"Vigilant Yaksha, what exactly is going on?"
Cloud Retainer transformed into her human form, donning her enchanted iron armor and unsheathing an enchanted longsword.
Xiao pressed his lips together and continued heading toward the floating island.
"No time to explain everything. The situation over there is urgent, and we need someone to hold the line. I'll go find Ryen and the others first. If you need details, you can ask when you get there."
With that, Xiao began scaling the floating island.
However, just as he climbed three or four blocks, several figures descended from above, gliding down with Wind Gliders.
Ryen and his team had returned.
Each of them looked pleased, clearly having reaped considerable rewards.
From the two Wither Skeletons, they had managed to obtain a single skull.
As for Blaze Rods, they had gathered over two full stacks.
Adding in the materials they had previously harvested from the Nether, along with the valuable loot from treasure chests, this trip had provided them with everything they needed to advance their development significantly.
Alchemy and potion-making were finally on the agenda.
However, just as they were chatting and laughing upon landing, their gazes fell on Xiao and Cloud Retainer, both of whom wore solemn expressions.
Ryen paused for a moment, his smile fading as he spoke in a deep voice:
"Something happened?"
"Yes! Ryen! Pillagers are attacking!"
Xiao's reply was brief but to the point. At once, Ryen's brows furrowed tightly.
"The base? Talk while we move!"
There was no time to put away their loot. Ryen led the group at a fast pace, heading toward the base.
On the way, Xiao provided more details. Hearing that the raid had only just triggered a warning state and hadn't officially begun yet, Ryen let out a slight breath of relief.
The journey didn't take long—four or five minutes at most.
Including the time it had taken Xiao to come find them, the total delay was less than ten minutes.
And yet, in such a short span…
The base had undergone a dramatic transformation.
The cobblestone walls had already been stacked two blocks high.
The main gate had been replaced with four iron doors.
A single Iron Golem now roamed outside the entrance.
The watchtowers had been built even higher, with two guards stationed atop each one.
Due to the lack of manpower, the Millelith had even enlisted miners to assist in patrols, arming them with bows and arrows.
As soon as the watchtower guards spotted Ryen's group approaching, they shouted to open the gate.
Inside, the awaiting miners quickly activated the levers, pulling open the iron doors to let them in.
"My lords!"
Chang Yi hurried over, four wolves trailing behind him.
His gaze flickered toward Ningguang as he spoke softly:
"Lady Ningguang, the iron doors and external Iron Golem cost a total of—"
Before he could finish, Ningguang waved a hand dismissively.
"The cost is irrelevant. Safety comes first."
"We already understand the situation. How much time do we have before the raid begins?"
Chang Yi quickly checked his personal interface. The progress bar was still there, though it hadn't moved much.
Only upon closer inspection did he notice a slight advancement.
"Approximately one day left."
"Approximately?"
Ningguang frowned slightly.
Ryen patted her shoulder and said in a calm tone:
"The raid doesn't have an exact countdown. An estimate is good enough."
"We haven't officially defeated the first wave yet, so the progress bar is advancing slowly. That's normal."
No one suggested moving to a conference room for discussion. Instead, the miners quickly set up a large round table with several chairs.
Everyone took their seats.
Seeing the concern on their faces, Ryen chuckled and said:
"Look on the bright side—this isn't necessarily a bad thing."
"Don't forget, after we repel the raid, we'll gain the 'Hero of the Village' effect, which will be incredibly useful for trading with the villagers."
Hearing this, everyone's expressions eased slightly.
Seizing the moment, Ryen continued:
"Not to mention, there's another benefit—if we're being raided by Pillagers, that means there's a Pillager Outpost nearby, and those places hold plenty of valuable loot."
"Defeating Pillagers also gives us a chance to obtain Emeralds."
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes gleamed with a hint of realization.
Ryen smirked faintly and added, his voice carrying a certain intrigue:
"And most importantly—there's a chance that an Evoker might appear during the raid."
At that, a flicker of excitement flashed in his eyes, sparking curiosity among the group.
Ningguang waved her hand, signaling the Millelith and miners to continue fortifying the defenses.
Once there were no outsiders nearby, she finally asked:
"Evoker… what is that?"
"A formidable entity. From every angle, it's an exceptionally powerful opponent."
Lowering his voice, Ryen explained:
"Evokers have two primary attack methods. One, they can summon ground spikes—these spikes shoot out in a straight line, have an extremely long range, and completely ignore armor defenses. The downside? They take a while to cast."
"The second method is summoning Vexes—tiny, fast-moving, high-damage creatures."
"Simply put, an Evoker is an elite-level enemy. In some ways, it's not even weaker than Xiao."
Upon hearing this, everyone furrowed their brows.
Forget the ability to summon Vexes—just the ground spike attack alone was terrifying.
Ignoring armor and hitting from a distance?
Even if it required a long casting time, that was still an incredibly dangerous skill.
One mistake, and anyone could be skewered like a candied fruit stick.
Yet, Ryen's expression made it clear—he was actually looking forward to facing an Evoker.
Ningguang narrowed her eyes slightly and speculated:
"Ryen, does the Evoker drop something valuable?"
"Exactly! The best loot!"
Ryen nodded without hesitation, lowering his voice as he revealed:
"Evokers drop only two things. One is Emeralds. The other… is a Totem of Undying."
"Totem of Undying?!"
Everyone immediately perked up, their gazes locked onto Ryen.
He chuckled.
"Honestly, this raid caught me off guard, but it's actually a stroke of luck."
"Given the current scale of our base, there's a high chance that this raid will be of a high difficulty level—meaning the likelihood of an Evoker appearing is significant."
"In fact, if this raid hadn't happened, I was already planning to seek out a Pillager Outpost and then track down a Woodland Mansion."
"The ultimate goal? The Totem of Undying."
The group fell silent for a long moment before Zhongli finally spoke, his tone serious:
"The Totem of Undying… what exactly does it do?"
"As the name suggests—it prevents death."
Ryen's answer was decisive. This time, even Zhongli felt a slight chill run down his spine.
"Are we talking about… the kind of immortality we're all thinking of?"
Ganyu asked in a hushed voice.
Ryen explained,
"As long as you carry the Totem of Undying, any fatal damage you receive will be nullified."
"In other words, even if you fall from a great height in this world, as long as you're holding the Totem of Undying, you will survive the impact, even without a Wind Glider to break your fall."
"This is a true life-saving item—an ultimate safeguard against death."
Zhongli asked solemnly,
"And what if it's poison?"
Ryen shook his head and raised a finger, speaking with conviction,
"Everything—absolutely everything—that could lead to your death, whether it's an external attack, poisoning, suicide, or even if Xiao's karmic debt overwhelms him and drives him to madness…
"The Totem of Undying will activate, and you will be spared from death."
"When triggered, your health will be restored to half its maximum."
"At the same time, you'll gain fire resistance, rapid healing, and damage protection."
"Within the next few seconds, you will return to peak condition… completely revitalized."
"Any lingering effects—be it poison, karmic corrosion, or any other debuff—will vanish along with the activation of the Totem of Undying."
"The totem doesn't just grant you survival."
Ryen paused, sweeping his gaze across everyone's faces, his voice lowering to a solemn whisper,
"The Totem of Undying gives you a brand-new life—one free of any burdens from the past."
"That is why I have been so determined to obtain it, no matter the cost!"
A heavy silence fell over the group.
They had already expanded their imaginations to encompass the possibilities of MC's artifacts, but something like the Totem of Undying…
This was beyond what they could have conceived.
It didn't need fancy descriptions or additional effects.
Simply the fact that it prevented death—was enough.
Zhongli's gaze turned complex as memories of departed friends resurfaced in his mind…
Havria, Bosacius…
And that woman—so pure, so gentle, like a glazed lily dancing in the wind… Guizhong.
For a moment, thousands of words filled his mind, but in the end, all he could do was let out a bitter chuckle and lower his head in sorrow.
"If only you had come earlier…"
Ryen heard his murmured words and understood his pain.
But there was nothing he could say.
MC had no items that could bring back the dead.
And reviving someone after so many years… that was another matter entirely.
Though… some mods did have that functionality.
Perhaps, one day, he could surprise Zhongli.
After a long silence, Ryen decided to break the heavy atmosphere with a grin,
"So, you see, if Xiao's karmic affliction really couldn't be cured, I was thinking I'd just hand him a Totem of Undying and let him 'restart' himself!"
Hearing this, the others couldn't help but chuckle and shake their heads.
But Xiao took the statement seriously. He responded with unwavering seriousness,
"Ryen, you must never do such a thing. A divine artifact of this magnitude… using it merely to counteract my affliction would be an unforgivable waste."
"You're doing much better now anyway. I was just joking."
Ryen waved a hand dismissively and said with a smile,
"So, now do you all understand why this raid is actually a good thing?"
"Yes, it's dangerous. But compared to what we stand to gain, any risk is worth it."
Ningguang's eyes gleamed with determination as she nodded firmly,
"Then it's settled. We will overcome this raid, and we will slay the Evoker!"
"In fact, if possible, we should go out of our way to find the Woodland Mansion and raid it ourselves. The Totem of Undying is a treasure that we must collect in large quantities."
"Even if every citizen in Liyue Harbor had one, it still wouldn't be enough."
Hearing Ningguang's bold declaration, Ryen chuckled softly.
For now, even ensuring that each of them had a totem was difficult. Spreading them across all of Liyue Harbor? That was nothing more than a pipe dream.
But then again, dreams were meant to be pursued.
After all, even the Totem of Undying… had an automated farming method.
"Ryen, is there any preparation we need to make for the raid? Any strategies to ensure we take down the Evoker?"
Ganyu's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Ryen glanced around the fortified base before shaking his head.
"For now, this should be enough. With us here, there shouldn't be any major issues. Plus, we still have some time before the raid begins."
"The real priority… is something else entirely."
His gaze turned cold as he lifted his head, staring into the vast, unending grasslands in the distance.
His voice carried an eerie mix of warmth and bone-chilling resolve. The contrast sent a shiver down the spines of those around him.
"We're going to Sumeru…"
"We're going to tear down the Akademiya—"
"And we're bringing her back."
~~----------------------
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