Genshin x Minecraft: Building the Temple of Virtue

Inside Ryen's wooden cabin, Keqing and Ganyu had already returned, having arrived nearly fifteen minutes ago. The frequent use of their elemental skills to traverse the terrain had taken a toll on them.

Thankfully, Keqing remembered Ryen's advice: as long as their hunger bar was full, any injuries or fatigue would recover instantly.

Conveniently, Ryen always kept food stocked in his cabin. By now, Keqing and Ganyu had fully regained their strength, but neither of them dwelled on the miraculous nature of this recovery.

Keqing sat on the sofa, her face clouded with worry as she stared intently at the door. Meanwhile, Ganyu stood by the window, peering anxiously into the dark night outside.

The village, illuminated by numerous torches, provided a decent view even at night. However, while the daytime often revealed villagers aimlessly wandering around like headless chickens, not a single soul could be seen now.

The silence was oppressive, the emptiness eerie—this place felt like a ghost town.

Fortunately, for reasons unknown, there were no monsters here.

"Ryen still isn't back…" Ganyu muttered for the twenty-third time.

Turning to Keqing, her eyes reddened, she pleaded, "Keqing, we can't leave Ryen behind!"

Keqing didn't respond.

Of course, she understood. It wasn't just that this world belonged to Ryen; without him, their chances of returning to their own world were slim. But more than that, Ryen was their friend. How could she accept losing someone who understood and supported her so completely?

Yet, Keqing also knew that her strength in this world was inadequate. Unlike Ryen, she didn't know how to survive here.

"I'm going to find him!"

Tears brimming in her eyes, Ganyu discreetly wiped them away, grabbing her weapon, The Stringless, as she moved toward the door.

"Ganyu, calm down," Keqing sighed softly.

"We can't make things harder for Ryen… He knows how to survive. He understands the rules of this world better than we do."

"But Ryen's in danger right now!" Ganyu's voice wavered, her usually gentle demeanor replaced with fierce determination. "I'm his friend! I can't just sit here while he's out there!"

Ganyu fixed her teary eyes on Keqing, her expression unusually firm. "Keqing, Ryen is my only friend! I won't let anything happen to him!"

Keqing fell silent, lowering her gaze. Her eyes flickered with hesitation before she finally spoke in a quiet voice, "But… Ryen sacrificed himself so we could escape. We can't let his efforts go to waste—"

"No, he didn't!"

Ganyu's voice rose, and she glared at Keqing, her anger spilling over. "Ryen didn't sacrifice himself! He said he'd come back safely! Maybe he's waiting for us to go and help him right now!"

Surprisingly, Ganyu's words struck a chord with Keqing.

After a moment of hesitation, Keqing retrieved her weapon, The Lion's Roar.

"In that case, let's—"

Before she could finish, there was a knock at the door. Moments later, the door creaked open, and Ryen stepped inside.

"Keqing, Ganyu, I'm back," he called out, his voice tinged with exhaustion.

Before Ryen could take in the scene, a shadow darted toward him.

"Ryen!"

With a soft cry, Ganyu flung herself into his arms, her voice choked with emotion.

"Ryen! You're okay! I was so scared something had happened to you!"

Ryen froze for a moment, stunned by the warmth and softness of the figure clinging to him. His expression softened as he gently wrapped his arms around her, his voice soothing.

"Of course I'm okay. Nothing's going to happen to me. If I were gone, wouldn't you and Keqing be stuck here?"

It was a lighthearted joke, though deep down, even Ryen wasn't sure if he'd respawn at his bed if he died.

Keqing had initially wanted to say something to Ryen too, but seeing Ganyu tightly embracing him, she held back. Instead, she pressed her lips together, smiling faintly as she stayed where she was.

Still, there was a peculiar glint in her eyes as she watched the scene unfold.

"Ryen… are you alright?"

After what felt like an eternity, Ganyu finally pulled back, her cheeks tinged with embarrassment. It was then she noticed that Ryen's face was unusually pale.

She instinctively asked the question, her concern growing as she realized he didn't look well.

It was clear—Ryen was injured.

Ganyu's panic intensified the moment she noticed Ryen's injuries.

"Ryen! You're hurt! We need to go back to Liyue Harbor right away and find Dr. Bai Zhu at Bubu Pharmacy!"

Ryen quickly placed his hands on her shoulders, shaking his head with a helpless smile.

"It's nothing, really. It doesn't affect me. Did you forget, Ganyu? I've got a special constitution. As long as I eat something, I'll recover in no time."

Hearing this, Ganyu suddenly recalled how she and Keqing had regained their strength earlier.

"I'll go get food!"

Letting go of him immediately, Ganyu dashed upstairs and returned moments later with several pork chops in hand.

Once Ryen replenished his hunger bar, he felt the vitality in his body rapidly returning. He exhaled in relief. However, recalling his recent ordeal, he couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated with himself.

Ultimately, he had been too careless.

From now on, unless he was fully geared up, he wouldn't recklessly venture out at night again.

"Ryen, how did you get hurt?"

Keqing finally found an opening to speak, her worry evident as she looked him over.

Ryen scratched his cheek awkwardly, giving a sheepish grin. "Ah… it's a long story. Let's just say I let my guard down."

After ensuring Ganyu and Keqing had safely escaped, Ryen had faced the monster horde alone.

Armed with firearms and his sword, he should have had no trouble taking down the creatures. And initially, he didn't—he decimated them with ease.

But it was precisely this sense of ease that lulled him into a moment of carelessness.

Zombies and spiders were easy targets—one slash was all it took to deal with them.

Caught up in the thrill of battle, Ryen failed to notice the ominous hissing sound that heralded the approach of a creeper.

By the time he realized, the explosive monster was already too close. In a split-second decision, he raised his shield.

While the shield could block the creeper's deadly explosion, it couldn't fully protect him at such close range. The blast sent Ryen flying, knocking off four hearts in one go.

Fortunately, the explosion also took out most of the nearby monsters. Left with only a few stragglers, Ryen was able to clear the battlefield in a few minutes.

He then made a beeline back to the cabin, but with no food on hand, his injuries couldn't heal until now.

On the bright side, the incident taught him a valuable lesson. He couldn't afford to get complacent just because he had allies or newfound strength.

This world had countless ways to put him in his place.

The most immediate takeaway?

From now on, whenever he saw a creeper, he'd eliminate it from a safe distance. There was no way he'd ever let one get close again.

Still, the battle wasn't without its rewards.

Among the spoils were various materials, including seven birchwood blocks from trees the creeper had felled, and a rare stash of gunpowder. Additionally, killing several spiders had yielded seven strings, enough to craft a bow.

In total, Ryen had defeated over thirty monsters during the encounter, advancing his achievement quest by a third.

But this kind of fight? Ryen resolved to avoid it whenever possible. Far too risky.

It'd be much safer to build a mob grinder and farm resources systematically. No need to put himself in harm's way.

Hearing Ryen's account, both Keqing and Ganyu were visibly shaken. Even just listening to the details, they could feel how perilous the situation had been.

That Ryen could still laugh about it left Ganyu particularly displeased.

Standing before him with her hands on her hips, she scolded him in her usual soft, melodic voice, though her tone carried an uncharacteristic firmness.

"Ryen! Just because you're strong now doesn't mean you can be reckless! Carelessness is what leads to danger!"

Her brow furrowed as she continued, "I forbid you from doing anything so dangerous again! I—Keqing and I—will learn to adapt to this world quickly so we can fight alongside you!"

Though Ganyu's reprimand lacked any real intimidation, Ryen found her concern endearing. He raised his hand in mock surrender, his smile warm.

"Understood, understood! I promise to be more cautious from now on. I'll help both of you get familiar with this world as soon as possible so we can explore it together."

Finally satisfied, Ganyu's expression brightened, and a cheerful smile returned to her face.

"I'm going to roast more meat for you, Ryen! I've already learned how to use the furnace!"

With that, she turned and dashed upstairs once more.

Watching her go, Ryen shook his head, amused, before walking over to his crafting table.

"Alright, I'll make some final preparations. Then we can head back to Teyvat. We've been out here long enough for one day."

Keqing, who had been considering staying a while longer to gather resources, abandoned the thought.

After everything that had happened with Ryen, it was clear they needed to return to Teyvat for now. Rest and regrouping were essential.

"Besides," Keqing mused aloud, "I need to inform Ningguang about all this and discuss how we can collaborate moving forward. We'll also need to find a way to notify the Geo Archon. This matter requires his personal involvement to establish a formal contract…"

Her train of thought was interrupted when she noticed Ryen bustling about, crafting several items.

What really caught her attention was when he suddenly walked to the door, pulled out an axe, and began dismantling it.

Completely baffled, Keqing reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Ryen, why are you taking apart the door?!"