Genshin x Minecraft: Building the Temple of Virtue

From Ganyu's updates, Ryen could roughly deduce where the timeline stood.

It seemed likely that the Traveler would be arriving in Teyvat soon.

The only question was: would it be Aether or Lumine?

However…

If Ryen was being honest with himself, his real thought was simple: Lumine was just too adorable. Why bother with a mess like Dvalin when she could simply stay away from it?

As for the turmoil caused by the Vision Hunt Decree in Inazuma or the looming threats of the Fatui, Ryen didn't care in the slightest.

He had no plans to visit Inazuma anytime soon, and the nation's isolation had zero impact on him. And even if he did go, what then? He didn't have a Vision, so the Vision Hunt Decree was irrelevant to him.

Regarding the broader chaos across Teyvat…

Well, apologies to anyone who dared mess with him. He'd gladly introduce them to the Steve Supreme Fist of Justice. Let's see if the Musou no Hitotachi could hold a candle to a punch that could split an entire planet in two.

And the Fatui?

Ryen feared them even less.

In some ways, he was their natural counter.

If they wanted to play dirty, Ryen could outplay them at their own game, tenfold. Mercy wasn't in his vocabulary when it came to enemies. If he decided to mess with them, it wouldn't stop at pranks—he'd happily unleash twenty zombies on their base just for fun.

If they wanted a fight, even better. Redstone-powered bombing contraptions or his unstoppable punches—take your pick.

And if they somehow opted for an economic war? Not a problem. Ryen had an entire Minecraft world to lean on. He could single-handedly collapse Snezhnaya's financial system in record time.

This was the confidence that came with having an entire world at your disposal.

Of course, if the Fatui didn't provoke him, he wouldn't bother with them either. The Fatui weren't inherently evil, and Ryen didn't claim to be the embodiment of good. Whether they clashed or cooperated would ultimately depend on their sincerity and attitude.

But all of this was a matter for the future. For now…

In Ryen's eyes, the entire realm of Teyvat—aside from Keqing and Ganyu—was treated with equal indifference.

"Ryen? What are you thinking about?"

Ganyu's curious voice broke his train of thought as she gently nudged him.

"Nothing much."

Ryen came back to reality, shook his head, and smiled.

"I was just thinking that I need to finish the initial construction before the Rite of Descension. Otherwise, I won't be able to relax when I go exploring Liyue with you two."

Hearing this, Keqing chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand.

"It's no problem! If there's too much to do, we can help you! You don't have to finish everything on your own."

Keqing, at this point, seemed ready to dive headfirst into the Minecraft world and start mining herself.

Ryen laughed inwardly, shaking his head at her enthusiasm. Glancing at the dimensional gate, he stood up.

"Alright, let's head back to Teyvat."

With that, he led Ganyu and Keqing toward the portal.

Keqing, ever meticulous, double-checked the newly-installed iron door, ensuring its durability and stability before she felt reassured enough to leave.

Just as they were about to step through, Ryen's expression changed abruptly.

He had forgotten something critical!

Both Keqing and Ganyu were carrying several tons of materials on their persons. In Minecraft, they had access to a portion of Ryen's enhanced physique. But if they returned to Teyvat without that enhancement… wouldn't they be crushed under the sheer weight?

Ryen quickly raised a hand, stopping the two.

"Wait!"

Keqing and Ganyu turned to him, puzzled but trusting, waiting quietly for an explanation.

"Give me a moment to think…"

Forcing a smile, Ryen closed his eyes and called upon his system.

"Hey, system, Keqing and Ganyu are carrying a ridiculous amount of stuff. Without my physique, wouldn't they be in trouble the moment we return to Teyvat?"

The system replied immediately.

"Host, rest assured. When non-host entities leave the Minecraft world, any carried items will be transferred into the system's storage space. Note: Once released into Teyvat, these items cannot be re-stored in the system's space."

The explanation eased Ryen's concerns.

In simpler terms, all materials would be stored in the system's space upon leaving. As long as they weren't released in Teyvat, there would be no issues. However, if they were taken out, they couldn't be re-stored.

Satisfied, Ryen explained this to Keqing and Ganyu, who listened carefully and nodded, assuring him they would be cautious.

After a final check to ensure everything was in order, Ryen led the two women through the portal.

When they emerged, the night still blanketed Teyvat in darkness.

The timelines of the two worlds were perfectly synchronized—this was something Ryen had figured out long ago.

If the Minecraft world followed the in-game time mechanics, where one day lasted just 20 minutes, it would have been downright exhausting to manage.

Returning to the familiar terrain of Liyue Harbor, Keqing and Ganyu instinctively stretched, a sense of comfort washing over them. However, the sudden disappearance of the powerful enhancements they'd had in the Minecraft world left them momentarily disoriented.

Glancing up at the sky, Ganyu's face turned pale with alarm.

"It's… already so late?! Oh no, there's still so much I haven't done!"

Her cry of despair was quickly echoed by Keqing, whose expression also darkened.

She had planned to work at the Liyue Harbor docks that afternoon and still needed to finalize a detailed salary report for the port workers.

"Don't worry," Ryen said with a smile, attempting to comfort them. "You spent today doing something far more important with me, didn't you?"

"Well… that's true…" Keqing sighed, rubbing her temples as if trying to soothe her own frustration.

"I originally planned to take you out to enjoy some of Liyue's signature dishes, but it's too late now. Wanmin Restaurant has already closed."

"Tomorrow—"

Keqing started to say she'd take Ryen out tomorrow, but she stopped mid-sentence. A troubling thought crossed her mind: tomorrow, she'd likely be stuck in a meeting aboard the Jade Chamber all day, discussing Teyvat's latest developments. In fact, considering the current situation, it seemed unlikely she'd have time to visit Ryen for a while.

She exchanged a look with Ganyu, who seemed to have reached the same conclusion. A subtle gloom settled over them.

"It's fine!" Ryen clapped their shoulders cheerfully. "I'm not going anywhere. You'll always have the chance to hang out with me. For now, just focus on your work."

Ganyu let out a small sigh of relief, her voice soft and sweet as she said, "Thank you, Ryen…"

"Oh, by the way, there's something I wanted to ask," she added, tilting her head slightly, her expression adorably puzzled.

"Ryen, you'll probably be spending most of your time in that other world from now on, right? How will we find you if we need to talk to you?"

The question caught Ryen off guard. He frowned slightly, thinking it over. His first instinct was to consult the system, but then he hesitated. With the system's usual… creative inefficiency, it probably wouldn't offer any useful solutions.

After stroking his chin in thought for a moment, Ryen finally suggested, "Alright, here's the plan. If you need to find me, come around noon or in the evening. If I'm in the Minecraft world, I'll make sure to step out at those times.

"If it's urgent, just wait here for a bit, or leave me a note. I'll see it and come find you."

Ganyu pouted slightly but eventually nodded with a resigned sigh. "That's probably the best we can do…"

She cast a wistful glance at the still-open dimensional gate before waving at Ryen.

"We're heading out now, Ryen! Take care of yourself, and don't get hurt in that world, okay? We'll wrap up these issues as quickly as we can and come find you soon!"

"Oh, and I'll talk to Lady Ningguang tomorrow," Ganyu added. "I'll ask her to assign some Millelith soldiers to help protect you."

Noticing Ryen's raised brow, she quickly clarified, "Don't get the wrong idea! I'm not trying to monitor you or anything! The Millelith will stay at the base of the mountain—they won't interfere with your privacy or movements.

"But there are a lot of monsters, treasure hoarders, and even the Fatui lurking around Liyue. It's better to be safe than sorry, don't you think?"

Ryen chuckled. He wasn't bothered by the idea at all—most of his time was likely to be spent mining in Minecraft anyway.

"No problem. I'll leave it to you, Ganyu," he said with an easy grin.

Seeing Ryen's understanding, Ganyu finally relaxed. She and Keqing exchanged a nod before turning to leave.

"Alright then, we'll be off. See you later, Ryen!"

Standing at the doorway, Ryen watched as Ganyu and Keqing disappeared into the distance, a faint sense of melancholy settling in his heart.

A single world's problems were simply too vast.

Without Zhongli's retirement plans being interrupted by anyone begging for his help, it would take Keqing, Ningguang, and the others weeks—if not months—to devise any real solutions.

That meant Ryen would probably be on his own for quite some time.

But maybe that wasn't so bad.

Before their next visit to the Minecraft world, Ryen planned to construct a proper base. At the very least, it would give the three of them somewhere comfortable to sleep.

For now, though…

Ryen stretched his arms and cracked his knuckles, his gaze drifting toward Mount Tianheng. Under the ever-glowing lights of Liyue, the mountain appeared tranquil and serene.

"Time to test out the Steve Supreme Fist of Justice!"

The words had barely left his mouth when a thunderous boom echoed through the air.

The shockwave sent trees and boulders flying as Ryen's figure became a black dot, rocketing straight into the sky.

Because honestly, when you had a physique this strong, who even cared about something as trivial as gravity?

If Saitama could leap from Earth to the Moon, then with his Steve-tier body, what was a little hop to the clouds?

No problem at all.