Genshin x Minecraft: Building the Temple of Virtue

Ryen's words caused Zhongli to glance at him slightly, though he quickly understood and nodded in quiet agreement.

"Indeed, this may not necessarily be a good thing for them."

Chain Mining, on the surface, seemed like a method to make mining efficiency skyrocket—one person performing the work of dozens.

If a thousand people were equipped with Chain Mining tools, it would be like a swarm of locusts passing through, leaving nothing in its wake. The sheer volume of resources obtained would far exceed anyone's imagination.

But...

While Chain Mining was an efficiency mod, it didn't mean it came without risks.

As Ryen had mentioned earlier, what if someone suddenly harbored malicious intent and mined beneath someone else's feet?

In the MC world, unless you're a naturally flying creature, no one—not even Zhongli—could fly.

Without a feather-falling enchantment, falling from a great height would mean certain death, even for someone like Zhongli.

This world's mechanics were undoubtedly well-suited for resource acquisition and exploration, but for powerful individuals, it was an equalizer that erased the distinction between the strong and the weak.

In the MC world, the gap between strength and weakness was infinitely minimized—a reality that demanded vigilance.

Of course, Zhongli had confidence in his people. He loved them deeply, and he knew they loved him in return.

But precisely because of this, even in the act of mining resources, their safety had to come first.

If Chain Mining were activated for too many people, it would become difficult to monitor everyone effectively.

Zhongli couldn't bear the thought of losing even one of his citizens—not in a fight against monsters, and certainly not in what should have been a safe and controlled mining expedition.

Even a single loss was unacceptable in his eyes.

Thus, he fully agreed with Ryen's decision not to make Chain Mining permissions widely available.

However, to restrict it to just a handful of people, like their small group, also seemed like a waste.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhongli suggested, "What about training a specialized, highly efficient, professional mining team?

"Members who are united, who understand the nuances of this world, and who possess enough combat ability to handle the monsters lurking in caves?"

As Zhongli spoke, Ryen's thoughts instinctively drifted to Mondstadt's two famous mining experts—Diluc and Kaeya.

Back when Ryen played the game, his roster had grown increasingly large in the late stages, but resources became scarce.

He had no choice but to rely on the ever-reliable Master Diluc and his sworn brother to accompany him on mining trips.

He wasn't sure how things played out in other players' worlds, but in Ryen's experience, Diluc and Kaeya had long been his top-tier mining duo.

Snapping himself out of his daydream, Ryen nodded in agreement with Zhongli's suggestion.

"I'm sure Ningguang has already considered this. She'll take charge of it. As for you—a six-thousand-year-old retiree about to step down—you should focus on mining for me like a good worker," Ryen teased, giving Zhongli a hearty pat on the shoulder.

"If you perform well, I might even grant you a plot of land to build a one-of-a-kind Geo Archon Retirement Home."

Hearing this, Xiao instinctively glanced at Zhongli, surprised to see that the usually stoic Archon had the faintest hint of a smile at the corner of his lips.

This rare sight unexpectedly lifted Xiao's mood as well.

"If you don't mind, build it next to your home," Zhongli replied in a serene tone. "That way, I can drop by for tea when I'm free."

Ryen chuckled knowingly but didn't say more. He turned his attention back to Keqing, Ningguang, and Ganyu, who were excitedly experimenting with Chain Mining.

Even Ningguang, known for her poised demeanor, had abandoned her usual elegance. She swung a stone pickaxe with childlike glee, happily chipping away at a coal vein.

If the merchants of Liyue Harbor could see her now...

They'd probably think this was some sort of business strategy to earn even more Mora and might even pick up pickaxes themselves to try it out.

Ryen understood their enthusiasm all too well.

He thought back to when he first played Minecraft. At the time, he didn't even know what a mod was.

All he did was start a new world, mine, build, slay the dragon, mess around, then delete the save and start over again.

That monotonous cycle had nearly driven him to quit the game altogether.

Then, Ryen discovered mods, and everything changed.

Twilight Forest, Industrial Age, Modern Furniture, Lucky Blocks, Titan Creatures, Pokémon, Katana Mods—the introduction of mods was what truly kickstarted his Minecraft journey.

And Chain Mining? It had been the very first mod he ever used.

No matter how many mods he installed afterward, Chain Mining remained a staple—an absolute necessity.

It was only after experiencing Chain Mining that Ryen realized, So this is how mining is supposed to be!

The joy Keqing, Ningguang, and the others felt now must be a hundred times stronger than what Ryen had experienced back then.

After all, just yesterday, they had spent an entire day mining by hand. They knew firsthand just how absurd and unforgiving this world was.

Here, no matter what you mined, you just had to swing your tool a few extra times to obtain processed materials.

Take the coal Keqing brought back, for instance.

Without any secondary processing or repeated refining, all it took was a bit of dismantling, and the coal was ready for sale.

And it sold exceptionally well.

Ningguang had initially believed that this was the most outrageous quirk of this world's resource system.

But today, with the activation of Chain Mining...

Even the absurd had been outdone.

Gone were the days of mining a single ore in a few seconds.

Now, one person, one pickaxe, a few seconds, and dozens of coal could be obtained.

A miracle-maker!

That was the only way Ningguang could describe it.

Ryen's claim that he could mine out the entire wall in five minutes had sounded absurd at first. Yet, under the somewhat clumsy efforts of Ningguang, Keqing, and the others, it was less than a minute before the entire wall was stripped clean.

If it had been Ryen doing the mining, Ningguang figured he would've finished the task in under a minute all by himself.

The power of Chain Mining was so overwhelming that Ningguang started to think resources might soon become as common as dirt. Now, she fully understood why Ryen had repeatedly emphasized that, in this world, resources were the least valuable asset.

With Chain Mining enabled, anyone could find a cave, spend a day or two inside, and emerge as a resource mogul, wealthy beyond imagination.

For Ningguang, this revelation was liberating. Her focus on exploration shifted entirely to creation and innovation. She even began entertaining bold visions of economic warfare—dumping resources at rock-bottom prices to destabilize entire nations, even Snezhnaya's financial system.

Of course, Ningguang wasn't reckless. She knew such tactics would likely provoke retaliation from the Fatui, or worse, a response from the Harbingers or an Archon. But still, the possibilities left her imagination running wild.

Resources were no longer a concern. What mattered now was gaining power to protect what she'd build with them.

As for the idea of equipping Liyue's miners with Chain Mining capabilities and sending them into caves en masse, Ningguang briefly considered it before dismissing the thought. As both Ryen and Zhongli had warned, it was far too dangerous.

While she outwardly appeared to prioritize Mora above all else, Ningguang's greatest concern had always been the people of Liyue. She would never trade the lives of her miners for fleeting efficiency.

If needed, she'd simply train a dedicated team of specialists to handle Chain Mining.

As these thoughts filled her mind, Ningguang didn't notice that her pickaxe was about to break.

Finally, after clearing another string of connected coal deposits, the tool shattered.

Ningguang snapped out of her thoughts and instinctively looked behind her. She realized she'd ventured deeper into the cave than anyone else, as the coal veins she'd been mining extended far into the rock.

Ganyu and Keqing had finished their respective mining tasks and were now standing nearby, keeping a watchful eye on her.

Ningguang even noticed a faint glow emanating from Keqing's Vision, and Ganyu was holding her bow at the ready. It was clear that if anything went wrong, the two were prepared to spring into action to protect her.

A warmth filled Ningguang's heart as she glanced back at the spot she had just mined.

The coal above and beneath her had been fully excavated, and the veins to her left and right had also been cleared. Only three pieces of coal remained directly in front of her.

However, Ningguang decided against mining them.

The monstrous growls coming from deeper within the rock were unnervingly clear, and she didn't want to risk it.

Besides, with Chain Mining in her arsenal, Ningguang now felt like she was practically swimming in wealth. Three pieces of coal? Not worth the trouble.

Returning along the path she had mined, Ningguang rejoined Ganyu and Keqing. The three chatted and laughed as they retraced their steps, double-checking to ensure no loose coal was left behind.

It didn't take long before they were back at Ryen's side.

Seeing the cheerful expressions on the three women's faces, Ryen couldn't help but smile as well.

"Looks like you had quite the haul!"

"Of course!" Keqing blurted out eagerly, her eyes sparkling as if daring Ryen to ask her about her mining results.

Amused, Ryen conjured a few wooden steps to serve as makeshift seats.

"Alright, you've been mining for a while. Your hunger bar is probably starting to drop. In a cave like this, you need to stay in top form."

"Let's take a break, grab a bite, and tally up the coal we've collected."

None of them paid much attention to appearances at this point. Even Cloud Retainer, normally so composed, sat on the steps with an uncharacteristically casual air. Her expression remained neutral, but the curious gleam in her eyes betrayed her excitement.

Ryen handed everyone an apple before producing his own share of coal.

"I've got 48 pieces of coal here," he announced.

Before he could say another word, Keqing chimed in eagerly, "I have 74 pieces!"

Ryen nodded and turned to Ganyu.

"I collected 63," Ganyu said with a hint of regret. But as she thought about how those 63 pieces had only taken her about a minute to mine, her mood quickly brightened.

Everyone then looked expectantly at Ningguang, who smiled knowingly. For a brief moment, the prideful competitiveness she thought she'd long outgrown resurfaced in the dimly lit cave.

Lifting her chin slightly, Ningguang declared, "It seems I've mined the most—97 pieces. It would've been a perfect 100 if not for the three pieces I left behind near what I suspect is a monster-infested cave."

Hearing this, Xiao, who had been silently observing from the side, spoke up abruptly.

"I'll mine them," he said flatly, grabbing his pickaxe and weapon as he strode toward Ningguang's previous location.

"No need, Xiao," Ryen quickly stopped him, shaking his head with a chuckle.

"Three pieces of coal aren't worth the risk. If we really want them, we can grab them on our way out."

In truth, Ryen's main concern was avoiding any unnecessary encounters with the cave's more dangerous inhabitants.

Digging into a monster-infested area might bring out zombies or skeletons, which would be manageable.

But if an Enderman were to appear—and someone made the mistake of looking it in the eyes—things could get messy.

For starters, Ganyu's bow attacks would be useless.

Ningguang's Catalyst-based attacks probably wouldn't fare much better.

And given the Enderman's ability to teleport and throw blocks, the group would likely struggle unless Ryen went all out with his blade techniques or Zhongli revealed his true identity as the Geo Archon.

Ryen could already envision the chaos an unprepared group would face against an Enderman.

Reluctantly, Xiao returned to Zhongli's side but then, almost awkwardly, moved a little closer to Ryen, as if trying to blend in.

The subtle act of shifting his position was so clumsy that Ryen nearly laughed out loud. Fortunately, Ganyu and the others were too busy tallying their coal to notice.

"In total, we've gathered…"

Keqing did a quick mental calculation before glancing back at the now-pockmarked cave wall in disbelief.

"282 pieces of coal!"

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