"This is..."
Baizhu stared at his hands in absolute disbelief. The sheer, thrumming vitality coursing through his veins was something he had never dared to imagine, even in his wildest, most feverish dreams.
Language failed to adequately capture the sensation.
His rapidly calculating mind could only conclude one terrifying fact: with his current physical strength, he could crush his former self to death with a single finger.
So this...
This was the intoxicating joy of possessing a flawless, powerful body...
Baizhu's chest tightened. The ravenous hunger to permanently secure his health and overcome his terminal affliction deepened into an all-consuming obsession.
His reaction was entirely within everyone's expectations. Practically everyone who crossed into the Minecraft dimension for the first time exhibited this exact profound shock.
During the initial expeditions, Ningguang and the others found great amusement in observing the bewildered expressions of newcomers.
Now...
It had become entirely routine.
"What you are experiencing is one-quarter of Mr. Ryen's physical constitution. It is a shared template granted the moment you enter this dimension."
"Without Mr. Ryen's foundational strength, navigating this world would be utterly impossible. Focus inward. Do you notice your elemental energy feels heavily suppressed?"
Skybracer did not mind offering a brief tutorial. After all, the stag considered himself a seasoned veteran of the block realm by now.
Baizhu calmed his racing thoughts and directed his focus inward. Indeed, the flow of his Dendro energy felt thick and sluggish, heavily restricted compared to its natural flow in Teyvat.
Without needing further prompting from the adeptus, Baizhu deduced the answer.
"Is the elemental suppression a result of conflicting world laws?"
"You are exceptionally sharp." Skybracer nodded approvingly, his voice low. "Keep moving."
Baizhu set aside his metaphysical calculations and dedicated his full attention to absorbing his surroundings as they marched forward.
Compared to the overwhelming, yet fundamentally comprehensible military fortifications at the base of Mt. Tianheng, the reality of this dimension defied all logic.
It was a realm that shattered the very concept of linguistic description.
His brain was entirely consumed with raw data collection; analytical processing was currently impossible.
He could not fathom the cosmic mechanics required to sustain a world composed entirely of perfect geometric cubes.
Along the path, they encountered numerous patrols consisting of soldiers from the Five Nations.
Before long, they arrived at Ryen's sprawling manor.
Taking in the architecture, a renewed sense of awe washed over Baizhu.
To utilize such rigid, blocky materials to construct a structure so irregularly beautiful and grand...
It showcased a truly unparalleled level of architectural genius.
The moment they stepped onto the manor grounds, Ryen spotted Zhongli, Xiao, and the remaining adepti gathered around the '520' fishing pond in the distance.
Venti and the other Archons were noticeably absent.
Presumably, their respective matches had not yet concluded.
"Zhongli, put the rod down and come inside. We have pressing matters."
Ryen called out, not breaking his stride as he headed straight for the villa doors.
Zhongli glanced up, his amber eyes immediately locking onto Qiqi, whose small hand was firmly grasped in Ryen's. Understanding instantly dawned on his face.
His gaze then shifted to the white snake coiled tightly around Baizhu's neck. The corners of his lips curved upward into a subtle smile.
"An old friend returns. Xiao, go fetch Ayu."
Xiao offered a crisp nod. He turned and made his way toward the nearby dragon breeding facility. Moments later, he took to the skies upon a massive dragon.
Entering the villa, Ryen waved his hand casually.
"Make yourselves at home."
With that, he cast a look toward Ganyu. No words were necessary; the half-qilin instantly interpreted the command.
She turned and headed up the stairs to retrieve Klee and Nahida.
"Take a moment to observe the surroundings. We will address your treatment shortly."
Ryen offered a brief instruction to Baizhu before crouching down, patiently guiding Qiqi through the process of opening her personal status panel.
Any ordinary person would have grasped Ryen's instructions immediately.
Unfortunately, Qiqi's processing speed was exceptionally slow, compounded by her severe memory loss.
She would nod obediently one second, and stare at Ryen with total, blank confusion the next.
Ryen, however, displayed infinite patience, softly explaining the process to the little zombie over and over again.
Despite his gentle tone, Qiqi's expression grew slightly sorrowful. She seemed to realize her failing memory was causing him unnecessary trouble.
Ningguang pressed her lips together, her voice softening. "Ryen will make a truly wonderful father."
Beside her, Guizhong and the others nodded in profound agreement.
"Big Brother Ryen!"
A sharp, ringing cheer shattered the quiet. Klee launched herself from the upper landing, executing a flawless dive onto a small trampoline positioned near the stairs.
She bounced twice, giggling wildly, before launching herself directly into Ryen's waiting arms.
"Yay! Perfect score!"
Klee clapped her small hands gleefully. Ryen let out a hearty laugh, gently pinching her soft cheek.
"I told you not to perform such dangerous stunts."
"It is not dangerous at all!" Klee's small face scrunched up in utmost seriousness.
"Klee knows Big Brother Ryen will always catch Klee! Klee only does this when Big Brother Ryen is here!"
Klee's blatant, unfiltered favoritism paired flawlessly with Ryen's equally blatant, unfiltered doting.
After planting a kiss on Klee's forehead, Ryen turned as Nahida was led down the stairs by Ganyu. He offered a warm smile.
"Look. I brought you two new little sisters. This is Qiqi, and this is Yaoyao."
Yaoyao, adopting her signature miniature-adult persona, offered a polite, formal greeting to Klee and Nahida.
Qiqi, true to her nature, remained entirely dazed. After a painfully long pause, she finally murmured a quiet hello.
Klee, ever the ball of boundless energy, did not interpret Qiqi's sluggishness as dislike.
Curiosity blazing in her red eyes, she leaned in close, sniffing the air around the zombie.
"Qiqi... feels so strange..."
"She is very cold... but it is not a bad cold."
Qiqi stared blankly at Klee. After another prolonged silence, she spoke in a slow, monotonous drawl.
"Hello. I am Qiqi. I am a zombie..."
"Eh? A zombie?"
Klee's eyes widened to comical proportions. She reached out and poked Qiqi's cheek. It was freezing to the touch, and surprisingly firm, yet incredibly smooth.
"You do not look like a zombie at all! Zombies are supposed to be those super ugly, groaning monsters! Qiqi is too pretty to be a zombie!"
Declaring her verdict, Klee grabbed Qiqi's cold hand, her smile blindingly bright.
"Hello! Klee is the Spark Knight of Mondstadt!"
The two little girls, one radiating pure Pyro chaos and the other embodying absolute Cryo stillness, presented an unexpectedly harmonious picture.
Nearby, Yaoyao and Nahida were experiencing a similar connection. Perhaps it was due to their shared affinity for Dendro energy, or perhaps it was Nahida's inherent, comforting aura as the God of Wisdom.
Regardless of the reason, Yaoyao felt an inexplicable, deep-seated urge to stick close to the Archon.
Ryen watched the interactions with a thoroughly satisfied smile. While he had never truly doubted his four precious daughters would get along, witnessing the peaceful reality unfold was undeniably wonderful.
From this day forward, he was officially the undisputed victor of life, reigning over an empire of four perfect daughters.
"Did you bring Qiqi here seeking a cure?"
Before long, Zhongli strolled into the villa, having stowed his fishing gear, with the other adepti trailing behind him.
The moment he crossed the threshold, his gaze locked onto the little zombie.
A heavy wave of pity and ancient guilt darkened his amber eyes.
"Rex Lapis."
Baizhu, Shenhe, and the others hastily rose from their seats to offer a formal greeting. Zhongli merely waved his hand dismissively, taking a seat directly opposite Ryen.
He let out a heavy sigh.
"This oversight falls entirely upon my shoulders."
"Knowing full well that your dimension possesses the miraculous capability to cure her, I completely failed to connect the dots, leaving Qiqi to languish in Liyue Harbor."
"It is a severe dereliction of my duty."
Ryen waved off the apology, his tone thoughtful. "Qiqi's physical condition is highly anomalous. I just had her open her personal status panel, and it displays absolutely zero negative debuffs."
"Logically speaking, if Qiqi is genuinely a zombie, the system should register a 'Zombie Infection' or similar necrotic debuff the moment she entered this world."
"And to my knowledge, she has never consumed an Enchanted Golden Apple."
Zhongli hummed thoughtfully, leaning back into his chair. "Qiqi is not a zombie in the traditional sense. She is also a recognized adeptus, holding the titles of Fortune Preserver and the 'Child Who Returned from the Grave'."
"Centuries ago, Qiqi accidentally wandered into a battlefield where we adepti were engaged in brutal combat. The resulting shockwaves inflicted mortal wounds upon her."
"In that fleeting moment between life and death, her overwhelmingly fierce desire to live resonated with the heavens, granting her a Vision."
"Driven by guilt, we forcefully channeled a massive reservoir of adeptal energy into her failing body. Our original intention was merely to anchor her soul to the mortal plane, allowing her to survive as a zombie until we could devise a proper cure in the future."
"However, during the centuries she spent sealed within Cor Lapis, an unprecedented phenomenon occurred. She completely integrated with the adeptal energy, ascending to the status of an adeptus post-birth."
"A mortal ascending to adeptus status after birth is an event completely unheard of in Liyue's entire history."
"We theorize that her unique physical constitution, combined with the dense, ambient adeptal energy permeating Jueyun Karst during her long slumber, triggered this mutation."
"Qiqi evolved into an entirely unique, irreplicable entity: an Adeptus Zombie."
"For all intents and purposes, she constitutes an entirely new classification of life."
Ryen nodded slowly, his mind turning over the implications. "Meaning, her current state is not a disease or a curse. It has become her fundamental biological baseline."
"Her core essence..."
Zhongli offered a slight nod.
"I presume so. She exists as both adeptus and zombie, yet simultaneously neither adeptus nor zombie..."
"Enough with the cryptic poetry. Can you speak plainly for once?"
Ryen rolled his eyes, cutting off the Archon's philosophical musings. "I only want to know one thing. Her failing memory, her stiff joints, her severely delayed reactions... is there any possibility of rectifying those specific flaws?"
Hearing this, Yaoyao leaned forward, staring at Zhongli with wide, hopeful eyes.
However, the Geo Archon merely offered a helpless shake of his head.
"Why ask me? I do not possess absolute omniscience."
"Furthermore, since you have brought Qiqi to your realm, you will undoubtedly utilize every resource at your disposal to attempt a cure regardless of my input."
"The Enchanted Golden Apple poses zero risk. If an illness exists, it cures it. If a curse lingers, it breaks it. Even if the subject is perfectly healthy, it simply provides powerful buffs and restores vitality and hunger."
"Since there is no conceivable danger, why hesitate?"
Ryen clicked his tongue, turning his gaze toward Baizhu.
"Has Qiqi ever consumed a dimensional healing potion?"
"She has."
Baizhu nodded firmly, confirming the fact.
Ryen raised an eyebrow, his voice dropping slightly. "And she suffered no adverse side effects?"
Healing potions functioned as potent restorative agents for humans, adepti, and demon gods alike.
However, against undead entities like zombies or skeletons, restorative magic inflicted catastrophic, burning damage.
While Qiqi appeared perfectly fine, Ryen preferred to err on the side of absolute caution.
Baizhu ran through his exhaustive medical logs mentally before shaking his head.
"No adverse effects whatsoever. However, the healing potion proved completely ineffective in treating her underlying condition."
Just as he suspected...
Ryen let out a quiet sigh.
It was truly a blessing that Qiqi was not classified as a standard undead mob by the system.
Pulling a handful of Totems of Undying from his inventory, Ryen strung them together and draped one securely around Qiqi's neck, followed by another for Yaoyao.
He decided to postpone Qiqi's treatment for the moment. First, he would cure Baizhu, then meticulously analyze Qiqi's unique physiology.
When the time came, he would summon Buer to monitor the process, ensuring absolutely nothing went wrong.
With a flick of his wrist, Ryen tossed a full stack of Enchanted Golden Apples onto the table in front of Baizhu.
"Alright, let us handle your rotting core first. These are Enchanted Golden Apples. Regardless of the underlying cause, assuming it registers as an affliction, consuming one will completely eradicate it."
"If by some impossible margin it fails, you are holding a Totem of Undying. At worst, you simply die once and resurrect completely purged."
Ryen paused, studying Baizhu's posture for a moment before shaking his head.
"However, you are merely suffering from demonic pollution. It is not some unfathomable, alien pathogen. A single Enchanted Golden Apple will be more than sufficient."
"If one fails, eat another. Xiao's karmic debt was infinitely more severe than your corruption, and this purged him completely. There is absolutely no logical reason it will fail on you."
Merely suffering from demonic pollution...?
The casualness of that statement was staggering.
However, having witnessed an endless parade of reality-shattering impossibilities since stepping through the portal, Baizhu found he lacked the energy to be surprised by Ryen's phrasing.
Baizhu nodded, his serpentine eyes locked onto the glowing stack of golden fruit with agonizing intensity.
The torment that had ravaged his body for decades, the agony that defined his entire existence... was about to be effortlessly erased.
An overwhelming sense of unreality washed over him. It felt like a fever dream.
Reaching down, he viciously pinched his own thigh, the sharp flare of pain confirming he was wide awake.
Baizhu reached out with a trembling hand and picked up an Enchanted Golden Apple. He marveled once again at the sheer absurdity of the artifact.
A hundred tons of solid gold, seamlessly compressed into the shape and weight of a standard apple.
It was a blessing he was holding it within this dimension.
Had Ryen handed this to him back in Teyvat, the sheer concentrated mass would have instantly crushed the floor beneath them.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, Baizhu brought the fruit to his lips and took a bite.
Moments after swallowing the final piece, a profound sensation swept through his body. He distinctly felt something vile, something ancient and deeply rooted, forcefully ripped away from his soul.
Blinking through the haze, he instinctively summoned his status panel.
Baizhu stared at the blank space where his terminal debuffs had resided for decades. He finally understood.
So that was it...
That was the sensation of the disease dying.