The moment they heard it was fire-elemental, everyone's spirits lifted.
Hu Tao tugged at Ryen's arm with eager eyes.
"Ryen…"
Ryen chuckled helplessly and rubbed her head.
"I'll give it to you, but let me first check the spell configuration on this staff."
Before his eyes, an interface appeared that only Ryen could see.
After examining it for a while, he clicked his tongue in mild surprise.
"The configuration's really good…"
"Life Curse, Summon Cave Troll, Emberfire Cloud, Frost Breath."
"And a utility spell… Conversion."
"Four advanced-tier spells and one apprentice-tier spell. That's downright luxurious."
Ryen clicked his tongue again. Honestly, this staff was even better than Ganyu's Frostbearer.
With four advanced-tier spells, it was only one short of being a perfect advanced staff.
Even the apprentice-level spell, Frost Breath, could give Hu Tao a form of Cryo elemental capability.
Just from the rationality of its spell setup, this staff was more perfect than Ryen's Thunder Staff.
"Conversion as a utility spell? That's…"
Ningguang asked curiously.
"Same effect as the Transformation Powder," Ryen said casually.
Everyone frowned instantly.
If it were just powder, Ryen could simply stash it away and never use it.
But now that it existed as a spell on a staff…
Who could guarantee that Hu Tao wouldn't cast it a few times just for fun?
Hu Tao hugged Ryen tightly, acting spoiled.
"Give it to me, Ryen! I swear, I'll never use the Conversion spell recklessly!"
"I'll just pretend it doesn't even exist, okay?"
Ryen sighed and handed the staff to her.
"Never use Conversion, understand? Absolutely, absolutely don't!
If you accidentally transform someone, there's no guarantee they can ever be changed back."
Hu Tao straightened her face, raised her hand solemnly, and swore:
"I swear! I'll never use the Conversion spell!"
Hearing that, Ryen smiled and rubbed her head again.
"Then this staff is yours."
Hu Tao immediately cheered with excitement.
An advanced-tier fire staff—fire elemental power increased by 45%.
For anyone, that was an irresistible temptation.
And it came with four advanced spells.
Even though one of them was Conversion, which couldn't be used casually,
just think about it—Ganyu's Frostbearer only had a single advanced spell.
Ryen's Thunderous Wrath Staff, a master-tier weapon, only had one master-level spell.
This Flame Dancer was already close to perfect.
Rosalyne and the others felt a little envious, but since it had been Ganyu who looted it,
and Hu Tao was family with Ganyu, there wasn't much to be said.
Besides… when it came to staves, where there's one, there will always be another.
They had already obtained two staves today—surely more would come in the future.
Hu Tao gazed at her beloved staff with shining eyes, her face brimming with joy.
But soon, she pouted in dissatisfaction.
"What a pity we didn't get a ring… otherwise, I could've asked Ryen to help me put it on!"
Ryen chuckled and shook his head, not bothering to reply.
Instead, he turned to the others.
"For now, our exploration of the Lich Tower ends here. Let's record everything properly, then head back to the Firefly Forest.
There, we'll build a small house. I'm not sure how long we've been here already, but it should be about time for rest."
Everyone nodded.
Though they hadn't fought much, the Twilight Forest was still a realm of eternal night.
Staying here too long inevitably caused visual fatigue and left them weary.
There was no need to return to the overworld just yet.
Judging by the time, they hadn't been gone too long, and there was no news from Madam Ping and the others.
Better to linger in the Twilight Forest a while longer.
"Hopefully, we'll meet a druid mage on the way back!"
Lumine prayed earnestly.
Seeing Hu Tao and the others each gain a staff, she couldn't help but feel envious.
After all, she would be traveling to Inazuma soon.
And unlike Mondstadt or Liyue, which were relatively safe and stable, Inazuma was a land at war.
Once she arrived, it wasn't impossible she'd cross paths with the Shogunate army—or even the Raiden Shogun herself.
Without a few powerful treasures, Lumine couldn't feel at ease.
The journey back was smooth.
Along the way, they encountered some goblins—their first time seeing such creatures.
They were ugly but pathetically weak.
There was no need for firearms; a casual swing of the sword was enough to cut them down.
Hu Tao and Ganyu also tested their new staves.
Overall, the results were excellent.
Even when channeling only a fraction of their elemental power, their elemental damage had significantly increased.
Chatting and laughing, the group soon reached the Firefly Forest.
Keqing placed her hands on her hips, gazing at the serene, fairy-tale beauty before them. She sighed with satisfaction:
"As expected, it's here that truly soothes the heart."
Everyone nodded in agreement with her sentiment.
Back in the Firefly Forest, Klee and Nahida quickly recovered their energy.
They leapt out of Ryen's arms, dashing about in high spirits.
Ryen smiled faintly, unconcerned.
The Firefly Forest was an absolutely safe zone—no monster would ever step foot inside.
Perhaps it was protected by some kind of barrier?
Whatever the case, here, Klee and Nahida could play to their heart's content.
Ryen clapped his hands and said softly:
"Alright, let's tally up our spoils, then build a few houses. After some rest, we'll set out again to hunt down the remaining monsters."
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