The Minecraft World.
After seeing Lumine and the others off, Ryen didn't waste any time either.
Considering that this trip into the Minecraft world would very likely last more than a week, Ningguang and Keqing had already worked through the night to make all the necessary arrangements. As a result, there wasn't much left to fuss over today.
They headed straight into the Overworld to prepare.
Ryen stood with his hands on his hips, quietly listening as everyone bustled around the house, packing and tidying up. After a moment, he let out a helpless sigh and called out,
"Stop messing around already. We don't need to bring that much random stuff this time."
"Get it straight, we're just speedrunning the Twilight Forest. Bring firearms, bring staves, and wear proper armor. That's enough."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hu Tao's voice rang out from inside the house.
"Then what about diamond swords?"
"Of course we're bringing them!"
Ryen pressed a hand to his forehead.
"Weapons, alchemical potions, food… that's plenty."
Then he noticed Klee and Nahida standing beside him, both wearing innocent, adorable expressions. He paused, then added,
"Bring some obsidian blocks, torches, and beds. We'll need to camp and build safe houses for Klee and Nahida."
"Uh… bring cake too. Klee and Nahida need snacks."
"And bring more grenades for Klee. Klee needs to blow things up."
The room fell silent for a moment. After a while, Yae Miko's teasing voice drifted out.
"Ryen, you really dote on the children, don't you? Got it. By the way, could you spare a little care for me as well?"
"Only if you turn into a pink-haired fox and let me pet you all day."
"Tch…"
Even without seeing her, Ryen could tell that Yae Miko was rolling her eyes straight into the sky.
He didn't mind. Smiling, he gently rubbed Klee's and Nahida's heads.
"We'll be gone for a long time. If there's anything you want to bring, go pack it now."
Klee's big eyes sparkled as she looked at him. After a moment, she happily hugged Ryen's leg.
"As long as Ryen comes with us, Klee is already happy!"
Ryen's heart melted instantly. He picked her up and planted a big kiss on her cheek.
"What a good girl. Daddy loves Klee the most!"
Nahida's expression immediately darkened as she stared at him. Ryen hurriedly picked her up as well and coaxed her for a long while.
Soon after, the two little girls ran back inside hand in hand, they had their own things to pack too.
Mostly toys.
Ryen shook his head with a smile.
Suddenly, something warm and soft pressed down on his back.
He tilted his head slightly, his face nearly brushing against a delicate, beautiful one.
If it were Hu Tao or Lisa, he would've kissed her without hesitation.
Even Yae Miko wouldn't be an exception, pink-haired fox or not, she was undeniably a peerless beauty. If she offered herself up, Ryen would never refuse.
But unfortunately,
Clinging to his back was his good comrade, Guizhong.
Sure, Guizhong was pretty, she truly fit the description of a youthful, invincible beauty.
Reaching back to support her, Ryen said irritably,
"What are you doing?"
"Tch… how boring."
Guizhong wrapped her arms around his neck, grinning.
"I thought you'd kiss me."
"How dare you sully our bond like that? Guizhong, I'm deeply disappointed in you!"
Guizhong rolled her eyes, jumped off his back, and muttered,
"So… I don't have to keep researching Redstone tech this time, right?"
Ryen nodded with a smile.
"This trip to the Twilight Forest is mainly for speedrunning. We've already cleared it once, so it won't be hard."
"You can treat it like a vacation. The scenery there is beautiful, especially the Firefly Forest."
"I'll bring you some firefly lanterns. You can put them by your bed as a nightlight when we get back."
Guizhong pouted.
"Don't dote on me like I'm your daughter! I'm not Klee or Nahida!"
"Yes, yes. So, do you want them or not?"
"I do! Why wouldn't I? I worked so hard researching Redstone tech for you, improving the manor and base systems. I earned this!"
Ryen laughed, pinching Guizhong's cheek until her lips puffed out, making her look both ridiculous and adorable.
"When exactly did you 'work so hard'?"
"That Redstone tech was easy for you. You finished it in less than a day."
"The rest of the time, you were pestering me to help you refine attack effects."
"I admire your artistic passion, but when it's time to be serious, you should be serious. Don't waste your talent."
Guizhong rolled her eyes but didn't swat his hand away, mumbling indistinctly,
"Talent exists so people can slack off! If I have talent, why can't I take it easy?"
"What kind of twisted logic is that?"
Ryen chuckled. Suddenly, Guizhong opened her mouth and bit his hand.
Ryen sucked in a sharp breath, wanting to pull away but afraid he'd knock out her teeth.
"Let go! What are you, some kind of dog? Is the Dust Archon's true form a hound?"
Guizhong glared at him fiercely. Then, as if a thought struck her, her eyes shifted.
The next moment, Ryen stared at her in shock.
"You, !"
Guizhong released him at last, grinning smugly.
"What? Fallen for your good comrade? That's a sin, Ryen."
Ryen glared at her and rubbed his wrist.
"Get lost."
Guizhong stuck out her tongue and hopped away, squatting down to poke at the brightly colored flowers nearby.
Ryen watched her back, his expression complicated.
No matter how much he calculated, he never expected,
This girl would be bold enough to do something so outrageously defiant of all reason.
To be honest, Ryen really did feel a brief flutter of his heart just now.
However, his overwhelming sense of brotherhood quickly brought him back to his senses.
With a scowl, he walked over and smacked Guizhong lightly, warning her,
"Don't ever do something like that again. Otherwise, I'll beat you."
"Hmph!"
Guizhong shot him a glare and turned away, refusing to pay him any more attention.
While they were fooling around, Ningguang and the others finished packing and came out as well. Ryen straightened his mood and gathered everyone, preparing to head toward the Twilight Forest.
Standing beside the dark, swirling portal, Ryen gave his final reminder:
"Remember, this time we're speedrunning."
"Any unnecessary material gathering, skip it."
"All we need to do is clear the Twilight Forest as fast as possible and unlock the new mod. Understood?"
Seeing how serious he was, even the usually unruly Yae Miko and Guizhong nodded solemnly.
Ryen gave a small nod and said calmly,
"Then let's go. First stop, the Naga Courtyard."
The deep portal swallowed everyone's figures whole. The manor villa was left behind, with only Bosacius and Rishui remaining to keep watch.
Sumeru , Gandharva Ville
Three massive dragons dove down from the sky, initially giving the people of Gandharva Ville a terrible fright.
Collei, in particular, was extremely tense.
Tighnari was not around. According to the letters, Sumeru was currently in turmoil, and Tighnari had already been drawn into the vortex of events. He would not be returning anytime soon.
Gandharva Ville was practically the last remaining pure land of Sumeru. Tighnari had repeatedly instructed Collei to guard it well.
If those three dragons launched an attack, Gandharva Ville would be wiped out instantly.
She had no idea how she would ever explain that to Tighnari.
Fortunately, Collei soon got a clear look.
Aside from a blonde girl she didn't recognize, the other two on the dragons' backs were familiar faces.
Although she had no idea what was going on or why they were riding dragons this time,
At least they were allies.
Collei hurriedly ordered the Forest Rangers to stand down and led Lumine and the others inside.
Watching Collei rush around, Lumine felt a bit guilty. Once Collei finished settling things and returned, Lumine scratched her cheek and muttered,
"Did we cause trouble for you by being too conspicuous?"
Collei smiled softly.
"It's fine. This is my responsibility. My mentor told me to protect Gandharva Ville, and this is the first time since I recovered that he's entrusted me with such an important task. I have to do it well."
"But Sumeru isn't very stable right now. If it's not necessary, it's better for you to keep a low profile."
Lumine nodded thoughtfully.
"Recovered… you mean from Eleazar?"
In an instant, Collei grew tense.
Nilou and Dehya immediately understood her concern and reassured her,
"Don't worry, Collei. This is the Traveler Alhaitham asked us to find. The resolution of Eleazar isn't a secret to her."
"Dunyarzad's Eleazar has also been completely cured."
Only then did Collei let out a breath of relief, patting her chest awkwardly.
"Sorry… my mentor said that news of Eleazar being cured would bring a lot of trouble, so I was told to keep it hidden."
"But… congratulations, Nilou, Dehya."
"Now that Dunyarzad is healed, you can finally rest easy."
After that, Collei curiously sized up Lumine and muttered,
"Amber told me about the Traveler before. She said Lumine was a blonde girl with a floating companion."
"But just now, I didn't see any floating companion by your side. I thought you were someone else you met on the way. By the way, Lumine, where's your partner?"
Lumine rolled her eyes and said irritably,
"That glutton ate too much and is sleeping in subspace right now. Don't worry about her."
Nilou took over the conversation and looked at Collei.
"Collei, we've brought back the Traveler and need to meet Alhaitham. He said that when we returned, we should go directly to consult Mr. Tighnari and not contact him."
"Do you know where Mr. Tighnari is?"
Collei pursed her lips and nodded.
"These days, my mentor has been stationed at Pardis Dhyai. The Grand Sage came by two days ago and asked me to deliver a letter to him."
"Alhaitham's whereabouts are currently unknown. Perhaps only my mentor knows."
"I heard from the Grand Sage that the sages are secretly issuing a warrant for Alhaitham…"
"With that, it's even harder to track his movements. But since my mentor is the point of contact, he should know something."
As she spoke, Collei handed the letter to Nilou.
"This is the letter the Grand Sage asked me to deliver to my mentor. If you're going to Pardis Dhyai to find him, please pass it along for me."
Nilou nodded and carefully put the letter away.
Dehya's expression grew serious as she asked in a low voice,
"So… something has happened in Sumeru City?"
Collei thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"On the surface, everything looks normal. But the Grand Sage repeatedly warned me never to go to Sumeru City."
"That suggests the situation there is bad, probably full of undercurrents."
"In any case, you must be extremely careful."
"Especially those three dragons. It's best not to let anyone see them."
"As for witnesses in Gandharva Ville, you don't need to worry. Everyone here is a friend of my mentor and will help keep things hidden."