Genshin x Minecraft: Building the Temple of Virtue

”Nu... nuclear detonation? It can block a nuclear detonation?!”

Aether’s pupils contracted to pinpoints. He stared at Ryen in absolute disbelief.

Others present also had some understanding of nuclear weapons. Ryen had several stored away, and the destructive capacity of the hot-weapon module’s nuclear arsenal was something they all knew in broad terms.

But only Aether understood what that really meant.

Without exaggeration: before a civilization crossed into space, nuclear detonation was the single strongest attack on a planet. Absolute and without counter.

It would not spare Zhongli or any of the other archons. It would not spare the Heavenly Principles.

Before a civilization reached the cosmos, nuclear detonation was the lethal threat that, if it touched you, meant death without exception.

Nuclear peace for all. Before a nuclear detonation, gods and mortals stand equal.

That was not a joke.

Aether had crossed through many worlds and witnessed nuclear detonations. The aftermath was indistinguishable from the end of the world.

In more than a few of those worlds, the targets of nuclear weapons had been beings resembling gods.

And the result?

Not one so-called god who was hit by a nuclear detonation had survived.

Those lucky enough to escape the blast center died slowly, torn apart by genetic corruption in the aftermath.

In Aether’s mind, nuclear detonation was the absolute guaranteed kill.

And a staff. More specifically, a spell.

Could block a nuclear detonation?

What kind of development was this?

Something this absurd could be picked up this easily?

And as for Ryen’s claim that one could go toe to toe with the Heavenly Principles: if you could tank a nuclear detonation, the Heavenly Principles was nothing. She was a planetary existence. How could she compare to humanity’s crowning creation of the planetary era?

The only things that could exceed a nuclear detonation, even in the space age, were star-destroying cannons, orbital railguns, antimatter bombs, neutron annihilation beams, weapons designed for planetary and system-scale destruction.

To take the interstellar civilization world Aether had once visited: even a force that had already achieved the power to destroy star systems still used nuclear detonation saturation coverage for surface planetary strikes.

Nuclear detonation never goes out of style.

Ningguang and the others stood with mouths slightly open, staring at the staff in Ryen’s hand.

After a long silence, Hu Tao shivered and gave a nervous laugh.

”You’re joking, right? It can absorb a nuclear detonation?”

Ryen shrugged and composed himself.

”Doesn’t your transcendence also let you withstand a nuclear detonation? What’s so extraordinary about that?”

Aether looked at Hu Tao with a deeply complicated expression.

He had thought one spell blocking a nuclear detonation was already enough. There was another one?

Just how unreasonable was this world?

”Mine can’t be compared! My transcendence removes me from the space-time of this world entirely. I can’t attack in that state the way this spell lets you.”

Hu Tao curled her lip.

Ryen said helplessly:

”Strictly speaking, the Lich’s Barrier can also technically withstand the initial detonation. But a nuclear explosion isn’t instantaneous damage: it’s sustained continuous output. Even if the Barrier holds against the blast itself, the subsequent energy output would eventually break through.”

”Though nuclear immunity is still genuinely extraordinary.”

”No no no! The point isn’t nuclear immunity! The point is this thing grants absolute immunity to all damage!”

”That’s what’s truly extraordinary!”

”I kind of want it for myself.”

Everyone nodded in complete agreement. A staff like this sitting right there was magnetic.

If Zhongli weren’t watching, they would probably have rushed it already.

Zhongli himself was oddly unexcited, despite a flicker of genuine pleasure in his eyes. He lacked the intensity the others were showing.

”Can this staff withstand your Sword of Universal Dominion?”

Zhongli asked it very lightly.

Ryen paused, pressed his chin, and shook his head decisively.

”No chance. The Sword of Universal Dominion is a transcendent weapon that overrides all rules. As I’ve said before: anything it can reach, there’s nothing the Sword cannot kill.”

Zhongli gave a quiet laugh.

”In that case, what do you need this spell for? The Sword combined with the Temporal Stasis spell is beyond anything.”

Ryen nodded emphatically.

”You make a fair point. I’ll pass, then.”

He tossed the staff back to Zhongli with a smile.

”Study this staff carefully. Think through the spells. All seven are extraordinary; not one of them is weak.”

”Quite a few are Neophyte and Intermediate tier, but in terms of support and strategic value, some of them actually surpass Diamond Body.”

”This staff hasn’t reached its full development yet. Push Mana Boost further and this staff will be complete.”

”Congratulations: you are now Teyvat’s greatest support.”

”Healing. Disruption. Resurrection. Curse. Buff. Invincibility.”

”You are the rising star: the evergreen legend of the support role.”

The staff landed in Zhongli’s hand. The corner of his mouth curved upward in a way he could not entirely suppress. He ran a hand along the staff and felt the deep sacred quality within it.

Something moved inside him quietly.

He had been thinking until recently about how to confront the Heavenly Principles as a single combatant.

Now...

It seemed achievable.

The damage output might still need work, but at minimum the Heavenly Principles would not be able to touch him. And used correctly, Mark of Sacrifice would still be enough to bring her down.

This staff had come at exactly the right moment.

For the first time, he could be confident in protecting Liyue without relying on Ryen.

Xiao and the others looked at the staff in Zhongli’s hand with undisguised longing.

Not for the staff itself.

Simply because they wanted to be on the receiving end of his support.

Jade Shield up. Mana Boost active. Heart of Courage applied.

Every adeptus present, combat capability elevated to archon tier.

The kind of support that could heal you past any limit: even trying it once would make the rest of their existence worthwhile.

”This staff is a strategic treasure of absolute value for the Alliance. A national guardian artifact. Far surpasses the Beacon.”

Ningguang’s tone was one of quiet feeling.

”With spell range, cooldown, and enhancement all properly leveled up, one staff could dictate the entire direction of a battle.”

”We need to rethink the mage corps composition seriously. Healing-type mages may be more strategically critical than output-type mages.”

”Especially since many of these spells are Neophyte and Intermediate tier. Very accessible.”

Everyone nodded in unified agreement.

After a moment, Venti quietly wiped the corner of his mouth and sidled up to Zhongli with a bright smile.

”Old man, we’ve been friends for thousands of years. Could you fulfill the greatest wish of my entire life?”

Zhongli glanced at him and put the staff away.

”No. I’m not lending it. Don’t even think about it. Say another word and you’re getting the Punishment of Stone-Eating.”

Venti’s expression stiffened.

”Do I look like the kind of person who’d steal something from a friend?”

”You don’t look it.”

Zhongli shook his head. Before Venti could feel good about that, he added:

”You simply are that kind of person.”

”What happened to Barbatos’s most treasured scepter?”

At the mention of this, the Cryo Archon standing nearby went visibly dark in an instant.

She had nearly forgotten about it. Zhongli had just brought it up again.

Venti immediately felt a distinct chill running through him.

”I... gave it back to you afterward, didn’t I? It was a joke, don’t make a big deal of it!”

Venti sidled behind Zhongli.

The Cryo Archon said flatly:

”I retrieved that myself from the Hilichurls. That had nothing to do with you.”

”Ah... well... that was the wind’s guidance.”

Venti offered a thoroughly unconvincing reply, then changed the subject immediately.

”Old man, I’m not trying to play with your staff! I mean, the greatest dream of my entire life is to be supported by this staff just once.”

”You’ll help me fulfill that wish, right?”

Zhongli exhaled with resignation.

”You’re already a top-tier archon. Your strength puts you in the highest tier as it is. Once I’ve supported you, who are you going to test that against? The Heavenly Principles?”

”We have a reasonable chance of suppressing the Heavenly Principles now, but we haven’t yet found a way to do it without affecting the rest of Teyvat. It’s not the right time to go stirring things up.”

Venti grinned.

”Not the Heavenly Principles. The Dark Sea or the Abyss. There’s always something there to test against.”

”Leaving a top-tier support unused like this is genuinely wasteful.”

”You’ll say yes, right, old man?”

Seeing that Venti looked fully prepared to throw himself on the ground and refuse to move, Zhongli could only nod.

In the same instant, Xiao and the others could no longer contain themselves.

”My Lord, I’d like to go to the Dark Sea. I need a battle to push through to my next level.”

”My Lord, I... me too.”

”My Lord, let me help test the upper limit of this staff’s support capacity!”

”Morax, Snezhnaya’s army could help you test the large-scale support effect.”

”Zhongli... if you don’t mind, when we eventually go after the Doctor, could you give me a support assist?”

Just how sought-after a top-tier support could be: everyone now had their answer.

From hunting in the Dark Sea, to eliminating the Doctor, to military exercises.

In short: everyone wanted to find out exactly what they were capable of under Zhongli’s support.

Even Ei was moved, wondering how far her Musou no Hitotachi could be pushed with Zhongli’s enhancement behind it.

Zhongli had become the most coveted person in the room.

Not far away, Ryen watched it all with a warm smile.

As the old saying went: the support role is eternal, damage dealers are interchangeable.

Zhongli’s support role was not even merely durable, it was reinforced concrete.

With this staff in hand, in this world...

No.

In the entire Tree-and-Sea universe, no one would be a better support than he was.

”Ryen, do you think Paimon could knock the Heavenly Principles flat with one punch if Zhongli were supporting her?”

From her perch on his shoulder, Paimon looked up at Ryen with bright, expectant eyes.

Ryen was suddenly reminded of what Istaroth had said about this little one.

He scooped Paimon into his arms and looked at her with a smile full of something unspoken.

After a moment, he said:

”Even without Zhongli’s support, I believe Paimon could knock the Heavenly Principles flat in one punch.”

Paimon was delighted to hear this, hugged him, and gave him a kiss.

”Paimon knows Ryen is just saying nice things! But Paimon knows herself! Without Ryen, Paimon is only about one-fifth of a wild boar in combat power.”

”But with Ryen here, Paimon doesn’t need to fight at all!”

Ryen gave her small cheek a light pinch, his voice carrying something quiet and deliberate.

”No, I mean it. After all, as one of the original Four Rulers of the First Throne, the Ruler of Space, Paimon.”

”How could you possibly be weaker than Asmodeüs?”

Ryen had said it as a probe. He wanted to see whether Paimon retained any memory of these things.

He hadn’t expected much.

But the moment the words left his mouth, Paimon’s entire body went rigid.

Her eyes filled with alarm and panic. She grabbed Ryen’s hand reflexively, gripping it tightly.

So the result had exceeded his expectations.

This little one...

She remembered?

Or had some memories returned?

Ryen’s gaze deepened. He looked at Paimon steadily and said nothing.

Slowly, Paimon began to tremble.

She threw her arms around him, her face full of frantic urgency.

”Ryen, don’t stop wanting Paimon. Paimon didn’t hide it on purpose.”

”I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please don’t stop wanting me.”