Albedo carefully put away the Naga scales Ryen handed him, his expression full of emotion.
"Mr. Ryen, your world is truly unfathomable. Just take this material alone—it's something every alchemist dreams of."
"Your world is nothing short of an alchemist's paradise."
"My teacher was right. Shutting oneself away and working behind closed doors really won't do…"
Ryen chuckled and nodded.
"It's best if you can come with us. The Twilight Forest is unpredictable and strange. Compared to the powerful monsters, it's actually the countless magical barriers within the forest…"
"And the sheer variety of rare materials—that's what really gives us headaches. If you come with us, you might even notice things the rest of us would miss."
Albedo nodded slightly, then glanced at the pile of newly forged weapons on the table.
"If I go with you, though, the progress on these research projects will slow down significantly."
"Perhaps we should invite Sucrose as well. That child's alchemical skills are quite advanced. At the very least, she should be more than capable of handling these studies."
Ryen paused in thought, then nodded.
"Consider it as you see fit."
"By the way, there are things in the Twilight Forest you'll definitely find fascinating—for example, certain peculiar trees."
"Today, when we ventured into the Twilight Forest, we came across a magical grove, and in it, there was a Tree of Transformation—one that alters the entire surrounding ecosystem over a wide area."
Albedo's interest was immediately piqued.
"It can alter the surrounding ecology on a large scale?"
"To be precise," Ryen said softly, "I'd describe it more as assimilation."
"Once you plant a Tree of Transformation, it changes the entire surrounding environment within its range, converting it into the characteristics of a magical forest."
"In Teyvat, it should work as well. But in my world, honestly, it feels a little underwhelming."
"Still, in Teyvat… if you research it, you might discover something far more meaningful."
Albedo didn't answer immediately. After a moment of silence, he said:
"It does sound rather uncanny. But yes, trees like that do tend to hold mysterious properties. If you bring one back, I'll take a closer look."
"Is there anything else I should be aware of?"
Ryen spread his hands with a cheerful smile.
"There is, in fact. Something we must absolutely obtain—and something you must research."
Albedo looked at him curiously. Ryen lowered his voice:
"In the Twilight Forest, there exists a Tree of Time. That tree can accelerate the flow of time within a certain radius."
"In my world, it's only used to hasten crop growth. But since it involves the acceleration of time itself, I suspect it has far greater potential."
At the mention of the Tree of Time, Albedo's expression grew solemn, his eyes flickering with thought as he fell silent.
After a long pause, he admitted, his voice tinged with desire:
"Tree of Time… it truly sounds like a treasure worth studying. But the difficulty of such research would be immense."
"If it really accelerates all time around it, then in Teyvat, even my own time might be hastened while I study it."
"In alchemy, one of the fundamental, unchangeable constants has always been time. Even my teacher, at his level, could not alter that."
"To study the Tree of Time would mean probing into the very essence of alchemy itself—touching upon one of the roots of the world."
"It's indeed very tricky, but also the kind of treasure no alchemist can resist."
"I'll think carefully about a solution."
Ryen honestly didn't have much confidence that Albedo could truly unravel the mysteries of the Tree of Time.
After all, it was something tied to the concept of time itself.
Still, it was good enough that someone was willing to take on such a difficult task.
And if Albedo really did manage to discover something…
That would be a major breakthrough concerning time itself.
Aside from that, Ryen also spoke with him about certain barrier-restricted areas and some rare materials and tools.
Albedo listened with awe, clicking his tongue in wonder, wishing he could dive into that world immediately to begin his research.
The Twilight Forest was, without a doubt, a mod filled with both danger and opportunity.
No one knew how much time had passed. Ryen glanced up—the sky had completely darkened.
Klee and Nahida's daily routine caught up to them, and they both began to yawn.
Ryen decided not to keep chatting. After a moment of thought, he stood and said:
"That's enough for today. Talking more won't compare to seeing it with your own eyes."
"Tomorrow morning, come by my place. We'll head into the Twilight Forest together."
Albedo nodded in agreement.
"Oh, right—there's one more thing!"
Ryen clapped his hands and pulled the Thunder Staff out from his spatial storage.
The moment it appeared, Albedo's brows furrowed sharply.
"What is this? Such terrifying Thunder elemental laws!"
Ryen explained:
"This was the staff we obtained today after slaying that Druid mage in the other world."
"A master-level staff—Thunder Staff. It carries a sixty percent boost to Electro elemental power."
A flicker of shock passed through Albedo's eyes.
"Elemental power boost? Not just elemental damage boost?"
Lisa chuckled softly and nodded.
"I've already tested it myself. It really does enhance elemental power, not just damage."
"And that's not all."
Ryen shook his head.
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