For Guizhong and the women, the most persistent challenge had always been sharing the bed with Ryen.
No matter how many of them joined together, Ryen's terrifying physical constitution always overwhelmed them in the end.
Just a few days prior, Guizhong had attempted to take the initiative, hoping to assert control.
Her resolve had barely lasted before Ryen effortlessly pinned her down, reversing their positions and thoroughly exhausting her until she was reduced to a breathless, trembling mess.
Deep down, Guizhong adored their intimate moments.
Yet as the hours dragged on, her stamina inevitably gave out, leaving her unconscious while the blissful joy felt far too brief.
Once Ryen's physical constitution was permanently shared and locked into her being, Guizhong would become the most resilient partner at his side.
That was a supreme point of pride.
Lost in her thoughts, she found herself silently wishing for the apocalyptic trial to arrive even sooner.
"With a permanent quarter of your physique, Guizhong could probably string up the Heavenly Principles and thrash her like a rug," Lumine remarked, scratching her cheek with an amused grin.
Nods of profound agreement rippled across the table.
Only those who had experienced Ryen's sheer kinetic power firsthand could truly comprehend how absurd a twenty-five percent fraction truly was.
Even now, none of them had discovered where the absolute upper ceiling of that strength lay.
Perhaps once this trial concluded, they could test its limits back in Teyvat.
"You are entirely right," Yae Miko murmured, leaning languidly against Ryen's shoulder. "The rewards of this trial are indeed impossible to turn down. Enduring forty-nine days of apocalyptic warfare is well worth the price."
Ryen raised an eyebrow, his expression turning solemn.
"Even so, under no circumstances should any of you underestimate the peril of this cataclysm."
"We are facing an endless, suffocating ocean of undead that mutates and adapts with every passing week."
Ningguang nodded in grave agreement.
"Tempting as the rewards may be, our absolute priority is surviving the crucible, or every ounce of our preparation amounts to nothing."
"Our entire strategic focus must remain locked on defending the city."
"Sorties outside the perimeter are completely out of the question. The casualty rate would be far too devastating for our nations to bear."
Ryen gave an approving nod.
"Furthermore, once this cataclysm concludes, do not immediately upgrade your own municipal settlements to match Redstone Tech City's infrastructural density."
"We must first explore our new modules, assimilate superior power systems, and approach future trials with absolute preparation."
"This initial trial caught us entirely off guard, forcing us into a hurried mobilization."
The assembly voiced no objections. The baseline threat was simply too staggering.
Caution was paramount to prevent catastrophic failure and avoid watching their hard-earned foundations crumble into ash.
Even so, the mere thought of server administrator privileges kept their blood humming with excitement.
Holding sovereign domain over an entire territorial slice of reality was something only the Heavenly Principles might have theoretical experience with.
For everyone else, even Zhongli, stepping into such authority was uncharted territory.
Learning how to define those parameters and wield that mandate would be a profound undertaking.
"I will emphasize this once more," Ryen said, taking a slow breath as his gaze swept across the leaders.
"The 49-Day Cataclysm is exceptionally lethal and demanding. Every single person must remain razor-sharp."
"We cannot predict the exact numeric scale of the waves, which means our defensive logistics must be utterly flawless."
"The zombies will evolve, and our tactical countermeasures must evolve even faster."
"Against an adaptive horde of this magnitude, offensive charges achieve nothing."
"Our current perimeter safeguards are barely sufficient. Use the next few daylight hours to devise more comprehensive containment strategies."
"Strive to finalize perfected contingencies before the first Blood Moon rises. If we wish to keep our casualties to an absolute minimum, our defensive doctrines must stay ten steps ahead of their biological mutations."
Ryen paused, his eyes settling onto Zhongli.
"Zhongli, having laid down your spear for so many centuries, can you still command a theater of war with the mastery of the Archon War era?"
Zhongli met his gaze calmly, nodding with steady grace.
"Though my weapons have rested for seasons uncounted, my grasp over the flow of war has not dulled in the slightest."
"Impressive confidence," Ryen chuckled, offering an approving nod. "In that case, you will act as the supreme battlefield commander for this campaign. Do whatever it takes to keep every rotting corpse outside our walls."
A faint smile touched Zhongli's lips. "Are you planning to grant me one of the administrator seats?"
"That depends entirely on your performance," Ryen shrugged playfully. "If your strategic coordination is flawless, an administrator mantle will naturally be yours."
"A deal, then," Zhongli agreed quietly.
Though his outward demeanor remained placid, Zhongli felt a tight knot of tension in his chest.
It was not from any rust in his tactical instincts.
It was the nature of the enemy.
Though lacking divine combatants, their sheer numeric weight was horrifying.
In all his millennia of campaigns across Teyvat, the total sum of every adversary he had ever faced scarcely equaled the monstrous horde promised by this forty-nine-day ordeal.
Moreover, his divine authority as an Archon could not be channeled through the native physics of this reality.
This campaign would test his raw command intellect and logistical acumen to their absolute limits.
Faced with intelligent, mutating undead, even Zhongli could not guarantee zero losses.
The sole consolation lay in their stockpiles of Totems of Undying and Totems of Rebirth. Even should tragedy strike the battlements, fallen soldiers could be restored to life.
Yet if Redstone Tech City fell, not only would the grand rewards vanish, but months of collective labor and heart would be wiped from existence.
Zhongli narrowed his eyes, his mind rapidly mapping layered defensive networks. He approached this impending siege with greater precision than he had ever brought to the ancient wars of gods.
"Beyond that..."
Ryen turned his gaze toward Da Shi. The Millelith commander stood at rigid attention, having absorbed every detail of the crisis and understanding the absolute gravity of the deployment.
"Da Shi, coordinate the entire garrison," Ryen ordered smoothly. "Ensure every single soldier and worker returns to Redstone Tech City before tomorrow noon without fail."
"Furthermore, establish an airtight relay network so every command issued from the war room is executed across the battlements at maximum speed."
"We cannot afford a single operational delay during these forty-nine days."
"Move out now. Take census of our current forces, then commence immediate construction. Prioritize replacing the entire outer perimeter with solid obsidian."
"If our quarried reserves run dry, manufacture fresh blocks on-site using water and lava flows."
Da Shi saluted crisply, turning on his heel to carry out the orders without losing a second.
Diluc, Jean, and the other leaders rose from their seats as well, knowing that casual conversation was at an end.
The opening wave would break tomorrow night.
Though the first hours would not prove immediately catastrophic, clearing tens of thousands of corpses remained an exhausting labor.
They had to hurry, excavating every trench and trap before the first Blood Moon climbed into the sky. Those defenses would demand relentless daily maintenance throughout the siege.
Watching the commanders step away with furrowed brows, Ryen raised his voice slightly.
"Do not fret excessively over the early days. Our true trial arrives in the final phase."
"As the Blood Moons stack their mutations, obsidian ramparts will no longer guarantee absolute safety."
"The horde will likely wield diamond tools, dragging us into inevitable close-quarters melee."
"When that hour strikes, holding the line will fall upon your shoulders."
"The regular army will contain the main breaches as best they can, but elite hostiles will slip through."
"Prepare your contingency protocols. We cannot permit the frontline regiments to fight while chaos erupts in our rear."
The assembly gave solemn, unified nods.
Sweet as the promised prize was, the difficulty surpassed anything they had ever confronted since stepping into this universe.
"Do not even entertain the thought of sallies outside the gate," Ryen added firmly.
"The sheer density of corpses beyond our walls would swallow even the Heavenly Principles without leaving a ripple."
"Our sole advantage lies in holding the fortress. Endure for forty-nine days, and this world will undergo an unprecedented qualitative leap."
"Our civilization will ascend, and the resources we harvest will reach heights unimagined."
With final nods of understanding, the leaders departed to mobilize their respective divisions.
Redstone Tech City burst into immediate, coordinated activity. Though built to house well over a hundred thousand residents, the sudden influx of returning regiments marching through the avenues filled the streets with purposeful, tense energy.
Ryen pressed his fingers against his temples, letting out a quiet breath.
Had he possessed effortless certainty, he would have simply led a charge into the wild to wipe out the horde. He had kept the grimmest realities close to his chest to keep their morale from collapsing into panic.
In a computer simulation, an apocalypse survival pack offered splendid entertainment. Manifested in a living reality, even a shortened forty-nine-day trial was an unmitigated nightmare.
Worst of all was the horde's late-stage tactical coordination.
Strictly speaking, they would eventually face an intelligent army numbering in the millions. Aside from lacking modern firearms and redstone artillery, their combat cohesion would match professional mortal divisions.
In fact, fresh recruits who had only recently stepped into this world would easily be outmatched in movement mechanics by fully mutated undead.
Failure was not an option Ryen could entertain.
Losing Redstone Tech City meant forfeiting the grand rewards, but worse still, leaving millions of evolving undead roaming unchecked could permanently contaminate the entire continent.
"Ryen..."
Sharing the deepest emotional connection with him, Ganyu noticed the quiet weight resting on his shoulders immediately.
Stepping close, she gently wrapped her slender hands around his, her voice warm and steady.
"Whatever comes, I will stand at your side. Place your faith in everyone; after developing our strength for so long, we possess the resolve to overcome this trial."
Ryen looked at her, his expression softening as he gave a gentle nod.
"I know."
Turning toward Klee, Qiqi, Yaoyao, and Nahida, he offered a warm smile after a brief pause.
"You may remain here with us until the first Blood Moon rises. Once that night passes, you must be good girls and return across the gate to Teyvat, understand?"
Klee nodded obediently, her eyes bright and earnest.
"Klee will be the best girl ever!"
Ryen smoothed her hair with a fond chuckle.
Forty-nine continuous days...
Such an uninterrupted campaign would strain their logistical reserves and test the mental endurance of every soldier on the walls.
Yet the wheel had begun to turn.
Faced with this unexpected reckoning, Ryen would meet it with unyielding resolve.
Just then, Ningguang spoke in a quiet, measured cadence.
"Ryen, regarding the authority of server administrators..."
She pressed her lips together, fixing him with a sharp, searching look.
"Do you possess the means to place constraints upon those administrators?"
Ryen paused, looking at her without answering immediately, his eyebrow arching slightly.
"What makes you ask that?"