee Harbinger is the only way we have to move up the ranks. Childe himself was promoted through this process. If you're selected, as long as you don't get yourself killed, there's a good chance you'll become a full-fledged Harbinger.
I think after Childe, it should be the Twelfth seat, right? You'd even get your own code name.
Speaking of which, what code name would you pick if you were chosen?"
"Code name, huh..."
Luo Qing thought for a moment.
"How about... Handsome Rich Guy?"
[Frustration Value from Belov +1]
"I can't have a normal conversation with you."
Belov shook his head, extinguishing his cigarette. He gathered his recruits and headed back to the training grounds. Halfway there, he turned back to remind Luo Qing,
"They're choosing the Trainee Harbinger from among us veterans, and your name's on the list. You'd better be prepared."
Now alone, Luo Qing leaned back against the wall and opened his system interface again.
It had been a month since he transmigrated to this world, taking over the body of a Fatui recruit training officer. Not only that, he'd also been bound to some strange "Frustration Value Collection System."
As long as he frustrated others, he could collect Frustration Points.
As for what those points were used for...
Luo Qing glanced at the familiar lottery screen in the system, feeling a mix of emotions.
[Frustration Wish Lottery — for the most frustrating lottery experience]
[Current Wish up item: Spirit Speech: Time Zero]
[100 Frustration Points per attempt]
[Note: Guaranteed item every 90 attempts]
"Come on, I'm usually super lucky. Ten draws should definitely get me a gold item."
Muttering to himself, Luo Qing steadied his nerves and pressed the "10 Draws" button.
Including the points he'd just collected from Belov, he'd accumulated exactly 1000 Frustration Points — enough for a single 10-draw attempt.
The lottery screen lit up with ten shooting stars.
Golden flash—!
Just kidding.
There was no gold, only purple.
As the system's soft chimes echoed, the results of the 10-draw appeared before him.
Purple: "Spear Technique: Thirteen Fatal Thrusts"
Blue: Loud Laughter Item Card x1
Tearful Crying Item Card x1
Let's Learn to Meow Item Card x2
Dizzy Spell Item Card x1
Nausea and Vomiting Item Card x1
Physical Enhancement Item Card x1
Strong Spray Paint x1
Portable Recorder x1
One purple in ten pulls. Not bad for someone blessed with luck, right?
"What the hell... Thirteen Fatal Thrusts?!"
Luo Qing's face twitched as he stared at the results. He wondered where these random items were pulled from.
All the items in the lottery came from other worlds. Aside from the golden "up" item, which rotated periodically, the rest were purple and blue items that were purely luck-based.
But seriously... a purple item, and it's "Thirteen Fatal Thrusts"? Isn't that a bit too much?
Luo Qing felt that he couldn't just be called unlucky; he had to be the ultimate, all-time, grand champion of misfortune.
Stubbing out his cigarette, Luo Qing's eyes looked vacant as he strode back to his recruits.
No more slacking off — he'd wasted 1000 Frustration Points.
Time to squeeze some more out of them.
---
T/N: Phonograph, instrument for reproducing sounds by means of the vibration of a stylus, or needle, following a groove on a rotating disc.
Luo Qing's recruits felt they must have committed some serious misdeeds in a past life to end up training under him.
What kind of instructor made their recruits dance to plaza tunes every morning?
And not just dance — they had to sing along, too!
It was pure torture.
After squeezing another 70 Frustration Points out of his recruits, Luo Qing, feeling merciful, finally decided to get serious about training.
Luckily, he still retained the memories of this body's previous owner, so training the recruits wasn't particularly challenging.
The original owner of this body had been an orphan from Liyue, taken in by the House of Hearth. He had followed Lady Arlecchino across Teyvat on various missions, earning considerable achievements.
Later, he retired from fieldwork and became a training instructor for new Fatui recruits.
But a month ago, after a night of heavy drinking, he collapsed on the road while heading home.
In the frigid cold of Snezhnaya, a single night was enough to freeze someone solid.
When he woke up again, his soul had taken over the body of Luo Qing.
Back in his office, Belov, having also finished training his recruits, was already seated and resting.
"Hey, the notice is out. The selection is happening tomorrow."
Belov handed a piece of paper to Luo Qing with a calm expression.
Luo Qing took the paper and scanned it. It listed the candidates for the Trainee Harbinger selection.
Thirty-two names in total, all accomplished young officers. Luo Qing's name was among them.
Since Childe was overseeing the selection, the method was straightforward — a knockout competition. Each match was one-on-one, and the last person standing would become the new Trainee Harbinger.
"Looking at it so carefully... Do you actually think you have a shot?"
Belov lit a thick cigarette, took a drag, and chuckled.
"Don't get your hopes up. Look at the names — Jeros, Avtof, Yekaven... Those guys have been Childe's close followers for a long time. It's probably just a matter of picking one of them."
"But it's a 32-person elimination, not a direct pick by Childe. Why can't I make it?" Luo Qing asked, puzzled.
"That's the problem... you know how it is."
Belov glanced around, making sure no one was eavesdropping, and then lowered his voice.
"Childe's mind is only set on fighting. His subordinates are all battle maniacs with extensive combat experience.
Most of us used to handle espionage, so we can't really match them in a head-to-head fight."
Belov, like Luo Qing, was once an orphan taken in by the House of Hearth, and they had been good friends with the original owner of this body.
Even after Luo Qing's sudden personality shift a month ago, Belov still remained close to him.
"Who knows? Maybe there'll be a miracle."
"Heh, there's no way the two of us will make it," Belov scoffed, taking another puff.
If the selection was based on a broader skill set, like intelligence work, Belov figured they might have a chance.
But a pure combat competition put them at a disadvantage compared to those who specialized in direct combat.
"How about a bet, then?" Luo Qing suddenly leaned forward.
"Oh? What's the wager?" Belov's interest was piqued.
"If I get selected, you have to steal a pair of Lady Arlecchino's black stockings for me."
"?"
"And if you don't make it?"
"I'll steal a pair of Miss La Signora's white stockings for you!"
"Are you sure you want to take it that far?" Belov asked seriously.
"Afraid?"
"Ha! Me, afraid? I'm in!"
The Next Day
Snezhnaya Combat Arena
For the Fatui soldiers, today was a special day.
They would witness the birth of the next Trainee Harbinger, and the selection method was simple: one-on-one elimination.
For the battle-hardened people of Snezhnaya, it was the perfect format.
The enormous arena was already packed, filled with Fatui military personnel.
Among them were fresh recruits and seasoned veterans alike, all eagerly awaiting the selection's start.
Watching these intense duels was meant to ignite the soldiers' fighting spirit, so Childe had ordered all available Fatui soldiers to attend, hoping to inspire them.
"Lord Childe, here's the match schedule. If everything is in order, you may begin the announcement."
From the central viewing platform, a staff member handed Childe the schedule.
Thirty-two contestants, and five victories would decide the next Trainee Harbinger.
To simulate the unpredictability of real combat, Childe had compressed the selection into a single day.
Which meant, to become the Trainee Harbinger, one had to win five consecutive matches in a single day — a severe test of endurance and battle skills.
Childe took a glance at the schedule. Everything was in order, so he stepped to the front of the central platform and announced loudly,
"Comrades, the selection begins now!"
There was no need for a grand opening speech. The audience, all military men and women, preferred the action of combat to any flowery rhetoric.
"Round One, Match One: Jeros versus Luo Qing!"
The announcer's voice echoed through the speakers.
Down below, Luo Qing, who had just arrived at the arena, was stunned to hear his name called first.
"Well, congrats, Luo Qing. Looks like you're about to be eliminated in the first round."
Belov clapped Luo Qing on the shoulder, unable to suppress his grin.
"Don't forget Miss La Signora's white stockings. I want the authentic pair!"
Jeros, his opponent, was one of Childe's handpicked warriors. He had fought Abyss Heralds before and had a wealth of combat experience.
Belov doubted Luo Qing could last ten rounds against someone like Jeros.
"Heh, just watch closely," Luo Qing sneered, shoving Belov's hand aside as he stepped onto the arena. On the opposite end, Jeros hoisted his massive thunder hammer and strode to his position.
Jeros towered over Luo Qing, nearly two heads taller. It was like an adult facing a child.
From the viewing platform, Childe watched his own warrior, Jeros, enter the arena with a satisfied smile, eagerly awaiting the match to begin.
"Heh, little guy, I'd suggest you surrender now. One swing of my hammer, and you might not survive," Jeros taunted, eyeing Luo Qing's slender frame.
"Jeros... have you ever truly laughed from your heart?"
Luo Qing casually walked over to the weapons rack by the arena's edge, selecting a standard-issue spear.
He took a quick look at the "Loud Laughter Item Card" in his system inventory and spoke to Jeros with a strange glint in his eye.
"Of course. And you're about to see it."
Jeros tightened his grip on his thunder hammer, ready to strike.
The referee, seeing both combatants prepared, shouted, "Let the selection begin!"
Jeros reacted instantly, lunging forward with his hammer as soon as the word "begin" left the referee's lips.
Meanwhile, Luo Qing remained perfectly still, his gaze calm as he watched Jeros charge. He mentally activated the "Loud Laughter Item Card."
[Loud Laughter Item Card: Forces the target into uncontrollable laughter for five minutes (Note: Effect varies based on the target's mental strength).]
Mid-run, Jeros suddenly felt an overpowering urge to laugh.
He wanted to howl with laughter.
And to the spectators' astonishment, he burst into uncontrollable laughter, charging at Luo Qing with his thunder hammer while laughing hysterically.
The audience erupted in confusion.
"Why is he laughing so hard when he hasn't even won yet?"
"Yeah, yeah, celebrating halfway through is bad luck. But Jeros shouldn't lose, right...?"
From the platform, Childe watched Jeros's behavior with a deep frown.
Laughing during a fight could disrupt one's flow of energy, severely weakening the impact of attacks. Why would Jeros make such a rookie mistake?
Just as Childe pondered this, Jeros, midway through his charge, stumbled. His grip on the hammer faltered, and he tripped.
He eventually tossed the hammer aside, collapsing onto the ground, rolling around while laughing uncontrollably.
The audience was left dumbfounded. The duel wasn't over, so what was so funny?
As the spectators struggled to comprehend Jeros's hysterical laughter, Luo Qing's voice suddenly boomed across the arena.
"Endless longing, endless loyalty! Unyielding love, beyond all bounds! First strike, Lovesickness!"
---
T/N: That's uhhh... a long attack name.