Outside the manor villa, a large crowd had already gathered.
Numerous members of the Millelith stood in formation. Alongside them were Knights of Favonius, soldiers of the Shogunate's new army, and personnel from the other nations.
In essence, representatives of all four nations had arrived.
Dozens of large chests were densely arranged on the ground, while soldiers lined up to continue loading supplies into them.
By the looks of it, today had been another highly productive day.
Standing at the entrance, Dashi urged the troops on.
"Move faster. And separate the newly discovered materials, organize and store them independently."
Just as he finished speaking, Ryen and the others stepped out of the villa, catching the mention of "new materials."
Ryen smiled lightly.
"New materials? Sounds like you've had quite a haul today."
Dashi turned around with a broad grin.
"Mr. Ryen, you're here. After the new mod opened, we re-entered the mines and collected a number of new materials."
"This is just the first batch. The rest are still being transported and cataloged. The second shipment should arrive this afternoon."
Ryen nodded slightly. He wasn't particularly surprised, only mildly impressed by the army's efficiency.
At the very least, material shortages for new mods would never be an issue.
"Did you encounter any danger in the mines?"
Dashi scratched his head.
"Danger? Not really."
"Oh?"
Ryen raised an eyebrow.
"What happened?"
Dashi pointed toward the direction of the mines.
"The tunnels we explored were previously cleared and fully lit with torches."
"But for some reason, zombies reappeared. There were also strange wolf packs."
"After killing them, though, there were no drops."
"At most it caused minor complications, but no real danger. Everyone carried firearms, no one was injured."
Ryen nodded thoughtfully.
This had been within his expectations.
When a new mod activates, new mobs spawn accordingly. They had likely generated inside existing mines.
As long as these weren't summoned creatures from witches, it was manageable.
"Have any unfamiliar structures appeared near the bases?"
Ningguang asked casually.
Dashi immediately nodded.
"Yes. I was just about to report that."
"Near Mondstadt Base One, west of Liyue Base Three, and close to Snezhnaya Base One, "
"Strange tower-like structures have appeared. They look… unsettling."
"We didn't investigate. We've cordoned them off from a distance."
"Mr. Ryen, what should we do?"
Ryen smiled faintly.
"Wizard Towers. Leave them alone for now."
"No one approaches. No one attacks. No one breaks even a single block."
"Mark their locations. We'll inspect them personally later."
"Also, survey the continent for any other unfamiliar structures. If you find any, don't approach. Report back first."
Dashi quickly recorded the instructions.
By now, the materials had been unloaded. Dashi sent the troops back through the portal to continue mining.
At this point, mining was routine for them. In a single day, they could conservatively clear dozens of tunnels.
"The regular materials are stored over there," Dashi said, gesturing.
"As for the new material, we've only identified one type so far."
He pointed at seven large chests.
"There's a crystal ore underground emitting a strange glow. After extraction, we obtained these."
"This is just one batch. More are being consolidated, and teams are still mining."
Ryen nodded and retrieved a single Mana Crystal, handing it to Albedo.
"This is a Mana Crystal. What do you think?"
Albedo examined it carefully before passing it to Sucrose.
"Sucrose, your thoughts?"
Suddenly singled out and faced with everyone's gaze, Sucrose stiffened like a student unexpectedly called on in class.
She studied the crystal cautiously and spoke after some thought.
"Master… it seems to contain very pure energy. The energy level is roughly… ten times that of a Magical Crystal Chunk?"
Albedo nodded in approval.
"And?"
Sucrose hesitated, then lowered her head.
"I'm sorry, Master. That's all I can determine."
Albedo shook his head gently.
"That's fine. Mineral-based magical alchemy isn't your focus."
"When analyzing mana-infused ores, we consider four aspects."
"Energy attribute, energy magnitude, energy stability, and mana nodes."
"Once those fundamentals are established, we explore practical applications, mana conduction, energy circulation, flow guidance, and potential outcomes."
Sucrose listened intently, scribbling notes rapidly.
Ryen felt as though he had unintentionally enrolled in a highly specialized lecture he barely followed.
Lisa and the others, however, listened with fascination.
Seeing Albedo about to dive into a detailed breakdown of safe energy disassembly techniques, Ryen quickly interjected.
"Hold on. Save the lecture for later. Just give us your overall assessment."
Albedo paused, apologetic.
"Apologies. This crystal still bears the distinct characteristics of your world. I can't fully analyze it yet."
Ryen gave him a complex look.
Albedo continued:
"However, I can confirm that its internal energy is extremely pure."
"It can even be converted into elemental energy."
"The mana within is gentle. Structurally simple. Low risk."
Ryen spread his hands.
"Can you translate that into something I understand?"
Albedo handed the crystal back.
"Resonate it with your Delusion. It will recharge it, quickly."
Ryen grinned.
"Now that I understand. A portable power bank!"
He activated resonance. The Delusion rapidly refilled.
After estimating, he murmured:
"One Mana Crystal restores roughly one-fifth of elemental energy. Not bad."
"Can it recharge Visions and even Gnoses?"
Albedo pondered briefly.
"Theoretically, yes."
"Mana Crystals contain fixed quantities of pure mana."
"Think of it as water in a bottle."
"Visions, Delusions, and Gnoses are containers of varying sizes."
"Recharging simply transfers the 'water' into the container."
"How much they hold depends on the container, not the crystal."
Dehya raised an eyebrow, holding up a crystal.
"So with enough Mana Crystals, we could continuously unleash Elemental Bursts?"
"In theory," Albedo nodded.
"But your bodies must withstand the strain."
"Elemental Bursts draw not only from the Vision but from your physical endurance."
"Overuse risks irreversible damage."
Dehya waved dismissively.
"Understood. Still, it gives us more emergency options."
Ryen nodded.
"Everyone should carry a stack of Mana Crystals from now on."
"Any other applications?"
Albedo smiled faintly.
"Remember, this is a mineral."
"And minerals are primarily used for forging."
"Weapons. Delusions. Equipment."
"With Mana Crystals integrated, new properties may emerge."
He paused.
"Recall my proposal of modifying Delusions with Naga scales?"
Ningguang nodded.
"Of course. Mass-producing Delusions without side effects would greatly enhance our armies."
Albedo gestured to the crystal.
"The mana density here is only half that of a Naga scale."
"With sufficient Mana Crystals, similar results should be achievable."
"Of course, research is required."
"Beyond combat, Mana Crystals may influence civilian life, infrastructure, even reshape Teyvat's technological system."
"There are countless possibilities."
"I'll need time to study it further."
Ningguang and Jean exchanged a glance.
"Dashi, did you hear that?"
"Whether your troops can wield Delusions safely depends on how many Mana Crystals you bring back."
Dashi's eyes lit up.
"Understood! I'll notify all bases to intensify mining operations!"
"City construction continues as planned," Ryen reminded.
Dashi grinned.
"Of course."
"Not all Mana Crystals go to research."
Ryen weighed one in his palm.
"Fundamentally, this is the core resource of the Witchery mod."
"Staff forging. Staff charging. Crafting other mana materials, all require Mana Crystals."
"If we divert everything to Teyvat, Witchery development stalls."
Ningguang looped her arm through his, smiling teasingly.
"We know that without being told."
Ryen shrugged.
"Next, we need an Infusion Altar."
"Without it, Witchery cannot progress."
"No rush. For now, we can focus on Slash Blades."
"You all have staves already. What remains is upgrading them."
"And upgrades require Wizard Towers, or further exploration."
He clicked his tongue thoughtfully.
"I can already foresee it."
"In the near future, we'll once again be traveling the world in search of hidden treasures."
Hu Tao blinked brightly.
"That sounds like fun."