Across the dimensional gateway, within the block world, the allied leadership reconvened after several days of quiet separation.
Turbulent winds had swept across Teyvat in the interim. Though the days felt drawn out, barely a single week had passed since the cataclysm ceased.
Yet seven days was more than enough time for the stockpiles of the block world to surge anew, guiding every interrupted operation back to its proper groove.
Municipal repairs across Redstone Tech City had drawn to a flawless close.
The metropolis had regained its former immaculate grandeur, its redstone conduits pulsing with vibrant, crimson energy beneath the paved stone.
Thanks to the tireless labor of Ningguang, Guizhong, and Zhongli in fine-tuning the municipal server parameters, the city now functioned virtually identically to any prosperous urban center in Teyvat, differing only in the density of its population.
That immense effort, however, had left the three administrators in a state of lingering mental grogginess, clearing only during the hour Zhongli led their joint parade across the mortal continent to intimidate the skies.
Even with their combined will, barely half of the proposed parameters had been codified into root law.
The remaining clauses were minor structural details, meaning there was no urgency to rush their completion.
Civilian migration remained weeks away, so opening the gates of Redstone Tech City to general settlement was not an immediate requirement.
Beyond civic engineering lay the art of resource extraction, an enterprise with which the military was intimately familiar.
Furthermore, Liyue had funneled twenty-two thousand fresh recruits through the gateway, relieving the severe manpower shortages that had plagued the other courts and liberating the primary engineering battalions.
The moment the regiments finished their mandatory furloughs, thousands of soldiers plunged into subterranean shafts and pushed across the western oceans to harvest the New Continent.
While their stores had not yet matched the staggering wealth accumulated before the siege, they had comfortably restored half of their former peak.
That half alone represented an armory of modern firearms and heavy munitions sufficient to wage a continental war with over a million combatants.
Operations across the outer dimensions had stabilized as well.
The first post-cataclysm sweep of the Twilight Forest was approaching full clearance.
As for the Nether and the End, the manufacturing of Totems of Rebirth had progressed with astonishing speed, successfully restoring every single fallen soldier who had remained in the ledger.
The recovery had concluded four times faster than the initial one-month projection.
That velocity was entirely logical when one examined the personnel deployed to the crimson wastes.
Nearly five thousand seasoned soldiers had scoured the fortresses of the Nether, picking the dimension completely clean.
With the dead restored to the living, three thousand warriors had been recalled from the magma seas to reinforce other industrial sectors.
The Nether required only a modest garrison to sustain steady yields.
Throughout the previous seven days, the high command had focused almost entirely on the municipal parameters of Redstone Tech City and the shifting geopolitics of Teyvat.
Regarding the broader block world, and the Genshin Impact module in particular, they had adopted a hands-off approach.
They had simply waited for this week of extraction to conclude, eager to witness the fruits of their patience.
Now, the hour of that harvest had arrived.
Ryen sent a brief telepathic relay to Dashi, instructing the commander to bring the week's haul of module resources to the City Lord Manor.
The manifest encompassed not only Liyue's share, but the joint yields harvested by every allied detachment.
While these assets would ultimately be distributed among the national vaults, an initial inspection and audit were necessary.
Taking advantage of the brief lull, the leaders began sharing updates regarding their recent domestic affairs.
The Tsaritsa spoke first, her tone cool and measured.
"You have likely caught whispers: the Adventurers' Guild has formally initiated contact with Snezhnaya. To be precise, their executive board is currently in discussions with Pulcinella."
"They wish to merge their global apparatus into the Five-Nation Alliance, becoming an authentic subordinate faction beneath our banner."
Lumine tilted her head, genuine confusion flickering in her golden eyes.
"Wait, wasn't the Adventurers' Guild already affiliated with Snezhnaya? I remember quite clearly that Katheryne is an autonomous bionic puppet manufactured in your capital."
The Tsaritsa shook her head gently.
"That is a misconception. Katheryne's chassis is indeed a product of Snezhnayan craft, yet the Guild itself is an entirely separate entity."
"As an organization with branches spanning every corner of Teyvat, they cannot afford to align formally with any single sovereign court, or their cross-border expansion would collapse."
"Consider the Northland Bank. The world knows the bank answers directly to the Fatui, and consequently, its commercial activities face rigorous legal constraints in foreign ports."
"Have you ever seen a local magistrate obstruct the operations of the Adventurers' Guild?"
Lumine scratched her cheek, muttering under her breath, "So that is what you leaders call political neutrality?"
"Precisely," the Cryo Archon replied. "As the premier non-state apparatus on the continent, the Guild recruits regional branch masters to manage local affairs, yet they maintain strict diplomatic distance from the reigning thrones."
"Their institutional nature is unique."
"Now, however, they seek an absolute, binding covenant with Snezhnaya, or rather, with the Five-Nation Alliance as a collective."
Jean inclined her head in thoughtful concurrence.
After nearly a year of navigating dimensional trials, the Acting Grand Master possessed an unshakeable poise, approaching high-level statecraft with calm, mature certainty that commanded absolute trust.
"Their initiative is entirely predictable. Our alliance has grown into an insurmountable force; anyone with eyes can deduce that the coming era belongs to our courts."
"More crucially, we command the means to elevate ordinary mortals into the realms of transcendent power, accompanied by direct access to an infinite, uncharted universe."
"To an organization built entirely upon the romance of discovery, that temptation is impossible to resist."
Diluc nodded beside her, adding his own assessment.
"The Guild is not alone. The continental underground intelligence network is pursuing identical channels, having approached my contacts with formal requests to be integrated into our structure."
"Their posture is remarkably humble, asking merely to serve as an auxiliary branch beneath our command."
"They have formally pledged that their future operations will prioritize the welfare of the alliance above all else, a promise the Adventurers' Guild has echoed as well."
The Tsaritsa nodded, before turning an inquisitive glance toward Lisa.
"Lady Lisa, has the Hexenzirkel made no overtures through your study?"
"Goodness, what a whimsical notion."
Lisa offered a low, melodic chuckle, waving her slender hand dismissively.
"The reigning seat of the Hexenzirkel currently rests with Lady Alice. Besides, given the eccentric temperaments of my esteemed seniors, mundane worldly politics hold zero interest for them."
"The truly formidable elders of the coven are stationed along the cosmic boundaries of this world, guarding the firmament against external horrors."
"The shifting tides of Teyvat do not disturb their tea parties."
The Tsaritsa let out a soft, wry breath, inclining her head in understanding.
"That is consistent with their legend. Very well, let us return to the matter of the Adventurers' Guild. Pulcinella has formally requested my instructions on whether to accept their petition."
The table shifted its collective gaze toward Ryen.
Ryen was lounging upon the grand sofa, lightly murmuring gentle words to Nahida as she sat comfortably in his lap.
Feeling every eye lock onto him, he shrugged with complete indifference.
"Don't look at me; I have no interest in micro-managing mortal guilds. Make the determination amongst yourselves. From my perspective, the more hands that cross the gate, the better."
In earlier months, Ryen had exercised strict control over the entry rosters to prevent treacherous elements from infiltrating his domain.
Now, however, with full administrative source code unlocked, his stance had shifted entirely.
Any soul was welcome to step across the portal; should a single individual harbor dreams of sparking chaos within the block world, Ryen would happily yield his seat as master of the universe.
The omnipotent authority of root code was no idle boast.
The moment any living entity entered this realm, the underlying source data of their very life force fell directly into his grasp.
To put it plainly, he functioned as the ultimate system administrator.
Step into his world, and you played strictly by his rules.
Attempt to defy the server parameters, and a single keystroke would erase your existence from the data stream.
Recognizing that Ryen had zero intention of meddling, the leaders refocused their attention.
Ningguang tapped her fingertips lightly against the table, her cadence cool and calculating.
"Their global presence across the seven nations is secondary to our strategic needs, yet the Guild commands an immense demographic of seasoned, formidable field operatives."
"That specific tier of skilled labor is something our current expansion sorely lacks."
"Furthermore, if Redstone Tech City is to mature into a flourishing, self-sustaining metropolis, housing a functioning branch of the Adventurers' Guild is practically mandatory."
"Their innate obsession with charting the unknown will prove invaluable as we push deeper into the New Continent."
"Most importantly, their practical familiarity with regional flora and fauna across Teyvat likely eclipses our formal archives."
"On the whole, the strategic benefits vastly outweigh the complications. We should accept their petition, though the precise operational timeline must follow our own convenience."
"We will not permit their members across the threshold in the immediate term."
"We can begin by distributing decommissioned military weapons, enchanted steel, and standard alchemical draughts as a preliminary gesture of goodwill."
"We shall apply the exact same doctrine toward the underground intelligence network."
"Every operative, however, must be bound by formal contractual oaths."
The assembly nodded in silent consensus. None bothered jotting down extensive notes; these were routine administrative policies that could be delegated to junior aides upon their return.
"Speaking of recent events..."
A sudden, breathless laugh escaped the Tsaritsa's lips, her icy demeanor giving way to vibrant mirth.
"The spectacle Celestia displayed a few days ago was thoroughly humiliating. I genuinely anticipated that our brazen military parade would provoke them to dispatch envoys or cast down divine retribution."
"Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine the high heavens would simply scurry behind a barrier and hide."
Her laughter rang clear and unrestrained throughout the hall.
Across five centuries of agonizing preparation, this was her very first bloodless triumph over the throne of the sky.
Winning without crossing blades was the supreme victory.
Though their adversary was merely the floating citadel rather than the Sustainer herself, it provided irrefutable proof of the alliance's overwhelming standing.
They had reached an operational plane where they could meet the sky in open defiance.
Even had the Heavenly Principles awakened at that hour, the coalition held zero fear.
While permanent sealing might remain an unsolved puzzle, three server administrators standing in martial alignment made defeat impossible.
The absolute worst-case scenario was merely battering the Sustainer into the dust with sheer physical force, risking collateral damage to the leylines of Teyvat.
Rosalyne and the Harbingers watched their Archon smile with such unburdened joy, feeling an immense warmth bloom in their chests.
The crushing mountain that had weighed upon their sovereign's soul for half a millennium had finally begun to crack.
Zhongli, however, spoke in a quiet, grounded cadence.
"Do not let triumph breed carelessness. Our ultimate adversary remains the Heavenly Principles, not the floating citadel. Moreover, as a domain populated by ascended mortal champions, how much authentic martial resolve Celestia harbors against our cause remains entirely untested."
"As for the Sustainer, we must still discover a secure method to seal her authority without destabilizing the firmament."
"The encouraging truth is that her injuries from the ancient war remain severe, preventing her from awakening at this hour."
"The complication, judging by Celestia's nervous posture and the waves we have stirred across the leylines, is that her eventual slumber is rapidly drawing to an end."
"Our imperative is capitalizing on her remaining unconsciousness to maximize our national strength."
"With Celestia concealed, the mainland of Teyvat rests firmly beneath our unified administration."
"Our operational focus must pivot entirely toward this block world. Mortal affairs back home require only minimal oversight."
The commanders murmured in solemn agreement.
Ryen's ears twitched slightly as the heavy, rhythmic thud of steel boots sounded outside the chamber.
Gently setting Nahida onto the cushions, he rose to his feet with an easy, anticipatory grin.
"Geopolitical debates can wait. What demands our attention right now is the fruit of our labor over these past seven days."
"Specifically, the harvest of the Genshin Impact module."
"A full week of harvesting by thousands of seasoned soldiers will yield an extraordinary bounty. I suspect this collection will present you with an unforgettable surprise."
Bright, eager smiles broke across every face in the parlor.
Over the previous week, none of the leaders had checked the manifests, leaving the gathering units to operate with total creative freedom based on basic field guides.
After all, the soldiers were intimately familiar with the materials of their native world.
Now, seven days had elapsed, and the ledger was ready to be opened.
The prospect of what treasures their vast divisions had extracted from the soil filled the hall with electric, breathless anticipation.