The matter of the Necromancer's Staff finally settled.
Overall, the sheer malice of the staff exceeded everyone's expectations, opening their eyes to entirely new possibilities.
Yet, this was not a weapon to shy away from.
Regardless of its dark nature, it remained a Master-tier artifact.
Setting aside its other functions, the combination of the Soul Chain Curse and Shadow Shield was terrifying.
With those two spells active, any attacker would instantly suffer fatal backlash.
Take Zhongli and Venti as an example.
If Venti cast the Soul Chain Curse on Zhongli, an unequal contract would be forged.
Venti would then activate the Shadow Shield.
Any strike from Zhongli would only inflict half damage on Venti, but upon taking that half damage, the Soul Chain Curse would echo half of the original impact back to Zhongli.
Coupled with the Shadow Shield reflecting another half of the damage.
A hundred points of damage dealt by Zhongli would result in fifty points upon Venti, and a full hundred points upon himself.
What did this amount to?
Zhongli raising his spear to slay himself.
Strictly speaking, the Shadow Shield had a defensive limit, and the Soul Chain Curse could not form unequal contracts with just any lifeform at whim.
At the very least, Ryen figured that if Venti tried to use it on the Heavenly Principles, he first had to consider if the target could even be hit.
Secondly, given the sheer divine status of the Heavenly Principles, the effect likely wouldn't be significant.
But as a whole, the necromantic magic etched into the staff was undeniably exceptional.
For those who already possessed a Master-tier staff, acquiring it merely expanded their arsenal.
But for those without one, claiming it held absolute necessity.
While the veteran explorers viewed today's display as an eye-opening experience, Baizhu, having just stepped into this world, found himself entirely overwhelmed.
He was still reeling from the sheer shock of the blocky world.
Now, a revelation representing the highest, most dangerous secrets of this realm crashed down upon him.
He had never dared to imagine such necromantic spells, let alone entertain the thought that such a thing could exist.
No matter how hard he racked his brain, he could not fathom how magic so venomous and insidious could naturally manifest.
However, if the opportunity arose, he absolutely wanted it.
Unfortunately, he could not participate in the tournament. Even if he did, claiming the staff was beyond his reach.
It was hardly an issue, though. An Advanced-tier staff would suffice for his needs.
From what Ryen and the others implied, Advanced-tier staffs were not particularly rare.
As long as he stayed a while longer, he would undoubtedly obtain one of his own.
Baizhu looked toward the horizon of this strange world, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Just as Ryen repeatedly emphasized, in the MC world, imagination was the only true currency.
The only limit was one's own mind, there was no ceiling to what this world could achieve.
Even forging the MC world into an existence akin to the Imaginary Tree.
It was entirely possible.
Once more portal mods were introduced, countless dimensional worlds would unfold.
When that time came, reshaping reality directly within those dimensions would be a simple matter.
The group returned to the villa, their scattered thoughts settling only after Ryen stored the Necromancer's Staff away.
"The Lantern Rite Bed Wars finale concludes tomorrow."
Ryen pulled Qiqi into his arms, gently ruffling her hair. His voice remained soft.
"We'll take a stroll through the streets at dusk and watch the fireworks at night."
"Keqing and Yoimiya have spent so much time preparing this visual feast. We can't let it go to waste."
Hearing this, Yoimiya flashed a confident grin, her eyes bright.
"Rest assured! I combined the pyrotechnics of this world with Teyvat's traditional fireworks. This festival will absolutely be the grandest one I've ever hosted."
"I promise no one will be disappointed!"
Ryen smiled and nodded, continuing his address.
"After Lantern Rite ends, everyone gets three days of rest. Use this time to organize your respective nations' affairs and settle your personal matters."
"Once that's done, we set sail for the New Continent."
At the mention of the New Continent, the room's atmosphere visibly sharpened.
Developing this new land tied directly into the progression of the Witchcraft mod, marking a massive leap forward for everyone in the MC world.
Its significance was monumental.
"Roughly how long will we be gone?"
Jean asked quietly. Ryen paused to think before answering.
"It's uncertain. A conservative estimate would be over a week. Just make sure you are prepared."
"Also, one more thing."
Ryen shifted his gaze toward Guizhong.
"How is the construction of the modern city coming along?"
"Hehe! Do you still doubt my capabilities?"
Guizhong lifted her chin, puffing out her chest.
"The entire structural framework is complete. All that's left is linking the internal transit pathways."
"The city's layout can accommodate over a hundred thousand people. It's currently the largest city in this world."
"As for the specific interior details of the houses, I plan to let the future residents decorate them to their own tastes."
Ryen chuckled, reaching out to pinch Guizhong's cheek.
"Excellent work."
Truth be told, Ryen had deliberately avoided visiting Guizhong's construction site.
He wanted to preserve a sense of unknown surprise for himself.
Currently, the MC world boasted three distinct cities.
One was Liyue City, spearheaded by Liyue and built entirely in their traditional architectural style.
The second was Mondstadt, a perfect one-to-one replica led by the Knights of Favonius.
The third was this new MC City, constructed by Guizhong following Ryen's exact blueprints.
This city would serve as the central hub of the entire MC world in the future.
It held no traces of Teyvat's cultural influence, sporting a purely modern, sci-fi aesthetic.
The cities built by Ningguang and the others would eventually become major metropolises scattered across the realm.
But Guizhong's creation would be the beating heart of the MC world's civilization.
Right now, it could only hold a hundred thousand people. In Ryen's ultimate vision, it would house millions.
Even without seeing it, Ryen placed full faith in Guizhong.
Back in the day, she managed to establish the Guili Assembly without any abundant resources. There was no reason she would fail to build a city now, armed with endless materials and exact blueprints.
"Use these three days to organize your military forces as well."
Ryen instructed.
"Deploy whoever needs to mine, gather resources, or explore the Twilight Forest."
"Make sure to keep enough personnel in reserve. The moment we return from the New Continent, we need to immediately dispatch teams to reclaim the land. A continent of that size will be overflowing with resources."
"Unlike this landmass, which has been largely excavated, the resources over there are highly concentrated."
"You will all be starting from the exact same baseline. How many resource points you secure depends entirely on your own capabilities."
A while ago, Beidou's crew had conducted a rough geographical survey of the New Continent.
Based on their initial estimates, it was roughly three times the size of their current continent.
It could easily accommodate all Seven Nations, let alone five nations and Khaenri'ah.
The coming days would be a race to occupy key resource points first.
A true development competition.
As for rewards.
Ryen didn't need to provide any.
An entirely unexplored continent filled with untouched resources was far more enticing than any Master-tier staff.
Ryen glanced at Aether, speaking in a calm tone.
"Once your people finish their training, wait for us to return."
"This continent has already been carved up by everyone else. There are barely any resource points left."
"When the time comes, head straight to the New Continent to build your foundation. Whether you focus on restoring your nation or something else is entirely up to you. Any issues?"
Aether shook his head firmly, a burning intensity flickering in his eyes.
After waiting for so long, the chance to explore the New Continent had finally arrived.
Honestly, raw materials weren't what Khaenri'ah desperately needed right now.
Rather than throwing random mystical resources at them, giving them massive quantities of wood, cobblestone, and concrete was much more practical.
They needed to build their city walls first.
The other five nations were also well aware that their true competitors on the New Continent weren't the Abyss Order, but each other.
On this current landmass, Liyue occupied the largest territory and the most resource points.
They simply arrived first.
But the New Continent was entirely uncharted territory. How much they claimed depended solely on their own strength.
Noticing the fiery determination kindling in everyone's eyes, Ryen offered a lighthearted tease.
"If you work hard enough, perhaps each nation might end up claiming an entire continent for themselves in the future."
"After all, this world is vast."
The group shared knowing smiles.
The premise of their friendly competition rested entirely on the sheer infinity of the world and its resources.
If land and materials were strictly limited.
Their rivalries would inevitably be tainted by darker motives.
As long as the world remained boundless, whatever someone claimed was proof of their own skill. The rest could only offer their admiration.
Ryen turned his attention to Baizhu and Shenhe.
"Shenhe needs to remain in this world to suppress and master her strength. She will stay by Cloud Retainer's side."
"As for you, Baizhu."
Ryen paused, offering some guidance.
"If you intend to join our expedition to the New Continent in a few days, you need to spend significant time at the First Millelith Base."
"First, master the essential survival knowledge required for pioneering. Regarding your pharmaceutical research."
"There is no rush. Spend some time learning about the various alchemical ingredients and potion types first."
"Once you have a firm grasp of the basics, you can dive into deeper research when you return. Otherwise, you won't make any meaningful progress."
Joy surged in Baizhu's chest as he nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, Mr. Ryen."
Ryen looked toward the windows. The sky had fully darkened, signaling the end of another day.
"Let's wrap it up here. Make your preparations. Tomorrow, we put on the final spectacular match, and the Master-tier staff will be waiting for its rightful owner."
"Also, arrange your affairs in advance. Once we start exploring the New Continent, I don't want to constantly open portals just so you can run back to handle paperwork."
Everyone chuckled in agreement. With no further pleasantries exchanged, they vanished into flashes of white light, leaving the MC world.
Unlike the hasty first Bed Wars a week ago, everyone had spent extensive time training and studying tactics.
Even Sumeru, the latest addition, had mastered plenty of underhanded strategies.
This battle wouldn't be as relaxing as the last one.
Even Zhongli and the veterans lacked the absolute certainty of victory.
Right now, they needed to hurry back and make their final pre-match preparations.
Ningguang and Ganyu departed together, taking Qiqi and the other children with them.
They had been acting incredibly secretive for the past few days, refusing to utter a word when asked.
Fortunately, Ryen had his darling daughter Klee, who secretly tipped him off.
Ningguang and the others were preparing a massive surprise for him.
Ryen was genuinely looking forward to it.
Soon enough, the villa grew quiet, leaving only Ryen and Lumine behind.
Lumine still tightly held onto the vow she made in her heart. She wouldn't let Ryen touch her for three whole days.
Unfortunately.
Ryen couldn't care less about her little inner resolutions.
Seeing that everyone else was gone, and even Paimon had drifted off to sleep while yawning, Ryen stepped forward.
He scooped Lumine up into his arms and headed straight for the third floor.
"Despicable! Let me go, you aren't allowed to touch me for three days!"
Lumine struggled against his chest, her cheeks flushed. Ryen raised an eyebrow, a teasing lilt in his voice.
"Three whole days? Can you actually hold out that long?"
Feeling his familiar warmth pressing against her, a faint fluttering sensation stirred within Lumine's heart.
She remained silent for a long moment before muttering softly.
"Then. we start counting from tomorrow."
Ryen let out a low chuckle, hoisting her over his shoulder and striding directly into the bedroom.
The quiet villa quickly heated up once more.