Genshin x Minecraft: Building the Temple of Virtue

Following Aether’s prompt exit, the rest of the group rose one by one to take their leave. Ganyu and the others departed the Minecraft world, returning to Teyvat to prepare for the evening’s battles or to review the day’s remaining administrative tasks.

Ryen stretched his arms wide, scooping up a snoring, drooling Paimon with one hand and tucking her securely against his chest. He turned and made his way toward the storage room situated beneath the manor.

The upcoming Bedwars tournament and various other recreational competitions would ultimately require proper rewards for the victors. Otherwise, what was the point of competing? Ryen had already formulated a plan for the prizes.

Team rewards would consist of coveted quotas for the Dragonryder Vanguard and the Mage Battalion. As for individual rewards, besides magical staves, there were scarcely any items deemed truly precious at this stage of their world’s development. He planned to distribute Advanced-level staves for the minor events; he had a surplus of them gathering dust in his chests.

As for the highly anticipated Bedwars tournament, the ultimate victor and MVP would receive a Master-level staff and a complete set of Thaumaturge robes. Such a prize pool would undoubtedly drive everyone to push their mechanical skills to the absolute limit.

As for where the Master-level staves would come from, the Twilight Forest goblins would soon provide the answer. Wielding the Sword of the Cosmos, Ryen was fully confident he could bulldoze through the entire Twilight Forest in half a day if he focused solely on speedrunning. Securing the rewards would be a simple matter of finding a spare afternoon in the coming days.

Pulling a lever to reveal the hidden passageway, Ryen cast a sidelong glance at Lumine, who was trailing closely behind him. ”It is late. Why are you following me down here instead of going to sleep?”

”You are not sleeping either, are you?” Lumine retorted, her lips curling slightly as she pointed at the tiny fairy nestled in his arms. ”Besides, Paimon is still with you.”

”I will drop her off with Klee and the other children in a moment. Rest assured, do you truly believe I intend to turn her into emergency food?” Ryen offered a light chuckle.

Lumine rolled her eyes at him. ”You treat her like absolute royalty. You hold her so delicately one would think she is made of glass. She is practically your own daughter at this point.” She crossed her arms, exhaling sharply. ”It is entirely unfair.”

Reaching out, Lumine pinched Paimon’s soft cheek.

The sleeping fairy’s face immediately scrunched up. She mumbled incoherently, her tiny voice rising in a panic. ”No! Do not eat Paimon! Paimon tastes terrible!” She squirmed deeper into Ryen’s grip. ”Ryen! Save Paimon! Lumine is going to eat me!”

The two shared a look in the dim light of the corridor. Ryen let out a quiet laugh. ”Clearly, her subconscious places far more trust in me.”

”Heartless little glutton,” Lumine scoffed. A heavy silence settled between them for a long moment before Lumine finally broke it, her tone shifting to something far more serious. ”Ryen, is Paimon connected to the Heavenly Principles?”

Ryen was in the midst of rummaging through a chest full of magical staves. At her sudden question, his hands stilled. He kept his gaze focused on the chest. ”What brings you to that conclusion?”

”I am not oblivious,” Lumine muttered, resting her chin in her hand, her golden eyes clouding with distant thoughts. ”From the very moment I fished her out of the water, things did not add up. What kind of helpless creature possesses the innate ability to manipulate spatial dimensions so effortlessly?”

”The crown hovering above her head, the cape woven from starlight, none of it aligns with ordinary life in Teyvat.” She trailed her fingers along the edge of a wooden table. ”She acts the part of a gluttonous flying mascot perfectly, yet my instincts have always screamed that she is hiding an unfathomable secret. Traveling across the stars teaches you to trust your gut.”

Ryen turned around, a faint smile playing on his lips as he studied the Traveler. ”And if I told you that Paimon was the very Sustainer of Heavenly Principles who separated you from your brother? What would you do then?”

Lumine fell dead silent.

Logic dictated that she should seek vengeance. Yet, her hands remained perfectly still at her sides. She might have suspected Paimon harbored ulterior motives, weaving some grand conspiracy entirely focused on her. But after spending so much time together, the thought of malice coming from the little fairy seemed utterly absurd. Paimon treated Lumine as her most cherished companion.

More importantly, without Paimon drifting beside her, the journey across Teyvat felt distinctly hollow. She was not merely a friend; she was an integral part of the voyage. Lumine often joked about boiling her in a stew, but the second real danger threatened the fairy, Lumine’s blade was always the first to be drawn.

”She is not the Sustainer,” Lumine finally said, shaking her head. ”If she were, Zhongli and Venti would have certainly recognized her presence. However, I am absolutely certain she is tied to the Heavenly Principles.”

Ryen reached out and lightly pinched Lumine’s cheek. ”Not entirely oblivious after all.”

”Naturally. Do I look like that dense brother of mine?” Lumine lifted her chin, puffing out her chest before fixing Ryen with a deeply expectant look.

Ryen shrugged, leaning back against the storage racks. ”Your deduction is correct. Paimon is not the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, but she is closely connected. She recently recovered a fragment of her lost memories. She is one of the four original ruling shades of the Primordial One, the God of Space, Paimon.”

”If my theory holds true, the entity known as the Heavenly Principles is Asmoday, another of the four shades. Istaroth, the God of Time, acts as Paimon’s elder sister. This little glutton has an incredibly formidable background.”

Lumine’s eyes widened dramatically. ”The God of Space! Wait, if she recovered her memories, why did she not tell me! Does she not trust me?”

Ryen shook his head, his thumb gently smoothing out the crease in the sleeping fairy’s brow. ”She was terrified to speak of it. A while ago, she gorged herself on a massive pile of Enchanted Golden Apples, and the sheer volume of energy somehow forcefully restored a portion of her memory and power.”

”But she grew frightened. She feared that if she continued to recover, she would cease to be the Paimon you know. She worried that once you learned the truth, you would push her away. Paimon treasures her current life. She refuses to let any divine titles build a wall between her and the rest of us, especially you. Therefore, she begged me to keep it a secret.”

The tension in Lumine’s shoulders evaporated. She stared at the floor, muttering, ”Yet you just told me anyway.”

”Only because you pieced half of it together yourself,” Ryen replied, tapping her nose. ”Since you were already formulating theories about her being the Heavenly Principles, it was better to give you the truth. Her connection to the Sustainer is purely historical at this point. This prevents you from harboring any lingering suspicions. Paimon cares for you deeply. If she sensed even a fraction of doubt from you, it would completely break her heart.”

Lumine pressed her lips together tightly, reaching out to gently stroke Paimon’s snowy hair. ”Such an absolute fool. We are companions. I would never abandon her.”

”Keep this knowledge to yourself. Do not let her know that you are aware,” Ryen advised, his gaze softening as he looked down at his arms. ”This little one despises conflict. Her current, peaceful existence is all she desires.”

”The ancient wars of the Primordial One are no longer her burden. She is merely a pitiful flying mascot now. There is no need to drag her back into a web of cosmic conspiracies.”

”Naturally! In my heart, she will always be my premium emergency food!” Lumine chimed in with a bright, razor-sharp grin. Even in the depths of sleep, Paimon seemed to sense the immense malice radiating from the blonde traveler, her tiny fists subconsciously gripping Ryen’s shirt much tighter.

”You mentioned she recovered some of her power?” Lumine suddenly recalled that specific detail, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. ”Exactly what level of strength does she possess now?”

Ryen offered a casual shrug. ”She is the God of Space from the era of the Primordial One. What level do you think she operates at? To put it simply, if she fully exerts herself and executes her authority correctly, she could permanently banish Zhongli into the spatial void.”

”The four shades of the Primordial One are not mere echoes of Phanes. They maintain tethers to higher-dimensional entities upon the Imaginary Tree. Their raw strength operates on a scale that ordinary demon gods cannot even begin to comprehend.”

Lumine nodded slowly, absorbing the information. ”I have heard the tales of the four highest pillars. The demon god Paimon possesses legends that span across multiple worlds. Wait a moment.” She froze, her golden eyes widening as she caught the glaring loophole. ”Are you saying this glutton’s current strength rivals the most powerful of archons?!”

Ryen nodded, a knowing smile curving his lips.

A dark shadow immediately cast itself over Lumine’s features. ”Is that so! She possesses world-ending power, yet she continues to cower behind my back every single day, boldly claiming she is utterly defenseless!”

She bared her teeth. ”Despicable! Did she win an award for acting?” Lumine raised her hand high, posturing as if ready to deliver a resounding smack to wake the fairy.

Ryen merely watched her, his smile never wavering. Lumine’s hand hovered in the air for a long time, trembling slightly with theatrical fury. Finally, she lowered it, shooting Ryen a highly exasperated glare.

”Why did you not stop me?”

”If I did not stop you, would you actually strike her?” Ryen countered smoothly.

Lumine puffed out her cheeks, dropping her hand to her side. She stared at Paimon for a moment before letting out a long, defeated sigh. ”Forget it. She possesses no natural talent for combat regardless. If she refuses to fight, I will not force her.”

Ryen chuckled inwardly. He had never fully appreciated how deeply stubborn Lumine could be when it came to expressing affection. Her inability to openly admit she cared was entirely unnecessary. She should learn from him; if he felt protective of Paimon, he simply stated it.

”Head back to your room. I need to finish organizing these rewards. I will carry Paimon over to Klee’s quarters shortly,” Ryen instructed, turning his attention back to the massive chests of resources.

Lumine blinked, then stepped forward, rising onto her toes to drape herself firmly over Ryen’s back, peering over his shoulder to watch his hands move. Ryen let out a long breath.

”Having you plastered against my spine makes it exceedingly difficult to concentrate.”

”Then redirect your concentration to me. Am I truly less enticing than a piece of enchanted wood?” Lumine giggled, sliding her arms smoothly around his neck.

Ryen arched a brow. ”It appears you have alternative motives for following me down here.”

”Naturally. Are you interested?” Lumine fluttered her eyelashes.

Ryen wasted no time with words. He caught her by the waist, spinning her around and pulling her flush against his chest, instantly capturing her lips with his own.

Lumine had not anticipated such immediate, forceful action, but hesitation was never part of her nature. She tilted her head back, fiercely meeting his intensity. With a snoring Paimon still squished safely between them, Lumine enthusiastically absorbed a brand-new set of worldly knowledge.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Lumine abruptly pushed against Ryen’s chest. Stepping back, she eagerly began to discard her armor and garments. In the blink of an eye, she stood entirely unburdened, bathed only in the dim light of the storage room.

Ryen stared at her, completely caught between shock and amusement. ”What are you doing?”

”The real question is, what are you doing?” Lumine corrected his phrasing, her golden eyes practically sparkling with anticipation. ”Hurry up. Do not play the fool; I know perfectly well you are interested in me!”

With that declaration, she closed the distance between them once more.

Ryen found himself genuinely at a loss. Not even Yae Miko or Lisa approached the matter with such raw, unbridled directness. It seemed the Traveler who crossed the stars truly possessed an unmatched level of audacity.

He quickly reached out, catching her by the shoulders to halt her advance. ”There is no need for such immense haste. I promised to visit Ganyu tonight. We can revisit this in a few days.”

The bright fire in Lumine’s eyes instantly dampened. She crossed her arms, muttering sourly, ”Unbelievable. You ignite a fire and refuse to take responsibility for it. Absolute worst.”

”Do you realize how absurd you sound right now?” Ryen rolled his eyes. ”Do I truly appear as nothing more than a slave to my base desires in your eyes?”

Lumine fell silent. A moment later, her gaze drifted slowly, pointedly downward. ”I might believe that statement if you actually removed your hands from my waist.”

Ryen offered a dry laugh, pointedly ignoring her critique and keeping his hands exactly where they were. Lumine’s eyes darted sideways as a new scheme formulated in her mind. A sly grin spread across her face.

”How about this: I assist you here, and you return the favor. It will not take long, and you will still make your appointment with Ganyu.”

”Is that truly something you should be suggesting so casually?”

”Why not? We are adults. There is no point in feigning modesty!” she declared loudly.

Putting on a front of absolute confidence, Lumine dropped to her knees, attempting to put her bold proposition into practice. After a lengthy, deeply awkward struggle, she finally retreated. Pulling back with a grimace, she let out a series of rough, uncomfortable coughs. Her previous bravado entirely shattered, she looked up with a pitiful expression.

”Um... how exactly is this supposed to work? I possess zero experience...”