Renjiro was certainly surprised by the strange behavior Xiao had just shown, but on the surface, he (Traveler) remained calm, nodding subtly without drawing attention.
At this point, whether each Genshin clone could awaken their true self consciousness was still a complete mystery to him.
There were simply too few clues to draw any solid conclusions.
Well…
"System-baby, do you know why this is happening?"
[Please explore on your own, Host.]
"…Figures."
He knew it would end up being something like this.
No point overthinking it now.
After all, he had never done anything inappropriate with his Genshin clones, so there was no need to worry about his mind becoming some kind of outlet for Shenhe or Pulian.*
However, the fact that Genshin clones seemed to recognize him in the past was something he needed to keep an eye on.
Other than that…
Since it's here, just accept it.
Right now, there was no way to get a definite answer anyway.
So it was better to consider the feedback effects once each Genshin clone's true consciousness fully manifested.
For example: Ningguang was a top-tier businesswoman and manager. As one of the Liyue Qixing, her insight and leadership were unmatched. She excelled at creating strategies, coordinating operations, and controlling the bigger picture.
Then there was Xiao… with thousands of years of combat experience, the Conqueror of Demons. Not to mention his flawless spear techniques, his background as an adept immortal meant he had access to countless versatile mystical arts: Dreamwalking through realms, aerial mobility, sleeping while standing… cough, cough.
Renjiro (Aether) noticed Xiao glancing at him meaningfully.
He quickly laughed it off, refusing to overthink again.
As for Finn and the others…
Honestly, if Ais successfully defeated Udaeus this time, her current emotional barrier would likely dissolve as well.
Of course, this was still a temporary fix.
After reaching Lv.6, if she stagnated for too long, Ais would still be the Sword Princess who constantly forced herself to grow stronger.
Her mindset… though different in immaturity compared to Lefiya, was essentially the same, requiring growth and transformation.
Unfortunately, within the Loki familia, there was no one capable of fully guiding her.
Not a single person.
Even Riveria, affectionately called "Mama-san" by familia members, was not adept at this.
Though the elf royalty usually spoke formally, occasionally she would say astonishingly endearing things like, "To make Ais happy, just feed her."
Anyone unaware might think a blue-haired idiot from another world had possessed her for a moment.
Alright, no more voice-actor jokes.
And Finn…
As the current leader of the Loki familia, this little Palum (dwarf) hero was excellent at strategy and planning, but emotionally… let's be blunt, he was a stubbornly straightforward man.
One only had to see how he proposed to Liliruca in the main storyline to understand.
So, with the familia's two top strategists like this, one couldn't expect much from the others.
In the original timeline of this world, Ais' growth wasn't "guided" either.
She had proGarethed by overcoming challenges and being influenced by her junior, Lefiya, before taking her crucial steps forward herself.
But now…
It's still not the right time.
Renjiro (Aether) stood aside, watching silently as Ais quietly accepted Riveria's healing magic.
He reflected: he himself had no experience in guiding others through emotional barriers… psychology was not his strong suit.
So, if he couldn't help in that regard…
Eat something.
Yes, following Riveria's future logic… maybe feeding her would have some effect.
Without overthinking, Lumine squatted beside Ais and pulled a prepackaged rice cake from her backpack, holding it out.
She smiled gently.
"Do you want a little cream on it? Tastes even better."
Seeing this…
"Mm."
Ais knew that Lumine's homemade Genshin dishes were highly effective for healing.
Some of them rivaled, even exceeded, the effects of a 500,000 Fary bottle of Panacea.
Now that they were deep in the dungeon, it was impractical to overuse Riveria's magic.
Ais understood that perfectly.
So, thinking this through…
"Thank you."
Ais accepted the rice cake.
Riveria, standing nearby, paused her healing magic, it had only been for emergency support anyway.
Having Lumine in the team really saved a lot of trouble.
"I didn't expect you even brought cream." Riveria muttered in surprise, seeing Lumine pull a small ceramic jar from her backpack.
In the past, when exploring dungeons, had they ever been this comfortable?
Now, their tastes were refined by Lumine, and simply eating could heal them.
Even the most troublesome supply transport issues were solved effortlessly by Traveler.
Could this be the hidden goal of the Freya familia? Undermine the Loki familia from within, from luxury to frugality?
Riveria couldn't help but mentally speculate, though she knew better than to jump to conclusions.
She trusted Traveler and Lumine's judgment, they wouldn't misread someone.
Then…
"Ais, your solo challenge against Udaeus… though it failed, you've already learned why."
Finn spoke while Ais was being "fed," arranging her next steps.
"I believe you can go further next time."
"Three months from now, try again."
He had wanted to scold her, but in the end, he smiled and said casually:
"This time, we'll take it down together."
The second round is ready to begin.
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