Speaking of which, although Renjiro currently had drawn seven Genshin avatars, among them, the only one who specialized in greatswords was Razor.
And just to note, while the avatars he summoned via Genshin Descent could technically use any weapon type, if they switched away from their preferred weapon, they would no longer receive the Normal Attack multiplier bonuses.
So, in short…
"To be honest, Razor's 'Steel Fang' style isn't entirely suited for Welf. If anything, that certain E-person's 'Tempered Blade' style would fit him much better."
Renjiro (Aether) sighed inwardly.
Too bad I still haven't pulled Grandpa Lu… I don't even know how to perform 'Tempered Blade' properly.
He understood Welf's situation was different from his own. Renjiro's main body wanted to keep improving his Basic Ability ranks, building a solid foundation to maximize the effectiveness of the future Crown of Insight skill. So he wasn't in a rush to reach Lv.2 yet.
Of course, he didn't plan to delay forever. Considering the main storyline's proGarethion, he had already set a deadline, one more week at most.
But Welf wanted to gain the Forge Development Ability as fast as possible. To a red-haired youth who admired and longed for the acknowledgment of his beloved forging goddess, reaching Lv.2 sooner was undeniably important.
So, there was no point waiting for Diluc's "arrival."
They could only go with the next best option…
"Welf, personally, I'm more skilled with a one-handed sword, so… I'm not the right one to teach you directly."
Inside the Dungeon, Renjiro (Aether), having cleared away all distracting thoughts, brought Welf back to the staircase leading up toward the 10th Floor.
Since it was safe here, he didn't waste time and said it directly:
"But I can call someone who is good with a greatsword to teach you."
"Oh, alright."
Welf had already guessed what he meant.
Sure enough,
[Stars, gather here]
With the brief chant, a star map shimmered above Renjiro (Aether)'s palm. Diona, who had accompanied him up to this point, vanished.
Taking her place was a gray-haired, red-eyed boy with scars across his arms and a hooded cloak.
The four-star Electro Genshin character, Razor.
As soon as he arrived,
"Together… we hunt?"
The quiet wolf boy looked directly at Renjiro (Aether).
And Renjiro observed in return,
So Razor's presence is different from Ningguang's too.
He recalled something.
Back in his original world, he had maxed affection with more than just Ningguang.
But most of those were five-star characters.
Yeah, Renjiro didn't enjoy running Abyss too much…
He preferred messing around in the open world with flashy builds.
Xiao was the best example, he used him as a plunge spam machine for so long that it became visually exhausting, especially without the signature weapon.
Eventually, Xiao just… sat unused.
Xingqiu had ended up the same.
As a collecting-obsessed, casual player, Renjiro had never even maxed affection with two six-star war gods.
Meanwhile, the ornamental fish lady, controversial due to story-writing decisions, was maxed.
And Diona, too… if it were her original version, she absolutely hated being treated like a cat.
Thinking about all this…
Looks like I'll need another max-affection character to arrive before I can confirm my theory.
But then,
How do I even raise affection with avatars in this world?
And if my guess is right, when the main consciousness descends, what happens to the original soul-copy?
And more importantly, does the current Ningguang have my soul fragment inside her already?
So many unanswered questions.
But for now,
"Razor, I called you here today because I need your help."
Renjiro (Aether) gestured to the red-haired youth beside him.
"Let me introduce him, this is Welf. Welf Crozzo. A very talented blacksmith and one of my companions."
Welf rubbed the back of his head.
"Not that talented, haha~"
Why are you acting shy now!?
"Ahem."
Renjiro cleared his throat and then gestured toward Razor.
"And this is Razor, also one of my companions."
"He's an Electro Genshin who specializes in greatsword combat, so…"
He looked at the wolf boy.
"Razor, could I trouble you to teach Welf some greatsword techniques for a while?"
Yes, Renjiro could have communicated telepathically through their shared mental link.
But doing that in front of others would be way too weird.
So he spoke out loud.
And,
"Okay."
As a Genshin avatar who had not yet awakened the main consciousness, Razor naturally wouldn't refuse.
He turned to Welf.
"Then… hunt together?"
"Please guide me."
Welf bowed deeply out of respect.
He really was a considerate guy, at least when romance wasn't involved.
To which,
"No need."
Razor shook his head and spoke calmly.
"Follow. I lead."
As soon as he finished speaking, he moved forward.
Renjiro (Aether), carrying his large pack, lightly patted Welf's shoulder.
"Let's go. Just follow Razor."
"And first, watch carefully. Observe how he fights with a greatsword."
"Learn what you can. We'll handle the rest later."
Hearing this,
"Yeah, okay."
Welf nodded and hurried after them.
At the same time,
"…And uh, thanks."
He said it sincerely.
Renjiro (Aether) simply shrugged with a smile.
"No need."
"And also…"
His eyes narrowed, expression turning just a little mischievous.
"Thanking me now might be a bit premature."
"Huh?"
Welf paused, sensing a bad omen.
"You're not… going to…"
"Heh~"
Renjiro smiled like a fox.
"Didn't I say I'd add a tiny little bit of challenge today?"
"Relax. Breakfast was long enough ago. You won't be throwing up."
BOOM.