"Man, this place has every plant imaginable," Traveler Aether marveled, staring at yet another specimen.
This was the hundred-something plant he didn't recognize.
Still, he was no slouch. His score was over 5,000, putting him near the top of the leaderboard.
Only a few Sumerians and Inazuma agronomy PhDs from Amurta Academy outscored him. Those guys, graduates of Teyvat's famed agriculture and medical institute, were in a league of their own.
The flora identification round took a full two days.
Aether went solo, recognizing most plants but flubbing some origins, costing him points.
He ended with 63,000 points, ranking ninth.
Next was mineral identification, a quicker round since Teyvat had fewer minerals—Reisen had collected 3,700 types, but that was it.
This one was brutal. Inazumans dominated the high scores, leaving Aether, despite his travels, with just over 1,000 points for identifying 1,000+ minerals, landing him 24th.
Why did Inazumans crush it? Many samurai doubled as blacksmiths during training.
The Isshin school's blacksmiths entering a "heartflow" state was no secret in Inazuma.
One such blacksmith, now in his eighties, had dedicated his life to the craft. He'd mastered all five Raiden forging schools. Ten years ago, with the Shogun's decree, he studied under the Amenoma school. Five years ago, during his final exam, he forged Haran Geppaku Futsu, a blade rivaling divine artifacts.
Lacking only a god's touch, it was basically a divine weapon. With Raiden Ei's approval, it was deemed a legendary masterpiece.
After forging Haran Geppaku Futsu, the old man hit LV8 in blacksmithing, matching Reisen's level.
But Reisen knew his own forging skill had some fluff.
The old man, at seventy, became a swordmaster in three years. Last year, word spread his swordsmanship hit LV7.
Jaws dropped, sparking a forging craze among swordmasters.
Then came monster identification. Not all were specimens—some were just images.
From basic Hilichurls and Slimes to Archon remnants and their kin, Teyvat's named and unnamed monsters were all here.
This monster archive was a joint effort by Reisen, the Adventurers' Guild, and the Northern Intelligence Network.
It was Teyvat's Monster Encyclopedia.
But it circulated only among elites.
After compiling it, Reisen gifted a set to the seven nations' top brass.
Organizations like the Adventurers' Guild, who contributed, also got full sets.
This wasn't some slim book. A3-sized pages, each volume 42 centimeters thick.
Eight volumes total—one for each of Teyvat's seven nations, covering their unique monsters, plus one for everything else.
This final event was Aether's wheelhouse. He identified nearly all monsters, including evil spirits and creatures born of Archon remnants.
He topped the monster round with 1,700+ points, thanks to listing weaknesses and counters for most, racking up bonus points.
Final tally: 6,400+ points, third overall.
…
Sangonomiya Kyouen and Yae Miko flipped through the Teyvat Encyclopedia.
It included the Teyvat Flora Encyclopedia, Teyvat Fauna Encyclopedia, Teyvat Monster Encyclopedia, Teyvat Mineral Encyclopedia, and Teyvat Cuisine Encyclopedia.
Still in progress were the Teyvat Invention Encyclopedia and Teyvat Elemental Creature Encyclopedia.
"This is my first time seeing something this comprehensive," Kyouen said.
Sangonomiya had a set, gifted by Reisen, but only one volume per category, all Inazuma-specific.
Printing tech didn't exist—books were hand-copied, making them precious.
"This one's the real gem," Miko said, drooling over the Teyvat Cuisine Encyclopedia.
"You two, seriously," Reisen said, exasperated. "Especially you, Little Miko—don't get drool on the book."
They were in Reisen's Erudition Serenitea Pot, a museum-like space filled with specimens from across Teyvat. Lacking smart management, Reisen included a full Teyvat Encyclopedia set for visitors.
He'd even built a study for it.
"Mind your own business, hmph!" Miko huffed, lost in culinary fantasies.
"Want a better set?" Reisen said with a sly grin. "Not just pictures and descriptions. You know my cooking skills—I'm talking a Teyvat Cuisine Encyclopedia with my restored recipes and methods."
Miko's eyes lit up.
Then, catching his smirk, she snorted. "Don't think I can't see your scheming. I'm telling Ei."
She grabbed the Serenitea Pot's key and left.
"Hey!" Reisen facepalmed, then noticed Kyouen staring, stunned.
"What're you looking at? I've got you covered," Reisen said, pulling a small box from his Vision space and handing it to Kyouen.
"It's a full Teyvat Encyclopedia set, including restricted materials. Keep it to yourself. Use it as a Sangonomiya heirloom, but don't let it spread."
"Got it, Father," Kyouen nodded carefully.