Ren
The oil lamp on Ren's desk flickered, casting long, dancing shadows against the peeling wallpaper of his apartment.
It was well past midnight, and Ren was getting ready for war.
Spread out before him was his battered notebook, a map of Liyue he had bought, and a cup of tea that had gone cold hours ago.
"This isn't enough," Ren muttered, rubbing his temples. "If I walk into Wangshu Inn with just these guys, I'm practically asking to be turned into fertilizer."
He looked down at the page open in front of him. It was a status report of his current arsenal, written in a mix of Japanese and English.
- [Divine Dogs (Vader & Yoda): Fast. Good for scouting. High damage when fused, but fragile individually.]
- [Toad (Gama): Utility king. Great for grappling and mobility. Combat power? Minimal. A glorified meat shield at best. (Sorry buddy)]
That was it. That was his entire deck.
Against a Hilichurl camp? Plenty. Against a Vision holder like Chongyun? Doable.
But against a Yaksha? Against stronger monsters or even elite warriors? It was a joke.
Ren leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. His mind drifted back to the appointment at Bubu Pharmacy.
"Your body isn't rejecting the energy. It's adapting to become a perfect vessel for it."
Baizhu's words echoed in his head. The doctor had looked at him like he was a walking miracle, or perhaps a ticking time bomb that had miraculously forgotten to explode.
He spoke of "Filth" and "Karma" as if they were poisons that should have driven Ren mad weeks ago.
Ren flexed his hand, watching black and blue wisps of Cursed Energy dance between his fingers.
"I don't feel mad," he whispered. "I don't feel heavy. I just feel... full."
That was the strange part. He wasn't worried about the "Karma" consuming his mind like everyone else feared.
To a sorcerer, negative emotion was fuel, not poison. He felt perfectly fine—better than fine, actually.
But the rate of growth was concerning.
Since arriving in Liyue, his Cursed Energy reserves had doubled. And they were still climbing.
It was as if the atmosphere of Teyvat itself was feeding him, or perhaps his body was reacting to the ambient elemental energy by generating more darkness to balance the scales.
Whatever it was, something was increasing his reserves.
"If I keep growing at this rate, it could get dangerous," Ren mused, "I'm going to become a walking beacon. Baizhu noticed it. Hu Tao noticed it. Eventually, something worse than a Yaksha is going to notice."
Something like an Archon. Specifically, Rex Lapis.
Ren does NOT want to explain to a god why he smells like said god's dead peers. He was 99% sure he would get obliterated before he could even say a word.
'I really need to refine my Cursed Energy suppression…'
He grabbed his pen and circled three names he had written on the next page.
Target 1: Great Serpent (Orochi).
"I need a tank," Ren mused, tapping the paper. "Something that can take a hit so I don't have to. The dogs are better for offence, while Orochi is a fortress."
In his world, the Great Serpent was a massive beast capable of burrowing and striking from below.
In Teyvat, Ren suspected Orochi would be even stronger if Divine Dog and Toads increase in strength were anything to look at.
But he needed something that could control the battlefield, so Orochi is his best bet.
Target 2: Nue.
He needed mobility. He needed to own the sky. Nue was the answer. Fast, can summon lightning, and is capable of flight. And who knows how strong it could be now?
'Which is why I need to be extra careful.'
Target 3: Round Deer.
Ren hesitated. He drew a small question mark next to this one.
"Reverse Cursed Technique." Reverse cursed technique.
Most sorcerers weren't known for their durability. The Round Deer could output positive energy—healing. It was the Holy Grail for any sorcerer.
And obtaining the deer would also let him test out more theories. Is Reverse Cursed Technique similar to Chongyun's yang energy? How would it react to Teyvat's other energies?
"But the cost..." Ren frowned. "Summoning it takes a massive amount of energy. And if I fail the ritual... well, getting trampled by a deer isn't a great way to go."
He decided to table the Deer for now. It would be a gametime decision. If Orochi and Nue went smoothly, he might risk it.
"Okay. Targets acquired," Ren said, turning his attention to the map. "Now, where do I do this?"
This was the tricky part. The Taming Ritual wasn't quiet. It involved summoning a monster and beating it into submission. It involved noise, destruction, and a whole lot of Cursed Energy flaring up.
"Guili Plains is out," Ren decided, crossing out the large central area of Liyue. "Too many adventurers. Too many Millelith patrols. If someone sees a giant snake bursting out of the ground, I'll be arrested for inciting panic."
He moved his finger west.
"Qingce Village? Too populated. The Chasm? Definitely not."
He remembered Keqing's icy voice from the other day. 'If I find a single divot in the terrain when I return tomorrow, I will bill both of you.'
Ren shuddered. He could fight monsters. He could not fight the Liyue legal system.
"I need somewhere abandoned," Ren muttered. "Somewhere rugged. Somewhere normal people don't go."
His finger drifted north-west, landing on the jagged, vertical peaks of Minlin. Specifically, the area surrounding Mt. Aocang.
"Jueyun Karst," Ren read the label.
It was perfect. The terrain was mostly stone and water, meaning less fire hazard. It was notoriously difficult to navigate, which kept the casual tourists and merchants away.
The rumors of Adepti living there acted as a natural "Keep Out" sign for the superstitious citizens of Liyue.
He also doubted that actual adepti were staying near the area. If a lot of people talk about it, he is willing to bet that it's not true.
If it were, there would be a lot more incidents in that area.
"It's isolated," Ren nodded, circling a small basin at the base of the mountain. "High elevation. Natural cover. And if I break a few rocks... well, who's going to sue me? A bird?"
"Minlin it is," Ren decided, closing the notebook with a snap.
He stood up and began to pack his bag. Bandages. Food. He checked his sword, ensuring the edge was sharp.
"Two new shadows," Ren whispered to the empty room, blowing out the lamp. "And maybe a healer if I'm lucky."
/ — /
???
The dawn broke over Liyue Harbor in a wash of pale gold and grey mist. The city was still waking up. The shouting of street vendors and the clatter of carriages were mere murmurs compared to the roar of midday.
Ren moved through the quiet streets, his footsteps muffled by the damp cobblestones. He wore his standard courier uniform.
But today, the outfit felt like a costume. His bag, usually filled with invoices and parcels, was heavy with supplies for a siege.
He tried to act natural, passing the Millelith guards at the main gate with a polite nod. He tried to project the air of a diligent worker starting a long shift, but the tension in his shoulders was pretty apparent.
He didn't look back. If he had, he wouldn't have seen anything anyway.
High above the street, perched on the shadowed balcony of the Yanshang Teahouse, a woman was watching him.
Yelan swirled the tea in her cup, her eyes sharp and unblinking. She sat in the gloom, hidden from the rising sun, her presence almost entirely erased from the world around her. To the casual observer, the balcony was empty.
"What do we have here?" she murmured, her voice a low hum that vanished into the wind.
She set the cup down and picked up a hydro die from the table. She rolled it across her knuckles.
"Ren Roman," she whispered the name like she was testing a coin for authenticity. "The 'Shadow Courier.'"
She had been watching him for weeks. Ever since the rumors started bubbling up from the Chasm—stories of a delivery boy who could command shadows, who could traverse the entirety of Liyue in a day, and walk through monster camps untouched.
The intelligence reports were messy, filled with exaggeration and superstition, but Yelan knew that where there was smoke, there was usually an Abyss Mage trying to light a fire.
She had sent an agent to query Chongyun, the young exorcist Ren was often seen with. The report had come back frustratingly wholesome.
"He is a good person," Chongyun had insisted, according to the transcript. "His energy is... unique. Unsettling, yes. But he has no malice. He even goes with me, exorcising sometimes."
Yelan scoffed softly. "Chongyun is a sweet boy," she said to the empty air. "But he thinks everyone who doesn't actively try to eat him is a friend."
She watched Ren pass the city gates and turn north-west. He wasn't heading for a delivery route. He was heading toward the mountains.
"Jueyun Karst?" Yelan raised an eyebrow. "Going for a pilgrimage, are we? Or are we looking for something buried in the Adepti's backyard?"
The die in her hand stopped spinning. She leaned forward, narrowing her eyes.
As Ren adjusted his bag, the wind caught the lapel of his tunic, flapping it open for a fraction of a second.
It was enough.
Yelan's vision was sharper than a hawk's. She spotted the edge of a white parchment tucked securely in his inner breast pocket.
But it wasn't the paper that caught her attention; it was the faint, distinctive pulse of elemental energy sealing it.
Yelan froze. She knew that signature.
"Ganyu…" she breathed, her calculated demeanor slipping for a heartbeat.
She sat back, the puzzle pieces in her mind rearranging themselves with a violent clatter.
Why would the General Secretary of the Qixing vouch for a rogue element like Ren? That wasn't just a letter. It was a shield. A personal seal of protection, protection from other Adepti.
"Interesting," Yelan mused, a dangerous smile tugging at her lips. "Very interesting. Making friends in high places, aren't we?"
A newcomer to Liyue was walking into Jueyun Karst carrying a pass from the Qixing's secretary? That just screamed suspicious.
If he was a demon in human skin, as the darker rumors suggested, had he fooled Ganyu? Or was Ganyu using him for something off the books?
"I hate unknown variables," Yelan sighed, standing up.
She grabbed her coat, draping it over her shoulders in one fluid motion. She stepped onto the railing of the balcony, balancing perfectly on the edge.
Ren was already a small speck on the road, disappearing into the morning mist.
"Chongyun thinks you're nice. Ganyu thinks you're useful," Yelan said, watching his retreating back. "Let's see what you really are."
She flipped the die into the air. It dissolved into a burst of hydro mist before it hit the floor.
Yelan vanished from the balcony, slipping into the alleyways to begin the hunt. She wouldn't intercept him.
Not yet. She would follow him into the mountains, watch him from the dark, and see exactly what kind of game he was playing.
And if he stepped out of line... well, the mountains were full of places where people could simply disappear.
/ — /
Ren
The sun was high in the sky by the time Ren crossed the invisible border that separated the mundane world from the wilds of Minlin.
The transition wasn't marked by a gate or a signpost. It was marked by silence.
One moment, the air was filled with the chirping of birds and the rustling of wind through the grass.
Next, the world went still. The wind grew colder, sharper, carrying the scent of crushed stone.
The trees changed from the lush, vibrant green of the plains to the ancient, twisted amber maples of Jueyun Karst.
Ren stopped to catch his breath, wiping sweat from his brow. He looked up, and for the first time since leaving the city, he truly took in the landscape.
He rarely went on trips to the mountains unless it was for work. Being able to slow down and enjoy the scenery was something new.
It was breathtaking. Massive stone pillars pierced the clouds, defying gravity. Islands of rock floated in mid-air, tethered only by thick, glowing chains of amber energy. Waterfalls cascaded from the heavens, turning into mist before they even hit the ground below.
To a poet, it was a masterpiece. To a pilgrim, it was a sanctuary.
But Ren could see what most could not.
"Beautiful," Ren muttered, his voice sounding small against the sheer scale of the mountains. "But terrifying."
He adjusted the strap of his bag and kept climbing. As he navigated the winding paths cut into the cliffside, his mind drifted back to the stories his father told him.
Not the bedtime stories of heroes and villains, but the grim battles of the Sorcery World.
His father, a man of few words, had spoken often of the "Battle of Shinjuku." A battle between the strongest of that Era and the strongest in history.
"The city trembled at the might of the two Strongest," his father had said, his eyes distant. "It was erased. Buildings turned to dust. And the land was forever tainted."
Ren looked at the way the mountains seemed to have been sliced apart by a blade the size of a skyscraper.
"This is the same thing," Ren realized, a chill running down his spine.
Ganyu had spoken of the Archon War as a tragedy. But looking at the physical scars on the land, Ren realized she had been modest.
Even if the war had happened so long ago, traces of the battles fought are still imprinted on the earth.
"Rex Lapis... the God of Geo," Ren mused, stepping over a fissure in the rock. "People say he created mountains and killed other gods with ease. If the Archons can do this... then they really are on the level of Special Grade Sorcerers. Maybe even stronger."
It validated his caution. A Special Grade could destroy a country if left unchecked. Actual gods? Ren didn't even want to think of what it would be like to be a normal person in that era.
He paused at a fork in the road, checking his map. The path led deeper into the peaks, toward an area marked simply as "Adeptal Abode."
Ren scoffed quietly.
"Adeptal Abode," he muttered, shaking his head. "Right. And the sewers are haunted by a hydro dragon."
He had heard the warnings in the city, of course. Every merchant and grandmother in Liyue Harbor loved to whisper about Jueyun Karst. Don't go there. The Adepti watch you. The birds are spies. You'll be cursed if you step on a flower.
Ren didn't buy it.
He had heard similar stories about Wuwang Hill, and that turned out to be just a spooky forest with too many fireflies. This mountain had demons, or that mountain was home to Mountain Shaper.
All complete myths that were debunked.
He knew that one of the thousands of peaks in Liyue had to house an Adepti somewhere. But it was unlikely that the mountain he picked would be the one.
"People just say that stuff to keep the tourists out," Ren reasoned, adjusting his grip on his sword. "Or to save money on Millelith patrols. If there were actually demi-gods living here, they wouldn't be this quiet."
To him, the "heavy" atmosphere wasn't divine pressure. It was just a high concentration of elemental energy. Dangerous? Yes. Mystical surveillance system? Unlikely.
He hasn't sensed anything that was remotely similar to Xiao, Ganyu, or even Yanfei. So he was pretty sure that he would be ok.
Finally, after another hour of climbing, the path leveled out.
Ren found himself at the base of Mt. Aocang. In front of him stood a large cave, perfect for the summoning ritual.
High stone cliffs surrounded him, creating a perfect sound barrier. And the sound of waterfalls drowned out even the loudest of animals.
It was perfect.
"This place should do," Ren said, dropping his heavy bag onto a flat rock.
The thud echoed slightly, emphasizing the isolation. There were no hilichurls here. No treasure hoarders.
The sheer silence confirmed Ren's suspicion—there was nothing here but rocks and water.
He stretched his arms, hearing his spine crack. He looked around the cave, calculating angles, escape routes, and terrain advantages.
"Plenty of soft earth for Orochi," he noted, kicking the ground. "And an enclosed space is good for trapping Nue."
He walked to the edge of a nearby pool and splashed some freezing water on his face. The shock cleared the fatigue from the hike.
He looked at his reflection in the water. He looked tired. There were dark circles under his eyes—stress, lack of sleep, and the constant fear of never getting home.
"One way or another," Ren told his reflection, "this ends today. Either I get stronger, or I get eaten."
He turned away from the water and walked to the center of the cave. He reached into his shadow, feeling the familiar, cold presence of his Shikigami waiting in the depths.
"Time to go to work."
He clasped his hands together, his fingers twisting into the familiar shadow puppet of the hound.
"Divine Dog!"
Two pools of ink expanded from his shadow. From the left rose the white hound, Yoda, yipping excitedly. From the right rose the black hound, Vader, growling low in his throat. They shook themselves off, their fur bristling with dark energy.
Ren knelt, scratching Vader behind the ears. The Shikigami leaned into the touch.
"Listen up guys," Ren told them. "Today isn't a normal mission. We're hunting big game. I need you guys at full power."
He stood up and stepped back, clasping his hands together.
DIVINE DOG: TOTALITY
The dogs barked in unison. Their forms began to liquefy, swirling together into a vortex of black shadow.
Ren watched the transformation with a critical eye.
Technically, he knew he was using the wrong name. In the strict terminology of the Ten Shadows Technique, "Totality" was a permanent state achieved only when one Shikigami died and its power was inherited by the other. It was a fusion born of loss.
What he was doing—combining two living Shikigami into a temporary, boosted form—was officially called "The Well's Unknown Abyss."
But Ren refused to say that out loud.
'The Well's Unknown Abyss,' Ren thought with a mental grimace. 'Try saying that three times fast while a Ruin Guard is spinning at your face. It's a mouthful. Besides, "Totality" sounds way cooler.'
The swirling ink solidified. A werewolf-like creature with black and white fur emerged from the shadows.
"Good," Ren nodded. The fused wolf let out a howl that echoed off the cave walls. "Stay close. We're going for the snake first."
Ren turned his attention to the center of the cave. The floor here was a mixture of solid bedrock and softer, sandy earth that had washed in from the river.
He checked his mental list.
Target: The Great Serpent (Orochi).
He had chosen Orochi for a reason. In an enclosed space like this cave, a giant snake was dangerous, but manageable. It couldn't flank him easily. More importantly, the rocky terrain of Mt. Aocang was saturated with Geo energy.
"If Teyvat already buffs Divine Dog by a lot," Ren muttered, "Orochi is going to come out looking like a tank. I need something that can take a hit, pin an enemy down, and act as a shield."
He walked to the center of the muddy patch. The sun was beginning to dip, but the cave remained in deep twilight, its light blocked by the towering peaks of the Karst. The shadows stretched long and distorted, connecting Ren to the darkness of the cave walls.
"Perfect conditions," Ren whispered.
He took a deep breath, centering himself. He pushed the fear of failure—the fear of the "filth," the fear of the Adepti, the fear of death—into a small box in the back of his mind.
Right now, he fights as a Sorcerer.
He focused entirely on the Cursed Energy welling up in his stomach. He guided it through his veins, down his arms, and into his fingertips.
He raised his hand in the hand sign for Orochi, a shape mimicking a snake's head.
"From the shadows, rise," Ren chanted, his voice echoing with a power that wasn't entirely human.
The air in the cave grew heavy. The temperature dropped, and the area around him fell silent, as if nature itself were holding its breath.
Ren's shadow boiled. It surged forward, darker than the surrounding gloom, seeping into the cracks of the earth.
"Great Serpent!"
For a second, there was silence.
Then, a deep, grinding rumble vibrated through the soles of Ren's boots. Dust fell from the ceiling. The ground beneath the sandy patch bulged upward, cracking the stone foundation.
Something massive was moving beneath the earth. And it was hungry.
Ren took a deep breath and prepared himself next to Divine Dog.
"Come on out," Ren whispered. "Let's see whose bite is worse."