Genshin x Minecraft: Building the Temple of Virtue

A clicking, rattling sound echoed from the darkness.

Without hesitation, Ryen grabbed Ganyu and pulled her behind him.

Still startled from the sudden arrow attack, Ganyu found her fear fading as she gazed at the protective figure in front of her.

Keqing, abandoning her pickaxe, rushed over. In this world, her Starward Sword's teleportation was practically useless, leaving her no choice but to rely on her legs.

Now standing in a defensive formation with Ryen at the front and Keqing guarding the rear, Ganyu quickly regained her composure. Though shaken initially, her experience from countless battles allowed her to recover swiftly.

Nestled between the two shields, Ganyu drew her bow—just as Ryen had instructed earlier.

Since they hadn't encountered any spiders yet and couldn't craft more bows, Ganyu was currently their only ranged fighter, making her protection a top priority.

"Do you hear that sound of bones clattering?" Ryen asked in a low voice.

Keqing and Ganyu both nodded solemnly.

"That's the sound of a skeleton archer. I usually call them 'Whitey.'"

"From the sound of it, there's only one. Don't be afraid—it has no melee abilities, only arrows. Just approach it with a shield, and it's done for. If there are too many Whiteys, though, we'll have to run."

Skeleton archers might not seem deadly, but that depended on their target. To the legendary Steve, an ultimate being of strength and endurance, they were mere nuisances. But for anyone else, a single arrow could be lethal.

Keqing and Ganyu kept their eyes fixed on the darkness, their nerves on edge as the rattling sound drew closer.

This was the first monster encounter since they'd entered Ryen's world.

Ryen, however, remained calm. After a year in this realm, he'd faced skeletons countless times, evading them when he was an ordinary person. Now, with Steve's physique, he saw no reason to fear them.

Holding his shield in one hand and a torch in the other, he turned to Ganyu and Keqing.

"Ganyu, cover us with ranged support. Keqing, protect Ganyu. I'll handle the skeleton."

Neither of them objected. They simply whispered, "Be careful."

Ryen nodded and began advancing, placing torches as he moved deeper into the darkness.

The area he entered was part of the mine he hadn't explored before.

After walking about ten meters, Ryen was just about to place his third torch when he heard the sound of an arrow whizzing through the air.

Raising his shield instantly, he blocked the attack.

The arrow struck with a dull thud, but Ryen didn't feel much of an impact—barely any, in fact.

"So, you're just as weak as I expected," he muttered, smirking as confidence swelled within him.

For a year, he had been fleeing from zombies and skeletons alike. Now, for the first time, he had a chance to fight back.

The torchlight illuminated the surrounding space, revealing the skeleton archer.

It stood in a large open chamber of the mine, its empty eye sockets glowing faintly.

To the left and right of the chamber were two dark passageways. Ryen couldn't tell where they led, but he suspected that deep inside, there might be mob spawners hidden. Such spawners were common in mountain-side mines like this.

Choosing the wrong path could easily lead to trouble.

For Ryen alone, it wouldn't be an issue. Worst case, he could dig his way out or even expand the area enough to place a bed and rest. But with Ganyu and Keqing here, exploration needed to be cautious and methodical.

Today's expedition would likely stop here; they would return better prepared for deeper exploration.

But now wasn't the time for overthinking.

Fixing his gaze on the skeleton, Ryen confirmed there were no other monsters in sight and charged forward.

The skeleton fired another arrow, but Ryen raised his shield effortlessly, nullifying the attack.

Skeleton archers didn't fire with perfect aim, and Ryen used the brief intervals between shots to close the distance."

With a powerful swing of his sword, he struck the skeleton, sending it flying.

As it landed, the skeleton tried to raise its bow again, but Ryen stamped his foot down, using the momentum to leap and deliver a heavy overhead slash.

The force of his strike shattered the skeleton's defenses. He followed up with several quick, sweeping blows, and the skeleton collapsed, its bones scattering.

A faint shimmer of ash marked its demise, leaving behind a single bone as loot.

Ryen let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. 'No bow drop this time, huh? What a pity.' Still, a sense of triumph swelled within him—his first real victory over a skeleton.

Still, he wasn't too concerned. Spiders weren't rare in this world. A nighttime outing could easily provide the materials needed for crafting.

Scanning the surroundings once more to ensure no other monsters were nearby, Ryen cautiously approached the two passageways.

The first was eerily silent but steeply sloped, making it difficult to explore with torches alone.

From the second, faint sounds of bones clattering and zombie growls echoed through the darkness.

Ryen considered the number of monsters likely lurking ahead. Deciding it wasn't worth the risk yet, he pulled out some dirt blocks and sealed off the entrance to the deeper parts of the mine.

Using dirt was intentional—monsters couldn't break through, and it was easy to distinguish from the surrounding stone.

Ryen was determined to fully explore this mine later. It was close to the village, and with proper planning, it could eventually be incorporated into the village's boundaries. For now, the resources in this one mine would be enough for his needs.

After securing the area, Ryen didn't bother searching for nearby ore yet. Instead, he called out,

"It's safe now. Come on over!"

With that, he bent down and picked up the bone dropped by the skeleton.

Keqing and Ganyu arrived just in time to witness the scene.

Seeing the bone in Ryen's hand and recalling the skeleton's humanoid appearance, both women felt their stomachs churn.

"That bone must've been from that skeleton," Ganyu thought, her face pale.

Keqing grimaced, trying to suppress her discomfort. "Ryen, why on earth are you picking up something so disgusting?" she asked, her voice filled with disdain.

"Disgusting?" Ryen chuckled at her reaction. "Don't be so quick to dismiss it. This bone is actually very useful."

"Useful?" Ganyu, still queasy, patted her chest as if to calm herself. "I can't imagine anything useful about it."

"You'd be surprised," Ryen said, shrugging. "In some ways, bones are even more valuable than coal. For one, they can be used to tame the wolves in this world."

"Wolves?" Keqing perked up slightly, intrigued.

"And that's not all," Ryen continued. "You can grind bones into bone meal, which has incredible properties. The most impressive use? Fertilizer!"

Hearing this, Ganyu and Keqing's faces twisted further in disgust.

Ryen, amused by their reactions, added with a grin, "Bone meal isn't as weak as you think. Here's the deal: plant a seed, apply some bone meal, and it'll instantly mature. No waiting, no growing season—instant results. Still think it's gross?"

The two women were startled by the revelation.

Though they had already seen some of the strange phenomena in this world, the idea of bone meal accelerating plant growth so drastically still left them in awe.

"If it works like you say, bone meal could solve our food supply problems," Ganyu mused aloud. "This could be revolutionary for Liyue… maybe we'll never have to worry about famine again."

Keqing's expression turned thoughtful as well, though her disgust remained. "If it really has such a powerful effect, it's worth keeping in mind. Still…" She wrinkled her nose. "It's undeniably gross. And these monsters… they're so bizarre. Skeletons that attack people? Who comes up with this stuff?"

"If Hu tao finds out, she'll definitely be furious," Keqing muttered, shaking her head. "She'd probably storm over, yelling about maintaining the balance between life and death."

Ryen couldn't help but laugh. "You're not wrong. If Hu tao ever sees the zombies, skeletons, and phantoms here, she'd probably insist on setting up Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to 'restore cosmic harmony.'"

Pausing for a moment, he added jokingly, "Who knows? She might even become an anti-Wither warrior."

While Keqing continued to grumble about the absurdity of this world's monsters, Ganyu had recovered from her queasiness and began examining their surroundings.

In the dim torchlight, something pale caught her eye on one of the walls.

Curious, she moved closer.

As she drew near, her eyes widened in delight.

"Ryen!" Ganyu exclaimed excitedly, turning back toward him. "Come quick! I've found a huge vein of iron ore!"