The following morning, the courtyard that had stood empty for two days was once again brimming with life. Although Ryen had granted them a three-day reprieve to manage their personal affairs, the group had tacitly accelerated their business, wrapping everything up in just two days. They had all correctly guessed that Ryen would dedicate the third day to the Minecraft world to organize supplies and prepare the military for the upcoming expedition. They had no intention of letting him shoulder such tedious work alone.
Ningguang and the others seemed well-rested, their movements light and composed. At the very least, the restlessness that had plagued them previously had vanished. After moving the military units into the Minecraft world, Ryen did not hesitate; he opened a portal and ushered everyone back into the villa.
Venti took a deep breath of the air within the Minecraft world, stretching his limbs with an expression of pure bliss.
"There is something about returning here that just clears the mind."
Zhongli glanced at him, his tone dry.
"You simply drank too much and slept for two days, so your senses are still sluggish."
"Hehe!" Venti blinked, his expression impish.
Seeing this, Hu Tao leaned in, her voice brimming with subtext.
"Venti, do you remember what you said to Diluc when you were drunk?"
"Eh?" Venti scratched his head, his face a mask of genuine confusion. "Did I say something? My memory stops at the thirteenth bottle. I vaguely recall Master Diluc locking me inside an obsidian box."
"Shall I help refresh your memory?" Ryen asked, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "You were quite intoxicated at the time, hugging Diluc and declaring with deep devotion..."
"If you do not abandon me, I wish to acknowledge you as my adoptive father..."
Venti's expression stiffened. He turned his head slowly toward Diluc, who met his gaze with flat, indifferent eyes.
"No way!" Venti gasped, his voice cracking. "That is impossible! How could I possibly..."
Before he could finish, Ryen produced a camera and displayed the recorded footage on a nearby screen. Venti watched in horror as his past self, cheeks flushed, eyes unfocused, punctuated by the occasional hiccup, dangled from Diluc's arm.
"Master Diluc... you are such a kind soul..." the recording played, Venti's voice slurred. "I have nothing to my name, but if you do not mind... hic... I shall acknowledge you as my adoptive father!"
As he watched his own impassioned speech, the light left Venti's eyes. He stood in a daze, looking as though his spirit had departed his body.
"While having a god as an adopted son might be amusing," Diluc remarked calmly, "I have no desire to be anyone's father."
The group burst into laughter, teasing Venti mercilessly before moving on. It was, without a doubt, the greatest stain on Venti's history. Even with his countless questionable deeds, none could compare to this act of forced adoption. Zhongli would undoubtedly find ways to mock him for the next thousand years.
After a moment of levity, Ryen steadied his demeanor.
"Enough, let us prepare. Have you all finished with your arrangements?"
The group nodded. Keqing spoke softly, "We will be gone for at most a month, so it should be fine. There is no need for long-term planning."
Ryen shrugged.
"It seems you are all quite eager to explore the New Continent. If no one wants to rest further, we shall pack this morning and set out this afternoon."
"Whatever you plan is fine," Zhongli replied calmly.
Ryen nodded and contacted Da Shi, signaling him to come over. Da Shi had not resumed his work yet, knowing Ryen would have new assignments for him, and had been waiting just outside the villa. He hurried in after a moment.
"Mr. Ryen," Da Shi greeted, standing quietly to the side.
"We are heading out for a while," Ryen said, his tone measured. "It could be a week, perhaps ten days or half a month."
"Understood," Da Shi replied, his voice firm. "I will maintain order here."
Ryen waved a hand.
"That is not the main concern. This continent is entirely under our control. If any issues arise, we are aware of them. Of course, a level of vigilance is necessary."
"Azhdaha will remain here to watch over the villa. If anything happens, contact him, and if it is critical, use the communication line to reach us."
Da Shi nodded in acknowledgment.
"Furthermore," Ryen continued, "instruct all military units to resume normal operations starting tomorrow. Those designated for the Nether and the End should return to their duties, and resource gathering in the Twilight Forest must be back on the schedule. This time, take all the mage initiates who have obtained apprentice-level wands to the Twilight Forest. Let them hone their spells while gathering resources. As for the rest, stick with the previous thousand-person exploration team."
"If you reach the Final Plateau before we return, seek out Azhdaha and have him deal with the goblins. Once the Twilight Forest exploration is complete, keep those hundred people as the core team and rotate the others to continue resource collection."
Da Shi scribbled furiously in his notebook. Once he finished, Ryen continued.
"The upgrading and forging of the Blade swords must also be accelerated. I need at least a hundred of each type."
Da Shi hesitated, his expression troubled.
"Mr. Ryen, the standard blades are manageable, but the top-tier swords... the required materials are quite difficult to acquire."
Ryen understood this well.
"I know. Do your best. Have others provide the materials, and send teams specifically to the mob grinders to accumulate the necessary kills. Make as many as you can, and aim for a hundred of each, but there is no need to exhaust everyone by overworking them."
Da Shi nodded and continued recording.
"Finally, the wizard towers," Ryen emphasized. "Treat them as usual. Accumulate more mineral resources from the Wizardry mod. Send someone to check the trade items every day. Wands, accessories, and spellbooks are the highest priority. If a trade is possible, make it no matter the cost."
"If you encounter an evil wizard, eliminate them and retrieve the wand. If the wizard is neutral, instruct everyone to leave them be and ensure no damage comes to the tower."
Da Shi nodded; Ryen had stressed this point many times.
"As for other matters," Ryen mused, "increase the research into Redstone ships. Try to construct vessels capable of carrying a thousand people; we will need them for future exploration of the New Continent. Do not neglect the city construction projects. Keep the progress steady."
"Open any Lucky Blocks with those who have high luck. Accumulate more Redstone components, especially Redstone rails. These will be essential not only for city building but for establishing direct rail lines to the New Continent. Tell the Forging Department to find a way."
Da Shi noted everything down quickly before looking back at Ryen.
"Understood. Are there any other instructions?"
"That will be all for now," Ryen said, shaking his head. "We will discuss other matters when we return. It primarily boils down to mod development, urban construction, and resource accumulation."
"As I mentioned, I will leave the portal in the villa under Azhdaha's supervision. You can communicate through him or use the portal to return if necessary."
Da Shi nodded solemnly.
"I understand. If that is all, Mr. Ryen, I will take my leave."
"Go ahead. Send out the notifications, but leave the Millelith members currently on vacation alone; let them finish their final day of rest."
Da Shi bowed and hurried out of the villa. Ryen stretched and leaned back against Ganyu.
"There. The arrangements are made. What do you all think?"
The group looked at one another.
"We have no objections," they replied. "If it is possible, why not depart shortly?"
Ryen chuckled.
"You are a restless bunch. Very well."
He looked at them.
"The usual rules: gather your supplies. Alchemy potions, Blade swords, diamond armor, wands, enchanted golden apples, totems of undying, ender pearls... take plenty of everything, and distribute the load. In addition, bring other mineral resources, especially magic crystals for the Wizardry mod. Our primary goal this time is to develop the Wizardry mod in the New Continent."
Everyone nodded. A moment later, Ningguang added, "And how shall we travel? Are we riding the dragons?"
Ryen pursed his lips and shook his head.
"No. Riding dragons everywhere would be dreadfully boring."
"Although we are traveling to explore the Wizardry mod, think of this as a long-overdue spring outing. And a spring outing should be enjoyed properly."
"Besides, few of you have ever had the chance to set sail and explore the vast, endless seas of this world. There are many ruins and treasures beneath the waves. Traveling by boat will be a pleasant change of pace."
Beidou's eyes brightened.
"Sailing? It seems the captain of the Alcor is ready to return to the sea."
The group appeared excited. Navigating the seas of the Minecraft world was a novel experience for everyone except Beidou. They quickly set about organizing their gear. Baizhu, having just arrived, lacked these specific resources, but Liyue was wealthy and did not lack for his share. Within minutes, he was armed to the teeth: a full set of enchanted diamond armor, a wand in his left hand, a Blade sword in his right, and five totems of undying strapped to his waist.
Baizhu swore silently to himself. He had never felt such a profound sense of security in his entire life. In his current state, he felt capable of slapping a god. Even he, composed as he was, could not hide the anticipation in his eyes. He had found health and longevity; now, he needed to maintain a sense of wonder for the unknown to fill the long years ahead, a lesson Zhongli had taught him. Lately, Baizhu had been practicing curiosity, and it was working quite well. He felt younger than he had in years.
Once everyone was ready, Ryen led the heavily armed group through the portal to the Mondstadt Base in the Minecraft world, which now resembled a bustling port city.
The weather was perfect, the sky a vast, clear expanse reflected in the shimmering phosphorus light of the ocean.
"If it were dusk, we might better appreciate the imagery of the sunset and the lone wild goose, the autumn water reflecting the long sky," Zhongli remarked with a touch of poetic sentiment.
Ryen waved a hand.
"We have plenty of time for that. Let us begin building the ships."
Just as he spoke, Hu Tao raised a hand, looking at Ryen with a conflicted expression.
"I have a question! The boats in this world can only hold two people. With so many of us..."
A heavy silence descended upon the group.
A moment later, the women of Ryen's household, led by Ningguang, began to exchange rather suspicious glances with one another. If a boat held only two people, it meant... that only one person could ride with Ryen.
A private date, effectively. The vast blue sea, a small boat drifting, the two of them alone... it was an intimate experience none of them had truly shared with him before.
Realizing what Ningguang and the others were thinking, the rest of the group stepped back, watching with amusement to see whom Ryen would choose.
And Ryen... feeling the weight of their profound gazes, suddenly felt a distinct prickle of guilt.