Along one of the primary avenues of Liyue Harbor stood an elegant, spacious estate.
It was the home where Da Shi's family now resided.
During the Lantern Rite, Da Shi had taken the opportunity to bring his mother and wife to live in the harbor.
Initially, both had hesitated to leave their quiet village life.
Yet Da Shi had reasoned with them gently, pointing out the superior public amenities of the city and reminding them that with his demanding duties across the threshold, his leave was exceptionally sparse.
Settling here spared him the long journey back to the countryside whenever he secured a brief furlough.
In the end, they had made their home in the harbor.
With his generous officer's stipend, purchasing a prime residence along the central thoroughfare had been effortless.
By now, news had reached the household that Liyue's overseas territory in that other world faced an unprecedented trial.
A siege of over a million undead, spanning forty-nine continuous days.
A military campaign of such scale was entirely unheard of across history.
To believe that such a war could conclude without bloodshed was something no sensible mind could accept.
These were not swarms of harmless insects; they were over a million monstrous entities.
Da Shi's wife sat by the window, knitting a woolen scarf with troubled focus, until a stray needle pricked her finger.
"Worried for Da Shi?"
His mother walked over softly, resting a warm, weathered hand upon her shoulder.
"Mother, I..."
His wife started, shaking her head quickly to hide her distress, but the older woman smiled gently.
"You need not conceal it from me. I am not so frail that I cannot bear the truth."
"It is a great war, certainly, but we must place our faith in him, and in Liyue."
The mother looked out through the window into the harbor streets.
The bustling avenues were unusually still, holding an uncharacteristic quiet to ensure the leadership's logistical mobilization proceeded without hindrance.
"Mother... I cannot help but fear..."
His wife quietly dabbed at the corner of her eye, but the mother offered a steady, comforting voice.
"Do not weep. Fate may be woven by the heavens, but human endeavor shapes our path. Da Shi fights in service of his homeland. Even should he fall upon the field, it would be an honorable sacrifice."
"He enjoys the highest honors and privileges of Liyue, carrying a heavy mantle upon his shoulders. How could he ever turn his back on duty? If he were a coward who feared death, I would disown him as my son."
"I am certain Da Shi feels the exact same way."
His wife fell silent for a long moment before nodding softly.
"I understand, Mother."
The mother smiled gently, turning back toward the inner room.
"Take heart. Things are not entirely grim. Defending our homeland is Da Shi's sacred duty, an obligation he must fulfill with his very life, without hesitation or regret."
"Besides, Lord Morax and the honorable ministers personally command the defense. We hold the fortress from behind fortified walls, giving our forces the tactical advantage. Place your trust in them."
"Do not torment yourself with idle sorrow. Living our days with peace and dignity so our men are spared worry in the field is our sole responsibility."
His wife paused, offering a quiet, grateful nod.
"Thank you, Mother."
Entering the parlor, the mother stopped before a framed family portrait resting on the table.
In the picture, a much younger Da Shi smiled back at her with shy, youthful awkwardness.
Back then, he was not yet the commanding general of Liyue's Dragon Knights.
In the blink of an eye, he had become the supreme pride of their lineage.
She understood well that rank and honor demanded equal measure in sacrifice.
Though the scale of the impending war was beyond anything she could have envisioned, even through the eyes of a mother, she prayed her son would never take a single step backward.
Fighting for Liyue was a glory that would never fade.
The scene within Da Shi's household mirrored countless families of the Millelith across Liyue Harbor.
Though hearts weighed heavy with worry for their kin, the foundation and future that Liyue had painstakingly built in that other world could not be allowed to perish.
Amid solemn quiet, Liyue Harbor passed a long, restless night.
Within the block world, the allied host endured an equally demanding vigil.
The following morning arrived with a sharp, palpable tension hanging over Redstone Tech City.
Every soldier and craftsman moved like tightly wound clockwork, having worked through the night without closing their eyes.
Trenches were deepened, outer ramparts were rebuilt, subterranean shafts were flooded with molten lava, Iron Golems were assembled, and munitions rolled off assembly lines in endless crates.
Every countermeasure conceivable against an undead siege had been mobilized.
Albedo and the scholars of the alchemical institute had crossed the threshold in full force, taking personal command of the production lines to guarantee unbroken logistical support.
The frenzied activity within the city showed no signs of abating as the hours passed.
If anything, the atmosphere tightened with every ticking second.
Tonight marked the opening assault of the zombie siege. What manner of horror the dark would bring remained unknown.
All they could do was push their defensive preparations to the absolute limit to contain the coming horde.
The survival of their metropolis hung in the balance.
It was not until midday that Ryen stepped leisurely out of the City Lord Manor.
Regarding the selection of his two custom modules, he had yet to settle on a final decision.
There was no immediate rush; with forty-nine days of siege warfare ahead, he had ample time to weigh his options carefully.
Moreover, the progression tasks for the SlashBlade mod were nearing completion, which would yield two custom selections alongside two random module grants.
A comprehensive ascension of their reality was practically guaranteed.
Stretching comfortably under the sun, Ryen looked out over the busy battlements below, where marching columns formed a magnificent tapestry of martial resolve.
"Ryen, domestic affairs back home have been stabilized. I have instructed Baiwen and the secretaries to oversee day-to-day governance in Liyue Harbor."
"All municipal policies are set to prioritize stability above all else."
Ningguang walked up beside him, subtle exhaustion lining her features.
Noticing the faint trace of cosmetic powder around her eyes, Ryen felt a wave of gentle sympathy.
Ningguang possessed striking, natural beauty and rarely bothered with cosmetics; the light touch today was clearly intended to conceal dark circles from a sleepless night.
Reaching out, Ryen pulled her gently into his embrace, smoothing a hand over her back.
"You have worked tirelessly."
Ningguang rested quietly against his chest, her eyes half-lidded.
"It is nothing. The news of the siege has spread through Liyue Harbor, and both the reserve Millelith and the common citizens are clamoring to cross over and reinforce the walls."
"Once the initial lines stabilize, it would be wise to establish rotation schedules for the garrison."
"Forty-nine consecutive days of siege warfare will place an immense psychological burden upon the troops."
Ryen gave a slow, quiet nod, holding her close without speaking.
Within moments, the soft rhythm of her breathing evened out as she drifted off to sleep against his shoulder.
Ryen scooped her up gently into his arms, carrying her into the manor and laying her down upon the bed to rest in quiet comfort.
After closing the door softly behind him, he returned to the high terrace overlooking the metropolis.
Below, large sections of the perimeter wall had already been replaced with dark, gleaming obsidian blocks.
Yet claiming the entire perimeter had been converted was far from the truth.
This metropolis had taken Guizhong and the engineers months of relentless labor to construct, engineered to shelter over a hundred thousand souls.
The outer perimeter spanned vast kilometers; fully replacing such massive walls would require days even with tens of thousands of workers.
Fortunately, the incomplete state posed little immediate danger.
During the opening phase of the cataclysm, the undead possessed no tool-use mutations or block-mining abilities.
So long as the obsidian conversion concluded before the second Blood Moon, the ramparts would hold firmly.
As for the outer kill zones and trench networks managed by Diluc's teams, they remained modest in scale for now. Enclosing an entire metropolis in layered traps within twenty-four hours was practically impossible.
The current excavations merely established a baseline perimeter. Early waves demanded little tactical complexity; they simply had to hold the parapets and let the morning sun purge the field.
The elaborate traps were designed primarily for the late-stage horrors.
In truth, every defensive installation currently being assembled was an investment against the intelligent horde awaiting them in the final weeks.
Only the mutant undead refined by successive Blood Moons posed an existential threat to the city.
"Ryen."
Ganyu's soft voice sounded from behind him.
Turning around, Ryen saw Ganyu, Yae Miko, Hu Tao, and the others stepping onto the terrace, traces of fatigue visible in their eyes.
The rooftop garden of the City Lord Manor stood as the highest point in Redstone Tech City, offering an unobstructed panorama of the entire urban grid.
Ryen opened his arms, gathering Ganyu and the women into his embrace.
"You all look worn out. None of you slept well last night, did you?"
Yae Miko let out an amused, aggrieved huff, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"With a world-ending siege knocking at our gates, who could possibly sleep peacefully? Even a carefree soul like me spent the entire night strategizing with Makoto on how to coordinate our defensive formations."
Ryen chuckled, shaking his head gently.
"There is no need for such excessive alarm. Our fortifications are thorough, and our baseline preparations are entirely sound."
"Logically, we understand that, but still... it is an army of over a million walking corpses."
Hu Tao rolled her eyes, sighing with theatrical exasperation.
"In thousands of years of history, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor has never presided over that many souls combined!"
Ryen smiled without offering a rebuttal.
Across the forty-nine-day cataclysm, the early weeks were far from insurmountable.
In truth, the decisive crucible was concentrated entirely within the final seven days.
During the earlier phases, adhering to Ryen's defensive doctrines would allow them to clear nightly waves with minimal danger.
The final week, however, operated under entirely different rules.
Following the final Blood Moon, the undead would achieve complete evolutionary ascension, permanently ignoring the burns of direct sunlight.
Daylight would no longer thin their ranks. How vast the accumulating horde would become over seven continuous days was something even Ryen could not calculate.
Surviving that final stretch demanded the absolute eradication of every hostile entity on the continent.
That was the true trial.
By then, the zombies would possess movement and bridging mechanics rivaling seasoned veterans.
To preserve the structural integrity of the city, open sally maneuvers into the field would become unavoidable.
Losses would occur; the only question was the price they would pay.
Though their inventory of Totems of Undying was sufficient to equip each soldier with three to five charms, that represented their absolute stockpile.
With production farms temporarily unattended during the emergency, totems had become a finite resource.
If their reserves ran dry before the final dawn, the outcome would turn perilous.
A subtle shadow crossed Ryen's eyes. Though fleeting, Ganyu caught it clearly.
She said nothing, merely tightening her slender fingers around his hand.
After a quiet pause, Ganyu stood on her tiptoes, whispering softly against his ear.
"Ryen... would you like to unwind a little?"
"Unwind?"
Ryen blinked in mild surprise, but catching the soft crimson blush spreading across Ganyu's cheeks, understanding dawned upon him.
He laughed softly, shaking his head.
"Come now, I am hardly so fragile that I require coddling."
"Though, since Ganyu has made such a lovely offer..."
Ryen's lips curled into a broad grin as he scooped Ganyu up into a bridal carry. Lumine, chuckling softly, draped her arms over his shoulders from behind.
As Lisa and the others prepared to step aside with knowing smiles, Ryen called out in an easy, commanding tone.
"Come along, all of you. Once the war horn sounds, peaceful moments like this will be few and far between."
The women traded amused, meaningful glances before following him inside.
Ryen's words carried undeniable truth.
Forty-nine continuous days of relentless siege warfare would consume their every waking thought.
When the final days arrived, leisurely romance would be the last thing on anyone's mind.
Savoring their shared warmth while the sun was high was far wiser than brooding in silence.
Not long after the grand festival of the Lantern Rite, Ryen enjoyed another warm reunion with his partners.
While passion filled the inner halls of the manor, the military machinery of Redstone Tech City turned without pause.
High above, the golden sun climbed to its zenith before slowly, inevitably sinking toward the western mountains.