Minecraft World.
Ryen had already taken Guizhong and the others through all the major and minor structures on the Sky Island.
Guizhong truly lived up to her reputation as a master of mechanical arts. For things like mob farms and similar structures, she only needed a few brief hints from Ryen before immediately understanding how they worked.
Although she hadn't personally built any of them yet, Ryen could tell that Guizhong wasn't just theorizing on paper, she was someone who could genuinely construct them herself at any moment.
As for Ei and the others…
For now, simply following blueprints and replicating designs was more than enough.
What they needed most at this stage was to catch up with the overall progress quickly, not to dive deeply into the principles behind every mechanism.
Ei herself understood this clearly, so she didn't turn into an endless stream of "why" questions.
Every time they toured a structure, she would simply instruct Kujou Sara to record the materials produced by that structure and the construction details.
Before long, Kujou Sara's notebook was already filled to the brim.
And this was just from finishing the tour of the Sky Island.
"So this thing is the Nether Portal?"
Yae Miko curiously poked at the obsidian frame on the Sky Island.
Ryen rolled his eyes.
"It's the Nether. Anyway, this portal is basically for our own use only. The Millelith have their own portals, all set up at Base One."
"Normally, whenever it's someone's turn to explore the Nether, they gather at Base One and teleport together."
"The portals there are built more systematically, with enclosed structures inside. Overall, it's a mature region that's ready for full-scale development."
"The Nether isn't very large, unlike the Overworld, which is practically endless, so if you want to explore it, it's best to divide the work by time periods and regions."
Kujou Sara carefully wrote everything down, then recorded the standard specifications for constructing Nether portals.
"Besides that, there's also the End…"
Once Kujou Sara finished writing, Ryen continued.
"The End is directly related to forming the Dragon Knight Corps, so it's one of the most important exploration areas."
"The location of the End Portal is fixed, near Mondstadt's Base One."
"Compared to the Nether, exploring the End doesn't actually require many people."
"Liyue sent twenty people, and Mondstadt sent twenty as well."
As for Snezhnaya, their Nether operations hadn't been fully integrated yet, let alone the End.
That said, Snezhnaya had recently sent more personnel, and this group was currently familiarizing themselves with the situation.
Given enough time, they should eventually be able to advance their progress into the End as well.
However, since Snezhnaya had fewer people and was spreading its efforts across multiple fronts, forming a Dragon Knight Corps like Liyue and Mondstadt would still take quite a while.
"Are twenty people really enough?"
Yae Miko looked at Ryen curiously.
"The danger of the End should be comparable to the Nether, right?"
Ryen nodded.
"Considering the End is the domain of Endermen and the Ender Dragon, it's actually even more dangerous overall."
"But that was before."
"Now, we've already built an orbital dragon-slaying cannon."
"The Ender Dragon can be taken out in a single shot. At that point, all that's left is organizing resources and cleanup."
"Of course, learning how to operate the cannon is still necessary."
As soon as he finished speaking, Guizhong excitedly poked Ryen.
"That orbital dragon-slaying cannon, do you have blueprints for it?"
Ryen pointed toward Lisa.
"The blueprints are with Lisa. Although we were the ones who built the cannon, to this day, we honestly don't fully understand how it was made."
"The one installed above Liyue Harbor was constructed only after Lisa mobilized over a thousand people and spent more than half a month researching it."
As he spoke, Ryen teasingly pinched Lisa's cheek.
"Unfortunately, after it was built, Lisa forgot how to build it again."
Lisa shot him a glare.
"Tens of thousands of blocks, hundreds of block components, thousands of circuit combinations…"
"What kind of brain could memorize all of that?"
Guizhong curled her lips, then carefully studied the blueprint. Her excitement grew visibly.
"So complex… interesting. I like this kind of challenge!"
"Observers, sensors, redstone emitters…"
"These components seem to have very versatile applications."
Ryen paused, surprised.
"You already understand it just from that?"
Guizhong rolled her eyes.
"I am a master of mechanical arts, you know."
"Back then, the Guizhong Ballista was something I designed completely from scratch."
"The time spent and brainpower burned were far greater than this, and I still managed it."
"If redstone technology hadn't developed so rapidly, my Guizhong Ballista would still be a national treasure. Don't underestimate me."
"When it comes to mechanisms, I'm the strongest!"
As she spoke, Guizhong pointed at the elevator on the Sky Island.
"If I'm not mistaken, this is just using the interaction between water currents and soul sand, right?"
"Redstone is only acting as a docking and control mechanism."
"What a crude elevator design. I could come up with dozens of alternatives in minutes!"
Ryen didn't mind her criticism. Instead, he nodded with clear satisfaction.
"It looks like entrusting redstone technology to you really was the right decision. You're truly a genius."
"Then this orbital dragon-slaying cannon blueprint will be your responsibility."
Guizhong snorted lightly.
"Since it really is interesting, I won't complain about you making me work overtime."
"But this cannon uses far too many redstone components. A lot of them I don't recognize yet, and I don't fully understand what roles they play."
Ryen waved his hand casually.
"That's a minor issue."
"We have plenty of redstone components. Just tell us whenever you need anything."
"The upper limit of redstone technology is extremely high. Things like redstone cannons are only the most rudimentary applications. Even the orbital dragon-slaying cannon is still overly focused on redstone's offensive potential."
"But in reality, in terms of practicality, redstone is far beyond imagination."
"Transportation, concealment, reaching the skies and burrowing underground, once redstone is mastered, nothing can really stop us."
As Ryen recalled how, in his previous world, some experts had used redstone and command blocks to build fully functional video-call phones inside Minecraft, he couldn't help but purse his lips slightly.
He was genuinely curious about just how far redstone technology could be pushed once it was in Guizhong's hands.
After a brief pause, Ryen looked at Guizhong with burning intensity.
This was the future pillar of redstone technology, the cornerstone that could one day support the entire redstone system.
She absolutely had to be kept happy.
"I don't know that much about redstone myself, and I'm not particularly good at designing things with it."
"But for now, I still have some unused redstone technologies in reserve."
"Redstone tanks, redstone aircraft, redstone robots, and so on…"
"When I have the time, I'll demonstrate all of these to you, and I'll explain the extended functions of redstone components as well."
"However, you don't need to follow my ideas rigidly. Redstone is something filled with infinite possibilities."
"What I think of may not be the same as what you think of."
"In the end, it all depends on your own research ability, and I believe in you."
Guizhong lifted her chin proudly.
"Hmph! You're right to believe in me! In this field, if I say I'm second, who would dare claim first?"
Ryen chuckled softly.
"Confidence is good. And I can tell you this, no one will ever truly grasp the upper limit of redstone."
"Who knows, maybe you'll even develop redstone rockets powerful enough to carry us through the stars and sail the cosmos."
"In short, if you need any materials at all, just say the word. We'll fully support you."
Hearing this, Guizhong blinked and looked at Ryen with a mischievous grin.
"Really? Even if I tear down your slime farm and fully automated animal farm, you're fine with it?"
Ryen shrugged and laughed.
"As long as you're confident you can rebuild them, even if you dismantle our orbital dragon-slaying cannon, that's fine too."
"Tch…"
Guizhong pretended to lose interest and waved her hand dismissively, but a trace of warmth still flickered in her eyes.
Being trusted like this felt really good.
"I'll look into it after I've done some research. This is a massive project."
Ryen shook his head and smiled, then turned to Ei and the others.
"For the next few days, we probably won't be going to the Twilight Forest."
"Inazuma's situation should be stabilizing soon. There's a good chance Makoto will come over during this period."
"These days will be a good opportunity for you to find a base suitable for Inazuma to establish itself."
"The requirements for a qualified base, Ayaka should already be familiar with them."
"When the time comes, just listen to her and choose an appropriate location."
Ei nodded without objection.
Judging by the timeline, it was indeed almost time for Makoto to arrive.
Before that happened, Ei wanted to organize Inazuma's forces in this world properly.
She couldn't very well lead the troops here for so long, only to have Makoto come later and clean up the mess for her.
"There's something I'd like to ask."
Yae Miko blinked and smiled playfully.
"The Nether… can we explore it over the next few days?"
"The Nether?"
Ryen paused briefly, then nodded.
"You can, but what are you planning to do there?"
Yae Miko glanced helplessly at Ei and spread her hands.
"It's about the Totem of Undying! We still owe Liyue a resurrection count."
"And we also need beacons, plus Totems of Undying to revive some old friends."
"I remember you saying that Totems of Undying require a Wither Storm, and the Wither Storm requires Wither Skeleton skulls to summon."
"These days, while the new Inazuman army is undergoing training, we might as well head into the Nether to gather some Wither Skeleton skulls!"
"Owing debts is such an uncomfortable feeling!"
Ryen thought it over for a moment, then nodded.
"Go ahead. With your current equipment, as long as you don't fall into lava, you should be fine."
"Huh? As beginners, we're going into the Nether, and you're not coming with us?"
Yae Miko immediately put on a pitiful expression.
"What if something happens to us?"
Ryen silently glanced at Yae Miko and the others.
Every single one of them was equipped with enchanted diamond armor, diamond swords, advanced-grade staffs.
They also carried Totems of Undying and golden apples…
And Ei even had her drawn blade.
Honestly, given this level of equipment, was there really any reason for them to fear the Nether?
At this point, the ones who should be scared were the Nether mobs.
Ryen found the thought amusing, but after reflecting on it, he felt a twinge of nostalgia.
Back when he and Ningguang first entered the Nether, every step had been taken with extreme caution, terrified of making a single mistake.
And now…
Heavy weapons, staffs, drawn blades, full diamond sets…
With these things readily available, it felt as though everyone had lost their sense of danger entirely.
Thinking about it carefully, he couldn't help but miss those simpler days.
At the very least, back then, people didn't respond to every hostile encounter by casually pulling out an RPG and firing a few rounds…
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